Avoiding their eyes all day had worn her out.

Sinking deep into the carriage seat, Camilla let out another long sigh.

“So this is why money is nice.”

The carriage rode so smoothly she couldn’t help but smile. In her tired state, the faint vibrations that came and went were almost pleasant.

Her eyes slid shut on their own. If only she could just fall asleep like this.

“Miss Camilla, we’ve arrived.”

But a short while later, the coachman’s careful words broke the quiet.

Camilla hid her regret and stepped quickly down from the carriage.

“......”

The sky had already gone red with sunset. Standing there, she stared blankly up for a moment.

“Come to think of it, this is the first time.”

Right after arriving in this world, in Camilla Sorpel’s body, she’d had no leisure to stand and watch the evening sky.

It hadn’t been that long, but she had lived at a dead run.

She had thrashed to live.

“Of course, my circumstances are still garbage.”

Still—the sky was beautiful.

“Camilla.”

She turned at the voice calling her.

“Father?”

The Duke of Sorpel was waiting at the entrance.

Watching him walk toward her, Camilla tilted her head.

What is he doing here at this hour? Is someone expected?

Even if so, it was rare for him to come all the way to the entrance to greet them himself.

“You’re home?”

A simple greeting. The most ordinary words to a daughter returning from the Academy.

And yet—

“Camilla?”

“......”

“—Camilla! What’s wrong?”

At the sudden shine of tears in her eyes, the duke hurried forward.

Camilla was just as startled.

“I must be crazy.”

Why am I crying?

Even she didn’t know. Why was she—?

“Ah.”

It was the first time.

Words she had never once heard in her life.

“You’re home?”

Yes. The first time.

The house that had always met her with the lights off.

When she lived with her parents, when she lived at the orphanage, the thing that greeted her was always the cold dark.

“......”

Camilla bit her lip. If she didn’t, the sob would burst out.

“Child, what’s the matter?”

But at the duke’s voice, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and asked with concern, the tears broke loose.

“Ugh...”

“Camilla?”

His face hardened at the sight of his daughter sobbing like a child. What had happened at the Academy?

Watching her, the Duke of Sorpel finally drew her into his arms and patted her back with care.

At that touch, Camilla began to cry harder.

She had not cried when her mother died. She had not cried when people whispered behind her back.

Even when the man called her father came to demand money, she had shown no tears.

If anything, at those times she had smiled brighter, as if there wasn’t a sad thing in the world.

And yet...

“You’re home?”

At that one short nothing of a line, the tears came.

“......”

How long did she cry?

Camilla lifted her reddened eyes to the Duke of Sorpel. At his still-worried face, she gave a sheepish smile.

Then she finally said the words she had never once said in her life.

“I’m back.”

The duke looked at her in silence for a moment, then gently stroked her hair.

“Welcome home.”

Chapter. An Unexpected Encounter

Kicking the blanket! Kicking the blanket!

Kick! Kick!

“Ugh...”

So embarrassing!

Whap, whap!

Camilla kept lashing at the quilt, then flopped forward and thumped her pillow with both hands.

Remembering last night, she could not bear to step outside the covers.

“I was out of my mind.”

What a disgrace!

She could see, with brutal clarity, all the faces watching as she, face blotched with tears, walked along in the Duke of Sorpel’s arms.

They had all gone wide-eyed, mouths hanging open, at a loss for words.

Even Ludville and Ravi had stared at her with dumb faces!

“Why was everyone outside at that hour!”

Whap, whap!

Donna wouldn’t need to dust the pillow today.

“What are you doing?”

“...!”

Flailing in self-loathing, Camilla flinched at the voice. She jerked her head up to find Ravi looking at her with exasperation.

“How long are you going to be like that? Aren’t you eating?”

“...I’m eating.”

She wanted to skip the meal, but she hadn’t eaten a thing since last night. She’d fallen asleep the moment she reached her room.

“Hurry up and come out.”

“......”

Watching his back as he turned away, Camilla let out a small sigh.

Fine. The shame will pass. We eat to live; I can’t starve.

She finished getting ready and opened the door—only to find someone unexpected waiting.

“......?”

Ravi? I thought he’d gone ahead.

“Slowpoke.”

“Since when are slowpokes this pretty?”

“...I genuinely have to ask—where does that confidence come from?”

“My face?”

“......”

“...Fine. I’ll stop.”

Seeing Ravi waiting for her made a silly grin tug at her mouth.

Come to think of it, she’d hardly seen the back of his head lately. At some point he had started walking at her pace, like now.

“......”

Walking in silence, Ravi flicked a glance her way.

He frowned briefly at Camilla’s swollen eyes, then clicked his tongue and pulled something from his coat.

“Take it.”

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

Camilla snatched the thing out of the air on reflex.

“What is this?”

A bracelet—slender gold chain set with a blue gem.

“Throw it.”

“What?”

“If there’s someone you don’t like, throw it.”

“Excuse me.”

Could you maybe explain properly? Throw what at whom? And what is this bracelet?

“A magic bracelet.”

“Magic?”

“It binds the target tight.”

“What?”

So if there’s someone I don’t like, I’m to throw this and tie them up?

Camilla looked between the bracelet and Ravi, baffled. Why was he giving her this out of nowhere?

“Don’t snivel—just throw it.”

“......”

How is that the conclusion? What does me crying have to do with this bracelet?

When she just stared, perhaps embarrassed by his own words, Ravi strode off quickly.

Watching him, she more or less got it.

“So...”

He thinks I was bullied at the Academy and cried.

“Hah...”

Camilla finally laughed.

“Brother! Wait for me.”

“Use the proper address.”

“But, Brother.”

“......?”

“If I go around using this bracelet, won’t people talk even worse about me?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Why?”

“You don’t have any reputation left to fall.”

...Laugh. I will just laugh today.

Even at Ravi’s prickly verdict, Camilla couldn’t wipe away her good mood. It was a soft, buoyant morning.

****

“The spring blossoms are falling.”

As summer approached, showers of spring petals made a spectacle across the grounds. By the lakeside where she stood, countless petals blown on the wind were falling.

[Miss, the water feels much warmer now.]

Camilla shot a sidelong look at Derrin, the butler’s ghost, who was smiling while trying hard to hide his anxiety.

“It still seems cold...”

[No, no! There are people who go to the water at this time of year.]

Her gaze returned to the lake spread ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ out before her. It was crystal clear.

A deep, dark blue lake...

“It looks freezing.”

And I hate the cold.

[Miss Camilla...]

“I know, I know.”

I know too.

The Spirit Lake.

That was what people called this place. Long ago, they said, spirits lived here.

Now none were to be found, but with all its legends the lake was counted among the symbols of the Fable Empire’s Academy.

“The problem is...”

I have to go in there. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Why does it have to be underwater.”

According to Hersel, the former lord of Sorpel, the damned Guardian’s egg was right here.

“Right under the lamp.”

The Duke of Sorpel had searched all over the continent for the Guardian, yet never had a reason to come here.

She’d heard Ludville graduated from this Academy as well, but perhaps at the time he didn’t possess the pendant used to find the Guardian.

“Or he simply never came to the Spirit Lake.”

Perhaps because it lay far from the main buildings, despite being a signature site, surprisingly few came this way.

Even if that weren’t so...

“Who would come where no sunlight reaches? What do I do with this gloomy atmosphere...”

Staring at the dense trees, Camilla muttered with a weary face.

Because the Spirit Lake was said to be under the spirits’ care, even the Academy left it alone.

“Still, if it represents the Academy, they could tend it a little.”

Camilla reached out toward the water.

Ripple.

“—!”

Cold. Bitterly!

Her hand snapped back from the lake at the speed of light. She leveled a frank glare at Derrin.

“Liar.”

What do you mean, warm!

[Miss...]

“It’s too cold.”

[Lord Hersel is waiting and waiting.]

“Then he can wait a bit longer.”

[Oh dear, Miss...!]

“Later. We’ll come when it’s a little warmer.”

[Sniff...]

“Don’t fake-cry. I’m not falling for it anymore.”

[...Yes.]

Camilla cast a quick, shivering glance at the lake so deep the bottom couldn’t be seen, then turned away.

Rustle.

“......”

A moment later, someone dropped down from a tree.

He stood in silence, gazing after where Camilla had gone. Something unreadable flickered over his face.

Then he lifted his head; Arsian’s black eyes trembled slightly.

“What is with her.”