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“I’ve heard the story. It seems you still have no intention of letting go of the sword.”

“…Yes.”

“Starting tomorrow morning, you’ll come to the training hall. If you swing the sword throughout the break, your heart might change.”

“Yes.”

Is this truly a conversation between a father and daughter who are reuniting after several months? The dialogue is drier than a desert. Yet both seemed familiar with it; neither the father nor the daughter said anything more. Instead, their attention shifted toward me.

“Alright. Your name is Elysia, right?”

A natural condescension. As both a friend’s father and a pinnacle swordsman, I felt no discomfort.

“My name is Elysia Frentz, Marquis Atillea.”

I was invited, but I greeted him with as much courtesy as possible to avoid being caught off guard. Whether it was due to my politeness or simply his indifference to such matters, he didn’t seem particularly concerned. Instead, he stepped forward toward the desk, approaching Yuli and me. He extended his hand, asking for a handshake.

Startled by the sudden request, I reached out my hand and grasped his. I tried my best to gauge the mood and shook his hand in a way that wouldn’t offend.

“Is this the same kid who wouldn’t even look at a sword?”

“…I had to survive somehow.”

It’s not that I am truly Elysia, but saying I picked up the sword because I had to survive is not a lie. In the Assassin Guild, my worth rested solely on my sword skills. Without those, I would have been deployed on missions just like any disposable assassin.

“Alright. I’ll see you in the training hall tomorrow.”

Without listening to my opinion, he decided that right then and there. Of course, the teaching of a Sword Master is invaluable, so there was no reason to refuse.

“Let’s meet again at dinner soon. You may leave.”

At Craig’s dismissal, Yuli and I stepped out of the room. A quick glance at Yuli’s face revealed a sense of familiarity.

“So, should we explore the mansion while we wait?”

“Please do. I’ll be here for a few days, so I should probably get to know the place a little better to avoid being rude…”

“Sara? You’ll be fine on your own, I’ll call if I need you.”

“Yes, miss.”

Yuli waved off the servant who had been following us and personally guided me. The mansion was exceptionally large, boasting an abundance of space. The reception room, communal library, dining room, and party area were all impressively expansive, just as one would expect from a marquis’ estate. Of course, it was smaller than the Academy building, but considering it belonged to a single family, it felt quite extravagant. Managing a mansion of this size would likely require a considerable number of hired staff.

Even the outdoor space surrounding the mansion was significant. The training hall I would visit starting tomorrow and the garden were spacious enough for walks, with well-maintained flower beds looking charmingly tidy.

As I strolled through the garden with Yuli, it dawned on me just how high-ranking she truly was. While at the Academy, Yuli, Anne, and Selian didn’t flaunt their status, making it hard to gauge just how different their world was from mine. But seeing it in person made it clear; they lived in a world far removed from my own. I suppose Anne and Selian’s mansions would be similar.

“So, are you ready to check out my room?”

“Speaking of which, where is your room? I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier while looking at other things.”

“Come on, follow me!”

Looking all bubbly and cheerful, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along. We crossed through the garden, entered the mansion, and climbed the stairs. The place we arrived at was in front of the room I had been directed to use. I cast a curious glance at Yuli, wondering why she was leading me to my room when she said she would show me hers. She simply smiled and led me a little further.

“Tada! Here’s my room!”

The place she pointed to was right next to mine. Sure, being next to it meant there was some distance, but it was still adjacent.

“Don’t you usually keep guest rooms a bit further away?”

Typically, homeowners keep a distance for privacy, while guests stay a bit apart for comfort. This is the first time I’ve seen family members’ and guest rooms so close to each other.

“That’s true, but when Elle came over, she always stayed in the room I’m in now. I moved it next door just so we could play together a little longer, and now it’s been more than ten years.”

“Uh… I’m sorry.”

I didn’t know that was the backstory. Feeling guilty just for being unable to remember, I apologized.

“No, it’s fine! You never know. Maybe staying a few days will help trigger some memories.”

“Yeah, I’ll give it a try.”

Sorry, but I don’t have any memories to recall at all.

“Come on in!”

Yuli happily led me into her room. It felt quite similar to Yuli’s room at the Academy. After all, it was bound to be alike since it belonged to the same person.

The overall structure was very similar to my own room. Of course, it wouldn’t differ much being next door. However, unlike my room, the décor was all in shades of pink, which stood out. The furniture, wallpaper, curtains, and little decorations all came together in a pink theme, making it feel like a room fit for a princess.

“Tada! This is my bedroom.”

As she opened one of the many doors, a bed that could only belong to a princess was the first thing to catch my eye. So this was Yuli’s taste. Beside the bed was a small table, and on it rested a tiny photo.

“What’s this…?”

As I picked up the photo, it revealed three little kids standing side by side. One boy squatted with a pout, and behind him stood two girls with big smiles.

The girl with pink hair was undoubtedly Yuli as a child. Then the silver-haired girl standing next to her…

“Elysia…”

When I received the fake identity along with the assassination contract, there had only been a simple explanation of who I was; I didn’t get any photos. However, seeing this picture, I could understand why Yuli mistook me for the real Elysia. Sure, ten years is a long time, and distinguishing facial features might be tough, but the silver hair and red eyes looked too similar.

“This is a picture we took while playing together back in the day. Do you remember anything?”

“I’m sorry…”

“No! Why should Elle be saying sorry? It’s probably a painful memory for you, so don’t force yourself too much.”

Of course, I had no memories to recall, but I could feel the longing Yuli felt looking at the picture. This faded photograph was proof that she had missed her friend for a long time.

“Now, now! We can look at the photo later, but let’s check out this room next.”

Standing silently, Yuli spoke up cheerfully and pulled me to the next room.

“Tada!”

Opening the door revealed a dress room filled with clothes. The kinds of outfits neatly categorized looked incredibly luxurious, even to someone like me who didn’t know much about clothing. From glamorous party dresses to simple everyday wear, cute pajamas, and surprisingly sexy underwear for Yuli…

“Ugh!”

I promptly turned my head in shock and started coughing. Was I choking? The coughing wouldn’t stop.

“Elle!? Are you okay?”

Yuli rushed over to check on me while I was still coughing. Naturally, there was nothing wrong; I was just startled by the unexpected situation.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just caught my breath the wrong way.”

Fortunately, Yuli seemed unaware of what had just startled me. After all, why would a guy be shocked at seeing guy’s underwear. It would be funny if a girl was surprised by seeing girl’s underwear too. I did my best to keep my gaze away from Yuli’s underwear so it wouldn’t come into my line of sight.

“Want me to get you some water?”

“Cough… No, I’m fine. Can we see the next room?”

Thinking it might help me stop coughing if I got out of the dress room as quickly as possible, I suggested it.

“Just wait a second.”

With that, Yuli stepped out of the dress room and returned with a cup of water. I didn’t sneak a peek while she was gone. Really.

“Phew. Thanks.”

Taking a sip of water seemed to help a lot. Now that I was calm, I opened the door to leave the dress room, but Yuli caught my arm.

“Huh?”

“You and I are pretty similar in height, right?”

For sure, Yuli was the one among my friends with the most similar height to mine. Selian was a bit shorter, and Anne was overly petite.

Sure, if I had to think about it, Frecia was taller than Anne but still small enough for her age.

“Right?”

“You always wear your school uniform, right?”

I’d worn gym clothes, pajamas, and recently bought casual wear with Selian, but I hadn’t worn anything else in front of Yuli.

“Maybe…? Huh? Yuli? Why are you asking all of a sudden? Yuli…? Stop!”

What kind of look was that approaching me with! And what’s that hand?!