Cherreads

Chapter 36 - Addressing The Situation

Subaru sat with Emilia and Rem.

Subaru: [Emilia. Rem. Thanks for sitting down here for this talk.]

Emilia: [It's an important talk, so of course.]

Rem: [...]

Subaru: [I considered everything and whatif means to have a happy ending between the three of us, and I know one thing for sure. I know that I have to put Emilia first, no matter what. I never planned on doing otherwise. Having Rem with me would make everything perfect, but... something like that isn't easy to achieve while keeping everyone happy.]

Rem: [...]

Emilia: [Subaru?]

Subaru turned to Emilia.

Subaru: [I'm sorry.]

Emilia: [Huh?]

Subaru: [I've been selfish recently.]

Emilia: [That's... I...]

Subaru: [You've made me so happy, but I've been causing you trouble.]

Emilia: [Well...]

Subaru: [Rem. I want to make you both happy. I really do, but... There is a limit to what I can do in this situation.]

Rem: [Subaru-kun?]

Subaru: [I think it's best if we're... just be friends. I'll do my best to make you happy even then.]

Emilia looked to Subaru in surprise.

Subaru: [I do love you. I do, but it was clear to me that things couldn't turn out the way I wanted. I always knew that. I just wanted you to be able to stay next to me at least.]

Emilia: (Then all this time...)

Rem: [Subaru-kun... I... don't think that's fair.]

Subaru: [Rem? I know I promised, but...]

Rem: [It's not fair to you both. I came here thinking I could live as your wife, but... I was being naive.]

Emilia: [Rem. Why...]

Emilia couldn't understand it. Why would Rem back down?

Rem: [If I were in her position, I would feel that way.]

Subaru: [Rem...]

Rem: [I've been far too selfish in my expectations from the very beginning. I'm sorry to both of you.]

Emilia looked surprised.

Rem: [Rem already understands that trying to barge her way in was unreasonable. Even more so after... what I learned.]

Rem bit her lip at the memory.

Subaru: [Emilia-tan. What do you think about all of this? She can get a house nearby...]

Rem: [I'm going to make the effort. I'll handle this Subaru.]

Subaru: [Alright.]

Rem: [Rem wishes to at least be able to be a maid as before.]

Emilia: [A maid... are you really okay with that?]

Rem: [It's a selfish request. I'm asking you to trust me that much. I... want to stay by Subaru-kun's side.]

Emilia: [I... see. Well... I...]

Emilia did not like this girl in the slightest, but both of them had put her feelings first, so she felt okay with agreeing to it.

Emilia: [That's fine.]

Subaru and Rem both let out a sigh of relief.

Subaru: (Looks like things went well. But... Rem doesn't seem happy. More like she's resigned to it.)

Subaru sighed.

Subaru: (This is going to be difficult, but I did mouth off greedily about making them both happy. As for how much effort it'll take... I've been through so many things. I should be able to handle this much, right?)

Subaru looked to Emilia.

Subaru: (There is no way that I wouldn't put Emilia first.)

AN: Yes, I flip-flopped on the conclusion of this plot point so much, but I do think that I made the right decision. Having Rem in the relationship feels too unrealistic. This was always meant to be an EmiSubaRem fic, but oh well.

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Emilia sat there as she attempted to feed Lyra her dinner, who was resisting with all her might. Rem stood to the side. Even though she had taken the position of a maid, she felt it would be wrong to intrude on things revolving around parenting.

Rem: (Lyra-sama seems to be quite a troublesome child...)

Emilia: [You're still a reaaally picky eater. That's no good, Lyra.]

Lyra backhanded the spoon, launching the food at Emilia, who swiftly dodged with no effort, but it landed in Rem's face.

Emilia: [Oh...]

Rem stared for a second in shock before laughing. Lyra also began laughing, and that's when Emilia took full advantage of this, feeding her as she didn't seem to notice the taste, too busy laughing.

Emilia: [Not so bad, right?]

Emilia kept feeding Lyra, who ate without a care in the world, being too busy giggling as she ate. Subaru walked over, carrying Fortuna and looked shocked.

Subaru: [You... actually got her to eat peacefully?]

Emilia: [Somehow.]

Subaru sat down as Fortuna ate her food without a fuss.

Rem: [Fortuna-sama is so well behaved.]

Subaru: [They're twins, but they're complete opposites. I feel like one of got all the energy of both of them.]

Emilia: [Subaru...]

Rem: (She's going to scold him.)

Emilia: [Please, no. There would be no way I'd be able to handle them both being even half as energetic as Lyra.]

Subaru looked shocked.

Subaru: [You're right.]

Subaru gulped at the thought as Rem looked surprised and smiled slightly.

Rem: [Fortuna-sama is a really good girl, though.]

Subaru smiled as Fortuna seemed happy to see it smiling brightly.

Rem: [So adorable!]

Fortuna reached out her hands to Subaru.

Fortuna: [Papa.]

Everyone froze. The room went as silent as a Rem Glazer's girlfriend when they're inside her.

AN: Sorry, Gang. Just had to make this joke. 

Subaru raised both his hands in the air.

Subaru: [Victory!!!]

Emilia: [Maybe Fortuna will say Mama now as well?]

Emilia looked to Fortuna.

Emilia: [Fortuna. Say Mama.]

Fortuna: [Papa.]

Emilia: [Ma...ma.]

Fortuna: [Papa.]

Subaru held in a laugh as Emilia pouted even more.

Emilia: [This is so vexing!]

Subaru: [No one says vexing in this day and age.]

Emilia pouted.

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Subaru lay in a pool of dark expanse as he looked around.

Subaru: (This place is...)

Subaru got up and looked around to find a half-elf covered in a black veil. She was sleeping on his lap.

Subaru: [Satella?]

The half-elf slowly opened her eyes as a black aura emanated from her.

Subaru: (The Witch Of Envy huh?)

WoE: [Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me. Love me.]

Subaru: (Not good.)

WoE: [Love only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only Me. Only me.Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me. Only me. Only Me.]

Subaru: [I can't do that. I can't even include you. Because you're not her. A fake like you. I'll make you disappear. That way... I can save that girl who's desperate for the end.]

The WoE tilted her head.

Subaru: [You're not Emilia or Satella. You aren't one of my kids either. You don't have a place in my heart.]

WoE: [No one can know you but me. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one. No one.]

Subaru sighed.

Subaru: [When I get there, I'm going to deal with you.]

Subaru looked the itch in the eyes as if he was looking past her, and the next words that spilled from his mouth were the same words he had said to her on their first meeting, to his memory.

Subaru: (Satella...)

Subaru pointed at the figure he saw in the witch's eyes.

Subaru: [I'm going to save you!]

AN: Added this scene since I know Satella fans are starving right now.

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Subaru stood next to Rem as they were cookign and he sighed.

Subaru: (Last night... that dream.)

Subaru then thought of Petra.

Subaru: (If we return, there's a chance she'll be killed.)

The realisation dawned on Subaru.

Subaru: [Rem, I need you to send a message. Petra needs to come here.]

Rem: [What? But...]

Subaru: [If I go back, then something bad will happen to her, but... if she's here, then she'll be safe.]

Rem: [But... she's missed you so much. She...]

Subaru: [I... I know. It's really cruel to ask her to wait a whole 6 years before having the opportunity to spend time with me properly, and it bothers me too since she's a close friend, but...]

Subaru: (Maybe here on Earth, she won't have to suffer from those sacrifices. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.)

Subaru: [This is for Petra's sake and mine as well.]

Rem: [Subaru-kun...]

Subaru: [Those vows she made. There's a chance that they won't be enforced here. Besides, asking Reinhard to hold off the Witch of Envy for 6 years is a bit much. Even though a part of me thinks he could handle it, it doesn't sit right with me.]

Rem: [Ah... you're right. That would be very problematic.]

Subaru: [Just ask her to come over to this side. At the very least, she can spend some more time with us.]

Rem sent the message.

Subaru: [Rem. I want you to know. Even if we're only friends, I'm still going to work hard to make you happy. It'll be difficult but... I promise that I'll manage it.]

Rem: [Rem already knows. Rem's Hero is demonically inspired after all.]

Subaru looked surprised for a second before flashing a grin.

Subaru: [I'd say it's pretty fitting since my maid is a literal demon.]

The two smiled together as time passed by.

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Petra received the message.

Petra: (Right... I was already prepared for this. To bring back Subaru, I knew I'd have to make another sacrifice.)

Being the clever girl she was, there was no need for a translator. She had already packed her things when Meili tackled her to the ground.

Petra: [Meili?!!]

Meili: [You think I haven't noticed what you've been up to?]

Petra: [Don't try to stop me. I already know that I have to do this.]

Meili: [At least let us see you off.]

Petra: [I... okay.]

Everyone was there, and it was clear they were there to see her off.

Ram: [Ram must admit you've proven yourself a worthy maid.]

Frederica smiled at Petra while holding Clara in her arms.

Frederica: [Yes. You got a passing grade the second you proved to be better than Ram, though.]

Frederica grinned at Petra.

Ram: [What was that?]

The two maids glared at each other for a second. Otto sighed at this.

Otto: [Petra. Thank you for all your hard work. You've done better than any of us could have even imagined.]

Petra knew she would be crying right now if not for her vow to Od Laguna.

Garf: [Yeah. I know the Captain's proud of ya.]

Clind: [Very well done, Petra. You've performed your duties to a standard I would not expect of a maid in only a few years of service.]

Roswaal: [I must admit that you surprised me. You've proven yourself a very valuable companion in these years.]

Petra: [I don't want to hear that from you.]

Petra stuck out her tongue at Roswaal, who just sighed with a smile.

Petra: [Tell my parents I'm sorry. I just... can't bear to see them off.]

Petra's voice cracked at this.

Petra: [I'll be heading off on my own now.

Meili: [But you don't have to go alone. You don't have to sacrifice by yourself. There are people who want to share the burden of it with you.]

Petra: [Meili I...]

Meili: [Not me, obviously. I'd rather meet Onii-san already.]

Petra deadpanned for a second, but Meili then gestured behind herself. Petra's parents were standing there.

Petra: [Mom? Dad?]

The two parents looked at her lovingly with all of their essentials packed. There was no hesitation in their movements as they walked forward, standing at either side of her.

Petra's Father: [I know you're already an adult, but... do you mind if we hold your hand one more time as we walk through?]

Petra's Mother: [We're so proud of you. I wish I could say you were still our little girl a little bit longer.]

AN: You will be able to since she'll still be a minor on Earth for two more years LOL.

Petra blushed in embarrassment as she took her parents' hands and they walked into the flowing water of the geyser.

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To Be Continued

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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:

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