[HIATUS] Wandering Witch: Penance of a thief

[Chap. 5] Wish

My father once told me that a selfish person cannot live happily; to find happiness, we must fulfill the desires of others.

At first, I dismissed his words as mere platitudes, something said by someone else. But now, I understand their profound meaning.

Let me share with you... my story of fulfilling someone's wish.

It was a day like any other, and I found myself daydreaming on a short bridge overlooking a gently flowing stream. Boredom engulfed me, and I was at a loss for what to do.

"So bored! Why isn't there anything to occupy my time?" I grumbled to myself.
"I can do anything! Well, almost anything, except for making potions maybe..."

"When you're feeling bored and you don't know what to do~ Just grab a friend or two, and the world will smile at you~ Run and jump and sing, let your heart begin to play~ Turn the gray skies blue, let the fun take you away!~" I sang, hoping to alleviate my boredom, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a pair of middle-aged lovers approached me. "Excuse me..."

"Building castles in the sand, swinging high up in the sky~—" I halted my singing and turned to face them.

Instantly, my spirits lifted, for it seemed I would finally have something to do. "Yes! Is there anything I can help you with? Please, ask me to do something!"

"Eh... we were hoping you could assist us with something," the woman said.

"Really?! My name is Arche the sin redeemer! I'm willing to do anything! Except making potions, I'm really bad at that."

"Sin Redeemer..?" The middle-aged man seemed uncertain, weighing whether to trust me or not.

"Hm! I've uncovered the secrets of the circus, defeated werewolves, and saved dragons from cruel humans!" I boasted, hoping to gain his trust.

"That means you are a very great person, right...? Our trivial request won't sit well with you, right?" The middle-aged mother's disappointment was evident in her voice.

"No! I'm willing to do any small thing, I'm even willing to look after your pets!" I exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Then... can we find a better place to chat?" Said the middle-aged man before leading me to a park, where a fairly large grass field stretched out before us, close to the hospital.

As we sat in the park, the mother, Matilda, began, "Let us introduce ourselves first... my name is Matilda, and he is my husband, Gabriel."

"So we have a daughter... Her name is Arabella... all this time she has always lived in the hospital because of her rare disease," Gabriel continued, his voice heavy with emotion.

"She suffered from childhood illnesses, she never felt the things that people her age feel."

"And the doctor said..." Matilda's voice faltered, tears welling up in her eyes, unable to finish her sentence.

"My dear... Let me just tell him," Gabriel interjected, trying to comfort his wife. "The doctor said that Arabella wouldn't live much longer... and advised us to make her wish come true before she died..."

Matilda, unable to contain her emotions, broke down in tears. I was taken aback by the gravity of their request.

I never imagined I would be asked to fulfill the wish of someone who was about to die.