Yuuta remained on his knees as the merciless sun burned down on him, turning the balcony into a place of quiet suffering. Sweat trickled down his back, soaking into his shirt, while his legs threatened to give out at any moment. Even his head throbbed faintly, worn down by Sister Mary's relentless scolding.
"Forgive me, Lord. I have failed you. Please guide this humble fool"
"Papa?"
The small voice cut through his prayer like a blade.
Yuuta turned his head. Elena stood in the doorway.
Her tiny fists were clenched tightly at her sides, and her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying for a long time. She hesitated for a moment, her lips trembling, before taking a small step forward.
"Elena…?" Yuuta whispered, instinctively trying to straighten his posture, only to stop midway, painfully aware of Sister Mary's silent, judging presence behind him.
Before he could say anything more, Elena suddenly ran toward him.
She threw her small arms around his neck, nearly knocking him off balance, and buried her face into his shoulder. Her tiny body trembled as she clung to him desperately.
"Papa… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Yuuta's breath caught.
His hands hovered for a moment before he gently rested them on her back.
"W-wait… what happened?" he asked softly, trying to keep his voice steady as he patted her head. "What did you break this time?"
Elena shook her head quickly, her grip tightening.
"No…! Elena just… Elena heard what Sister Human said… about Papa's past…"
Her voice cracked. "…and Elena…" She couldn't finish. Instead, she clung tighter to his shirt.
"I'm sorry Papa had to be alone for so long!" she cried, her voice breaking into sobs. "I'm sorry no one loved Papa… I'm sorry, Papa!"
Yuuta's chest tightened. His daughter was crying for the lonely child he had once been, for a past he thought he had buried. He pulled her closer, holding her as firmly as he dared.
"Hey… hey…" he whispered, his voice trembling despite his effort to stay calm. "Don't cry… it's okay…"
His hand moved gently through her hair, trying to soothe her trembling.
"Papa's fine now. I'm not alone anymore."
Elena sniffled, pulling back just enough to look up at him. Her tear-filled eyes searched his face, filled with worry and fragile hope.
"…Really?"
Yuuta managed a small, genuine smile.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I have you, don't I?"
He lightly tapped her nose, his voice warming just a little.
"And your troublesome, lizard-queen mother."
A faint, shaky giggle escaped her lips.
Yuuta let out a quiet breath.
"I think… I'm the luckiest dad in the world."
Elena wiped her tears clumsily with her sleeve, still staring at him as if trying to make sure he wouldn't disappear.
"Promise…?"
Yuuta leaned forward, gently pressing his forehead against hers.
"Promise."
She studied his face, then hugged him again with all her strength.
"I love you, Papa!" she cried.
Yuuta's vision blurred.
This time, he didn't try to hold it back.
"I love you too, Elena," he whispered, his voice breaking. "More than anything."
Sister Mary watched silently from the doorway, her stern expression softening. The afternoon sunlight fell across Yuuta and Elena as he held her close. His past had not disappeared, but for this moment, it no longer felt quite so heavy.
After Elena went back inside, Yuuta remained on the balcony, finishing his prayers. His knees ached from hours on the stone, and the afternoon sun had begun to sink. He waited for Sister Mary to release him from his punishment.
From the doorway, Sister Mary watched him.
Though her blindfold protected her light-sensitive eyes, she could sense his trembling presence. She sighed, remembering how often he had carried burdens no child should have faced.
"Yuuta." Her voice was gentle. "You can come in now. I suppose you have repented enough for your sins."
Yuuta's face lifted.
Relieved, he tried to stand, but his numb legs refused to cooperate. He stumbled toward the doorway, unable to catch his balance.
Elena watched from the doorway, her small hands pressed against the frame, her red eyes wide. She saw her father lurch, saw his knees buckle, saw the ground rising up to meet his face.
And she giggled.
"Papa is just like Tom!" she announced, her voice bright with delight. "From the cartoon! He falls just like Tom!"
Yuuta landed on his shoulder just inside the doorway, his legs tangled beneath him. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, then burst into genuine laughter.
"You're right, little one," he said. "Papa is exactly like Tom."
Elena giggled harder. Her wings fluttered behind her, her tail curling with delight. She ran to him, her small feet pattering across the floor, and threw herself onto his chest.
"Papa! Get up! Get up!"
He wrapped his arms around her, grateful for her warmth.
"I'm getting up, I'm getting up. Just give Papa a minute."
He did not get up.
For a moment, he stayed on the floor with Elena on his chest, Sister Mary in the doorway and Erza watching from the table. For once, he felt no urge to run. Then he gathered Elena into his arms and stood carefully.
Erza sat at the table, her violet eyes fixed on him. She had watched him stumble, laugh, and comfort Elena, and for once her expression was difficult to read.
He met her gaze. He raised an eyebrow.
"What's that look?" he asked, his voice lighter than he felt. "You're staring like I'm some kind of rare creature."
She held his gaze, then answered in a mocking voice loud enough for Sister Mary to hear.
"Just checking," she said, "to see if my dear husband has repented from his sins properly."
Yuuta stared, pointing between himself and Erza. "H-husband? You mean me?"
Erza smiled.
Her smile turned predatory. She was enjoying every second of his discomfort.
Yuuta could only stare. The woman who had threatened to kill him was calling him her husband in front of Sister Mary.
"Honey."
Her voice was sweet. Too sweet. The kind of sweet that promised pain.
"What happened? Did your godmother hurt you? Should I punish her for making my poor husband kneel in the sun?"
Yuuta's knees nearly buckled again. At this rate, he would die of embarrassment long before Erza's one-year deadline.
Elena, still in his arms, let out an indignant huff. Her small face twisted into a scowl, her cheeks puffing out, her red eyes flashing with a fire that was unmistakably her mother's.
"Mama!" She crossed her arms. "Do not tease Papa! It is bad manners!"
Erza raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Bad manners?"
"Yes! Very bad! The worst!" Elena's wings fluttered behind her, small and fierce. "Papa was already sad! Mama cannot make Papa more sad!"
Erza's expression softened. Just slightly.
"Fine," she said, reaching out to take Elena from Yuuta's arms. "You little version of me. You do not have to send killing intent at your own mother."
She supported Elena against her side, one arm beneath the girl's legs and the other around her back. "Mama was just playing. You see that, sweetheart? Just playing."
Elena eyed her suspiciously. "Promise?"
Erza pressed her forehead against her daughter's. "Promise."
Elena huffed again, but her small arms wrapped around her mother's neck, and her face pressed into Erza's shoulder, and she was quiet.
Sister Mary chuckled.
Listening to their voices, Sister Mary could hear the affection beneath their teasing. She turned toward Yuuta with a warm smile.
"Yuuta," she said. "I do not know when or how you got married and became a father. I do not know why you did not tell me. But I am truly happy for you."
Yuuta's throat tightened. After all the scolding, he had not expected those words. He looked away, unable to meet her face.
"I wanted to tell you," he said. His voice was low, rough, barely audible. "I was just... scared."
Sister Mary's head tilted. Her voice, when it came, was softer than he had ever heard it.
"Scared? Of what, Yuuta?"
He could feel Erza's eyes on him. A silent warning. Do not mess this up.
He couldn't explain the truth about Erza, Elena, or the ring. More than anything, he feared that even Sister Mary might look at him the way the others at the orphanage once had.
He looked at his hands. At the ring on his finger. At the woman who was watching him with her violet eyes, the woman who had called him her husband, the woman who had held him in the field when he gave her the ring.
"I was scared you would not accept us," he said. His voice was careful, measured, the words chosen with care. "I was scared you would see me as a disappointment. Or worse, a sinner."
The room fell quiet as Sister Mary stepped toward him.
She reached out. Her hand, warm and familiar, settled on his head. She was not tall, he had grown past her years ago, but in that moment, with her hand on his head and her presence beside him, he was seven years old again.
For an instant, he felt like the frightened boy she had once comforted at the orphanage.
"Oh, Yuuta," she said. Her voice was warm, softer than he had ever heard it, softer than he remembered.
"Family is a blessing. You have made one now. I may not understand everything about your choices, but I am happy that you have found people to love. People to protect."
He swallowed against the sudden tightness in his throat.
Sister Mary did not ask.
Since Erza and Elena arrived a few weeks ago, Yuuta had dreaded explaining their sudden appearance. He had rehearsed excuses, but none sounded convincing.
Instead of demanding the whole story, Sister Mary let him have this moment. She knew he was withholding something, but she had also seen how frightened he became when pressed about painful subjects. She would ask when they could speak privately; for now, she was relieved to see him surrounded by people who cared for him.
Erza watched the woman carefully.
Erza had expected Yuuta to stumble through an elaborate cover story. Instead, Sister Mary gave him space, even though she clearly had questions. The quiet trust between them unsettled Erza.
Erza's chest tightened.
She doesn't know everything about him, Erza thought, then stopped herself.
Yuuta hugged Sister Mary.
It was a clumsy embrace, the way he always hugged her, too fast, too hard, his face pressing into her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her like he was afraid she might disappear. His voice was muffled against her robes.
"I'm sorry, Sister Mary."
He wanted to explain more, including why he had stayed silent for so long, but the words would not come.
Sister Mary patted his head gently. Her fingers found his hair, the same way they had when he was small, when the world was too big and too cruel and she was the only one who made it bearable.
"Oh, Yuuta." Her voice was soft. Warm. "Do not be weak in front of your family. I know you have done things you are not proud of. But every action, every choice, is part of a plan. A plan you cannot see. A plan you cannot understand."
She paused.
"Trust it. Trust Him. And trust yourself."
Erza's eye twitched.
"God's plan," she muttered under her breath, her voice flat, her arms crossed. "Bullshit."
She had seen too many people suffer to believe in a benevolent divine plan. Still, Yuuta was smiling, so she kept the rest of her opinion to herself and looked away.
Elena had been watching.
Seeing Yuuta hug Sister Mary, Elena hurried toward him, determined not to be left out.
"Papa! Lift me!"
She reached up with both arms. Yuuta laughed and lifted her, supporting her weight against his side.
Elena wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressed her face against his cheek. Glared at Sister Mary from over his shoulder with all the ferocity a four-year-old could muster.
Sister Mary laughed.
"I think your daughter is jealous, Yuuta."
Yuuta grinned. "She's protective."
Elena patted his head. Her small hand moved through his hair, clumsy but determined, the way she had seen Sister Mary do moments before.
"Papa," she announced, her voice serious, her red eyes fixed on his face. "Do not worry. Elena is here for you. Elena will always be here."
Yuuta's smile softened.
"Yes, little princess. I know."
Sister Mary watched them.
Sister Mary listened to Yuuta and Elena laugh together. She had prayed for years that he would find a family, and hearing him this happy made the long wait feel worthwhile.
She folded her hands in her lap. Her face grew serious.
"By the way, Yuuta."
Yuuta stiffened.
He knew that tone from his childhood. Trouble was coming.
"Why," she said, her voice sharp, "are you not in college? Why are you here, in your apartment, when you should be in class?"
Yuuta's blood ran cold.
College.
He had taken a week's sick leave after the exhausting events of the previous night. Apparently, Sister Mary hadn't heard about it yet.
"College? I took a week's sick leave," he said. "I wasn't planning to attend today."
Her eyes narrowed behind her blindfold.
Without warning, her hand shot out. Her fingers found his ear with the unerring accuracy of someone who had spent decades disciplining wayward children.
"OW! Ow! Hey! What was that for?!"
"When did my sweet, responsible Yuuta become such a troublemaker?" She twisted. "Taking leave without telling me? And not answering your phone? Is this the example you want to set for your daughter?"
"S-sorry! But I did notify the college!"
Her grip tightened. "You could have told me yourself. Do you know how worried I was when the college called?"
"I know. I should have called you."
She released his ear. Sighed.
"Well." She smoothed her robes as Yuuta rubbed his ear. "I didn't come here only to scold you. I have something to tell you: I will be coming to your practical cooking exam tomorrow."
Yuuta blinked.
"My what?"
Sister Mary's lips pressed together. "I knew it. My Yuuta is still as innocent as ever." She shook her head. "Your practical exam is scheduled for tomorrow. The college called me because you weren't answering your phone. Your sick leave doesn't cancel the exam."
She smiled.
"I told them I would be there to watch."
Erza, who had been half-listening, turned her attention fully toward them.
"Practical cooking exam," she said slowly. "What is that?"
Sister Mary turned toward her voice.
"It is an activity given to students. They are provided with limited ingredients, chosen by the instructors, and must create a dish to present to the judges." She smiled. "It is how they prove what they have learned."
Erza's eyes gleamed.
She thought of the kitchen. Of the meals Yuuta had made for her, the steak, the soup, the bread he had brought this morning. She thought of the way he moved when he cooked, confident and sure, nothing like the stumbling, stuttering mortal he was in every other part of his life.
"I see," she said. "Humans have a different education system than I expected."
Sister Mary laughed softly. "It is a small thing. But important."
She paused.
"You know, Sister" She used the title naturally, as if Erza were one of her own. "you should come. Taste his food. See what he has learned."
Yuuta went rigid.
"No." The word came out too fast, too high, too desperate. "No, that rule has changed. It is a new rule. Very new. Just changed this morning. Parents and, and guardians, are not allowed. College policy. Very strict."
Sister Mary's eyebrows rose. "I spoke to them yesterday. They said nothing about new rules."
"It changed! Just now! While you were, while we were" He was flailing. He knew he was flailing. He could not stop.
Erza saw her opportunity.
"Oh, my." She pressed a hand to her chest, her voice dripping with false piety. "Heaven must have blessed me indeed. To see my dear husband win his test, to taste the food he makes with his own hands, to witness his triumph before the world..."
She looked at Sister Mary.
"I would be honored to attend."
Yuuta's face went white.
"No! Like I said, Sister Mary must have misunderstood, the rules are very clear"
Sister Mary's hand shot out. Her fingers found his ear again.
"You," she said, her voice sweet and terrible, "will not lie to me, Yuuta Konuari. If I do not see your wife and daughter at your exam tomorrow, you will regret it. Do you understand?"
Yuuta understood that there was no escaping this.
Elena bounced in his arms.
"Yes! Yes! Papa school! Papa school!" Her wings fluttered with excitement. "Elena wants to see Papa cook! Elena wants to taste Papa's food!"
Yuuta glanced between Elena's eager smile, Erza's wicked grin, and Sister Mary's stern expression. None of them intended to let him escape.
He sighed.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"It is better I die now," he whispered, "than a year from now."
TO BE CONTINUED
[Credit Scene]
Yuuta: "Well, it's been a while, huh? How are you guys doing? I know the story might feel a bit slow right now, but I'm focusing on building the foundation. Once it's solid, you'll witness a masterpiece!"
Erza: "It's been months, and all you've done is deceive us."
Elena: "Yes, Papa! We're still waiting!"
Yuuta: "Oh, come on! Every plot point has a purpose. Trust the process!"
Erza: crosses arms "Oh really? Is that what you're going with?"
Yuuta: nervous chuckle "Well… who knows? I just wanted to say, stay tuned, okay? The real show's about to begin!"