She often saw young witches dressed in black robes, the school emblem pinned to their chests, riding their brooms with dreams and freedom as they swept across the sky overhead.
At the time, she thought that people who lived like that were nothing more than the children of noble families, or people with exceptional talent.
Her own life and theirs seemed like parallel lines—sometimes, when she looked up, she could catch a glimpse of that life, but as soon as she lowered her head, she’d see only the chains and hardships beneath her feet.
‘I’m not jealous at all. I have things by my side that make me happy, too.’
Whenever she saw others living happily, she would tell herself this, and her gaze would always seek out Lola Bell, because that was all the happiness she had.
That’s what she told herself, but every time she heard the laughter of witches drifting down from the sky, she couldn’t help but pause her work, lift her head, and let herself get lost for a moment in the wind and her own imagination.
But then, the clattering of the sewing machine and the shouting of the Eve couple would shatter those fantasies. When she lowered her head again, she would see the half-finished clothes still waiting to be sewn.
Sometimes, Lola Bell would curiously ask her why she kept staring blankly at the sky, and she would only answer, “I just wanted to take a break, that’s all….”
“Big sister…”
A voice called her back from her memories.
She didn’t know when she had started staring blankly at the admission letter in her hands.
When she raised her eyes, she saw her younger sister smiling at her with a gentle, almost doting expression.
“Sis, you look really happy.”
“H-Happy? Me…?”
When she realized it, she found that she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curling up.
With makeup dusted over her fair cheeks, she tilted her eyebrows to the side, using the paper to half-cover her mouth.
She had rarely looked forward to anything, since her life had always been dull, but now her heart was filled with a happiness she’d never experienced before. Was it because she was looking forward to this new life that was about to begin?
When Lola Bell’s gentle voice brushed her ear again, she finally understood—she was simply looking forward to a new life with her sister, just the two of them.
*****
“Sis, let’s go back first.”
“Go back? Back where?”
Lola Bell reached out her hand, and when she opened her palm, a silver key appeared in it.
It was the key to Beatrice Manor. Since her place had already been taken, it was only natural that the place she lived in would also become someone else’s home.
Right now, they were riding a dragon carriage, heading toward that house.
“This is the residence assigned by the Academy. It’s dozens of times bigger than our old home.”
“Dozens of times…?”
Aurora imagined it in her mind. She’d occasionally delivered clothes to noble manors before, so she had a rough idea of what they were like, but the thought that such a place would be her own home felt unreal.
“But… don’t I need to stay in the student dormitory?”
“Does Sis really want to live in the student dormitory?”
Lola Bell’s smiling face drooped a little.
She didn’t want her sister to live apart from her. If that happened, she definitely wouldn’t let her sister stay here as a student.
Letting her sister become a student was actually a spur-of-the-moment idea. She still remembered how her sister would always stare up at the sky in a daze whenever apprentice witches passed by. At first, she thought her sister was just taking a break, but now she understood—that look was longing.
Since that was the case, letting her sister stay at the Academy in peace while Misha searched for a way into the Demon World, and letting her be happy during this time, becoming a student seemed like the best choice.
“If you lived in the student dormitory, Sis, you couldn’t live with me anymore.”
Lola Bell looked at her with a pitiful expression, like a puppy. If they were in her space magic right now, she was sure Lola Bell would have transformed into that girl’s form and be acting all spoiled.
She reached out and patted this big puppy’s head, speaking gently, “Alright, actually, I’d rather live with my little sister.”
That little curiosity about the student dormitory was just because she’d never lived there before, but if she really had to choose, she’d definitely pick her sister.
Lola Bell held both her hands, pressing them to her own cheeks and gently rubbing against them.
She inhaled Aurora’s scent deeply. Right now, she looked even more like a pet craving her master’s affection.
“My little sister’s spoiled side hasn’t changed at all since back then.” Aurora smiled gently.
*****
“Young ladies, we’re here,” the dragon carriage driver suddenly announced.
Lifting the carriage curtain, Aurora cautiously poked her head out.
When she saw the enormous manor before her, her eyes gradually widened.
Before she could voice her amazement, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.
This feeling was familiar, yet also painful.
Especially when her eyes landed on the window on the second floor, the strange sensation in her heart grew even stronger.
“What’s wrong, Sis?” Lola Bell suddenly asked, noticing her odd expression.
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
Aurora didn’t want to worry her, so she quickly put on her cheerful expression again.
After getting off the dragon carriage, the two of them stood in front of the manor’s grand doors.
Looking at the familiar scenes inside the manor, Aurora’s uneasy feelings were written all over her face.
Beside her, Lola Bell quietly watched her expression.
“Sis, are you feeling unwell?” Lola Bell suddenly asked.
“I’m not unwell, it’s just… it just feels a little uncomfortable here…”
She clutched her chest tightly, the pain in her heart plain for all to see.
Lola Bell moved closer, took her hand, and placed it on her own forehead.
“Little sister?” Aurora called out in confusion.
But Lola Bell didn’t answer. She just closed her eyes, as if sensing something.
A gentle breeze stirred, brushing past the fiery red hair hanging from Lola Bell’s ears, and only then did she slowly open her eyes.
“I can feel it—the strange feeling in Sis’s heart.”
She spoke suddenly, leaving Aurora puzzled.
“How did you…?”
Before she could finish, she saw the lingering golden light in Lola Bell’s eyes.
“You used magic on me without saying a word. Sis will get mad, you know.” Aurora puffed up her cheeks in mock annoyance.
“I’m sorry…”
“But I know Sis likes to act tough. If I didn’t do this, you definitely wouldn’t have told me.”
She hung her head, apologizing, but her words still carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
Lola Bell had a pretty good idea why her sister felt this way…
She spoke softly, “There’s nothing wrong with Sis’s body. You’re probably just too tired.”
Saying this, she already began thinking of ways to change the familiar aura here that made her sister uneasy.
“Is that so…”
Lola Bell took out the silver key and opened the iron gate before them…