Yesterday's weight still lingered somewhere. Ashley's words: "Half of that is wrong." Walter's warning: "Don't get too close." The heavy air in that room when both of them were present. Selene Valmond stood before her morning vanity, gazing into the mirror, and exhaled softly. Her lustrous black bob caught the morning light and gleamed faintly. Her amber eyes observed herself quietly. (I understand how to handle both of them. Walter moves as an extension of his duties. Ashley has intellectual curiosity mixed with something else. Both are usable. No problem.) She was telling herself this when a knock sounded at the door. "[gentle]Miss Selene. You have a visitor." "Who is it?" "[serious]It is Master Kyle Melvis, ma'am." Selene's hand froze at the edge of the vanity. Kyle Melvis. Her knowledge from the previous world's game summoned the image swiftly. On the surface: the perfect nobleman's son—courteous, gentle, with a smile everyone adored. But beneath that lay an obsession with Selene bordering on sickness, a possessiveness that consumed him. In the game, entering his route brought an early line: "I don't need anything but you." Not a shred of comedy. Purely terrifying. (The most difficult piece to handle arrived first.) Selene took one deep breath. Then she rose slowly and composed her expression into perfect calm. --- When she descended to the entrance hall, Kyle stood before the door. Soft waves of chestnut hair, falling only on the left side past his ear. Eyes the color of twilight amber. A head taller than Selene, he wore an elegant overcoat bearing the Melvis family crest. The small dimple on his left cheek appeared when he smiled—and it was there now. "Miss Selene." Kyle turned and smiled gently. It was a refreshing, perfect smile. Too refreshing a smile. "[gentle]I was worried. When I heard about the engagement being broken off, I couldn't sit still." "Thank you. But I'm fine." "[gentle]Even so, you have a habit of carrying burdens alone, don't you? You've been that way since childhood." His voice was calm. The tone remained steady and composed. But—Selene noticed. Kyle's eyes reflected only her. The furnishings of the entrance hall, the garden window behind her, something down the corridor—none of it existed in his field of vision. It was the gaze of someone whose entire world contained nothing but Selene. Something deep in her chest rang out in an unpleasant way. (It's as calculated. I knew this. It's within expectations.) Selene smiled back gently. --- Afternoon came. The garden of the ducal estate bloomed this season with moonlit jade orchids—rare flowers bearing the power of star veins, their petals a distinctive blend of white and pale blue. The air was faintly sweet. A stone path extended deep into the garden, where a single massive ancient tree stood. Kyle pointed toward it. "[gentle]Miss Selene, do you remember that tree we used to visit together long ago? Would you like to go there again, just the two of us?" Selene was about to answer when— A figure emerged silently from the corridor's shadow. "If the young lady is going to the garden, an escort is necessary." It was Walter. Jet-black short hair. Sharp gray-blue eyes. He wore a military uniform beneath an overcoat, and the ring on his right middle finger glinted quietly in the corridor's light. He had arrived without a trace. Kyle's refreshing smile froze for just an instant. "[gentle]Ah, Knight Commander. Thank you for your diligence. However, since this is merely a stroll with Miss Selene, surely an escort isn't necessary—" "An escort is mandatory for the young lady's outings. It is Cerulean Knights' regulation." "[sarcastic]It's the garden, sir. We're not leaving the estate—" "Garden or not, regulations are regulations." Then a servant came running with a tray. "[serious]Miss, a letter has arrived from Headmaster Ashley Roaden." Opening it, she found flowing script: *The magical research materials are ready. I would be grateful if you could review them today. —Ashley Roaden* Selene looked at the envelope, then at the two men in turn. Kyle smiled gently. Walter stood with arms crossed, expressionless. The servant waited standing for her next instruction. (Pulled right, pulled left, a letter falling from above.) Selene thought for three seconds. She didn't want to think longer than that. "[serious]...Very well. All three of you, come to the garden." Silence. "[surprised]Pardon?" "Send word to Ashley that I'll be waiting in the garden." Selene already knew she would regret this later. She knew it, but no other solution came to mind. --- Three men gathered beneath the ancient tree. It stood over ten meters tall. Moss clung to its thick trunk, and its roots pushed slightly against the stone path. Each time the leaves swayed in the wind, dappled sunlight danced across the ground. Kyle on the right. Walter on the left. Ashley arrived a moment later, cradling academic materials in his arms. Ashley surveyed the situation at a glance and narrowed his eyes softly. "[laughing]...This is quite a lively garden, isn't it?" Walter said nothing. Kyle remained silent, still smiling. Selene, facing the ancient tree, felt her vision darken slightly. Ashley approached the trunk and tapped it lightly with his fingertips. "[serious]About 150 years old, I'd estimate. A specimen with star veins dwelling within it. Rare. Its roots extend along the star vein pathways, which is why it's lived so long." "[gentle]...Yes, that's right." Kyle nodded gently. Then slowly, he shifted his gaze to Ashley and Walter. "[gentle]This place holds memories for Miss Selene and myself since childhood. We spent considerable time beneath this tree. ...It carries a special meaning that those unrelated to us might find difficult to understand." His tone didn't change. His voice remained calm and gentle. But the phrase "those unrelated to us" pierced the air like a needle. Walter stepped forward. He positioned himself between Kyle and Selene, quietly inserting his body between them. He said nothing. He simply stood there. That alone was sufficient as a statement of intent. Ashley, still smiling, spoke gently. "[gentle]Memories are precious. However—isn't our role now to protect her present and her future?" "[gentle]Precisely. That's why I'm here." "That is my duty." All three looked at Selene simultaneously. Selene gazed up at the ancient tree. Its leaves swayed. Dappled light fell across her face. (It was my fault for calling them here. Completely my fault.) She regretted it quietly in her heart, but said nothing. No words came to her in that moment. --- Evening fell, and Ashley left with "I'll bring the materials another day," departing with a smile. Walter said "I have early training tomorrow" and left with only those words. Only Kyle remained. But he too, after dinner, said "I'd like to talk for a moment" and waited in the corridor without waiting for Selene's response. Selene returned to her room and changed from her dress into her nightwear. The moon hung outside her window. It was a bright night. The door was knocked upon. Kyle entered. His face was as calm as always. "[gentle]It feels like we used to spend so much time together, but since the engagement talk came up, distance has grown between us. I was lonely." "[gentle]...Perhaps that's true." Kyle didn't sit in the chair. Instead, he stood beside Selene near the window. "Do you remember?" "Remember what?" "[gentle]What I told you beneath that ancient tree. The day I promised to protect you absolutely." Selene considered for a moment. The memory wasn't in her previous world's knowledge. In this world's memories, it wasn't clearly retained either. It was from childhood. "[gentle]...How nostalgic." "[gentle]I remember. Everything. Even now." Kyle's voice tone didn't change. It remained gentle. Always gentle. Then his hand overlaid hers. His fingers slowly intertwined. "[whispers]Now is the time to fulfill that promise. You have always been—mine alone." Selene's thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Her hand was being pulled. Body heat transferred to her. Moonlight streamed through the window. She could grasp the situation. She understood the words' meaning. Yet her calculations wouldn't move. Because she had seen Kyle's eyes. Those twilight amber eyes. The light within them—wasn't kindness. It wasn't quite affection either. If she had to name it, it resembled possession. The light of something precious being locked away so it would never be released. That kind of gaze. Something cold ran down the back of her neck. Selene slowly withdrew her hand. "[serious]I belong to no one, Kyle." Silence. Then Kyle laughed. The dimple appeared on his left cheek. "[gentle]I apologize. I got a bit carried away. Please forget what I said." His voice was gentle. His expression was as if nothing had happened. That—was the most frightening part. "[gentle]Good night, Miss Selene." Kyle quietly left the room. The door closed. Selene stared at that door for a long time. --- She stood by the window. The moon illuminated the garden. The ancient tree's shadow stretched long across the stone path. The white petals of the moonlit jade orchids glowed faintly in the night's light. (Walter's fingertips were warm. Ashley's "half of that is wrong" still doesn't make sense. Kyle's eyes, that light within them...) Selene placed her hand against her forehead. She should have understood how to handle all three. As game characters, she knew their personalities and motivations. There was no reason she couldn't calculate them. And yet. That light in Kyle's eyes couldn't be fully explained by her previous world's strategy guide. The game's dialogue said "I will protect you absolutely." But the light she actually witnessed wasn't protection—it was closer to possession. That difference lay outside her calculations. Selene looked up at the moon. (Perhaps perfect calculation doesn't exist anywhere. Maybe that's what this means.) It was a quiet night. Only the sound of the garden tree swaying in the wind reached her from outside the window.