Alister gently patted her head, his smile softening as he held her close. "I'm sorry, Miyu. I didn't mean to make you worry. But I'm here now, alright? I'm not going anywhere."
Miyu pulled back just enough to look up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with a mixture of joy and lingering fear. "Do you promise?" she asked, her voice shaky. "No more scaring us like that. No more… just disappearing at night like that."
"I promise," Alister said. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Miyu sniffled, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand, then offered a small, trembling smile. "Good… Because I don't think my heart can take it."
Cinder, who had been quietly watching from the side, finally spoke. "Lady Miyu, you should have seen yourself. Dropping the plate like that…"
Miyu glanced at the broken plate and the scattered apples on the floor, her cheeks flushing red. "W-Well, I was just… shocked, okay?"
