"Are Alan and the others still in class?"
"Yes, my lady."
Hilda sipped her tea, her eyelids lowered.
Her face was reflected in the tea.
The ripples danced.
She smiled.
She looked up at Sylphie, who was sitting opposite her. Her expression was one of helplessness, as if she were 'complaining.'
But…
her face grew even gentler.
"Lufi, you don't have to do this. Isn't this considered skipping class? And you're a teacher."
"It's alright, my lady. I don't need to attend swordsmanship class anyway."
Sylphie held her teacup, sitting ramrod straight in her chair, looking Hilda in the eye as she spoke.
Hilda put down her teacup, exchanged a look with Sylphie, and shook her head.
She turned her head.
In her line of sight was the tree outside the bedroom's floor-to-ceiling window.
The shade was lush, but it was no longer as vibrant as it had been in the summer.
"It's alright. I'm used to it."
The two of them were in Hilda's bedroom.
Of course, a tea room was not just for drinking tea. When the 'real purpose' hidden beneath the surface was not in play, the tea party would naturally move to Hilda's bedroom. After all, the two class-skipping cubs would definitely not be on the rooftop during the afternoon swordsmanship lesson.
One wanted to learn, and the other truly wanted to teach.
Although the soul in Alan's body was an outsider, in terms of blood, they were still very much like a brother and sister. At least, in their talent and interest in swordsmanship, their reactions were highly consistent.
"I never expected Eris and Alan to become so close in just half a year. It was quite unexpected. If someone had told me a year ago that she would be clinging to a 'new' tutor other than Ghislaine every day half a year later, I would have been shocked."
Hearing this, Sylphie couldn't help but blink, a smile touching her lips.
This made her happier than if she had been praised herself.
That was Alan, after all.
Did Alan, whose talent seemed to be entirely in swordsmanship on the surface, also have an outstanding talent for handling interpersonal relationships?
Yes.
His 'talent' in interpersonal relationships was something that Sylphie, who had been quietly observing him for a long time, admired from the bottom of her heart.
And this 'talent,' through the process of witnessing, processing, learning, and imitating, had eventually become one of the underlying colors of Sylphie's own personality.
She was no longer the familiar 'White Mama' from the original story.
At the very least, she was already in the 'shape' of someone who could speak pretty words.
"That's not it, my lady. It's because Eris has a talent for making people 'like' her. She's very straightforward, like a bright flame that makes you can't help but want to get closer."
Hilda was taken aback.
"That's only for those she accepts. If it's someone she doesn't accept, doing so would only get you burned, right?"
Sylphie's expression didn't change. She picked up her teacup and took a sip. Under the cover of the cup, she couldn't help but smile.
She remembered when Eris had just learned Fireball. She had immediately started trying to burn the curtains in the classroom, while Rudeus was still focused on teaching Ghislaine the spell.
And so he had been 'burned.'
It wasn't until Alan said to him, "Rudeus, you're on fire," that he had frantically doused the flames that were spreading up his clothes with a Waterball.
Every time this scene appeared in her mind, Sylphie couldn't help but want to laugh. Because it wasn't just Rudeus's shocked expression. It was the 'spectacular expression' on the usually composed Alan's face that was so hilarious.
"Lufi."
She bent down and carefully placed her teacup on the table, a smile still on her face, her mind still lost in that scene.
Hilda's voice entered her ears.
"What do you say to having Alan marry Eris in the future?"
The smile on Sylphie's face froze.
She looked a little dazed, a little lost.
The next moment, as if thinking of something, her expression turned to one of utter panic.
She shot her head up, her eyes wide as she looked at Hilda.
Her reddish-brown pupils reflected Hilda's face.
Hilda squinted slightly, a smile on her lips that was somewhat similar to Eris's. Her eyes held a clear look of teasing and amusement.
A blush spread across Sylphie's ears, and she waved her hands frantically in front of her.
"M-my lady! That… that won't do…"
Hilda looked calmly at Sylphie's face, which looked like it was about to catch fire, and blinked.
"You're also very cute when you're flustered, Lufi. So… when are you going to make your 'move'?"
Sylphie's hands froze. She looked down and placed her hands on her thighs.
The air was silent for a long moment.
She peeked up.
Hilda's smile hadn't changed.
Sylphie realized that Hilda was teasing her. Amidst her panic, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She then looked away again, staring at her hands.
As for her own 'situation,' she didn't know when it had been exposed, but now, the fact that she liked Alan was completely out in the open with Hilda.
Is it that obvious…
In her flickering gaze, even though she could only see her own hands gripping the hem of her dress on her thighs, the feeling of her skin turning red from the pressure and the sweat on her palms still made Sylphie clearly feel that she was nervous.
She had already become numb to the fact that her feelings for Alan had been exposed…
But the hidden fact behind this sentence was…
Do you know what it feels like to be asked by the mother of the person you like, when are you going to make a move on my son?
Even if Hilda didn't know Alan's identity, the hidden meaning behind those words still made her heart pound.
Outside her jumbled thoughts, Hilda's teasing voice continued.
"Eris's tenth birthday is a very good opportunity, you know."
Sylphie was taken aback.
She looked up at Hilda.
Hilda blinked.
"Eris's… tenth birthday?"
"Five, ten, and fifteen are very important milestones. I'm sure you also…"
At this, Hilda paused, glanced at Sylphie, but then turned the conversation to the topic of nobility.
"Mmm… generally speaking, there will be celebrations. This is something that is taken very seriously among nobles. They will basically hold a large-scale banquet for their children and celebrate enthusiastically. And at that time, the Boreas family will even invite all the nobles of Roa, big and small, to attend."
Hilda propped her chin on her hand, a slightly reminiscent look on her face.
"A banquet was also held when Eris was five. At that time, Father's plan was to have a buffet-style banquet. But after thinking it over, my dear husband, considering the opportunity to win over his subordinate nobles, to make all the nobles of Roa aware of their own value, and to give everyone a chance to 'socialize,' suggested that it be changed to the current 'ball' format."
Sylphie blinked, a light flashing in her eyes.
"…A ball?"
Just then, Hilda suddenly leaned in.
Her face was close to Sylphie's.
"Yes, a ball."
She tilted her head slightly, her red eyes, the same as Eris's, looking with great interest at Sylphie's slightly panicked expression at being caught off guard.
"Will you…"
"dance with Alan?"
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