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After the meal, Reinhardt and Damian went outside to spar, followed shortly by the Sword Saint and Ludwig. The children, however, were not excluded; they were told to feel free to talk to each other without worrying about the adults.

It seemed like Lizorote wanted to talk to Alphonse and was mindful of that.

Of course, not every child preferred to sit and chat like Lizorote did.

When the two began to spar, Alphonse’s eyes lit up with interest, and he tried to follow Damian. The rivalry between the two was an unbearable topic for him, and even though it might not be revealed now, he would at least catch a glimpse of Reinhardt’s skill.

Unfortunately, much to his disappointment, Alphonse had to stay put.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Though Lizorote had only glanced at Alphonse during the meal, she spoke to him as soon as the adults had left, perhaps because she was conscious of them.

Now that Lizorote was speaking to him, Alphonse found himself naturally anchored to his seat. The moment she initiated a conversation, it ensured he wouldn’t be able to go outside without acknowledging her.

The eager curiosity about the duel was evident on Alphonse’s face, but being the polite child he was, he decided to prioritize etiquette over his interests.

“Oh, hello… Lady Cromel.”

“Haha, come to think of it, I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Lizorote. You can call me Rize for short.”

“My name is Alphonse Kraus. Nice to meet you, Rize.”

Once Alphonse finished his introduction, Lizorote nodded and acknowledged the still-seated adults as well.

Even though many had left, a few people remained. Hailey was still seated, unable to finish her dessert, while Elena stuck around out of curiosity about the two.

“You can call the other friends of my brother casually as well.”

“Right. It’s nice to meet you, Rize.”

Elena smiled slightly as she spoke, and Lizorote couldn’t help but be momentarily caught by her gaze.

When she snapped back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed, her face flushed, and she pretended nothing had happened. But such actions couldn’t erase her earlier behavior, making Elena chuckle at the child’s cuteness.

‘It feels like I haven’t seen this in a while.’

Though Lizorote might not have known it, for Elena, this meeting wasn’t her first rodeo, and seeing Lizorote react just like before brought a smile to her face.

She didn’t consciously try to remember everything from the past, but Alphonse and Lizorote were still significant children to her, so moments like this were etched in her memory. In fact, this was part of the school days she spent with them.

Back then, just like today, the two children had met because of Damian and Reinhardt, who had come to visit due to a divine decree. But this time, it seemed different since Alphonse and Lizorote appeared to know each other from before.

Elena, knowing it hadn’t been long since Alphonse came to the mansion, realized that Lizorote, who came from the east, wasn’t acquainted with him.

This fact still remained unchanged; hence, it was clear that today was indeed the first meeting for Alphonse and Lizorote. It just happened outside of this mansion.

In reality, when the two first met wasn’t particularly important to Elena. What piqued her interest was the familiar emotion she sensed in Lizorote’s gaze directed at Alphonse. It seemed that the different ambiance in their meeting was the root of that sentiment.

Though once dull to others’ feelings, that was a long-ago story for Elena.

That lack of awareness belonged to a time when she didn’t understand such things, but after experiencing love and reincarnation, her emotional depth had actually grown. With this experience, Elena could now pick up on others’ feelings much more quickly than before.

Above all, what she sensed in that gaze was something she often received herself, making it easier to recognize. It was similar to the warmth she felt when Damian looked her way.

Lizorote’s feelings toward Alphonse were clearly those of fondness.

Whether that emotion indicated romantic interest or genuine affection, it was evident that Lizorote was interested in Alphonse.

‘What happened during their first meeting?’

In her previous life, although Alphonse and Lizorote got along well, the atmosphere was nothing like this, making her wonder if their earlier encounter had somehow prompted such a shift.

Elena watched the two with keen curiosity.

Changes unfolding differently from her past life always provided new stimulation for her.

Among those changes, what piqued her interest the most was relationships between people. One of the main purposes of her reincarnation was to mend twisted relations, so it was only natural for her to pay attention in this regard.

Most importantly, the emotions Lizorote was experiencing held great significance.

After all, fondness was the starting point of love, and love was always a topic that sparked anticipation. As a woman herself, Elena had always been interested in such feelings.

Despite being emotionally blunt, she had shown an interest in relationships, though her experience was lacking. However, that was not the case anymore.

“I was worried about how we’d meet again after parting without even introducing ourselves; I’m so glad we bumped into each other.”

“Haha, same here! I was taken aback when you disappeared like the wind. I was shocked to realize I didn’t even know your name until later!”

“Oh, no, that’s…”

‘Wow!’

The atmosphere felt so nice that it seemed like they needed to step aside.

Since she hadn’t intended to stay too long, it wouldn’t be bad to glance for the right moment and exit gracefully. While contemplating when to go, Hailey, who had been munching on cookies beside her, chimed in.

“Don’t they look close?”

“Yeah, they do. It’s nice to see.”

“When do you think we should leave?”

At Hailey’s remark, Elena glanced at the plate in front of her. The plate that had been full of cookies was now completely empty.

She had planned to grab a few before Hailey finished them all, but it seemed they were all gone now. Checking the empty plate, Elena stood up instead of responding, and Hailey followed her lead.

“Hey, where are both of you going?”

When Elena and Hailey got up, Alphonse asked them. He couldn’t say he wanted them to leave, so he needed an excuse, but they conveniently had a good reason ready.

“To check on Damian. It probably won’t be a problem, but I still worry since he’s not right in front of me. You two keep talking here.”

At least for Alphonse, Elena’s words held credibility.

In fact, when they were in the south, she always worried about Damian getting hurt, so it wasn’t a lie. As Elena praised herself for her clever excuse internally, Alphonse responded with something unexpected.

“Ah, then can I go with you?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been curious about the spar between my brother and Lord Reinhardt. Don’t you want to see it, Rize? Of course, since it’s a sparring match, they’ll be pulling their punches, but still, it’s their duel!”

“…Ah, yes, I do…”

“Then let’s go!”

With a bright smile, Alphonse said those words, and Lizorote nodded along, seemingly swept up in the moment.

This wasn’t the outcome Elena had anticipated. Seeing things unfold contrary to her expectations, her face showed her embarrassment as she looked at Hailey, who seemed completely unfazed, instead sporting a smile.

“Alright, shall we go then?”

Hailey took the lead as if she had been waiting for that very invitation.

Elena found herself in a state of confusion.

 

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