"Are Allen and the others still in class?"
"Yes, milady."
Hilda sipped her tea, her eyelids lowered.
Her reflection rippled in the surface of the tea.
She smiled softly.
Then raised her eyes—
Looking across at Sylphy, seated politely opposite her.
Her expression carried a hint of helplessness, almost like a gentle scolding.
But…
Her face grew even more tender.
"Sylphy, you don't have to do this. Doesn't this count as skipping class? And you're a teacher."
"It's no problem, milady. I don't have sword training classes anyway."
Sylphy held her teacup and sat upright in her chair, her posture flawless, speaking with direct eye contact.
Hilda set down her cup, met Sylphy's eyes for a moment, and shook her head slightly.
Then she turned—
And looked out the large window of the bedroom.
The tree beyond was lush,
But no longer as vibrantly green as it had been in summer.
"It's alright. I'm used to it by now."
The two were in Hilda's bedroom.
After all, the "tea room" had purposes beyond just tea.
When the true "under-the-surface" functions of the tea room were not in use, their chats naturally moved to Hilda's room.
Because in the afternoons, certain two little troublemakers certainly wouldn't be on the rooftop practicing.
One of them wanted to learn.
And the other genuinely wanted to teach.
Even though Allen's body was now occupied by a foreign soul, his blood ties to Eris made them look convincingly like siblings.
At least, their shared talent and enthusiasm for swordsmanship was remarkably alike.
"I never imagined that in just half a year, Eris and Allen would grow so close. It truly surprised me. If someone had told me a year ago that she'd become glued every day to a 'new' tutor besides Ghislane, I'd have laughed."
Sylphy blinked and smiled.
That made her happier than any compliment directed at herself.
After all, it was Allen.
Allen—whose talents seemed to lie purely in swordsmanship—also had a remarkable gift for interpersonal relationships?
Yes.
Sylphy had long admired Allen for that very gift, which she had quietly observed, analyzed, studied, and eventually mimicked—
Until it had become one of the cornerstones of her own personality.
She was no longer the same familiar "White Mama" from the original story.
At the very least—
She was now someone who could speak with charm and grace.
"That's not it, milady. Eris simply has a natural charm. She's straightforward—like a bright flame. You can't help but be drawn in."
Hilda blinked.
"That only applies to those she acknowledges. If someone she doesn't like tries to get close, that flame will burn them."
Sylphy's expression didn't change as she lifted her teacup and took a sip, hiding a smile behind the rim.
She recalled the time Eris had just learned Fireball—
And immediately tried to show it off in the classroom by setting the curtains on fire, while Rudy was dutifully explaining the spell to Ghislane.
The result?
He literally got burned.
Only when Allen said, "Rudy, you're on fire," did Rudy panic and put it out with Waterball.
That scene never failed to make Sylphy chuckle.
Especially because it wasn't Rudy's panic that amused her—
But Allen's unusually animated expression that day.
"Sylphy."
She leaned forward and gently placed her teacup on the table, still smiling faintly as the memory lingered in her mind.
Hilda's voice reached her ears.
"What do you think about letting Allen marry Eris in the future?"
Sylphy's smile froze.
Blankness. Confusion.
And then—
Sudden panic.
She shot her head up—
Eyes wide as she stared at Hilda.
Her reddish-brown eyes reflected the woman's calm face.
Hilda squinted slightly and gave a sly smile, one that looked rather similar to Eris's.
There was clear teasing in her gaze.
Sylphy's ears turned red, and she began waving her hands frantically.
"M-Milady! T-That wouldn't be... no, it's not okay!"
Hilda watched the color rush to Sylphy's face, blinking slowly.
"You look really cute when you're flustered, Sylphy. So… when do you plan to make your move?"
Sylphy's hands froze. She lowered her head, placing both hands on her thighs.
Silence fell between them for a moment.
Then she snuck a peek upward.
Hilda's smile hadn't changed.
Sylphy finally understood Hilda was teasing her.
And while her heart was still pounding, she let out a small sigh of relief and averted her gaze, looking at her hands.
As for her "situation"—
She had no idea when it had been exposed, but it was now fully clear to Hilda that Sylphy liked Allen.
Was it really that obvious…?
Even though all she saw were her hands clenched around the hem of her skirt, her reddened skin and sweaty palms made it impossible to deny how nervous she was.
She had become numb to the fact that her feelings for Allen had been exposed.
But the real problem was—
Do you know what it's like?
Being asked by the mother of the person you like: "So, when are you going to make your move on my son?"
Even if Hilda didn't know Allen's true nature, the weight behind those words made Sylphy's heart pound uncontrollably.
And then—
Hilda's teasing voice continued.
"Eris's tenth birthday would be a great opportunity, you know?"
Sylphy blinked.
She looked up at Hilda.
The older woman gave her a playful wink.
"Eris's… tenth birthday?"
"Yes. Ages five, ten, and fifteen are important milestones. Surely you—"
Halfway through the sentence, Hilda paused and glanced at Sylphy, then smoothly shifted the topic toward noble customs.
"In noble society, those years are key celebrations. We always hold grand banquets for our children's milestones. The Boreas family will be inviting nobles from all over Roa for the event."
Hilda rested her chin in her hand, her expression tinged with nostalgia.
"When Eris turned five, we held a grand banquet. My father-in-law originally wanted a buffet-style event, but my dear husband thought it would be a great opportunity to connect with vassals and remind Roa's nobles of their roles. So, he suggested a formal ballroom event instead."
Sylphy blinked, a sparkle of realization flashing in her eyes.
"A… ballroom dance?"
Just then, Hilda suddenly leaned in.
Her face came close to Sylphy's.
"Yes, a dance."
She tilted her head, her red eyes—so much like Eris's—full of amusement as she watched Sylphy's startled reaction.
"Would you..."
"…dance with Allen?"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]