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“There’s hardly any whipped cream on top of the strawberries… Can I have more, please?”

“Then why don’t you just grab some strawberries and eat them instead?”

Hans sighed as he continued to scoop strawberries into a separate bowl for Hailey, yet her insistence on more toppings showed no sign of stopping.

Hailey, usually a bundle of energy, seemed even more hyper today.

As he watched Hailey dart around the kitchen, Hans felt his head spinning, but he refrained from reprimanding her, knowing that she was clearly flustered in her current state.

Of course, even a kind-hearted person like Hans had his limits. Unable to tolerate Hailey’s continuous noise, he had no choice but to put a stop to it.

“These strawberries don’t look very pretty! Disqualified! You’re disqualified too! There’s no helping it, I have to go wash some new strawberries…”

“Are you doubting my aesthetic sense right now? They all look equally cute! Stop being silly and take these back to your room!”

“But there are still strawberries…”

“What kind of nonsense is this about strawberries?! Why do you hate going back to your room so much?! Did you do something wrong to the young lady?!!”

Hailey clamped her mouth shut at Hans’s words.

Hans was right; Hailey hadn’t done anything wrong, but the reason she was reluctant to return to her room had to do with Elena. She was still anxious about the conversation they had that morning and hadn’t visited Elena since she stepped out of the room.

Since dessert time was fast approaching, she was trying to stall as much as possible in front of Hans, but even that had its limits.

Tick-tock, tick-tock—

The sound of the second hand moving on the kitchen clock was starting to grate on his ears.

No matter how much she clutched the strawberries, they couldn’t stop the passage of time. Time kept flowing, and there was no way to dodge it. Despite her anxiety, as dessert time drew near, she tried to turn her eyes away from the clock, but she couldn’t free herself from the sounds echoing in her ears.

Sighing, Hans handed over a freshly made strawberry shake and spoke.

“I don’t know what this is, but hurry up and go. This kind of thing has to be resolved quickly to avoid complications.”

“You don’t even know what it is…?”

“You know that whatever worries you have at your age shouldn’t be dragged out for too long. So just get out of the kitchen.”

There was still time left, but under Hans’s persistent urging, Hailey had no choice but to head out.

With the tray of desserts Hans had given her, she made her way to the Isilia Pavilion. Usually, she hated this long walk because it strained her legs, but today, the lengthy hallway felt more welcoming than ever.

“Why did you have to give it to me as a shake…?”

Even if she wanted to walk slowly on purpose, thinking of the ice sitting in the strawberry shake on the tray made it impossible to slow her pace.

No matter how she thought about it, Hans’s intentions behind handing it over were quite clear. Still, considering his good intentions, she couldn’t really complain.

Hailey rolled the tray while recalling the events of the morning.

Though her mind was more unsettled than usual today, she was confident in managing her expression, so she didn’t worry too much. After all, she had checked her appearance in the mirror multiple times before stepping out. The reflection of Hailey in the mirror showed her a lively smile, the face of a carefree girl with no worries.

So, even after checking meticulously before leaving, the fact that Elena had seen through her was honestly quite shocking for Hailey.

Knowing Elena’s personality, if she suspected that something was troubling Hailey, she would have asked her about it right from the first day, just like she did today. Even though nothing had changed between the day she deceived her and now, the fact that Elena had noticed when her anxiety peaked filled Hailey with a peculiar mix of joy and wonder.

Of course, she was blaming her past self for reacting coldly to Elena’s unexpected words at that moment.

“Thinking back, I shouldn’t have reacted that strongly.”

Knowing how gentle Elena was, Hailey became increasingly conscious of her past actions. She had felt that since arriving at the Lord’s Castle, she was changing a lot, but it was certainly unlikely a person could change their fundamental nature in such a short time.

As time ticked by, droplets forming on the cup containing the strawberry shake began to wet the tray.

Watching the ice melting in the shake, Hailey decided to give up on dawdling and hurried down the corridor at a slightly faster pace than usual.

Following Hans’s advice, if she took too long, her relationship with Elena might dissolve like the melting strawberry shake. Perhaps sharing her concerns openly would be the best choice.

With this resolution, Hailey felt her heart lighten as she stood before Elena’s door.

Having never kept her distance from Elena, Hailey was curious about how she would look behind the door, but she also felt a pang of worry. Still, now that she had made up her mind, it was time to move forward.

Hailey opened the door and called for Elena.

“Miss! It’s dessert time!!”

She raised her voice deliberately and managed her expression perfectly.

For now, her plan was to begin with dessert and slowly express her worries. She was confident in guiding the conversation, and if the mood got awkward, she intended to lighten it up. However, as soon as she stepped into Elena’s room, those plans shattered.

The first thing Hailey did upon entering was scan Elena’s expression. She was curious about her current state, but knowing that she had to understand this first to decide how to continue the conversation.

However, the only thing welcoming her in the now-dark chamber was the dim light from Elena’s violet eyes, staring at her.

Elena’s face, which Hailey wanted to check, was obscured by the shadows, and all she could see were those violet eyes locking onto her from the darkness, causing even Hailey’s body to tense up.

“Welcome, Hailey.”

Elena’s soft voice felt completely out of place in the gloomy atmosphere; however, it didn’t provide any comfort. As Elena’s sentence ended, the sound of the door slamming shut triggered her fears.

“Um… Miss? Are you angry right now?”

“Angry? No way. Why would I be angry at you, Hailey?”

“Then what’s going on?! I… I can’t move my body suddenly! Elena, tell me the truth! Are you upset because I didn’t share my worries this morning? Is that it?”

“No, it’s not!”

But that didn’t last long. After some time, Hailey’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and Elena’s expression came into view.

With a pout that anyone could tell was upset, Elena stood facing Hailey. Her appearance was so cute that even Hailey, a fellow girl, felt a momentary wave of relief sweep away the tension that had engulfed her moments ago, though the situation remained as confusing as before.

It hadn’t been like this during breakfast; what could possibly have changed to make Elena react this way?

Regardless, Hailey recognized that this wasn’t the time to nitpick about the situation, and just as she was about to speak, Elena beat her to it.

“I was a fool. If I’d just thought a little harder, I could have noticed it. How could I have not seen it for such a long time?”

“What on earth are you talking about…?!”

Suddenly, Elena was chastising herself, and although Hailey wanted to respond, she found herself unable to move, much like a spell had been cast on her.

As Elena glanced her way, she fell silent again.

“Sorry, Hailey. I have to perform a very important task now, and it’s better if it’s done quietly. Could you bring me the potions that Damian mentioned?”

“Ah, okay.”

From somewhere in the room, unbeknownst to Hailey, Damian walked out in response to Elena’s words.

Though she knew he wasn’t on her side, she couldn’t help but share a glance of help, but as expected, Damian shook his head with a pitying expression toward Hailey.

In his hands, he carried two vials that looked precious at first glance. Each emitted a red and blue hue; at first, she thought the colors were just the bottles but realized they were the true colors of the potions when she saw the contents swirling inside.

As Elena gestured, the vials opened, and the contrasting-colored potions soared into the air. Transforming into slender threads, the two potions began to intertwine like they were weaving together, producing an enigmatic pattern that exuded a dreamlike atmosphere.

While she understood that Elena was casting a spell, Hailey, with only a cursory knowledge of magic, could not discern the incantation Elena was executing. She only knew that the collective of bizarre symbols hanging in the air indicated how complicated the spell was.

Before she knew it, the two liquids, which had been in a liquid state, transformed into a single cohesive essence. Elena showed this to Hailey and continued speaking.

“If you take this, you’ll feel a bit drowsy. I’m really sorry, Hailey. I should have noticed earlier.”

What on earth could she mean by that?!!

Hailey was filled with the urge to ask Elena this immediately, but despite her attempts to speak, only unintelligible sounds came out.

As the potion entered her mouth, Elena’s warning manifested, and a pleasing languor washed over her body. Was this why she felt sleepy? The refreshing sensation originating from within her slowly pricked her consciousness.

Her eyelids felt completely heavy. Thus, unable to see in front of her, she still recognized the comforting lavender scent nearby, confirming that Elena was there beside her.

“I’m sorry… I’m truly sorry, Hailey…”

Elena’s whispered apology, barely audible to Hailey’s ears, hung heavily in the atmosphere.

Hailey wanted to respond, but her body was dominated by a sweet sense of drowsiness. The only part she could manage to move was her neck. The last act of resistance she could muster was to turn her head slightly closer to Elena.

So what is going on?!

Up until the last moments of her fading consciousness, doubts about this entire situation lingered in her mind.

*

“Was everything resolved?”

At dawn, with the sun just starting to set, Alphonse got out of bed, preparing to head out as usual. Although he had already admitted to Damian that he had been training secretly at dawn, he had no intention of skipping today’s morning training.

Since it had long become a part of his daily routine, he began to move around to awaken his lethargic body.

After mentioning Hailey to Damian, Alphonse hadn’t seen her anywhere that day. Normally, she would always be by Elena’s side, making her location easy to determine, but that day, there was no trace of Hailey to be found anywhere in the Lord’s Castle.

Hearing from the other servants that she was in her quarters had quenched his initial anxiety, but it wasn’t that which worried Alphonse.

“Did I act too impulsively?”

When Hailey had explained her condition to Alphonse, she seemed completely nonchalant, but it was clearly a secret she couldn’t share with others.

Alphonse worried that by speaking about his impulsive desire to help Damian, he might have upset Hailey.

Regarding her condition, recalling Damian’s expression back then gave him the sense that there may perhaps be a solution, so he didn’t fret too much. But he was concerned about the possibility that this incident could cause Hailey to dislike him.

Of course, that didn’t mean Alphonse regretted his decision. Right now, his primary concern was whether Hailey could improve her condition.

Fully dressed, he set out toward the door.

He didn’t expect to find Hailey in the Training Grounds.

After all, Damian seemed to have taken action immediately on the day he revealed the secret to him, so it made sense that Hailey was absent today too due to matters concerning her condition.

As a breeze ruffled his hair, he absentmindedly looked up at the sky, where the clouds had cleared away, revealing a brightly shining moon.

Tonight’s moon light was particularly bright, making it seem unnecessary to exert his magical perception. Following the softly illuminating moonlight, he walked on a clear path. Although the matter was not entirely resolved, the tranquil atmosphere around eased some of the turmoil in his mind.

Upon arriving at the Training Grounds, the usual flickering lamplight was nowhere to be seen.

“Of course…”

It’s strange how people can feel so much disappointment even if they knew there wouldn’t be anyone around. Although they had spent time talking together just yesterday, Hailey’s presence felt ever-present on the mornings he had come here.

Pushing that disappointment aside, he continued towards the dimly lit Training Grounds.

As the clouds obscured the moonlight again, he felt the need to amplify his magical perception to see ahead.

“Huh?”

In the shadows, something caught Alphonse’s eye that didn’t belong in a Training Grounds that should have been engulfed in darkness.

Had it been hidden by the moonlight all this time?

A faint line of light was drawn above the Training Grounds. It didn’t take him long to realize that this light came from the aura found on a sword. The moonlight-like aura marked the familiar path of a sword strike, prompting Alphonse to rush forward into the Training Grounds.

In the center of the area, as rays of light scattered, there stood Hailey, just like usual.

With no need to conceal himself any longer, Alphonse didn’t hide his presence at all.

As if sensing his brisk footsteps, Hailey turned her gaze towards him, dancing with her sword. Meeting his eyes in the darkness where no aura existed, Alphonse felt a surge of emotion swell up inside him.

“Alphonse!!”

With a bright smile, Hailey called out his name, and for a moment, he could feel his face heating up, but that only lasted a fleeting moment. Being someone who thought quickly, Alphonse filled with questions about why she had called him not by his title but by his name.

“You called for meeee!!”

“Ahhhh!!”

As Hailey closed in, she playfully squeezed Alphonse’s cheeks.

There could only be one reason for this. Obviously, it was retribution for revealing her secret.

With his cheeks caught in Hailey’s grip, Alphonse looked up at her.

Even though she spoke with a teasing tone, he felt he had to see her face to truly feel at ease. Tilting his head to gaze at Hailey’s face, he found himself staring blankly at her.

Against the backdrop of the moonlight shining through the thinning clouds, Hailey’s face beamed with an innocent, genuine smile.

In that pure grin devoid of any facade, Alphonse completely forgot about the pain he felt on his cheeks and couldn’t help but feel a smile creep onto his face.

“Is this laughing?!”

“Ahhhh! Okay, okay, I’m sorry!!”

The following pain was an entirely different matter, but still, the happiness filling his heart remained undiminished.

 

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