prof | Krauss's Riddle: 4

Well done, you got it! From floor one to floor four, there's only one floor that ends in 'th' - the 4th floor.

Yeah! The 4th floor fits, but the other ones are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors.

N... Nicely done... And even I didn't figure it out until I had the answer given to me...

Come on, now. Let's see that medal.

This medal is a mark of Ange's intelligence. I mustn't let you have it, Eva.

Heh, sore loser!

Thank you, Krauss. Am I incredible?!

Very much so. You're a more flexible thinker than your uncle. I am proud to have you as a niece.

That's all for our puzzles.

I do hope you enjoyed them.

I did! Thank you, Natsuhi and Krauss!

I hope you can enjoy all the tricky questions, without worrying about your medal count too much.

We all hope that this becomes a wonderful night, just for you.

We really are enjoying ourselves.

Yeah! We're having a lot of fun!

BGM: White Shadow

We did the best we could, but I'm not sure how much they enjoyed them.

A future parent and child, unrelated by blood. Watching them like this, they look just like a normal parent and child.

Yes, they do... Bonds between people are nurtured by the heart. Ties of blood do not bond as strongly.

What's wrong?

...I was just... surprised that I would dare to say such words...

...You don't need to worry about me.

I understand how you felt. Unable to become pregnant, you were forced to feel shame for many years. In that situation, any woman would be shocked if they were handled a baby whose parentage they didn't even known, and then told to adopt them.

That was no reason... for me to push you off a cliff...

True. You will have to carry that cross for the rest of your life.

...Yes. I am prepared to do so...

Don't make that dejected face. No, perhaps it's the other way around. As long as you continue making that dejected face, I will feel no desire to punish you. As long as you continue to carry that cross, I will feel no desire to hate you.

Do you mean... that you don't hate me...?

To tell the truth, I did hate you. I hated your guts. I hated you so much, I wanted to hang up a pillow with your picture on it and use it as a punching bag!

How could I forget...? After all, I'm a murderer...

Your cross is a heavy one, doubtless. I can feel compassion for you now. I'm serious. After all, Kinzo was the one at fault, right? It's his fault for having an illegitimate child in the first place! And the way he forced that child on you was even worse! He whould have at least been able to avoid hurting you by saying 'please take care of this poor child', instead of 'you can't give birth, so adopt this kid'. Men! That Kinzo...!

...

I no longer hate you. Does the cross you bear not feel any lighter for that?

It doesn't... I still don't know how I can make up for what I did to you.

Then let's do it this way. Hold out your arms.

H... Huh? Like this...?

U-umm, this is a little...

I'll never say this again, so let me say it once. After all, I never had a chance to meet my mother.