“Pfft.”
Ai’er, lying on the bed, couldn’t hold it in.
The breath of her laughter escaped the girl’s lips, seemingly transferring its warmth onto Elena’s face—
Elena’s face turned even redder.
She sat there on the chair, looking like a kitten receiving a scolding. She kept her head lowered, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her skirt. The crimson flush spread all the way to her ears, looking as though it might drip down her cheeks.
Seeing Elena like this, Ai’er suddenly realized something.
**[Host has consumed 1 System Point to check Capture Progress.]**
**[Please wait…]**
**[Witch of Time — Elena White, Capture Progress: 3%]**
**[Current Remaining Points: 4 points.]**
‘How… how much? 3% Capture Progress?’
‘How did it get to 3%?! Wasn’t it only 1% when the first Transmigration ended?!’
‘Is this girl… the type to capture herself?’
‘Is that a good thing?’
In that instant, a bolt of electricity seemed to spark up Ai’er’s spine.
Judging by Elena’s current bashful state, this was only the reaction for 3% progress? If it reached 100%…
‘System, you aren’t making me capture a yandere, are you (ΩДΩ)?!’
The System did not respond.
“Young Lady, may I come in?”
The voice of the butler, Sebas, came from outside the room, but Elena didn’t respond.
She remained with her head lowered, a cute “uuu” groan leaking through her trembling lips.
“Um… Miss Elena?”
Hearing her name from Ai’er’s mouth made Elena’s body tremble slightly. Still, she said nothing, only giving a soft nod.
“Mr. Butler, Miss Elena says you can come in.”
Almost the moment the words left her mouth, the door opened.
“Miss Ai’er, you’re awake? That is wonderful. If you hadn’t woken up, the Young Lady might have been rooted to this room for the rest of the day.”
**[Butler Sebas is attempting to join the conversation through teasing, but the effect is poor.]**
‘System… you don’t need to narrate things that are already obvious.’
Looking at Elena, whose face was so red even her ears were burning, Ai’er planned to say something to alleviate the awkwardness. But in the next moment—
*Gurgle— gurgle~*
Ai’er froze.
The complaint coming from the silver-haired girl’s stomach caused a suffocating silence to fall over the room once again.
*Gurgle— gurgle.*
This time, it was Elena.
“The… the two of you must not have had breakfast yet! This is a grave oversight on my part. I shall arrange for someone to prepare it immediately!”
Before Elena could burst into tears, Sebas gave a 90-degree apologetic bow and immediately retreated from the room.
Once again, only the two girls remained.
The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating Elena’s face as she slowly looked up, the crimson flush gradually fading.
Her long hair was black as night, yet it held a hint of deep blue, like a galaxy. Though she looked a bit haggard, there was light in her dark blue eyes. The faint blush on her cheeks reached the corners of her eyes, acting as a layer of natural eyeshadow.
Staring at Elena’s face, Ai’er momentarily forgot to breathe.
Elena truly was beautiful.
When Ai’er had praised her on the sea cliff, though she had intended to throw Elena off balance, that compliment had been genuine.
“Um… Miss Elena, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine now. So, please don’t worry too much. Miss Elena?”
Ai’er had intended to comfort Elena, but for some reason, the word “unhappy” was practically written across Elena’s face the moment she heard those words.
“Young Lady? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“…Don’t call me ‘Young Lady.’ I don’t want to hear you call me that.”
Ai’er was stunned.
‘What does she mean? If I can’t call her ‘Young Lady,’ does that mean she doesn’t want me as her maid anymore?’
‘She can’t be that petty, can she? I only accidentally, uncontrollably—and definitely not intentionally—laughed a little bit just now… and she’s firing me for that?!’
Elena’s cheeks puffed out slightly as if she were sulking, and she averted her gaze. Ai’er, who was not yet accustomed to being a girl, could not understand a maiden’s heart.
Because of this, she felt she was doomed.
‘Dammit! Even if I can’t be a maid, I’ll just say ‘Oh, my stomach hurts~’ when it’s time to eat and then slip away. I’ll sneak into Elena’s room, find that Magic Stone the System mentioned, and run! That way, the mission— ‘
“You… you can just call me by my name. Call me ‘Elena’.”
Elena shifted her gaze back to Ai’er. Even if her gaze was a bit evasive, and even if the previously faded blush had returned slightly—Elena still looked into Ai’er’s eyes, those pale gold eyes that were like the warm sun.
“Using your words, Ai’er—adding ‘Miss’ makes us feel like strangers. After all, you… you gave me the ring…”
‘You gave me your Life Magic Stone, you gave me your life’—this was what Elena wanted to express.
But Ai’er didn’t know that.
**[Host has consumed 1 System Point to check Capture Progress.]**
**[Please wait…]**
**[Witch of Time — Elena White, Capture Progress: 3%]**
**[Current Remaining Points: 3 points.]**
‘How is it only 3%?! She… she… she said those words! A ring! She said ring!’
**[Host has consumed 1 System Point to check Capture Progress.]**
**[Witch of Time — Elena White, Capture Progress: 3%]**
**[Current Remaining Points: 2 points.]**
‘You stupid System! You! I! Ugh—!’
Ai’er had wasted 2 System Points for nothing.
Following her irritation, a bashful flush crept onto Ai’er’s cheeks. This time, it was her turn to be unable to look Elena in the eye.
In the end, even if she was a girl now—even if she had always been a girl—who could refuse the Elena she had just seen?
**[Updating Host’s impression record. Keyword added: Dummy.]**
‘You’re the dummy! Your whole family are dummies! How am I a dummy? How can a System talk about its own Host like that?!’
‘Fix it, now!’
**[Rejected.]**
Though she wanted to curse at the System some more, Ai’er had to respond to Elena’s request first. After all, Elena was currently the lady she served; basic principles still had to be followed.
“I… I understand… Mi—Elena.”
“Yes, Ai’er.”
‘Ugh! Why is saying someone’s name so embarrassing?!’
Ai’er buried her face in the blankets. At this moment, she really couldn’t look into Elena’s eyes, nor could she look at Elena’s smiling face.
“Ai’er? Are you feeling unwell somewhere else?”
Elena had no idea what Ai’er was thinking, so she looked at the silver-haired girl with a gaze full of concern.
However, to Ai’er, that look of concern felt more like pity—
Pity for a dummy or a fool.
Even though she understood that Elena likely didn’t think that way, her pride and shame wouldn’t allow her to accept it. Thus, she buried herself completely under the covers.
But if a “recovering” body stuffed itself into an oxygen-deprived space before replenishing its energy…
“Young Lady? Miss Ai’er? Breakfast is ready. Would you two like to dine here, or go to the dining room?”
“Dine… Ai’er, what do you think? Ai’er? Ai’er, what’s wrong?! Ai’er?!”
Ai’er had fainted again. This time, it was due to lack of oxygen.
***
In the dining room, Sebas looked toward a massive portrait on the wall.
The portrait depicted a man in high spirits and his beautiful wife beside him.
The two looked very young and full of life, their faces overflowing with happiness.
Their child should have inherited that same optimism and vitality. But—
‘My Lord, My Lady. The Young Lady smiled today.’
‘Furthermore, it seems the Young Lady has made her first friend. Even if the Mana Overflow issue hasn’t been resolved yet—I believe the day it is will not be far off.’
As Sebas thought this, his eyes were full of relief as he looked toward the dining table at the smiling Elena and the chatting Ai’er.
However, that relief quickly vanished.
Sebas looked at the sun outside the window. Even though the winter sun provided light, it was a weak, listless glow.
He couldn’t say why, and he knew the feeling was baseless, but his decades of life experience told Sebas—something was about to happen.
“My Lord, My Lady… may your spirits in heaven protect the Young Lady.”
After whispering this to himself, a servant walked up to Sebas’s side.
After the servant whispered something into Sebas’s ear, the old butler’s brow immediately furrowed. “…For now, prepare for guests.”
If the servant’s words to Sebas were to be summarized in one sentence:
Sirius White—Elena’s uncle—had suddenly decided to “visit” Elena this morning.
Yes, a “visit.”
The current actual ruler of the Duchy of White was about to arrive at the Grand Duke’s Mansion.
One could only wonder if this so-called “visit” was truly to see Elena herself, or… the “current” heir of the Duchy.