NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 4 part 7
That day, Carbuncle woke up and immediately noticed the absence of its master.
“Kyui?”
It called out, but there was no response. Its friend, the white owl, was also nowhere to be seen.
“Kyuu kyuu…”
“Oh dear, what’s the matter?”
Hearing its cries, Grandma Flare, who had been sleeping beside it, opened her eyes. She gently embraced the lonely-looking Carbuncle.
“Meg-chan isn’t here? I wonder where she went.”
The two began searching for me. I wasn’t in the bath, nor the washroom, nor the toilet.
Then, a soft clattering sound came from outside. Exchanging glances, Carbuncle and Grandma Flare quietly opened the front door.
“Oh my, it’s cold today.”
“Kyuu…”
The biting cold air wrapped around them all at once. Their breaths turned white as they exhaled, but my figure was nowhere in sight.
Then, suddenly, the sound of wings flapping filled the air.
However, it was different from the usual sound of birds taking flight—it was far too loud.
“Grandma Flare!”
“Meg-chan…?”
Grandma Flare and Carbuncle looked up at the sky. What they saw made them gasp.
A massive white owl was soaring above them, carrying four people on its back.
“I’m back for a visit!”
I waved my hand, and my granddaughter excitedly peeked out. “Wow! It’s Grandma!”
Below, Grandma Flare and Carbuncle stood there, stunned, their eyes wide with surprise.
“Come on, Ed, say hi too!”
“Ah, haha… Mom, I’m home.”
Seeing her son and his family waving from the owl’s back, Grandma Flare softly whispered, “Welcome home.”
“I was shocked, you know. Meg just barged in early in the morning, making it sound like Mom was on her deathbed.”
The sun was now high in the sky. We sat on the same park bench as last time, watching my daughter and wife play on the playground.
Ed shot me a glare.
“I heard you were too busy to come home, so I just gave you a little push.”
“I had an important meeting today!”
“What’s more important, a long-overdue homecoming or a meeting?”
“That’s a separate issue!”
As we argued, Grandma Flare intervened, holding out a thermos of tea. “Now, now, Meg-chan didn’t mean any harm. Since you’re already here, why not relax a little?”
“Mom, honestly…”
Ed looked like he wanted to protest, but then he sighed and relented. “Well… I guess it’s fine. I really haven’t had a proper break in years. Maybe this was a good opportunity.”
“You should be thanking me.”
“You little…”
Grumbling, he took a sip of tea and let out a quiet breath.
“Still, this place really brings back memories.”
“Memories?”
“I used to play here a lot with Dad. You know that huge tree deep in the forest? We used to go see it all the time. We’d play until the afternoon, and then Mom would bring us homemade cookies.”
“How nostalgic…”
Grandma Flare gazed into the distance, as if reminiscing about days long past.
“A treasured place, huh…”
For her, this park was filled with countless memories.
“Dad! Come over here!”
Lily, Ed’s daughter, waved excitedly. With a sigh, Ed stood up.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.”
Grandma Flare and I watched as he walked towards his wife and daughter.
“Lily-chan has grown so much.”
“When was the last time you saw your granddaughter?”
“She was about three or four, I think. I figured she’d forgotten all about me.”
“Guess she has a sharp memory. She’s got a bright future ahead of her.”
Watching the happy family play together, Grandma Flare suddenly murmured, “Thank you, Meg-chan.”
“For what?”
“You saw how lonely I was and brought Ed back home, didn’t you?”
“I just don’t like forgetting a debt. But was this really okay?”
“Of course. You’ve made me so happy.”
She smiled warmly. Seeing that gentle expression, I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my chest.
“Meg-chan, I’m sure you’ll become the greatest witch in the world.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. I’ll stake my name on it.”
“That’s reassuring. Oh, by the way, one of the Seven Sages wants me to be their assistant. Once I’ve graduated from my master’s tutelage, I might travel the world.”
“Oh my, how wonderful…”
“Her name is Inori, an Eastern witch who specializes in plants. When she first visited, she’d just come from a meeting or something, and her feet smelled so bad—”
Then, suddenly—
A soft plopping sound reached my ears.
I looked down at the bottle I carried. The liquid inside had increased.
Tears? Whose?
“This is…”
I turned to look at Grandma Flare.
She was sitting in the sunlight, her eyes gently closed.
She looked as if she were simply taking a peaceful nap.
“Grandma Flare? Did you fall asleep?”
I called out to her, but there was no reply.
She remained still, her face at peace.
“Grandma…?”
And in that moment, I understood everything.
My breath trembled, my voice failed me.
My breathing grew uneven, my thoughts unable to form.
Then, someone stepped in front of me.
“She passed away peacefully.”
The Everlasting Witch looked down at her with an expression of deep sorrow and kindness.
“To pass so gently, as if in sleep, is a blessing. Don’t you think so, Meg?”
“Master…”
“No one can change fate. But you were able to be here for her final moments. If not, she would have passed alone, with no one by her side.”
She gently pulled me into an embrace.
“You did well, Meg.”
The Everlasting Witch must have known from the start—
That we couldn’t save Grandma Flare. That I would be the one to witness her final moments.
She had told me before: the more one fights against fate, the more pain it brings.
She must have experienced this countless times—dozens, maybe hundreds. And she didn’t want me to suffer the same way.
That’s why she tried to stop me. To keep me from making the same mistakes.
“You have to live. For those who are gone, and for those left behind. Carry the tomorrows that so many never got to see. That is your duty, as someone who can witness death.”
“…Yes.”
“We should call the family.”
“I’ll do it.”
I looked straight at my master. My face was probably a mess, my nose running.
But I held back my tears.
“This is something I have to do.”
The sun was warm. Children’s laughter filled the air. The sky was blue, the wind was gentle. It was the most pleasant day in weeks.
And on that tranquil day, an old woman passed away.
Her name was Flare.
She loved gardening and was like a grandmother to me.
She was always kind, always accepting, always embracing everyone with warmth.
I will live on, for her sake.
Tonight, I’ll make beef stew.
Tomorrow, I’ll bake rosemary cookies.
That way, she’ll always live on inside me.
As long as I live, she’ll always be with me.