Second floor of the estate.
Sunlight passed through the glass windows, casting golden lines onto the corridor floor.
The silhouette of Hilda was softly outlined by the light, her deep red eyes tinged with a gentle radiance.
Seeing this scene, Sylphy's body froze. Her steps halted on the stairs, unable to take the next one forward.
Noticing Sylphy's hesitation, the bunny-eared maid smiled and gently took her hand, leading her up the steps to Hilda's side.
Hilda hadn't turned around at all, as if deeply engrossed in whatever lay beyond the window, her gaze fixed and unmoving.
Sylphy looked at her profile, her eyelashes trembling. She began to realize something, and followed her line of sight toward the window.
Outside, in the garden, four familiar figures sat cross-legged on the ground, chatting.
Sylphy's breath hitched, and she subconsciously clenched her palms.
There was no doubt—the timing of the beastgirls bringing towels earlier had been orchestrated by the woman standing before her.
And now, the cat-eared maid's earlier invitation, as well as the subtle reactions of the other beastmaids after Allen refused, all took on a new meaning.
It was…
Whose invitation?
"Allen-sama did not accept the invitation to accompany Sylphy-sama. My apologies, Madam."
The bunny-eared girl crossed her hands in front of her and bowed deeply.
Only then did Hilda seem to snap out of her daze. She blinked a few times and turned around.
"Apologies, I was lost in thought. You're already here? That's fine—I saw everything. I told Arifa earlier that it didn't matter whether he came or not."
Her tone was as sharp and cold as a blade—clean, efficient.
But the content of her words was unexpectedly soft, even graceful, making her goodwill easy to sense.
She possessed a unique feminine charm that, even as a fellow woman, Sylphy found strangely captivating.
"I-I'm sorry, Madam."
"No need. You still have other tasks, don't you? Go on. And tell Lir to keep an eye on the lesson below—if anything similar to that earlier 'accident' happens again, assist them immediately."
The bunny-eared maid glanced at Sylphy with a smile and then quietly took her leave.
Sylphy stood there frozen, completely unsure of what to do.
A-Allan's mother…
Why is she looking for me…?
Hilda turned to gaze at the stunned Sylphy.
Her first words immediately eased the girl's nerves.
"I apologize, Miss Sylphy. Eris is always so reckless, lacking in the feminine grace she ought to have. But she means well—please look after her in the future."
Sylphy blinked.
"N-No problem at all. Eris is very nice. She has many strengths… she's straightforward, and very cute."
Hilda was momentarily surprised by this response. Her gaze dropped to Sylphy, whose soaked white hair clung to the sides of her long ears, giving her a fragile look. Her hands were folded nervously in front of her, fingers fidgeting, eyes lowered—not daring to meet the brilliant gaze of the noble lady before her.
Hilda tilted her head slightly, then gave a soft smile.
And bent down… to take Sylphy's hand.
"Miss Sylphy, white hair is very rare. It's beautiful. And your eyes—they're full of life. Come, let's change your clothes. You wore this dress yesterday, didn't you? And today too. You must've come in a hurry and didn't have time to pack many clothes."
Sylphy looked flustered, unsure how to respond, but her feet instinctively moved forward as Hilda gently led her.
"Ah—"
"No need to be nervous. Compared to the Boreas household, I was once just a minor noble myself. I only ever received one invitation to a Boreas banquet in my youth. That's where I met 'dear husband'… Not sure what he saw in me, but after sending several messages saying he wanted to see me again…"
She paused, the smile at her lips tightening slightly.
"…I had the fortune of marrying into the Boreas family."
"So there's no need to be so formal. You're very talented, Miss Sylphy—far more so than I ever was."
Her tone shifted as if she were simply chatting.
"And to be honest, before I married into the Boreas family, I used to enjoy sewing. Even now, I occasionally lock the door and make clothes for myself."
"But the ones I make to my own taste? Eris never wants to wear them. And of course, her outfits are tailored by more skilled craftsmen anyway. So my creations just sit in the wardrobe, gathering dust."
At this point, Hilda turned to look at Sylphy.
"Miss Sylphy, would you…"
"…help me try them on?"
"…"
Sylphy looked up into Hilda's familiar gray eyes, her mind slowly processing what she'd just heard.
And eventually, she gave a small nod.
"Alright… S-Sorry, I'm not really used to noble speech yet. I hope I won't trouble you, Madam…"
Hilda squinted slightly, her smile softening, and she recalled that glance Sylphy had given her when leaving the dining hall at noon.
"It's no trouble."
—
"It's no trouble."
Back in the garden, Eris abruptly looked up at Allen upon hearing those words.
Her expression filled with excitement!
Eyes gleaming!
The exhaustion from using up her mana seemed to vanish completely.
Allen blinked, suppressing the urge to ruffle her hair, and instead offered her a smile as he continued.
"Though Water God Style and Sword God Style appear very different on the surface, they're not incompatible. In fact, in some areas, they can actually complement each other—and even make up for Sword God Style's weaknesses."
Ghislaine raised her eyebrows.
"Oh?"
"For example…"
Allen took a deep breath. Under the three gazes fixed on him, he sank into the flow of sensation—kanryū (feeling the current).
Then—
He closed his eyes.
A sound like waves gently echoed.
The world… faded in color.
Centered around him, pale ripples of gray water began expanding outward in circles.
Three shadowy reefs loomed nearby.
The tides crashed upon them, "reflecting" their forms in reality:
One reef stood tall, its "neck" craned as if thrilled and shaking side to side;
Another had "arms" braced in the water, casting a "confused" look;
The last stood unmoving, letting the tide lash against it, emanating a sharp and formidable "aura."
Tiny white motes shimmered above the dull lake, trailing streaks of light as they fell—
Like glimmers…
Like falling stardust…
Allen sat serenely upon the "colorless water."
Ripples spread from his throat as his voice stirred the lake.
He spoke.
"Close your eyes."
"Sense the environment. And in the instant something changes—send your intent to the correct place…"
Before his words even finished, Allen's focus snapped toward one falling glimmer.
His eyes opened.
The world snapped back into color, flooding his vision!
And there—
In the real world—
A falling leaf.
Was sliced cleanly in two by a blade gleaming with chilling light!
Just as Allen's final words landed:
"Open your eyes."
"I have already delivered the strike."
(End of Chapter)
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