The alchemy hut was quieter than any day before.
The bubbling of the cauldron was steady and gentle, as if even the magic within was intentionally keeping its voice down.
Pale purple light flowed slowly along the patterns on the rim, spiraling into the pot to form a magical vortex.
Anis stood by the cauldron, wooden spoon in hand, her expression solemn.
“The final step.”
Anis dropped several glowing green crystal fragments into the pot, carefully guiding the flow of natural energy. ‘Sherry is away; now is the best time,’ she thought.
As the crystals dissolved, the pale purple solution began to emit a stable and abundant magic.
“The purity has increased a bit more. Not bad,” she muttered.
Anis held up the new Magic Stability Potion to the sunlight, admiring her masterpiece with great satisfaction.
“Hmm? Why are you so happy? Did something good happen again?”
Just then, a petite and adorable girl’s voice came from behind her.
Sherry stood at the door holding several large food containers, her eyes reflecting a similar joy as she looked at Anis. “Looking at you, has the purity of the Magic Stabilizer improved again?”
“Of course! Look!”
Anis held her proud work up to Sherry. “I guarantee that if I increase the purity by just two more percentage points, it will reach 100%!”
“When that happens, the Second Princess will be able to recover!”
A smile tugged at the corners of Sherry’s mouth. Anis thought she wanted to share in the joy, but who would have expected her to make Anis’s smile vanish with just one sentence!
“Oh my, since when did Anis become so close to me? To the point of even sharing your joy with me?”
“Guh —”
Anis, unable to say a word for a long time, flushed deep red. Sherry continued her pursuit. “Could it be that, subconsciously, I’ve already started to exist in Anis’s heart?”
“Don’t — don’t talk nonsense! I haven’t!”
Face turning red, Anis shifted her gaze to the food containers in Sherry’s hands to change the subject.
“Why did you deliver this so late? I’m starving.”
She snatched the containers and opened them. They were filled with colorful food that emitted an inviting aroma, making Anis’s stomach *grumble*. However, she soon noticed something was off.
“Why is there so much food today?”
“Isn’t more better? I was afraid you’d be hungry.”
“Really? I don’t believe you.”
Anis looked at Sherry skeptically. The latter didn’t beat around the bush and spoke the truth. “Fine, actually, I wanted to eat with you today.”
“?”
‘Something is wrong here,’ Anis thought, her brow furrowing.
Sherry also dropped her usual playful attitude. Her expression was solemn, clearly showing that something was on her mind.
“Let’s talk while we eat.”
—
The mountain cabin crouched quietly below the snow line, like a nail forgotten by the world.
When night fell, the wind had not yet truly picked up; only occasional gusts swept over the eaves, causing the wooden planks to make a slight, rhythmic sound.
Anis sat by the fireplace, pushing the last piece of dry wood into the fire. The flames rose for a moment before quickly subsiding, the light and shadows swaying slowly in the room, stretching her and Sherry’s shadows so long they almost overlapped.
“Are you sure the intelligence is accurate?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Sherry leaned against a nearby bench and nodded gently. “Father will arrive at the manor tomorrow at noon. We have to prepare in advance.”
Anis naturally understood the “preparation” Sherry mentioned. Her current location and the environment she enjoyed were all strictly forbidden. It would be even more serious if the head of the family discovered she had joined the Second Princess’s camp.
According to the setting in the book, the head of the Frenst family was a staunch supporter of the First Prince and a firm advocate for starting a war. Only then would a lowly Baron like him have any hope of rising from this freezing, desolate land in the far north.
The wind began to howl, causing the hearth fire to flicker for a moment.
Even with the added firewood, the room remained very cold. Anis brought over a spare blanket. She sat on the sofa, pulling one side over herself while leaving the rest of the blanket open.
Sherry did not refuse. She sat down beside Anis, pinching the other side of the blanket to cover herself. They huddled together under the single blanket, sharing their warmth against the cold. As Anis moved closer, Sherry imperceptibly adjusted her posture to make room.
In such a close embrace, their fingertips inevitably touched. For a split second, Anis instinctively hesitated, but she did not pull her hand away. Sherry didn’t move either. They sat in silence until Anis finally broke the quiet.
“It’s so cold here. Do you really plan to squeeze in here with me for the night?”
“Yes, I want to know what Anis will do on this last night.”
Anis understood what she meant. Once the head of the family returned tomorrow, she would lose everything she had now. She would be imprisoned once again in that small bedroom, slaving away for the family.
“I don’t plan on giving up everything I have now. At the very least, I want to do as much as possible in this limited time.”
The head of the Frenst family was backed by the First Prince’s faction, while the two of them belonged to the Second Princess’s faction. The difference in their positions would soon escalate to a political level. One day in the future, Sherry would eventually have a direct conflict with her father.
She couldn’t possibly win on her own. Thus, Anis had to provide help. That was her plan.
The fire *crackled*.
After a while, Sherry spoke softly, “What do you plan to do?”
Anis didn’t answer immediately. She looked at the fire, her gaze somewhat distant. “I plan to collect more brewing data tonight so I can focus on my research in the days to come. The Second Princess is the key for us. If she can recover sooner, I can escape this caged life one day earlier, can’t I?”
“You want to use the royal family’s methods to force Father to back down? I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”
“Regardless, there’s no harm in trying.”
Sherry had subtly told her about her father’s political stance, and Anis was certainly aware.
“Are you afraid?” Sherry asked.
Anis thought for a moment. “I’m not afraid.”
She turned her head to look at Sherry, her gaze appearing exceptionally soft in the firelight.
“But right now, I don’t want to think about those things.”
Sherry was slightly taken aback. “Right now?”
Anis nodded.
“Right now… it’s very quiet,” she whispered. “So quiet that I feel like it will be broken in the next second.”
Sherry suddenly smiled. It was a faint smile, but it carried a rare sense of relaxation. For the foreseeable future, they would certainly be forced apart for a while.
So, she wanted to spend more time together tonight.
Anis didn’t say it, but Sherry understood everything.