Natsuki Subaru gained a tiny bit of peace after forming a contract with Beatrice.

However, the essential point of his being cornered had not improved in the slightest, and there was still no solution in sight.

As always, Subaru lived a reclusive life, unable to step out of the guest room, and Beatrice wasn’t glued to his side all the time either.

In fact, since the night of the fourth day to the entire fifth day—due to his negotiations to allocate a portion of the guards for that problematic time, Beatrice had not come to the room even once, clearly not wishing to be by Subaru’s side if she could help it.

Instead, the one who frequently visited Subaru was—

“Ah, good! Beatrice actually came to apologize. How impressive!”

Emilia smiled and nodded beside his bed, her eyes bright.

Her frequent visits caused Subaru’s conscience to ache while also bringing a glimmer of light to this world that felt like nothing but darkness—she truly seemed like a goddess.

Despite being harshly pushed away, Emilia approached Subaru once more. Even when she barely muttered an apology filled with regret, she gently said,

“You must have been feeling irritable, right? Everyone has times like that, so it’s natural. I’d love it if you could say the same to Ram and Rem.”

She gracefully brushed off Subaru’s rude comments.

However, Subaru had yet to give a clear response to her small request.

If he deemed her to be someone untrustworthy who knew the circumstances, Subaru’s mouth would be sealed by her. On the other hand, while tasting that excessive loyalty, he honestly couldn’t bring himself to hate the two of them.

Moreover, it was certain that only one of them was involved, and perhaps the other knew nothing at all, which perhaps fueled the fragile hope he had.

Day by day, Subaru’s mind was worn down between hope and overwhelming despair.

Emilia quietly watched over this weary Subaru, then glanced at the food set beside the bed and remarked,

“You really haven’t eaten anything, huh?”

“…………Sorry.”

Subaru, the troublesome guest, hadn’t shown his face at all, and even though he was insulted upon their first meeting, the mansion’s staff did not slack off on providing meals.

The food served was mostly untouched every time, and even if it was clear he was unwelcome, they maintained their duty without changing expression or voicing complaints.

Subaru knew that one was inconsiderate while the other maintained a polite facade and yet wouldn’t neglect their duties. He was aware of that. Still—

—What if it’s poisoned?

Every time he looked at the food, that anxiety haunted him.

He didn’t think they would resort to such measures. If they intended to do so, there had been countless chances to poison him during past loops.

Yet, their actions always came directly to Subaru. Thus, he half-expected that when they came to kill him this time, they would be armed with a weapon.

The reality that someone who knows so many good things about him was surely trying to kill him… That recognition marked the beginning of Subaru’s despair.

Because of that mental state, not accepting the meal purely stemmed from the tension and anxiety making his insides tremble.

He thought the food would surely taste good. It was a flavor he had felt was delicious time and time again. He might have thought that someday he would be able to cook as well.

“You know, if you don’t eat something, it’ll be bad for your body, right? It might be tough…”

“My stomach just can’t take it. …Maybe if Emilia-chan would feed me, I could eat.”

Subaru joked lightly despite the troubled expression and cursed his inability to save himself.

He couldn’t even pretend to act nonchalant towards someone genuinely worried about him.

But then,

“Okay, here comes the ‘ahh’!”

“—Huh?”

“That’s right, ‘ahh’.”

Emilia placed a tray of food on her lap, spoon in hand, looking at Subaru.

The spoon was filled with soup, still faintly warm, slowly approaching Subaru’s mouth.

Not understanding her intentions, Subaru waved his hands in panic.

“No, no, wait, Emilia-chan! What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you say you would eat if I did this? So eat. I’ll help you out with an ‘ahh’.”

“Um, isn’t there a certain style beauty in this sort of thing that leans towards not being able to do it after a lot of back and forth? Or at least, when a girl gets embarrassed and turns bright red, that’s typically the limit?”

“That’s silly. There’s nothing embarrassing about helping a child eat. Come on, stop saying stupid things.”

Against Subaru who was flustered, Emilia forcefully made him do the “ahh.” Eventually overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Subaru felt his ears grow hot with humiliation.

“Ah, ahh.”

“Okay, gulp! Next, here we go! Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!”

“Fast!? I’m having my first ‘ahh’ and there’s no lingering taste at all!?”

It was as though they were having a speed-eating contest, with her mechanical and efficient motions. Continuously presented with spoons, Subaru ate them without thinking, ultimately finishing his meal at Emilia’s hand.

Having emptied the tray, Emilia now sported a satisfied smile, saying, “Okay, what do you say after finishing your meal?”

“Thanks for the food.”

“Such bad manners. Correctly, say it again.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Yes, it was a simple affair.”

Emilia bowed deeply to Subaru, who bowed back deeply in return.

However, Subaru, who had restrained himself from eating for more than two days, suddenly squeezed the meal into his empty stomach, creating an unnatural sense of fullness that pressed down on his insides.

He didn’t feel like he ate much, and he tilted his head in confusion.

“You haven’t had decent food in a while, right? Ram suggested it, and Rem made it. They are good girls, you know?”

Emilia’s words were like a sharp knife to Subaru’s chest, as if they stabbed him.

It surely should have been a kind gesture that brought tears of joy. Yet, now it felt painfully misguided to him.

There was always something hidden behind their kindness and familiarity.

Yes, once realization struck home.

“Well then, I’ve fed you, Subaru, and I shouldn’t linger too long, lest I tire you out, so I’ll be going back.”

“If you want, you could stay and sleep next to me?”

“It’s good to see you’re looking healthier. However, I have a lot of things I need to take care of. I’ve sneaked out, so I shouldn’t linger too much.”

With a wink, Emilia playfully apologizes.

Suddenly recalling her schedule at this hour, Subaru realized just how fortunate he was.

At this hour, she was supposed to be busy studying in her room.

Carrying the burden of her nation, working hard to aim for the future, she must have accumulated a lot of effort.

What time did she have to spare for someone who had nothing to offer and couldn’t even move toward the future, but kept repeating the current?

Suddenly, someone seemed to chirp in Subaru’s heart, asking if it was okay to just keep losing to fate.

Pushed by that voice, which sounded eerily similar to his own stubbornness, he raised his face.

“Hey, Pack!”

“…I was being quiet because I thought my loveliness wouldn’t fit the atmosphere, but what’s up?”

The silver-haired girl, holding the tray, was about to leave the room, and Subaru called out with another name, waiting for a little cat to appear from her long silver hair.

Locking onto those pitch-black eyes, Subaru pointed at him and said,

“I don’t think Emilia-chan is in danger… but make sure to protect her properly. Even if you have to use your tiny body as a shield.”

“If I can protect with my size, that means it’s a pretty small crisis.”

“Shut it! Just do it, okay? This time, I’m barely keeping up with my own issues!”

He thought Emilia was probably safe.

After all, Roswaal certainly had no reason to harm her, and if he didn’t, the twins wouldn’t either.

The only one in danger in this mansion was straightforwardly Subaru himself.

“So you’re only worried about your own life. How simple. …Wait, if I think about it, I feel like I didn’t do anything that remarkable last time either.”

During that time, the handsome guy had swept everything away while Subaru just barely managed to survive.

Both last time and this time, Subaru was merely being tossed around.

“Sorry for ruining the mood, but I’ll take your advice seriously. —Yeah, it doesn’t seem like it’s based on lies or malice.”

Pack nodded while subtly lowering his tone.

What could be behind those dark, unilluminated eyes that seemed so unfathomable yet somehow reliable made Subaru’s jaw tighten.

The two of them were deep in conversation while Emilia, the party involved, sulked and pouted her lips.

“What’s with you two agreeing silently? Are you plotting something bad?”

“Of course not! Just a girl. We need to be careful about various things. Be careful of vehicles and men!”

“Vehicles… you mean carriages and dragons, right? What’s this about men?”

“Not all men are honest and faithful like me, so Emilia-chan, make sure to listen to what your father says and discern who you can trust.”

Pack nodded along to Subaru’s usual joking tone.

“That’s right, Emilia. From now on, don’t think of my advice as annoying. First, stay away from those with black hair and bad eyes. If you bring someone like that, I won’t let them into the house again.”

“Brutus, not you again!”

Subaru shouted at Pack, who had slashed at his back casually. One person and one cat tilted their heads at the unfamiliar name. Clearing his throat, Subaru regained composure and said,

“Anyway, that’s that. Especially be careful at night. Emilia-chan is so cute, so I think she might constantly be fighting off the fear of being surprised at night.”

“They say my floor is set up to warn the scary guardian if someone intrudes without permission.”

“That’s dangerous. Good thing I was lazy and just snoozed off after work. I’d be doomed trying to sneak in at night.”

“I’ll leave the door unlocked, so if you’re brave enough, you can try it.”

Emilia waved goodbye with a small hand and left the room, while the little cat on her shoulder mimicked the gesture.

At least, he’d managed to warn both her and her guardian.

With this, he thought they would probably be alright.

“Oh, crap…”

Just as the relief flooded his heart, fatigue overwhelmed Subaru’s consciousness like a tidal wave.

The weariness he had kept at bay with pain took that moment to seize control, robbing Subaru of the will to resist.

It could be that the unexpected fulfillment of hunger was one of the factors that didn’t allow him to muster the strength to fight back.

“I can’t sleep,” he thought while biting his lip… but Subaru’s awareness slowly drifted into slumber.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Caught in the borderland between dreams and reality, Subaru’s consciousness drifted like a cloud.

He had heard somewhere that dreaming while sleeping was a byproduct resulting from the brain sorting information.

Then, the scenes that intruded upon Subaru’s slumber represented, indeed, vivid memories needing organizing.

The sensation of his half-body being torn, the moment his skull shattered, the pain of his leg being blown off, the sense of loss from having his throat pierced, and the despair from having his abdomen sliced open… all these tormenting feelings plagued Subaru, even while escaping reality.

He groaned and writhed, drenched in sweat, with tears flowing from his eyes, as he fought against the overwhelming emotions rising from within him.

It was painful. It was hard. It was sad. It hurt. He wanted it to end. He wanted to finish it.

Complaints and weakness overflowed, with each time diminishing his very soul. It felt as if he would eventually wear down to nothing.

So thoroughly exhausted, both his mind and body were at their limits.

Suddenly, the tension in Subaru’s body dissipated.

A chilly sensation, trembling through him suddenly, seemed to wrap around him tenderly.

The reason was hands.

Someone was holding Subaru’s hand.

As he floated in the unconscious void, someone was attempting to anchor Subaru’s presence from the side of reality.

The warmth of the touch was gentle. The kindness of the sensation was unmistakable.

He felt as if he had been saved. A gentle breeze blew into his withered heart.

The strained, pained expression on his sleeping face turned peaceful, and the breaths he took transitioned from anguish to quietude.

Who was it? What was it?

Was it real, or was it just a conveniently crafted dream?

Feeling the faint warmth lingering in both his right and left palms—

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“—You better not be sleeping in too long,”

“Ugh, what on earth!?”

Forcefully kicked off the bed, Subaru let out a pained groan as he was abruptly awakened.

The hard floor jolted him awake, and when he pulled himself up, Beatrice stood across from him on the other side of the bed.

She didn’t hide her displeasure, arms crossed, sniffing in a haughty manner.

“It’s the promised time, so I grudgingly came to get you.”

“Without having to jabber at me like that, huh? Yes, this is precisely the kind of feeling.”

With his upper body thrown onto the bed, Subaru spoke in an exhausted tone.

Then it hit him—realizing he had been sleeping made him a bit cold-hearted. After all, he’d been so alert and careful.

“I seriously dozing off on the important fourth day… Am I a complete fool with no regard for my life?”

“Stop mumbling and be quiet, will you? Now, let’s hurry up and go.”

Ignoring Subaru, who covered his face in despair, Beatrice beckoned him and moved toward the door. Subaru hurriedly said,

“Go where…?”

“Do you expect me to spend another night in this stinking room of yours? No thanks. Beatrice’s location is in the Forbidden Library, and that’s non-negotiable.”

With a snap of her fingers, Beatrice touched the door.

Everything appeared normal, but presumably, just that was enough to prepare for “Door Crossing.”

While it was an unexpected offer from Beatrice, Subaru was thankful for the lucky chance. Beatrice’s “Door Crossing” was a troublesome item for the attackers that kept them from pinpointing location for ambushes. Although it didn’t apply to Subaru for some reason, it was confirmed that Rem had no effective means to perform “Door Breaking.”

“You’ve actually thought things through, huh?”

“You’d better hurry, or the tea will get cold, so be quick about it.”

Hearing Subaru’s impressed voice, Beatrice responded nonchalantly. It seemed it was an overestimation to think she actually considered him.

Regretting his choice of words, he suddenly looked at both his hands.

Nothing appeared particularly different, yet for some reason, there was a curious concern.

Come to think of it, while asleep, someone had held his hands.

“Beatrice. Don’t tell me… you were holding my hand while I was sleeping?”

“Really? How far would I go? Even if I was asked by niichan, I’d politely decline.”

“Seriously?… Well, in that case, if I die, I’ll die together with you!”

“Absolutely No way.”

With his thumb up, Subaru weakly flashed a grin.

It was the usual pose, yet he didn’t feel like he was fully back to normal.

Leaving an exasperated sigh at Subaru, Beatrice passed through the door. In a hurry, he tidied himself up before following Beatrice into the Forbidden Library.

As always, Subaru thought, it was a room filled with a tranquil yet cluttered impression.

This room, crammed with bookshelves stacked full of books, remained unchanged and functional no matter how many times he visited.

Beatrice, who entered the room first, went to her usual spot next to the stepladder. Sitting on it, treating the step ladder like a chair and completely negating its role, she said,

“Feel free to kill time. Nothing will happen here, no matter what… or at least, I think nothing should happen. But I’ll uphold our contract.”

“Even if you say that…”

The tension and accompanying anxiety was haunting him. Subaru had been trying to get into the right frame of mind, yet with the ticking problem at hand, he couldn’t regain his normal composure.

He quickly glanced around the room while comparing the many books lined up on the shelves and asked,

“By the way, do you have any books written entirely in ‘I-character’?”

“…There are some. You’re not saying you can’t read regular letters, are you?”

“Honestly, I can’t. But I did work hard, you know?”

Striving diligently, all the while under the twins’ watch.

He just ended up digging into his own wounds and took a heavy hit.

“It’d be a waste for you to step into the Morizas family’s Forbidden Library, as it’s something you’ll hardly ever see. Beatrice hardly ever invites someone here, not even once every few years.”

“Even if you say that, unreadable books are just stacks of paper, and besides, chances to enter the Forbidden Library are extremely valuable…”

Unfortunately, for Subaru, this room didn’t feel rare or anything at all.

Even if he told this to Beatrice now, it would likely just complicate things, and so he kept his mouth shut.

As Subaru cut off the conversation halfway, Beatrice raised her eyebrow in suspicion. Noticing her questioning gaze, Subaru pointed with his finger and attempted to change the subject.

“By the way, do you stay in this room all the time?”

“It’s part of the contract.”

“Another contract, huh? Must’ve really been caught by some persistent salesperson in your youth. The louder the insurance person, the more skilled they are.”

“It’s a contract I chose willingly.”

That was a curt reply, implying she wanted to leave it at that.

Beatrice’s emotionless tone made Subaru nod quietly.

“According to those involved, they state…”

“Stop talking so much or I might break the contract!”

Rising, Beatrice pulled a book from the shelf and began tossing them at Subaru one after another.

Usually, Beatrice would freely unleash her magic, making it quite unusual for her to resort to such physical attacks.

Easily catching the books thrown by the weak girl, Subaru stacked them on a nearby table. Suddenly, the barrage stopped, and he realized something late.

There were about seven books thrown at him—all of them written only in “I-character.”

Looking up, Subaru turned his gaze toward Beatrice.

Beatrice, having realized he had only just caught on, waved her hands in a teasing manner.

“Does that work for you? Or is it a bit too hard for you?”

“Um, that seems pretty tough for me, I might not understand…”

“If you two get cutesy, it’s so disgusting!”

“Geez. I’m only matching your levels.”

If Subaru went full joke, he’d end up going so far back as to the fetus stage.

He’d communicate by pulling on the umbilical cord or slapping the placenta around.

Watching Subaru’s stubbornness, Beatrice shrugged her shoulders, seemingly giving up on their chat entirely and began to open a book.

Observing her inattentive attitude, Subaru took a nearby chair and picked up one of the books Beatrice had chosen for him.

He wouldn’t usually say thank you due to his embarrassment, but it was genuinely appreciated.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Thus, the tranquility in the Forbidden Library gradually passed by.

They exchanged no words, only the soft sound of pages turning filled the library.

The books Beatrice selected for Subaru were mostly tales and children’s stories, like previous times. A book written only in “I-character” had similar demands as using only Hiragana, so it leaned heavily toward young readers.

Unfortunately, even during what was supposed to be a precious moment of reading, Subaru’s eyes repeatedly flickered back and forth on the same page.

At first, he might have had the leisure to read, but as time kept ticking away, his mental reserves were gradually stripped.

—From the closed Forbidden Library, he couldn’t catch a glimpse of the outside world.

Due to the nature of this room, it lacked windows, and it was indeed a place that felt like “time had frozen,” just as Beatrice had once said.

Not in the literal sense, but in a way that certainly felt that way.

What time was it outside now?

By the time Subaru was invited into the Forbidden Library, dusk had been just around the corner.

Simply put, he had only about half a day to spend here until he welcomed the fifth day’s morning.

However, being in this stagnation made it impossible to measure that mere half-day.

It could feel like he had only been in this room for barely an hour, or, conversely, it felt as if nearly ten hours had passed.

The suffocating anxiety fueled by uncertainty significantly dulled Subaru’s ability to discern his current status, making it almost impossible for him to trust his judgment anymore.

Yet, asking Beatrice about it felt burdensome.

It wasn’t some feminist view of not wanting to disturb her reading, but rather it terrified him that triggering any action might set off a chain of change.

Sitting there, experiencing the stagnancy became stressful. But he was also horrified about how the situation might take a sudden turn—

Stuck in a state where moving forward or retreating was impossible, he remained frozen before the overwhelming phenomenon of time.

His fingers felt numb trying to turn pages, and his tongue complained of dryness. His heartbeat had quickened to familiar speeds, while ringing in his ears filled the sound of blood rushing through his body.

How long had this pressure lasted?

If the beginning was unreasonable, then its ending had come without any forewarning.

“—I’m being called.”

Suddenly, such a whisper resonated quietly within the library.

Subaru looked up, surprised. Beatrice was folding the book and setting it aside while gazing at him. She descended from the stepladder lightly.

“I think someone is calling for me.”

As if forgetting Subaru existed in his surprise, she muttered while waving her finger.

In that instant, the space seemed to warp, sending a strange sensation coursing through Subaru’s entire being.

It was a floating sensation that overwhelmed him from all directions, and despite only being for an instant, he felt fatigue and nausea take over his body.

When his body was about to slump from the chair, Subaru glared resentfully at Beatrice, the cause of his discomfort. Finally noticing his gaze, she said,

“Oh, right, you were here. Did I forget about you?”

“How do you forget someone standing right in front of you? That’s just low for an insult.”

“It’s a matter of priority. —Niichan is calling for me.”

After saying that much, Beatrice slipped past Subaru’s side and headed toward the door.

Extending his hand toward her back as a reflex and suppressing his urgency, Subaru called out,

“W-wait! If you go outside now…”

“Staying back will be just fine. It’s safe here.”

Her words dripped with disdain, which infuriated Subaru, making him stand up to chase after her. He placed his hand on the doorknob, hesitating for a mere few seconds.

But then—

“Ah, crap! What the hell, enough of this!”

Motivating himself with foul words, Subaru violently threw the door open.

Instantly—

“Ah—!”

Subaru let out a silly remark instinctively.

He shielded his eyes from the blinding light stabbing at his eyelids, unnerved by the welcoming rays of the morning sun.

Tentatively brushing his hand through the air, Subaru staggered forward. In front, a window peered into the garden—and beyond it, high in the sky, was the just-rising sun.

It was the sunrise of the fifth day, which he had yearned for, having tried countless times to reach it.

“Could it be… I’ve crossed over the night of the fourth day?!”

Unable to believe the result right in front of him, he slammed his hand against the window as if trying to break it open. The refreshing breeze flowed in, ruffling his bangs, while the crisp air from early morning filled Subaru’s senses.

His legs weakened, and slowly, he felt drained of motivation. His back hit the wall, slowly toppling over as he lost the will to stand.

It was entirely without expression—a bemused state.

So unbelievable was the current situation he couldn’t even distinguish between reality and dreams.

He had given up. He had been completely hopeless. He had worn thin.

Yet, Subaru had crossed over the night of the fourth day and reached the fifth.

“Ha, haha…”

Unbeknownst to him, dry laughter spilled from his lips.

Once it began spilling out, he found no way to stop it.

“Hehe, haha. Wh-what is this? Hey, what the hell? Hahaha…”

He couldn’t express his feelings with words.

Crouching down with his knees hugged to himself, Subaru continued to let out maddened laughter that bordered on losing all sanity.

Unable to put them into words. Unable to articulate them. Finally, Subaru—

“—Subaru?”

A silver-bell voice pierced through the hollow joys of Subaru.

Lazily lifting his gaze, he found Emilia standing at the far end of the passage.

It was Emilia. He had managed to find her safe and sound on the morning of the fifth day.

Together as a pair, they had crossed over the night of the fourth day. This fact stirred emotions within Subaru that made no sense.

However,

“Emilia…?”

In stark contrast to the joy swelling within him, Emilia stared at Subaru in astonishment. She suddenly ran forward, rushing to where Subaru sat crouched,

“Subaru… where have you been?!”

“No, I was…”

“Forget it… No, that’s fine. Just come with me!”

Grabbing his hand, Emilia’s urgency surprised Subaru, yanking him up as she dashed forward without waiting for his reply.

Startled by her sudden behavior, Subaru instinctively swallowed the words he had wanted to say upon catching a glimpse of her profile.

Her well-defined profile bore visible distress and impatience.

It was an expression that reminded him of their battle at the Thieves’ Repository.

“What the hell happened—”

Subaru didn’t get the chance to complete his question.

Before he could voice it, the sound of something else struck his eardrums.

—It was a scream. Or perhaps it was a shriek.

High and drawn out, filled with sorrow, that sound left an unerasable ache in the hearts of those who heard it.

The howl, as though it was tearing apart someone’s half-body, continued eternally, transmitting an urgent sense of tragedy to Subaru, still unaware of the situation.

They ran through the hallway, heading upstairs. The second floor on the east side housed the quarters of each servant. They passed the room where Subaru had slept merely days ago, with Emilia pulling him along, aiming further inward—there, stood Roswaal with his long indigo hair.

He narrowed his eyes at the approaching Emilia and Subaru. Leaning against the wall, Beatrice was no longer there, but in her hands was a small cat with gray fur nestled tightly.

“Inside…”

Upon reaching the three of them, Subaru was about to inquire about the situation when Roswaal simply replied with one short word.

He pointed to the adjacent room, which had its door ajar.

Turning to Emilia, she also nodded toward Subaru. Her violet eyes glistened with unshed tears, silently urging Subaru to decide what to do.

Holding his breath, Subaru placed his foot inside the room.

Upon entering, the tension caused him to shut his eyelids tight—slowly opening them, Subaru beheld the scene before him.

It was a meticulously arranged room. Reflecting its occupant’s neatness, the sparsely furnished personal space showcased tastefully arranged items without wasting any of the limited area.

Though the layout was nearly identical to the room Subaru had used, it was astonishing how much individuality could manifest simply through a different user.

Just thinking that momentarily allowed Subaru to forget the sight right before him.

Yet, such escapism was futile, as reality forced a conclusion upon Subaru.

In the center of the room, a neatly made bed lay there.

On that bed,

“Ahhhh—!!”

Screaming in deep, overwhelming sorrow, Ram cried, streaming tears down her face—

While beside her, Rem lay lifelessly, breathing her last.