Chapter 613: Erina's Resolve, A Little Aunt is Like a Mother
Erina closed her eyes. The strength drained from her legs, leaving her swaying on the spot. Alice stared in absolute disbelief, her fingers trembling as she pulled out her phone and dialed Nakiri Soei.
The line connected. "Alice, is there something you need?" Soei's voice came through the speaker, steady and calm. "Does your father need to buy you something? Or do you want to..."
"Dad... I..." Alice swallowed hard, her voice cracking. "How many siblings do you actually have?"
A dull thud echoed from the other end of the line, as if something heavy had been dropped. When Soei spoke again, his tone had dropped an octave. "Alice, what exactly do you know?"
"I know that there are actually three of you..."
"Did Father tell you?"
"It was Aunt Mana..."
A heavy silence stretched across the line. Soei seemed to freeze, clearly recalling the cryptic message Leonora had sent him days prior. A long, weary sigh filtered through the speaker. "That is right. There are indeed three of us. Mana is the youngest. You also had an eldest aunt... but due to the severe physical deterioration brought on by her condition, she ultimately..."
Alice lowered the phone, her screen going dark as the call ended. She stood there, completely blank.
Nakiri Mana let out a quiet, trembling breath. "Erina, you..."
"Mother..." Erina murmured, her amethyst eyes wide and unfocused. "Why didn't I know? Why did you become my mother?"
Mana offered a helpless, bitter smile. "Because before my sister passed away, her final wish was to keep this a secret. She wanted you to have a normal childhood, to grow up bathed in a mother's love. Father agreed with her. And so... I suddenly had a daughter while I was still in high school."
She looked down at her hands, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I never married. My high school years were far from smooth. Although my God Tongue quickly made me the focal point of the culinary world, I knew exactly what that curse represented. The mental pressure was suffocating. I eventually chose to leave home right after graduation. It was the most logical way to disappear from your sight without raising suspicion."
Tears welled in Erina's eyes, turning them a glassy, brilliant red. "Why didn't you choose to go to the WGO back then?"
"In truth... my sister had already been to the WGO," Mana explained gently. "She just never revealed her true name. The name Nakiri, combined with the God Tongue, was more than enough to secure her position. She tasted countless exquisite dishes. But even before you were born, she had already reached a state where her body could barely tolerate any food..."
Mana closed her eyes, the memories clearly painful. "To eat the highest level of top-tier cuisine, the WGO is the only real choice. After I graduated, for various reasons, I followed in her footsteps. Thanks to the foundation my sister laid, and my own God Tongue, I rapidly ascended to become the sole Special Executive Officer in just a few years."
A self-deprecating laugh slipped from Mana's lips. "It is truly ironic, is it not? I could not last nearly as long as she did. But I lacked the courage to just let go. I could only sustain my failing body with intravenous nutrients, forcing myself to appear in public a few times a year... enduring the crushing nausea and physical weakness just to conduct those evaluations."
She looked up, her gaze locking onto Erina. "I am a timid person, Erina. I failed to fulfill my sister's wishes. I ran away from home, ran away from the burden... I am so sorry."
The dam broke. Erina threw herself forward, burying her face in Mana's chest. The tears she had suppressed for so long finally spilled over, soaking into the fabric of Mana's clothes.
Mana wrapped her arms around the trembling girl, gently stroking her blonde hair. "You can call me your little aunt, or simply aunt. But if you wish, Erina... you can always keep thinking of me as your mother."
Erina did not speak. She just wept, pouring out years of confusion, abandonment, and relief into the embrace. Mana patted her back in a soothing rhythm. Speaking the truth aloud had lifted a suffocating weight from Mana's chest, yet looking down at the crying girl, a deep well of guilt remained.
"Erina... I have wronged you so deeply," Mana whispered. "I am so sorry..."
"I should be the one apologizing," Erina choked out between sobs. "Because of me, you were forced to sacrifice so much... Where is my mother's grave?"
"Her memorial tablet rests in the Nakiri family's ancestral hall. Her grave is in the ancestral cemetery."
Erina nodded against her. She slowly pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She did not scream, did not demand answers from the heavens, and she certainly did not turn and run back to the Nakiri estate. She simply looked at Mana and spoke in a quiet, resolute voice. "Thank you for everything. I will work even harder to become someone she would be proud of."
Mana smiled through her own misting eyes. She pulled Erina close for one more squeeze. "A little aunt is just like a mother anyway. So Erina, you can absolutely keep treating me like your mom."
Watching from the sidelines, Lucifer let out a soft sigh. "To think such a tragedy occurred... That is far too regrettable. Erina, you..."
Erina shook her head, her posture straightening as she regained her composure. "I am fine. No one can stay by your side forever. To me, my birth mother is an even more vague presence than my father. I am simply satisfied knowing that she did not abandon me because I was a burden... Besides, my sadness will not bring her back, will it?"
Riven crossed her arms, her expression softening. "It is a pity Ren was not there back then."
A collective sigh rippled through the room. It was perhaps the greatest regret of all, but at the very least, the cycle of misfortune had finally been broken.
Ren leaned against the counter, his expression perfectly calm as he casually shattered the heavy atmosphere. "Does anyone else have any dark, tragic secrets they want to confess? Hurry up and spit them out. This is a limited-time offer. Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Ichihara Yuko shot him a deeply annoyed glare. "Can you read the room for once in your life? Is this really the time for your jokes?"
Despite the scolding, a small, genuine smile touched Erina's lips.
Ren offered a mild shrug, his tone dryly amused. "It seems there are no more secrets. So, we have an agreement. If I find out anyone is hiding a massive secret after this, you will be on dishwashing duty for a month."
"Pfft... You are unbelievable."
Erina dabbed at the corners of her eyes, her smile widening. "Thank you, Shopkeeper Ren."
"Just work hard for me." Ren let out a slow breath, his gaze sweeping over the gathered group. "Last question. Does everyone truly have no hidden pasts or unspeakable secrets? This is the third time I am asking. If I catch you..."
A faint, knowing smile played on Ren's lips as he let the threat hang in the air. Those familiar with his late-stage, deeply ingrained scheming habits felt their lips twitch.
Ichihara Yuko felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She still had her contraband cigarettes and pipe hidden away. Panic began to bubble in her chest.
Riven merely tilted her head, her silver hair shifting. "Secrets... I do not believe I have any secrets left."
Yuko nodded rapidly, her movements slightly too stiff.
Ren turned his gaze toward her, his smile widening just a fraction. "Yuko, it is truly wonderful that you do not have any unspeakable secrets, right?"
Cold sweat broke out on Yuko's forehead. "Yes! Yes, absolutely! Hahaha!" She frantically waved her hands, desperately pivoting the conversation. "Erina! Look forward to the meal! You are going to get to eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in just a bit!"
Erina blinked, momentarily startled by the sudden volume. "Ah? Oh, right!"
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?!" five different voices echoed in unison, the legendary name instantly hijacking the room's attention.
Lucifer cast a highly amused, playful glance at Yuko. The dimensional witch still firmly believed her stash was perfectly hidden, but in reality, the faint scent of her pipe...
[Akarin's Note: "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" (佛跳墙 - Fó Tiào Qiáng) is a world-renowned, incredibly complex Chinese delicacy from Fujian province. It is a rich, savory soup made with premium ingredients like abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, quail eggs, and ginseng, simmered for hours. The dish is so fragrant and delicious that, according to legend, even a vegetarian Buddhist monk would jump over a monastery wall just to get a taste.]
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