Crack.
That sound, like a priceless vase shattering, froze Ai’er right where she stood.
Well, that did it—
Ai’er’s nose no longer hurt, her face was no longer flushed, and her heart nearly stopped beating.
Truly a cure-all~ A cure-all… a cure… for everything…
… Cure my foot, QAQ.
No more.
Ai’er couldn’t keep forcing a smile any longer.
Did… did I just break something really expensive?!
“Young Lady Ai’er! You! You—”
“I, I swear, I really just touched it lightly, QAQ!”
Just “touched” it lightly with the tip of her nose.
If it broke from just that, then the quality of the thing was poor. It was absolutely not her fault.
In fact, by doing this, she had exposed the defective item. Replacing a faulty item in time helped avoid emergencies!
So she shouldn’t be scolded at all. The mansion’s servants should even thank her…
R-right? That’s how it is, QAQ?
“Young Lady Ai’er?! Are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?!”
Seeing the silver-haired girl collapse on the spot, the Head Maid rushed forward, grabbed Ai’er’s arms, and began examining her closely.
The Head Maid was absolutely certain the House of Duke White could not bear the cost of losing this silver-haired girl again.
Though the lingering mana in this place still chilled the Head Maid, making her whole body ache, she paid it no mind now.
If she, merely affected by the aftermath, felt like this, what about this girl who had directly touched the mana on the door?
The Head Maid didn’t dare to think about it.
“I, I’m fine… but what was that thing that just broke?
It wasn’t something really valuable, was it, QAQ?”
“Valuable? What are you—!”
Before she could finish, an intense wave of cold qi swept over them.
The cold qi instantly cut off the Head Maid’s words, freezing everyone except Ai’er in place.
This cold qi was formless and intense, like radiation, carrying an immense, dense pressure that made everyone hold their breath, not daring to make a sound.
In that moment, a few of the servants remembered.
A year ago in the mansion, something like this had also happened—
A year ago, the source of the cold qi was Elena’s frozen room.
And now, the source of the cold qi was still Elena’s room.
—But this time, the cold qi was far more intense and targeted than a year ago. Like an invisible sword pointing at everyone, as if it would fall at any moment.
This was Elena now.
The moment after the cold qi descended, a pale blue magic circle unfolded in mid-air, and the Witch emerged from it.
“Where is the intruder?! Show yourself!!”
The sharp demand was accompanied by another wave of mana pressure, causing everyone except Ai’er to fall to the ground.
Finally, at this moment, Ai’er, who thought she had caused a major disaster, snapped back to reality and looked at Elena, who had suddenly appeared.
Elena also met Ai’er’s gaze.
The magic seal she had placed here was indeed broken.
But here… besides the overturned basket, the flowers scattered on the ground, and the pale-faced servants, there was only the silver-haired girl with a look of having caused a huge mess.
“Ai’er? What are you doing here?”
But when she saw the bouquet in Ai’er’s hand, Elena roughly understood Ai’er’s intention.
The Empire indeed had no custom of giving flowers on Mother’s Day, but Ai’er’s hometown seemed different.
Including that vase of white flowers she saw yesterday in Anna’s room—
Anna had told her Ai’er gave them.
Giving flowers seemed to be a form of courtesy from Ai’er’s homeland.
So it seemed Ai’er had asked the servants for the location of her mother’s resting place and came to deliver flowers; and judging by the flowers scattered on the ground, they were all varieties her mother had loved in life.
So, Elena withdrew her mana.
“Ai’er, what happened he— Ai’er?!”
Before she could finish, the kneeling girl suddenly turned towards her, then bowed forward, almost pressing her forehead to the ground.
“I, I think I broke something important… I’m sorry, QAQ!!”
Something important?
“Young Lady… just now, Young Lady Ai’er… accidentally touched… the door.”
The Head Maid struggled to her feet, explaining to Elena.
At that moment, Elena realized how close Ai’er was to the door where she had placed the seal.
So Ai’er broke her seal?
Helping the nearly boneless Ai’er to her feet, Elena’s gaze kept shifting between Ai’er and the large door.
“Ai’er, you didn’t break anything important, don’t worry. You probably… just accidentally dispelled the seal I placed on the door.
But Ai’er, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
As her words fell, Ai’er, who had nearly melted into a puddle, gradually regained some vitality and looked at Elena’s eyes with disbelief.
“R-really? I didn’t break anything, and I, I don’t have to pay for it, QAQ?”
“Silly, even if you broke something, I wouldn’t make you pay. But how is your body?”
The words “don’t have to pay” were like a tranquilizer, bringing a bit of color back to Ai’er’s pale cheeks.
Gradually, what Elena had just said began to sink into Ai’er’s mind.
She had just… dispelled the seal Elena placed on the door? So that shattering sound was the seal breaking?
And how was her body?
Moving her limbs slightly and tilting her head, Ai’er didn’t feel anything wrong.
So, Ai’er gave Elena a slight shake of her head.
“It’s good that you’re alright, good that you’re alright.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Elena took the flower basket the Head Maid handed over—which the servants had helped repack—then turned and bowed slightly to the servants in apology.
“Young Lady?! You, what are you doing?!”
“I apologize for the trouble. If anyone was hurt just now, please inform Sebas later. I will compensate you.”
The servants, who had just begun to recover from the cold qi, nearly had a relapse upon seeing Elena act like this.
After all, the Elena from a year ago was not like this.
Though the Young Lady from a year ago also possessed a kind heart and consideration for the servants.
But to be able to control her power so freely, to have grown as if she were a different person…
At this moment, the silver-haired girl Elena had helped up, now reassured, finally smiled again.
The servants all understood:
These changes in their Young Lady were undoubtedly the work of this Young Lady Ai’er.
“Head Maid, please handle the rest with Sebas.
Ai’er, let’s go in now.”
After instructing the Head Maid, Elena naturally took Ai’er’s hand, then led Ai’er and the flower basket towards her mother’s resting place.
Ai’er didn’t notice that Elena’s action of taking her hand had become very practiced.
She didn’t even notice when Elena gently pried open her fingers with her own fingertips, intertwining their fingers together.
[Host consumes 1 System Point to query Capture Progress.]
[Please wait…]
[Current Capture Progress: 20.1%]
[Remaining System Points: 7.]
“As I thought…”
At that moment, Ai’er stared at the numbers changing again in her vision and slightly furrowed her brow.