The air inside the tavern grew heavier when the name Alice was spoken. The echo seemed to resonate off the newly restored walls, as if even the wood itself understood the weight of that figure.
Klee blinked several times, her golden eyes widening in surprise, almost disbelief. The hand holding the trembling wineglass slid off the rim, and she placed it on the table to avoid spilling. The silence grew thick, everyone watching the mysterious elf's reaction.
She took a deep breath and murmured, her voice cracking between doubt and shock:
"You... you know my mother?"
Sylphie, completely uninhibited, took a sip of her wine before letting out a nervous, mocking laugh:
"Yes, we do. That crazy fucking pyrotechnician."
The sentence fell like a bomb. Irelia immediately raised her hand, slamming it down on the table with enough force to make the glasses shake.
"Sylphie!" Her tone was reprimanding, but there was a flicker of hidden agreement.
