I've been sitting on this for weeks, so I think it's time to upload it.
Yes, you read the summary correctly, Beatrice is "older" here. To be more precise, she's actually grown up over the years. The actual reasoning on why that happens will be explained sometime later in the story (next chapter) as a plot point, but not in this chapter.
Just to clarify, no, I did not write her in the "Big Betty" design. Her appearance in this fic is more realistic to her as a character, which is pretty much exactly a "young adult" look without the bloated proportions. You'll get a description on what she specifically looks like in the story.
This chapter (out of maybe three or more) in particular plays through arcs 1-3, showcasing specific moments with Subaru and Beatrice, featuring key interactions and differences compared to canon, which will all lead up to the big moment at the end.
Though, keep in mind, while the story plays through canon events, there is a LOT of original interaction here. It's not a complete canon rehash. The events don't change, but their dynamic and interactions do, and majorly so, which will be seen as you read.
Next chapter will focus on arc 4, and the third chapter will be entirely original (which is all thanks to the changes presented here and in the second chapter). I'm looking forward to getting to that.
Sorry for the long note. Lol. In any case, enjoy!
It all started when they first met.
Subaru had woken up in bed, all alone, in an unfamiliar place. He wasn't scared, though. In fact, he was more curious and excited than not.
He had gotten to his feet, his wounds all healed. Dressed in nothing but a robe, he left his room and went off to explore his new place of residence. This had to have been Emilia's home, after all. Perhaps he should find her, just so that he could properly thank her for saving him.
During his exploration, one thing became apparent: he was trapped in a looping hallway. It had been obvious, given how he'd seen the same painting more than just a few times. Surely, if he found the correct room, it would solve his problem.
So, by using his natural instincts, he'd grabbed the handle of the closest door, opening it quickly and with great enthusiasm.
Inside was a huge library, its shelves stocked with a seemingly endless amount of books. There were even books placed and stacked around the floor, scattered around without a place to store them.
In the middle of the room, however, was a young woman, who looked to be about his age. She was fairly tall, perhaps around his height, and her form was rather slim. Her blonde hair was tied up into two small drills on either side of her head, tinted pink at their tips.
She sat atop of a stool, her legs crossed in front of her with one foot planted firmly on the ground. Beside her was a small table, holding a single plate, cup, and teapot. She wore a rather big, frilly pink dress with an exposed front that left her legs visible.
There was an open book on her lap, giving Subaru an impression that he'd just interrupted her reading time. Her expression looked far less than pleased, sporting a deep frown, and the butterflies in her eyes did little to soften the look of critical indifference.
"You are one profoundly aggravating man, I suppose," she said.
"First NPC found!" Subaru exclaimed back, pointing at her. Not ignorant to the bite of her words, he continued, "Your cute face is gonna go to waste if you're that cold. You should smile more often."
Keeping the same expression, she responded, "A derisive sneer is the only 'smile' worth giving you."
"Are you mad because I guessed right on my first try? Subaru prodded, causing the young woman's brows to furrow even more. "I've always been a pretty lucky—"
"Will you say anything meaningful, or are you just going to keep on with your mindless babbling?" the woman interrupted.
Undeterred, Subaru rebuked, "Hey! What did I say about being cold?"
"If you don't like the cold, then you shouldn't have entered," she snapped back.
Subaru felt as though he should settle down a bit, so he asked, "What is this place, anyway?"
"It's Betty's multipurpose room. It's both a library and a bedroom, I suppose," came her immediate reply.
"Talk about a quick response," Subaru awkwardly said back. "Are you the keeper of this place? Like a librarian?"
"Something like that," she curtly responded.
"Don't you think that you're a little young to be a librarian?" Subaru paused. "Not that I'm calling you a kid, I just picture most librarians to be old, grumpy women who—"
"Betty's had just about enough of this nonsense," she curtly spoke, slamming the book in her lap closed. She uncrossed her legs, using both of her heels to prop herself up on her feet, taking a step toward him at every second. "It's time to teach you a lesson, I suppose."
She got too close, causing Subaru to back away. His back was practically against the door and his hands were raised in front of him defensively. "H-Hey, what're you gonna do to me?"
They were face-to-face at equal height, with her leaning in just a little too close for comfort. Her eyes bore into his own, as if looking into his very soul. Subaru felt unnerved and he felt the urge to flinch under her unending gaze.
"Don't you dare move," she warned, triggering a shiver to go down his spine. "Any last words?"
Subaru fumbled for a moment, his fear implacable. He smiled nervously as he pleaded, "D-Don't hurt me."
Wordlessly, she put a hand over his chest. Subaru's eyes widened, surprised at the action. He was also confused. What was she doing? Didn't she just threaten him? This seemed more like a romantic gesture to him, than anything.
His thoughts were immediately interrupted by an electrifying, burning pain coursing through his entire body. He screamed and gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his cheeks. The suffering only lasted for a few seconds, but, to him, it felt like an eternity.
When it was all over, he collapsed onto the ground. He tried to move, but his limbs just wouldn't respond— in fact, he couldn't even feel them.
"What did you do to me, you vile woman?!" Subaru managed to exclaim.
"Not much," she nonchalantly responded. She stood in front of him, seemingly without any care, and looked down at him with the same expression as before. "All I did was collect the mana within your body, I suppose."
"You … You what?!" Subaru exclaimed again, exasperated and confused.
Ignoring him, she continued, "On the bright side, I now know that you're not an enemy. Shouldn't you be happy about that? You should smile more often."
Subaru was sweating bullets, but he still managed to look up at her. He could see how she looked down on him with amusement, her previous frown now replaced with a smile. "You're not human, are you? And I'm not talking about your personality."
She raised a brow, still amused. "You're more perceptive than Betty gave you credit for. Even so, I suppose that even you would have noticed that eventually, anyway."
"Never mind. I take it back. Your personality isn't human either," he said, his voiced strained
She turned her back to him, taking steps in the other direction as words flowed from her tongue, "Do not measure a proud, noble being by your standards, human."
"Proud? Noble?" Subaru barely inquired. His vision was blurring and he felt his consciousness slipping away. "Is anyone … really like that?"
She stopped, turning her head back. Her expression didn't change, but a peculiar interest lay hidden behind her eyes. Subaru, however, missed this, as he had finally fallen unconscious.
Over the course of the day, after waking up for the second time, he had seen her again. He learned a bit more about her during that time.
But, most importantly, Subaru had learned her name: Beatrice.
"You're irritating me to death. Stop it or be blown away. It's your choice."
"Oh, sorry. My bad."
Subaru had been walking in circles around Beatrice for minutes now. It was honestly a miracle that she hadn't spoken up sooner.
"Somehow, walking in circles helps turn the gears in my head," he continued, watching as she played with a loose strand of her hair. She never took her eyes away from the book she was reading.
"What sort of terminology is that?" she mindlessly questioned.
Subaru waved it off. "Ah, no time to explain. Ask me later and I can teach you more about it if you're interested. Point is, cut me some slack, okay? We're tight, aren't we?"
"There it is again," she sighed. "You have some strange idea about our relationship, I suppose." She turned a page in her book. "You do realize that we've only met twice, right?"
Subaru paused. After a moment, he closed his eyes, smiling to himself. "To me, it feels as though we've been together a lot longer than that."
She raised a brow, but she still kept her eyes on the page of her book. "Is that so? You really are an odd character, I suppose."
"Well, I'm not here to bother you," Subaru continued. "Could you just serve some tea or something, and let me relax?"
This time, she gave him a side-eye, "Betty is not a maid. Even so, I am far above simply serving tea to someone like you, in fact."
He leaned closer to her. "It just got really cold in here all of a sudden."
For a moment, she scowled, averting her gaze in annoyance, "I suppose that the cold is coming from your soon-to-be corpse."
Instead of dwelling on the passive threat he was just given, Subaru decided to try shifting the subject to something else, "What's that book you're reading?"
She hummed. "It explains how to get rid of unwanted bugs in one's room, I suppose."
"You've got a bug in here?" Subaru asked sympathetically, looking around. "That sucks. What kind of bug is it?"
Beatrice sighed again, looking at him quizzingly. "It's an annoying man that doesn't quite know when to stop pestering me, in fact."
"Wait, I'm the bug that you're trying to get rid of?!" Subaru exclaimed, pointing at himself in a dramatic fashion. He fumbled to try and find his words, only able to awkwardly say, "T-Thanks. I'll be counting on your support again."
She paused, doing nothing but look at him for a very long moment. However, once that long moment ended, she raised her hand and fixed him with a hard gaze, "Goodbye."
In an instant, he was thrown from the library, launched out of the doors and through an open window, landing him outside. Once the library doors shut, Beatrice let herself relax.
"Honestly, that man. What exactly goes through his head?"
"Bubby and that child told me to come check on you."
Subaru looked at Beatrice as she leant against the wall next to the door. Her arms were crossed, giving an impression of not wanting to be there. She gave him a look of moderate indifference, but there was clearly something laced behind it.
"Puck and Emilia?" Subaru rhetorically asked.
"I suppose that, since you were acting strangely, they suspect that I did something to you when you first woke up," she said, averting her gaze in annoyance. "Talk about rude!"
Subaru adopted a guilty expression, looking down at his lap. "I get it. I'm okay now. You came here to apologize, and that's enough for me."
She gave him a side-glance. "You believe I have a reason to apologize to you?" She fully turned toward him, her face expressing her annoyance, as she approached the side of his with steadied steps. "I can't leave until I correct that notion, I suppose."
Suddenly, just as she got next to him, she stopped, leaning forward a bit. She sniffed. Once, then twice. After that, she recoiled, pinching her nose.
"Not only do you look gloomy, but you smell even worse than before," she said. Despite saying that, she didn't look disgusted. If anything, she only seemed rather irritated by it.
Subaru gave her a lighthearted chuckle. "Well, it's not like I've had much time to bathe."
Beatrice adopted a different type of annoyance after that statement. "This has nothing to do with that. Betty is very much a grown woman. I know what your so-called 'manly musk' is."
In that moment, Subaru felt insecure.
"You reek of the Witch."
Subaru flinched at that, paling. "Witch? You mean the Witch of Envy?"
She raised a brow at him. "Who else would I be talking about? Perhaps I did drain too much mana from you. Nobody could be this dense."
"Hey! I'm not dense! I'm just a little lost on what you're talking about!"
Her lips curved into a small smile. "Is that not what being dense means?"
Subaru went silent, thinking to himself for a few seconds. "Fine, you got me," he surrendered. "Why do you smell her on me?"
Beatrice's smile faded as she shrugged. "Who knows. Regardless, you've earned her favoritism, so you're a burden. That much is an undeniable fact."
"It's not too comforting to hear that I'm getting favoritism from someone I know nothing about," Subaru mindlessly responded.
She glanced at him curiously. "Is that so?"
Subaru looked at her. "Did you say something?"
"No. I'm leaving," came her quick reply.
She turned, heading for the door. Subaru felt his breath get caught in his throat for a moment. "Wait! You feel bad about what you did to me, right?"
At his inquiry, she stopped. Her head angled itself downward, silence consuming the room whole. "Perhaps I do feel a bit guilty, I suppose."
Subaru smiled. "I knew it."
"Never mind; I don't feel guilty anymore."
"Hang on! If you regret what you did, and you want forgiveness, I want you to do me one favor."
She rose a brow, curiosity filling her entire being. "I'm interested."
Subaru took a breath, trying to gather his words. "Until the fifth morning, the day after tomorrow … Could you keep me safe?"
Her eyes bore into him, just as they had so many times before. She was critiquing him, judging him. "I shouldn't condone you causing trouble in this place, I suppose."
"I don't plan to do anything," Subaru insisted. "I just want to stop sparks from flying."
Beatrice deadpanned at him. "How admirable. You wish to do that, yet you still leave it in someone else's hands. Specifically, Betty's hands, I suppose"
Subaru sighed, looking down at his lap again. "I … actually don't have a comeback to that."
Her expression softened, unbeknownst to Subaru. However, in a moment, she reaffirmed herself, sighing. She approached him, turning herself around and sitting on the edge of the bed, much to his confusion.
She held out a hand to him, her face now feigning irritation. "Hold out your hand."
When Subaru failed to move after a few seconds, her face fell and she leaned in a little closer. She turned herself on the bed to better face him, grabbing his hand within her own. She intertwined their fingers, surprising Subaru when it happened. He kept his eyes locked on their conjoined hands as she closed her eyes, concentrating on something that Subaru didn't understand.
"I shall grant your wish," she said. "I, Beatrice, on my honor, am henceforth bound by this contract. Temporary or not, a contract is a contract. I'll grant your nonsensical favor."
Subaru could only stare at her, only breaking it to blink. He was beyond surprised and amazed by the woman in front of him.
After a while, Beatrice's cheeks tinted red. "Are you going to keep staring at me like that, or are … you …"
She slowed her speech, looking at him more closely. Her expression softened, watching as tears began to spill from his eyes. He covered them with his hand, sniffling all the while. "This is really embarrassing. Crying in front of you like this."
She snorted in amusement, crossing her arms and glancing away. "It's not as though you haven't already embarrassed yourself in front of Betty plenty already."
He moved his hand away from his eyes. He gave her a look of genuine and sincere compassion. "Thank you, Beatrice."
Her breath stifled for a moment. She looked at him again, right into his eyes. He smiled at her, but her expression remained undefined. After a moment, the tint on her cheeks returned, but she never broke her gaze.
"You're welcome."
Subaru and Beatrice both resided within the Forbidden Library. It was nearly the fifth day and Subaru had, by his definition, been reckless. After falling asleep, he'd woken up in the Forbidden Library with Beatrice.
She'd carried him from his room, it seemed, and, despite Beatrice's snappy reply to the question, Subaru appreciated it.
"Thank you, Beatrice," he said, a genuine smile gracing his face.
She didn't answer for a few seconds, giving him a hard look. "I only came because it was the designated time. There is nothing more to it, I suppose."
Subaru got to his feet. He didn't exactly believe her words, but chose not to say anything about it. Something else was on his mind. "I know that I'm probably wrong, but you didn't hold my hand while I was asleep, did you?"
She eyed him weirdly. "Why would Betty do that? Like I would ever hold your hand for any reason."
Subaru sweatdropped, immediately finding the irony in that statement. Though, if he was being honest with himself, he was still a little disappointed with her answer. "Talk about cold."
"The only thing that'll be cold is you if you don't stop talking."
Despite how rough their conversations seemed to be, Subaru genuinely enjoyed their banter.
Eventually, she threw a book at him and instructed him to take a seat wherever. Subaru opened the book, glancing at the pages within, scanning the words scribbles on every line.
He continued doing that for hours. His place around the room would periodically shift as he read, leading him to stand, lean on the shelves, or even sit on the floor, while Beatrice, however, never moved from the stool that she always sat on.
After a while, Subaru felt his eyes drag along the page. They were going through the motions, but, in reality, his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts were clouded, as was his heart. There was something that he couldn't help but want to say.
Without looking up, he spoke the words that his heart wanted him to say, "Thanks, Beatrice. You make me feel safe."
Beatrice paused. Her body posture shifted, relaxing for a moment before stiffening back into the way it had been before. In the end, she said nothing.
More time had passed and, suddenly, Beatrice perked up. "A summons," she said, much to Subaru's confusion. "My presence is required, I suppose."
She closed her book, setting it aside as she lifted herself up from her stool. She took a few steps forward, raising a hand, causing the Forbidden Library to distort for a moment.
She gave him a side-glance. "I must leave for now. You are welcome to stay here. No harm will come to you. I will be back soon."
After that, she left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Subaru alone. He could only stare at the door, his mind racing with a plethora of different thoughts. He struggled against himself but, eventually, he got up, went to the door, and opened it.
At first, when the rays of sunlight hit his face, he was hopeful. Had he really survived? Had he really made it past the fifth day? He would really need to thank Beatrice when he saw her again.
Then, Emilia called his name. She was confused, and, when Subaru looked at her, all he could see was her dark expression. When Emilia took his hand, dragging him across the mansion in a hurry, Subaru hadn't spoken once.
They reached a room. It was dark inside, but one could still see what was within. When Subaru looked, he felt himself sweat, confusion overwhelming him. Everyone else was there, too. Roswaal, Beatrice, Ram and … Rem. Rem was lying on the bed, dead. Ram was kneeling by her sister's bedside, crying her eyes out.
All Subaru could do was question everything. How did this happen? Why did this happen? This shouldn't have even been possible. He never moved too far from the doorway, only able to solemnly look at the body on the bed.
He unconsciously began shuffling himself closer to Beatrice. Only she had noticed, giving him a curious glance before looking ahead of her again.
"She died of weakness," Roswaal spoke up. "It was as if she merely fell asleep. The method was more of a curse than a spell."
Roswaal, with his keen eye, must have noticed Subaru's reaction; a reaction of surprise, realization, and confusion.
"My dear guest, have you any idea what might have occurred?" he questioned. "After this happened to a dear member of my staff, I seem to be a bit angry."
"Watch your tongue," Beatrice interjected, surprising nearly everyone in the room.
"Why, Beatrice, I'm sure that you saw our dear guest's reaction, no?" Roswaal inquired, shifting his focus to Beatrice. "Is that not quite telling?"
"I have kept watch over him throughout his entire stay," she revealed. Subaru opened his mouth, surprised to hear such a statement from her, but it wasn't unwelcome. "He has done nothing of suspicion during his stay, and he has been with me in the Forbidden Library before this!"
Roswaal curled a curious brow, but he didn't verbally question her. Something shot across the room, striking Subaru on his cheek. He felt it, and his cheek stung. Blood spilled from the wound within seconds, causing Subaru to panic.
His eyes shot ahead of him, directly to Ram. She had turned around, looking solely at him with a murderous glare. "If you know something, spill it. Now."
It was clear that she hadn't listened to Beatrice's statements at all. Ram raised her hand again, sending forth another deadly burst through the air. Subaru panicked and, internally, he braced for another death.
Something flashed across his vision in an instant, stopping in front of him and stopping Ram's attack in its tracks. Subaru almost couldn't believe it when he saw Beatrice standing in front of him, her eyes locked intently with Ram's.
"Are you a fool, child?" Beatrice questioned. "Did you not listen to a word I said?"
"Beatrice-sama?" Ram questioned in disbelief.
Beatrice turned her head to look at Roswaal, "He spent the last night in the Forbidden Library. I have kept watch of him aside from that. What more—"
"There is no need to further emphasize the situation at hand," Roswaal interrupted. "The fact remains, our guest knows something that we do not."
He raised his hands, his palms facing upward, as his body turned to face Beatrice. Orbs of different colors appeared in each of his hands, their very presence nearly making the room shake.
"However, for you to guard him with your life … You must have taken quite a liking to him."
Beatrice fixed him with narrowed eyes, standing firm in her place in front of Subaru. "Even if that were so, it would not matter. I will defend him, just as my contract dictates."
Subaru could only look at Beatrice in amazement. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, as he felt a sense of warmth flow through him. Beatrice was willing to protect him, even at the cost of her own life, and it was clear that it wasn't just because she was obligated to.
Maybe she wasn't as cold as he first thought. Perhaps, underneath that cold exterior, was a warm, kind, and caring girl.
"None of that matters!" Ram yelled, getting to her feet, her eyes still locked directly on Subaru. With tears flowing down her cheeks, she begged, "If you know anything, tell me! Help me! Help Rem!"
Subaru bit his tongue. He couldn't say anything. His reaction stirred something within Ram, causing her to become more aggressive. Emilia stepped in front of him, trying to reason with Ram, but to no avail.
It was then that Beatrice turned her head toward him, her eyes softening once her gaze found him. Without delay, she spoke, "Quickly. Run."
Despite wanting to stay and support her, after she had supported him, Subaru ran.
Eventually, he found himself at a cliffside. Pondering his own death, thinking about what would change, as he stared off of its edge. He thought about jumping. He thought about closing his eyes and taking one, single, easy step off, but he couldn't do it. In the end, he was a coward.
Subaru cried as he berated himself. He couldn't even do something as simple as that. He laid still on the ground, and that was how he slept.
When he woke up, it was dawn. A voice spoke to him, "I finally found you."
Subaru sat up to see Beatrice standing before him. She stood close to the cliff's edge, all without any worry of falling off. Subaru could only manage to ask, "Why?"
Beatrice knew what the question meant. "The contract I entered into was to protect you."
Subaru's face scrunched as he thought to himself. "That's not all it is, right?" She jolted a bit, surprised that Subaru had asked such a thing. He looked at her, both with curiosity and a bit of hope. "Why else?"
She stayed silent for a moment, glancing to the side. After that moment passed, she looked at him again, her gaze softening. "You are innocent, in fact."
He took a deep breath. He wasn't sure why, but hearing those words felt … relieving.
He wanted to thank her, to show his gratitude for everything that she'd done for him, but his own self-doubt drove him to ask yet another question, "I thought that you were only supposed to bodyguard me until this morning."
"You truly are dense," she said. To his surprise, despite the cold statement, her expression remained warm and soft. "Betty already said that you were innocent. And besides," she took a few steps closer to him, just until she was directly in front of him, "I don't recall ever discussing a time limit."
Subaru's breath hitched, looking at her with blatant surprise. He didn't know what to say in response to that. He was at a complete loss for words.
"No matter what you do now, nothing will ever be the same," Beatrice spoke again. "You will not be able to change the older sister's mind, nor will I. Betty is sorry, but there is nothing more that can be done."
"But … But I cared about them," Subaru insisted. "I wanted to protect them."
Beatrice's expression never changed. In fact, she seemed to relax, but only just a bit. "Loss is inevitable," she said, her gaze falling. "I came to terms with facts such as this many years ago. I suppose that it's time that you accept them, too."
Subaru shook her head, denying her statement. "Everyone needs someone. They need each other." He simply looked at her, but Beatrice felt as though he saw straight through her. "You need someone, too. Nobody should be alone like that."
She went silent after that. Her eyes remained firmly locked on the ground while Subaru's eyes shifted away from her, off to the side. The wind was the only thing that broke the silence.
Beatrice looked up at Subaru again. "I'll help you escape this domain."
Subaru couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, but something was different about her when she said that. Her expression remained the same, but a different emotion lay hidden in her voice.
When he looked back at her, he saw her leaning down toward him, an arm outstretched for him to take. She wanted him to take her hand.
He did so, without hesitation. She helped him stand, her grip gentle and careful. But, as much as Subaru wanted to go with her, he knew that he couldn't. As he looked at his hand, he knew what he needed to do. Beatrice wordlessly looked at him, sensing his thoughts.
Ram emerged from the woods after that, the winds of her rage whirling around her. Beatrice stood in front of him, "Stand back."
"Beatrice-sama, you seem to forget that you are away from the Forbidden Library. Are you so certain that you can protect him from me?"
"Even if it costs me my life, I will protect him."
Subaru looked at Beatrice in disbelief. She was doing it again. She was putting herself in front of him, at the price of her life, all to protect him. She truly believed that he was innocent; she truly believed him.
He smiled at that.
Then, he positioned himself behind Beatrice and pulled her drills to each side. She gasped in surprise and, when Subaru let go, she completely turned around to look at him with a deep blush on her face.
"H-Hey! What was that for?!" she exclaimed, incredibly flustered. "Are you trying to die?!"
"Nope!" Subaru said, dumbly smiling at her. "I've just been wanting to do that."
His statement only served to make her even more flustered. He found it funny, and he was glad to have shared one last good moment with her in this loop.
He stepped in front of Beatrice. By then, she'd become serious again, her blush fading, as she tried to stop him. She tried to grab his arm, but she missed as he walked by.
Subaru gave his speech to Ram. He swore that he would save them, before turning around and running off of the cliff at full speed. He failed to see as Beatrice reached out one last time, trying to stop him, but failing once again.
He fell to his death, smiling all the while.
When Subaru awoke in his bed again, restarting from the first day all over again, he would remember what Beatrice did for him. He would forever remember it.
"You're going to die in two days."
Subaru froze. He had been leaning against the wall, but now he has to put effort into keeping himself up. Beatrice stood across from him, her expression soft.
"You don't seem as disturbed as I'd expected," Beatrice stated. "When people find out about their impending death, they cry or get upset, I suppose."
Subaru crossed his arms after hearing what Beatrice had to say. He closed his eyes and willed himself to give her a small smile. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to just say that you care."
Her gaze shifted off to the side. "I don't see how—"
"You might seem really cold on the outside, but I'm sure that on the inside you're really warm and cozy."
The faintest of blushes graced her cheeks, but it didn't last long. "You seem to be under the impression that you know me."
"It feels like I've known you for a whole month already," Subaru said with a smile. After a few seconds of silence, he decided to change the subject, "So, the curse hasn't been lifted, then?"
She shook her head. "Too many curses have been placed on you, I suppose. It's too complex to remove them all."
"So like a knot that can't be undone, then," Subaru said to himself. He lifted his gaze and, with one look at Beatrice, spoke again, "Thank you for trying to remove them anyway."
She seemed surprised, but she didn't respond. It seemed as though Beatrice sensed his appreciation.
She proceeded to tell him the specifics of his situation. She told him that the mabeasts activate their spells at the end of every day. She told him that he was practically their food. Still, Subaru only gave a nonchalant reply.
"You … You're not afraid at all?" Beatrice questioned, her voice slightly strained. "I just gave you a countdown to the end of your life, yet you aren't even afraid, I suppose."
"Of course, I'm scared," Subaru admitted. "But I know that you're not mean, so there's probably some other news that you want to tell me."
"There you go again," she uttered, sighing. "But the fact is that you have a very low chance of being saved now I suppose."
"Just tell me how low it is."
After a moment's hesitation, she did so, "This is a spell that makes a meal out of you. If the diner in question were to die, then it's only logical that the meal would be canceled, I suppose."
"So all I have to do is kill the things that cursed me," Subaru replied, considering it. Though, when he lifted his shirt and saw his wounds, his doubts about the idea became more apparent. "But there's way too many of them."
Beatrice let her gaze fall once again, almost guiltily. "I apologize for being unable to do much more."
Subaru smiled at her in an instant. "Hey, I don't want to hear that. No 'I'm sorry's, alright? You did what you could, and that's what matters to me the most."
She looked at him again, her mouth slightly agape. She was speechless, unsure of what to say.
After that, Subaru realized that Rem was missing and the conversation shifted. Ram had shown up, insisting on going after her sister alone, but Subaru refused to let her. The two had come to an understanding, agreeing to go in together.
Beatrice approached Subaru's side. She gave him a concerned glance, but he didn't see it. "You do realize that, by doing this, it's akin to giving up your own life, I suppose."
Subaru smiled. "I don't think so. Forming the habit of giving up because you're used to dying is dumb. When you guys went through so much to save mine, I realized that. Let's make a comeback! I've bounced back from the terrible state I was in, and I want this story to continue with me in it. So, let's go!"
Beatrice could only watch him, even as he left with Ram. In the end, she could only utter one thing, "What a profound speech, I suppose."
On one miscellaneous night, Beatrice decided to take a small stroll around the mansion. It was quite unusual for her. Nobody was awake and there was almost nothing to do, given the time.
Still, she moseyed around the mansion, making sure to stay quiet as she stepped. Despite what it may have seemed, she was not walking randomly. In fact, she had a perfectly clear destination in mind.
It wasn't long before she reached that destination. It was a simple door, one that led to one of the many bedrooms in the mansion, and yet Beatrice found it hard to grab the knob.
What made her want to do this, she hadn't a clue.
When she gathered her courage, she grabbed a hold of the doorknob and slowly pushed it open. Beatrice peered through the open crack in the doorway, looking inside at the room's only occupant, who was soundly sleeping on the bed.
She watched him for a minute before smiling to herself. She was thankful that everything had turned out alright. In the end, she quietly shut the door, returning to the Forbidden Library, her smile never fading.
Subaru never even knew that he was there, but he, too, smiled as he slept.
"I didn't think that I'd find you out here."
Beatrice, who was sitting on a chair by the balcony, turned her head around. There stood Subaru, smiling at her with two drinks in hand. Her expression became one of annoyance as her head turned back the other way.
"That was the point, I suppose," she said. "You weren't supposed to find me at all."
Subaru couldn't help but laugh at that. He brought another chair over, getting it next to hers, before taking a seat beside her.
He turned to her, gesturing to the drink in his hand. "For you."
She awkwardly glanced at him, slowly raising a hand to take the drink from him. When she did so, she moved it to her lap, her gaze falling to look at it. "I should thank you, I suppose."
"Don't mention it." he replied. He looked at her curiously, quickly asking, "Say, are you old enough to drink?"
Beatrice snorted at that. "Betty is far older than you, in fact."
"Oh, so you're an old lady then, huh?" Subaru teased, his voice excitable and dramatic. "I have to say, you look really good for your age. I would've mistaken you for someone my age."
She actually smiled at his words. "And I suppose that implies that you aren't old enough to drink, thus why you were asking me?"
Subaru's smile seemed to grow. "I'm old enough here. I just don't because it's illegal in my homeland. Moral principles and all that. What's your excuse?"
"Simple disinterest, I suppose," she replied. She raised her drink to the side, gesturing to him, "However, tonight, I am willing to make an exception, as long as you answer a simple inquiry of mine."
"Well, I certainly never thought that I'd hear that, but shoot," Subaru said, looking at her curiously yet prepped for any question she may throw his way.
Beatrice hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why did you come out here, when the half-elf and maid are inside?"
"I just wanted to be with you for a while, I guess."
He answered without an ounce of hesitation. It was as though he was completely sure of his answer. It left Beatrice speechless for a while. She wasn't expecting such a straightforward response.
After a while, she sighed, all while a near invisible smile presented itself on her face. "I will take a sip, I suppose. Would you care to join me?"
For a few seconds, he glanced down at his drink in consideration. Once he was done, he lifted his head to look at her again. "I guess a sip couldn't hurt."
Beatrice nodded, but a small smile was present on her face. It seemed that she was enjoying the moment, even if she wouldn't verbally admit it. Subaru raised his drink and it met with hers, emitting a light clank.
Then, the two brought their drinks to their lips and each took a small sip. Subaru immediately brought it away after swallowing, a look of disgust coming to his face. Beatrice, who sat unaffected, looked at him amusedly.
"I didn't like the taste," he told her.
"That was obvious, I suppose."
He gave her a faux look of annoyance as he set his drink down. He didn't even want to look at it anymore. It would probably take a while for that horrid taste to go away, anyway. In the meantime, he spoke up again, "Did you like it?"
She shrugged. "Betty doesn't care much for it. In terms of tolerance, I will have no issue, unlike those bimbos inside."
Subaru laughed a little at her statement, missing the hidden emotion laced within it. Instead, his thoughts went elsewhere as the silence made itself known. The only thing that broke it was the chilly breeze of the cold and snowy outdoors.
It got Subaru thinking and, soon enough, he had something else to say, "It's pretty cold out."
She was inclined to agree. Though she wasn't affected by cold as much as most people were, she could still feel it. She didn't reply, though. She had nothing to really say in response.
"But, you know, it feels pretty warm next to you right now."
Beatrice felt her cheeks heat up like a fire. Her head shot off to the side in the direction that Subaru was not, clearly embarrassed. After a minute of thought, she turned to look at him, her cheeks still burning red.
"Now you're somehow even warmer."
Beatrice wanted to smack him. Instead, in her flustered embarrassment, she exclaimed, "Why would you say something like that?!"
Subaru laughed at that, though he still smiled at her. She could tell that it was genuine, and that the words that would come out of his mouth next were just as so. "You're complex and you're hard to understand, but you're nice. You care. You're a good person. I like to think that I get you a little, you know?"
She said nothing in reply. Her head turned away, looking straight ahead at nothing in particular. She wanted to say something, perhaps snap back by saying that he didn't know her at all, but she couldn't. She could only ponder his words.
Silence once again overtook them. Neither of them really minded it. In fact, it was nice. Subaru's words, as interesting as they were, held true in some sense. They both felt warmer by the other's side. They both enjoyed the company, even if no sound was shared.
Despite that, the silence was broken by words once again, only this time, Beatrice was the one to break it, "Have you thought about your life at all?"
Subaru looked at her, a little confused. "In what way do you mean? Like, the future?"
Beatrice only nodded. With that, Subaru turned and began to think. He took a few deeper breaths as he thought about the question, wanting to give the best possible reply.
"I'm not really sure, honestly," he began. "I never really thought that I'd be the kind of guy that would want to get the keys to a log cabin somewhere and settle down but, right now, it's actually sounding kinda nice. Why do you ask?"
She hesitated for a moment, but she told him, "Back then, when you were cursed, you seemed unaffected by the fact that you would die. It seemed like you didn't care, I suppose."
He developed a small smile, but he didn't look at her. His eyes wandered around, as did his thoughts, as he prepared his next words.
"Of course, I was scared," he told her. "Of course, I don't want to die. But I would have had no hope of a tomorrow if I didn't try and live on that today, right? Instead of moping about 'impending doom,' I wanted to fight for my future. Like I said at the time, I want the story to continue with me in it."
Beatrice stayed silent for a moment, thinking to herself. After a while, she let out a breath and replied, "I believe that I understand. It's good that you've thought about your life, even just a little bit, I suppose."
"Have you?"
His rebuttal made her pause. She didn't reply.
Subaru looked at her incredulously. "I'll take your silence as a 'No, I haven't.' Really? You haven't thought about anything, even a little bit?" he teased. "I think you should take your own words into account for yourself, too."
"There isn't much in Betty's life," she firmly told him, looking out into the distance. "Over the years that I've grown, I suppose that it's always been the same routine. In the end, I'm always waiting for something that isn't there. I'm waiting for something that will never come."
He wasn't quite sure of what to say next, so he thought for a minute. "I still think that you should hold out hope, though. I might not know exactly what you're waiting for, but I think that it'll come to you. Or, maybe you'll end up going to it on your own. Who's to say."
She looked at him, her mouth open as if to imply that she wanted to ask a question, only to find that he was looking up at the stars. She continued to keep her eyes on him for a full minute, only studying his expression. Then, out of curiosity, she followed his gaze.
After a few more minutes of silence, Subaru spoke, "The stars are pretty tonight."
"Yes, they are, I suppose," Beatrice couldn't help but agree.
"You know, I'm actually named after one of them," Subaru revealed, catching Beatrice's interest. "Pleiades. That's what my name means. It's actually a part of a pretty interesting constellation of stars."
As he spoke, Beatrice could only stare up at the night sky. Unknown to Subaru, her body slightly stiffened and her breath momentarily hitched. She relaxed after a few seconds, and Subaru was still none the wiser.
Just because she zoned out didn't mean that she wasn't listening, however, as she replied, "Is that so? That is quite interesting indeed, I suppose."
Subaru's head tilted down, his eyes landing on her. Beatrice brought her head down too, looking back at him with a more indifferent face. His expression conveyed something akin to happiness, but, as for why, Beatrice didn't really know.
"Say, would you mind if I teach you about it sometime?" Subaru asked. "In exchange, you can teach me about … a bunch of other stuff, I guess."
Beatrice couldn't help but break a smile at that. This man … What was he doing to her to make her feel this way?
"That would be nice, in fact."
After that, the two sat together in a comfortable silence. Only when Ram came out and interrupted them, did they bid one another farewell.