Surprisingly, it was not long before Mary felt comfortable opening up to Charlotte.
“Hey Charlotte, let’s sleep together again!”
“My head kinda hurts... You should pat it.”
“Um.... Feed me... Hehe.”
It was becoming a pattern.
Soon, Mary came to see her companion as a close friend, often daydreaming about her in creative, colorful ways.
On this day, Mary attempted to bring some of those daydreams to life.
Even so, Charlotte wholly accepted Mary for who she was. Never one to spare a deserved admonishing, in the end, Charlotte smiled and forgave her just as easily.
One might suspect that Mary felt guilty about being constantly indulged, so she came to Charlotte, eager to please.
“Let me make you some clothes.”
Charlotte blinked. For nearly everyone in the Liberated District, clothing was valued more for its utility than for its trendiness. Charlotte, for example, wore simply-designed hand-me-downs. Mary, on the other hand, was dressed in more colorful attire.
“Are you a seamstress, Mary?”
“Yup. I made these myself.”
Charlotte found herself impressed by Mary’s versatility. There was always more than meets the eye with her. She readily accepted Mary’s offer.
Mary led Charlotte to a secluded segment of the cell area. It contained what some members of the Dawn referred to as a “core.”
Thanks to Mary’s discretion and Charlotte’s vision, the two nimbly arrived at the location without detection.
“How does she expect to make clothes here?” Charlotte asked herself. Seconds later, however, she watched from the corner of her eye as Mary flicked a match into the core.
The core swallowed her match, producing a mystical flame before spitting something out with agroan.
“Here we go.”
Just as Mary promised, there was a set of clothes in Charlotte’s size.
“Mary, what did you just do?”
“Heh. Amazing, right? You light a match, throw it in here, and something good comes out,”
boasted Mary.
She glanced at Charlotte, expecting some flattery or praise, but Charlotte stood there slack-jawed.
(She has the ability to manifest things with her mind? Normal people can’t do that. That settles it.
She must be a Blood Maiden...)
One cold winter night, the Little Match Girl was down to her last match.
By the time its meek flame extinguished, the girl froze to death, escaping the notice of all for good.
“Mary! Don’t waste your matches like that! You’ll die!”
Charlotte had clearly “seen” the end.
It was too terrible a price to pay for manifestation.
Charlotte decided she would stop at nothing to keep Mary safe.
“What’s your deal? You look scary...”
Mary’s voice trailed off. Charlotte explained herself, but the words seemed lost on Mary.
“Who cares? I’d rather die in delusion.”
“Don’t be like that, Mary. Please...”
Charlotte threw her arms around Mary, consumed by the image of Mary dying in the snow.
She had come to see Mary as a little sister, but Mary simply nodded, replying “Okay, fine.”
All she could think about, however, was Charlotte’s soft chest against her face.
She was trash, and she knew it.
Afterwards, Charlotte donned the outfit made for her by Mary.
“Mary...this outfit. You could’ve given me more room in the chest...” said Charlotte with a blush.
“Oh, how weird! Did I mess up? But I made them with a precious match...
I can’t remake them, or it’ll be a waste! Just leave it on for a bit. Gwehehe!”
But Charlotte deduced by her mischievous smile that it was on purpose all along.
　 ◯ She let her guard down.
“Whoa!”
Before Charlotte could react, a small Marchen appeared behind her, rearing to attack.
“What the hell?! Go away!” Mary drop-kicked the approaching monster.
The Marchen reacted by lashing out, scuttling around Mary to intimidate her.
“Mary!” called Charlotte, as she picked up a large rock beside her and slammed it against the Marchen.
“Gyaaaah!”
Its pink blood splattered onto the both of them.
Charlotte’s heavy rock was enough to make the Marchen flee.
“Mary,” cried Charlotte, “are you all right?!” She sprinted up to Mary to check on her, but stopped in her tracks.
Mary’s eyes, soaked in droplets of pink blood, were turning pink in kind.
“I knew it. You’re...”
“Huh?!”
Much to Charlotte’s surprise, Mary shrieked.
“Charlotte! What’s up with your eyes?! They’re pink!”
“What?!”
Each girl looked into a nearby mirror located conveniently on the ground of the cell area, peering at the pink eyes.
“What? Me too? Seriously? Is this some kinda disease? Wait, it’s actually kinda cool. Magic eyes? Is this a superpower?!”
Mary took it in stride, relishing in her mysterious transformation.
Charlotte, however, muttered to herself, “Am I a Blood Maiden too?”
　 ◯ The discovery was enough for Charlotte to stress.
Should we go to the Dawn?
No, Mary wouldn’t want that.
Besides, I’m no good in battle.
Beyond that...
If I go, I become involved.
I am an Observer.
A nameless supporting character.
I can’t just barge into someone else’s story.
Making half-excuses for herself, Charlotte joined Mary in living outside of the Dawn’s purview.
Shortly after, another close duo appeared to liven up the story.
Alice and Jack.
With them in tow, the tale of the Blood Maidens’ great escape was just beginning.
Charlotte saw it all for herself.
Always the Observer.
But the time of their eventual ascent was soon upon them all.