---

A day has passed. The first day was solely dedicated to rest, so I drank the potions that the Arielte family had prepared for me and took my time to recuperate. My physical condition improved significantly, and my legs had recovered a lot compared to yesterday.

The potions were nothing more than mere tools to regenerate bones and sprout the torn flesh; it was unreasonable to expect anything beyond that. Healing the nerves and functions would fall under the domain of Divine Power.

‘It seems the Arielte is quite concerned about us.’

I could feel the rich energy of spirits surrounding me. To hand over such an expensive item so willingly must mean something significant about their intentions.

As Friel mentioned before, the Arielte was certainly taking a friendly stance towards us.

I organized my thoughts on how to attack the Ianette today. At noon, I was to have tea with Friel Arielte and Shione—three of us in total to discuss the matter.

Lost in thought for a moment, I shook my head and stood up.

“Well, it should go well.”

No, to be more precise, it’s accurate to say it must go well. The evidence in my hands felt like ticking time bombs. Ianette must be fully prepared.

I stepped outside the room, toward Shione’s quarters.

Friel Arielte wanted to talk not just with me but with Shione as well. The elf had said previously—

‘Shione must have caught on to all of Ianette’s schemes.’

It wasn’t exactly a statement I trusted, but it was odd to completely disregard the sharpness of an elf who had lived for decades.

‘Shione seems terrifying, does she?’

That’s hard to believe.

She often ends up fighting with Orna, or stumbles through a conversation with the awkward Tania, her clumsy language bothering me in those moments as well.

Otherwise, she sits around blankly, only to flash a smile when our eyes meet. Then, when she catches sight of Diolia, she awkwardly retrieves her dignity as a count’s young lady.

If Shione is terrifying, just how terrifying could she possibly be?

‘I’m a bit curious.’

With Friel building my expectations, I knocked on the door while feeling a surge of curiosity about the Shione I hadn’t seen.

Knock, knock.

With a spirited sound echoing from the wooden door, I entered Shione’s room without hesitation.

“Princess Shione. It’s nearly time for tea with Friel Arielte. Have you completed your preparations?”

“Ah, Ray. You arrived just in time. I just finished getting ready.”

Shione greeted me with a smile.

However, there was something awkward about her smile, and I quickly realized that this awkwardness stemmed from her outfit.

When was the last time she even wore something like that? She was dressed in some grand formal attire. Having transitioned from wearing pants every day to finally pulling out a skirt after such a long time, the swaying hem didn’t seem to suit her movements.

Nonetheless, apart from Shione feeling uncomfortable in her clothing—

‘You look good.’

Black and white—a neat formal dress that harmoniously combined monochrome colors suited her very well.

Since we would be having tea in the beautiful Arielte garden, such a black outfit might feel slightly dreary among the vibrant flowerbeds. However, with the conversation with Friel and also another chat with Fletta planned for later, it might not be all that bad.

The strange lack of confidence she displayed made it hard for that beautiful dress to truly shine compared to her usual armor or workout clothes.

I decided to encourage her just enough to bolster her confidence.

“You look great.”

“Hmm…?”

“I mean the outfit you’re wearing right now. It suits you well. I’m glad I brought this along just in case.”

“Really?”

“Otherwise, would I have brought an outfit that doesn’t suit Princess Shione at all?”

“Hmm—”

Shione gave me a cheeky look as if she were trying to gauge my sincerity.

I knew that when Shione made that expression, it typically led to some mischievous teasing.

I deftly interrupted her playful banter.

“Not just this outfit, but I think you would look good in a variety of clothes, Princess Shione.”

“Hmm?”

“Objectively speaking, you’re a beauty. Beautiful people can pull off anything.”

The daughters from the Count’s House were all quite lovely.

That unique beauty, unmistakable even with their sharp eyes—this was their defining trait. The current head of the Count’s House, Sion Shianella, also bore that same icy gaze, reminiscent of a parasite prowling under the pretense of elegance.

Shione, inheriting the blood of such a family, had a distinction among the Shianella lineage. She was the only one of them with round, cat-like eyes, giving off a more innocent puppy-like impression instead.

However, Shione was significantly flustered by the praise I laid out.

“W-What…?”

Nevertheless, I entered her room, took out a chair, and offered it to her.

“Please sit down for a moment.”

“On the chair?”

“Yes, since your hair isn’t properly arranged. Let me tidy it up for you.”

“…Okay.”

Shione approached the chair like a well-trained puppy and plopped down, and I began to adjust her hair.

I organized the wayward strands and shaped her style just right. The image of the archer who had charged through the forest in blood-stained armor yesterday faded away, revealing the dignified figure of a count’s young lady.

“It’s been a while since Ray arranged my hair.”

Shione whispered as she looked at her neatly arranged reflection in the mirror.

“Because I haven’t had time to fix it right in the mornings.”

With barely enough time to scour the forest for traces of the Half-Demon, I hadn’t really been able to help tidy up Shione’s hair in a while.

At my words, Shione nodded slightly, acknowledging my point, then continued.

“Regardless, since we’ve returned to the city, I should be able to again starting tomorrow—”

At that moment.

Knock, knock—

The sound of another knock echoed.

“Princess Shione and Ray, Friel Arielte is calling for you.”

Finally, the stage for our discussion about Airine was set.

*

The black birds that had covered the sky yesterday were nowhere to be seen. The clear sun shone brightly, and a refreshing breeze teased my skin.

Under such perfect weather, I found myself in the beautifully cultivated garden of the Arielte family. In the center stood a small Western-style gazebo.

Constructed of white marble pillars and dome-shaped frameworks, the climbing vines formed a natural roof—a lovely sight indeed. And amidst this beautiful garden, I spotted a familiar guest: Friel Arielte.

“Well then, I hope you have a pleasant time…”

As Friel appeared, the elf who had been seated before her left, and Shione and I moved towards her.

When we stood in front of the two chairs that had been arranged for us to sit opposite Friel, she finally greeted us, brushing her golden hair back.

“Princess Shione and Ray. You’ve finally arrived. I was waiting.”

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long.”

“Not at all. This garden may not compare to the Grand Elder’s garden… but I assure you it would be hard to find another garden as bright within the Great Forest.”

The only garden that could even be a contender would be Chelness’s. Places like Ianette’s that were stark and barren stood no chance.

With a bright smile, Friel naturally compared Ianette to her own family.

“Well then, please take a seat, both of you. It would be good to lighten the mood a bit before delving into heavier topics.”

“Then excuse me.”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine.”

As we sat down, Friel poured tea into the empty cups prepared for Shione and me, and at last, our conversation began.

“Friel, are your wounds healed?”

“Ah, as for my wounds—”

“…I worry whether you received proper treatment since you were gravely injured.”

“Thank you for your concern, my lady. Thanks to the kindness of many yesterday, I’m well enough to sit here calmly and chat, and I could do this all day if necessary. But how are your wounds, Ray?”

Our conversation started with exchanging concern for each other’s wounds from the last battle.

Then it flowed into Shione, the seasoned scholar, and Friel, the natural gardener elf, indulging in their own discussions about flowers in the garden.

I mostly remained quiet, sipping tea while listening to various folklore and meanings behind flowers from across the continent.

I couldn’t help but wish for a butterfly to flutter by and for Tania to playfully tease Elvis while Orna yet again found ways to poke fun at him.

Finally, Friel, the blonde elf, asked the question I had been anticipating.

“So, I’m curious about something…”

“What is it?”

“About the suspicious movements within the Ianette family.”

Friel crossed her legs casually, resting her elbows on the dining table. With her chin cradled in her hands, she looked up thoughtfully at Shione and asked sharply.

“My lady, I saw everything.”

“……”

“I witnessed very clearly when the Ianette family was subtly trying to push our Chelness and Arielte out to the enemy. One by one, I saw you watching through those green eyes of yours.”

An awkward silence enveloped the space between us.

The turquoise eyes of the land locked with the blue skies exchanged quiet glances in this moment.

“Princess Shione, you’ve been watching it all too, haven’t you?”

Shione now looked down at Friel with a frigid expression.

 

---