Theresa Archive 「♡♡♡♡♡」
The first time I saw him... if I remember correctly, it was in the middle of spring. It wasn't the kind of beautiful meeting you often see in shoujo manga, but more like a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Yeah, it was similar to stumbling upon a legendary golden pocket monster while wandering through the tall grass near the starting town. It was fun, shocking, unbelievable, and almost impossible to forget.
...
....
.....
It was raining that day.
The earthy scent of rain-soaked ground, became its own kind of charm with every step I took.
A biting wind blew, carrying the cold rain along with it. I think it was cold enough to seep through the layers of my clothes. If I hadn't been careful, it could have easily blown the veil from my head as well.
It might sound reckless to be walking in weather like this, but I have my own reason to keep heading on. Especially when I heard the news from Cecilia about Siegfried's return, I had no choice but to go there myself.
The man had been missing for over six months on a secret mission, and now finally, he's back. When I heard the news, I nearly crushed my phone from the shock.
"Seriously! Does he have any idea how hard it is to change a baby's diaper?!"
I knew it was a secret mission, especially since the Overseer himself had assigned it, but Siegfried never forgot to let Cecilia know how he was doing—at least once a month.
Then, out of nowhere, he vanished without a word, cutting off all contact with us.
Cecilia was left in a constant state of worry, wondering where he was and what he was doing. With the twins still needing her full attention, her exhaustion and anxiety only deepened as the days dragged on.
If I hadn't stopped her, Cecilia would've gone after him long ago, and who knows what might've happened to her. That's why I'm more than a little irritated by his sudden appearance now. Sure, it's great he's back in one piece, but… ah, whatever!
He's just Siegfried. There's no need to overthink this.
"I swear, I'll kick his legs so hard he'll be playing soccer in a wheelchair for another six months!"
The moment I reached their house, I barged in without hesitation, storming through the place to find that damn man. No need for pleasantries—I gave him a piece of my mind before Cecilia quickly intervened.
"Let's calm down, Theresa-chan. Bianca and Kiana are asleep upstairs. And here, use this dry towel—you're soaked," Cecilia said, offering the towel with a soft smile.
"You're lucky Cecilia's here, Siegfried! I was ready to send you off for another six months!"
"Ouch... Still short on both height and temper, huh, Theresa? At least let me explain... and, uh, I think you should move from there," Siegfried added with a grin.
"What? Why!?"
For him to act like nothing happened… maybe I should've hit him harder.
Even as I kept asking for answers, the man didn't explain a thing—just being his usual jerk self. He just chuckled and pointed behind me, like he wanted me to find something funny on my own.
There's no way it's a ghost, right? Whatever it was, I found myself following the direction of his finger—not too fast, not too slow—turning around only to come face to face with...
"Uwaah?! Since when has this boy been here?!"
Startled, I stumbled back a step. Right in front of me was a boy I didn't recognize, standing there quietly. He exchanged a knowing glance with Siegfried behind me, as if they'd been in on some kind of joke.
"Got her, boy! You're always great in hide and seek."「Siegfried」
Without even turning around, I already knew he was laughing at me, like he'd planned the whole thing. He really is something, finding this little trick so amusing. That attitude of his… it reminded me exactly why Cecilia ended up marrying such a buffoon.
As I thought about her, I caught sight of Cecilia at the corner of my eye, watching Siegfried... smiling. A soft, knowing smile, as if she'd seen this whole scene play out before.
When Siegfried was gone, Cecilia rarely smiled like this... even though I was with her often, it had been so long since I saw her smile genuinely. Ah, I see now—her smile has returned to how it used to be, ever since this man came back, hasn't it?
And for that... I'm glad for her.
"This young boy, who is he?"
"That's what I'm trying to say. Let me explain—though this might take a while, and it's going to sound unbelievable."「Siegfried」
"Ah, whatever. I've been to enough places and seen plenty of strange things in this world. But fine, let's hear what you have to say, you jerk. And as for you... what's your name, boy?"
The young boy then told me his name, and also his age plus his occupation.
His voice wasn't quite a whisper, but definitely soft—awkward, maybe a bit nervous around me. I gestured for him to sit on my side me, trying to make him feel comfortable, though we still kept a respectful distance.
I'm not exactly great with boys his age, but I figured he'd appreciate a little friendliness.
As we sat side by side, there was still some air between us, but somehow, the distance felt a little smaller. I couldn't help but wonder why he was sitting here with us. Should I tell him that grown-ups were about to talk?
I glanced at him with that thought in mind and gently tapped his shoulder. But then… it hit me. When I lined up my head with his, I couldn't believe it—this four-year-old was taller than me!
Sure it was just by a few fingers' width, but still! It stung my pride a little. Or maybe he's the weird one for being this tall despite being decades younger than me?!
"Pfft! Your thoughts are out in the open."「Siegfried」
"...Shut it."
After that, the four of us started discussing Siegfried's experiences during the six months he'd been gone. It seemed like the man had gotten even better at talking since his disappearance.
On the other hand, I began to realize why this young boy was part of the conversation.
Despite sounding like a kid, he frequently corrected or filled in the details Siegfried either forgot or got wrong—like the name of places, dates, times, or whatever path they took to get home.
"You're very clever! Where did you learn to speak like that?"
It surprised me. I never knew a kid this young could speak so fluently and with such confidence. I intended to compliment him, but for some reason, I was met with a bombastic side-eye of disdain.
Can kids these days really have such sharp looks?
"W-Well... go on, Siegfried."
From the way Cecilia and Siegfried held each other's hands, it was clear Siegfried had already shared some of this with Cecilia. Even when new details surfaced, she only looked mildly surprised, like she'd heard enough to prepare herself for the rest.
But me? I was still processing it all. As the conversation went on, I started to grasp what Siegfried meant when he said it would be hard to believe. Even now, part of me couldn't fully accept it.
His words were almost too surreal.
"The purpose of your secret mission... was this boy? And Grandpa... he wants one of your babies? That... that sounds ridiculous."
"At first, I didn't understand it either, but now it's different. So, Theresa, you should be careful around him. You know what I mean, right?"「Siegfried」
I had noticed Grandpa acting strange ever since he suggested the name Bianka to Cecilia, but to think he would want them? What exactly is he planning... how far has he changed from the grandfather I used to know...
I could feel something crumble inside of me.
"Now that's that, let's talk about something less depressing."「Siegfried」
"...As if it's that easy."
After dwelling on those heavy thoughts, I allowed myself to embrace a change of atmosphere, even if it felt forced. As I engaged in conversation with them once again, I hadn't realized just how long we had been talking.
Even though I don't particularly like Siegfried, since he's a jerk most of the time, I felt a sense of relief knowing he had made it back home. Watching them grasp each other in front of me, at least that was what I'm thinking.
However, at this rate, I had a sinking suspicion they were about to do something pretty indecent. Instinctively, I moved my hand to cover the boy's eyes beside me, wanting to keep his thoughts untainted.
"I know it's not my place to interrupt, but we have a kid right here."
He has a family he wants to protect, and a family that eagerly awaits his return. The sight before me reassured me of that bond—a connection forged through shared experiences, where they miss each other deeply.
Watching their closeness filled me with longing, as I pray for their relationship to last forever.
But my time here was running out. I needed to leave soon, not wanting to intrude on Cecilia and their family moment. Standing up, patting the boy's head, I used the excuse that the rain had lightened a bit, promising to bring something special the next time I visited.
"Boy, go with your aunt and make sure she doesn't get lost," Siegfried teased again.
"What? You don't have to listen to that old man. I can walk just fine."
"The rain hasn't quite stopped yet, and I only have one umbrella... will one be enough for the both of you?" Cecilia asked with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry, they're both small."「Siegfried」
"It's fine already! Don't treat me like I'm really a child. It'd be bad if he caught a cold, right? So just sit tight with a blanket to warm up, okay?" I said, ruffling the boy's hair again.
"Geez, why don't you carry your own umbrella anyway? Don't tell me you also forgot to bring your bag pack back then in the grade school- ghuaahk?!"「Siegfried」
"Listen to me saying."
As for the umbrella, it's not like I dashed out into the rain carelessly. I did have one, but it tore and became unusable while I was on the road. Since there're any shops nearby selling umbrellas, I decided to brave the rain instead.
In the end, despite my repeated refusals, they both insisted that the young boy to escort me until the nearest transit point. He didn't seem to mind, and we ended up sharing the umbrella as we walked.
Though he's still just a child, this was the first time I had been this close to a male other than Grandpa. The boy's expression remained mostly flat, as if frozen from the cold. Yet, the warmth of his body stood in stark contrast to the chilly air around us.
They say children are naturally warm, don't they? Is that why his body feels hotter than usual? Just like when I was at Cecilia's house, my hand felt warm merely from ruffling his hair.
"Nothing, I just want to pet your head, that's all."
His head felt even warmer than my palm. Is this why people like to ruffle someone's hair? For some reason, I'm starting to understand why they do it whenever they see me.
But it seemed the boy didn't enjoy having my hand on his head for too long, so I quickly pulled my palm away and tucked it back into my coat pocket. He then muttered, letting out a few breaths as if grumbling at the weather.
"Yeah... it's pretty cold, that's why I told you to just stay back there."
Ruffling his hair, almost as if to erase any trace of my earlier touch, he carried on with that same dull expression as before. Looks like I got on his bad side... I think.
I sighed, feeling a bit uneasy at the thought that my guess might be right.
However as we continued walking at a decent pace, I noticed something—
Despite everything, he was still making an effort to keep enough space for me under the umbrella. Even when a gust of wind blew rain in my direction, he quickly tilted the umbrella to shield me.
His uncovered shoulder often got wet because of it, but he never complained—just quietly endured it.
"If your clothes get wet, you'll catch a cold, you know? But… well, thank you."
For a kid, he's surprisingly thoughtful. Maybe there's more to him than just that quiet, blank expression. Still, if people don't look deeper, that flat look on his face could easily be misunderstood.
"Hmm? You wanted to give Siegfried and Cecilia some time alone? Oh, so that's why you didn't mind walking me out. You seem to know Siegfried well. What has he taught you?"
As we stepped over puddles, the rain still falling but more gently now, I decided to break the silence with some conversation. After all, he'd made the effort to talk to me earlier—it only seemed fair to return the favor.
I leaned in a little closer, trying to catch his words more clearly.
Sometimes I struggled to fully understand him, so leaning in closer made things easier. We were standing much closer now, but I had my reasons for it. Surely, he could tell I wasn't trying to do anything bad.
But when I glanced at the kid again, I noticed his face had flushed slightly with embarrassment. It was such a stark contrast to the flat, serious look he'd been wearing just moments ago.
Haha, looks like you he's still a naïve kid after all.
"Hmmm? Heeeh~ Are you getting embarrassed?"
The boy avoided eye contact, trying to hide his embarrassment with a small frown. But I wasn't about to let him get away with it that easily. He might be clever, but now that he's shown this cute side of himself, there's no way I'm letting this moment slip by.
"Come on, no need to act all tough," I chuckled, pulling him slightly closer so his shoulder wouldn't get drenched by the droplets sliding off the umbrella. "You might be smart, but you're still a kid. No need to get soaked trying to be a gentleman, okay?"
I could see the boy's discomfort, but I didn't pay it much mind.
What caught my attention more was how warm his body was—almost like he was radiating heat even through his clothes. It made me wonder what it would be like when summer came around.
Maybe he'd have to wear really light clothes just to stay cold.
Wait, what am I doing, thinking like I'm some kind of real aunt fussing over him? I sighed inwardly, shaking my head. I told myself to get a grip, since I was acting way too familiar, as if I'd known him for ages.
The rain's relentless drumming on the umbrella filled the air, a constant reminder of the gray sky looming above us.
I wished it could wash away my fears and doubts, but instead, it only heightened my awareness of the heaviness in the atmosphere. I was trying to shake off any suspicions I might harbor toward the only family I had left.
"From what we discussed earlier, you'll soon face the Overseer we've talked about several times. But don't worry, he's not as terrifying as you might think."
Overseer Otto—he is the only figure I have that resembles family. He created me and has raised me under his guidance until now.
He isn't a terrifying man, but he can be perceived as frightening in a different way. While I've been by his side, I've seen many facets of his character, yet I believe that isn't all there is to him.
From the patterns of his actions, I've long known that he is planning something. Something complex and shrouded in secrecy, which I struggle to understand, yet he relentlessly pursues and organizes it all.
"Are you feeling afraid?"
Why do I wonder... why am I asking him this? Maybe I feel sorry for him... but of course I do. Drawing attention from someone like grandpa often leads to bad outcomes for the said person.
"Do you have any family you know? I understand you're from out of town, but at the very least, you must have some sort of family, right? Are you really… alone out there until Siegfried brought you here?"
From what I gathered from Siegfried, he mentioned finding this boy in a place uninhabited by anyone. But that doesn't make sense, does it? A child like him couldn't possibly survive alone in such a place.
At least one person—he must have at least one person.
His expression shifted back to that flat demeanor, and for a moment, I wondered if he didn't want to answer such a personal question. But the silence was broken when he attempted to shrug me off his arm.
"Huh? No one… you really have nobody you can call family out there? Not even a friend?"
He didn't repeat his words, retreating back to the distance we'd maintained when we first left Cecilia's house. I think I just hit a landmine by talking like that, since we're back to square one with him reacting and on guard at me.
Lost in my thoughts, I continued walking in silence after muttering a quiet, "Sorry." I figured that was enough conversation for one day. We walked at the same pace, the sound of rain drumming on the umbrella filling the emptiness between us.
But…
Despite everything…
He still held the umbrella firmly, shielding me from the wind & rain that blew in my direction.