The Unseen Half

The golden sun bathed the entire mansion in light, casting warm hues across the canvas of morning as Subaru waited patiently for the household to stir. He stood in the hallway for a while, listening to the soft creaks of the awakening manor, until the time felt appropriate. Then, with steady but deliberate steps, he made his way to Roswaal's room.

Upon reaching the ornate door, Subaru knocked twice before pushing it open. He entered and carefully laid out his drawings on the wide mahogany desk, along with a meticulously written list of required materials and supporting notes.

Roswaal, seated in his usual extravagant attire, picked up the papers one by one, his golden eye occasionally flicking toward Subaru with an unreadable expression.

The moment Elsa and Meili were mentioned, Roswaal's eyes briefly gleamed with curiosity. He had once engaged in minor dealings with Elsa,

The theft of the Insignia was one example

but what Subaru now proposed was unprecedented—an ongoing employment within the mansion? And a young girl capable of controlling demon beasts? It was absurd. It was dangerous.

It was perfect.

"This... is far too valuable to refuse," Roswaal admitted silently, though the pleasant, unreadable smile never left his painted lips.

Within the hour, a formal meeting was convened in the central hall.

Roswaal stood at the head, addressing all assembled:

"Therefore, I have decided to employ Elsa the Bowel Hunter, and a girl from the village named Meili, as part of our household staff."

A stunned silence fell upon the room.

Emilia rose to her feet almost instantly. Her lavender eyes darted toward Subaru, then locked fiercely onto Roswaal.

"This... this is impossible! That woman is a murderer!"

Before anyone could respond, she turned and stormed out, her footsteps echoing down the corridor like thunder.

Rem and Ram exchanged glances but remained silent. For them, Roswaal's word was law. This was merely another day, another restructuring of duties.

As for Beatrice? She remained curled up inside her library chest, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded with disinterest. "Hmph. Humans and their foolish decisions. I suppose I don't care."

Later that morning, the mansion's heavy gates opened, and the newcomers arrived.

Elsa and Meili stepped onto the cobblestone path, the morning breeze stirring Meili's short cape and ruffling Elsa's hair. The sounds of their footsteps mingled with birdsong, echoing between the ancient stone walls. A new chapter had begun.

Subaru was already waiting in the entry hall, hands in his pockets, looking as though he'd known this would happen all along.

"Subaru-nii!"

Meili dashed toward him with joyous energy, eyes sparkling brighter than the early sun. She flung herself at him in a tight embrace, as if reuniting with someone deeply missed.

Subaru blinked in surprise, unable to fully grasp the sudden wave of affection. But he sensed Elsa's influence behind it, unspoken yet powerful.

Still, the girl's embrace warmed him, dispelling the fog in his thoughts for a precious moment.

There was comfort in that small act—a simple gesture that grounded him in the present.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug with quiet tenderness.

Elsa stood in silence by the doorway, her eyes never leaving Meili. Her usual expressionless mask remained, but in her gaze, a subtle softness could be seen. Something unspoken stirred behind those eyes—a fleeting sentiment that reached no further than her glance.

Just then, the twin maids appeared from down the corridor.

Ram and Rem walked with their typical grace and calm. Subaru turned toward Ram immediately, determination in his voice.

"Ram, do you happen to have any smaller clothes that might fit Meili?"

His tone was composed, but behind it lay hope. A sign that Meili belonged here—any small gesture of welcome was significant to him.

Ram raised an eyebrow at his request, caught momentarily off guard by the sincerity behind it. Still, her expression did not waver. Her face remained the perfect poker mask.

To her, this was just another one of Barusu's strange attachments.

"Yes, Barusu," she replied coolly, her signature sarcastic tone intact.

"The outfits Rem and I wore as children are still well-preserved.

By Roswaal-sama's orders, Rem and I will teach Meili-chan everything she needs to know. However..."

Her eyes slid momentarily toward Elsa. "...this entire arrangement will fall under your responsibility. That includes the assassin in your shadow."

With that, Ram gestured Meili inside, and the girl followed, her steps light. Rem, however, lingered.

She stepped closer to Subaru, tugged lightly at his sleeve, and leaned in.

"Subaru-kun... are you truly sure it's safe to have an assassin here?"

Her voice was a near-whisper, carrying the weight of earnest worry. Her concerns weren't personal. They extended to Emilia's well-being, the safety of the mansion, and Subaru's own future.

To Rem, protection was not optional—it was sacred.

Subaru met her eyes. He could see the sincerity, the fear.

He inhaled deeply and gave a small, understanding nod. "Rem... I promise. Everything will be alright. You can trust me."

His voice was steady, grounded in certainty. He knew he had to earn Rem's trust with action, not words. But this was a start.

Rem stared at him for a moment longer. And then, slowly, she sighed.

"We have no choice but to trust you on this, Subaru-kun. Very well. If you'll excuse me..."

With that, she turned and followed her sister. Left alone again with Elsa, Subaru offered a faint, half-smile.

"Well then... looks like it's time to check in on our dear royal candidate. Ready yourself, Elsa."

Though his words carried a teasing undertone, he was careful to keep his voice light. Not too serious, not too commanding.

He wasn't here to be a warden. Right now, he had to be the bridge—the one who held the threads together as everything around him began to change.

Walked alongside Subaru toward Emilia's room, their steps quiet against the polished floor of the hallway. The atmosphere between them was tense, but not hostile — more like a storm held back by thin glass.

After a brief pause in front of the wooden door, Subaru raised his hand, hesitated for a second, then pushed it open. They stepped inside, swallowed by the silence of the room.

A familiar yet always heart-wrenching sight unfolded before their eyes.

Emilia was curled up in her bed like a child, wrapped completely in her blanket. Not a single strand of her silver hair was visible. She was hiding — not just her body, but everything else too.

She looked like she wanted to shut herself away from the world inside that tiny shell of fabric. As if the thicker the blanket, the farther away the world would be. As if retreating far enough would make everything disappear.

"Mili. I'm here."

Subaru's voice was gentle. Soft, but not babying. It wasn't the way you'd talk to a frightened child...

It was cautious. Like someone stepping onto glass, afraid it might shatter.

There was a slight tremble beneath the blanket. Emilia had sensed she wasn't alone. Her breathing hitched. But the presence in the room wasn't just Subaru. That was why her reaction was so quick, so practiced — she immediately reached under the blanket, found the familiar shape of the crystal, and summoned Puck.

With a shimmer of light spilling from the crystal, Puck appeared, suspended in the air like a soft beacon in the dim room. His small form floated gently, but his gaze was anything but light. He turned to Subaru and Elsa with calm, knowing eyes.

There was no surprise on his face. No alarm, no confusion. As if he had foreseen all of this. Which, in truth, he had.

He had the air of a father—

One who knows his daughter is acting up again, yet feels no anger, only weary patience. Like someone who's had this conversation many times before and already knows the outcome.

Subaru took a small step forward, and began explaining.

"Roswaal hired Elsa as Emilia's protector, Puck. She's here under orders, not as a threat. Elsa won't hurt anyone here. I can... vouch for that."

His words were short but clear, like placing glass tiles with careful hands.

He avoided heavy statements or emotional outbursts. Neither threatening nor overly detailed. Just... enough to lay the foundation.

Puck turned to Elsa. The air grew colder, not physically, but in feeling.

Elsa gave a slight, almost imperceptible bow. She didn't speak. Words weren't needed. Her body language spoke for her. Her expression was serious, cold, and yet carried a sense of honor. 

Like a soldier — following orders, yet not without her own code.

It was the answer Puck had expected. Roswaal had revealed this part of his scheme beforehand. There were no surprises for him. Only inevitabilities.

And when the time came, Emilia, too, would have to accept the weight of this decision.

Puck slowly floated toward the bed.

He hovered above it for a moment, then descended gently.

With care, he nudged the blanket aside just enough to see the faint shimmer of her eyes in the darkness.

"Lia..."

His voice was soft, but there was a new firmness in it. An edge hidden beneath the warmth.

"...Don't you trust Subaru? You know him better than anyone. You know he would never harm you."

From under the blanket, Emilia stammered faintly, her voice trembling. "B-but P-Puck... she... she's the one who—"

This time, Puck's voice sharpened. Not loud, but piercing. No more gentle tones.

"No buts, Lia. You're not a little girl anymore. You've come too far to shrink away like this. You don't need to be afraid."

Those words hit her hard. She clenched the blanket tighter.

She sank further under it, like trying to retreat into the darkness again. But... she didn't protest.

Her silence, this time, wasn't fear — it was surrender. And maybe, just maybe, it was trust.

Subaru could feel the weight pressing on the room. He didn't want to let the tension grow any thicker. Anything he said might make it worse. Might shatter what little stability was there.

So instead, he reached out quietly and took Elsa's hand. The touch wasn't forceful — just steady, guiding. A simple gesture, meant to say, "We'll come back later."

They turned and walked out of the room together.

In the hallway, the air felt lighter. Not free of tension, but no longer suffocating.

Elsa paused. Her steps slowed as she turned to face Subaru.

Her face held an unfamiliar expression —

Not her usual cold detachment or calculating calm.

This was something else. Surprise.

"Subaru... Was that normal?"

Subaru tilted his head slightly, eyes glancing back toward the room.

He shrugged. His body was relaxed, but the tension hadn't fully left his eyes.

"I guess?"

He said it with a wry smile, like someone who had long stopped expecting normal to mean anything at all.

They were going to meet with Roswaal last.

Their footsteps echoed down the corridor—heavy, but steady.

Each step carried the weight of the tension they had just left behind. It was as though their bodies moved forward, but their minds lingered in the room they'd just exited, sorting through unspoken thoughts.

Then, suddenly, that silence was shattered by a bright, cheerful voice:

"Subaru-nii! Elsa-nee! How do I look?"

Meili came sprinting toward them, her small feet barely touching the ground. She seemed like she was floating more than running, gliding with the effortless joy that only a carefree child could summon. Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

She was dressed up—clearly for something she considered special. Her outfit, neat and styled with care, made her look like a doll prepared for a festival. The way she held herself, the way she grinned, it was as if she were stepping onto a stage, waiting for their reactions with proud anticipation.

Subaru and Elsa both turned around in unison. What they saw froze them in place, briefly suspending the reality of everything else.

Meili was wearing a child-sized version of the maid uniform once worn by Rem and Ram. The outfit, though smaller and slightly altered to fit her frame, still carried the same dignified elegance. It was an odd but mesmerizing combination—graceful fabric meeting unrestrained childhood energy.

"Oh, sweetheart... it looks perfect on you."

A rare smile broke across Elsa's face—genuine, warm, and touched by something deeper.

It carried the ache of a past never lived, the loss of a childhood never claimed, and the quiet awe of seeing a younger soul claim it now without fear.

Meili giggled, a high, airy sound that fluttered in the corridor like a small bird. Then she looked up at Subaru with wide, waiting eyes.

"Subaru-nii?"

Subaru didn't move at first. His gaze softened, his breath caught.

For a few seconds, he looked like he was seeing something distant and near at once.

Then, he stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and placed a hand over his heart.

With mock gravity, he spoke:

"An angel stands before me..."

A single, fake tear slid down his cheek—but the emotion behind it was painfully real.

Only the tear was false. What lived inside him in that moment was something profound:

a fierce wish to protect, a deep-rooted yearning to connect…

and perhaps, most unexpectedly, the comforting feeling of being trusted.

Meili threw her arms around Subaru and hugged him tightly.

Her small hands clutched at his coat like it was a lifeline.

Subaru returned the embrace without hesitation, holding her gently but firmly.

Time seemed to pause.

In that warm silence, the past's scars dulled, the present's burdens lightened,

and the future, for just a moment, didn't seem quite so heavy.

Then, like he'd done once before in the village, Subaru lifted Meili onto his shoulder.

Her legs dangled against his back, and her tiny fingers curled around his collar.

She settled in as if it were her throne.

Together, the three of them made their way toward Roswaal's quarters.

As they approached the end of the hallway, a voice began to rise.

It was sharp, lilting, melodic in an unnerving way.

Roswaal was speaking. His words twisted into rhymes, each syllable artfully placed,

but beneath the performance was something deeply unsettling.

To Subaru, that voice was like the rustling of dead leaves—dry, hollow, unnatural.

It scratched at the edges of his patience.

It reminded him of something undead that refused to sleep.

The meeting lasted long—perhaps longer than it should have.

When they emerged at last, the air felt heavier, though tinged with reluctant clarity.

Subaru looked tired, the corners of his mouth downturned not just from exhaustion,

but from the mental toll of enduring Roswaal's serpentine speech.

Meili was still perched on his shoulder, her body swaying gently with every step.

She looked sleepy, her eyelids drooping, but there was a faint smile on her lips.

"Listening to that clown talk is draining my life energy..."

Subaru muttered with a sigh, half to himself.

The words were quiet, but sarcasm clung to them like a stubborn shadow.

Meili nestled her head against his shoulder.

Her voice was a sleepy murmur, barely more than a breath:

"Subaru-nii... his voice made my head spin..."

Subaru gently brushed her hair with his fingers, slowly, soothingly.

As though by calming her, he might also silence the chaos in his own mind.

"Mine too, Meili… mine too."

The day was surrendering to the night.

Darkness crept in from the windows, and the mansion sank into a deep, solemn quiet.

The walls seemed to exhale, the silence flowing in like mist after a storm.

Subaru carried Meili to her room and carefully tucked her in.

The act was slow, delicate. He watched her drift into sleep like a blossom folding in the moonlight—

vulnerable, serene, and filled with a fragile kind of grace that left his chest aching with a strange mix of love and responsibility.

Elsa and Meili's rooms were on either side of his. Not even space had been allowed to separate them. Whether by design or instinct, Subaru had placed himself between them.

Maybe it was his way of guarding something he didn't want to lose again.

Maybe it was an unconscious act of penance.

Or perhaps… it was just the quiet, stubborn hope of someone trying to offer protection,

even when the world refused to be safe.

walked into his own room, letting the door shut gently behind him. The familiar creak of the wood echoed softly through the space. Yet before he could take a step further, his gaze landed on a figure standing silently by the table, half-shrouded in the dim light.

Elsa was there, dressed in a flowing nightgown that clung gently to her form. She wasn't armed. No dagger gleamed in the moonlight. There was no cold malice in her eyes, no sharp grin on her lips. For the first time since they'd met, she looked... ordinary. Human. Like someone visiting, not stalking.

But Subaru felt it. The way a chill breeze sneaks through even a closed window—there was a tension, subtle and quiet, clinging to her like a second skin. It radiated from her body in invisible waves. Something inside her wasn't at rest. There was a presence hiding beneath her still exterior, coiled and waiting.

"There's something I want to talk about, Subaru," Elsa said, breaking the silence.

Her tone was strange. Not mocking. Not cold. Instead, it was calm and serious, as if what she was about to say actually mattered to her. But even then, Subaru could detect something—an undertone trembling beneath her words, like a hidden fracture in glass.

He nodded, just slightly. The exhaustion dragging at his limbs told him to rest, to let this moment pass. But something deeper, something instinctive, refused. He knew this wasn't just a casual conversation. This was a crossroads.

Elsa stepped closer, keeping her gaze locked with his. She didn't blink.

"I like how you treat Meili," she said. "But I have to ask—are you only pretending? Just playing a part?

And also... I've done some digging. The things you draw, the designs, the strange concepts—they don't exist in this world. Not in any record, not in any history I could find. Where are they really from?"

Subaru let out a long breath, the kind that took something with it.

He'd known someone would confront him about this eventually. The things he made, the way he spoke sometimes—it was only a matter of time before someone asked. And Elsa, of all people, might be the only one who could handle the answer.

Because she had lived in darkness. She understood what truth could do—how it cut, how it burned.

"I'll tell you everything, Elsa," he said quietly. "The truth. About the drawings. About Meili. About me."

Elsa gave a slow nod, but her eyes betrayed her. Her pupils tightened, just for a second. The serenity her appearance offered—bare feet, loose hair, soft fabric—began to crack. There was something beneath it, stretching, shifting.

Subaru's eyes drifted to the window beside them. Outside, the night pressed up against the glass. The moonlight fell across the table, pale and spectral, like the memory of something long dead. He ran his fingers over the window frame, grounding himself.

Then he spoke.

"I'm not from this world." He let the words linger in the air, giving them weight.

"I come from a place... very different. More advanced in some ways, more broken in others. The drawings—I didn't invent them. They're based on things that existed where I'm from. Tools, machines, ideas.

Some of them are centuries old. Others are modern. And there are inventions back home I couldn't even dream of building here.

As for Meili... she reminds me of someone. My little sister.

Natsuki Hikari."

He closed his eyes for a second. The name was a wound.

"Her voice. The way she moves. Even the way she looks at me sometimes—it's like I'm seeing Hikari again. My sister used to trail behind me calling 'nii-nii' with that same stubborn warmth. It's... hard.

I miss her more than I can say. But I can't go back. I don't even know if I'll ever see her again."

The confession settled into the room like dust. It didn't echo. It didn't need to.

Elsa froze. Her breath slowed to a near halt, and her eyes locked onto Subaru's as though trying to decipher every word.

"Another world?" she whispered. But her voice was not alone.

It felt as though something else inside her stirred at those words, leaning forward to listen. A deeper layer of her mind—or perhaps, something darker—had awoken.

Silence followed. A silence that grew heavier with each passing second.

Elsa didn't speak, not right away. Her hands remained folded neatly in her lap, but her fingers twitched. Almost imperceptibly. As though her body was housing two minds. One calm. One agitated. One breathing in rhythm. The other waiting to strike.

Subaru remained still, his posture stiff but his gaze unwavering. "These are the truths, Elsa," he said finally. "That's everything."

But inside Elsa, something resisted. She'd heard the words. Understood the sentiment. But the concept—the tragedy of a lost home, a forgotten sister, a fractured heart—it didn't quite land. It floated just out of reach, like a dream she wasn't sure she'd had.

Her lips parted. She inhaled as if to speak.

But no words came.

Instead, her gaze dropped to the table. Something flickered behind her eyes.

"Weakness..."

It wasn't her voice. Not fully. It was like a whisper bubbling up from the deepest parts of her mind—sharp, quiet, accusing.

But then she blinked. Breathed in. And the whisper fell silent, tucked away like a knife back into its sheath.

She turned back to Subaru. Her face had returned to stillness.

Yet if he looked closer—truly looked—he'd see it: a fracture. A subtle tremor beneath the surface.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Subaru," she said.

It was her voice, yes—but it came with a tension. As though another presence within her was holding its breath.

"...Can I trust that you won't betray us?"

That wasn't a threat. It wasn't even a demand. It was a plea. From her, and also from something else.

Subaru didn't hesitate.

"You can trust me. I'll never betray you, Elsa. I swear it."

His conviction filled the space. Not aggressive. Not desperate. Just steady.

And it resonated.

Not with one person, but with two.

Elsa the listener. And something else—the shadow inside her.

One wanted to believe. The other wanted to see him break. Elsa closed eyes. and Lowered head.

For a heartbeat, it felt like the two forces inside her balanced—on a knife's edge.

Then she rose.

Her steps were unhurried, quiet. But each one was weighted, deliberate. The darkness inside her recoiled, quieting, but not retreating.

She reached the room prepared for her, stepped inside, and gently closed the door.

She approached the bed, pulled back the blanket, and lay down.

Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, where shadows danced across old wooden beams.

Elsa the Bowel Hunter... She was still there. But tonight, that voice—crimson and ruthless—didn't speak.

Only a sigh escaped. Long. Tired. Human.

Subaru, meanwhile, remained at the door she'd exited. His eyes were lost in the grain of the wood.

He thought of his family. Of his sister.

"Will I ever see you again, Hikari...? Will your voice ever reach me across the boundaries of this world? Will I ever hold your hand again, even if only in a dream?"

The question faded into the dark, unanswered.