"Elysia, are you really sure this is going to work?"
After finishing arrangements for the patients corrupted by Honkai energy, Silas glanced at Elysia. He'd seen Kosma's message earlier—he had been just about to reply and tell him simply to be honest with Dystopia about his feelings. But before he could type a word, his phone had already been snatched away by Elysia.
She had insisted everything would be fine if she handled it herself—that she could definitely help Kosma and Dystopia sit down and talk things out.
So Silas had decided not to intervene.
As for her claim that she would "hold on to his phone for a day," well… let her. It wasn't like he needed it right now anyway. Not to mention, there was nothing interesting in his phone to begin with—Elysia could dig through the chats all she liked, she wouldn't find anything.
Just as he was thinking this, the two of them spotted Kosma walking toward them.
"Finished talking?" Silas asked.
Kosma gave a small nod. His gaze lingered briefly on Elysia before turning to Silas.
"Have the patients all been settled?"
"Yeah. Fire Moth's logistics team will be here soon. They'll take the patients away, and also run a full inspection on the residents here." Silas replied. "What about Dystopia? She didn't follow you?"
"I no longer have any ties with her," Kosma answered. "As the saying goes, 'those whose paths differ cannot walk together.' I believe that's a proverb from your homeland, right? She cannot accept this now. And what I will be doing from here on… will only make her less able to understand. So…"
"So you dumped her?" Silas turned his gaze toward Elysia. This is what you meant by "leave it to you"? Looks like it blew up completely.
Elysia twitched at the corner of her eye.
Kosma, this time, didn't even blush. He simply said, "We never began in the first place, so your phrasing isn't accurate, Silas. It's just… perhaps I did harbor special feelings toward her. And it's precisely because of that, that I don't want to see her suffer and struggle because of me. If my presence only brings her pain, then it's better that I leave."
Silas shifted his gaze toward Kevin and Su, who were just finishing their arrangements nearby. "…And what if she likes you too?"
He normally hated meddling in other people's relationships. After all, he hadn't even sorted out the mess of feelings in his own life. Where would he find the time or energy to play matchmaker?
When it came to Kosma and Dystopia, he could only offer the occasional nudge—never more. Truthfully, he felt it was a shame if the two didn't end up together. But forcing advice would do no good. In matters of the heart, outsiders' words meant nothing. It was up to the two involved to take that step themselves.
That said… if they did confirm their relationship and needed help after that, he figured he might be able to lend a hand.
"Maybe." Kosma admitted with rare frankness. "But… better to part ways early than drag out the pain later."
Silas: "…"
How to put it… that almost sounded reasonable. But if he followed that same logic, then shouldn't he and Elysia also split early? After all, the Eleventh Herrscher was a hurdle they could never avoid. When that future came, their stances were almost certain to clash irreconcilably.
But… no, it was different. Elysia understood him, and he understood her. Between Kosma and Dystopia, perhaps what was missing was that kind of heart-to-heart understanding.
Wait a minute… why was he even thinking along these lines? Did he really…
No. He knew clearly enough that he had no intention of confirming anything with Elysia right now. But his feelings for her—he was well aware of them. And Elysia knew full well how he felt. The two of them shared a quiet, unspoken understanding, maintaining that strange balance—something not quite friends, not quite lovers.
Elysia, meanwhile, looked at Kosma with a troubled expression. She honestly hadn't expected him to say that. Clearly, the problem lay in whatever Silas and the others had said to Kosma last night. So she turned to Silas.
"Just what did you all say to him yesterday, Silas?"
Silas glanced at Kosma—who was now off to the side explaining the situation to Kevin and Su—then looked back at Elysia.
"Kosma's chosen to walk the same path Kevin and I once did. He still wants to be a hero. But… I can't say for sure whether he means to become a hero like Kevin, or like me. Maybe… he intends to be a third kind of hero altogether. Either way, Kosma will never hesitate to choose the lesser of two evils. But before that point comes, he'll fight with everything he has to prevent such a choice from ever arising."
"You finally admitted it—you are a hero after all." Elysia smiled faintly.
"My own opinion of myself, and how others see me—those are two separate things. If you all see me as a hero, then perhaps I am. But whether I personally accept that title… that's my own affair." Silas replied flatly. "So then—what did you say to Dystopia yesterday?"
"…Well, I just shifted a bit of the responsibility onto Kevin. After all, he's been with Kosma a lot recently, and Kosma has always been imitating him, hasn't he?" Elysia shrugged. "But what I didn't expect is that now it looks like Kosma has started imitating you instead."
Silas made no comment, only asking instead, "So what should we do about Dystopia now?"
"Hmm… guess we'll have to let Felis comfort her. I could do it too, but right now the one she's closest with is Felis, isn't it?" Elysia replied. Then she tilted her head, looking at Silas with curiosity. "Silas, tell me honestly—what do you really think about all this?"
"I won't give advice on this matter," Silas said flatly. "I can't even sort out my own relationships."
Elysia instantly understood what he meant. Pouting, she muttered, "The fairy doesn't give up that easily!"
Silas had already let her hold onto his phone for a whole day—that meant their relationship was drawing closer. Just like in that other lifetime with Lilith. Even if someone stole him away once, she could always win him back again.
Speaking of Lilith… what was she doing right now?
As Elysia was lost in thought, Dystopia arrived. Her eyes were swollen and red, clearly from crying.
Pardofelis and Sakura, having finished their assigned tasks, walked over as well. Seeing Dystopia's state, Pardofelis rushed forward.
"Dys sis, what's wrong? What did Kosma say to you?"
Dystopia hesitated for a moment, then choked out through tears:
"Kosma… he said he wants to part ways with me."
"Part ways?" Pardofelis tilted her head. "What does that mean?"
"It means two people walk separate paths, never to cross again," Silas explained.
Dystopia turned to him, saying nothing. Hearing those words spoken in Silas's cold, emotionless tone—like he was merely stating a fact—stabbed all the deeper.
"Uh… well…" Pardofelis looked troubled. This was beyond her. She could only attempt: "Maybe Kosma didn't mean it that way in his heart?"
Before Dystopia could respond, Silas spoke again:
"No. Kosma meant it."
Dystopia: "…"
Silas, please, just stop talking…
But Silas looked at her seriously, and this time he added:
"Being sad is natural. But don't let it consume you—tears change nothing. What's really lacking between you two is understanding. Conflicts are normal. But cutting ties is the worst choice. You should both think carefully about why it came to this."
"Lack… understanding?" Dystopia murmured.
"You don't agree with his views or his actions? Then prove it with real action. Don't just scold him—show him you're not just spouting empty words. Rebukes alone won't bridge the gap, they'll only drive you further apart."
With that, Silas turned and walked away.
Dystopia and Pardofelis were left stunned, unable to process everything.
Elysia let out a helpless laugh. "So contradictory."
Sakura glanced at Dystopia, then at Silas's retreating back. She remained silent. Her stance had always been firm: wherever Silas stood, that's where she would stand. The rest didn't matter.
In the Atagina family's villa.
"Big sis, big sis! Look—Adams made this flower crown for me. Isn't it pretty?"
A little girl came running from the garden to her sister, who was busy writing a music score. Her eyes sparkled with hope, waiting eagerly for praise.
Lilith's hand froze on the staff paper. She raised her gaze to her younger sister, her eyes soft and tender. "It's beautiful, Gianna. My dear sister, you're as bright and lovely as these flowers themselves."
She reached out, gently smoothing Gianna's hair. "But… you need to be careful not to run too fast. Look, your hair's all messy now."
Gianna obediently stood still, letting her sister tend to her.
Lilith's hands traced downward along Gianna's hair, stopping briefly at her neck.
But only for a moment. She drew her hands back, instead gathering Gianna's hair to weave it into a braid. "Gianna, let me make you a pretty braid."
The girl cheered, raising her arms happily. "Yay!"
She never noticed the fleeting shadow that flickered in her sister's eyes.
________________________________________
20+ advanced chapters available on Pat/NoobyIdiotka