Still, Ralts had to be told about this. Even if he wanted to hide it, he couldn't.
So Chen Shi slowly, gently told Ralts everything.
Learning that she had played a part in her mother's death, too, Ralts felt tears gathering uncontrollably in her large, already grief-filled eyes.
Her tiny body trembled as she struggled to keep her tears from falling.
"Ra... Ralts..."
Ralts finally couldn't hold back a low, tearful cry, her voice filled with pain, guilt, and despair.
Grief pierced her to the core, nearly drowning her.
She had followed Chen Shi full of anticipation to see her mother, only to learn that her mother was dead.
When she tried to seek the truth, her father had dealt her a crushing blow.
Now Chen Shi had told her that her mother's death had something to do with her, too.
At last, Ralts broke down completely. Tears fell one after another, like beads from a broken string.
"Drip."
"Drip."
Dragapult and Florges sighed and turned away, unable to bear watching any longer.
Chen Shi remained silent. He took a packet of tissues from his pocket and slowly wiped Ralts's tears away.
Lia and the others stood quietly to one side, their faces full of anxiety, not daring to make a sound.
At some point, a large crowd had gradually gathered around them.
There were all sorts of people, men and women alike, though most were women.
Curiosity and tension mingled on their faces as they all looked over, yet not one dared actually approach. They simply stood at a relatively safe distance, watching cautiously.
Occasionally, they whispered to one another, quietly speculating about what had happened. The atmosphere was uneasy and oppressive.
After quite some time, Ralts's uncontrollable sobbing finally began to subside.
But her once lively, vibrant eyes