It has been about half a year since I met Kuti.

There has not been a day we wouldn’t meet until now.

And now, she has to for the regular report tomorrow.

【I see~ How long before you return?】

「…… A, anone……」

Kuti-san’s voice gradually lowers while she glances at me.

No way…… Is she perhaps not returning……

Was requesting from the Queen outrageous thing, after all…… I haven’t felt it from her way of speech, but such thought swells inside me while watching the current her.

「…… The regular report, you see…… I have to return to the Forest next to the world, but…… Because the gate has to be directly controlled by Natasha, the coming in and out will increase by one day each……」

【Then, if it takes about a day to report, will you come after three days?】

Although I have expected worse from her gloomy expression, but it seems to be a needless anxiety…… Is what I thought, but.

「The report you see…… that…… it will take about twenty days if I hurry……」

【Twenty days……】

Counting the coming in and out, 22 days in total…… Approximately 3 turns.

That is also…… fast..

Seeing her face every day and spending most of the day with her for the last half a year.

After the fever, she has stayed with me 24 Hals a day.

About 3 turns…… That’s a long time, more than two-thirds of the month.

I have finally understood why Kuti was so gloomy.

I didn’t want to understand, but I understood.

No wonder she hesitated to say it.

I feel down without knowing what to say.

The thoughts about sorcery have completely vanished from my head.

There was a person who immediately perceived my state.

She was not the reader today, so she was enthusiastically watching all my movements.

Although I hardly show expressions on my face, she’s with me every day.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that my mood is already beyond Kuti’s.

「Lily, what’s the matter? Do you not like this book?」

「Eh? …… Lily, do you dislike this book?」

Hearing Ellie, Theo looked down on my face and immediately saw my mood.

But, the two’s consideration does not reach me at the moment.

22 days……

I will have to say goodbye to Kuti tomorrow, but it’s only temporary…… Therefore, I shouldn’t feel like this.

Even though I have to smile to let them know that I’m alright…… My feelings are not listening to me.

…… Haa……

A deep, deep sigh loudly echoed in my heart.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The time to sleep came while both of us felt down.

Theo, Ellie, and Ena wanted to ease my gloomy mood, they were talking to me a lot while holding both my right and left hands.

Ena was so worried she has called doctor Randolph over, but there’s no way he could find something during the medicinal examination.

It’s a matter of mind after all.

I am laying down in the baby crib together with Kuti.

I can hear Ena’s sleeper’s breath from her bed.

Theo and Ellie who were worried about me made an uproar, so they are sleeping in this room today, but the two are quietly sleeping.

When I wake up, I will have to separate from Kuti for 22 days.

Then, I might have to say now what I have to say.

I did not think that I would feel so bad just because of a subtle amount of 22 days.

With 30 years + 1 and a half year, I have experienced goodbyes before.

But, there may have never been a partner whom I spent most of the day with.

No, I may have said it accurately, but I don’t remember.

Still, not in the slightest have I thought that I could get so discouraged.

A child will cry even when separated for a little…… I wonder if the physical body is affecting my mind?

I glance at Kuti sleeping beside me while thinking such.

She’s already like my other half.

To be honest, I would be lonely even if we separated just for a moment.

If possible, I would like us to be together forever.

「Kuchi……」

Without knowing, the name of the one I consider my other half spilled out of my mouth.

As usually, I have a pile of problems with pronunciation, but that does not matter now.

She who was supposed to be sleeping next to me was suddenly taken aback by me saying her name on my own accord and looked at me.

「Lily…… You have called my name for the first time……」

Even though I had some problems, she properly realized I was calling her name and was excessively happy.

I have written her name numerous times with magical power, but this certainly may be the first time I have said her name with my mouth.

This is my first experience of not wanting to separate this much.

When I realize that there’s still many things that I want to experience together with her, I feel somewhat intolerable pain in my chest.

「Kuchi, Kuchi…… kvikly return, kay?」

「Un! Un! I will quickly return even if I have to swat Natasha away! Leave it to me! I’m Kulestilt! The strongest sorceress of the Forest next to the world!」

Even though I feel frustrated with my mouth because it doesn’t move as I want to, my feelings were properly transmitted in words.

The self-proclaimed strongest sorceress who heard that stood up with an intense vigor and promised with a wonderful smug face.

That promise made me incredibly…… so incredibly happy that it made me make my best smile.

「N!」

I was able to reply.

The flowing tears were very warm, I realized for the first time in 31 years of my life that I could cry beside sad times.