Who Do You Like More, Mom or Dad?

hat day on, Atticia’s torment started.

 

 A series of dull hitting sounds came from the corner of the dark street.

 

The black shadows gathered together and looked like nothing but a lump, but as Diana got closer, she heard a little bit of coarse swearing.
Somehow she felt like she shouldn’t have gone any closer.

 

But, this was the only road that led back to the mansion. 

 

Just as Diana halted her steps because she felt she couldn’t go any further, a voice rang out.

 

“Hold onto this jerk.
I’m going to look around.
If this person gets helped right now, I think I’ll lose my mind…”

 

One of the men turned around dusting his clothes.

 

“What…?”

 

Their eyes met.

 

The moment she faced the eyes of the people in the moonlight, her whole body stiffened.

 

“There’s someone here.
Ted, what did you do? Weren’t you on the lookout?”

 

The man spoke in a sour way and began to approach her.

 

“You there, do you know who you’re looking at right now?”

 

“No… I-I….”

 

It was time for Diana to keep her mouth shut.

 

“It’s better not to have witnesses anyway.
Let’s finish this quickly.”

 

What the man said gave her goosebumps.
As Diana instinctively backed away, the men began to surround her.
The man called Ted strongly grabbed Diana’s shoulder. 

 

She has always missed her mother, but at this moment she was all she could think about

 

‘Mom!’

 

Suddenly, like a blade of a sword, a strong wind blew.

 

“Ack! What is this!?”

 

The man hung his face down because he couldn’t open his eyes, his grip becoming loose.
Diana quickly shook off his hand.

 

“Oh! Oh!”

 

She heard something breaking from the hands of the man who she had just escaped from, but she ignored it.

 

As she ran, her shining pendant lost its light and fell to the ground.

 

“That bitch is running away!”

 

“Catch her!”

 

Diana ran frantically.

 

‘Run away, I must run away!’

 

The footsteps of the men echoed, chasing after her.

 

‘But, where to?’

 

She had to run for a while if she headed to the village.
So, Diana jumped towards the bushes.
She ran stamping into the forest.
She wanted to get away even just a little bit, but that was just her hoping.
Diana, who was about to be caught, shouted.

 

“P-please save me! Please sa—!”

 

As she was running away frantically, she got caught in a tree root and tumbled down.

 

Without missing a beat, the man grabbed Diana’s wrist.

 

It was this time when she seriously thought she was going to die.

 

“…What is this?”

 

It was someone’s voice that was supposed to be impossible to hear in the forest.
The man’s movement stopped.

 

“What are you!?”

 

The shaggy bearded man shouted threateningly.

 

“Would you even know if I said it?”

 

“What? That nerd-like person—”

 

“Hey.
Hey.
Just leave and go where you’re supposed to go! But don’t think because I let you off, I’m saving you.”

 

The other man stopped the man who wanted to fight right away and spat.

 

“I also want it to be like that, but I hate having dragonflies going wild.”

 

“Don’t regret it.”

 

The men made eye contact with each other.
The moment the man approached his opponent—

 

“Kyaak!”

 

She could hear the sound of a person falling down along with a scream.

 

“W-what? What’s the matter!?”

 

“Aaack! T-this bastard is a so-sorcerer!”

 

“Why is a sorcerer here?!”

 

The man who was holding Diana was flustered and let her go.
As Diana hurriedly tried to raise herself up, another tearful scream shook the forest.

 

She didn’t know what in the world was going on.

 

“Save, s-save— kyaaaaak!”

 

The unpleasant smell of iron made her nauseous.
While bowing her head down, Diana covered her mouth.

 

At some point, the unending screams and groans ceased.

 

With a rustle, someone came up to her.
Diana, who couldn’t even think of running away, trembled.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“….”

 

In the forest, the moonlight was hidden by clouds.
There was almost nothing to be seen.
Only the figure of a tall man covered in robes.
She couldn’t even see his face.

 

Diana tried to get up.
However, her trembling body didn’t move as she wanted.

 

“You can’t get up? Do you want me to help you?”

 

“Heup!”

 

The man reached out his hand to her.
For a moment, Diana was taken aback as if she had been burned by a match.
The man took his hand away in surprise.

 

“That… no, excuse me, save me….”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Please save me.
Save, save….”

 

Diana, who collapsed to the ground, begged wildly.
She couldn’t think of what to say.
Instead, she burst into tears. 

 

“So, you were completely terrified.”

 

“Hic, Hicc.
P-please save me.”

 

“Why would I kill you? Where’s your house?”

 

The man reached his hand out again.

 

The moon, which had disappeared under the clouds, poutingly appeared.
Even in the dark, a clear light penetrated through the trees.
The moonlight shone on Diana’s face.

 

“Because it will be hard to go back alone, I’ll take you ba—”

 

For a moment, the man stopped his words.
Then in a completely dumb voice, he spoke, 

 

“… Philippa?”