Episode 63
That evening,
Elonia, about to relax in her dormitory after a long day, received an unexpected visitor.
“Dianne?”
“Good evening, Elonia!”
Dianne was wearing a flowing white negligee.
She had even brought her own pillow, a bright smile on her face.
“Can I sleep over tonight?”
“Sleep over?”
“Yes! I’ve always wanted to do this, have a sleepover!”
Dianne looked at her with pleading eyes.
Elonia, who had never had a proper friend before, hadn’t even considered such a scenario.
‘A sleepover… with a friend?’
She was already exhausted from socializing for the day.
But Elonia, with her lack of even proper tea party experience, couldn’t possibly refuse a sleepover.
She nodded, excited by the prospect, and opened the door wide.
“Come in.”
“Yay!”
Dianne beamed, entering Elonia’s room.
Elonia found herself getting excited about her first sleepover with her first friend.
“Can you wait a moment? I haven’t showered yet.”
“Sure, I’ll wait!”
Dianne sat down obediently on the guest sofa.
Elonia hurried into the bathroom attached to her bedroom.
As she soaked in the warm bath, she thought,
‘I actually have a friend now…!’
And her first friend, with her brown hair, blue eyes, and lovely smile, reminded her of Sarah.
Elonia quickly finished showering and changed into her pajamas.
The drawing-room was unusually quiet.
She cautiously opened the door, worried that Dianne might have fallen asleep, but Dianne was still sitting upright on the sofa.
‘Thank goodness, she’s still awake.’
Elonia approached the sofa.
Dianne wasn’t asleep. She was praying, her hands clasped together.
‘Right, she said she was taking a Theology class.’
Most mages, including Elonia, didn’t believe in God.
Caroline was a prime example.
Elonia, finding it curious that Dianne, a Magic Department student, believed in God, sat down beside her, watching her pray.
‘What is she praying for?’
Elonia had never understood religious people, in either this life or her past life.
But her dislike for God didn’t diminish her curiosity about Dianne.
Dianne finished her prayer and opened her eyes.
She was startled to see Elonia staring at her.
“Oh, Elonia, you’re done? Sorry for making you wait.”
“No, I didn’t wait long.”
Dianne smiled, relieved.
Elonia continued,
“It’s unusual for a mage to believe in God.”
“Heehee, I know, right? I hear that a lot. But why didn’t you dry your hair?”
“I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
“Silly, I’ll dry it for you!”
Dianne, like an older sister caring for her younger sibling, led Elonia to the vanity and started drying her hair.
She seemed surprisingly skilled at drying someone else’s hair, so Elonia asked,
“Dianne, do you have a younger sister?”
“No, I’m an only child.”
“You seem so good at this, I thought you had a sister.”
“Look at my hair, it’s super curly. Even with the maids and my father helping, it takes over an hour to dry. I figured it would take even longer if I did it myself, so I practiced.”
Dianne’s father also styled her hair. Elonia found another thing in common with her.
Dianne continued, her hands still working on Elonia’s hair,
“I’m so jealous. I wish my hair was just slightly wavy like yours.”
“Really?”
“Of course! And your hair color is so much prettier than my boring brown.”
Elonia had always thought her current hair was more beautiful than the blood-soaked mess she had as Chelon, where she couldn’t even tell if it was blond or brown. But this was the first time she had received a compliment from someone other than her family.
She blushed, fiddling with a strand of her hair, then returned the compliment.
“Your hair is pretty too. I like brown hair.”
“Liar. Brown hair is so common.”
“No, I mean it. My godmother has brown hair.”
“Hmph, thanks anyway.”
“I’m serious…”
Dianne, having finished drying and brushing Elonia’s hair, finally released her.
They lay down on the bed, chatting about their classes.
Dianne did most of the talking, with Elonia offering occasional responses, but Elonia also shared her own thoughts and experiences.
Then, Dianne brought up Olivia.
“By the way, what was with that Princess Olivia earlier?”
“Ah, that. I think I made a mistake.”
Elonia frowned, forcing a smile.
Dianne, seeing her expression, became indignant on her behalf.
“Even if she’s from Heilan, she shouldn’t have been so harsh to you. You’re seven years younger than her! She should act her age.”
“Don’t be so hard on her. She must be going through a lot.”
“But still!”
Dianne was about to continue her rant, but seeing Elonia’s lack of response, she changed the subject.
“By the way, you said it was your first time meeting a mage who believed in God, right?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s my first time meeting anyone religious.”
She had been surrounded by religious people as Chelon, but Ravanta was different.
Dianne nodded.
“Ah, right. Ravanta is unusually secular.”
“Yes. My mother was from the Theology Department, but I never met her.”
It was common knowledge that Elonia’s mother had passed away, but an awkward silence fell upon the room.
Elonia, realizing her mistake, quickly added,
“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”
Reassured, Dianne asked,
“…You said the late Empress was from the Theology Department? So, do you believe in God, Elonia?”
“I guess I don’t.”
“Why? Because he doesn’t exist? Religion can be comforting, especially during difficult times.”
Elonia, although she hated to admit it, knew that God existed.
But she would never believe in him or follow him.
Chelon’s misfortunes had stemmed from God.
Alexia had lived a miserable life because she had been chosen by God, and as if their fates were intertwined, Chelon had suffered a similar fate.
“I don’t feel the need to believe in anything right now.”
Dianne, sensing Elonia’s complex emotions, looked at her with a thoughtful expression.
Her gaze fell on a long rapier hanging on the wall and a dagger resting on the nightstand.
“Why do you have swords?”
“Oh, I’m learning swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship? Are you aiming to be a Sword Mage?”
“Hmm… Not really aiming for it. It’s more like a hobby.”
“That’s interesting. It’s my first time meeting someone who wants to be a Sword Mage.”
“I’m not exactly aiming for it. And it’s my first time meeting a religious mage.”
Elonia chuckled.
Dianne, intrigued by the swords, asked,
“Can you show me some moves? I’m curious!”
“Here?”
“Yes!”
Elonia hesitated, then briefly demonstrated a few basic swordsmanship techniques.
Dianne clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
“Wow…! Is that… sword dancing? I’ve heard about it!”
“It’s not sword dancing. Just basic movements.”
“Liar! It was so beautiful! You’re amazing, Elonia. You’re so talented, even though you’re so young. Is it because you’re a princess?”
Dianne’s eyes were filled with envy.
But Elonia thought Dianne was the amazing one.
“You’re the amazing one. I could never… approach a stranger and ask to be friends. I’m too shy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll be much better at making friends than me. If you just smile and reach out first, everyone will want to be your friend.”
Really?
No one had ever said that to her before.
But she couldn’t imagine herself acting so friendly.
Dianne patted the empty space beside her on the bed.
Elonia put away her sword and sat down.
“Elonia, do you want to make a lot of friends?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. But I was happy that you approached me first.”
Dianne, her eyes shining, clasped her hands together.
“Then I’ll introduce you to my friends!”
“Your friends?”
“Yes! I made some friends in my other classes.”
“Are they from the Theology Department?”
“Yes, they are.”
Elonia hesitated.
Could Magic Department and Theology Department students even be friends?
She had heard they clashed so much that their campuses were located far apart.
Dianne, hearing her concern, vehemently denied it.
“It’s all prejudice! They’re all good people!”
“R-really?”
“Of course! Think about it, the Magic Department doesn’t get along with the Swordsmanship Department or the Academic Department either. People pick on the Theology Department because it’s small and weak.”
Elonia listened to her, amazed.
Dianne, with her social skills, had managed to attend her Theology class and even make friends.
But Elonia couldn’t imagine doing the same.
Being outgoing was a talent, a talent she didn’t possess.
“I’ll pass.”
“Aw, that’s too bad.”
Dianne’s shoulders slumped, her disappointment evident.
But Elonia was firm in her decision.
She didn’t want to cause any trouble.
A small question suddenly crossed her mind.
‘…But didn’t Dianne dislike the Heilan students?’
She still remembered Dianne’s harsh words towards Olivia.
Almost everyone in Heilan was a devout follower of the Calamity God, so it was safe to assume that most of the hostages were as well.
That was why they often chose the Theology Department over the Academic Department, and the proportion of Heilan students in the Theology Department was significantly higher than in other departments.
It didn’t make sense that Dianne would be friendly towards them.
‘…Well, maybe she only befriends Ravanta students.’
Even though Ravanta wasn’t a religious nation, it was still Ravanta territory.
It was only natural that there were more Ravanta students than hostages.
As they chatted, night fell, and they turned off the lights and lay down in bed.
Dianne, her voice soft, called out to Elonia before falling asleep.
“Elonia.”
“Yes?”
“Be careful what you say and do at the academy. It’s like a miniature society.”
“…?”
Elonia had heard that before.
But she wondered why Dianne was bringing it up now. She tried to see her face, but it was too dark.
Was it always this unsettling when you couldn’t see someone’s expression?
Elonia listened, her mind racing.
“Be careful of people, especially. You’re too kind, you’ll be taken advantage of.”
“Uh… Yes, thank you for your concern.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re friends.”
Dianne chuckled.
Elonia’s eyes, adjusting to the darkness, could now make out Dianne’s smile.
It was a genuine smile, filled with concern and kindness.
Reassured, Elonia closed her eyes, finally allowing sleep to claim her.