At that moment, Tii returned from washing up. As she entered the underground room, her gaze casually swept across the floor—and the scattered white sheets instantly caught her attention.
Her steps halted, a flicker of shock flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by unease. She strode swiftly over to Su Ling, picked up the papers, and clutched them tightly in her hands. Her lips pressed together, as if struggling to keep her emotions in check.
“Tii… I…”
Su Ling snapped out of her daze, her face flushing with embarrassment. She quickly stood up, her face full of apology and her brows furrowed deeply, clearly trying to find a way to explain.
Tii didn’t look up. She just stuffed the papers hurriedly into the pocket of her apron. Her expression turned somber, her eyes downcast with a hint of sorrow and disappointment.
“Tii, I’m really sorry,” Su Ling said, her voice trembling. “Just now… I didn’t mean to pry.” Her eyes shimmered with guilt, and she looked utterly flustered.
But Tii said nothing. She simply sighed softly, then turned to leave.
Seeing this, Su Ling panicked and quickly followed after her. Her hands clenched tightly, her eyes full of worry and unease. She hurried to catch up with Tii and said softly, “Tii, I’m really sorry. If you’re upset, please tell me—I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you.”
The two of them walked quickly down the corridor, one in front, one behind. Tii’s footsteps were heavy, and she didn’t look back, heading straight for the kitchen. Su Ling chased after her.
“I’m sorry, Tii… but why…”
Why did you lie to everyone?
That sentence lingered at the tip of Su Ling’s tongue, but no matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Tii’s shoulders trembled slightly, as if struggling to control her emotions. Her face wasn’t angry—just sad.
“Su Ling… please stop following me.”
Upon hearing this, Su Ling stopped where she was and watched Tii’s back disappear through the doorway. She stood there in a daze, heart heavy with emotion.
She had wanted to ask more, but it was already getting late—and she still had an important duty to fulfill: to assist Princess Heserta with her clothing. So, reluctantly pushing aside her doubts, she turned and headed for the princess’s chambers.
The rest of the day passed with both Su Ling and Tii busy in their respective duties around the castle. Su Ling cleaned Princess Heserta’s room, changed her sheets, and washed her clothes—one chore after another.
Though constantly on the move, her mind couldn’t rest. She kept thinking of Tii’s sorrowful expression, her heart riddled with guilt and unease.
Is Tii… really okay?
The day dragged on with uneasiness. Every time they crossed paths, Su Ling tried to speak to her, but Tii always avoided any meaningful conversation. Su Ling didn’t understand why Tii remained silent, nor what she was thinking—but she knew this wasn’t the right time to press.
By dusk, Su Ling finally found time to fix her broken door and approached Karsanna to borrow the key to the tool room.
“Karsanna, could I borrow the key to the tool room? I need a tool to fix my door—it broke last night…”
Karsanna looked up at her, then instinctively glanced toward Tii, who was nearby. She sensed the strange atmosphere between them and asked bluntly, “Hey! Su Ling, did you and Tii have a fight? You both seem kind of off today.”
Su Ling tensed and took a deep breath before replying honestly, “Mm… Karsanna. I accidentally made Tii upset.”
“Eh, don’t worry too much, Su Ling,” Karsanna said casually. “Tii’s got a good heart. If you apologize, she’ll forgive you. Here’s the key—just remember to return it after.”
Su Ling took the key and thanked her. Though still anxious, Karsanna’s words gave her a bit of courage. She knew that letting misunderstandings fester was far worse than confronting them. Honest communication was better.
With the key in hand, she walked toward the tool room, silently planning how to apologize to Tii. She hoped to mend things before the day ended.
The castle’s attic was bathed in the golden glow of sunset. Tii stood by the window, focused on wiping the dust off the glass with practiced motions.
At that moment, Su Ling rushed up the stairs, her face full of urgency and remorse. Her footsteps interrupted Tii’s work.
“Tii, I… I… I’m sorry!” Su Ling’s voice trembled slightly as she looked Tii in the eye, speaking sincerely. “I know I accidentally upset you this morning. I really am sorry! I’ll do anything to make it right.”
Tii paused, slightly startled. She put down the cloth in her hand and turned to face Su Ling. There was no anger on her face—just a hint of hesitation in her green eyes.
“Su Ling, you don’t really need to apologize,” Tii said gently. “I’m not mad… I just… I’ve got my own issues.” She paused briefly, then added, “The reason I didn’t talk to you was because my mind’s a bit of a mess right now. I need time to sort it out.”
Su Ling felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Looking into Tii’s calm gaze, she sensed there might be a deeper reason behind it all.
She took a deep breath and asked tentatively, “Tii… um, if you don’t want to answer, that’s okay, but… are you hiding something from us? If you feel like sharing, maybe I can help. At least… you don’t have to bear it alone.”
Tii’s eyes flickered with a complicated emotion. She was silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
“…I did lie to everyone about something. But it wasn’t out of malice—I had my reasons.”
“Can you tell me about it?” Su Ling asked gently.
“…You really want to know?”
“I do.”
After a moment, Tii packed away the cleaning cloth, then went to sit on the nearby stairway. Su Ling quickly followed and sat beside her. The two of them sat shoulder-to-shoulder in silence.
The sunset cast a warm glow through the attic window, bathing them in gold. In that quiet light, Su Ling patiently waited for Tii to speak.
“I… actually don’t really have any family,” Tii began softly, tilting her head back to look at the sky through the skylight, as if searching for something in the clouds. “My family was slaughtered by the Witches’ Tribe when I was very young. I wandered for years before finally being taken in by Ansels’s Anxing Academy…”
“The Witches’ Tribe?” Su Ling turned to her in surprise.
“Yes. Their homeland is the one currently at war with Ansels—the Kingdom of Walivadan.”
Tii spoke calmly, but her voice carried a quiet sorrow.