The scenery outside the carriage window flowed past like running water.
The magical carriage sped along the official road, but thanks to the Shock Absorption Spell, there was almost no bumpiness or shaking felt inside the cabin.
In this world, magic had almost entirely replaced science, permeating every aspect of daily life.
“rerorerorero——”
Sylvie gleefully licked the giant round rainbow lollipop—the very first of her life.
“How does it taste, little Sylvie?”
Sophia asked with a warm smile.
“So sweet~ So delicious, thank you, Aunt Sophia!”
Sylvie replied honestly.
“What a polite child. But it’s better not to call me ‘Aunt.’ Just call me ‘Sister Sophia’~”
“All right, Sister Sophia——”
Sophia smiled gently, her eyes lingering thoughtfully on the sight of Sylvie enjoying the lollipop.
Her unusually enthusiastic “caring sister” demeanor made Floria feel something was off.
But she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong.
“…Sylvie, when you were eating the lollipop, did you feel anything strange in your body?”
Floria leaned close to Sylvie and whispered, feigning casual concern.
“Huh? Strange… no, not at all?”
Caught off guard by the odd question, Sylvie’s hand slowed momentarily, and she looked confused.
“Hmm… that’s good then.”
Floria nodded, though her expression remained tense.
After a moment’s thought, she continued with a smile:
“Good things shouldn’t be kept to yourself. If it’s really that delicious… why not let your teacher have a bite too?”
If there was something added to the lollipop… as a Potion Expert, Floria would be able to taste it immediately.
“Mm… okay, Teacher Floria, here you go—”
Sylvie obediently held out the half-eaten rainbow lollipop, but in the next moment, Sophia’s swift hand intercepted it.
“…Sister, don’t snatch snacks from a child.”
Her eyes shimmered with a strange, indecipherable light.
“This was a gift specially bought for little Sylvie. If Sister wants some, I’ll prepare some for you separately when we get to the capital.”
“……”
Floria silently withdrew her hand.
It seemed she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but there was definitely something suspicious about this lollipop!
However, Sylvie had already eaten almost half of it in the blink of an eye…
Stopping her now? It was probably too late.
Floria narrowed her eyes slightly.
Knowing Sophia’s character… even if she wanted to get back at her, she wouldn’t harm those close to her—after all, on the surface, she was still a noble and upright Paladin.
Especially since Sylvie was just an innocent child.
So poisoning was unlikely… which left only one other possibility…
Floria quickly ran through the common types of Sleep Potions in this world in her mind.
But after some thought, none of them seemed suitable for being secretly added to a lollipop without Sylvie noticing any odd taste or effect.
Strange… could it be that she was overthinking?
The journey from the Border Village to the capital was long.
Back then, following the system’s advice, Floria had deliberately chosen the Border Village farthest from the capital to escape Sophia after the Death Escape.
Now, riding a high-class carriage back, even at full speed with no obstacles, the trip would take at least three to four hours.
Not to mention it was basically impossible not to slow down occasionally—there were always other pedestrians and vehicles, and sometimes even traffic jams.
The carriage jostled lightly, and gradually, a wave of drowsiness overtook Sylvie.
Her head began to tilt from side to side, her eyelids fluttered wildly, and she occasionally slumped drowsily before suddenly snapping awake.
“Teacher Floria, I’m sleepy…”
The low voice squeezed out from Sylvie’s lips, soft and muffled as if she could barely keep her mouth open.
Floria had been planning to rest her eyes as well but perked up upon hearing Sylvie’s words and opened them.
“If you’re tired, just sleep a little. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
“Mmm, okay~”
As soon as she agreed, Floria felt a heavy weight settle on her shoulder.
Turning to look, Sylvie had already leaned onto her shoulder, falling fast asleep within a few breaths.
Sylvie’s loose hair draped over Floria’s shoulder, and a fresh, youthful fragrance mixed with the scent of shower gel filled the air, revealing an unguarded, adorable sleeping face.
Floria straightened up, her own lingering drowsiness suddenly shaken off.
She looked down at little Sylvie with indulgence, savoring this rare peaceful moment amidst their turbulent move, and quietly observed Sylvie’s sleeping expression with the affection of a foster mother.
Unconsciously… she had grown so much already.
It felt like in a little while, Sylvie would be as tall as her.
Just as she was enjoying this serene happiness, Floria suddenly noticed something soft and smooth brushing against the hem of her skirt.
More precisely… several slender, soft, and nimble fingers intertwined together.
“Shh…”
Sensing something wrong, Floria inhaled sharply and frowned.
But before she could react further, those delicate fingers began to sneakily try lifting her skirt’s edge, provocatively rubbing back and forth against the bare skin beneath.
Floria whipped her head around, eyes wide, only to find Sophia’s warm little hand slithering like a cunning, slender snake into the witch’s knee-length skirt, probing her fair, supple thigh.
The soft fingertips stroked the tender skin under her skirt, kneaded the soft flesh on Floria’s leg, and tentatively inched closer toward her waist.
Floria’s heart leapt in alarm as she glared fiercely at the mischief’s instigator.
Sophia, who usually appeared kind, harmless, and wore a gentle smile, now hummed a tune as if this had nothing to do with her, tilting her head to enjoy the fleeting scenery outside the window, showing only the side of her black, straight hair and the back of her head to Floria.
“Sophia… what exactly are you trying to do?!”
Floria forced her voice low and bit her teeth as she demanded.
Hearing her agitated accusation, Sophia slowly turned her head back.
Those once bright, upright, and pure eyes now gleamed with innocence and mischief.
“Don’t worry, Sister, I’m not doing anything. I just want to relive some of our ‘good old memories.’”
Hearing this teasing remark, Floria blushed deeply with both embarrassment and anger, the flush spreading all the way down her neck.
She carefully adjusted her shoulder to make sure she wouldn’t wake Sylvie, then turned back and sternly scolded in a lowered voice:
“The ‘good old memories’ you’re talking about… are just you sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong?!”