The faint light shines through the stained glass of the bell tower to the ground, reflecting a variety of colors.

The quaint and solemn gate of the manor comes into view.

The girl walked briskly ahead.

Without a doubt, this is the place she is most familiar with.

The scenery in front of me and the shock from the bottom of my heart made me stop.

"Please come in—" Her gentle smile calmed my heart a little.

"This is where I've always lived. ”

"Ah......," I replied hesitantly.

Although the owner of this place is long gone, the manor in front of him does not appear desolate because of this.

On the contrary, it is just the right place to be kept.

Manicured lawns, lush lilies, and marble-paved paths in between.

"Stay, a few people. ”

A shrill voice came from behind -

Looking towards the voice, the butler of the manor was approaching this direction.

"This is private territory, and it is forbidden for outsiders to enter without permission. ”

“...... I think so," Karan looked embarrassed.

I turned my head to Charlotte.

"——!" seemed to be greatly impacted, and the butler's expression froze.

"It's ............. ”

The clean wind swept through the forest of the manor, making a melodious chorus.

- Looking through the eternal light of the upper area, through the thin clouds, the night sky is extremely clear.

- The deep and clear blue

— like a clean color made of glass.

"Is it ......?"

As if he couldn't accept the scene in front of him as reality, the butler's body was stunned.

- A ribbon of stars

- even if swallowed up by the sea of darkness that engulfs everything

“...... There's nothing wrong with that. ”

- The endless dream

- I'm sure you'll be able to reach the Milky Way in the Heavens.

Under the blue sky, the girl turned slightly.

- "I haven't seen you in a long time." ”

The gentle smile on the corner of her mouth can be described as innocent and mature.

That smile made my chest feel like a pinprick aching.

But—

Even so, I wish she could laugh.

- "Are you okay?"

"Mr. Black. ”

When everything was settled, I lay tired on my soft bed.

This room is on the second floor of the Edellayton Manor House, and the entire wall is painted fuchsia with wine. On the table are fine silverware, which, together with the hanging paintings, silently compose everything.

It's a manor in the upper district.

The overly soft bed made me sigh silently.

Because of the hard work of the day, I returned to my room very early after being assigned a room. After checking the environment in front of me, I took a brief look at the outside and went back to my room.

From now on, before going to sleep, it is my short free time.

Although there is not much to do.

Now, I think that I have done almost nothing in the past few years except for being in various dangerous situations.

"Well, what a boring life......"

At the moment when he was talking to himself-

I took the dagger that I had dropped on the table in my hand.

Earnestly clasped the dagger, suppressed the sound of footsteps and stuck to the door.

“......”

Hold one's breath

“......”

Timing the door open, he aimed his dagger at the person who appeared.

- "Ah......h

Covering her mouth with her hand to scream, he pressed her against the wall.

"What are you doing......" I carefully surveyed the person in front of me.

- "Uh...... Woowoo woo ......"

"I'm going to let go, don't scream!"

She nodded repeatedly.

"Whew~~"

The woman who was let go exhaled widely.

"You, what are you doing, all of a sudden. ”

- "I should have asked this, and at night the cat sneaked into someone else's room. ”

"First of all, let me declare, I'm not here for a night attack. ”

Her face was flushed, and she said something terrible.

But no one thinks about it.

- "What the hell do you want to do if it's a night raid?" I asked, still insisting.

"Really... What a faux pas. She pouted a little stubbornly.

Freya...... That's my name. ”

"I'm the maid of this manor, oh, maid. ”

Hearing this, I couldn't help but look at the woman in front of me again.

Dressed in a bright dress, with long streamers and bows behind him.

In terms of development alone, he is only about fifteen or sixteen years old.

- Here we go again...... How many are these?

I smiled bitterly in my heart.

"Isn't it right that it should be quiet late at night?"

- "Want to get by?" I didn't mean to back down.

"So what to do, Alan. Sir?" she looked innocent like a small animal.

- "Normal. I sighed.

Putting the dagger back into her holster and placing it on the table, she took a step away from Freya.

Observing the girl in front of me until now, I can tell that she is just an ordinary person without any combat power.

There is also no magician's breath either.

In this case, there is no need to be vigilant against each other.

"So, what are you doing all the trouble of coming here?" I leaned against the window.

...... She just gently closed the door.

"Well, actually......" Freya suddenly looked up and looked straight into my eyes. "Could you please have a few words with me?"

The tone is completely different from before.

The blue moon appeared in the darkness deep in the stars, and I listened to the faint cries of insects and the wind.

"It was a very comfortable night. She put her hands in front of her and walked gently to the window.

- "Leave the superfluous words without it, hurry up and get down to business." "I don't have extra patience.

"What a puzzle person, Mr. Allen......" Freya's deep brown pupils looked at me.

- "It's unfortunate that I'm in such a state outside the city, and I still take precedence over my current interests over my feelings. I smiled wryly.

"Miss Charlotte is really smart. She smiled slightly.

"It's always nice to be close to me, and I'm able to stay strong at all times. ”

- "That's because she has a good educator." I said.

"Very good educator...... Referring to Lord Levitt...... Is it?"

I just nodded to dispel her doubts.

"Did you hear the name from Miss Charlotte?"

- "No, I just happened to see her past. "I don't want to make excuses for myself.

"I see, yes...... Magic?" she said to herself.

I was shocked.

“...... What are you going to say?" I asked, after a moment of silence.

Casting a sharp gaze, Freya's childish face showed a serious expression.

- "Mr. Allen. ”

- "I have something to tell you. ”

- "However, this may be something that Mr. Allen does not want to hear. ”

There was no threat, more like a worried tone.

“...... It's okay, say it. I replied.

If it's a disaster, evasion won't do anything.

"I knew Mr. Allen would say that. She gave a soft gaze.

"It's about Miss Charlotte's past......"

"The estate had existed before, when Mr. Levitt was young. "Mr. Levitt, who has been quietly helping the people of the lower classes, is really a very kind person. ”

"No matter who it is, that person always has a genuine smile. ”

In this way, they took in and helped one after another, and those who volunteered to stay lived in this manor. ”

"Mr. Levitt, has always been a cheerful man.

- Until that rainy night, instead of riding in the carriage in which he had traveled, he hurried back to the manor on foot, covered in mud, with a baby in his arms. That child was Miss Charlotte today. ”

No one had ever seen Levitt, raindrops and sweat dripping down and her body trembling like a child. ”

The person who just gritted his teeth and couldn't hold back his tears touched that little life as if he had been redeemed. ”

It wasn't until later that the people of the manor learned that the child was Lord Levitt's daughter. ”

However, he never saw the child's mother. ”

In order not to evoke the sad memories of Lord Levitt, people never talked about the mothers of the children, which gradually became taboo throughout the estate. ”

"The woman who was able to bring that person to tears in agony, Miss Charlotte's mother, must have been a rather gentle person. Freya's face softened with longing.

"According to the servants, Miss Charlotte was different from ordinary children from an early age, although this is an unacceptable fact. She had white skin and a lovely figure when she was a baby, and her beautiful figure was too dazzling when she was a child. This is not a characteristic of the average child in any way.

When the maids were tidying up the eldest lady's room, they sometimes found petite feathers on the sheets, and at first they thought that the young lady had brought the birds from the manor to the mansion, but later they found out that this was not the case. ”

Freya looked up into my eyes as if to watch my reaction.

"Those delicate feathers grew from the eldest lady's body. ”

It was like a natural marble sculpture that grew out of the shoulder blades on either side of her back. ”

"Feathers...... "I couldn't help but think of a phantom in my mind.

- "Yes. ”

"But, a stranger I've only met once, is it okay to tell me this?" I looked at her with some hesitation.

- "I'm sorry, but I thought it was necessary for you, Mr. Allen, to know. She began to apologize.

"Where do those necessities come from?"

- "It's in the heart." Her gaze was so firm that there was no doubt.

"Today's upper area of the Lingdu has been in abnormal situations one after another. First, the lighting of the magic guide stone was extinguished instantly, and then the ground trembled slightly. The birds that used to inhabit the forests of the upper zone are gone. ”

"Something must be going to happen. ”

"—Please, no matter what, keep Miss Charlotte safe, never again

Let that kid hurt—" She bowed deeply to me, her voice trembling in her voice.

I looked up at the sky.

It's really - I can't help but smile wryly.

Then, swear to the many who have passed away.

To protect her until the last moment.

Live without regrets.

"That, Mr. Allen...... About what I learned tonight," she said, with a look of intent.

"Ah...... Don't tell Charlotte. I said frankly.

- "Uh-huh, thank you. ”