Something was definitely up with Zoey.
I couldn’t quite explain it, but something about her made me uncomfortable. She seemed to act and speak just fine, but something about her mannerisms really threw me off. Despite this, I didn’t pay too much attention to it.
Rowan arrived a few moments later, and the three of us separated.
I originally thought Zoey had come just to talk to me, but it seemed she had other reasons for being there. Parting from the two of them, I glanced at Rowan a couple more times before heading off on my own.
Honestly, I was surprised by what Zoey had told me.
I hadn’t known Kyle had paid for Rowan’s sister’s treatment, but thinking about it, it made sense.
Kyle had always been very soft-hearted.
’Well, it’s not like he’s dead. When he comes to it, I’ll just let him go. In fact, I probably wouldn’t mind letting him go now. The problem is that I can’t risk having him reveal anything about me. I should find a way to stop him from doing that.’
Then again...
It wasn’t impossible. He was technically controlled by me.
Maybe...
’Now that I think about it, wasn’t there someone else who had issues with one of their siblings? Geneva was it...? I do remember promising her to help her. Hmm. I should check it out later when I have time.’
There was also the matter with Mr. Jingles.
Thinking about it, there were a lot of things that were tied to this hospital.
"We’re here."
A voice shook me out of my thoughts.
Looking at the nurse standing in front of me, she handed me a slip as she reached for the door.
"The patient’s condition still isn’t great. If possible, I’d like you to avoid agitating her emotions too much. That could be problematic."
"...I understand."
I smiled at the nurse.
"You don’t have to worry too much about that."
"In that case, I feel more relieved."
She returned the smile. However, just before she opened the door, she stopped herself and looked back at me. After a moment of hesitation, she took out a small pad and handed it to me.
"Actually, I’m a big fan... can I have your autograph?"
"....."
I found myself at a loss.
Nevertheless, I obliged and signed the paper. Her face brightened as she tucked it away and opened the door for me, mumbling, "Thank you! Thank you!" over and over again.
Honestly, it wasn’t like I didn’t see it coming.
The people in this hospital had been giving me strange glances. I knew that the moment I had revealed my identity at the counter, news had spread among the other nurses and doctors.
Clank—
Instantly, a wave of fresh air washed over me as the distant curtains billowed softly in the breeze. Sunlight streamed into the room, casting a warm glow across the space and revealing a clean, quiet interior with a large bed set to the side.
Sitting on the bed was a familiar figure, her silhouette outlined by the light as she slowly turned her head in my direction. In the background, the steady beep of the cardiogram echoed through the room.
Beep! Beeep—!
Removing my glasses, the initial confusion disappeared from her face as she smiled warmly.
"...Seth."
"Matriarch."
I smiled back at her, moving into the room as the nurse behind me closed the door to give the two of us some time.
The Matriarch set the book in her grasp as she extended both hands.
"How long has it been? I’ve been meaning to ask you to come visit for quite some time. I thought that you had forgotten about me."
"...I was quite busy."
"I saw."
Her eyes lit up for a moment.
"You’ve made quite a name for yourself lately. It’s all I’ve been hearing about. I’m honestly glad you’ve been doing so well. I’m sure the other children are happy about it, too."
"Ah, the other children... How are they doing?"
"Well, they are doing the best they can."
The Matriarch’s smile faded slightly, a trace of sadness settling in its place as she let out a quiet sigh.
"They’ve been recovering a bit, but they did go through a lot. I heard that it’ll take some time for them to improve. However, it does seem like there are some improvements, which is always great. Are you also planning on visiting them?"
"I am. Probably after this."
I could feel Mr. Jingles growing quite restless.
"That’s great."
The smile returned to the Matriarch’s face as I looked around and found a nice seat to sit in.
Right as I sat down, the Matriarch asked, "How is Kyle? I haven’t heard from him for quite some time. Is he doing well? Is he here?"
"Kyle?"
I paused for a moment.
Then, thinking about what the nurse had previously told me, I realized that they had probably not told her about what had happened to him.
I pressed my hand against my chest and lightheartedly replied.
"Actually, he’s dead."
The Matriarch’s expression changed.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The cardiogram started to beep faster.
"Wait, what... Are you...?"
"Nope."
I shook my head.
"He’s dead. Died back in the World Congress. I’m surprised that you didn’t hear about it."
I tilted my head.
"H-ha, that can’t be... H-how could..."
The beeping grew more relentless as her lips parted and closed again and again, her words slurring each time she tried to speak. Seeing her like this, I decided to stand up and move closer to her as I held her hand.
"Matriarch."
I kept my voice warm.
"This is something that happens often in our line of work. I can understand why you’re distressed, but you should be well aware of this."
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"...He didn’t suffer. It was quick."
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"S-stop. S—"
"Stop, what?"
I tilted my head while moving my head closer to her. I didn’t even know when, but I was smiling. Yeah... I was smiling. Something about this situation felt hilarious to me.
Especially when...
"Are you sad that one of your potential vessels is gone? But I don’t think you were that sad when something happened to me. I heard you were texting Kyle a lot. Just like how I never contacted you... You never contacted me. Why is that?"
I tightened my grip on her hand, and her expression shifted. Then, before she could react, I reached forward and grabbed her by the neck.
"Huek!"
A strained, choking sound escaped her as her face flushed a deep red.
Her hands immediately scrambled, trying to push me away, but the difference in our strength was too great. I forced her head down, tightening my grip around her neck.
Her hands continued to flail until they found my arm, her fingers digging into it as she tried to pry me off.
"Ukhe...! Khe!"
Choking sounds continued to spill from her lips as she struggled to force out words.
"Hm? You’re trying to say something?"
I leaned closer, trying to hear what she was trying to say, but at the same time, my grip tightened.
"Ukh!!"
Her face was entirely red.
No, it was purple.
Her resistance was also weakening.
My grip remained the same.
Looking at her and seeing her struggle, I felt absolutely nothing.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Even as the beeping grew more rapid and unbroken, I felt absolutely nothing.
But I didn’t persist for very long.
"Ueeeeeek!"
Letting go of her throat, I calmly patted my hands while sitting back down in my seat.
At the same time, the Matriarch continued to choke, gasping desperately for air.
I stared at the sight in silence, waiting for her to recover.
And she did.
It happened rather quickly, her aged features settling as her gaze fixed on me. For some reason, her face seemed more sunken than before, her hair even grayer.
Did I choke the life out of her?
"S—"
"Sorry about that."
Rubbing the back of my neck, I apologized to the Matriarch.
"...I didn’t mean to go that far. Honestly, I was about to kill you before I realized it."
I suddenly burst out laughing.
"That would’ve been quite bad."
After all, there were still a lot of things that I wanted to ask her.