Leaving Rapina's suspicious gaze behind, I arrived at the Eliad mansion.
As befitting Ethersia's most powerful noble house, an overwhelming presence hit me right from the main gate.
The neatly manicured garden and ornate grand doors,
and even the soldiers standing at attention in front of them, looking like they could handle anything.
It was as if the entrance itself was declaring, "We're on a whole different level from you."
'Is this a noble mansion or a fortress?'
I swallowed hard under the intimidating aura.
I looked down at the strawberry custard cake in my hands.
A flavor similar to yet different from the tart I'd given her when we first met.
This one cake could summon a future where my life hung in the balance.
'She'll like this too, right?'
I recalled Ruena devouring the tart.
Her blank face smeared with cream as she ate it frantically.
It was strangely fascinating,
and... just a tiny bit cute.
A mouse-tail fraction cute.
My throat felt oddly ticklish, so I scratched it vigorously while staring at the mansion.
'I wonder if she'll even let me in...'
We'd made a promise, but a whole week had passed already.
What if she'd forgotten?
Honestly, after a week, it was understandable.
Plus, I'd come barging in without a formal invitation.
'Might get kicked out at the door with nothing to say.'
That was when it happened.
"You're here."
I turned at the familiar voice.
There stood Ruena Eliad where my gaze landed.
How long had she been standing there?
Ruena stared at me with her expressionless face from beyond the iron-bar-like grand gate.
Without a single sign of her presence,
as if she'd been there from the start.
A bit flustered, I flashed a bright smile and held up the cake box.
"I brought dessert."
"...Dessert?"
"Yeah. As promised."
Ruena glanced at the cake box and murmured ever so softly.
"...You didn't forget."
Her words caught me off guard, and I paused for a moment.
But I quickly smiled nonchalantly and nodded.
"How could I forget? I want to get close to you."
"I see..."
Ruena's pink eyes rippled just a little.
Whether it was my imagination or real emotion, I couldn't tell.
After watching me for a bit, Ruena took a step closer.
"...Come in."
"Thanks. 'Scuse me."
The firmly shut grand gate began to move slowly.
A moment later—
the gate I'd thought would stay closed forever opened quite easily.
Because it was the Eliads, maybe.
For some reason, my heart pounded even though it was nothing special.
I straightened my expression and stepped into the Eliad mansion.
'Since I'm here, I need to learn as much as I can.'
Keeping my head forward,
my eyes naturally glanced sideways.
The Noir family's sidelong glance skills had been honed naturally since childhood.
The important stuff was always around us, after all.
That's why even when our family looks straight ahead, our true focus is always elsewhere.
'The garden... it's unnaturally pristine.'
The Noirs' main stage for receiving guests was the glass dome in the garden center.
So we paid extra attention to our first-impression garden.
The Eliads were probably similar,
but here it went beyond formality into an atmosphere of control and intimidation.
'Not a single disorder tolerated...'
Everything in the garden was refined.
Not even a hint of human warmth; it felt utterly mechanical.
That sight somehow evoked chills reminiscent of Grand Duke Eliad.
And the little girl in front of me too.
Ruena said nothing.
She simply walked a few steps ahead in silence.
The quiet stretched on.
But even in that hush, a flood of information poured in.
'This place really... is so different from the Noirs. Lots of people, but it feels empty.'
If anything, it seemed more secretive than the Noirs.
The Noirs tried to act like an ordinary family, so our exterior was surprisingly lax.
But here, everything was under strict control.
Corridors where not even breaths could be heard.
The feeling that every footstep was being watched.
And—
even the occasional servants we passed,
all wore blank faces as they performed their duties without a word of chatter.
Suppressed breaths,
refined movements,
rhythmic footsteps.
All of it exuded the scent of restrained power.
'Should I tell Father this place looks more impressive.'
At least I'd gleaned some info for our image overhaul.
Finishing my general observation of the mansion, I looked at Ruena's back.
Her straight posture,
her flawless gait.
She was such a small, young girl, yet it felt oddly fitting.
If anything, she blended perfectly with this place.
Whether the space resembled Ruena,
or Ruena had assimilated into the space, it was hard to say.
That was when—
my eyes met Ruena's as she turned.
Ruena fixed me with her usual blank stare.
"Let's go to my room."
"Your room?"
"Yeah."
She kept her expressionless face,
but I caught a glimpse of her nervously glancing around cautiously.
'...She hates him. Grand Duke Eliad.'
The Eliad family didn't form relationships without benefit and wouldn't approach without cause.
Even the heir's friend was no exception, it seemed.
I smiled gently and nodded lightly.
"Sure. Let's do that."
"..."
"Oh, thanks for letting me into your room."
"...Yeah."
Following Ruena down the corridor, the oppressive aura lightened a bit.
The lighting grew brighter, and the wall decorations warmer.
It felt like passing through a tough outer shell into the mansion's softer core.
But—
That softness was only relative to the shell.
Compared to the Noirs, it was still suffocating,
a space where every step felt like it needed caution.
Soon, Ruena pointed to the innermost door.
"Here."
"'Scuse me."
Thud,
Ruena raised her hand and lightly pushed the door open.
"..."
It was unexpected.
Unlike the stark corridor,
her room was surprisingly ordinary and tidy.
Not grandiose or lavish, and it even had a touch of humanity.
A neatly made bed,
a desk with a few stacked books,
and a completely unanticipated small bear doll.
"You like bear dolls?"
"...!"
Ruena quickly headed to the bed and hid the bear doll behind her back.
Her face unchanged,
but her slightly reddened ear tips showed she was quite flustered.
'Cute.'
Maybe because her usual blankness mixed with cuteness; it was intriguing.
Acting casual—
I went to the tea table in one corner and set down the cake.
Good thing I'd brought forks and plates just in case.
"Come on, have some cake."
"...Yeah."
Slither—
Ruena carefully shoved the bear doll under the covers and approached.
'The bear's leg is sticking out.'
But pretending not to notice was manners.
Our most normal big brother had taught me that, so it was reliable.
Ruena quietly sat across from me.
I smirked and offered her a fork.
Ruena hesitated before cautiously taking it.
A friendship starting with a tiny fork wasn't bad at all.
"How is it?"
"...Pretty."
A short impression, just like her.
But her gaze on the cake wasn't short at all.
'This was definitely the right choice.'
For a first real attempt, safer than gambling had been the way.
Rich cream and plenty of strawberries.
A dessert similar to the strawberry tart I'd given before.
Yet it offered a softer, sweeter variation with cake and custard cream.
When gathering intel on someone,
slip small changes into familiar gaps so they don't notice.
This was Noir style too.
I smiled brightly and pushed the cake toward Ruena.
"Try it. It'll be delicious."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"...What about yours?"
This was more unexpected than expected.
Ruena Eliad worrying about my share.
At her words, my heart skipped a beat late.
'...Huh.'
Caught off guard, my breath hitched briefly, but I regained my smile.
"I'm good. Ate with the family before coming."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. So don't worry about me and eat up."
Ruena's eyes shifted back to the cake.
The silver fork hovering in the air gingerly touched the cream.
And—
a piece of cake perfect for one bite was offered before me.
"...Huh?"
"Eat."
Her face was still impassive.
Maybe that's why my heart fluttered even more strangely.
'...No, this is foul play.'
My expression slipped a bit, but I slapped on my thick skin and smiled.
"Then just one bite."
"Yeah."
To extend the future even 0.1 seconds longer,
Ruena needed to eat every crumb...
But I couldn't refuse her first gesture of kindness, so I took the bite.
"Delicious."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. You try it quick."
Ruena nodded and finally put cake in her mouth.
Her expression brightened subtly.
Good call forcing myself to pick this cake.
'Gonna be Sis's plaything for a while, but...'
I let out a tiny sigh and watched Ruena eat.
A bit of cream clung to her mouth from the fork,
but she savored the cake without wiping it, oblivious.
Silently.
Yet frantically.
Grand Duke Eliad probably didn't even allow his daughter desserts.
The sight was somehow a little pitiful.
"It's fine. Eat comfortably."
"...?"
"I'm good at sensing presences. No one's around."
Ruena didn't reply.
But her slowed pace said she believed me.
The leisurely meal drew to a gradual close.
Everything but the strawberry stems was gone.
I wiped the only remaining trace: the cream on her mouth.
"Ah..."
"Was it good?"
"...Yeah."
"Good."
Yes, really good.
The more they enjoyed it, the greater the payoff for the price.
'Please, a useful future this time too...'
Pretending to clean up the empty plates, I naturally peeked at Ruena's future.
A blood-red twilight descended.
Roofs ablaze and crumbling spires.
And a corpse lying in a pool of blood.
It was
me.
Ruena stood there holding a black sword,
gazing down at my corpse with an utterly emotionless face.
The future ended there.
'...I'm the one dying?!'
I nearly slammed the table.
Fortunately, I casually finished clearing it.
Wasn't the vibe all warm and fuzzy just now?
I'd thought this girl was cute moments ago!
I stealthily eyed Ruena before steeling myself.
The future was correct but not absolute truth.
Noir futures changed with even tiny shifts, after all.
'I have to avoid dying by her hand, whatever it takes.'
The me in that future was still young and promising.
I hadn't played enough or enjoyed life fully.
Above all, I had zero intention of dying pointlessly young.
'I'll change it. Flatter, grovel if needed. Whatever it takes.'
That was when—
one shoulder twitched subtly.
A presence approached from down the corridor.