I didn’t tell Clara anything so she wouldn’t be scared. I didn’t want to worry her until I knew exactly what was happening in her body.

Nevertheless, during the time I was with her, I asked her a few questions under the surface and got my answers.

For example, Clara was able to do things that people of her level found quite difficult because of her mana heart. Chazon thought she was a genius, but she wasn’t sure how true that was.

She had a few other abnormalities like that.

But, for now… nothing serious seemed to be wrong. So, after spending a short time with her, I went back to the academy.

Although I will be following this matter closely, there’s nothing I can do yet. First of all… what kind of experiments were done on her in her childhood, what she was exposed to, why she has a mana heart when she is not even D grade, let alone B… I need to get answers.

And to do that, I need to use the knowledge I learned during the Holar War, which means I need to find this Jared guy.

The problem is that I don’t have a single clue, of course, but as my influence continues to grow, I’m sure that I’ll eventually be able to find something.

So, I’ve deprioritized that and I’m back to the most pressing issue.

And that was the flight, and also, the aftermath.

Tomorrow morning, we would board a plane and travel to a continent that was almost on the other side of the planet, and step into the kingdom of the elves, Eshaware, the sole owners of the same named continent.

And that’s exactly why there were three of us in a private room.

Me, Adrian, and Alysia.

To be honest… I’ve hardly seen either of them since the events at Laute Manor, so I have no idea how they are, how things are between them, what they think about Eshaware.

But, looking at it this way…

They’re fine, I guess?

Normally, Alysia always tried to stay close to Adrian, but she couldn’t seem to bear his presence. And Adrian was a little… shy of Alysia.

But now they’re very close to each other, not at all like before. Like twins, in fact, if I ignore Alysia’s black eyes.

When I finished examining the duo, I sighed lightly, took a couple of small boxes out of my pocket, and placed them on the table between Alysia and me.

Alysia looked at the boxes with great interest, then picked them up and checked the contents.

“As promised, I’ve had your medicines analyzed and refined to the point where I can mass produce them. Tell me how many boxes you need per month and I’ll have them shipped directly to your address.”

“Two boxes a month will be fine, thank you.”

She was quite docile. She had already accepted me as her new boss.

I took my eyes off her and turned them to Adrian.

“You know what the plan is, what we have to do… Everything, basically, right?”

I sent the plan to both of them in a file long ago, so he must know everything.

“Yes.”

What kind of a burden it’s going to be on him after this is over, how serious things are.

“I read the file through several times.”

And more.

“I have no problem with the plan, my role in it or anything else. I just… I want to ask you one thing, Aiden.”

He was calm and serious, he seemed to really accept his role.

“Yes?”

“Can Eshaware… be trusted, really?”

Oh?

Such a question… I wasn’t expecting it.

“Why did you feel the need to ask such a question?”

“Like I said, I read the file from beginning to end. You’ve laid out a lot of guidelines to help us avoid potential problems. And most of those potential problems are… problems like us being imprisoned or executed in some way. How can you trust a kingdom so willing to kill us… as a potential ’ally’?”

“Elves are… a proud race, Adrian. And this is one that could shatter their pride in front of the whole planet. So it is more certain for them to eliminate this potential problem, us. But if we can show that we are not a problem for them, but an ally they can benefit from, then there is no problem between us. Pride aside, the elves are not really so different from us.”

He paused and thought for a brief moment, then leaned back slightly as he nodded his head up and down slightly.

“Okay, got it.”

And then… we went through from the beginning what we would do, what they would have to avoid, all possible scenarios… and much more.

Thus, we had a meeting of about three hours, after which the two went to their rooms to rest and prepare for the trip.

*******

As soon as my class was over, I packed up and quickly made my way to the dormitory rooms.

I heard my name being called from behind me in an instant.

“Hey, Celine!”

But I didn’t care. It was just one of the students I had the same class with, it doesn’t really matter… I could have said I didn’t hear her because I was so busy and apologized afterward.

I had something more important to do right now.

It had become a habit, going there whenever I had a free moment… preparing food, trying to do something for Aiden.

He wasn’t in his room most of the time, though. He was busy, in a way I couldn’t understand. But he always ate the things I made for him and took the notes I put up on the walls.

Even though we didn’t see each other much, we had this strange routine.

And I was willing to fulfill this routine today as well.

With that in mind, I opened the door to his room and walked in without a care in the world, wondering what to prepare today.

But, unlike most times, it didn’t take long for me to see, or rather hear, something different this time.

~whiinng…

“Huh?”

I paused, my eyebrows slightly raised as I focused on the voice I heard.

And again…

~whiinng…

A… guitar?

I slowly put down my bag and coat, silently making my way toward the source of the occasional echoing guitar sounds.

When I peeked into the room out of the corner of my eye through the door… I found what I was looking for.

He was in his chair, Aiden. His black hair was messy, uncombed, as usual. It was also longer than it used to be, so it covered his face. Still, his gray eyes were slightly visible through his hair. And… they were both completely focused on the instrument in his hands.

His black-gloved right hand, hiding the burns, was between the strings of the guitar in his lap. And then… he slightly stretched one of the strings and let it go.

~whiinng…

He was examining it so intently, so focused, that he didn’t even realize I was coming.

Did he actually knew how to play a guitar?

I’d never seen him with a guitar before. And… looking at him, he actually didn’t seem to know what exactly he was doing.

I didn’t know either, though. Still, I’d never seen a guitar in his house before…

I paused for a brief moment with what I was thinking.

I… I know very little about him, actually. He told me his secrets, who he was, what he was like, his fears, his dreams… so many things.

But, despite all that, I hardly know anything about what he likes to do or what he hates… things like that.

Hobbies, phobias, interests, and so on.

I need to find out about these things too.

I paused as I realized that I hadn’t heard a sound from the guitar for a while. Lost in thought, I slowly lifted my eyes that had fallen to the floor and looked inside again. Then… I saw two gray eyes looking directly toward me.

Lately, he had always had empty eyes, completely devoid of emotion. But when he saw me, his gaze softened slightly.

“When did you arrive?”

“A few minutes ago.”

After my answer, he put his guitar aside and stretched slightly.

Had he been playing that guitar for a long time?

“I didn’t… know you know how to play a guitar.”

“I’ve been practicing lately when I’m really bored, it’s no big deal. I’m not very good at it.”

“Oh…”

Looking at it now… it doesn’t look so new, the guitar he put aside.

“I see.”

I took my eyes off the guitar as a brief silence fell over the room. I opened my mouth to say something, but then paused, realizing that my mind was… completely empty.

Before, he would never be here. I would be on my own. But now, in the same room, especially after everything that had happened before…

It was… strange.

“Aiden…”

His expression didn’t change at all, he just focused more on me.

“Yes?”

…

Again, I couldn’t say anything, like I had a lump in my throat.

Are we… are we in a relationship, right now?

That’s what I wanted to say.

Because I want to be sure.

Did he really accept my feelings, or did he kiss me that day, momentarily… confused?

Does he really love me?

No, does he at least think about loving me?

Or does he see me as a… as a…

Replacement.

For Sue.

…

Yes, I know.

I told him myself that I’ll be there for him no matter what he does, that I love him no matter who he is.

But, still… at least I want to know what’s on his mind about me.

“Celine.”

When his voice entered my ears, I realized I wasn’t looking at him. I turned toward him once again, not even knowing how many times I did the same thing today, and looked into his eyes.

And, as if she could read my mind, she answered my question.

“You… are not a ’replacement’.”

He was serious, his eyes were sharp.

Though… hadn’t he always been?

“I’ve never thought of you as a replacement for Sue. On the contrary, I’ve been thinking and trying to avoid you for some time so that you wouldn’t think that. Even though… because I was a bit confused, because I wasn’t thinking straight, I did think about doing something wrong a few days ago.”

He sighed slightly, as if he didn’t like that last statement.

“Because of what happened to you, my guilt and responsibility for it, I always wanted to keep a certain distance between you and me. And again, that’s why I got closer to Sue instead of you and ignored your feelings. But now I feel differently, and it’s not because Sue is… gone.”

He raised his completely black hand and pointed his finger at me.

“It’s because of you.”

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As I looked at the finger extended to me, at his eyes focused on my face, for some reason I felt… warmth.

“If you hadn’t tried so hard, I would have continued to avoid you. If you hadn’t pushed so much for me, I would have ignored your feelings for the rest of my life. It was because you were so stubborn to stay by my side, so determined to help me, that I decided to reconsider my thoughts, to give us… a chance.”

His expression changed slightly as he lowered his finger.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, or rather tried to curl up.

It was such a… strange, awkward smile that he seemed to have forgotten how to smile.

And that’s when I realized a detail about him.

Aiden hadn’t… smiled once since Sue died.

This was a first, as far as I knew.

“In short, you’re here with me because of your efforts, not because you’re a replacement. And even though I can’t say anything for myself yet because my feelings are too complicated at the moment… I know that you love me, I can see it clearly. That’s why I already want to reciprocate those feelings, I’m trying.”

…

I couldn’t say anything, not in the next seconds, not even in the next minute.

After the deep silence that fell over the room, I slowly turned around, not wanting to look at his face.

“I… I’m going to make dinner.”

That was the only thing that finally came out of my mouth. And in the same silence, I left the room and headed for the kitchen.

Even though I was trying hard not to get tears in my eyes…

I was happy, I guess.

His words were… reassuring, after all.

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