A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 5 - Part 30

I went to the top of the hill and saw a woman sitting under an umbrella. There was a white table with two steaming cups filled with a suspicious liquid.

"I'm sorry for the wait, Leandro Lagostena. I must admit I wasted too much time looking into your heart. You're a very interesting existence."

I raised my eyebrows, narrowing my eyes at the same time in a gesture of disdain.

"You saw my feelings without asking permission? You're so shameless, woman."

"Oh, it's been a while since someone treated me like just a woman."

The wind ruffled her hair as she studied me with her dark eyes.

"I'm Echidna, the Witch of Greed. Welcome to my tea party." She gestured toward the empty chair.

"Delighted."

I sighed and sat down. I was nervous, but I did my best to act casual.

"Are you really a witch? I thought you looked like evil old women, but you're a real beauty."

Echidna smiled and her eyes lit up with a bright glow, staring at me in a way that made me feel like I was standing naked before her.

"I haven't received that kind of praise in a while either." She confessed, looking at me with excessive attention. "I'm eager to learn more about you."

"You'll be disappointed." I made a wry face. "I'm quite simple and boring."

"I don't think so, you know. I've seen your journey since you arrived in Lugunica, and I think 'simple and boring' don't really fit the bill."

I admit I enjoyed hearing that, but my modesty wasn't entirely unfounded. I could chat about various topics for a while, offer some interesting opinions, or offer sound advice, but beyond that, I was a hermit who enjoyed living locked in my room.

I was lucky to find some good friends, people like me. But without them, all that remained was a monotonous routine. I was empty inside and didn't care much about the real world, so I settled for making up a lot of stories in my head to entertain myself. Most of those stories were never written down.

In this world, everything had changed. I no longer had any friends, but the world was very different, so much so that I was finally living more there than in myself. Of course, Echidna wasn't aware of my past. She only saw my "good" side.

"I think you have the wrong idea. Either that or your standards for people are really strange."

"I prefer to say I'm selective. Besides, I haven't met many people lately."

"You should go out more often." I joked without changing my neutral tone.

I thought I saw Echidna puff out her cheeks for a moment.

"I would if I could, you know?"

"What? Are you grounded or something?"

"... You should know that by now." Echidna sighed. "My soul rests in this place."

Obviously, I already knew that, but I had to feign surprise.

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay, I don't mind."

We sat in an awkward silence. I felt a little nervous because Echidna kept staring at me and didn't seem to care how weird it was. I started looking for a distraction and suddenly remembered the teacup in front of me. Steam rose slowly, presenting a strange aroma to my nostrils.

Ah yes, the famous Echidna tea. Only a hopeless depraved person would be interested in trying it.

"..."