Darlian leapt onto the windowsill with the nimbleness of a graceful deer, lightly and deftly.
With a gentle breeze brushing past, she sprang out.
The Castle was quite a distance from the manor where Finihiya lived.
If traveling by carriage, the one-way trip could easily take two hours or more.
Fortunately, she knew flying magic, allowing her to take the shortest, most direct route there.
Carrying a wooden box, Darlian flew leisurely.
After just a short while, she spotted the white manor nestled on the Holtzbis Coast in the distance.
A faint light filtered through the heavy clouds, softly illuminating the manor’s pure white walls.
Upon arrival, Darlian instinctively scanned the surroundings of the manor.
Sure enough…
In the garden pavilion, she saw the petite young girl.
The girl’s dress, stitched with black and red lace, swayed in the damp wind.
Even though the surroundings were shrouded in the gray, murky atmosphere left by the heavy rain, the spot where Finihiya sat shone like a different world altogether.
Eyes.
Spirit.
Darlian landed on the stone steps of the pavilion.
But Finihiya, lost in her book, seemed unaware of her arrival, causing Darlian to raise an eyebrow slightly.
She quietly moved closer behind Finihiya.
Seeing that Finihiya still hadn’t noticed her, Darlian’s lips curled into a sly smile before reaching out to cover Finihiya’s eyes.
In a calm voice, she squeezed out an oddly playful question, “Who am I?”
After two or three seconds, Finihiya, whose eyes were covered, slightly lifted her head as if just snapping out of a daze.
Darlian had grown used to Finihiya’s slow reactions.
When Finihiya read, her senses dulled, a side effect of being deeply immersed in the book’s world.
Seeing that Finihiya remained dazed, she calmly asked again, “Guess who I am?”
“Darlian da…”
“Hm?” Before Finihiya could finish, Darlian’s expression turned serious, her voice dropping to a stern tone, “What did you just call me?”
“…Darlian.”
Hearing Finihiya correct herself, Darlian’s perfectly shaped lips bloomed into a quiet smile.
She then released her hands from Finihiya’s eyes.
“Good girl.”
She roughly tousled Finihiya’s small head before sitting down nearby.
The wooden box she had set on the ground was lifted again and placed on the edge of the stone table.
On the cold stone table sat an old-fashioned book, along with familiar treats: doughnuts, red velvet cake, and pumpkin cookies.
Picking up a piece of doughnut from the small plate, she bit into it and glanced lazily at the book before her.
“You’re reading again.”
“Yeah, because the book is very interesting…”
Finihiya’s voice was soft, still drowsy as if not fully awake.
“Darlian… why did you come today?”
“To return something to you.”
Saying this, she lifted the wooden box resting on the table’s edge.
“You could have had the servants deliver this. Why come all the way here yourself?”
Darlian didn’t answer Finihiya’s remark. Instead, she asked, “A few days ago, why did you make this yourself and risk coming through the rain to deliver it?”
“Lady Dinira said it’s bad for my health to read all day and told me to get some fresh air outside.”
Finihiya’s words didn’t surprise Darlian; she had already suspected it was Lady Dinira’s idea.
Otherwise, how could the saintly young lady, who disliked going out or riding in carriages, have left the manor at all?
“And Darlian? Did you come out for some fresh air too?”
“As for me?” Darlian’s cold lips curled into a suspicious yet amused smile before she replied seriously, “I didn’t come out for fresh air. I came because I missed you and wanted to see you.”
Her teasing words unsurprisingly flushed Finihiya’s creamy, milk-white cheeks with a rosy blush.
Darlian rested her chin on her hand, watching Finihiya’s embarrassed and shy expression with quiet delight.
The saint’s face was truly thin-skinned.
Still, teasing Finihiya seemed quite fun.
After admiring the wine-red hue on Finihiya’s cheeks for a moment, Darlian kindly shifted the topic.
“Ahem…” She cleared her throat and looked at the wooden box as she asked, “This food is called ‘dumplings,’ right?”
Finihiya bit her lower lip and nodded her small head.
“They’re especially delicious.”
Darlian sincerely praised them, as the taste was indeed quite good.
“Is that so? I’m glad Darlian likes them.”
“Darlian!” Finihiya frowned slightly, “Why did you go back to calling me that?”
“Sorry…”
Hearing the soft, endearing tone, Darlian’s head throbbed slightly.
“No need to apologize.”
She looked at Finihiya quietly for a moment before a cunning thought suddenly sprang to mind.
She sighed mockingly with a hint of regret.
“Oh! If only I could eat such delicious things all the time.”
“If Darlian wants to eat, I can make them for you anytime.”
Seeing how easily Finihiya was caught by her words, Darlian felt a pang of guilt.
To take advantage of Finihiya’s gentleness and kindness like this…
But the guilt came and went quickly, fading almost instantly.
“Well then…” Darlian squinted, her slender eyes gleaming with a seductive light, “Can I come here to eat every day?”
“E-every day…”
Hearing this, Finihiya let out a short, startled sound.
Despite the hesitation and conflicted look on her delicate face, there was no sign of distress.
Seeing this, Darlian leaned closer and smiled softly, lowering her voice as she asked, “Could it be… that it’s not allowed?”
“It’s not that it’s not allowed…”
Finihiya bit her lips a few times and then whispered, “It’s just that you don’t have official duties to handle, right? If you come every day, then your time… would probably become tight.”
A smile.
Hearing the last part, Darlian immediately understood the reason behind Finihiya’s hesitation and conflicted expression.
She raised a lighthearted smile.
“Neglecting official duties is not good…”
The words barely audible in Finihiya’s youthful, clear voice.
“You don’t need to worry about that, Finihiya.”
She popped the last bite of her doughnut into her mouth.
“Our demon clan’s governing philosophy is a bit different from your kingdom’s, so I have plenty of free time now.”