The sky was growing dark, and as usual, it was dinner time.
Cooking had always been Sylvie’s proudest skill, and under the pretense of preparing a meal, she could smoothly escape Chief Frolya’s nagging.
Ever since that knight, Aunt Sophia, arrived, Chief Frolya seemed to be restless and uneasy.
…Sylvie stirred the bubbling stew pot while quietly stealing glances toward the living room with the corner of her eye.
Frolya was sitting upright at the dining table, quietly reading some book.
The sunset’s afterglow bathed her serene profile; her smooth, silver-white hair was tinted with a warm rosy light.
Her delicate eyebrows and eyes were slightly lowered as her gaze skimmed the pages in her hands, occasionally flipping a page, the faint rustle of paper audible.
She looked like a breathtaking painting.
Sylvie knew Chief Frolya loved reading.
Not only had she thoroughly read all the books in the home’s shelves, but she also frequently reminded Sylvie to buy new books from the town.
Because of her limited mobility, Frolya rarely left the house and had almost no interaction with the people in this remote village.
Most of the nearby neighbors had hardly ever seen Chief Frolya, let alone become her friends.
Besides, the villagers were mostly unworldly folk, completely unlike Frolya’s refined outlook and level of knowledge.
They had nothing in common to talk about.
From this perspective, for the graceful and aloof Chief Frolya, it seemed her only daily pastime was reading.
…So, for the book-loving Chief Frolya, her heart must actually be very lonely and desolate, right?
Sylvie stirred the stew, pondering quietly.
Strangely, until today, she had never entertained such a “bold” thought.
In the two years since her birth, Sylvie had always seen Chief Frolya as noble and elegant, dignified and respectable, a sacred, untouchable figure, an elder with absolute authority.
To exaggerate, besides cooking, Sylvie even felt every word and deed of Chief Frolya was like an oracle—absolutely correct and beyond question.
Therefore, Sylvie had never casually speculated about Frolya’s emotions before, let alone come to such strange conclusions.
But only today, when she saw Frolya pinned to the dining table, Sylvie felt that some deep-rooted mental shackles or stereotypes within her were violently shattered.
At that moment, she profoundly realized—Chief Frolya was also a living, breathing person, with her own helplessness and things she couldn’t do.
At least when facing that “old flame,” Miss Sophia, Frolya seemed to be in a passive position.
When Sylvie eavesdropped today, Miss Sophia kept insisting that Frolya should “return” to the kingdom’s capital to live a better life.
Could this mean… Frolya’s current life was far harder and more difficult than before?
At the thought, Sylvie’s slender wrist trembling as she gripped the soup ladle.
Could it… be because of her?
Judging by Frolya’s appearance, temperament, and knowledge… she didn’t seem like someone who should be living in this remote, backward village.
In an instant, Sylvie recalled many memories from her past interactions with Frolya.
For example, every time she returned from the Adventurer School in town, Frolya would listen eagerly as Sylvie recounted what had happened there.
Whether it was happy things, troubles, or even a few shy secrets… as long as it was about herself, Frolya would listen with a smile until the very end.
Chief Frolya was the gentlest, most patient listener Sylvie had ever seen.
Even when Sylvie sometimes felt her own topics were childish or boring, Frolya still smiled, nodded, and occasionally asked a question or two to encourage her to continue.
…But perhaps such patience also indirectly proved how lonely Frolya really was?
Though Sylvie cherished many memories of the home she’d grown up in, would it actually be better for Frolya to return to the capital?
Sylvie’s thoughts raced, and she momentarily drifted off.
“Sylvie, is dinner ready yet?”
Fortunately, Frolya’s voice called her back from her daydream in time, preventing a burned stew disaster.
“Ah, ah, coming right now—”
Sylvie hurriedly extinguished the magical flame crystal, tidied up the stew, and brought the bowls to the dining table.
If there was any difference in tonight’s dinner compared to usual… it was probably the heavy atmosphere at the table.
Frolya ate two large bowls hastily, lost in thought, which even left Sylvie staring blankly.
Only after she wiped her mouth with satisfaction did Frolya’s mood seem to improve somewhat.
She turned her gaze to Sylvie across the table, adopting a serious tone and suddenly asked:
“Sylvie, tell me honestly, do you really want to go to the capital?”
“Eh…?”
Sylvie was caught off guard by the question and paused briefly.
“The capital isn’t like our small village here. It’s a bustling, lively place.”
Frolya raised a finger, shaking it as she spoke seriously.
“Of course, correspondingly, it’s also a place with great life pressures and high demands for ability and talent.
“I know you’ve always been confident in your magical talent and you’re among the top students at the Adventurer School here; but at the academy in the capital, there might be many classmates with stronger talent or richer family backgrounds. Are you sure you can handle the academic pressure there?”
“I…”
Sylvie opened her mouth but didn’t answer immediately.
“If you feel you’re not ready yet, you can tell me now. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Aunt Sophia that you don’t want to go—I’ll stay here to accompany you.”
Frolya said this calmly, but her words made Sylvie’s heart race.
What Frolya meant was… she was worried Sylvie wouldn’t adapt to life in the capital?
Could Sylvie’s presence actually be the obstacle preventing Frolya from living a better life?
“I… I can do it!”
Sylvie hesitated, then her hesitant eyes grew firm.
She clenched her fists tightly and nodded hard.
“Whether it’s the capital or anywhere else… I won’t give up easily! You don’t have to worry, Chief Frolya!
“And this is a necessary step to become a Paladin. Without undergoing trials, you can’t become an excellent knight—haven’t you always told me that?”
“…Mm, alright.”
Faced with Sylvie’s passionate declaration, Frolya didn’t show much emotion but simply nodded calmly.
“After dinner, pack your things. Bring everything you need, and remember to take at least two sets of winter clothes.
“Tomorrow’s Monday morning—I’ll take you to the town school to handle the transfer procedures. We might be living in the capital for quite a while, understand?”
Frolya’s voice was even and matter-of-fact as she spoke, then she gave Sylvie’s little head a gentle rub.
“Yes, Chief Frolya!”
Sylvie saluted enthusiastically, quickly cleaned up the dinner dishes, and ran to her spare bedroom to start packing her suitcase.
Still, something felt strange… why didn’t Chief Frolya look happy after hearing her determination?
Could it be that Frolya didn’t actually want to return to the capital?
Sylvie couldn’t figure it out no matter how she thought.
Well… Chief Frolya had said, if you can’t understand something, don’t think about it; you’ll understand when you grow up—
Comforting herself this way, Sylvie pushed her worries aside and began excitedly inspecting her room.
Though she said she was packing, there really weren’t many things to bring.
A few sets of everyday clothes, her Little Green Dinosaur Pajamas, various toiletries, the Little Bear Plushie that Chief Frolya had sewn herself, and…
Sylvie’s gaze suddenly fell on the narrow gap between her bed frame and the wall.
Inside was a picture book called Picture Book of Citrus Fragrance.
Sylvie had borrowed this R18 colored picture book from a classmate at school.
It was filled with drawings of beautiful girls dressed in sexy, cute clothes doing…
So those were the actions adults who were close to each other would make?
Just like how Miss Sophia pinned Chief Frolya on the dining table today—though Sylvie only caught a glimpse of the back, the sounds alone made it seem like Frolya was quite enjoying it…
Actually, this was Sylvie’s first time seeing such strange, novel stuff in a picture book.
When she first flipped open the cover, her face flushed so red it felt like steam was coming off.
But that freckled little miser of a deskmate had only allowed her to borrow it on weekends and demanded it be returned as soon as school started.
There was almost no time left!
Sylvie stuffed everything else into her small suitcase, then immediately reached her hand into the gap.
The crack was very hidden and narrow, probably too small even for an adult hand like Frolya’s to fit inside.
Only Sylvie could reach in, making it a perfect secret hiding place for her “contraband.”
“Hoo hoo~”
With a sly and excited expression, Sylvie shoved her hand deeper into the gap.
She had already seen one story about a single mother and daughter, where the rebellious daughter entering puberty felt physical discomfort and had the timid mother help relieve it, and then… ahem—
Sylvie had even folded the corner of the most stimulating page for easy access later.
“Sylvie, are you done packing?”
Frolya’s voice suddenly came from outside the door, followed by the sound of the door opening.
“Eh! Uh, well…”
Nervous, Sylvie hurried to pull her hand back, but her arm got stuck in the wall crack.
Oh no…!
Sylvie’s heart immediately sank.
Having her hand stuck was bad enough, but this book—absolutely, absolutely—must not be discovered by Chief Frolya!
“Chief Frolya, please don’t come in! I, I’m not comfortable…”
“…Sylvie, what are you doing lying there?”
The door was pushed open a crack, and Frolya poked half her head inside the room.
But hearing Sylvie’s words, she abruptly stopped.
“I… just please don’t come in! I’m, um, not feeling well…”
“……”
Frolya’s eyes widened in surprise as she hesitated for a few seconds.
“…I understand. Your body has indeed reached that age. I’ll respect your privacy.”
With a faint sigh, Frolya withdrew her head and thoughtfully closed the door again.
…Sylvie breathed a sigh of relief but was also a little puzzled.
What did she mean by “reached that age” just now?
Hmm, whatever… first, I have to figure out how to get my hand out—!