(Author's Note: This story is being dual-uploaded here, and on Fanfiction.net! Artwork and additional media will be presented in this story to add towards its presentation. If you like the story, please continue supporting it by favoriting and following me!)

A familiar scene plays before Subaru.

He could only stare in shock, as he looks into Rem's room.

Laying on the bed was Rem, herself. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping. Like an angel.

However, Ram crying by the side of her bed had told him otherwise.

He knew what happened...

The curse Rem got from the Mabeast reached its final stage:

Rem... was dead...

He could see Roswaal, Emilia and Beatrice standing to his right, inside the room. Roswaal's face was grim, Beatrice was indifferent.

Emilia looked guilty, as if she committed a sin.

"It appears as if she had died of weakness," Roswaal speaks. Subaru felt his head get dizzy, an awful wave of nostalgia from the events happening,

"Like she fell into a coma, and won't wake up... Almost like a curse..." Roswaal was mellow. He did a good job, hiding his grief.

Subaru's face gets clammy with sweat, as he feels regret pile over...

No...

This shouldn't have happened...!

He made sure he did everything right, so how —!?

"Subaru, my dear guest," Roswaal's gaze falls onto him, "Do you know what happened to her?"

Subaru's throat tightens. He does, in fact, know the truth!

"A Dog... No, just a pup...!" Subaru's voice was frail, but certain, "It bit her, right on the hand, while me and Rem were talking in the Village! It cursed her, right then and there! —"

"Do you expect me to believe that!?" Ram screams out to him, and Subaru recoils in shock, "What the hell would you know!? How do you know that a stray mutt caused my sister to die!?"

"Ram, you have to believe me! — I tried to save her! I really did all I could!" Subaru's voice chokes up, as tears started to bud in his eyes, "I tried to explain everything to her, but... she wouldn't listen!" –

"Don't you dare say that! You didn't do nothing!" Ram stands right up, and turns to Subaru, death in her eyes, "I don't care what Rem did or didn't do, you should've told one of us!" —

Before Subaru could speak, Ram grabs him by his shirt!

"Instead, you decide to sleep in for the rest of the day!" Ram stabs him with a fact he didn't find relevant!

Wha!? — Was she talking about what happened in the morning!?

Subaru's vision was hazy, and colors started to blur —

"I'm not talking about that!" Ram shakes him a bit, answering his question despite him not saying anything!? —

"I'm talking about after Rem tried to kill you!"

Subaru's face pales, hearing Ram declare this with no compassion, "Wh... You..."

"Even if you survived, you passed out! You left Rem to die!" Ram's gaze gets cold, and Subaru shrinks...

"...I don't... understand...?" He whispers, pathetically.

His head started to hurt a bit...

"Don't lie to me! You do! You need to wake up, and save Rem!" Ram's logic was shot, and Subaru completely lost track of the conversation.

"I... I..." Subaru's gaze gets weak.

"Wake up, Subaru! Wake up!" Ram's frame starts to shake, as she looks at Subaru with murder in her eyes! —

"WAKE UP! ! !" —A scream, just like the one Subaru heard when he ran last time, sends shockwaves through him! —

"I'm sorry! — Ghh... Huh...?"

—As Subaru wakes up, from the nightmare his brain played on him. His breath was rapid, as the dream itself was way too lucid for his comfort. —

"Subaru-sama?"

Subaru stiffens, as he hears a voice he wasn't expecting so soon.

He turns to Rem, sitting next to him with the sun behind her. It wasn't dark yet, but it was well in the afternoon. Dinner would be in an hour or so.

She gave him a worried, and slightly guilty look, as she speaks,

"You've had another nightmare, it seems... I hope brighter dreams come towards you, soon —"

"Rem!" Subaru's exclamation cuts the maid off, as he tries to move, "C'mon, we don't have time, we need to — ghhk...!"

Subaru feels a sudden pain on his left side, more on his leg and chest. Moving that side of him was going to be impossible.

"Please don't move much...!" Rem pushes him toward the bed, worried, "You're still recovering, after... after what Rem has —"

"You need to see Beatrice!" Rem doesn't get a moment to wallow in guilt once more, as Subaru holds her hand,

"You need to! You've been bit by a Mabeast, and got cursed! —"

Subaru stops, to look at the hand that pushed him back on the bed. No bandage.

Subaru glances at Rem's other hand, just to make sure. Once again, no bandage.

"...You knew?" Subaru turns to Rem, who looked back at him with worried eyes, "Ah... Rem shouldn't be surprised anymore. Maybe this was also something you were trying to tell Rem..."

Her eyes fall a little downward, her face telling Subaru how awful she was feeling, right now...

"Rem should've just listened..."

Rem pauses, her last statement just a whisper. She shakes her head, and stares at Subaru properly.

"Beatrice already took care of it." Rem informs the boy, surprising him, "After we... fought, she sensed it while we were heading back, before Rem had even known it was there."

Rem's eyes gloss with regret, as Subaru takes a moment to absorb this info. She notices Subaru tense up—

"Thank God...!" —And pull her into a desperate hug, much to her surprise, "Thank God, you're alright...! I wouldn't know what to do, if it was too late...!"

Subaru felt relief wash over him, and despite everything that happened between him and Rem, he couldn't help but cling onto the girl that's given him so much happiness —

Even if it wasn't his Rem, he wouldn't bare to see the girl in pain any more than he has already!

"...I don't understand...!"

Subaru hears this, as Rem drops her third-person mannerisms. While hugging the maid, he felt her shake, no longer hiding her feelings,

"...I've done horrible things to you... said cruel words I can never take back...!" She tries to reason with him —

Subaru held her closer, not letting Rem get caught up in blaming herself.

Rem starts to tear up, as the warmth she felt was misplaced, being directed towards her, "I've tried to kill you, damn it...!"

"I forgive you."

Rem's eyes open wide, hearing Subaru say this. What? Just like that?

Subaru pulls away, as Rem looks to him with barely hidden guilt in her features.

"...Why?" She simply asks, not believing him, "Subaru-sama, I honestly tried to kill you! Don't you understand that!?"

"Of course I do! And I forgive you!" Subaru downplays the situation once more, earning the girl's ire.

"You can't forgive someone so easily if they tried to kill you!" Rem exclaims.

"Well I just did! And frankly, I couldn't hold a grudge on you, even if I tried." Subaru shrugs.

Rem, heated from their little moment, sits back on the chair she waited on for so long,

"Rem won't accept your forgiveness, until you tell Rem why, Subaru-sama —"

"Just Subaru.' He replies back, his voice calm... until he scratches his cheek,

"And as for 'why'... Think you're willing to let me explain myself, now?" Subaru asks, suddenly nervous.

Rem stares at him for a bit, before nodding.

After all the trouble she got in for attacking Subaru, she wouldn't dare ruin this for a second time.

Subaru takes a moment to steel himself, and proceeds to clear his throat.

"...I know you're an Oni, Rem..." Subaru continues to say what he said in the village, eliciting a guilty look from the maid —

Until he makes a gentle smile,

"Because the person you remind me of, the one I considered dear to me..." Rem hears the conversation take a completely different direction! —

"She was an Oni, just like you..."

And Rem could feel the shock wash over her, as he looks at her...

There was relief in his eyes. Joy, even for someone who went out to try and take his life.

Despite being the one to cause Subaru so much pain, he still looked at her, like she was a treasure!

"...Huh...?" Rem could only let out a single world, as she was in disbelief...

"I know it's shocking... Trust me, even I'm at awe myself, but..." Subaru held a hand over his heart,

"After I first saw you, it's like... I knew you were just like her..." Subaru laughed at himself saying this,

"I guess it's a good thing we ended up fighting, huh? Seeing your horn ended up proving it!" He joked about his misfortune, but Rem kept silent.

She never once considered the thought that there were Onis, outside of her and Ram, that survived. Nor has she considered those survivors coexisting with humans like Subaru.

She was sure the tribe she and Ram lived in was the last one. Roswaal said so himself.

...And yet, Subaru kept looking toward her, barely holding down his own emotions.

"...Subaru..."

Rem bit her lip, not meeting Subaru's gaze. The ever-persistent scent of the Witch still lingered with him...

...He was still hiding something...

...Despite wanting to believe him... Rem still had her doubts—

Both of them suddenly hear the door being opened, and Rem noticed the gaze of her dear sister, immediately.

"Rem," Ram's voice was stern as she enters the room, before noticing the person she was tending to,

"...Ah. Barusu, it's a relief to see you awake." she says this while bowing, although Subaru could hear how half-hearted it was.

"At least make it sound endearing, geez..." Subaru scratched his head, "Oh well. Points for trying."

"Do you need something from Rem, Nee-sama?" Rem asks her sister for her reason being here. Ram nods.

"Roswaal-sama requests your presence." Ram answers her, and Rem blinks, before nodding immediately.

"Very well." She stands up from the chair she sat, next to Subaru, "Please take it easy and rest, Subaru-sa —"

Rem cuts herself off, remembering his request, and shakes her head

"Subaru. We'll continue our talk at another time."

"Of course." Subaru replies, but seemed a little disappointed about something, "I'll look forward to it, Rem."

Rem, with a bow, follows Ram and leaves the room. In the bright hallways, Ram passes a glance at her sister.

"It doesn't seem like Subaru hates you in the slightest, after what you did to him." Ram voices her thoughts, as Rem stares at the carpet, "I wonder if there's truly something wrong with that boy..."

"...That's not it..." Rem spoke, disagreeing with her sister. The ever-rare occurrence earns the attention of Ram, as Rem grips her dress,

"...There's a lot of things Rem doesn't understand, but..." her eyes get shiny, holding back tears,

( "Because I want to be your friend, damn it! ! !" ) —Subaru's plea still rings in her ears, as she regrets engaging that boy in a fight to the death,

"...If it's anyone that has something wrong with them..." Rem loosens her hold on her dress, and feels her face flush with sorrow...

"...It's me..."

Watching the two maids leave the room, Subaru takes a moment to hear them walk away, before setting himself back on the bed.

Once he does so —

A weight presses itself on his right, the side that wasn't damaged by Rem.

Subaru doesn't think much about who that weight was, ["You're awfully quiet, Satella-tan...]

Subaru raises a hand to pet the head of the girl clinging onto him, Satella.

She, however, continues to stay quiet as she digs herself further into his body.

With her being mute for so long, Subaru starts to wonder,

["Is everything okay...?"]

She doesn't reply immediately, but her head moves just a bit.

With the awkward angle, Subaru could barely make out how she moved her head...

...Was she shaking it 'No'?

["If there's something wrong, tell me..."] Subaru's attention was pushed to her, as he kept tracing her hand through her hair. Soft, like cashmere, it was an addicting act...

But Subaru's anxiety only rose slowly, as she doesn't say anything, almost like she was mad at him.

["...Talk to me...Satella..."] Subaru felt anxiety pile over, as her frame refused to budge, only to stick herself even deeper into Subaru...

Like she was hiding from something.

["...Please?"] Subaru gently asked her to speak. Her body stiffens...

Slowly, she rose up, her hair blocking her eyes.

A frown was on her face, as her lips part to say something —

*Knock Knock!*

—Only to disappear into wisps of darkness, once there was a knock on the door. Subaru grits his teeth, not happy with the outcome, before turning to the door.

"Who is it!?" Subaru's exclamation was a bit strangled with frustration, as he tries to calm himself down.

"I-It's Emilia...!" Subaru hears the half-elf's voice, and rises up to a sitting position once she opens the door.

"Thank goodness you're awake..." Emilia's voice was crystal, as she came in —

With a tray of food. Like the ones you have over your bed.

Subaru makes a sharp gasp...!

Was this the fabled 'Wife that serves you breakfast in bed' tropes he's wished for!?

"You were out cold by the time we all had brunch, Subaru. I decided to ask..."

A pause, and a little flinch, before she continued, "Rem, to save some for you!"

Subaru catches the pause Emilia has, talking about the maid, before shaking it away.

"Emilia-tan, you do care!" Subaru exclaims, holding himself in a hug, "Oh, I don't deserve such a thing from you~! Thank you, Emilia-tan~!"

"There you go with that 'tan' thing, again..." Emilia laughs, as she sets up the tray for him, "I truly wonder if you're messing with me, or something..."

"Absolutely not! As I've said, it's a showing of endearment from my country!" Subaru looks at her firmly, before smiling, "It means I really appreciate you, Emilia-tan!"

Emilia stops, just finishing setting up the tray for Subaru, before she pulls backward and looks at Subaru.

"...Really?" Emilia asks carefully, before putting her hands together, "...I was certain, after what Rem did..."

"Emilia?" Subaru wonders what the Royal Candidate was musing to herself about, before watching her shake her head.

"It's nothing! A-Anyways...!" She looks down to his body, covered in the cloth, "Are you able to handle eating by yourself? Do you need assistance?"

"Hmm? Well, it does hurt to get up, but..." Subaru moves his arms with ease, flexing them a bit to make sure —

"Ahh... Chhh..." —Subaru hissed through his teeth. Pulling a little too far forward on his left, he strained the side of his chest that was inflicted. His sudden jolt catches Emilia's attention.

"A-are you okay!?" Emilia asks Subaru in earnest. The boy laughs, feeling a little overwhelmed from her attention.

"I-It's fine, just pulled something I shouldn't, that's... all..." Subaru trails off, watching Emilia.

Emilia, every so often, would tremble a bit. It was like she was scared that Subaru was badly hurt.

Emilia catches the boy staring, and bites her lip.

"...I'm so..." A moment, before she gave him a bright, fake smile, "P-Please enjoy the food!"

Without much warning, Emilia makes a movement towards the door —

"Emilia, wait! —" Subaru reaches to grab her hand, and manages to do so — "Kkkhhh...!"

"Subaru!?" Emilia, with her hand held, turns back to see Subaru in pain from doing so, "Are you an idiot!?"

Emilia immediately goes back to tend to him, as Subaru looks at her with a pained grin, "Maybe I am, who knows!? — hkkk..." His body stiffens, as another jolt of pain comes forward,

"Wait, I didn't actually mean—" Emilia immediately corrects herself, not really meaning her statement when she said it! —

"But this is nothing, compared to whatever you're stressing about!" Subaru grits his teeth, and looks straight at Emilia, "So talk, Emilia-tan! What's on your mind! Tell me, please!"

Subaru, asking her thoughts so earnestly, easily gets under the half-elf's defenses as her eyes water.

She looks away, trembling once more, but she eventually calms herself down and turns to him once more.

"...Do you hate me...?" Emilia asks. Subaru blinks.

"...Huh?" He asks back. Emilia looks at the soup sitting on the tray, her fingers pursed together.

"After you asked me to keep Rem away... all I thought was, 'Why? Rem's a nice person, she wouldn't hurt you!'" She begins, and Subaru starts listening.

Emilia turns to her left, avoiding his gaze, "It even pained me a little, asking Rem to keep her distance from you. She agreed to it, but... I knew she was sad, as well..."

"Emilia..." Subaru's voice broke forward as a whisper, but Emilia continued, once again turning to him.

"I was... mad at you, for asking me to do that, Subaru..." she confessed, surprising him.

"...Really? If you were mad, I didn't notice, to be honest." Subaru gives a short laugh. After all, he's seen a mad Emilia, after his fight with Julius.

"But I was!" Regardless, Emilia defends herself, "I was really mad, and I hoped you would go and fix up things with Rem!"

Her intense look simmers down, as she recalls the latest events, "...But... At the end of the day, somehow... You knew Rem would come and try to..."

Her eyes start to shake, and her eyebrows furrow in frustration, Subaru could see this. It was like she was coming into terms with this discovery.

"...She could've... If me and the others didn't come in time, she could've...!" Emilia tightens her fingers into fists, as she clenches her eyes.

"Emilia." Subaru's voice calls out, and Emilia looks up, albeit afraid of what she would see! —

Only to see him smiling,

"Thank you for saving me." — Emilia's eyes widen when Subaru says this.

Subaru turns to the window, watching the wind lightly blow the drapes, "As much as I'd really