"Then when are you planning to leave?"
Sense asked in a low voice.
"Immediately, of course."
Fíliya answered swiftly.
Sense's brow furrowed slightly, but then relaxed.
Right, this girl has always had this impetuous personality, she thought.
"So, this is the ultimatum?"
Realizing there was no way to change this oddball's mind, Miss Sense simply gave up thinking. Her gaze towards Fíliya turned helpless, tinged with a slight smile.
"It's a farewell. Hmm, I'll be back soon."
"How soon is soon?"
"I'll at least make it back for the First-Class Mage test."
Fíliya rested her chin on her hand, a pensive look on her face.
Sense's body stiffened, and she shot Fíliya an annoyed glare.
"Isn't that two years from now? You're going to be gone for two years? Why don't you just go…"
Sense abruptly covered her own mouth.
She suddenly realized that what she had been about to curse—[Why don't you just go die]—was a bit too ominous.
"Uh, that's the worst-case scenario. Best case, I might be back in a month or two, you know?"
Sense lowered her head, looking sullen.
Watching this, Fíliya could only scratch her face awkwardly, thinking that she should have just lied.
But right now, comforting Sense was clearly more important. So she slowly walked over and stood behind Sense.
She placed her hands on Sense's shoulders and began to gently massage them.
"Sense?"
Fíliya called Sense's name softly. I'm already making a peace offering, can't you give me some reaction? she thought.
But Sense ignored her.
"Sense… big sister?"
Fíliya called out, her expression slightly embarrassed.
This time, there was indeed a reaction. She could clearly feel Sense's body tremble slightly at that moment.
Sense only felt a tickle in her heart, and then she immediately began to reminisce.
When was the last time this girl called me 'big sister'?
Hmm, I remember she was still very young back then, and much more well-behaved… I don't know when she went astray and developed this strange personality.
"Big Sis Sense, pay attention to me~ Look, I'm even giving you a massage, you know?"
Fíliya's words made Sense feel even more flustered. The tingling, numbing sensation bubbling up from her heart was torturing her, leaving her at a loss.
But… she still held back and ignored the green-haired girl.
I'm not that easy to coax.
She clenched her jaw and buried her head as low as she could, afraid Fíliya would see her expression.
And so, seeing that Sense still wouldn't acknowledge her, Miss Fíliya adopted a pensive expression, and her massaging hands stopped.
?
Sense was a little confused as to why the pleasant massage had suddenly stopped, but she refused to ask. If she were to speak up now, wouldn't it seem like she cared too much?
Thus, the two fell into a subtle standoff.
Fortunately, this state didn't last long. Fíliya slowly lowered her head, bringing her lips close to Sense's ear.
"If even 'Big Sister' doesn't work... could it be, Sense, that you want me to call you 'Mommy'?"
Huh?
The moment Fíliya's words left her mouth, Sense snapped her head up. After a brief moment of shock, she began glaring at Fíliya as if looking at an idiot.
Hmm, super effective. So Sense finally cracked, huh?
Fíliya nodded in satisfaction, but then her own shameless words made her blush a little.
"Er... just, pretend I didn't say that. Right, haha, 'Mommy' and all that... it's a bit too embarrassing, too depraved."
Fíliya said, trying to awkwardly backtrack.
"Sigh…"
Sense took several deep breaths before finally recovering.
"I'm begging you, Fíliya, please say less weird things like that in the future... It's a good thing no one heard you."
Sense gave Fíliya a helpless eye-roll.
But Fíliya replied with a perfectly straight face.
"Really? I think there's a good chance Lady Serie is eavesdropping, you know? Think about it, an ancient elf with an infinite lifespan must have to find her own fun. And with Serie's practically inexhaustible mana, I can't even imagine how far her mana detection range is... Could it cover a whole city? Maybe even a country? I feel like anything that happens in the City of Magic couldn't escape her notice if she wanted to know."
Sense paid Fíliya's words no mind. After all, unlike this unruly green-haired girl, she held Lady Serie in high esteem.
So, Sense said to Fíliya, slightly annoyed.
"Lady Serie would never do something so boring. Do you think everyone is like you?"
"Hmm, yes, yes, there I go again, judging others by my own standards... By the way, Big Sis Sense, you're finally talking to me."
Fíliya put on an innocent expression, but her eyes were clearly twinkling with triumph.
Only then did Sense realize she had been tricked by this girl again.
…Never mind.
Sense suppressed the urge to give Fíliya a good thrashing. Who could blame her, when the girl was about to leave... She couldn't very well send her off injured, could she?
Sense thought.
After a few more deep breaths, a smile returned to Sense's face. She then used her hair to grab Fíliya and pull her over.
"Hm?"
Fíliya watched Sense's actions calmly.
She saw Sense straightening her clothes. Hmm, now that I think about it, I really don't care much about my appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled all over, and there were even loose threads in some places.
As she tidied up, Sense's helpless expression returned.
"Fíliya… you love studying 'folk magic,' don't you? Why not learn a spell to make your clothes pristine?"
"Hmm, next time for sure?"
Fíliya's gaze drifted away.
The reason she hadn't learned the [Magic to Make Clothes Pristine] was simple.
Because if she learned it, she would never get to enjoy moments like this again.
Finally, after fixing Fíliya's clothes, Sense let her go.
"Alright, I have nothing more to say to you. Go on, get out of my sight."
Sense said, turning away.
But Miss Fíliya didn't want to leave just yet.
She was seen pulling something from her pocket and walking towards Sense.
"Hm?"
Hearing Fíliya's footsteps drawing closer instead of receding, Sense turned back in confusion. And then, she saw the object in Fíliya's hand.
It was a silver ring.
And what shocked her even more was the pattern carved on the ring. It was clearly—
[Mirror Lotus]
The moment she confirmed this, Miss Sense's breath hitched. She stared with wide, unbelieving eyes, fixing her gaze on Fíliya's face as if trying to read something there.
"Hm?"
Fíliya tilted her head slightly, wondering why Sense was suddenly looking at her with such a shocked expression.
So she explained.
"You gave me a bracelet before, Sense, so I wanted to give you a gift in return."
As she spoke, Fíliya raised her hand to show Sense the sapphire bracelet she had received.
Then she added.
"I went to a jewelry shop the night before last, and the owner said this is the most popular style right now… I'm not really sure, though. You don't like it?"
After hearing Fíliya's explanation, Sense let out a sigh of relief, but a strange sense of melancholy began to spread through her heart.
Of course. This girl's head is filled with nothing but studying magic and the Demon Race.
How could she possibly know what the Mirror Lotus represents?
"I'm not dissatisfied."
Sense replied in a low voice.
Seeing this, Fíliya also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it would have been terrible if her rare attempt at picking a gift had failed.
"Then let me put it on for you."
Fíliya's tone was light, which made Sense hesitate for several seconds, wondering if she should explain the meaning of the Mirror Lotus to this girl.
But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it and obediently held out her hand.
While putting the ring on Sense, Fíliya seemed to remember something and said.
"Oh, right, I think the owner also said that wearing a ring on different fingers has different meanings. So complicated… Let me think."
Just as Fíliya was trying hard to think, Sense immediately interrupted her.
"Right here is fine."
Sense said, slightly raising that finger.
Fíliya looked puzzled.
"Eh? Why the ring finger? Does it have some meaning?"
Although she voiced her question, Fíliya obediently complied, naturally slipping the ring engraved with the [Mirror Lotus] onto Miss Sense's ring finger.
"...I'm not telling you."
Sense looked at the object on her finger with a fluttering heart, then quickly turned her head away. She was afraid of meeting Fíliya's gaze, afraid the other girl would see through her.
After all, this girl knew her so well.
"Tch, as if I'm dying to know. I can't be bothered to remember anything unrelated to magic."
Miss Fíliya turned her head away with a show of pride. She said no more and turned directly towards the door.
"Fíliya."
Sense called out to her, but didn't turn around.
"Hm?"
"Don't you die."
"Mm."
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