I Like You, Idiot
"That... Lady Anastasia, are you alright?" In the Hoshin Trading Company, Julius hesitated for a long time before asking cautiously.
Anastasia tilted her head, giving a confused "Eh?"
"I mean... Hachiman-kun misappropriating your confession and using it on the Great Spirit Beatrice... Are you perhaps not angry?"
"Oh, so you were talking about that." Anastasia shook her head nonchalantly. She was smiling, and far from showing any signs of jealousy, she was overflowing with a joyful throb that was the complete opposite of what Julius expected.
"Honestly, Julius, you really don't understand these things."
Anastasia's head swayed slightly with a lingering smile, her light and cheerful voice making her satisfaction clear.
"I was just surprised earlier. Everything of mine was sold to the Prime Minister long ago; if he wants to misappropriate it, I naturally agree with both hands."
"Isn't Big Sister Anna worried?" Mimi, who was crawling around on Anastasia's lap, asked curiously.
"Worry depends on the target, Mimi."
Anastasia waved her hand and picked up the fluffy Mimi. "For someone like Beatrice, my Prime Minister clearly treats her as a sister; there's no conflict with me at all. You can't just rush in to fight for a man every time you see a girl; that would make people dislike you."
"And..." she paused.
Mimi blinked. "And?"
"My Prime Minister wants to give her happiness, and to do that, he had to use my words... That means my confession brought him happiness~"
Gently folding her hands over her heart, a sly smile played on Anastasia's lips. "Even though he's trying his best to avoid remembering the world where he was with me, it's still so deeply ingrained that it's as if he's constantly telling me how much he likes me."
"With a Prime Minister like that, how could I possibly be angry? Right now, I'm..."
"Extremely happy, actually~"
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「"You... robber... you weren't... like this at all before!"」
「Kicking and punching, yet she couldn't stop his pace. Betty's eyes were wide as she tremblingly placed her hands on the man's shoulders. If she wanted to, she could instantly drain the tiny, infinitesimal amount of mana he had left.」
「And then, he would die.」
「"Forcing me like this... it's too cunning, truly too cunning... Will Betty... will Betty regret it? Will Betty have regrets? Will Betty—"」
「"You won't have any!"」
「Hikigaya Hachiman pushed open the door and took a deep breath. "Lift your head and look closely, Beatrice—at a brand-new world!"」
「Creeeak!」
「The door swung open. Hikigaya Hachiman didn't stop; he sprinted through the hallway, leaped up, and jumped out of the window. The cold wind howled as he soared through the air from a height of four stories.」
「"—"」
「Lift your head and look.」
「The biting cold wind whipped against her cheeks, her dress fluttering. The moon in the sky was perfectly round. On the ground were the corpses of many demon beasts decapitated by a single sword strike. Garfiel roared as he crushed the head of Elsa the Bowel Hunter with a punch. Otto and Frederica, having achieved victory, were gasping for breath.」
「Is this... happiness?」
「"Just having the leisure to observe these things is happiness enough, Beatrice."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head and said softly, "The feeling of leaving the Forbidden Library, the feeling of no longer carrying that scrap of a book, the feeling of abandoning four hundred years of persistence—it's happy, isn't it, Beatrice!"」
「"Truly..."」
「Truly an idiot, this man.」
「He wasn't lying. He understood everything about Betty—all of her thoughts, her loneliness, her feelings, her pleas; he understood it all. Including her guilt—the guilt of breaking her promise to Mother. That guilt, even if she found happiness by breaking the promise, would surely have remained a thorn in her side.」
「But, because Betty was "forcefully coerced" into giving it up, it was okay. She had someone to blame. She could say with all her heart: It wasn't my fault, I don't need to feel guilty, I don't need to be afraid, I haven't failed Mother.」
「Truly an idiot, this man.」
「"—Idiot."」
「A magnificent, dazzling purple light soared into the sky. "Jumping out of the manor like this... do you want to die that badly? Idiot, idiot, idiot! —If you die, how is Betty, who abandoned Mother, abandoned four hundred years, and abandoned 'That Person,' supposed to find happiness... Idiot, you're the biggest idiot of all, Hachiman!"」
「"Because, I knew you wouldn't let me die, Beatrice... We haven't reached the end of happiness yet. Neither I nor you must ever die. So—"」
「"Let's go, Beatrice! To the Sanctuary, to deal with the bastards who block our pursuit of happiness! My smart, cute, powerful, and wonderful Beatrice!!"」
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"Idiot, truly an idiot, the biggest big idiot. Idiot, idiot... sob..."
On the roof of the manor, Beatrice was already weeping uncontrollably. Her intermittent words were filled with tremors and unutterably complex thoughts, her eyes blurred with tears.
"The idiot who didn't hold a grudge against Betty for not saving him... the idiot who leaves his smiles for others... the idiot who bears the pain alone... the idiot who's worrying about Emilia while injured but doesn't know to tell Betty to heal him first... the idiot who saved Betty..."
"The idiot who's going to bring Betty happiness, truly... a big idiot. Hachiman, Hachiman, waaah, Betty is the biggest idiot of all, when she clearly, clearly should have..."
Kneeling on the roof, she cried and laughed simultaneously.
The corners of Roswaal's mouth curled into a look of relief. He looked at Beatrice, who had shed her shackles, and let out a long breath.
"...To meet this idiot is the greatest happiness. ...Thank you, Hachiman-kun. Although you probably don't want my thanks at all, truly, thank you, Hikigaya Hachiman."
Roswaal didn't know how many people Hikigaya Hachiman's appearance in this future had saved, but he knew at least this much:
He, and Beatrice, had been thoroughly and completely saved.
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「"—Idiot."」
「A dazzling purple light flashed and soared into the sky. A lovely voice, moved, relieved, and joyful, rang out.」
「"You must make Betty happy, you must take responsibility for Betty, I absolutely won't allow you to die on your own, and you have to stay with Betty for the rest of your life... I like you, I like you, I like you! Betty really is an idiot, Hachiman!"」
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