The sun spilled gently across the training fields of the Clover Kingdom's Royal Capital, but Kael felt none of its warmth. Today's mission had ended in success, yet his thoughts lingered elsewhere—on a particular silver-haired noble who had barely spoken to him since their return.
Noelle Silva.
He watched her from a distance as she practiced alone, conjuring precise spirals of water magic with stunning finesse. Her gaze was fixed, but her lips were tight with tension. Kael recognized that expression. She wasn't training—she was punishing herself.
As the others dispersed for the evening, Kael approached her slowly.
"You're pushing harder than usual," he said quietly.
Noelle didn't look at him. "Is that a problem?"
He stepped beside her, watching the ripples from her last spell fade. "No. Just… I know what it's like to chase perfection for the wrong reasons."
She didn't reply immediately, but her eyes flickered toward him.
"Do you?" she asked, voice cold.
---
Wounds Beneath the Surface
Kael took a slow breath and let the system fade into the background. No alerts. No guidance. Just him now.
"I saw how you looked when you missed that final strike during the dungeon raid," he said gently. "You blamed yourself."
Noelle's hands clenched. "I was weak. If I'd controlled the magic better—"
"You saved three people with that spell," he interrupted. "Even if it didn't go perfectly."
"I'm not allowed to be 'almost perfect,'" she snapped, finally facing him. Her violet eyes shimmered with emotion, masked by pride. "I'm a Silva. My failure reflects on more than just me."
He didn't flinch at her raised voice. Instead, he lowered his own.
"And I'm someone who lost a family I barely got to know because of a disease that couldn't touch me. I get pressure, Noelle. But pain shouldn't be worn like armor."
Something in his words struck her. She blinked, startled, and then turned away sharply.
---
Memories in Water
He followed her toward the nearby fountain—a quiet corner of the training courtyard. There, she sat on the stone edge, looking into the water.
"My siblings always reminded me I killed our mother," she said after a long silence. "That my magic is wild. Dangerous. Cursed."
Kael sat beside her but kept a respectful distance.
"Then one day," she continued, "I met Asta. He didn't flinch. Then Mimosa. Then… you."
She glanced at him, her voice softening.
"You look at me like I'm already whole. Like I don't need to prove myself."
Kael met her eyes. "Because you are whole. They just made you forget."
---
A Gentle Power
Noelle leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. "You… confuse me."
Kael chuckled lightly. "I confuse myself sometimes."
She let out a breath—half a laugh, half exhaustion.
"I envy you, you know," she murmured.
His eyebrows rose. "Me? Why?"
"You're calm. Collected. Even with that… glitch of yours. You always seem to know what to do."
Kael glanced down at his gloved hand—the one that glitched when he let emotions spiral.
"I don't," he said honestly. "I'm just really good at pretending."
Her head turned toward him slowly.
"You're scared too?"
He nodded. "Of losing control. Of becoming what I saw in that vision. Of failing people like you."
Noelle's eyes widened. "You saw me in a vision?"
He hesitated—then nodded. "You were fighting for your life. Screaming my name. And I wasn't there in time."
A silence fell between them.
Then, softly, Noelle whispered, "Don't make promises you can't keep."
"I don't," Kael replied. "When I say I'll protect you… I mean it."
---
A Blooming Connection
Noelle looked down again, a blush rising faintly to her cheeks.
"I hate that you say things like that so easily," she muttered.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to believe them. But I do."
Kael smiled gently. "Maybe it's okay to believe in someone… even if it scares you."
She turned to face him fully now, her expression bare for the first time—no pride, no fear. Just quiet vulnerability.
"Then stay by me," she said softly. "When the battle comes. When they look down on me. When I doubt myself again. Stay."
His heart thudded in his chest. But Kael nodded.
"I will."
She reached out slowly—hesitantly—and took his hand in hers.
And this time, when the system chimed in his mind, he welcomed it.
> [Affinity Update: Noelle Silva – Connection Deepened]
[Side Quest Unlocked: Water Lily of Resolve – Complete Noelle's Inner Trial to Unlock Her Sealed Magic Potential]
---
The Night Wind Carries More
From a balcony far above, Mereoleona Vermillion observed the scene with narrowed eyes.
"Crimson-eyed boy," she muttered. "You carry power that burns and heals. Let's see if you can handle the fire that's coming."
Farther still, within a darkened corridor of the capital, another noble figure watched through a glowing crystal—eyes cold, voice venomous.
"So the girl lets him in. Let's see how long he lasts when her legacy drags her down…"