It was an afternoon that could not be more peaceful.
Inside the open-air café of the Royal Magic Academy, the rich aroma of coffee beans and the faint scent of baked desserts filled the air. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the parasols, casting thin strands of light onto the tables.
Students without classes gathered in small groups, enjoying the leisurely and quiet afternoon.
Eleanor was sitting in the quietest corner of this café.
In front of her sat her sister, Helos, the one who always caused her so much worry.
This meeting was practically something Eleanor had to beg for.
Ever since the celebration ended, Helos had seemed to completely change.
She no longer visited the Divine Magic Academy, nor did she complain about how boring Teacher Emilia’s classes were.
Like a bear in hibernation, she had withdrawn entirely into her own “cave”—the dormitory of the Comprehensive Research Academy and the Underground Workshop at the Smelting Center.
Eleanor had gone to see her several times, but each time she was turned away with the excuse that “the research is at a critical stage.”
Today, Eleanor was determined.
She had waited outside Helos’s dormitory early in the morning, forcibly dragged out her sister—whose face clearly read “sleep-deprived” and “do not disturb”—and brought her to this café, which was supposedly known for its excellent desserts.
She had thought that by changing the environment and eating some sweets, Helos would at least relax a bit.
But she was wrong.
Eleanor looked at the girl in front of her, and the feeling of unease in her heart grew stronger.
Helos was simply resting her head on her hand, while the other hand held a small silver spoon, listlessly stirring the already-cold coffee in circles.
She hadn’t even touched the cute strawberry cake that Eleanor had carefully chosen for her.
Her gaze was unfocused, as if she were looking through the coffee cup at some distant place.
Eleanor looked at her like this, hesitated for a long time, then finally mustered the courage to ask cautiously:
“Has something happened recently that I don’t know about?”
She spoke tentatively, trying to make her voice sound as gentle as possible.
“Is it a bottleneck in your research? Or has someone in the academy been bullying you?”
Helos’s stirring motion paused slightly.
She slowly raised her eyelids, and those pale purple eyes were utterly indifferent, like two unpolished amethysts—beautiful, but without any warmth.
“No.”
She replied coldly, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion.
“Nothing happened.”
After saying that, she lowered her head again and continued stirring in circles.
Eleanor looked at the cold expression on the other’s face, and an indescribable sense of loss rose in her heart.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but Helos’s attitude of keeping people at a distance choked all her words in her throat.
Eleanor felt that some change had occurred in Helos’s demeanor—a change that made her feel unfamiliar.
The previous Helos, though always appearing lazy and uninterested in everything, had liveliness in her eyes.
She would complain, grumble, show a satisfied expression over a small cake, and when her research succeeded, she would wear a sly grin like a prankster who got away with it.
Like a little wildcat. That girl back then seemed lazy, but her claws were sharp.
But now, Helos…
Eleanor looked at her profile, still delicate—even more so than before—but completely devoid of any ripple of emotion.
She felt that the “human touch” in her sister had disappeared.
She had become extremely cold.
As if she no longer cared about anything in this world.
What exactly had she experienced during this time?
Eleanor’s heart was filled with confusion and worry.
‘Could she really have been bullied by someone?’
Eleanor immediately dismissed that thought.
Given Helos’s current status and the terrifying strength of her puppet golem guard, no one in the entire academy would dare to provoke her.
‘Or is it just a rebellious phase?’
Eleanor took another sip of the now-lukewarm coffee in her hand and began to ponder various possibilities in her mind, even recalling whether there were any chapters in the scriptures she had read about “how to counsel a rebellious younger sister.”
Just as she was lost in thought, Helos across from her suddenly stopped her endless stirring.
Thump.
She set the coffee cup heavily on the table, producing a sound that was neither too loud nor too soft.
She downed the coffee in one gulp—the drink had long gone cold and must have tasted bitter and unpleasant.
Then, Helos abruptly stood up.
“I still have to go to the workshop to continue my research.”
She left only this cold remark, not even glancing at Eleanor again, then grabbed her cloak draped over the chair back and turned to leave hastily.
It was as if she was facing not her own blood sister Eleanor, but a stranger sharing a table on the street.
“Helos! You…”
Eleanor originally wanted to call out to stop her, but seeing her sister’s resolute departing figure, the remaining words circled on her lips but she couldn’t utter them.
Her outstretched hand hovered weakly in midair.
Helos’s steps did not pause at all; her silver hair soon disappeared through the café door, vanishing into the crowd of students coming and going.
The surrounding noise seemed to amplify infinitely at that moment.
The aroma of coffee, the taste of desserts, the laughter of students… none of this matched Eleanor’s mood at the moment.
She sat there dazedly, staring at the untouched strawberry cake in front of Helos, and the feeling of loss in her heart overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
Finally, she sighed helplessly, took a few silver coins from her small purse, paid for the coffee including Helos’s share, stood up, and left the café.
She stood on the tree-lined path of the academy; the sun was still bright, but her heart was a sheet of ice.
‘No.’
‘I have to know what exactly happened to Helos.’
Eleanor’s gaze turned toward the direction of Helos’s dormitory.
‘I can’t let this situation continue like this.’
‘I must find the root of the problem.’
‘If Helos won’t tell me, then I’ll go to someone else.’
‘Agatha?’
‘No, that explosion maniac probably only cares about Helos’s research and wouldn’t notice this emotional change at all.’
‘Professor Graham?’
‘Even less possible; he’s probably one of the “culprits” who turned Helos into this.’
‘These research people, no wonder they’re called eccentrics.’
‘How can their personalities get weirder and weirder!’
‘Then…’
She suddenly realized a problem she had long overlooked.
A figure appeared in Eleanor’s mind.
‘Come to think of it…’
‘When I went to drag Helos out today, I only saw Helos alone.’
‘Now Helos went to the workshop alone, without bringing her guard.’
‘What about her puppet golem that’s almost always by her side?’
‘Why does it feel like… I haven’t seen Gavi recently?’