Lanafit spent a long time looking around, gently running her hand over nearly every wall and piece of furniture.
Roseithe and Anthera stood quietly in the courtyard, not disturbing her.
“Anthera-sis, this house is so strange. I sometimes explore down below, but I’ve never seen a house like this before,” Roseithe said, confused, turning to Anthera.
But Anthera only shook her head.
“I’ve never seen it either. All I can say is… it must be a memory Lanafit brought with her from that world.”
The moment Lanafit first laid eyes on the house, her expression changed.
Anthera, who could see directly into souls, knew right away—Lanafit was reminiscing.
Unlike the other witches, Lanafit retained her past memories.
So naturally, her ideal dwelling was unlike theirs as well.
This place—this house—was likely the home of her heart.
Compared to luxurious villas or elegant cottages, lavish décor or quiet countryside scenes, in Lanafit’s heart, none of those could compare to this seemingly rundown little house.
“But this place is way too shabby, isn’t it? How can we let Lanafit live here? Honestly, I think it’d be better for her to move back into my place,” Roseithe grumbled.
Anthera, however, immediately scolded her in a firm tone.
“Roseithe, don’t meddle. Every sister has her own wish. This house reflects Lanafit’s. Unless she herself says she doesn’t want to live here, you’re not allowed to take her away.”
“Well, I just want Lanafit to live somewhere better. Besides, didn’t you see it too, Anthera-sis? Lanafit looked a bit sad when she saw the house.”
“Then how about I ask Seharei to remodel your house into a ‘battle-hardened’ version too?” Anthera narrowed her eyes, voice laced with threat.
Roseithe immediately shivered and waved her hands in panic.
“No, no, no! Please don’t call Sister Seharei again! I just finished furnishing my home last year. The little fairies worked so hard on it!”
Seeing how fast Roseithe folded, Anthera let it go and turned her gaze back, quietly waiting for Lanafit to come out.
Meanwhile, Roseithe seemed to have recalled some traumatic memory and was now clutching her head, swaying miserably.
Not long after their short exchange, Lanafit stepped out of the house.
Seeing the two of them waiting in the courtyard, she looked slightly apologetic.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine. A short wait means nothing to us,” Anthera replied with her usual gentle smile.
Normally, she gave off a stern, commanding presence.
But in front of Lanafit, she always showed this kind of warmth.
“Are you satisfied with this home?”
Hearing Anthera’s question, Lanafit turned and looked back at the building behind her.
“…I’m not sure, to be honest.”
After a long pause, that was all she said.
Upon hearing this, Roseithe immediately rushed forward, excited.
“So you don’t like it? Don’t worry, Lanafit-sis! From now on, you can stay with me!”
“No. Anywhere but your place,” Lanafit replied instantly, without even a hint of hesitation.
No joke—she’d rather live under a bridge than move into Roseithe’s house.
“Lanafit, are you unhappy with this place? If it doesn’t feel right, there’s always an open room where I live. You’re welcome anytime,” Anthera said with concern.
And then, of course, Roseithe had to butt in again.
“Then Anthera-sis, I’m not happy with my house either. Can I move in with you too?”
That look on her face—anyone could see through her little scheme.
And then…
Anthera turned to her with a gentle smile… and suddenly shouted toward the distance:
“Seharei—!! Roseithe says she wants you to redo her house!”
Her voice pierced through the fog, echoing far away.
A moment later, a slightly childish voice called back:
“Okay, Sister Anthera! I’m on my way!”
The voice seemed to come from just next door—apparently, this Seharei was also Lanafit’s neighbor.
“No, no, no! Please don’t—!!”
Roseithe screamed, shouting into the mist.
“Sister Seharei! Sister Anthera was joking! Don’t take it seriously!”
…
Unfortunately, long after Roseithe’s desperate cries had faded into the clouds, no reply came.
Clearly, the woman named Seharei was already on her way to Roseithe’s house.
In the end, all Roseithe could do was cry while complaining to Anthera for a few moments, then shoot up into the sky and fly off.
Most likely to save her home.
Now that she was no longer interfering, Anthera once again asked Lanafit if she wasn’t satisfied with the house.
But this time, Lanafit shook her head.
She turned around again and looked at the plain, worn-down house.
“I used to dream about skyscrapers and luxury villas—those were goals I once aspired to.”
That was her dream when she was still Su Xiaorang: to build a successful business with friends, to leave behind a life of poverty, to never again be looked down on.
To earn lots of money, and to have a beautiful home.
But that was only a dream—a shell of a plan, not something that reflected what she truly wanted now.
“I also wondered if maybe my heart belonged to the orphanage that raised me, since there were people there who meant the world to me.”
Every day since arriving in this world, she had thought about the two women who had taken care of her so dearly.
Even though she’d made bold statements about “returning everything to Su Xiaorang,” the truth was—emotions and longing weren’t so easily erased.
If she had lost her past memories like the other witches, maybe things would’ve been easier.
But in the end, what she longed for were just those two people, not the orphanage itself.
If the people were gone, what meaning did an empty building have?
She crouched down and picked up a marble that had rolled to her feet, holding it up to the sky.
Inside it, sunlight shimmered brilliantly.
After gazing at it for a while, she seemed to lose interest and flicked the marble away.
It landed in a small pit nearby—apparently dug intentionally—and clinked against other marbles already inside.
Staring at the little pit full of marbles, the gloom on her face gradually faded.
The smile on her lips was no longer forced.
Her pale green eyes now sparkled like the marble itself, reflecting the brilliance of the sun—that shine came from the tears welling up inside.
“But in the end, the place I most want to return to… is still here.”
She turned back to Anthera, her expression now filled only with heartfelt joy.
“My father’s death made me grieve. My mother’s abandonment filled me with resentment. This place should have been a source of pain… and yet, I can’t help longing for the beauty that once lived here.No matter how I try to lie to myself, I can’t deny what my heart wants. So—”
Two clear tears finally spilled from the corners of her eyes.
It was her heart speaking freely at last, no longer trying to be strong.
“So this is enough.This is the place I’ve always wished for… my true home.”
Now that the truth had aligned with her innermost feelings, Lanafit had made up her mind—she would no longer deny it.
To be honest, when she first saw this house, Lanafit was surprised.
But deep down, one thought had come to her:
This really is what I’ve longed for.
No matter how much she had changed, no matter how different things had become…
This rundown little courtyard had always been the one place she truly called home.
A place overflowing with memories.
There was nothing better than this.