The morning arrived in a strangely calm way.
There was no rush, no sound of hurried footsteps like in the old days at the inn. Light crossed the wide windows of the mansion, spreading a soft glow through the corridor. For a few seconds, I remained still in bed, simply breathing, as if I wanted to confirm that this was real.
I got up slowly and dressed without hurry.
When I left the room, I found Liriel already awake, sitting at the kitchen table. She held a mug with both hands and seemed lost in thought.
"Good morning," I said.
She lifted her gaze and smiled faintly. "Good morning."
There was no embarrassment. There was also no exaggerated intimacy. Just something… calm.
Elara appeared shortly after, still fixing her hair. "Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I expected," I replied.
Vespera was the last to arrive, as usual. She observed all of us before saying anything.
"The atmosphere changed," she said. "It doesn't feel heavy."
Liriel nodded. "Yesterday we needed to talk. Today we don't need to force anything."
We sat together for breakfast. It was a simple, almost banal scene, but for me it carried enormous weight. For a long time, our meals had been quick, functional, always with some concern hovering in the air. Now, there was silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
"So," Elara began, fiddling with the bread, "what do we do today?"
I thought for a moment. "Nothing urgent. We can stop by the guild later, see if there's something simple. Today we don't need to run after debts."
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm still getting used to hearing that."
Liriel laughed softly. "Me too."
After breakfast, each of us ended up busy with something different. Elara decided to explore the mansion better. Liriel stayed in the garden, taking care of the plants that had been brought recently. Vespera went out to walk around the city, as if she were measuring the environment around us.
I stayed alone in the main hall.
I observed the furniture, the walls, the space far too large for someone who had spent so long living with almost nothing. It still felt strange to call that place home, but it no longer felt like a borrowed place.
When Elara returned, she seemed excited. "Did you see the back room?"
"Not yet."
"It has a huge balcony. You can see almost the whole city."
I smiled. "Maybe that's a good place to think."
She stepped a little closer. "You've been thinking too much."
"It's part of it," I replied.
She tilted her head. "You don't seem regretful."
"I'm not."
Elara nodded and stepped away, as if she had heard exactly what she needed.
Later, we all went together to the guild. The reception was different from what we were used to. Respectful looks, low murmurs, a few discreet nods. There was no explicit envy, but there was no longer equality either.
"I hate this," Liriel murmured.
"You'll get used to it," Vespera replied. "Or you'll learn to ignore it."
We took a simple mission, almost symbolic. Nothing that required real effort. Just another reminder that we were still adventurers, despite the titles and the mansion.
We completed the task without difficulty and returned before nightfall.
At night, we gathered again in the living room. No one seemed in a hurry to go to sleep.
"It's strange," I said. "Before, everything was defined by the next problem. Now… we have space."
"And space is scary," Liriel replied.
"Because it forces you to face choices," Elara added.
Vespera crossed her arms. "But it also gives freedom."
We stayed there talking for hours. About the past, about small things, about what each of us imagined for the future, without big plans, without promises.
At one point, Liriel leaned against my shoulder. Elara sat beside me. Vespera remained close, silent, but present.
There were no big words. No declarations.
Just the clear feeling that something had changed.
When I finally went to my room, I realized that I didn't feel divided or pressured. Whatever was forming between us still had no name, and maybe it didn't need one right now.
Before sleeping, I looked at the ceiling and thought about how, for the first time since I arrived in this world, I was not just surviving.
I was living.
And even without knowing exactly what would come next, that was already more than I had ever imagined having.