The puppeteer and the flower girl begin to argue.

He tried to add something to the mask doll to make it all possible.

Cornell asks Iris to dress up as a masked doll and frolic on the lakeside. Not only does Iris have to help with household chores such as laundry and cleaning, but she is now being asked to do so.

Although these will be included in the cost of labor, even the kind-hearted flower girl is stunned.

"You're such an embarrassing gentleman—" she said.

"Your hair color, although a little different, is blonde like my daughter, and if you put your hair down and put on a dress, it will definitely ......"

"Mr. Cornell...... I'm just helping you make a mask puppet, not your wife.....

"Well, I know that kind of thing, I wouldn't think about that kind of thing for a girl like you...... Yours...... You look...... I just think...... If my daughter were still alive, she would be almost like you......"

Iris, who didn't want to agree, wavered.

“...... I'm sorry, but Miss must have passed away—"

Iris bit her lip as if she was struggling with her conscience.

After a few days of getting along, Cornell also got to know Iris a little bit about how she always chooses the kindest side.

“...... If you are willing to factor in labor costs......"

"As long as I show that my daughter has grown up, come back, and completed the agreed posture, I can immediately conceive the final part of the puppet, really. You can return the favor as much as you want. It's no problem to pay double as much. This doll is very important to me, and I really want to make it and make it a turning point in my life. Please—"

"But...... I...... Wearing doll clothes, ...... words," Iris blushed slightly, seeming to hesitate.

Seeing her muttering to herself, Cornell felt a little apologetic, but decided to try harder.

"Then I don't take pictures, as long as I take the scene into my mind, I can make a puppet. Please—"

"Were you still going to take pictures?"

Although Iris hesitated, the result was still not enough to resist Cornell's sincere agreement.

It was only at this time that Cornell temporarily broke away from his seclusion and went out to buy beautiful clothes and an umbrella for Iris.

The dress was a white lace blouse and a blue dress with a bow belt, and the umbrella was a light blue and white straight stripe with ruffles. Iris seemed to have a good idea of holding an umbrella, opening and closing and opening and spinning and purring.

"Is this umbrella a novelty?"

"It's the first time I've seen such a lovely umbrella. ”

"Aren't you dressed up pretty cute, too?

Iris shook her head, "Everyone likes me to dress like this, and I don't usually like to go to the clothing store, so I ......"

Like a child who listens to his mother.

Before Iris could change her mind, Cornell ended her shopping and immediately asked her to change her outfit.

Behind the house with a thin cloud in the sky, there was a smell of impending rain.

The bitter wind heralded the arrival of autumn, but the chill did not sting the skin.

Cornell, who had already gone outside to wait, was leaning on a wooden chair by the lake and drinking sake.

He consciously lowered the bottle after Iris's arrival, his throat filled with the smell of alcohol. He let out a long sigh of relief and burped, and after a few minutes, with a creak, the door to the entrance opened.

"Keeping you waiting. ”

Cornell, who turned back at the gentle voice, turned his head back almost immediately.

"Wait a minute......"

For a moment, Cornell stopped breathing, trying to say something but couldn't speak.

He inhaled sharply, almost in the same trance as he had seen Iris for the first time.

She exudes so charming that it makes people forget about time.

The hair that was originally coiled together now hangs down like a waterfall, slowly drawing a smooth curve, much longer than expected.

And, more importantly.

- If my daughter grows up, she should be like this.

I'll see her dressed up like this. Thinking so, my chest was filled with warmth.

"Mr. Cornell, you have changed your clothes as you instructed, do you feel okay?"

In this intoxicating world of autumn colors, the girl who is not as beautiful as a human lifts the corner of her skirt and suddenly turns in a circle.

"Just like that, just let you see the gesture of crossing the river. ...... Uh, but Mr. Cornell, that's not what you really want to create, is it? It's rare to dress up like this, it's better to just walk around and see running on the lake, I can only open six veins, and I can't do a lot of basic spiritual arts, so I can only stay on the surface of the lake for a few seconds...... Well, even for a few seconds, Mr. Cornell, please leave it to me. Anyway, I'm also a sorcerer who can open six veins, and in just a short time, I can fulfill your expectations. ”

Connell, who was dominated by various feelings, just responded with "oh" and "ah", but Iris didn't care, and still said in a gentle tone with a blank face.

The girl and her daughter were almost identical, with beautiful blonde hair and a sweet sparkle in their pupils.

Iris clutched the inflated umbrella in his hand and rested it on his shoulder. She stood at a considerable distance from the surface of the lake, looking at the water, as if considering something.

The dead leaves, dyed with autumn colors, fall down and float on the water. The wind was not calm, and it blew in waves. Iris pressed her long blown hair with her hand to confirm the direction of the wind, and Cornell looked at her worriedly. The moment he stomped the ground and the six veins opened at the same time, there was a gurgling sound in the air, and Iris smiled faintly at Cornell.

"Mr. Cornell, everything will be as you hope. ”

Locked in a crisp voice, Iris took a big step forward.

Although the run-up distance was long, it only took a split second for her to flash through Cornell's eyes. Fast as the wind. When he was only a step away from the surface of the lake, he kicked the ground sharply.

It was enough to make the ground sink more than ten centimeters of impact, and the strong foot force must have been the power to catch the veins.

She flew up as if she were about to ascend the stairs to heaven, and Connell was stunned to see such an unusual movement, and everything he saw after that was like a slow motion.

As he jumps at the tipping point, Iris raises his hand holding the umbrella high and suddenly opens it. It's like a flower blooming. The wind seemed to have timed the moment to help her feet, and the frilled flower umbrella swayed gracefully.

Skirts and umbrellas puff up in the air, and you can catch a glimpse of the petticoat that is more agitated, and the strappy boots step on the fallen leaves that float on the water.

That moment.

That moment.

That picture.

The scene was as clear as the photograph before Cornell's eyes.

The flower umbrella floating in the air, the dress fluttering in the wind, and the girl stepping on the lake.

Like a magician.

He remembered what his daughter had said that day, buried in the depths of his soul.

"Someday. ”

"I'll let you see it someday. Next to our house, on that lake, when autumn, when the fallen leaves float on the water. ”

"Someday. ”

"I'll let you see it someday. ”

"Father. ”

The voice.

The voice of the daughter, who had forgotten about it, echoed in my mind.

You don't know. I've called out to you countless times since then.

"Someday, I'll let you see it. ”

"Father's ......"

Milky, sweet voice.

"Someday I'll let you see it, father. ”

Your voice is better than any music.

"I'll show you someday. ”

——

Ah——, that's right.

You're using a voice like this.

Innocently, let me look forward to it.

Tell me so.

Clearly made a promise. I forgot. I forgot.

It's been so long that I can't even remember what you look like, and I'm really happy to see you again.

Even if it's unreal, I'm happy to see you again.

My lovely daughter.

Mine, mine.

- Mine, the treasure left by that man.

It's definitely not going to happen, you know. But he still made a promise.

This pact, and your departure. Let me live meaninglessly to this day.

To this day, life continues.

Didn't chase your footsteps away, but lived like this, although I regretted it, but this moment. She's not you, but I seem to see you at this moment.

In an instant, encounter, reunion, hug.

Seeing this moment, it's as if you're still alive.

Although it would be sad to even whisper your name. I've always wanted to see you. Again, see the lovely you.

My last family. I always have. All the time.

I've always wanted to see you.

- I love you.

Very happy and seems to want to smile.

“...... Woo......"

But he just whimpered.

Cornell's tears, frozen by the cessation of time, seemed to drip again as time began to flow again.

“...... Ahhhh......h What a ......."

He heard the "tick-tock" sound of the watch's hands turning, like the sound of his own cold heart, "thump".

“...... Really, really......."

He reached out to cover his face, only to realize that he had a lot of wrinkles on his hands, since his wife and daughter left, his time had stopped?

"I wish you were ...... Don't die...... Ah.....h

He choked, his face contorted from his inability to control himself, and muttered to himself.

"Live, live...... Grow up and grow up ......"

I really want to see your beautiful body.

I want to see you like that. See you like that with your own eyes, and then die before you.

Before you.

Under your protection.

Get out of this world.

I failed to protect you.

I couldn't make it.

"I want to see you......"

Cornell's tears welled up in his eyes and down his cheeks.

The world drowning in tears resounded with the sound of Iris falling into the lake.

The brilliance was fleeting, and the daughter's voice in the memory was gone.

The bubble with the phantom of her daughter's smile bursts.

Cornell put her hands in front of her eyes, closed her eyes as if she refused, and tried to cut ties with a world without daughters.

- Ahhhhhhh

No matter how hard I spend my life grieving, they won't come back.

- Heart, breathe, stop.

After the death of my wife and daughter, I have been walking like a corpse.

So now, at this moment, how much I want to be killed by the oncoming sword.

- Just like falling leaves, you can't survive after falling.

However, no matter how much you pray, such a wish will not come true.

After countless prayers, he understood this deeply.

- Let me die, let me die, let me die, rather than leave me alone, let's die together.

There is no such thing as a wish that can be fulfilled just by praying.

"Mr. Cornell. ”

In the world he desperately wanted to cut off, a voice sounded, and that was clearly reality.

The owner of the voice was panting and running towards this direction.

- I'm still alive.

I'm alive. And, struggling with what kind of attitude to live after losing a loved one, to survive.

It was clear that prayer was useless, but Cornell still muttered silently in front of the dim vision.

“...... God, no matter what......"

If I don't die now, at least make that daughter happy in the story.

Hope she's happy. Then stay with me.

Always, by my side. It's just in the story, or in the fantasy daughter.

- Please let her stay with me.