Even her caretaker, Lady Karen, maintained a strict demeanour when interacting with her. This was likely unavoidable given Karen's role in her life.
However, for Seria, this was nothing short of the worst situation.
Having lived in the mountains and coming down to the city in ignorance after her father's death, she entered the military academy.
Everything felt foreign, and her surroundings had shifted drastically once again.
From Seria's perspective, it was suffocating.
In such a situation, Alain was the only one with whom she could speak freely.
Naturally, she couldn't help but develop feelings for him.
And those feelings grew every day, leading her to this point.
At first, she thought that no matter what, this feeling couldn't be love.
She thought it was just a close friendship, nothing more.
But the boy's smile shone brightly under the dark, moonlit sky.
As she held the necklace he had given her as a parting gift, she became acutely aware of the reality that she would have to say goodbye to him.
Thus, the emotions that had been building up within her exploded.
I don't want to part.
That was her true feeling.
She never wanted to say goodbye to the boy in front of her. In truth, she had been deceiving herself all along, trying to ignore the painful reality that she would have to part from Alain.
However, the moment she received the gift, Seria became aware of those feelings and broke down, exploding forth.
And she honestly expressed her emotions.
That she loved him.
"... Ehehe."
Recalling her declaration, Seria's cheeks flushed red.
As time passed and her heated head cooled down, she realized just how absurd her actions had been.
Still, her mind, awash in a rosy haze, was in a state of suspended normalcy. She felt utterly at a loss, overwhelmed by a rush of happiness.
Perhaps the explosion of emotions that followed her realization of Alain's deceit was a reaction to this part of herself.
Perhaps it was the deep affection she had concealed that made it impossible to suppress the murderous intent stemming from that reaction. If she fully grasped what Alain had done to her, a similar outburst might follow.
However, at this moment, her memories would not resurface.
It was hidden deep within her consciousness due to Alain's suggestion.
What she remembered was merely a distant fragment of memory, where for some reason, she recalled Alain looking at her with a tearful expression.
With that, she was merely a girl in love, nothing more.
But because of that, she failed to notice.
The most important fact of all is that today, the duty officer at the officer quarters was none other than,
"Seria?"
"...!"
At the sound of a familiar voice from behind her, Seria's spine straightened as she turned toward her room.
"W-What brings you here at this late hour, Seria?"
"..."
The voice continued from behind her.
Seria sighed softly and turned her stiffened face.
And she looked at the person standing behind her.
The one who called Seria was none other than Karen.
Now that she thought about it, she had forgotten.
That night, Karen was the duty officer at the officer's quarters.
'W-What should I do? What should I say?'
Panic-stricken, Seria felt her heart race.
And Karen's brow furrowed as she looked at Seria.
"Um, well, you see…"
"...?"
"I, um, just went out for a quick walk, ma'am!"
"A walk?"
"Yes! I thought maybe some fresh air would help since I couldn't seem to sleep!"
"..."
Karen said nothing in response to Seria's answer.
As she looked at Lady Karen, a cold sweat dripped down her back.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence continued.
As if probing into her innermost thoughts, Karen's piercing gaze was fixed on Seria.
And under that gaze, Seria could only respond with an ambiguous smile and scratch her head, saying, "Ahaha…"
"... Is that so? I see."
"...!"
It worked!
Lightly rejoicing in her heart, Seria awaited Karen's next words.
"It's getting late. Do not wander outside any longer. Hurry back to your room."
"Yes! Understood!"
After giving a quick reply, Seria saluted. As Karen acknowledged her, she hurriedly dashed back to her room.
With a thud, she ran down the corridor, and Karen furrowed her brow for a moment before letting out a sigh and beginning to walk down the corridor again.
"Click-clack, click-clack."
As Karen walked down the corridor, she suddenly halted, as if something had come to mind. She turned back to the corridor where Seria had vanished.
"..."
Standing still, she frowned lightly and glared down the corridor.
While recalling Seria's earlier appearance.
Light casual wear.
For some reason, that outfit seemed dirty.
It was certainly stained with dirt and grass.
"Could it be..."
At that moment, an image of the worker boy she had met before came to Karen's mind.
The boy whose name she was sure was Alain.
Could it be that the two of them had met up just now?
If so, what could they have been doing... and if Seria's clothes were to be dirtied...
"..."
As she thought that far, Karen shook her head unconsciously.
That was impossible.
It was too far-fetched.
But what if there was even a slight possibility?
Then, how should she act?
"The obvious question..."
On one side of the scale was the girl in whom the kingdom had placed its highest hopes. On the other side was the worker boy who had, by sheer misfortune, wandered into this lumberyard.
It didn't need to be said which way the scale would naturally tip.
Meanwhile, she thought.
'Seria was a promising talent, soon expected to join the prestigious Order of the White Flame.'
The addition of more members to the White Flame signified a growing influence within the kingdom's alliance.
Therefore, it was imperative to avoid any unwanted pests clinging to Seria at all costs.
For now, she decided to gauge the situation early and confirm.
And if that relationship with the boy was indeed genuine...
"Clink,"
Karen unconsciously fiddled with the sword hanging at her waist.
If such a situation were to arise, she would have no choice but to draw her sword.
She could not allow the talent of her nation to be tarnished by such a maggot-like existence.
With that resolve, Karen's blue eyes shone more coldly and distinctly than ever.