Chapter 41
The children finished dinner, played a little, and then went to their respective rooms to rest. After washing up, Ellen changed from her evening dress into pajamas, put on a robe, and, together with Serel, went to Erika’s room.
The moment Ellen stepped into Erika’s room, she sensed something unusual in the air.
“The air… is dancing in this room?”
All the windows were closed, and not even the slightest breeze was blowing. Yet Ellen felt the air’s strange energy. She glanced at Serel beside her, but Serel seemed oblivious, scanning around only for Erika.
“Erika?”
At Serel’s call, Erika, who had been lounging in a corner of the bed, roused herself groggily.
“Silf, come here.”
Erika stretched out her arm with her palm facing up. Instantly, the dancing air in the room settled. A small sylph fluttered and perched on Erika’s palm.
“You’re here?”
Erika greeted Ellen and Serel, though their eyes were fixed entirely on the sylph.
“So pretty, cute, and amazing, even seeing it again,” Serel said with a wide smile.
“Was that the air just now… the sylph’s doing?”
Ellen asked, recalling the sensation she had felt moments ago.
“The air just now? You felt that?”
Erika asked, surprised, and Ellen herself became flustered. She glanced at Serel, but her expression was one of confusion, as if she had no idea what Ellen was talking about.
Ellen spoke again, reacting to her friends’ reactions.
“When I came into your room, it felt like… the air was dancing. There wasn’t any wind, but it was swirling…”
“You could feel it even though Silf didn’t use any power?”
Erika tilted her head, then clapped her hands.
“Maybe you also have the aptitude of a spirit mage.”
“Eh?”
Ellen’s jaw dropped.
“I was just walking in the garden when I felt a spirit. A breeze came, and suddenly I just knew, ‘That’s a sylph!’”
“I didn’t get that feeling of ‘That’s a sylph.’ I just noticed the air felt a little strange.”
“But I couldn’t feel anything at all, and you noticed it, so you must be more sensitive to spirit energy. Maybe you have spirit mage potential.”
Serel gently nudged Ellen toward the sofa, and Erika agreed, sitting down as well.
“Silf, stay by Ellen while she’s here. But of course, don’t show yourself when anyone else besides me and my friends is around, okay?”
Silf frowned slightly at Erika’s instruction but soon relaxed and flew to Ellen. Reflexively, Ellen extended her palm to the sylph and glanced at Erika.
“Erika… why all of a sudden?”
“After making the contract with Silf, I ransacked the library for books about spirits. I only found two usable ones.”
“And?”
“The other contents were too difficult to understand, but basically, if someone with spirit affinity stays near a spirit for a long time, their affinity temporarily increases.”
Ellen looked down at Silf.
“So, you mean keeping Silf by my side will test if my affinity actually increases? If it does, then it proves I have spirit affinity too.”
“Exactly!”
“That sounds like a good idea. In Edelheim, we could test your affinity easily, but then word would spread. It’s better to figure it out among ourselves first.”
Both nodded in agreement with Serel’s suggestion.
“You’re so smart, Serel!”
“But if Silf is out all the time, won’t it be hard for you, Erika? I thought it also consumed mana.”
Erika waved a finger dismissively at Ellen’s concern.
“No worries. Constantly using mana is actually a way to increase mana. The more effective method is mana control, but it’s exhausting, so I only do it before bed. Anyway, Ellen will increase her spirit affinity, I’ll store mana, and we’ll ‘fight trolls and get potions,’ right?”
Ellen chuckled softly.
“Got it. Thanks, Erika.”
Silf quietly perched on Ellen’s palm, sniffed her, then hid in her hair to play. Serel laughed at the sight, glancing at Erika a few times.
“What is it, Erika? Tell us,” Serel prompted.
“Huh? Tell you what?” Erika played innocent.
“You have something to tell us, right?”
Ellen felt Silf moving through her hair and looked at Erika.
“…I’m thinking of confessing to Roil.”
Ellen scratched her head, accidentally bumping Silf’s tiny head. Startled, Silf jumped up and landed back on Ellen’s palm.
“Sorry, Silf.”
Ellen gently petted Silf’s head with her finger and asked:
“Really? You don’t have to… Roil and we all already know, don’t we?”
“But saying it out loud is different,” Serel replied for her.
“Yeah, and you’ve liked Roil for seven years already, right? Since we met at the first Pollet at age eight.”
“Right. Seven years. Soon it’ll be eight.”
“Exactly. Lately I’ve been overthinking things. I want to sort things out. Even small things trigger strong emotions. Maybe it’s because I’m sensitive from the spirit contract? Anyway, I kept thinking about Roil.”
“Seems like puberty time.”
Ellen quietly thought about their ages. In this world, puberty was called “when you skip meals.” Even obedient children started rebelling, and parents would shout, “No dinner for you!” Kids often skipped meals due to emotional struggles with family, friends, or loved ones.
“So, while writing a letter to Roil, I suddenly felt I needed to express my feelings clearly and reach a conclusion.”
Ellen and Serel quietly listened.
“I know Roil still doesn’t like me. He’ll probably reject me if I confess.”
“But you still want to say it?” Ellen asked.
“Yes. I want to.”
“Then follow your heart. Doing something and regretting it is better than not doing it and regretting it,” Serel said with a faint smile.
✿ ✿ ✿
The next day, all the children returned to their own homes.
As usual, Roil, Adrian, and Santuck went down to the Note family’s training ground at dawn. Having often visited each other’s houses, the kids could borrow the small training ground early in the morning without asking permission.
Unexpectedly, Erika was standing there, elegantly dressed.
“Erika? Why are you here at this hour?”
Santuck recognized her first and called out. Erika, who had been poking at the floor with her shoe tip, flinched and looked up.
“Erika?”
“Erika, what did the training ground ever do to deserve this at dawn?”
Roil was briefly surprised, then laughed along with Adrian’s teasing.
But Erika didn’t laugh, standing stiffly with a slightly flushed face, staring at Roil.
“Roil. Walk with me for a bit.”
Roil looked at Adrian and Santuck, who didn’t seem to know anything either. He gestured he’d be back shortly and followed Erika.
Santuck crouched down, watching their retreating figures, then patted the spot Erika had dug with her shoe. Adrian joined him.
“Wow, that’s deep.”
“Yeah… your shoes must be ruined,” Santuck muttered. Adrian shrugged, then they carefully filled in the dug area.
Erika entered the garden. Roil quickened his pace slightly to walk a couple of steps behind her. They remained silent until entering the wooded area of the garden.
Why is she hesitating like this?
Roil immersed himself in the surroundings, enjoying the birdsong and the scent of grass. Feeling the cold wind on his nose, he closed his eyes briefly.
“Roil.”
Erika stopped and turned to him. Roil opened his eyes and looked at her. She took a deep breath, standing straight as she had in the training ground.
“I like you.”
Roil’s face froze in shock.
✿ ✿ ✿
Erika appeared at breakfast with red, swollen eyes.
The children, gathered at the dining table without the Countess, exchanged glances when they saw Erika’s eyes.
An awkward breakfast began. Erika noticed the subtly different atmosphere and spoke brightly to Ellen.
“Ellen, can I stay at your house for a while? For a bit?”
“Huh?”
Ellen, like the other friends, looked at her while quietly eating salad.
“I still don’t have enough mana to keep Silf with you if you return to Quinter. I also want to go out sometimes. Could I stay at your house for a while?”
Ellen thought about upcoming household events but found nothing pressing, so she nodded.
“Sure, that’s fine. Let’s go together today.”
Erika smiled, took a sip of water, and stood.
“I need to pack a bit. Go ahead and eat slowly.”
The remaining children in the dining room exhaled loudly.
“Looks like Erika cried, right?”
“100 percent.”
“Why?”
The boys looked at Ellen and Serel.
“Who knows? We haven’t heard anything. This is the first time we’ve seen her today.”
Serel answered, and Ellen shrugged. But both recalled Erika’s confession from yesterday morning.
Ellen and Serel stole glances at Roil. He silently chewed the cube steak from his salad, jaw tense more than usual.
Hmm… so that’s how it went.
Ellen finished her plate. Serel had nearly finished as well, drinking water and wiping her mouth. The boys had already finished and were waiting for Ellen and Serel to finish.
