When I opened my eyes, I was in my room. I must have dozed off after chatting with Hale until late last night. So when did I get here?
Either Hale carried me back or Rita brought me. It’s one of the two.
I just made up my mind last night to grit my teeth and live strong for Hale’s sake, so why do I already feel this creeping unease?
Maybe it’s only natural to feel anxious when I still have no power. Even so, isn’t this level of gloom a bit much?
“Smile! Get it together!”
Spending time sulking alone like this is pointless. Practicing my pheromones would be way more productive. Right now, practice is the only way forward!
So, even though it wasn’t a lesson day, I headed straight to Eve’s room.
“Miss?”
I was worried Eve might be out, but luckily she was in.
“Eve, sorry for dropping by on your day off.”
“No, not at all. Did something happen?”
She looked briefly flustered, but I didn’t care and carried on.
“I want to do pheromone training again today!”
“Pardon?”
“You said I shouldn’t train alone, remember? So I came to find you… Are you really busy?”
“No! Not at all. Even if I were, I’d make time for you.”
Not sure if that means she is or isn’t busy… but she said no, so I’ll take it as a no.
“Then I’m not being a bother?”
“Of course not. If you ever need me, just call.”
Eve closed the book she’d been reading and left the room with me.
We headed outside, to the place where Jaius used to train with his sword. Not our usual classroom, but out in the open air because the weather was so nice today, I’d suggested we practice outside.
“Let’s start with some deep breathing.”
The sunlight was a little strong, so we moved into the shade and sat down. I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled, exhaled, trying to stay calm.
“Feel the flow of nature.”
The sunlight is warming my head. The breeze tickling my hair.
The sensations I felt with my eyes closed were different from usual.
As I stayed like that, connected to nature, at some point my eyes opened. I spread out my hand, trying to focus all the sensations I’d gathered into it.
And then, white particles began to softly gather above my palm, forming and growing in size.
But just as they began to take shape—
“Miss! Lady Eve!”
A sudden noise pierced the stillness.
My concentration snapped. The glowing energy that had started forming in my hand scattered instantly and vanished.
“…”
“…”
Both Eve and I stood frozen, speechless after witnessing what had just happened.
“What are you two doing here?”
The source of the noise, still oblivious to the situation, walked quickly toward us.
‘Just now… I… I was so close… I definitely—!’
Without a shred of exaggeration, I was burning up inside.
Just a little more… just a little more concentration and I might have succeeded…!
I didn’t even need to check whose voice it was. I knew it well.
“Joshua, yooouuuu!”
“M-Miss…?”
“Joshua, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“L-Lady Eve…?”
As Eve and I approached like predators, Joshua came to a full stop and began backing away.
He must’ve sensed, at least, that he’d messed up.
“Shushu! Don’t you move another step!”
“P-Please tell me what I did wrong first!”
“You little—! If you run again, you’re dead!!”
***
“Snff—snff…!”
“Oh, come on, stop crying already. What kind of grown-up acts more like a kid than I do?”
After a chase-and-catch session, I caught Joshua and bonked him a few times. Now he was making fake crying sounds, even though he clearly wasn’t crying.
Looking at him, I almost felt a little guilty… but nope! Not even a little! I should be the one crying right now, not you!
“Shushu, aren’t you going to apologize? Huh? No apology?”
In the end, Joshua and I bickered non-stop until Eve came back with drinks.
Sigh “Well, I can understand Miss Senika, but Joshua, you’re a grown man. Are you really going to act like that?”
“Lady Eve, I swear I didn’t know you two were doing pheromone training out there!”
“You know Eve’s my pheromone teacher!”
“But today’s not a lesson day!”
The argument started up again until Eve gave us both a long sigh and warned us she’d scold us both if we didn’t stop.
So, Joshua and I both called a temporary truce. Eve could be scary so it’s best to listen to her.
“Miss, please stop picking on Joshua.”
Tch. Too bad. How did she know I was deliberately exaggerating just to tease him?
Honestly, I’d felt a little disappointed about failing at the last step, but since I had made progress, I got over it quickly.
I was only pretending to be mad because teasing Joshua was too fun.
“Joshua, don’t speak to the young lady when she’s with me from now on.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
“Yes…”
Our responses sounded equally sulky in completely different ways. Eve didn’t bat an eye.
Anyway, thanks to Joshua’s interruption, today’s pheromone lesson ended there.
I trudged along behind Eve toward the side entrance of the manor, dragging my feet.
“Huh? What’s this?”
As soon as she opened the door, a large gift box was sitting smack in the middle of the path.
“Who leaves trash out here like this?”
Joshua, following behind, reached out to move it but I stopped him.
Something… something was setting off my instincts. I had a feeling something really good was inside.
“Miss?”
“This isn’t trash.”
“Pardon?”
“Who wraps trash this nicely?”
“Well, I suppose you’re right, but…”
Despite my logic, Joshua clearly still believed it was just junk.
I smacked the back of his hand and carefully untied the ribbon. A sweet aroma began wafting out.
Was it magic?
“Miss, please step back. I’ll check it first.”
“Why?”
“It could be dangerous.”
I did think there was something delicious inside… but Joshua had a point.
Someone who knew me well could absolutely lure me with sweets.
‘Still, how many enemies of mine know me that well?’
Besides, anything entering the manor has to go through strict inspection, especially anything for me or Hale. Yet this box had bypassed all that and appeared right in front of me. So yeah, Joshua should check it first.
I stepped back, and Joshua carefully lifted the lid. When he looked inside, his eyes widened.
“Who… who would send something like this?!”
What? What is it?! Why do you look so shocked?
I rushed over to peek inside the box.
“No way!”
My eyes went wide too but for a different reason.
The box was filled with gorgeously arranged desserts. Four stacked layers of them, packed so they wouldn’t shift.
Macarons, waffles, pavlova, cheesecake—you name it, it was there. A dessert-lover’s dream.
I instinctively reached for a chocolate macaron, but Joshua quickly stopped me.
“I wanna eat it…”
“It could be poisoned, Miss.”
“Who would do that to me?”
“…”
The moment I said it, I realized. Yeah, that was a dumb question. Of course I have enemies.
In this manor, not many people are on my side. More accurately, very few are. Most people probably hate the idea of a half-dragon inheriting the clan.
With that thought, the desserts didn’t look so appetizing anymore.
“…Check it.”
I stepped back again. Joshua picked up the macaron I’d reached for and sniffed it.
Dragons supposedly have tens of thousands of times better sense of smell than humans so he’d know right away if something was wrong.
Even I, being half-dragon, could sense more than any human.
“…Fortunately, there’s no poison.”
“Really?”
“It’s safe. You can eat it.”
Then why does your face look like you’re being forced to swallow something bitter?
I knew why, of course. Even though he confirmed it was safe, Joshua clearly didn’t want me eating food of unknown origin.
“Hmmm…”
Yeah, I’d better not eat it. Not just because of Joshua, but because something still felt… off.
“I don’t want it anymore. You can throw it away.”
“Really?”
“You’re so wise, Miss.”
Joshua’s relief was obvious on his face, and even Eve—who had been silently watching—looked pleased that I didn’t eat it.
Maybe she’d been testing me, watching from the background.
“I’ll just ask Rita for snacks instead!”
“Excellent choice! I’ll take this far, far away.”
Joshua hoisted up the box and left the manor with such a spring in his step that anyone would think he was heading off on vacation.
When in fact… he was just taking out the trash.
***
Oddly, for four days straight, mysterious gifts kept appearing.
In that short time, I received twenty-three presents. No pattern. No schedule. They just appeared in front of me, whenever, wherever.
Strangely, no one was trying to stop them anymore, not even Joshua, who’d once called them trash.
Look at today, for instance. A gift box was sitting right outside the garden gate, and no one said a word.
“Wooow! A. Pre. Sent!”
As usual, I gave a robotic response. There was a reason for this act.
Ever since the ninth gift, they had started moving.
Whenever I reacted like this and opened a box, I could feel the presence of people hiding nearby. Their skills were impressive and hard to detect at all.
I was sure there were more that I couldn’t even sense.
Right now, I could feel two behind me, three inside the garden.
Sigh. I guess if I want to build up goodwill, I have to keep playing along…
I suddenly felt so tired but what else could I do? I had a role to play.
“Oh. My. Gosh? It’s. My. Faaaavorite~”
