Schariacs are masters of control, just as birds are naturally suited for flight, and fish must live in water.
If this is hard to understand, then it can be compared to the other two great families, like the brute strength of the Kaslanas, or the wisdom of the Apocalypses... control is an ability that a Schariac should never lose in any environment.
But now, just this once, Cecilia, the saintess of the Schariac family, could only stare blankly at Siegfried on the windowsill, unable to utter a single word.
This was the first time, in the truest sense, that she had lost control of herself.
"What, long time no see. Did you miss me?" Siegfried raised his hand, placing his index and middle fingers to his temple in a chuunibyou greeting that all anime protagonists would do.
Just like he had been a year ago. In a daze, Cecilia suddenly realized that, compared to her, Siegfried was the one who had remained stagnant in time. He was still the same, doing things that ordinary people could hardly imagine, yet he could still find time to joke around and try to liven up the atmosphere.
Siegfried waited for Cecilia's response, but in Cecilia's world, the scene before her was still frozen at the moment the window shattered.
That dream that had already died had suddenly been extended, reaching out and re-entering her reality.
The shattered glass fragments were like the most beautiful flowers scattered by the most beautiful god, weaving a gauze of moonlight that draped a magnificent robe over Siegfried on the windowsill.
"Cecilia-sama! What was that sound?!" An anxious voice came from outside the door, and Cecilia's wandering consciousness was violently pulled back into her body from the ninth heaven.
This was the Schariac's territory. Today was the day the three families gathered, it was her engagement ceremony, and it was also when the security was at its strongest...
"Siegfried, why are you here!" After regaining control of her body, Cecilia glanced nervously at the closed door, then turned to Siegfried and asked anxiously.
Siegfried's expression was a little disappointed. He looked away and muttered, "Tch, didn't they say that reunions after a long time are always exciting?"
Cecilia stared at Siegfried, stunned. What time was it for him to still be thinking about...
"Do you have any idea what you're doing!" Cecilia couldn't be bothered to correct Siegfried. She took an agitated step forward, almost right in front of him. "The three great families are all here today, and the security is unprecedented. If you get caught again..."
"Will you save me?" Siegfried, however, winked at Cecilia with a playful grin, a somewhat clumsy wink...
Cecilia immediately fell silent. She took a deep breath, her lips trembling, a sentence stuck in her throat.
The two of them looked at each other for half a second, until a rapid knock sounded on the door.
"Cecilia-sama! Can you hear me?! Do I need to break down the door?!"
Cecilia turned back, and just as she was about to say something to stall for time, Siegfried had already jumped down from the windowsill and into her room, walking past her.
"Listen up, you guys outside!" Siegfried took a deep breath and, under Cecilia's stunned gaze, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Your saintess, Cecilia-sama, is going to be kidnapped by me again tonight!"
How dare he?!
"What?!" A broken scream came from outside the door, followed by a loud bang. "It's you, you wretched fellow! Today is—"
"Cecilia's engagement ceremony, right?" Siegfried replied loudly to the person outside, giving Cecilia a reassuring look.
"Sorry, little girl, but I'm here to ruin this ceremony!" Siegfried's high-profile declaration was full of provocation. The blatant contempt almost made the little girl outside, who was banging on the door, turn red and faint from anger.
It was from anger.
Just as she was about to swing the fire extinguisher in the corner to test the quality of the security door again, Siegfried's voice came again.
"Do you want to see your family's saintess tied up by me? If you come in, I might get carried away and even... do something very regrettable to Cecilia!"
"You—!!" The young woman outside was already rolling her eyes. She had never seen such a despicable, vile, and disgusting scoundrel!
And at the thought of the holy Cecilia-sama falling into the hands of such a person, the young woman felt a fire in her heart, her stomach churned, and her mind was in chaos. She felt the same rage as a pure love warrior seeing a Minotaur chieftain.
"You don't think you can stop me by yourself, do you?" Siegfried's taunts continued, his smug voice drifting out from behind the door. "You can't~ Go get all your guards!"
Her hand trembled as she raised it. All she could manage was a "You wait," and then she stumbled away, not daring to stop for a moment.
And in the room, Cecilia stared at the small piece of paper Siegfried had casually tossed aside. With her excellent eyesight, she could clearly see that the paper was written with the exact words Siegfried had just said.
Was it prepared in advance?
"Alright, no one will disturb us now," Siegfried said, his hands on his hips. He turned back to Cecilia with a bright smile. "As for the question just now, I'll take your silence as a yes!"
The question just now? Cecilia quickly recalled.
It was... if Siegfried was caught, would she save him?
Would she?
Of course, she would! But, but...
Seeing Cecilia anxiously trying to say something, Siegfried raised his hand and interrupted her.
"I already know your answer," Siegfried said, standing in front of Cecilia, his smile gradually fading.
This was a posture Cecilia had only seen on Siegfried a few times.
Each time was when Siegfried was making a major decision.
She watched as Siegfried raised his hand to her.
"Cecilia Schariac," he said, calling her name solemnly. "I, Siegfried Kaslana, captain of the Snow Wolf Squad, invite you to rejoin the team."
A gentle breeze named "Dream" blew in through the broken window, rustling the curtains on either side.
All the sights she had once seen in her dreams were refracted by the shattered glass on the floor, reweaving the broken dream and presenting it before Cecilia.