On the second floor of the mansion, sunlight streamed through the glass windows, illuminating the corridor. It outlined Hilda's silhouette, imprinting it upon Sylphie's reddish-brown eyes.
Seeing this, Sylphie's body froze. She stopped on the stairs, hesitating to take the final step.
Seeing Sylphie halt, the bunny-eared maid smiled and took her hand, leading her up the last step to Hilda's side. Hilda hadn't turned around, her gaze seemingly fixed on something outside the window, unable to look away.
Sylphie looked at Hilda's profile, her eyelashes trembling as she realized something. She followed Hilda's gaze out the side window.
Outside, in the courtyard, four familiar figures were sitting on the ground, chatting about something.
Sylphie's breathing hitched for a moment, and she subconsciously clenched her hand. There was no doubt that the maids arriving "just in time" with towels earlier had been on the orders of the woman before her. And the cat-eared maid's invitation, as well as the other maids' reactions after Alan refused, now took on a new meaning.
It was…
Whose invitation?
"Mr. Alan did not accept the invitation to come with us… My apologies, my lady."
The bunny-eared maid crossed her hands in front of her and bowed deeply.
Only then did Hilda seem to break free from her thoughts. She paused, then turned her head.
"Forgive me, I was spacing out. You're here. It's alright, I saw. I told you earlier, Alifa, it doesn't matter whether he comes or not."
Her tone was like a cold blade, crisp and clean. But the content of her words was gentle, almost tender, making her goodwill clearly felt. She possessed a unique feminine charm that even Sylphie, another woman, found herself 'attracted' to.
"My apologies, my lady."
"It's fine. You still have other things to do, don't you? You may go. And please tell Lilia to keep an eye on the lesson below. If there are any more 'accidents' like the one just now, please provide assistance as soon as possible."
The bunny-eared maid glanced at Sylphie, smiled, and excused herself.
After hearing just a few words of their exchange, Sylphie was completely frozen, unsure of what to do.
A-Alan's mother…
What does she want with me…
Hilda turned to the dazed Sylphie. Her first words, however, immediately eased Sylphie's tense heart.
"I'm sorry, Miss Sylphie. Eris is always so reckless, lacking some necessary feminine charm… but she is not a bad person at heart. Please continue to look after her in the future."
Sylphie blinked.
"It's… it's alright. Eris is a good person. She has many good qualities. She's very straightforward… and very cute."
Hilda seemed taken aback by this. She looked down at Sylphie, whose wet, white hair hung limply on either side of her long ears. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her fingers fidgeting, not daring to look directly at the 'radiant' lady of the great noble house.
Hilda tilted her head slightly and smiled. Then, she bent down and took her hand.
"White hair is so rare, Miss Sylphie… it's beautiful, and your eyes are so vibrant. Come with me, I'll take you to change your clothes. You wore this dress yesterday and today as well. You must have been in a hurry when you arrived and didn't have time to bring many clothes, did you?"
Sylphie was flustered and unsure what to do, but she found herself being led forward by Hilda.
"N-no…"
"Don't be nervous. Compared to the Boreas family, I was once just a minor noble myself. I only ever had the opportunity to receive an invitation to a Boreas family banquet once, which is how I met my dear husband. I don't know what was so special about me, but I somehow caught his eye. He sent word to my family saying he wanted to see me again… Heh, it was only after many, many times that I…"
Hilda paused here, the smile on her lips a bit stiff. She continued.
"…had the honor of marrying into the Boreas family."
"So there's no need to be so formal. You are very impressive, Miss Sylphie, at least far more impressive than I was at your age."
At this, her tone shifted, as if she were just making small talk.
"And to be honest, before I married into the Boreas family, my hobby was needlework. Even after entering the Boreas household, I would occasionally close my door and make some clothes for myself."
"Eris refuses to wear any of the clothes that suit my taste, and her own clothes are made by better artisans. The result is that my closet is filled with my own creations, yet no one ever wears them."
Having said this, Hilda turned to look at Sylphie.
"Miss Sylphie, would you…"
"Help me try them on?"
"…"
Sylphie looked up into Hilda's familiar dark gray eyes, mulling over her words.
She couldn't help but nod.
"O-okay… I'm sorry, I'm not very good at speaking with noble titles… In… in that case, I will impose on you, my lady."
Hilda smiled, her eyes crinkling. She remembered the glance Sylphie had given her as she left the dining room at lunch.
"It's no trouble at all."
"It's no trouble at all."
In the courtyard, Eris's head snapped up to look at Alan upon hearing his words. Her face was full of anticipation! Her eyes were shining! It was as if the exhaustion from her depleted mana had vanished completely.
Alan blinked, suppressing the urge to reach out and mess up Eris's hair. He smiled at her and continued.
"Although the Water God Style appears completely different from the Sword God Style on the surface, in some aspects, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can even compensate for some of the Sword God Style's weaknesses."
Ghislaine raised her eyebrows.
"Oh?"
"For example."
Alan took a deep breath, and under the watchful eyes of the three, he submerged himself into the state of 'Flow Perception.'
Then…
He closed his eyes.
The sound of the tide rose.
The world… faded.
From his center, ripples of gray water pulsed outwards. Around him were three dark reefs. The tide crashed against them, 'refracting' and revealing their true forms in reality.
One reef raised its 'neck' high, swaying from side to side, as if very excited.
Another propped its 'hands' in the lake water, casting an 'inquisitive gaze.'
One remained motionless, letting the tide beat against it, carrying an incomparably sharp 'aura.'
Fine white points of light traced lines across the gray surface of the lake, then fell like shooting stars… like stardust…
Alan sat upon the 'colorless lake.'
A new ripple vibrated from his throat, a colorless wave.
He was speaking.
"Close your eyes."
"Perceive the information of your surroundings. The instant it 'changes,' send your 'thought' to the corresponding position…"
Before he finished speaking, Alan 'looked' at a streak of light.
He opened his eyes.
The world donned its colors again, crashing into his vision!
Where the streak of light had been, in reality, was a falling leaf.
It was split in two by the cold glint of a blade!
The two halves, along with the second half of Alan's sentence, landed in the courtyard.
"Open your eyes."
"I have already delivered a strike."
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