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The tour of the guild continued.
The infirmary.
The records room.
The orphanage.
Luciera looked around with keen interest.
Each time, she turned to me and asked,
“What kind of work do you do here, Lord Alt?”
“Mainly organizing paperwork and looking after the children.”
“Oh, really?”
Luciera’s eyes sparkled.
“The children really look up to you, don’t they?”
“Not really.”
“Please don’t be so modest.”
Luciera laughed cheerfully.
“I heard it from Serena just a moment ago.”
“That the children are very attached to you, Lord Alt.”
“Serena did?”
I instinctively looked at Serena.
Serena nodded, still smiling.
“It’s true, after all.”
Just then.
The children from the orphanage burst out into the hallway.
“Alt nii chan!”
“You came again today!”
“Let’s play!”
They all rushed toward me at once.
“Whoa, whoa.”
I caught them with a wry smile.
“We have a guest today, so let’s do it later.”
“Aww…”
“I promise.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
The children nodded as if satisfied.
Luciela watched the scene and narrowed her eyes.
“That’s lovely.”
“To be so adored…”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not exaggerating.”
Luciera naturally stepped to stand beside me.
“Hey, Lord Alt.”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“About the time you created the Wings of Dawn.”
“Are you still asking about that?”
“Well, I’m just curious.”
Luciera smiled innocently.
Before I knew it, we were standing quite close together.
It was then.
“Luciela-sama.”
It was Serena’s voice.
“There’s a place I’d like you to see over here as well.”
“Oh?”
“Would you mind coming with me for a moment?”
“Of course.”
Luciela nodded obediently.
But.
Before she started walking, she turned back to look at me.
“Lord Alt, you’ll be coming with us too, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.”
She smiled happily.
Serena kept smiling.
She didn’t say a word.
She simply.
took the lead and began walking.
Naturally.
I found myself walking side by side with Serena.
◇
It was time for lunch.
The dishes Serena had prepared were laid out.
“My, my.”
Luciera’s eyes sparkled.
“That looks delicious.”
“It’s nothing special, really.”
Serena smiled.
“Let’s eat.”
Luciera took a bite.
“It’s delicious…!”
“It really is delicious, Serena.”
“Thank you.”
“Please help yourself, Lord Alt.”
Luciera held out a plate to me.
“Ah, thank you.”
I took a bite.
“This is good.”
“Hehe.”
Serena smiled.
“I made your favorite, Alt.”
“Is that so?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Luciera watched the exchange.
She narrowed her eyes just a little.
“Serena…”
“About Lord Alt.”
“You know him well, don’t you?”
“…Well.”
Serena answered, still smiling.
“I suppose so.”
That smile.
It was just as usual.
But.
Luciera was the only one who noticed.
That Serena’s ears.
Had turned just a tiny bit red.
◇
The afternoon inspection had ended.
It was just as preparations were being made to see Luciela off.
“Serena.”
Luciela called out from a spot a short distance away from me.
“What is it?”
“Can I have a moment?”
“Yes.”
The two of them moved a short distance away.
Luciela said in a low voice.
“I’d like to invite Lord Alt to our neighboring country.”
“What do you think?”
It was at that very moment.
Serena’s movements paused just a little.
But.
She quickly returned to her usual smile.
“…To the neighboring country, you say?”
“Yes.”
“We’d like to welcome him as a hero in our country as well.”
“And also—”
Luciera gave a small laugh.
“I’d also like to hear more of Lord Alt’s stories.”
A brief silence fell.
Eventually.
Serena smiled gently.
“As for Alt—”
“That is for Alt to decide.”
“It’s not for me to interfere.”
“I see.”
Luciera narrowed her eyes slightly.
“In that case—”
“Perhaps I’ll ask him directly.”
“…I suppose so.”
Serena nodded.
“Please do as you wish.”
It was a brief exchange.
But.
Upon hearing that reply, Luciela
stared at Serena thoughtfully for a moment.
“…Serena.”
“Yes.”
“Lord Alt—”
“He’s someone very important to you, isn’t he?”
For just a moment.
Serena lowered her eyes.
But.
She quickly returned to her gentle smile.
“He’s important to me.”
That was all she said.
Luciela gave a small laugh.
“I see.”
“I suppose I asked a rather mean question.”
“No.”
“Please don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you.”
Luciela didn’t ask anything else.
◇
The carriage set off.
As she watched it depart,
Luciela leaned out the window.
“Lord Alt!”
“Let’s meet again!”
“Ah.”
“Someday.”
“About Serena.”
“Please take good care of her!”
“…?”
Not understanding what she meant, I tilted my head.
Luciera laughed cheerfully, then
disappeared back into the carriage.
The carriage slowly drifted away.
“Serena.”
“Yes?”
“What did that last comment mean?”
“Well.”
Serena smiled gently.
“Lady Luciella has always enjoyed teasing people a little.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I nodded as if convinced.
Serena kept her gaze fixed on the receding carriage.
She murmured softly.
“…She’s quite a character, isn’t she?”
That voice…
…had a certain gentleness to it.
◇
That night.
Luciera was inside a carriage heading for the neighboring country.
The night sky stretched out beyond the window.
“Your Highness.”
Her aide spoke quietly.
“Yes?”
“How was your day today?”
Luciera gazed at the night sky for a while.
Eventually.
She smiled faintly.
“Serena hasn’t changed at all.”
“She’s kind.”
“She cares for others more than anyone else.”
She paused for a moment.
“…But.”
“She’s a mysterious person, isn’t she?”
“Mysterious…?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t even realize it herself.”
Luciera said nothing more.
Her aide didn’t press her for more details.
◇
Around the same time.
Serena was alone.
She was in the chapel.
A quiet space with no one else around.
Only the moonlight illuminated the altar.
Serena quietly knelt down.
She clasped her hands together.
She closed her eyes.
“God,”
she said in a quiet voice.
“Today was a little…”
“Tough.”
She exhaled softly.
The events of the day flashed through her mind.
The sight of Luciera smiling at Alt.
The sight of them chatting happily.
“Alt…”
“He looked like he was having fun, didn’t he?”
Without thinking,
Serena smiled a little too.
“…I’m glad.”
After those words.
A brief silence fell.
She gently placed her hand over her heart.
“But—”
“When I see him talking happily with someone else—”
“Just a little—”
“It makes my heart ache.”
The chapel remained silent.
There was no reply.
“A feeling like this—”
“If it were God—”
“What would God call this feeling?”
She opened her eyes.
Moonlight was streaming in quietly.
“For now,”
“it’s enough just that he came back, Alt.”
“So,”
“just a little longer,”
“please let me stay like this.”
The quiet prayer—
unheard by anyone—
melted into the night chapel.
–
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