"Mmm... mmm..."
Augilia tapped her younger sister's forehead with a hint of exasperation. Seeing the pouty frown on her face, she suddenly smiled again.
"Alright, alright. Hurry up and follow Mr. Zane."
"Don't go causing trouble again and make Mr. Zane stop to scold you..."
"No way! I'm being so serious. It's clearly only you who's like this, okay..."
...
"Wow!!!"
Stepping out of the Hollow, Augilia and Augetta felt as if they'd entered another world. Augetta gazed at the vast expanse of pure white before her, her eyes sparkling.
Zane glanced at Augetta before looking away, then cast another uncertain glance her way.
Wait... why are Augetta's eyes glowing?
They're actually glowing, seriously!
"Waaah!!!!!!"
"It's snow!!!!!!"
"Wait..."
Augetta cried out again before dashing forward. Augilia reached out to stop her, but her hand passed right through.
Under their gaze, Augetta leaped into the air and plunged headfirst into the snowdrifts, her form disappearing beneath the deep powder.
Because the area outside the Hollow was a restricted zone, most of the snow here had never been cleared. That's why it could bury Augetta completely.
Watching this scene, Zane's mouth twitched.
"Mr. Zane, since it rarely snows in Eridu, we only saw it in textbooks before. Augetta only saw it once when she was little, and that was just a light dusting..."
Augilia pursed her lips and hurriedly added an explanation. Besides that light snowfall, there had been two other occasions afterward, but she and her sister hadn't been able to see much of it due to various reasons. She recalled one time—it was actually when she'd gone out to buy a dance skirt herself and brought back a cup of snow for Augetta, who was preparing for a performance... But by the time she opened it, it had already melted.
So the current scene—New Eridu completely engrossed in the heavy snow—was a rare and novel sight for both Augilia and Augetta. She admitted she'd felt an urge to dive in herself earlier, but her reserve, coupled with Zane's presence, had made her hold back. It just didn't seem quite appropriate.
"Well, I don't mind her doing this—it actually looks quite adorable. But I have to ask... isn't she cold?"
Watching Augetta roll around in the snow, Zane raised an eyebrow and spoke up. He hadn't realized the twins were currently in ordinary human bodies. Even wrapped in two layers, she didn't look particularly warm. This could easily lead to illness... If she really caught a serious illness, that would be a truly awful experience...
Hearing Zane's words, Augilia's eyes widened slightly.
She hurried over to Augetta, quickly pulling her out of the snowdrift. Seeing her cheeks already frozen bright red, Augilia's expression darkened.
"Augetta!"
"Hehe... What's wrong, Sister..."
Augetta lifted her small face, smiling innocently with a look of pure bewilderment.
Had she frozen her wits away?
Augilia felt she had every reason to suspect so.
Until a crystal-clear stream trickled from under Augetta's nose, darkening her expression further.
"Sis..."
"Wait, sis! I know I was wrong!"
"No, not in front of the master..."
"Bad woman!"
"No, not a bad woman! Sis, I'm your own little sister!"
...
"Huff..."
Inside the tanuki house, Augetta sat on the bed, completely buried beneath a thick, soft quilt, only her face and hands visible. She cradled a cup of hot tea, blowing on it with a "puff puff" sound, feeling the warmth in her palms as the flush on her cheeks gradually faded.
Beside her, the little black cat took a few steps, circling Augetta once, curious about this unfamiliar person and why she was huddled in a little mound. It remembered Zane often locking it up like this. Could it be that this person before it had also been locked up by the boss?
"Huh? Little black cat? What are you doing here? Do you like me or something..."
Noticing the black kitten approaching, Augetta chuckled softly and greeted it. She remembered when Mr. Zane returned, this little black cat was the first to pounce on him!
But the little black cat clearly wasn't buying her affection. It twisted its body, presenting its rear to Augetta, then swished its tail and walked away.
Faced with the cat's indifference, Augetta froze for a moment before pouting slightly and murmuring,
"Just like the master said, you're a two-faced little thing. Hmph, you must be embarrassed..."
"Augetta! What are you muttering about?"
"You'd better pray you don't get sick, or you'll regret it. And mind not soiling Zane's bed—I'll wash it later, you can handle it afterward."
Augilia approached carrying two sets of warm clothes, frowned at her, then set down one set while speaking.
"But the Master said our bodies are clean... Why are you fretting over every little thing like this, Sister?"
"Zane said our bodily structures are clean, not that our surfaces are spotless! Besides, those clothes you dug out—even if they were sealed away, they're bound to be unclean."
Listening to Augetta's grumbling, Augilia sighed helplessly. Hearing this, Augetta quickly said,
"Alright, alright, Sister, just go already..."
After urging Augilia away, Augetta held her warm tea and gradually drifted into a daze. Wonder what the Master is doing out there now. It's not right for me to go check... Should've asked Sister earlier. Hmm, I still need to see Grandfather later. Better get properly prepared...
While Augetta was lost in thought and Augilia was bathing, in the outer hall of the tanuki house, Zane was playing with the little white cat and several other felines. Beside them, Panta and Eous were playing a game of staring contest, while Belle fixed her gaze steadily on Zane.
Seeing he showed no sign of speaking, Belle remained silent for a moment before finally unable to hold back. With a look of pure curiosity, she asked,
"Zane, who are those two?"
"How come I've never seen them before... and you had me come all the way over just to deliver clothes... By the way, does Qingyi know about this?"
"Huh? What does that have to do with you, Senior?"
Zane was about to answer Belle's question when he caught her trailing words. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Well... this... you brought this... don't you really need to explain..."
Belle gestured with her hand, unsure how to put it.
"Explain... it's brief. No civilian status needed. Whether I say it or not..."
Zane pondered for a moment before speaking softly.
"No, that's not what I meant! I don't need to know about your relationship... but seriously, don't you need to explain this to Qingyi?"
"Relationship...?"
He looked at Belle with confusion, then suddenly realized something. A light bulb went off in his head, and he tapped her forehead with a slightly exasperated expression.
"What's going on in that head of yours? We're just friends... Just having you deliver some clothes. It doesn't seem like we're at the stage of meeting parents, does it?"
Belle blinked at his words.
Huh? Meeting parents? What meeting parents? Never mind, that's not important...
"Your friend? I don't think I've ever heard you mention her before..."
"A new friend. Met her in the Twin Hollow."
"Huh? How did you two even meet..."