Chapter 7
Whether she knew what was on Ella’s mind or not, Missus Anani handed her the prescription almost as if tossing it at her, then added in a low voice.
“Get me what’s written there, and some ointment too.”
Had it even been ten days since she had taken some because Mister Anani was injured?
Before that, it had been her son, and before that, herself, and before that, her daughter…
With the entire family taking turns getting hurt, Ella could not help but grow even more worried.
Ella asked cautiously.
“Missus, everything is alright at home, isn’t it? If something is going on…”
“If there is, what then? What are you going to do about it?”
“…Pardon?”
The unusually sharp tone made Ella’s heart sink.
Missus Anani had never been an especially kind person, but she had never glared at Ella this harshly before.
Missus Basti had acted strangely yesterday, and now Missus Anani too.
‘Did I do something wrong without realizing it? Is that why everyone is acting like this?’
Seeing Ella’s flustered expression, Missus Anani belatedly offered an excuse.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Like you said, Ella, everyone keeps getting hurt, and now I’m not feeling well myself… I suppose I’ve gotten sensitive.”
“Ah… no, it’s alright. If anything is troubling you, please tell me anytime.”
Ella forced herself to smile.
Missus Anani also laughed lightly as she practically snatched up the ointment and stuffed it into her bag. Even the way she moved to leave seemed to radiate a chilly air.
Ella watched her silently, then spoke.
“Missus Anani.”
“What? Aren’t we finished?”
“You left your prescription medicine here.”
“…Ah. Right, thank you. I’m so absentminded today.”
Missus Anani took the packet of medicine and disappeared as if fleeing.
The forced smile she had worn lingered in Ella’s mind for a long time.
“I don’t want to suspect people.”
She meant it. Every person in this village was someone Ella was grateful to.
But there had been something suspicious about Missus Anani’s behavior that was difficult to simply overlook.
‘Should I just let it go? Maybe I misunderstood.’
Ella nibbled at her lip out of habit and looked out the window.
And their eyes met.
“……!”
It was ‘that man.’
He leaned languidly against the wall, but his gaze alone was sharp enough to pierce through Ella on the other side of the window.
As if entranced, Ella approached the window.
She did not even notice the mark she left when she placed her hand against the glass she had worked so hard to clean.
Despite having spent the entire night anxious after meeting him only once, she could not even tear her eyes away from the man.
As though she had been waiting for him.
‘…What?’
At that moment, Ella abruptly came to her senses.
‘What am I thinking right now.’
Waiting? Who was she supposed to have been waiting for? A scoundrel like that?
‘Missus Basti told me to pretend I didn’t see him… but he showed up in front of the hospital again.’
That man seemed to have some business with the hospital.
So perhaps it was only her imagination that their eyes had met.
‘I need to tell the head priest.’
But what was she supposed to say?
That a suspicious man of unknown identity had appeared in front of the hospital?
Change the man’s gender to a woman, and it would be no different from Ella’s own story.
‘No. I, I…’
She tried to deny it, but Ella could not bring herself to.
She could not say for certain that she was any different from that man.
Because she did not remember her past.
But something was strange.
The more dejected Ella’s expression became, the more it seemed as though a smile was forming on the man’s lips.
‘Is he laughing at me?’
The smile made her angry.
But her body did the opposite. Just as she found herself pressing closer to the window as though drawn to him.
“Ella.”
“Ah!”
Ella jolted violently at the hand touching her shoulder and spun around.
“H, Head Priest.”
“What were you looking at so intently?”
“Ah, there was a stranger over there…”
Ella pointed to where the man had been, only to turn pale.
There was no one there.
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