"I must have scared you, huh?"
Shiozu bites on her lip so hard, Atelier thinks she might draw blood. She is met with her best friend's half-worried, half-angry glare.
"We were almost stabbed by lightning, Atelier!" Now that the family has awakened from sleep, Shiozu doesn't bother keeping her voice low. "Damn it! Are you alright?"
Mother gives her a worried look as the kids – still half-asleep – watch on. Only Lucy is awake enough to sit on Atelier's lap. Atelier sighs but manages a smile. "I'll be fine," she says, but no one is convinced. "I'm sorry. I came back to ease your worry, not to worry you even more."
"Don't 'sorry' me! Just promise you're going to be okay."
"I promise." She grabs Mother's hands and pats them, but she continues to speak to Shiozu. "I'm sorry for troubling you. Protecting my family is my responsibility, and yet..."
