Natsuki Subaru refers to her as Theta, one of the representative personalities of Ryuzu.

Upon entering the graveyard and touching upon the past of Ryuzu Meier, the foundation of their existence, her memories were horribly fragmented, with even the timeline being sparse.

Theta thought that must be because her very existence had been formed by cutting the soul of the original Ryuzu Meier into various shapes.

Then, what about the other Ryuzus? Might the three of them, Alpha, Beta, and Sigma, or even the Replica personalities that haven’t developed their own personas, glimpses of different pasts?

Even if that thought were true, Theta didn’t want to show them her version of the past.

—To show the shapes of the past she witnessed to the other Ryuzu replicas would be unbearable, accompanied by unspeakable pain.

“What is it, I wonder? Even if you look at me with those eyes, I won’t do anything,”

The beginning of her memories came to her as a girl with softly colored hair glared at her.

An adorable visage indeed.

With hair that seemed to dissolve into light and translucent white skin, her slightly bluish large, round eyes easily adorned the girl’s appearance with the term “petite beauty.”

Her hair split into two large, long curls looked smooth enough to slip through fingers, returning a bouncy softness just by looking at it.

The dress of calm colors seemed a touch too mature for the young-looking girl, but considering the girl’s own material flamboyance, the color of the dress was harmoniously chosen.

“——”

Gazed by the lovely girl with a piercing glare, Ryuzu shrank back.

Moreover, compared to the girl in front of her, her own appearance and clothes were utterly shabby. Being of the same age only amplified her own misery, making it unbearable to stand there.

“Hmph. Are you a coward?”

With Ryuzu unable to retort and falling silent, the girl let out a disappointed snort.

Even that gesture was a cute action before her adorable appearance, but to Ryuzu, it was accompanied by a searing pain sharper than the previous insults.

Before she even realized it was akin to a fear of upsetting the girl in front of her——,

“Beatrice. What’s with that attitude? I never intended to teach you to act like that,”

A gentle voice came in, and the girl’s facial expression stiffened.

The voice came from behind the girl, right past Ryuzu’s line of sight.

From the back of the settlement, stepping out from a small makeshift hut, was a “pure white” woman.

With long flowing white hair and skin so transparent it seemed untouched by light, the only colors were in her eyes, lips, and the long-sleeved dress and skirt she wore, reminding everyone around her of her existence.

The person slowly walking towards them was a grand benefactor to this village—Echidna, the Witch.

The girl, Beatrice, dramatically reacted to Echidna’s voice. Maintaining her stiff expression, she turned to face her.

“A—Ah, no! That’s not it, Mother! Betty didn’t do anything… It’s just that this girl—”

“I never intended for you to make excuses that sound pitiful. You should be conveying the truth accurately. If you have the conviction that you’re not in the wrong, you should have no hesitation in doing so. Am I wrong?”

“That’s… not wrong, I guess…”

Echidna’s voice lacked emotional exuberance but bore a quiet severity.

Beatrice dropped her shoulders, bringing her hands together, wearing a sulky expression.

“As you instructed, Betty was quietly waiting outside. Then, this girl came—watching me from a distance… I thought it was rude. So I called her out to ask what she wanted.”

“I see. Is that correct?”

“Ah… Yes, it is. I apologize. I was rude…”

Beatrice’s explanation was indeed accurate.

Ryuzu had been absent-mindedly watching her lean against the fence at the edge of the village, probably waiting for Echidna to finish her business. The way Beatrice looked, her eyes appeared somewhat lonely, evoking a tightening sensation in Ryuzu’s chest.

However, sharing such thoughts would likely earn only a scoff. Ryuzu shrank her small body even smaller, bowing her head to weather the storm.

“It’s not a denial, huh? Then it seems that Beatrice was somewhat rude, just as she said.”

“Exactly, Mother. So, Betty hasn’t done anything wrong…”

“However, treating someone with that much intimidation to the point of making them tremble is Beatrice’s fault. I’ve told you time and again, you are indeed special, but that’s not for looking down on others.”

“Umm….”

Beatrice, attempting to agree with Echidna, was instantly silenced by the counter.

Watching such a back-and-forth, Ryuzu felt her insides shudder with emotion at the fact that Echidna remembered her name.

Even though this was a small settlement, she was but an inconsequential child.

Yet this grand benefactor, the Witch, remembered her name. As a resident of the “Sanctuary” devoted to honoring the Witch of Greed, it was an undeserved honor.

“For adjustments in that regard, I’ll leave it to Juice when we return to the manor. He’ll surely be enthusiastic about it.”

“…Betty doesn’t really like Juice all that much.”

“Being hated is a role he acknowledges, so it’s welcome to him.”

With a light smile directed at the grimacing Beatrice, Echidna then turned her face towards Ryuzu.

Her heart leapt. It was a surprise that Echidna’s attention still rested on her after having been trying to gauge when to slip away from this situation.

Continuing on, Echidna approached the stiff Ryuzu, who was frozen in place.

“I’m sorry for startling you, Ryuzu. This girl is named Beatrice… she’s like my daughter. I’m embarrassed that she still hasn’t been properly trained.”

“Like a daughter? No, she is my daughter!”

“Well, it seems that way. From now on, you’ll likely come to the “Sanctuary” with me frequently. Since the opportunities to interact will increase, I hope you’ll get along.”

“Y-Yes! Leave it to me, Lady Echidna!”

With a hand on her shoulder, Ryuzu nodded, heart trembling with joy.

Echidna seemed satisfied with Ryuzu’s agreement, tilting her chin, while behind her, Beatrice muttered, “…It’s not like Betty is okay alone or anything…” in a sulky manner.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Excuse me, child over there. I believe Lady Echidna should be around, but have you seen her?”

Stopping at the call, Ryuzu, carrying a laundry basket, turned around.

And upon realizing who had called her, she almost gasped, nearly dropping the basket in surprise, but a hand reached out just in time to catch it.

“Oh, ah—”

“I-I’m so sorry!”

Sliding closer, Ryuzu bowed her head to the boy who caught the basket.

Seeing this, the boy with the indigo hair shrugged it off, saying, “No, it’s fine, really.”

“I’m the one who failed to notice that you were carrying something. I apologize for my lack of consideration.”

“It’s nothing… that’s too much to say to Lord Meizers.”

“Regardless of who it is, one must never forget to be considerate towards a woman… Just one correction, I’d prefer you not address me by my family name. You can just call me Roswaal.”

As Ryuzu complied, the boy—Roswaal winked.

He appeared to be about four or five years older than Ryuzu, standing a head taller, but his limbs still hadn’t fully grown, and his clear voice hadn’t quite finished transforming into that of an adult.

He was that special blend of youthful charm—a kind of allure that naturally exudes the grace of nobility even to a little girl like Ryuzu.

And rightly so. Roswaal, at such a young age, was the head of the Meizers family, governing multiple territories, and was a remarkable figure cooperating with the Witch, Echidna, in managing the “Sanctuary.”

He contributed to maintaining this “Sanctuary” in a way separate from Echidna, and it was something always emphasized not to disrespect him.

While Ryuzu blushed at Roswaal’s wink, she desperately recalled what he had called her about earlier.

“So, regarding Lady Echidna… I haven’t seen her today, and Beatrice is also not where she usually is.”

“I see. She might be running late. More importantly, it’s hard to imagine Beatrice coming here without seeing you right away.”

“Um, well… I think Beatrice talking to me often was just coincidence…”

“Coincidence, huh? That’s what Beatrice said, right?”

In response to Roswaal’s question, Ryuzu silently nodded.

Since being introduced as Echidna’s daughter, she had met Beatrice several times. Whenever Echidna had business, Beatrice usually wandered around inside the “Sanctuary” until her mother finished. This led to them often crossing paths.

Ryuzu frequently encountered Beatrice when picking up laundry or gathering mountain vegetables.

Roswaal couldn’t contain himself and started laughing at Ryuzu’s response.

“Beatrice is not very straightforward. I hope you don’t find her bothersome.”

“Not at all. I am just grateful for her kindness towards someone like me. I worry that I’ve often upset Beatrice and am anxious about whether she dislikes me…”

“In that case, you’re fine. Beatrice’s dislikes aren’t very credible. If she truly hated something, she wouldn’t follow along with a lot of excuses.”

Is that really so? Ryuzu tilted her head while hearing Roswaal’s words.

When interacting with Ryuzu, Beatrice always seemed to grumble and complain, always nitpicking at her every move. It was hard to believe that she wouldn’t dislike her in earnest given those behaviors.

Especially since most of the residents in the “Sanctuary” often found themselves at the receiving end of malice or hostility from the outside world. Beatrice’s personality, while being far softer and warmer compared to those hostilities, still had an edge to it.

“I hope one day you all come to understand that.”

Looking at the quiet Ryuzu, Roswaal muttered.

Noticing the sad smile on his lips, Ryuzu was unsettled by what might have caused such a look on his face.

However, before she could come up with any words to mend the situation, Roswaal blinked his yellow eyes as if he noticed something.

“Ah! Teacher! I came running when I heard you were here!”

With that, he raised his hand, tossing aside his previously mature demeanor and racing forward with a childlike expression. As she watched him dash past her, lying in his path was none other than Echidna.

Noticing the thrilled Roswaal rushing towards her, Echidna raised her brow slightly.

“Roswaal, I don’t recall allowing you to call me your teacher.”

“Today, I can’t let that slide. I’ve managed to complete the task you assigned to me before. I’ve gotten to the point of equally concentrating the four types of mana to produce rainbow-colored mana. —I’ve even self-reached the point of adding the remaining two colors! What do you think?”

“You managed to reach the point of bundling six colors all by yourself? That’s… a somewhat terrifying level of proficiency and tenacity. Now, now, this is troubling.”

It’s rare to see Echidna show surprise.

At least, this was the first time Ryuzu had witnessed it. Roswaal puffed out his chest proudly, waiting for words from Echidna. To Ryuzu, that sight was heartwarming. It was clear from the glint in his attitude, that boundless admiration and deeper emotions for Echidna were spilling out.

“What are you just standing there for?”

“Ah… Lady Beatrice…”

As she watched the two from a distance, suddenly Beatrice, standing next to her, peeked into her face. Startled, Ryuzu took a step back, and Beatrice crossed her arms in her familiar posture, snorting at Ryuzu.

“Staring so hard, as always, how rude.”

“I-I’m sorry! That was impolite!”

Reprimanded, Ryuzu felt humbled by her shamelessness. Nevertheless, upon seeing Ryuzu apologize, Beatrice deepened the furrows on her brow.

Her facial features softened significantly just by not smiling or keeping her lips pressed, yet Ryuzu continued to feel apologetic for constantly causing her to frown.

“How long are you going to keep that downcast face of yours? It’s annoying. If you have the time to lug around that laundry basket, you should hurry up and move on to your next task.”

“Y-Yes! I’ll do just that. Excuse me!”

With a sharp-tongued Beatrice, Ryuzu bowed her head again and hurriedly left the scene, yet behind her, Beatrice followed along, her dress tripping slightly as she walked.

“Lady Beatrice…?”

“It’s nothing. Just passing the time.”

In response to Ryuzu turning back only her head, Beatrice replied in a haughty tone. Remembering the earlier exchange with Roswaal, Ryuzu pondered.

That boy’s assessment was that Beatrice didn’t actually dislike conversing with her at all——

“Lady Beatrice, if it’s alright, could you help me fold the laundry?”

“…Huh?”

Gathering the courage to offer assistance with chores, Beatrice growled displeasedly.

Her large eyes widened in surprise mingled with something resembling anger. Ryuzu nearly regretted this suggestion, tempted by Roswaal’s words.

“—If you can’t manage by yourself, I suppose I’ll help you.”

“Eh?”

“I won’t repeat myself again. Now, let’s hurry.”

With that, Beatrice zipped past Ryuzu, who had almost halted in her tracks. In that moment, Ryuzu caught a glimpse of Beatrice’s lips curling half in exasperation and half in some other emotion.

With her heart ablaze, Ryuzu quickly caught up with Beatrice, stealing a glance at her profile.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could I have you carry a few pieces of laundry?”

“Hey, don’t get too cocky now. —I’ll help, but only a little.”

With that, Beatrice extended her hand toward Ryuzu with a reluctant expression.