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"Oh, Liz? Welcome back!!!!"
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Back in town, as soon as I opened the door to my parents' house, my mother's face lit up and she rushed to me.
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I could smell the sweet scent of cinnamon that I love so much.
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Seeing her face makes me feel safe. But I know I can't reveal everything to her anymore. I don't want her to worry.
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I know that it's a difficult time at the Academy of Magic and at the palace. This is not the time for me to be carefree and go home. I just needed one day to calm down.
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Otherwise I'll be ruined. A saint mustn't show her dark side.
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Once I step out of here, I have to live as a saint. That kind of pressure crushes me sometimes. I will never be just a baker's daughter again, but just for today I wanted to escape from my role as a "saint.
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After hugging me tightly, my mother tilts her head a little and looks at me worriedly.
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"Is something wrong?"
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"No, nothing! It's been a long time since I've had bread made by my mom!"
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I lie with a big smile on my face to my mother, who has no idea what I'm talking about.
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I am about to graduate from the Academy of Magic. As a saint, I will have less freedom than I do now.
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I wanted to see her face before then. I wanted to return to this place where I could be just a little girl.
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When I'm here, I can be a normal girl again. I can give up my title as a saint.
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With these thoughts, I walk into the familiar and comfortable house.
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Bread will be baked soon!
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She hums happily and walks lightly toward the kitchen.
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I can't believe how happy she is that I'm home. .......
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"Daddy should be home in a few more minutes~! She's gone to buy the ingredients to make me a raspberry pie! I'm sure Liz will be very happy when she finds out you're home."
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I heard my mother's loud voice coming from the kitchen.
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I couldn't help but smile at her words. I realize that I have grown up surrounded by love and comfort.
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When I was a child, I thought I could just stay in this warm house forever. .......
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Before I knew it, I was leading a completely different life. Meeting Duke and the others has been the happiest and most precious thing for me. I'm sure it will remain so until the day I die.
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But I can't help thinking... If I were a girl with no abilities.
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I can't say this in front of everyone, but I'm happy to be "normal". Ordinary people long to be special, geniuses long to have nothing.
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No, Liz!
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I can't stay depressed like this! I came back here to cheer myself up!
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"I'm off to my room~!"
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"Oh, Liz's room is now ......!"
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I didn't hear what your mother said. I ran to my room.
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I opened the door with a bang and found myself in a room I didn't know.
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The bed with my floral bedding and the light pink desk were gone, and it was no longer a girl's room. A little boy's playroom.
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A small cute little boy with brown hair comes into view.
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......I should never have had a little brother.
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"Liz! I'm sorry! I forgot to explain!"
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My mother rushed to my side. I froze, not understanding what was happening, my eyes still locked with the little boy.
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The mother went into the room and picked up the little boy. He hugs his little stuffed bear tightly.
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When I was little, I used to love stuffed bunnies.
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I think about this and wait for the words to come out of my mother's mouth.
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"This is Max. We talked to your father and decided to adopt him. I'm sorry I didn't ask Liz for any advice. I just didn't have a chance to tell you because you're so busy."
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The mother explains apologetically and somewhat impatiently.
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Don't give me that look. I'm not angry with you. ....... I'm just glad you're going to have a little brother.
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"Max is our family, even if he's not blood related."
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...... but it's a little complicated when my mother looks at me with such a happy expression on her face.
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Seeing him so at home here makes me feel as if I've lost my place in the world without my knowledge.
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"I took him in when he was a baby, and Max will be three years old this year. I've been telling him about Liz. When he found out that Liz was a special girl and suddenly enrolled at the magic academy, his mom and dad missed her very much. ....... Liz will always be a precious daughter to us. But we couldn't bear to think that she would never come back. ......"
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I understand what your mother is trying to say. I know it in my head.
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I'm at a loss for words, and she adds
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"Since we adopted Max, I feel a little safer. This bakery is very popular in town, isn't it? So, with him, we can continue to run this bakery."
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I was a little annoyed at my mother, who looked at Max happily as she spoke.
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I shouldn't have felt this way. .......
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As a saint, I could never refuse him. I can't let my parents know about my black side.
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For about five years I did not come back here. I have hardly been in touch with him.
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That is why we have to accept this situation. I must accept my brother with a smile full of joy.
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"Surely, I need an heir to keep this bakery going! And I'm so happy to have such an adorable little brother too!"
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I make a cheerful sound. I quietly approach Max and introduce myself.
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"I'm Liz. I'm your sister. It's nice to meet you, Max."
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I wonder if I'm smiling beautifully in those pure and innocent eyes. .......
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As I gently hold Max's small hand, I realize that I no longer belong in this house.
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