The System hadn’t said a single word since noon.
Ai’er wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing… but if she inquired about System Points or similar matters, the System would still respond.
If she spent System Points, it would respond as well.
Ai’er glanced at the “History” in the corner of her vision:
**[Host consumed 1 System Point to check Capture Progress]**
**[Please wait…]**
Although the System wasn’t cracking jokes or making snide remarks like before, its basic functions were still operational.
However, it wasn’t the System’s abnormality that surprised Ai’er.
It was this:
**[Witch of Time — Elena White, Current Capture Progress: 20%]**
The progress hadn’t changed at least bit.
Since the moment she woke up here at the Academy, the Capture Progress hadn’t budged even a fraction of a percent.
‘This shouldn’t be happening…’
The birthday gift had already been delivered, and Elena had even been moved to tears.
‘It couldn’t be that Elena was just acting, could it? But… what would she gain from deceiving a pure and innocent girl like me?’
No one answered.
Even though she had pointedly thought the words ‘pure and innocent,’ the System didn’t appear to mock her.
Sitting on the sofa in the Student Council Office, Ai’er let out a sigh.
She glanced toward Elena from time to time. When their eyes met, Elena would simply smile and wave at her before returning to her work for the Student Council.
During this time, members of the Student Council occasionally entered the office. On one hand, they were there to speak with Elena; on the other, they were constantly circling Ai’er.
“Silver-haired Fairy of White Flowers” — Ai’er didn’t even know when that nickname had been pinned on her.
Being treated like a rare animal felt strange, but what was even stranger was that whenever these members tried to get closer — even trying to poke her cheeks or touch her long silver hair —
“Ahem!”
Elena, who was busy packing things, would stop and interrupt them with a deliberate cough. She wouldn’t say a word, simply watching Ai’er’s side in silence.
It seemed no one could withstand the gaze of those ink-blue eyes, as the members quickly found excuses to run away.
‘Elena is quite possessive,’ Ai’er whispered to herself, meeting those ink-blue eyes filled with warmth and mirth once again.
But that was exactly why Ai’er was so confused.
Why hadn’t the Capture Progress changed at all?
“Ai’er, I’m finished here. Shall we go back?”
In the blink of an eye, Elena had already stepped to her side and naturally taken her hand.
For now, Ai’er could only take things one step at a time.
Besides, the System would be collecting System Points for her stay in this space-time tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, she could get a clear answer then…
Tossing her worries aside, Ai’er nodded and followed Elena.
The setting sun sank in the west.
Now that she thought about it, she had been wandering aimlessly through the Academy at twilight yesterday as well.
However, yesterday she had been dragged and locked into the Student Council Office by Elena, while today she was accompanying Elena away from it.
In that moment, Ai’er’s gaze happened to drift toward the **[179 Days]** in the center of her vision.
Perhaps one day in the future, she would also be under the sunset…
“Ai’er.”
Elena’s soft call interrupted Ai’er’s thoughts.
Looking up, Ai’er met Elena’s gaze as the older girl turned her head toward her.
“Ai’er, do you… have something you want to say to me? Or something you want to ask?”
‘Is my expression really that obvious?’
But even if Elena said that, how was she supposed to bring it up? Was she supposed to ask why her favorability hadn’t increased?
“I-I don’t have anything to ask, okay?”
Her lack of confidence made Elena let out a small laugh.
“Actually, even if you don’t say it, I can probably guess. Anna probably told you something, right? For example—”
“Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, my birthday, and… the anniversary of my mother’s death.”
The moment Elena finished speaking, Ai’er froze.
She hadn’t expected Elena to bring it up herself.
“Elena, I… I…”
‘I didn’t mean it like that? I wasn’t trying to say that?’
Ai’er didn’t know how to respond.
Her words were a jumbled mess, and she had no idea what to say to follow up on Elena’s statement. But if she remained silent now, her heart would suffer.
“Ai’er, why don’t we go sit over there for a bit?”
Elena pointed toward a bench next to a flower bed.
In the center of the flower bed, a fountain sprayed water, and the pure white flowers seen everywhere in the Academy bloomed around it.
Ai’er could guess that Elena had something she wanted to tell her.
Then let her speak. Aside from listening, there was nothing else Ai’er could do anyway.
But the moment they sat down, Elena’s hand — which had somehow found its way to Ai’er’s left shoulder — gave a gentle tug, pulling Ai’er’s head onto her soft lap.
“Don’t move, Ai’er. It’ll tickle.”
Ai’er wouldn’t move.
She could feel a wave of heat rushing to her cheeks, but even if her face looked like a red apple, she didn’t budge an inch.
Because Ai’er didn’t hate this feeling. She didn’t hate the way the Witch gently stroked her long silver hair, nor did she hate the softness of her lap.
She wanted to know more about Elena.
As that thought surfaced clearly in her heart, Ai’er realized something: Elena wasn’t just a capture target to her.
“Speaking of which, back when we were in that cave, Ai’er did the same thing for me. I still remember that even though the stone floor was hard and cold, Ai’er’s lap pillow was so soft and warm…”
“Do you remember, Ai’er? You asked me then: why did I jump into the sea?”
Ai’er blinked as the voice trailed off.
Indeed, she still hadn’t heard the answer to that question.
“If I had to say… it was probably because I was just too lonely back then. After my mother passed away, there were no relatives left who could stand by my side. Even though I knew that death is inevitable and that she couldn’t stay with me forever… but…”
Elena paused. A physical evening breeze brushed past the tips of her hair, carrying the scent of white flowers into her night-black tresses.
“Ai’er might not know this, but that day… was actually my birthday. My mother promised me when she was alive that when I turned 18, she would take me to travel outside the Duchy of White. But I reached my 18th birthday… and never saw the future she promised.”
“Elena… I—”
A finger pressed against Ai’er’s lips.
“Just listen to me, Ai’er. Please, just listen… Even though these are sad memories, scars in my heart that I can’t erase, I don’t have to face them alone anymore, right?”
‘Yes, I’ll stay by your side.’
Ai’er responded to Elena with a gentle nod.
“Then… please listen to me. About me… about how I, a Witch born on Mother’s Day, personally killed my own mother nine years ago on that very day.”