The look in Kyle's eyes from last night still lingered in the corner of her mind. That light hidden deep within those twilight-colored irises——not kindness, not affection, but something quieter and far heavier. Selene Valmond sat alone in the reception room of the Valmond ducal residence. A thin wisp of steam rose from the porcelain cup on the table. Not star-dew tea, but ordinary black tea. Morning light streamed through the window, casting long, narrow rectangular shadows across the floor. Several days had passed since the engagement was broken. Rumors from the court still hadn't ceased. She could hear whispers that "it's only a matter of time before the Valmond daughter disappears from high society." Yet Selene listened to those voices from a distance, quietly sipping her tea. (The Kyle situation can wait. For now——) Then a servant knocked on the door. "[serious] Miss Selene. Walter Schleich has arrived. He wishes to consult with you about strengthening your security detail." Selene set down her cup. (He came. Faster than expected.) "Show him in." A moment later, Walter entered. Jet-black short hair, sharp gray-blue eyes. He wore not the formal uniform of the knight order, but a dark navy coat that allowed for easy movement. The azure knight order ring on his right middle finger glinted dully in the morning light. Even upon entering, he offered no particular greeting. He simply looked at Selene and nodded once. "Increase the number of guards." "[sarcastic] It would be more conversational if you began with 'good morning,' at least." Walter paused for just a moment. "……Good morning." "Thank you. Good morning to you as well, Walter." Selene smiled gently. Without a word, Walter's eyes swept across the room before he took his position by the window. From there, he could observe the entire reception room——a naturally chosen spot for a guard to stand. "[serious] Currently, security around the young lady is insufficient. The Queen's faction has become more active. I propose stationing two members of the Azure Knight Order on rotating shifts." "You mean there would constantly be two knights within my residence?" "It's necessary." "……I'll consider it." Selene herself hadn't confirmed whether the Queen——Irene de Grandcelle——was truly moving more actively. Walter's intelligence network was backed by the Azure Knight Order, the empire's largest military force. Its credibility was high. And right now, Selene needed to use every piece of information available to her. As the two continued discussing guard placements, the door was knocked upon once more. "[serious] Pardon the intrusion. Ashley Roden, the Academy Director, has arrived——he says he would very much like some of your time regarding star-vein research. He's brought a book." Selene turned her gaze to the servant, then looked at Walter. Walter's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. (Ah. This is——) "Show him in." Ashley entered. His soft, chestnut-colored wavy hair caught the light from the corridor and swayed gently. A small star-shaped earring on his right ear glimmered modestly. In both hands, he carried a thick book——its cover bore a complex pattern in gold foil, clearly no ordinary volume. Ashley stepped into the room and first offered Selene a gentle smile. Then he noticed Walter standing by the window and his eyes narrowed slightly. "[gentle] Good morning, Miss Selene. And——Director." "Academy Director." That was all. That was the entirety of their greeting. Ashley gently placed the book on the table. "[serious] This is a research text on star-vein sorcery. Only three copies exist in the empire——I happened to find passages directly related to the characteristics of your star-vein pathway, so I thought we might examine it together." "[gentle] Thank you. I'll take a look." Selene took the book in hand. An old leather cover. When she opened it, fine text and sorcery diagrams filled every inch of the pages. ——And in that moment. Walter moved without a sound. He sat in the chair beside Selene, wordlessly. Ashley pulled out the chair on the opposite side and settled into it with equal naturalness. Selene kept her eyes on the page and drew a small breath. (I see. So it's going to be like this.) Walter on her left. Ashley on her right. Positioned perfectly equidistant on either side of Selene. Ashley pointed to a passage in the grimoire. "[serious] It's this section here——in the chapter titled 'The Mutual Interaction of Star-Vein and Emotion,' it states that the sorcerer's emotional state directly influences the flow of their star-vein pathway. Particularly, the higher the aptitude of the sorcerer, the more pronounced this effect becomes." Selene traced the text with her eyes. It was indeed written there. "Emotion becomes a catalyst for the star-vein, sometimes bringing forth manifestations beyond the sorcerer's intent." "[serious] Isn't that dangerous?" Ashley turned his gaze toward Walter. "[gentle] For those who can control it, it becomes rather a powerful weapon. Miss Selene's star-vein pathway is special——there's a possibility that the connection between emotion and star-vein is denser than usual. If so, understanding one's emotional state becomes directly linked to controlling the sorcery." "That could also become a weakness for the sorcerer." "[sarcastic] Weaknesses and strengths often spring from the same root, Director." His voice was gentle, but there was a small barb in the way he said "Director." Walter remained expressionless, but shifted his chair slightly toward Selene——a subtle, yet definite movement. Ashley, continuing his explanation of the grimoire, leaned in slightly toward Selene as well. As he traced the text with his finger, his voice lowered. "This passage in particular——" Selene, reading the book between the two of them, thought to herself. (Aren't their chairs moving closer, bit by bit?) Walter drew slightly nearer. Ashley leaned in with his explanation. Walter moved closer again. Both kept their expressions unchanged——Walter remained expressionless, Ashley maintained his gentle smile. Yet the distance between them and Selene was steadily shrinking. "[sarcastic] ……Excuse me." Both men looked at Selene simultaneously. "Could you both sit a bit further back? The book is becoming difficult to read." Silence. Walter pulled his chair back slightly. Ashley withdrew by the exact same distance. It was perfectly synchronized. The two men looked at each other, then back at Selene. Selene returned her gaze to the book. (How childish...) She barely managed to suppress a wry smile. "[serious] Actually, there's something I'd like to try." "[serious] What might that be?" Selene pointed to a passage in the book. "The correlation between emotion and star-vein——can we actually observe it? If I activate my star-vein lightly and have you both observe, you might understand what state it's in." Ashley's eyes took on the light of a researcher. "[excited] Fascinating. ……Though, if you activate it carelessly, there's a possibility of affecting the surroundings. Please be cautious with the output." "Understood." Walter moved closer to Selene's side without a word. The distance closed out of protective instinct——he was positioning himself to respond immediately if anything happened. Selene closed her eyes. She turned her consciousness inward. The star-vein pathway within her body——the conduit through which the power of the star-veins flowing through the earth was drawn in——she felt it. Steadying her breath, she slowly drew forth the power. A basic activation of star-vein sorcery. She intended an output light enough to require no incantation. But. Softly. The air in the reception room trembled. Walter's body stiffened slightly. Ashley let out a short, involuntary "ah——" Not light, precisely. Rather, color. A pale hue spread outward from Selene's center, then vanished just as quickly. A thin gold mixed with a touch of blue-green. It dissolved into the morning light and disappeared in an instant. "[serious] ……What was that?" Ashley leaned forward eagerly. "[excited] The color of emotion. The star-vein manifesting in reflection of the sorcerer's emotional state——a textbook example. The emotion within Miss Selene just now was expressed in that color." "[serious] My emotion was visible?" "[gentle] It was. ……What color did you see, Director?" Walter was silent for a moment. "……Gold and blue." "[gentle] I saw the same. Gold represents curiosity, and blue-green——there are multiple interpretations, but it can be read as a calm sense of anticipation, or a state where caution and affection are intermingled." Selene felt her face beginning to warm. Her emotion had manifested as color, unfiltered. Not calculated, but her true present state. "[sarcastic] ……It's a rather honest sorcery, isn't it?" "[gentle] It was beautiful." He said it so naturally. Selene's gaze fell to the book. Walter said nothing, but his eyes never left her. The three of them remained in that lingering moment for a while. --- After some time, Ashley stood. Walter rose almost simultaneously. "[gentle] Today was productive research. Thank you, Miss Selene." "The thanks are mine. Thank you for the invaluable book." "[serious] Consider the security matter." "Yes. I'll give it serious thought." Selene smiled gently at both of them. "I'm grateful for your cooperation. I look forward to working with you both going forward." Ashley bowed gracefully, saying "It's an honor." Walter answered curtly, "Anytime." Both men moved toward the reception room door simultaneously. And——before the door, their footsteps aligned. Ashley reached for the handle. Walter extended his hand toward the door at the same timing. Both their hands stopped near the doorknob almost in unison. "[gentle] After you." "……Please." "[sarcastic] No, I insist." "Weren't you the one who arrived later?" "[sarcastic] Precisely because I arrived later, it would be unnatural for me to leave first." "That's irrelevant." Selene rested her chin on her hand and watched the scene unfold. Two men standing before a single door, creating an awkward moment. Ashley maintained his gentle smile. Walter remained expressionless. Neither moved. (……They might actually get along quite well.) That thought was true. Though they seemed to be competing, there was a certain rhythm to it. At the very least, they weren't completely ignoring each other. In the end, Walter stepped back, and Ashley went out first. Walter followed. The door closed quietly. Selene was left alone in the reception room. Outside the window, the white moonlit jade-green flowers in the garden glowed in the morning light. A star-vein flower——one of only a handful in the empire——its pale luminescence swayed gently in the breeze. On the table lay the thick grimoire Ashley had left behind. The page on "Star-Vein and Emotion's Mutual Interaction" remained open. Selene looked at that page once more. The color that had appeared——gold and blue-green——Ashley had interpreted as "curiosity and a mixture of calm anticipation and caution." (It was accurate. But which of them it was directed toward——that didn't show.) She felt a small sense of relief, and something else besides. She began to consider what that something else might be, then took a sip of her tea. It had gone completely cold. If this interplay continued, her position would certainly become more secure. That calculation held true. But reflecting on the day, there was something that had undeniably grown——something that couldn't be contained by calculation alone.