In his line of sight, Eris, Rudeus, and Ghislaine had already walked into the classroom and were turning around.
Allen lifted his foot, about to step inside.
A sigh.
It came from Hilda, who was behind him.
"Today..."
He stopped and turned.
He looked behind him.
At this very moment.
In Allen's pupils, Hilda's face finally became clear. Reflected in his eyes, Hilda's expression was somewhat dazed.
"Today... I was very happy."
"It's getting late, so let's end the lesson here for today."
"Goodnight, Allen."
"Goodnight, everyone."
Her voice was as light as the wind.
As if...
...if she spoke any louder, the beautiful dream would shatter.
At the desk, the candlelight flickered.
Outside the window, a bird sang, its melody gentle and sweet.
Allen had once asked Edna what this bird that sang at night was called.
Edna had smiled and said it was a bird active in the hilly regions, not very numerous. Because of its melodious call, it was often used in aristocratic literature as a symbol of love.
A bird's song conveying affection...
Its name was...
'Singing Dove, please stop singing. I don't really feel like listening tonight.'
The flame licked at Sylphiette's face.
The singing dove paid her request no mind.
On the desk before her lay a diary.
Half an hour had passed since the book was opened.
Not a single word had been written.
An hour had now passed since the etiquette lesson ended.
Eris's excitement had quickly given way to exhaustion. Ever since she started skipping classes with Allen, aside from symbolically casting a few "fun" fireballs in the afternoon magic class, all her other time was spent practicing swordsmanship.
Under such high-intensity work, her body was tired and sleepy almost as soon as it got dark, sometimes even while the etiquette lesson was still in progress. There were times she had already fallen asleep, slumped over the desk while Edna was still speaking.
Today's dancing session had extended her state of excitement for a while, but that only caused her to be on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion after Hilda left. In the end, Ghislaine had to carry her back to her bedroom.
Allen and Sylphiette were also listless, with no desire to chat. After washing up, they naturally dispersed and returned to their own rooms.
Sylphiette's reddish-brown eyes stared at the diary, but her gaze was vacant.
Her thoughts were still on Hilda's tears from the evening.
Hilda had offered no explanation, but Sylphiette felt that something important had happened.
What would cause the lady of the house to cry?
Was it because, while watching Allen dance, she saw the shadow of her own child in him again?
But if that were the case, why at that specific moment?
Her mood had been perfectly fine just before that. And for the past six months, even when she mentioned her child, she would only show a sad look in her eyes.
Eleven years.
She had long since "gotten used to it."
And when she left, her expression seemed normal.
But based on their interactions over the last six months, her departure seemed overly hasty, and her final words carried a...
...peculiar meaning.
She was clearly crying...
...yet she said she was very happy.
"Sigh..."
Sylphiette covered her face with her hands and sighed in frustration.
Somehow, thinking about this, she had the nagging feeling that she had messed things up.
Because the facts were laid out plainly before her.
She had indeed made an effort.
The result of that effort was—
The lady was crying, and Allen was dispirited.
Their relationship had made no further progress.
Had the plan failed?
Should she go and explain everything to Rudeus?
But where would she even start? Should she tell him that she saw Lady Hilda crying?
But what would come of that? What clues would that provide?
She slumped onto the desk, looking exhausted, and let her mind go blank.
Before her eyes...
...handwriting appeared.
"So, I want to ask you a favor.
You, who are by Allen's side.
You, who can see his condition at any time.
Please, help him."
It was from Roxy's letter.
Sylphiette blinked and let out a breath.
She pushed herself up from the desk and gently patted her cheeks.
Be strong, Sylphiette!
Calm down and think this through.
The situation isn't clear right now.
So, should I just directly tell her that Allen is indeed 'Allen'? And then persuade Allen to face Lady Hilda directly?
Sylphiette frowned.
Her sixth sense told her this was the worst possible choice. Setting aside what Allen might think, what would happen if Lady Hilda knew this was her child?
A reunion? And then bring the fact that Allen is a member of the Boreas family out into the open? What would Lord Sauros think then? Their current relationship was already like a string stretched to its breaking point. Lord Philip knew Allen's identity, and Lord Sauros knew Allen's identity, but they pretended not to.
This was the only reason Allen could continue to stay at the Boreas estate as a tutor.
For Lord Sauros, this was the absolute limit of his "tolerance," an allowance for self-deception. If things went even slightly beyond that, it would likely exceed his breaking point. This was evident from the fact that the two had not spoken a single word to each other in the past six months and had actively avoided one another.
Openly defying the Boreas tradition was unacceptable for a lord who upheld the 'Heart of Iron.'
If the day ever came when his identity was revealed, it would likely be the day Lord Sauros would fly into a rage and decide to send Allen back to the capital.
Send him back to the capital...!
Sylphiette's eyes suddenly widened, her mouth agape in shock.
In that instant, Hilda's reaction from the evening flashed through her mind.
The reason they don't acknowledge each other is because doing so would force Allen to return to the capital!
The lady was crying?
When was the last time?
The first day Allen arrived at the Boreas estate. The lady saw Allen and was overcome with the 'illusion' of seeing her own child.
So why hadn't she cried in the past six months?
Because she knew it was just an illusion.
And today?! Why did she cry today?
Because...
...the illusion was no longer an illusion!
The lady saw her own child.
She confirmed Allen's identity through some of his actions during the etiquette lesson!
However, the Boreas tradition kept her rational.
That's why she had all those strange reactions.
Thinking of this, Sylphiette shot up from her desk with a start.
She ran to the door, haphazardly taking off her nightgown and changing into a dress, completely abandoning the graceful demeanor she had cultivated over the past six months.
She was anxious and frantic.
She grabbed the doorknob, about to burst out and rush to Allen's room next door.
But just as she twisted the handle, her body froze.
Sylphiette blinked.
She slowly opened the door.
Her bare feet landed silently.
She walked to Allen's door.
For a moment, Sylphiette felt the hallway was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.
And before her, Allen's room remained just as silent.
She raised her hand, hovering it before the door.
Ready to knock.
Join my patreon For Early access to Chapter : patreon.com/TheWorldGod
Tiamat 200 Chapter (Final)
Honkai 610 Chapter
Lobotomy 110 Chapter
MushokuTensei 540 Chapter
'Pure Evil' Simulator Chapter Ending
Crossover Fic Blapterue-Eyes Chapter Ending
Harry want to be Hero 200 Chapter
A Clever Life in the Naruto World 230 Chapter