As Hielaina pushed open the door, the first thing she saw was a young woman in a black dress intently studying a cat-eared girl sitting on the couch, looking visibly uncomfortable. The cat-eared girl had turned her face to the side, while the woman in black was reaching out, trying to touch her ears—only to be blocked mid-motion by the girl's raised hand.The woman in black must be Alice—and the cat-eared girl, of course, was Inaya.
"Oh, you're finally back."
Alice noticed their arrival right away, especially the two unfamiliar faces who hadn't been there earlier.
"Hello, we're Arcia's friends. I'm Sennia, and this is Shatiel."
"I see. Nice to meet you both. I'm Alice—Arcia's... friend too."
Hielaina's bright and forthright manner broke the ice effortlessly. Inaya, meanwhile, exhaled in relief and lazily shifted her posture, sinking deeper into the couch.
"We heard a bit from Vichy about your and Arcia's past, so we thought we'd come by and check on you. Don't worry—we won't take up too much of your time."
As she spoke, Hielaina studied the young woman before her.
She had wavy, light brown hair, clear skin, and delicate features. Long lashes, exotic eye makeup, and deep red lipstick gave her an air of striking beauty and allure. Her figure was impossible to ignore—curves accentuated by a dress that clung tightly to her form, revealing just enough to stir the imagination.
"Not at all—I've got plenty of time."
Alice waved them off, warmly motioning for everyone to sit before bringing over a few glasses of wine from the bar counter.
"You're too kind—thank you."
Hielaina accepted her glass with a smile, as did the others.
"Do you drink?"
Alice paused in front of Arcia, holding a glass.
"She's an adult now, right? A little wine won't hurt."
It was Inaya who answered, having already taken a sip of the supposedly fine white wine. The alcohol content wasn't particularly strong, and while she could tell it tasted different from the cheap stuff Nordhausen and the others usually drank, she couldn't exactly put her finger on how.
"Not really," Arcia admitted honestly. She had tried some back when she was with Nordhausen but hadn't liked it enough to continue.
"Well, I'll just leave this here then."
Alice set the glass down in front of her and sat on a single-seat armchair to the side.
"Mmh, not the kind of wine you get to taste every day…"
She took a small sip herself—though the remark seemed more about the price than the quality.
"You seem to know a lot about wine," Hielaina said, casually continuing the conversation while holding her glass.
"Work-related, I suppose. I did have to learn the basics."
"I see. Now I'm curious—what kind of work do you do?"
As soon as she asked, Edwin shot her a confused look, clearly puzzled by her playing dumb.
"You mentioned Vichy earlier—I thought he told you. But never mind—"
Alice tried to put on a proud front, but Hielaina could see the slight tells in her body language that betrayed her discomfort.
"I'm the top dancer at the Nightdream cabaret. This gentleman here must've heard of me."
"Me? No, no I haven't!" Edwin blurted, flustered, hands up in innocent denial the moment Alice turned to him.
"A cabaret dancer? That's impressive…"
Hielaina's reaction surprised Alice. Judging by her age and appearance, she likely hadn't had much contact with the seedier side of society—and by her clothes, she clearly came from a decent background.
"It's nothing much. Still, the routines and training do take a lot of time."
Alice shrugged and took another small sip of wine.
Since the topic had come up, she went along with it. She didn't particularly want to talk about the uglier parts anyway.
"True. I learned a bit of dance when I was younger too, but gave it up because the practice was too exhausting… Oh right, the marks on your body must've come from training, right?"
"The marks…"
Alice's expression stiffened slightly. She didn't know what Arcia and the two men had done after storming out, but Sennia probably found out then…
"If you don't mind… could I see them?"
"See… them?"
The request clearly made Alice uncomfortable. Those scars were far too obvious—not the kind that came from dancing.
"Well, if Miss Alice doesn't want to show them, we should leave it be."
Finally, Edwin stepped in to break the tension. He couldn't understand why Hielaina was pressing Alice, forcing her to admit something she clearly didn't want to.
"You're right. This is far enough."
The sudden shift in Hielaina's tone caught everyone off guard—except Inaya, who remained lounging comfortably, sipping wine and watching the drama unfold with interest.
"I'll be blunt. If you want out of this life, we can help you."
"…Huh?"
Not only Alice, but Arcia and Edwin seemed completely thrown by the sudden declaration.
"Vichy already told me about your situation. I was just probing to see where you stood. And now I'm sure—you're not happy with your current life. There's still a way out."
Alice didn't respond. It was as if she hadn't quite parsed the logic of everything that had just been said.
"I'm guessing Arcia didn't tell you earlier. After she was taken by the government, she became a Night Knight. We're her comrades."
Out of security concerns, they had decided not to reveal their true identities earlier. But now, there was no need to hide it.
"A Night… Knight?"
Alice was so shocked she immediately sat upright.
The Night Knights were a household name in Dazilet—their power and authority instilled fear in the Empire's enemies. Even during her childhood in the orphanage, patriotic lessons often invoked the empire's defenders.
"You guys…"
She looked around at the faces before her—at Arcia's familiar yet distant expression. The whole scene felt surreal, like space itself was warping. Something deep inside her stirred—something long buried. But just as quickly, she shoved it back down. Everything returned to normal. That sensation… she hadn't felt it in so long, it almost scared her.
"No… I think my life is fine the way it is…"
"But—"
Arcia wanted to speak, but the words tangled in her throat, too many emotions and thoughts crashing all at once.
"Really… look at me, dressed in silk, adored by the crowds—this is the best life I could've hoped for…"
Alice leaned back and took a deep swig from her wine glass.
"Exactly. Applause from the audience, dazzling lights, men falling over themselves to get your attention… Every performance is packed, every twirl of the skirt earns a cheer—"
Inaya strolled over, wine glass in hand, and leaned casually against the side of Alice's armchair. Her words dripped with mockery and provocation.
"But when it's all said and done—besides those scars, what do you really have?"
At some point, Inaya had used her small knife to slice open Alice's dress, revealing the ugly scars beneath—all without so much as scratching her skin. In an instant, the mask of beauty and pride was torn away, leaving only pain and shame.
"Y-You…?!"
Alice scrambled to cover herself, struggling to find words. Horrible memories surged through her mind—twisted faces and greedy hands, all fusing into one grotesque beast. She could only lie there in stunned silence, enduring the sting in her body and the foul words it once whispered.
She realized—in that moment—that Inaya was right.
"Hey, Inaya, don't you think that was a bit too much…"
The pain Alice had spent so long numbing suddenly flooded in, as Inaya's words knocked loose the one stone holding the dam in place. It all came crashing down.
Tears filled her eyes. Her body trembled with silent sobs as she tried to keep it all in—just as she always had.
"Arcia…"
A soft body leaned in, pressing gently against her cheek. That familiar warmth, that familiar scent—it pulled her back to those long-ago nights at the orphanage. They hadn't been particularly happy times, but there had been comfort. There had been joy.
She finally broke. Sobs burst from her chest as all her sorrow and loneliness spilled out. Arcia just held her, silently—just as Alice had once held her on countless nights when the world was cold and numb.
"Ah, what a touching sight… truly heartwarming…"
Inaya blew her nose with a handkerchief and gave Edwin a consoling pat on the shoulder. He had tried to stop her earlier, but now just sank back into the couch, relieved.
"A beautiful story…"
Hielaina took a handkerchief from Shatiel and dabbed at the tears in her eyes. No matter how you looked at it—it was a happy ending.
"So, what now? After we take Alice with us, what do we do? We can't just keep her in the squad, can we?"
Edwin, the only actual soldier present, raised the obvious question. Their company's structure was bound to change.
"Hm… sounds like a good idea to me."
"A good… idea."
Edwin gave up. In this room, Hielaina had the final say.