“From what Ram and Rem said, I thought they headed straight here, so I was wondering why they were taking so long.”

After finishing her laughter, Emilia spoke while gazing at Subaru at the edge of the garden.

The remnants of her laughter sparkled in her eyes like droplets of tears, as she scooped them up with her fingers during their conversation.

Subaru, who had just been the butt of their jokes, mischievously played with Pack in his hands as he said,

“That’s it! I was trying to create a memorable reunion, so I was doing various things meticulously, ya know, fluff?”

“Yeah, but jumping out from the terrace and landing in the flower bed might be a bit much.”

“I’m sorry! It was out of my control! I’m not some little rascal!”

It would be awful to be thought of as the kid who jumps out the window. Besides, falling into flower beds and getting hosed down by Pack is definitely not something I want.

“By the way, if you thought I was taking too long, does that mean you were waiting for me?”

“…Hmph, not exactly? I knew I should thank you, but I thought I’d feel bad if I moved and couldn’t meet you, and I also thought it wasn’t nice to make someone who’s still recovering look for me. So, staying here was just a coincidence.”

“R-right, just a coincidence, huh, Subaru? I was making up excuses to prolong your grooming and endlessly changing the topic to tire out those little spirits… but I definitely wasn’t waiting for you. Right?”

Emilia’s accidental admission set off a chain reaction in Pack.

As Pack maintained his teasing demeanor, Emilia smiled and turned her gaze to him.

“Pack~?”

“You should just say it plainly. That’s what makes my girl so cute… don’t you think so, Subaru?”

“Absolutely! Emilia-tan is the best! I’m all mushy and lovey-dovey over here!”

“Even Subaru is getting in on Pack’s mischief… and what’s with this ‘tan’ ending? Where did that even come from?”

She questioned the peculiar nickname that was becoming a routine.

Until now, they had been glossing over it, but this time they both teamed up to delve deeper. They exchanged eye contact, synchronizing their thoughts.

“Don’t you know? That’s the highest honor to express affection towards someone. If you try saying it slowly, you’ll understand. Just like ‘Emilia-tan.'”

“Wait, really…? But I’ve never heard of that…”

“Well, it’s an old, outdated term that’s been largely forgotten. It’s no surprise you don’t know, Ria. It took me a bit to remember it myself.”

With a distant look in his eyes, Pack retaliated against Subaru’s false narrative. Subaru solemnly nodded in agreement with Pack’s words.

“It’s like something outdated and long gone from history, a fairytale from the past, you know? But the sentiment behind it still lingers on. Quietly.”

“But now, there are hardly any who know of it… Wait, Subaru. Are you by any chance someone from that lost kingdom…?”

“An associate… Nah, let’s just say a participant. Haven’t you heard? The royal family of that lost kingdom had a lineage with black hair and black eyes…!”

“You two are smiling too much!”

““Ginyaaaaaaa!””

Just as the conversation was getting lively and fun, an ice block flew from Emilia, shutting down the mood effectively.

Though it was about the size of a sugar cube, it somehow clouded their view and stuck all over their faces, feeling like a form of harassment.

If they tried to force it off, it hurt their skin, and they had no choice but to leave it to melt with their body heat. The chill on their faces was rather painful.

“It’s subtly effective! It really is tough! It hit a vital spot! The effect is outstanding!”

Rolling around to raise his core temperature and hasten the melting, Subaru was squirming on the grass while Emilia sighed in exasperation.

“Honestly, you always joke around like that… you never let me thank you, it’s just unfair.”

“Now that suffering feels quite real. Ah, if I force it off, I’m gonna bleed! I’m gonna bleed!”

Emilia barely grasped the severity of the situation, while Pack was delighting in Subaru’s antics. Meanwhile, how was it that Pack, an accomplice in this, wasn’t suffering any damage?

“Well, you see, I can dodge attacks from Ria’s magic with one hand.”

“Oh really?”

“I merely had someone next to me take all the attacks that I dodged.”

“So that’s why you’re taking this excessive damage! For someone who looks nice, you’re pretty ruthless!”

After rubbing his face to dissolve the ice completely, Subaru shouted at Pack, who was grinning with his head in his hands.

Subaru resigned himself, understanding that dealing with these two was tiring, and suddenly turned his gaze toward the mansion.

“Oh, look! It’s Ram and Rem…”

“You’re right. I wonder if it’s already breakfast time.”

It seemed rare for the twins to stroll into the garden during their daily routine. Seeing Emilia’s puzzled reaction, Subaru mentally nodded.

At this time of the day, it was usually when Roswaal returned. The two probably came for that very reason.

The twins approached Subaru and Emilia, bowing their heads politely in unison.

““Master, Roswaal-sama has returned. Please come to the mansion.””

No matter how many times Subaru heard it, he was always enchanted by their synchronized voices.

Emilia shrugged at the words, and Subaru stood up while stretching, checking his body before turning to the twins.

Then, the twins took a good look at Subaru from top to bottom.

“Sister, sister. Our guest is a muddy wet rat!”

“Rem, Rem. Our guest is filthy and looks like a rag!”

“I know that without you saying it! Where’s my tracksuit?”

Responding to their sharp comments, Subaru looked up at the mansion’s view.

He should change clothes, tidy himself up, and once again prepare to face Roswaal.

—This time, he planned to approach things differently than before.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

After welcoming Roswaal back in the entrance hall and going through their third initial meeting, they were once again guided to the dining hall for breakfast, just like the previous times.

To Subaru, who was experiencing his third time, it felt almost familiar. He theorized that it was likely Roswaal’s strong will that enforced this routine.

On the first day of being summoned to this world, when he met Emilia, even during that one day he repeated four times, events driven by a strong will were almost always repeated.

The theft of Emilia’s badge by Felt and the ridiculous plot to strip Subaru of his clothes in the alley were good examples.

While there were nuanced changes due to the whims of each character or Subaru’s actions, the reasons for not deviating from the overarching flow were likely due to such a will.

Therefore, it was only natural that the topic at the breakfast table would revolve around Emilia’s badge, eventually transitioning to her being a candidate for queen and Subaru’s rewards for his achievements.

Although it might not be denying that Subaru guided the conversation somewhat toward that end.

“So, I’m basically Emilia-sama’s patron. Therefore, if I’m to hide the information regarding the badge theft you uncovered, I’ll need to be compensated accordingly, alright?”

“Compensation, huh…”

Subaru smoothly transitioned the discussion into searching for a place to settle, closing his eyes to think.

In the past couple of times, his reward here had settled into ‘being hired as a servant.’ It was done during the previous time because it followed from the first. However, this time Subaru wasn’t planning to simply replicate the last.

So, Subaru’s reward request for Roswaal now had to be something different.

“Then, Rosu-chi, let me crash at your mansion for a couple of days. After that, I’ll be going elsewhere, so a little financial support would be greatly appreciated.”

“Hmm, when you say a little… are you referring to the price of a couple of houses, perhaps?”

Roswaal narrowed his eyes, interpreting Subaru’s request more deeply. Subaru waved his hands in a flustered manner while forcing a smile.

“I’m not implying anything sneaky here. I’m purely asking for enough to cover my lodging and meals for about ten days. After that, I’ll live on my own.”

“Contrary to Emilia-sama’s clean ways, that sounds awfully… selfless, don’t you think?”

“It’s fine! I’m not asking for anything extravagant… oh, unless Emilia-tan says she doesn’t want to part with me. Then we’ll need to discuss things differently!”

“I think you mean well, but… you have your own reasons, right? It must be something important, so I wouldn’t want to hold you back.”

“I got dismissed with a positive interpretation!”

While Subaru was unsure what kind of idol he had built up in Emilia’s mind, he wrapped up the negotiation with a response that appeared to bestow him with an over-the-top heroism.

Watching Subaru clutch his head, Roswaal readjusted the collar of his flamboyant attire.

“Then, if you say so, I suppose I’ll accommodate you. I’ll have Ram and Rem prepare… your stay will be set for three days. If there is anything else, just let me know?”

“Alright then. Well… I’ll need paper, a quill, and a fairytale to borrow.”

Roswaal raised an eyebrow at Subaru’s request.

Scratching his head as he included the twins in his peripheral view, Subaru explained,

“You see, I’ve promised to keep up my nightly reading and writing practice. Believe it or not, I’m the type who keeps promises!”

He winked at the twins as they exchanged worried looks, wide-eyed at Subaru’s one-sided agreement.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—This would be Subaru’s third week in Roswaal’s Mansion.

In this third repetition, Subaru emphasized understanding the causes of his death and identifying the attackers responsible.

“The key words are magic and chains… but it still doesn’t reveal much.”

What he did know was the certain fact that there would be some form of an attack on the fourth day late at night.

At this point, if he were to inform Roswaal, he might receive some minimal countermeasures, but for Subaru, it was a huge gamble since he couldn’t disclose where the information came from. Even just getting a glimpse of the assassin’s appearance or motives would have mattered greatly.

“Thus, this time I must focus. This time, my gamble is purely on intelligence gathering. If the conditions for ‘returning from death’ are the same as last time…”

Then he would have at least one more chance to start over.

This was the best strategy Subaru had come up with at this stage to achieve his optimal outcome.

As for the previous loops, he’d confirm that there were three deaths, and a breakthrough occurred during the fourth attempt. If it followed that logic, he should indeed be able to return once.

Then, based on the information obtained during this loop, he sought to conquer within the fourth world.

“Honestly, this operation seems rather defeatist…but…”

Given Subaru’s limited choices, it was crucial to accept certain sacrifices. Besides, he certainly had no intention of passively watching the situation unfold.

While he was determined to prepare for a reset, he hoped to avoid a future where that became necessary. Thus, naturally, his intention was to break through the loop if at all possible through this iteration.

“I’ve discreetly told Pack to keep an eye on Emilia-tan and protect her.”

After their exchange in the garden, Subaru had warned Pack while Emilia was distracted.

While he couldn’t provide specific details, he urged Pack to stay vigilant about her safety during the night. Pack appeared puzzled by the vagueness of the request but probably recognized the seriousness in Subaru’s tone.

“I can’t say I’m thrilled about it, but it does seem that he’s genuinely concerned for Ria.”

Pack accepted Subaru’s forceful arguments with a jovial attitude.

With this, Subaru felt he could consider Emilia’s safety somewhat secured. Knowing that Pack wouldn’t betray the promise, even at the cost of his precious fluff, solidified that trust.

Relieved by having avoided deeper probing, Subaru felt a weight lift from his shoulders, although he was entirely unsure why he was feeling that particular relief.

“Now, onto that little girl, and subtly… how do I do that? It’s not like I’m some pro at social skills.”

He raked his hair vigorously and casually tucked his quill beneath his chin, straightening his posture.

The multitude of challenging issues waiting for him was giving him a headache.

Even if he didn’t plan on taking any drastic steps during this iteration, the thought of treating them as mere stepping stones was painful. Ideally, he wanted Ram and Rem to succeed and get through the fourth day without a hitch. Roswaal and Beatrice were naturally included in that wish.

Even if the summit looked daunting, that wouldn’t deter him from facing it.

“Well then, what shall I do…?”

“Excuse me, customer.”

Just as he sank back in his chair, straining it with his weight, a voice rang out from outside. Before Subaru could respond, the door swung open, revealing the older of the pink-haired maid sisters—Ram.

She carried a tray with tea, and upon setting her eyes on Subaru, she knitted her brows.

“Oh my, you really are studying hard, aren’t you, customer?”

“What a rude thing to say. I’m, like, currently a guest here, you know?”

“A guest who is merely a freeloader. That’s the way I see it, customer.”

With no qualms at all, Ram entered the room and placed the tray on the table, offering the steaming tea.

In this world, the tea resembled a close match to the original world’s ‘black tea’ in both appearance and flavor. Frankly, Subaru wasn’t keen on tea leaves, but he’d somewhat resigned to the fact that seeking out cola or soft drinks in this world was as futile as it was hopeless.

With about ten days of living in Roswaal’s mansion, Subaru had traversed the roles of the injured guest, the freeloader, and the servant. However, despite the shift in his position, the flavor of the tea had remained consistent.

The indifferent demeanor of Ram, who had yet to slack off, proved that with each repetition, it was still clear to Subaru.

Thus, he took the tea offered to his lips to savor it slowly.

“Yup… still tastes terrible.”

“The highest quality tea leaves served in this mansion brings upon such a dreadful remark, eh?”

“Bitter is bitter. I can’t help but think it still tastes like leaves. With you here, I wouldn’t feel inclined to impress anyone. Tastes like plants.”

“You’re becoming rather informal with me, customer.”

As she spoke, Ram casually picked up another cup that remained on the tray and plopped down on the bed behind the desk to sip it.

Could it possibly be that she was slacking off under the guise of serving? Subaru shot a disapproving look at her.

“To leisurely slack off before a guest, your guts are astounding!”

“Feel free to ignore me, customer. It’s not like I expect anything from you. I just wanted to kill time using tea as an excuse.”

“Your grace is something else, given your sister is out there working hard.”

“Far less than the amount of work generated by you, customer.”

“Hoh hoh hoh,” they chuckled, covering their mouths while exchanging cold stares.

Amidst their jabs at each other, Subaru couldn’t help but feel something was amiss.

Since the start of this third loop, they had already entered the second night of events.

In the meantime, aside from chasing after Emilia, Subaru had hardly left the guest room to focus on his lettering studies. He’d manage to set aside occasional moments to tease Beatrice, but that was about it.

Which meant that during this loop, Subaru had interacted with Ram and Rem beyond that of just a customer and maid. He hadn’t cultivated any more than a rather shallow relationship than in either of the previous loops.

And yet, Ram kept finding reasons to come visit Subaru in his guest room. In addition to serving him, she occasionally checked in on him, seeming to gauge his educational progress, always leaving after some banter. Rinse and repeat.

At times, Ram seemed to be acting closer with Subaru than during the first and second loops.

While this was nice to experience, it also induced pangs of guilt within Subaru.

Subaru had halfway decided that this loop would be merely a stepping stone, making him feel reluctant to overlook this world.

“I can’t figure it out… maybe it’s that? Somehow, seeing my literary, studious back as I diligently write is causing a tsundere effect in her heart?”

“Literary youth…”

Ram reacted to Subaru’s muttering as she observed him from her seated position. After scanning him from head to toe, she finally commented,

“Hah.”

“You occasionally do that, but it seriously gives me the creeps.”

Ram gave a completely mocking expression that made Subaru’s cheeks involuntarily twitch.

With that sneer still plastered on her face, she shrugged her shoulders before responding.

“The sheerly muscle-bound physique you flaunt, plus your sharply bad gaze, and your mentality far removed from delicate sensibilities suggest that you’re merely the literary youth existing solely in your own head.”

“Did you really have to put it like that?! Sure, aside from being known for being a recluse, the neighbors used to talk about how ‘that sporty-looking guy from the Natsuki family is actually a slacker’!”

It was a reputation that had often led to Subaru’s mother stifling her laughter and reporting it to their front door. The embarrassing memories came rushing back, making him want to roll around the room in mortification.

Subaru battled the throbbing urge while blushing heavily. Ram stood up from the bed, glancing at the notebook on the desk.

“And this sloppy handwriting… —now that’s a literary youth that would leave one dumbfounded.”

“I’ve never seen a maid who just acts all ‘customer’ like you do…. Even maids at maid cafes would put on a little more show.”

Though it’s merely hearsay for him since he’s never been, supposedly the reception there was quite spectacular. But he’d never know because he had never been.

Subaru’s resentful comment was cheerfully ignored as Ram proceeded to leaf through the densely filled pages, feigning disinterest.

With his eyes trained on her unfazed profile, Subaru suddenly lifted the fairy tale book he had neglected.

“Speaking of which, this book written mostly in ‘I’ characters should be ripe enough for reading by now.”

The reddish-brown spine simply labeled ‘Fairy Tale Collection.’ The book itself was constructed similarly to those in the original world, with the table of contents and page numbers noted first, followed by separate stories grouped by chapters.

From a quick glance at the table of contents, there appeared to be only about ten tales within this collection—making it easy enough to read in about an hour.

“So, time’s up. It’s about time to see the fruits of my studies.”

“The stories in it are all the kinds that can cause you great shame if you don’t know them. Being a literary youth, you should surely have this memorized, you know?”

“I get it, so stop dragging it out! What, did me posing as a literary youth annoy you that much? Do you have an unreasonable fetish for literary youths?”

Ignoring Subaru’s somewhat sleazy inquiry, Ram tilted her head back to sip the remainder of the cup that was actually his drink.

“Hey, it’s not cool to drink all the tea a maid brought without permission.”

“Isn’t it obvious you’re making a face that looks distasteful while drinking it? It’s also more pleasant to drink when shared with someone who has a decent palate.”

“But I said it tastes like leaves…ugh, fine! I’ll delve into my book now. Feel free to waste your time any way you want until I return.”

Waving dismissively to Ram, Subaru leaned back into his chair and finally opened the fairy tale’s first page.

The beginning contained the author’s foreword for this collection of tales, but it was already riddled with too many non-“I” characters, which made it hard to comprehend.

“All I can decipher from it is some mumbo-jumbo that sounds like ‘Maru’s batus and chome’s devotion’… ugh, skipping this feels wrong but it’s just irritating!”

What if he happened to stumble upon contradictions in the plot’s best parts?

With that worry lingering, Subaru averted one eye while flipping through the book, wary of spoilers.

He quickly glanced through the pages and confirmed that there was no text aside from ‘I’ characters, preparing himself to face the book once more.

“Okay then, what’s the first line… long ago, long ago…”

He wondered if all tales started with ‘long ago’ regardless of the world they existed in, and continued through the story.

Since it was a fairy tale, the plot structure of exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution was extraordinarily clear and straightforward. This left ample room for imagination much like numerous fairy tales from his original world.

“Even the slight elements of lessons for kids are reminiscent of stuff from back home. There are even stories that mirror ‘The Crying Red Ogre’!”

If someone were to ask what his favorite fairy tale was, Subaru would cite ‘The Crying Red Ogre.’ Conversely, if asked for his least favorite, he would still point to ‘The Crying Red Ogre.’

A story that he both loved and hated, ‘The Crying Red Ogre.’ During his kindergarten days, he fondly recalled adding his own twists to every available copy of that tale.

“The blue ogre deserves some happiness, dammit. It’s just sad, you know?!”

“Suddenly saying that with teary eyes, I can’t understand what you’re getting at. It’s just inappropriate given the way things appear; can you not cry in front of me, even if it looks bad?”

“Isn’t it harsh to be so cold-hearted towards a boy’s tears?!”

Ram’s straightforward cut made Subaru rub his eyes dry of tears. Then, in the presence of Ram, who was still in the room, he lightly tapped the cover of the fairy tale he had just read.

“I’m finished! Surprisingly, that was a pretty engaging read! Lack of those subtle differences in sensibility was a thrill, you know… More like cross-cultural exchange? I wonder if I can study art here and spread those stories over there? Think copyright laws extend over realities, too?”

“About half of what you’ve just said went right over my head… So, what’s your impression after reading it? Did anything particularly stand out to you?”

Subaru’s questioning aimed at the ethical dilemmas of plagiarism wobbled the creative beliefs he had erected, and after looking up, he flipped through the fairy tale collection.

“What caught my attention was definitely the dragon tale in the middle and the witch tale at the end. Those two clearly warrant a unique level of treatment.”

The two excerpts that stood out the most in the fairy tale collection were undoubtedly those two. One of them felt entirely out of the ordinary, while the other felt barely mentioned.

“The witch tale feels like it was included just to avoid leaving it out; such a half-hearted vibe! It’s all overview with zero plot structure whatsoever!”

“…The witch tale has its own reasons for being that way. As for the dragon tale, it’s only natural given that we’re in Lugnica.”

“Ah, ‘Parent Dragon Kingdom Lugnica,’ huh? I finally grasped the name’s origin.”

Setting the fairy tale collection on the table and resting his hand on its cover, Subaru nodded.

The ‘Parent Dragon Kingdom Lugnica’ was the mighty nation where Subaru currently resided. If you looked at the world map, this country located at the easternmost point was well-deserving of its title, ‘Parent Dragon Kingdom’, and there were good reasons for that.

In simple terms, this nation had thrived thanks to centuries-old pacts formed with dragons that allowed them to aid in its prosperity.

“Famine, plague. And wars against foreign nations—dragons lent their strength to protect Lugnica in various crises, you see?”

“And the name that came from that is ‘Parent Dragon Kingdom.’ According to the tales, it’s written that the royal family made a pact with the dragons, which is more than just a fairy tale… It feels more like a fable from times long past…”

“Indeed, it is factual. Even now, honorable dragons still watch over this nation’s safety from faraway lands—beyond the great waterfall. Until the promise made with the royal family is fulfilled.”

Subaru listened intently as Ram spoke solemnly.

A promise forged with dragons eons ago—though the content of that promise wasn’t depicted in the fairy tales, it was one that had frequently rescued the kingdom from peril.

It was likely that something significant had been agreed upon between humans and dragons.

As he contemplated that, a sudden realization struck Subaru.

If it was the royal family of Lugnica that made pacts with dragons…

“Wait, didn’t the family that made those pacts just get wiped out not too long ago?”

“Yes, rather abruptly.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? Sure, I don’t really get what kind of danger it poses, but…!”

These dragons had gone through immense lengths to fulfill their promise. The retribution for breaking such would likely weigh heavily. If the royal family that was supposed to uphold it was eliminated, it would be outrageous for someone to be like, “What about my wages until now?!”

“No no, it’s not good to be so negative,” Subaru chided himself. “Rather contrarily, I’d prefer to propose that the royal family must have already fulfilled the dragons’ payment ahead of time. If that holds true, the nation would be peaceful, the dragons would have no issues, and we’d all be throwing a big celebration.”

Spinning his thoughts as he sought to deny his anxiousness, Ram dismissed Subaru’s appeals with a shake of her head.

“What the dragons seek remains unclear. In the current situation, how the dragons will act is known only to the gods…”

She paused at that point, interjecting, “No, it’s more like something only the dragons themselves know,” she added.

Breathlessly, Subaru felt beads of sweat trickle down his forehead even without heat.

Digesting and digesting Ram’s words took a moment before the weight of it finally settled on him.

“So, the pressure on Emilia-tan must be absolutely monstrous.”

“Yes. Bearing a kingdom’s fate on her shoulders, negotiating with dragons that can control the rise and fall of the nation—just the image of it alone could spin into a fairy tale.”

Subaru recalled the complex expression Emilia wore the second-to-last night when she read this fairy tale collection. It wasn’t until after his demise that he realized the reason her hands had stilled as she flipped through the pages.

The weight and magnitude of her burdens went far beyond Subaru’s imagination. Just thinking about how much that delicate physique had to bear sent his heart into a fierce turmoil of anger and sadness.

“It can’t be helped.”

“…Huh?”

“Everyone has inherent traits and related responsibilities they must shoulder. Emilia-sama was born under such stars. Thus, for that reason, she must endure the pain and climb that treacherous path, no matter how rocky it may be.”

“Are you seriously placing all of that responsibility on just a girl?”

“I believe having someone who will share the burden is fine. However, she must be there at the summit when they reach it.”

Unidentified frustration quivered in Subaru’s voice, and Ram’s tone was starkly calm and rational.

In that moment, he sensed Ram was speaking coldly out of conviction, causing his simmering rage to yield him a fragment of clarity.

After all, being angry at her was pointless. Ram had no obligations regarding the matter; she merely vocalized the mindset she had accepted.

“Right, Ram. I have another thing I need to discuss…”

Not wanting to apologize but feeling something was amiss, Subaru pointed toward the fairy tale book.

At its center, paired with the esteem of the dragon tale, there was a mere few pages dedicated to the witch tale at the end.

The title was ‘The Jealous Witch.’ But,

“This witch story feels like…”

“I don’t want to discuss that tale.”

She firmly cut him off, even more thoroughly than the dragon tale.

Surprised, Subaru’s eyes widened as Ram swiftly packed up the teacup and tray.

“I’ve overstayed my welcome. I can’t be burdening Rem for too long, so I’ll be excuse myself. Customer, I shall come to fetch you for dinner again.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Until then.”

With that final remark, she abruptly turned her back and departed the room without giving him a chance to respond. Subaru was left in silence, watching the door close after her, before collapsing onto the bed, expelling the tension from his body.

“What was up with that attitude…?”

As he muttered to himself, Subaru lifted the fairy tale collection before his face and flipped through its pages.

The last story, ‘The Jealous Witch,’ spanned only four pages and was a brief tale.

“The scary witch, the terrible witch. Her name is so terrifying that even saying it sends chills down one’s spine. Everyone called her ‘The Jealous Witch’…”

With no structure whatsoever, it simply aimed to convey the terror of the witch. Its simplicity, combined with words that any child could read, accentuated the eerie flatness of its message.

“What a waste of a book I finally learned to read…!”

Any sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, or even a delightful aftertaste had been utterly obliterated.

Subaru rolled over in bed, shaking off the stories from his mind. Instead, he began to think about the trial and error left in this loop with only two days remaining.

Racking his brain with “What ifs” and “Or how abouts,” it didn’t take long before Subaru’s consciousness slowly melted away into the soft bed and sheets, leading him into slumber.