「6:30 A.M.」
Only several minutes earlier, the second floor of the West Villa had been peaceful. Tina and Lilia had just left the laundry room, with G6's training gear folded neatly over Tina's arms.
"Do you think Lady Reise will return to her morning training today, Miss Tina?" Lilia asked as they walked.
"Most likely. She had an exhausting day yesterday, so I thought it best not to wake her before sunrise for once."
Tina adjusted the clothes in her arms.
"But does Lady Reise not usually sneak out before everyone wakes?"
"She does not sneak out."
Tina gave her a pointed look, which Lilia met with an innocent blink.
"She simply leaves without informing anyone," Tina clarified.
"That sounds like sneaking out."
Tina faced forward and wisely abandoned the argument. They had barely reached the stairs when a familiar figure appeared above them.
"Edmund!"
He stopped to wait, his eyes narrowing at Lilia's enthusiastic greeting.
"You continue to address Tina with respect despite the fact that she is younger than I am."
"Miss Tina is different."
Lilia puffed out her cheeks.
"Hmph."
"I see."
Edmund placed a hand dramatically against his chest.
"Years of service. Decades of accumulated wisdom. Reduced to simply Edmund."
"You are dramatic."
"So I am told."
Tina almost smiled as the three continued upstairs.
"I have not seen you since we returned yesterday."
"It took quite some time to settle matters at the Utility Magic Department," Edmund explained. "By the time I returned, it was already dark. I assumed Lady Reise had retired, so I went to the Royal Collegium Library."
"You did right. She was exhausted."
"Did Lady Reise eat the dinner Alistair prepared?" Lilia asked.
"No."
"She refused?"
The child frowned.
"She said she was not hungry."
"Of course she did."
Edmund sighed as though the answer had merely confirmed something inevitable.
They reached the second floor as Lady Brenda emerged from the adjoining hall. Already dressed for the day, she looked considerably more energetic than anyone had a right to be at half past six.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, Lady Brenda," the three servants answered together.
Her attention settled on the training clothes in Tina's arms.
"Is Lady Reise still sleeping?"
"I believe so."
"May I come?"
"Of course."
Lady Brenda joined them without hesitation. As they continued down the hall, Edmund glanced toward her.
"I gathered you returned rather late from the Royal Collegium. Are you not tired, Lady Brenda?"
"A little, but the worst of the recruitment preparations is finally finished. More of the field personnel should begin returning soon, so the Bastion will not have to depend so heavily on temporary arrangements for the recruits."
The fatigue disappeared from her expression almost immediately.
"And I have already missed several meals with Lady Reise. I miss her."
"They have not eaten together for two days," Lilia whispered to Tina, nowhere near quietly enough.
"I heard that."
Lady Brenda pointed at her, earning a giggle. Tina smiled at the exchange.
"It is good that Lady Reise has found a friend she enjoys having around."
Lady Brenda paused before straightening with visible pride.
"Obviously."
Edmund glanced at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"You looked like you were about to say something."
He calmly folded his hands behind his back.
"I value my continued existence."
"That is wise."
They reached G6's room, and Tina knocked twice. When no answer came, she opened the door, assuming her mistress remained asleep.
Several seconds later, the peaceful morning ended.
"PRINCE DIO, Y-YOU…!"
Lady Brenda's face turned violently red.
"YOU SCUM!"
Her shout tore through the bedroom. Tina froze in the doorway, Lilia stared past her with her mouth hanging open, and Edmund's expression shifted from confusion to immediate resignation.
G6 slept beneath the blanket. Prince Dio occupied the opposite edge of the mattress, fully dressed and lying on top of the covers.
Enough space separated them to make it clear they had neither curled together nor shared the blanket.
Unfortunately, the open whiskey bottle and two glasses on the tea table made the situation considerably harder to explain.
Lady Brenda looked ready to commit regicide.
Prince Dio slept through her first outburst, managing approximately two more seconds before Lilia instinctively stepped backward and knocked her elbow against the tea table. The glasses struck together with a sharp clink.
G6's eyes snapped open.
There was none of the slow, unfocused waking expected after a night of drinking. Her grey gaze was already moving across the room, taking in Tina, Lilia, Edmund, and Lady Brenda before she turned her head.
Silver-white hair rested against the opposite edge of her mattress.
Prince Dio. On her bed.
Her expression went completely flat.
"What the fuck is this?"
No one seemed capable of answering until Tina recovered.
"L-Lady Reise, we were merely bringing your training clothes."
G6 looked down at herself, then at Prince Dio and the blanket between them.
Pieces of the previous night returned: whiskey, questions, the Prince being annoyingly difficult to interrogate, and finally her decision to lie down.
After that, she remembered nothing.
Her eyes narrowed as Prince Dio shifted in his sleep. That was enough.
G6 kicked him off the bed.
—THUD!
"Lady Reise!" Tina exclaimed.
Prince Dio groaned and slowly pushed himself upright, one hand pressed against his aching head.
His silver-white hair was in disarray, and whatever royal composure he normally possessed had failed to survive the hangover.
"What is happening?"
His unfocused gaze found G6, then the bed and the four witnesses staring at him. His expression changed.
"Where am I?"
"Why are you still here?" G6 demanded. "Why didn't you leave?"
Prince Dio looked toward the doorway before returning his attention to her.
"I…"
"Oh my god."
Lady Brenda made a strangled sound and pointed at him.
"You stayed here the entire night?"
Prince Dio opened his mouth, but one look from G6 apparently killed the explanation before it reached his throat.
"I am not listening to this!"
Lady Brenda turned abruptly toward the door.
"Lady Brenda—" Tina began.
"No!"
She stormed into the hall, leaving Tina caught between following her and remaining with G6.
"We should probably…"
"Yes," Edmund answered immediately. "We should."
He placed both hands on Lilia's shoulders and turned her toward the exit.
"We saw nothing."
"But we clearly—"
"Nothing, Lilia."
She wisely stopped talking. Tina followed them, though she paused at the door to look back with an expression caught between concern, embarrassment, and a desperate need for answers.
"We will… speak later, my lady."
G6 narrowed her eyes. Tina disappeared into the hall and closed the door.
The sudden silence made the room seem even more ridiculous. Prince Dio remained seated on the floor while G6 occupied the edge of the bed, and for several seconds, they simply stared at each other.
"Did I fall asleep here?" he finally asked.
"Isn't that obvious enough?"
G6 climbed out of bed.
"And of all things, that is what concerns you?"
Prince Dio slowly stood.
"The four people who just walked out of here think the worst, and you are asking whether you fell asleep?"
He looked toward the bed, then down at the clothes still on his body. His attention returned to the whiskey bottle as the memory gradually assembled itself.
He had stood intending to leave, but the room had tilted. He remembered sitting on the edge of the mattress until the dizziness passed. Nothing followed.
"I intended to leave."
"Clearly, you failed."
"I remember sitting down."
Prince Dio rubbed his temple.
"Congratulations. You successfully identified the last thing you remember."
G6 crossed to the pitcher, poured herself a glass of water, and drank. He watched her for a moment.
"Nothing happened."
"No shit."
"There was distance between us."
"Also obvious."
Her response carried no hint of shame.
"I was fully dressed."
"I have eyes."
"I am attempting to clarify the situation."
Prince Dio's expression tightened.
"You are clarifying it to the one person who was there."
G6 finished the water and set the glass down before pointing toward the whiskey.
"You owe me for that bottle."
"That is your concern?"
"Unlike the imaginary scandal outside, that bottle actually cost something."
Prince Dio released a slow breath. For some reason, her complete lack of concern about anything supposedly scandalous reassured him more than a lengthy explanation could have.
Then she looked directly at him.
"And do not get comfortable just because your stupid drunk ass somehow ended up on my bed."
"I had no intention of—"
"I will snap your neck."
He stopped beneath her stare. He believed her.
"Understood."
Before either could continue, the door opened.
Janin stood at the threshold, examining G6 and then Prince Dio. Her gaze passed over the bed and whiskey bottle before returning to him. Her expression remained perfectly composed, somehow making the judgment worse.
"I suggest you return to your quarters, Your Highness."
Prince Dio straightened.
"Janin, it is not what you think."
G6 watched him.
Hmm. Snow White really does have a soft spot for Janin.
"Tell him that," she said, crossing to the couch and sitting.
Janin entered fully.
"I will not repeat myself, Your Highness."
"Nothing happened."
Prince Dio sighed.
"I am relieved to hear that."
Janin's tone made it clear that the matter was nowhere near resolved.
"Nevertheless, servants already know you were discovered inside Lady Reise's room this morning. Lady Brenda is currently threatening to strangle you with a golem, and if this is not contained quickly, the story will spread throughout the West Villa before breakfast is finished."
"That sounds like Brenda."
Prince Dio closed his eyes.
"Indeed."
Janin gestured toward the door.
"Return to Annex-Uno. Wash. Dress properly. Alistair is already preparing breakfast and remedies for both of you."
"I am already dressed."
"Properly."
Her stare ended that argument. Prince Dio glanced toward G6 for support, but she had already lost interest.
"Go."
He sighed again and turned toward the exit. Before leaving, however, he stopped.
"Reise."
She raised her eyes. His embarrassment had faded enough to reveal something more serious beneath it.
"I meant what I said last night."
G6's eyes narrowed slightly, but he left before she could answer.
Janin immediately began gathering the used glasses.
"What did he mean?"
"Nothing important."
That was not entirely true. Despite the alcohol, parts of their conversation remained unpleasantly clear.
"I thought if I acted distant and bluntly showed you that I was also against this marriage, you would find the courage to oppose it."
G6 frowned at the memory of his explanation. The real Reise had apparently opposed the engagement once, and Prince Dio had known. Worse, he had deliberately behaved like an asshole because he believed seeing his opposition would encourage her to rebel.
According to Tina, Reise had gone in the opposite direction. She had gradually convinced herself that the engagement belonged to the purpose she was meant to fulfill.
That left G6 with another contradiction the book had never bothered to explain.
"Lady Reise."
Janin carried the glasses toward the washstand.
"What?"
"Even if you and His Highness are formally engaged, sharing a bed before marriage is inappropriate."
"Stop nagging. I have no interest in that stupid Prince."
"I believe you."
G6 looked up.
"That sounded insulting."
"It was not intended as an insult."
Janin added the whiskey bottle to the things she was clearing away.
"However, what you intend and what everyone else perceives are two separate matters."
"Tsk."
"You should prepare yourself for gossip."
"Then stop it."
"I already intend to."
That earned another look from G6. Janin continued without wasting movement, gathering the glasses, straightening the bed, and opening the curtains enough to admit the morning light.
"I have already asked the nearby household staff to keep quiet. Tina is too mortified to manage the matter at present."
"Tina?"
"She has cared for you since infancy. She walked into your room and found you sleeping beside a man."
"She is overreacting."
G6 rested her head against one hand.
"Perhaps," Janin conceded, lifting the laundry bag. "But I doubt logic will help her at the moment."
G6 watched her work. There was no panic, no unnecessary dramatics, and, most importantly, no useless questioning.
Another useful individual.
"Why are you the one doing this?"
"Because someone has to."
Janin secured the top of the laundry bag.
"And because if Lady Brenda reaches the dining hall before anyone provides a reasonable explanation, half of the West Villa will hear her version first."
"Glad I have capable people."
G6 smirked. Janin stopped for the briefest moment before continuing as though the acknowledgment had not affected her.
"I have drawn your bath."
"Good."
G6 stood.
"The water should be ready," Janin added.
Once her mistress disappeared into the bathroom, Janin remained where she was for a moment, looking toward the closed door. Her gaze eventually drifted back to the bed, and she released a quiet sigh.
"Completely different…"
「WEST VILLA — DINING HALL」
By the time the household gathered for breakfast, the dining hall had acquired the atmosphere of an unofficial tribunal.
Lady Brenda sat beside G6's usual seat, repeatedly tapping a butter knife against her plate. The persistent clicking did little to reassure Miss Eliza, who occupied the next chair and looked increasingly uncertain about the tension surrounding them.
Across the table, Lord Earl quietly drank water while Lord Keith pretended not to notice Lady Brenda's growing fury.
Eventually, curiosity defeated him.
"So…"
Her eyes moved toward him. He hesitated, then continued because he was Lord Keith.
"You are saying Dio and Reise slept in the same bed?"
The clicking stopped. Lord Earl slowly lowered his glass, and Miss Eliza looked between Lord Keith and Lady Brenda.
"Do not make me repeat it."
Lady Brenda's eye twitched.
"I am simply confirming."
"I will have my golem use your head for pottery practice."
"Right."
Lord Keith leaned back immediately. Silence survived approximately three seconds before he leaned forward again.
"But are you completely sure?"
Lady Brenda's grip tightened until the thin metal of the butter knife bent slightly in her hand. Lord Keith noticed.
"You know what? Never mind."
"They were on the same bed!" she hissed. "Prince Dio was lying there as if he belonged there. There was alcohol on the table, and they were both unconscious!"
"There was visible distance between them, correct?" Lord Earl asked, considerably calmer.
"Yes."
"And His Highness was fully dressed?"
"Yes."
"And lying on top of the covers rather than beneath Lady Reise's blanket?"
"Yes!"
Lady Brenda glared at him as he adjusted his glasses.
"Then perhaps we should avoid inventing crimes before either person involved explains what occurred."
"Why are you being reasonable at a time like this?"
"I generally attempt to be reasonable at all times."
"That is a lie."
Lord Keith laughed. Lord Earl ignored him.
"If nothing improper happened, perhaps they simply drank too much," Miss Eliza ventured.
Lady Brenda immediately turned toward her. Miss Eliza faltered beneath the attention.
"I mean… it is possible."
"It is."
The answer came from the entrance.
Prince Dio stood in the doorway, having restored most of his customary royal appearance.
His hair was properly arranged and his clothing immaculate, though faint shadows beneath his eyes and the pallor of his face made it impossible to pretend the previous night had not happened.
"Well."
Lord Keith's mouth curved, and Prince Dio stopped walking.
"Do not."
"Have a pleasant night, cousin?"
"I said do not."
Lord Keith looked delighted. Lady Brenda looked murderous.
"Sit down."
Prince Dio stared at her.
"Excuse me?"
"Sit."
She pointed toward an empty chair. Across the table, Lord Earl concealed the beginning of a smile behind his glass.
Prince Dio eventually took the seat beside Lord Keith.
"What exactly happened?" Lady Brenda demanded.
"We drank."
"That is obvious."
"We talked."
She waited for the rest, but none came.
"That is all?"
"That is all."
"You expect me to believe you somehow fell asleep on Lady Reise's bed?"
"I was drunk."
Lord Keith coughed suspiciously into his hand.
"What?" Prince Dio asked, turning toward him.
"Nothing."
"Then stop making that face."
Lord Keith's expression somehow worsened.
"Why were you in Lady Reise's room so late?" Lord Earl asked.
Prince Dio's expression tightened.
"I needed to speak with her."
"About?"
"That is between Reise and me."
Lord Earl's gaze sharpened slightly, but Lady Brenda spoke before he could respond.
"What did you talk about?"
"Lady Brenda."
Prince Dio's casual irritation disappeared, replaced by the controlled tone of a prince reminding someone where the boundary stood. She noticed.
"What?"
"You are being intrusive."
"You slept in her room!"
"By accident."
"An extremely convenient accident!"
Prince Dio exhaled.
"There was nothing convenient about waking on the floor after being kicked off a bed."
Lord Keith burst into laughter. Lord Earl lowered his gaze to conceal his amusement, and even Miss Eliza covered her mouth.
Lady Brenda blinked.
"She kicked you?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Prince Dio simply stared.
The doors opened before the argument could continue. G6 entered in her training clothes with Janin several paces behind, drawing every eye in the room.
She looked neither murderous nor particularly angry, merely as though she had taken personal offense at the existence of mornings.
Without acknowledging the group, she went directly to her usual chair and sat as though the room were empty.
Then she noticed the bent butter knife.
"What's that? New art?"
"Lady Reise…"
Lady Brenda's voice sounded suspiciously close to tears.
"What?"
A meaningful glance toward Prince Dio explained enough. G6 sighed.
"Don't worry. Nothing happened. Snow White was too dumb to leave before he passed out."
"That is not precisely—"
One look from G6 stopped him.
"Are you certain?" Lady Brenda asked, leaning closer.
G6's expression softened just enough to make the reassurance unmistakable.
"Believe me."
Relief crossed Lady Brenda's face as her shoulders finally relaxed.
"See?" Lord Keith said, pointing toward G6. "If Reise says nothing happened, nothing happened."
"Agreed," Lord Earl added.
"When Reise says it, you believe her. When I say it, I am apparently lying?"
Prince Dio looked between them in disbelief.
"Well, Reise is more believable."
"That makes no sense."
"I would rather believe Lady Reise," Lady Brenda said, folding her arms.
"I am a prince."
"So?"
She lifted her chin.
"Lady Reise is Lady Reise."
No one seemed capable of arguing with that logic. G6 leaned back with a faint smirk while Prince Dio looked genuinely betrayed by everyone present.
"Enough. Your voices are making my head worse."
Lord Earl's attention moved to her training clothes.
"You are returning to training?"
"Yes."
The question reminded her of something.
"Right, look."
G6 reached beneath her collar and drew out the necklace he had given her the previous evening. The grey stone caught the morning light.
"You are wearing it," Lord Earl said.
"You said it stores mana. I want to see how useful it actually is."
Prince Dio turned sharply toward him.
"You gave her a necklace?"
"Yes."
Lord Earl exhaled.
"Why a necklace?"
"It is a mana-storage tool."
"That did not answer the question."
Lord Earl regarded him with increasing irritation.
"It is wearable, portable, and considerably less inconvenient than carrying a charged tool in one's pocket."
Their stares held while Lord Keith slowly looked between them, apparently sensing entertainment.
Miss Eliza did not.
"My father once told me necklaces can also be given as symbols of affection."
The entire table fell quiet. Every head turned toward her, and she froze.
"I…"
She looked around, finally realizing that she had somehow chosen the worst possible contribution.
"Was that inappropriate?"
"Affection? What are you, five?"
G6 tucked the necklace partly beneath her clothing. Prince Dio looked toward Lord Earl again.
"It is an Omnia storage tool," Lord Earl repeated, adjusting his glasses.
G6 tapped the stone.
"How much can it hold?"
"A fixed high-grade reserve."
His irritation faded now that someone had returned to the device's actual purpose.
"It is not meant to replace your own mana. Think of it as an emergency reserve. Mana stored within the stone can be drawn upon when necessary."
"How do I fill it?"
"It can be replenished using compatible high-grade magic stones and prepared monster cores. I will show you the charging process properly when you are not suffering from a hangover."
"I can understand things while hungover."
G6 narrowed her eyes.
"I witnessed your expression when you entered this room."
"And?"
"I am exercising caution."
His seriousness earned an irritated click of her tongue.
Prince Dio had fallen quiet, but his attention remained on the necklace.
Giving Reise a useful magical tool was hardly unusual when Lord Earl already assisted with her training.
What troubled him was the care apparently taken in choosing its form.
The grey stone looked remarkably similar to Reise's eyes.
Before he could comment, G6 looked toward Lord Earl.
"Earl gave me a ring too. Does that mean he wants to marry me?"
Lord Keith choked. Lord Earl's expression went blank, Prince Dio turned sharply toward him, and Miss Eliza's eyes widened. Lady Brenda blinked.
"That ring is a separate training tool," Lord Earl explained first.
"Exactly."
G6 displayed the enchanted ring already on her hand, then looked at Prince Dio.
"So stop making stupid assumptions."
"I did not say anything."
"You were thinking loudly."
Lord Keith covered his mouth to hide a laugh while Lord Earl looked away. Prince Dio stared at G6 for several seconds before sitting back.
"I have not yet given you mine."
"Right. You promised me that stupid sword."
"I said I would consider it after seeing sufficient improvement."
His expression changed immediately.
"I am improving."
"I am not yet satisfied."
A strange choking sound escaped Lord Keith.
"What?" Prince Dio demanded.
"Nothing."
Lady Brenda's eyes had narrowed as well. Only then did the Prince seem to realize how the sentence had sounded.
"I meant her training."
"Sure," Lord Keith replied.
"Shut up."
The doors opened before the teasing could escalate. Alistair entered carrying breakfast, with Tina and Lilia following with the remaining dishes.
He stopped after two steps. His gaze passed over Prince Dio, Lady Brenda, Lord Earl, Lord Keith, and G6 before settling on the bent butter knife.
"Again?"
No one answered.
"Every time I walk into this room, something is happening."
Janin rose to help the maids distribute the food while Alistair carried two small glasses toward the table.
"Here."
He placed the first before G6. She examined the familiar hangover tonic as he frowned down at her.
"Can you tone it down? I am starting to wonder what kind of tonic I will have to prepare next."
"Maybe a tonic to shut your mouth."
G6 emptied the bitter liquid in one go. Alistair looked entirely unsurprised and placed the second glass before Prince Dio.
"Is this the same thing?"
The Prince eyed it suspiciously.
"Of course, Your Highness."
Alistair's pleasant answer, together with the sight of G6 finishing hers without incident, apparently reassured him. Prince Dio drank, and his entire face changed.
He immediately pressed a napkin over his mouth.
"Your Highness?" Miss Eliza asked, leaning toward him.
"What happened?" Lord Keith asked.
Prince Dio glared at Alistair.
"Why is mine spicy?"
"Spicy?"
Lord Earl stopped eating.
"Oh."
Alistair examined the empty glass with perfect innocence.
"My apologies, Your Highness. It appears I may have accidentally added chili."
G6 slowly looked toward him. His expression was much too innocent.
Tsk. That old man certainly did that on purpose.
A smirk appeared as Alistair placed a sweet beside Prince Dio's plate.
"Fortunately, this should help soothe the burning."
The Prince stared. Alistair smiled back until Prince Dio narrowed his eyes and reluctantly took the sweet.
Lady Brenda looked down at her plate, though her shaking shoulders betrayed her. Lord Keith turned away, biting his lip, and even Lord Earl's mouth twitched.
"I will keep breakfast light for you," Alistair told G6. "Soup first. I will pack something more substantial for later."
"Whatever."
She reached for the bowl.
"Enjoy."
Alistair headed toward the door but slowed beside Prince Dio's chair.
"Your Highness."
The Prince looked up, receiving a perfectly polite smile.
"Next time, it will be worse."
Prince Dio stared after him as he walked out. G6 quietly took another spoonful of soup.
Tina and Lilia moved toward their usual place at the side of the room.
"Lady Reise, we already ate while helping Alistair," Lilia explained. "We will wait here."
"Suit yourself."
Janin finished arranging the remaining dishes.
"Then, Lady Reise, I will take my leave as well."
G6 nodded absently. Her spoon was halfway back to the bowl when she noticed someone missing.
"Where is Edmund?"
"We do not know, Lady Reise," Tina answered, glancing toward the door. "He left suddenly earlier."
G6's spoon paused.
Janin had taken several steps away when she remembered.
"Ah. Her Majesty asked for him."
CLANK!
The spoon struck the table, stopping the conversation.
"What?"
G6's eyes had hardened.
"What is wrong?" Lady Brenda asked.
G6 ignored the question.
What does that woman want with him?
Their arrangement had been clear.
She had already disclosed what she was willing to reveal about Oak Village: the forest's missing natural mana, the black paper and its resemblance to surviving Charnel records, and the fact that the mana had returned.
Her blood remained outside that account. The detail belonged to her and Edmund, and if Queen Euphelia had summoned him separately to ask questions G6 had deliberately refused to answer…
Her expression cooled further.
"I am certain it is nothing serious, Lady Reise," Janin said.
G6 offered no response.
Across the table, Prince Dio watched her with increasing attention. A moment earlier, she had been eating and trading insults.
Now she sat motionless, entirely focused on Edmund being summoned without her.
No spell or supernatural pressure accompanied the change, yet the atmosphere shifted anyway. Lord Keith stopped smiling, Lady Brenda straightened, and even Prince Dio instinctively lowered his voice.
"What happened?"
Is she trying to squeeze information out of him?
Before G6's imagination could go further, the doors opened.
Edmund entered, and her attention snapped toward him.
"What did the Queen want with you?"
She offered neither a greeting nor any attempt to conceal her suspicion. Edmund stopped just inside the room, one glance telling him exactly what conclusion she had reached.
"Her Majesty merely wished to discuss the arrangement you proposed regarding the Utility Magic Department."
G6 continued staring.
"The three-day allocation," he clarified.
He deliberately left the rest for later.
"I will brief you privately after breakfast."
She watched him for another second, then picked up her spoon and resumed eating without a word.
"Seriously?" Lord Keith asked.
"What?"
"You just made everyone stop breathing."
"I don't care."
"That is obvious."
"That's what you get for eating in my home."
Lord Keith opened his mouth, apparently searching for a response, before deciding he valued breakfast more. Lady Brenda laughed, finally breaking the remaining tension.
"Your concern for Edmund was rather immediate," Prince Dio observed, leaning back.
G6's spoon stopped again.
"Want chili in your soup?"
He glanced down at his plate, then toward the door through which Alistair had disappeared. This time, he wisely remained silent.
Lord Keith burst into laughter, and Lady Brenda joined him. Lord Earl shook his head before returning to his meal, while Edmund quietly took his usual place near the side of the room.
With the danger apparently gone, breakfast resumed. Lord Keith provoked anyone unfortunate enough to answer him, Lady Brenda continued complaining about Prince Dio with considerably less violence, and Lord Earl occasionally corrected them both. Miss Eliza mostly listened, careful not to start another argument accidentally.
Tina kept checking G6's bowl to ensure she was eating. Lilia waited nearby, and Edmund remained within her sight.
G6 noticed everything.
Since arriving in this world, she had found people gathering around her with irritating persistence.
They worried when she disappeared, interfered when she injured herself, asked whether she had eaten, and grew angry on her behalf without being asked.
Attachment had always been simple enough to understand. Someone who cared could be influenced, someone who trusted could be directed, and someone desperate to protect another person could be predicted.
Useful weaknesses. Useful leverage.
Her spoon moved through the soup as her gaze drifted toward Edmund.
Her Majesty asked for him.
Those few words had been enough to stop her eating. She had neither calculated whether showing concern would benefit her nor chosen the reaction to strengthen his loyalty.
She had simply reacted.
G6's brow twitched.
Annoying.
She looked back at the bowl. Perhaps she needed to be more careful with these so-called strings. She had not forgotten how to pull them, but somewhere along the way, a few had begun tightening around her as well.
G6 clicked her tongue and took another spoonful of soup.
Tsk. This is a bother.
—To Be Continued…—