Silence envelops the room.
As the space between Anna and me shrinks, I slowly begin to move my body away from hers. The vibe I'm getting from her demeanor and the dull quietude is enough to tell me what the answer is.
Unfortunately—
"I'm too busy…" Anna sighs as she looks at me with a regretful gaze. "I haven't even had time to practice Alchemy in a while, so I'm quite rusty."
"You would have me assisting you…"
"If only it were that simple."
She shakes her head, her colorful irises gleaming with a tinge of sadness. "As much as I'd like to help you, whether it is academic matters or politics… I'm too occupied to add anything more to my plate at the moment."
"I see…"
I slowly nod, a smile of understanding forming on my face.
To be honest, I was counting on Anna for this, but I also knew there was a big chance that she would be busy. In that case, there's simply nothing that can be done.
'I'll have to opt for a contingency.'
