The 'Uncle' Diaries

"Do you know Hannah?"

The female beastman's expression changed slightly at Marie's question.

"How do you know my mother?"

Her voice was chilling as she responded, watching the suspicious 'beastman' in front of her.

But Marie couldn't care less about appearing suspicious or not.

Her mother!

Hannah was her mother!

"Where is she? Please, I have to talk to her!"

Marie grabbed the female beastman's hands while gazing at her with a pleading expression, hoping to convey her sincerity.

The female beastman's eyes darkened. She wordlessly stared at Marie for a few seconds, as if weighing whether to bother even answering or not.

Ultimately, the female beastman sighed with slight annoyance before shaking off Marie's tight grip around her hands and tidying her dress.

"No, you can't speak with her, my mother is long dead."

With these merciless words, the tender hope that had sprouted in Marie's chest died, crushed for good.

She is dead?

Despair flooded Marie's mind, but she still desperatedly opened her mouth.

"Are you sure? Did your mother have black hair? Green eyes? A crescent moon-shaped mole on her left shoulder?"

She bombarded the female beastman with questions, hoping that the other would answer even one of them with a 'no'.

Maybe it was just a coincidence that her late mother's name was also Hannah? Or that she looked just like the person Marie was looking for.

After all, she couldn't be here, in another world, with a daughter that looked almost the same age as Marie herself.

No way her sister died all alone in this strange world without any of her family members or friends.

"Of course I know that my own mother died! And yes, she had black hair, green eyes and a crescent moon mole on her shoulder, I have the same one!" , the female beastman hissed angrily.

It was like a punch to the gut, Marie felt as if all the air inside her lungs had been forced out.

Paling, she could only stare at the other with wide eyes, before she keeled over and began vomiting on the spot.

The female beastman took a step back in surprise and disgust but there was a hint of delight in her eyes as she watched the beastman on the ground convulse.

Meanwhile, Marie continuned to retch even though there was not even a hint of food left to vomit. Tears silently dropped to the filthy floor, mixing with the vomit and bile.

Her sister had been here, all these years?

So all the time she spent looking for her had been for nought? And just when there was a chance of finding her, Hannah was already dead?

Was this a cruel joke?

Saliva pooled inside her mouth and Marie felt yet another retching fit coming up. But this time, she spit out the saliva before forcing the bile back down.

Taking a deep breath, Marie straightened her back so she no longer cowered on the ground, instead kneeling with her head leaned back so she could face the unfamiliar, cloudless night sky directly, red laterns softly swaying.

"Ha...h..hahahaha!"

Fate was such a twisted thing.

Was it telling her that she should have died earlier if she wanted to see her sister?

But... it didn't even matter anymore.

She couldn't help laughing at this hopelessness and cruelty.

Just when things had been looking up for her...

Now, really everyone was gone with only her remaining...

Actually, that wasn't quite correct.

Marie abruptly stopped laughing and turned her head.

The female beastman was still standing in the alley, but her expression was more awkward and hesitant than anything, as if she was looking at a madman, not sure on whether to leave or stay.

Her younger sister's daughter. Her niece. The only family she still had left in this entire world.

Marie slowly got up from ground, her legs still somewhat unsteady, but that didn't stop her from stepping over the mess on the ground and stand right in front of the female beastman that was almost a whole head taller than her.

The other had a slightly creeped out expression on her face, hesitatingly taking a small step back but Marie grabbed her arm once more.

"What's your name?"

The female beastman was tempted to just rip her arm out of Marie's glasp. This unknown beastman started to frighten her a bit, although she would never admit this.

But if she did that, the end result might be much worse than just dealing with a crazy, weakling beastman.

So, could only gnash her teeth in discontent while patiently answering.

"Sarah."

Sarah.

Marie almost started laughing after hearing this name, it was so like her sister.

She began to smile widely, gently squeezing her niece's arm, creeping Sarah out even more.

"Well Sarah, turns out I'm your Au-Uncle."

Hearing Marie's words, Sarah stared at her with a disbelieving expression on her cold face.

But Marie just continued smiling.

She would protect her niece even if it was the last thing she did.

Your useless big sister promises, Hannah.

And the first step..., was getting her out of the red light district!

"Sarah, where do you live?", Marie suddenly asked.

Sarah froze, her face turning especially cold as her eyes narrowed, observing the suspicious madman in front of her.

She hesitated a bit before quietly answering in a somewhat threatening tone.

"... I won't tell you that."

Marie raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Why?"

Sarah was baffled at Marie's shameless reply, not knowing how to answer.

But she didn't have to, because Marie finally realized the problem.

She awkwardly scratched her nose while laughing.

"Haha, sorry, I should introduce myself first," Marie let go of Sarah's arm, "My name is Mari-o, Mario. I'm your mother's older brother."

Marie stretched out her hand while smiling warmly.

But this didn't dispel Sarah's suspicions in the slightest, actually, it made them worse.

"You don't seem that old. Besides my mother was human," she said with narrowed eyes while looking at the glued on feathers allover Marie's ears and arms.

"Oh!"

Sarah's words reminded Marie of her current appearance, but the damage was already done and she could only scramble to come up with an explanation.

"Yes, you see, we have different fathers! Hannah's father was human and mine was a... chicken beastman?", Marie could see the doubt in Sarah's eyes, so she hastily continued, "I'm really her brother, here, I can prove it to you!"

She spun around, dropping the fabric above her left shoulder just enough to expose the shoulder blade, revealing a crescent moon shaped mole.

"See?"

Marie grinned at her niece.

Small theater:

Sarah: A beastman looking younger than me claims to be the elder brother of my mother.

Marie:...

Marie: What can I say? Doctors hate me.