The advanced magic lessons were taking more of my time than I thought, and before I knew it over a month had passed since I last saw Olivia! I'm learning a lot in such a short amount of time, but I don't have free time anymore. Thankfully, Lucus gave me a week-long break so I could accompany my mother to another social gathering in Wortrest as a reward for my effort. When we arrived, some of the other Ladies gave me cautious looks, and some of their children seemed nervous as I passed, but no one said anything, so I didn't care. They can gossip all they want, because I know Olivia won't be swayed by their petty words.

"Where do you think you're going?" Speaking of petty, Derik stopped me in the hall as I attempted to make my way to the garden where I was told Olivia was. He was wearing a knight's uniform fitted for his age that looked too pristine to belong to a real knight. Ever since the Ritual of Legitimacy, Derik has been cold and sometimes actively hostile toward me. Whatever his problem with me was, he stood in my way with his arms crossed and seemed to have no intention of letting me pass without speaking his piece.

"Greetings, Lord Derik." I still followed basic courtesy so that he couldn't chastise me about it. "I am on my way to the garden."

"You keep walking around someone else's home as if you own the place." Despite both he and Adam being eleven years old, Derik was nowhere near as mature. "If you're going somewhere, you must be accompanied by a servant." His eyes narrowed, and he muttered, "Lowly bastards should be watched."

"Do you doubt Elder Arkin, Lord Derik?" Did he still think I somehow convinced Olivia to lie about her vision and attempt to use his family to prove a false legitimacy?

"That showy display of a ritual was proof of the lie since it's meant to be a gentle affair; I looked it up in a book! It's obvious Arkin put on a show at my father's behest because our mothers are childhood friends! You and your mother may have convinced them to go along with this charade, but I won't let you tarnish the Ordrin name!" He never let it go, but he only called me out like this when Olivia and their parents weren't around. Why couldn't more older kids be like Adam? I noticed a familiar face approaching from behind Derik, so I decided to get some payback on him for insulting my mother.

"Coward," I muttered without moving my lips.

"What did you say!?" Derik took an aggressive step towards me and grabbed the collar of my dress.

"Derik!" A young woman who looked Derik's age and was wearing a dress the same shade of blue as the Ordrin family crest stood behind him. Her hair was as blue as the sky and was held in a braided ponytail that went down to her waist, and her eyes were a shimmering yellow that glared at Derik with a cold stare.

"Vivian…" Vivian Winchester, the daughter of Count Winchester, a childhood friend of both Derik and Adam, and as of a few months ago, was now Derik's fiancé. Despite both of them being eleven years old, Vivian was prided as being wise beyond her years and was often called Derik's better half by some of the older Ladies who frequented these gatherings. "This doesn't concern you." Needless to say, this put a damper on their relationship.

"How could it not when my fiancé is so openly holding a child half his age by the neck?" Vivian countered and gestured with her eyes to the maids, who were peeking around the corner down the hall.

"…Tch." Derik clicked his tongue in annoyance and released me. This was the fourth dress he'd ruined by stretching the seams around the neck. "Go straight to the garden, and don't cause trouble!" he said before storming off down the hall.

"Once again, I apologize for Derik's actions, Lady Felswore." Vivian was neither friendly nor hostile toward me; she was professional. She was Derik's fiancé and would become the next Duchess of Holst, which was a position she never took for granted, so she couldn't stand by and watch while her fiancé bullied children.

"I seem to hear that every time we meet, Lady Winchester," I said jokingly to lift the mood. If I adjusted the collar of the dress to hang down my back more, I could hide how loose it had become.

"Unfortunately so," Vivian replied and draped her shawl over my shoulders to hide me having to show more skin. "Lady Olivia is in the gazebo, so you should be on your way." We both exchanged a knowing nod and went our separate ways. Despite his continued rudeness, I wouldn't let Derik ruin today since this would be the first time I'd be seeing Olivia in over a month. The thought of her smiling and laughing with me made my chest feel warm and nothing could ruin tha-…

"Hmm?" As I entered the garden, I was met with a sight I hadn't expected; Olivia was smiling and laughing, but not with me. Olivia sat at a table with Margaret Trent sitting across from her and a girl I didn't know sitting next to them while Mary and another maid stood by. Margaret had a neutral smile on her face as she listened to Olivia and the unknown girl cheerily talk with one another. Olivia's smile was so bright…but it wasn't for me. "…?" My stomach churned, and my chest felt tight. Was I really upset that Olivia was happily talking with someone else? I pulled Vivian's shawl tighter around myself as my own inadequacies set in and-

"Lucina!" Olivia's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. While I was standing around in a daze, Olivia had run up to me and was trying to get my attention. "Did he bully you again!? You're wearing Vivian's shawl!" She looked furious as she peered under the shawl at my damaged dress.

"…It's fi-"

"The last thing I want to hear from you after a month isn't 'It's fine'!" She sounded just like her mother when I first came to Wortrest, and seeing her so angry on my behalf was nice. "You didn't even write."

"Magister Lucus is a very strict teacher, when it comes to the work he assigns me to complete. I'm sorry, I lost track of time." Right, now wasn't the time to be bitter! I'm here to be with Olivia, even if she is with others.

"So long as you are!" She grabbed my hand and led me to my place next to her at the table. "You already know Margaret, but this is my new friend I met at a gathering a few weeks ago, Cassandra." Olivia gestured to the unknown girl, Cassandra, who stood up from her seat and gave an overly dramatic curtsy. She had bright pink eyes that shined like jewels that matched her pink hair which was straight down to her ears where it continued down to her chest in spirals. It looked like she had pink springs running down her head.

"Cassandra Lyllium greets Lady Lucina Felswore!" There was a haughtiness in her voice that sounded like she was playing it up in an attempt to seem more mature than she was since she looked six, though her pink dress didn't help her image of maturity. She was taller than me, but not as tall as Olivia… Why was everyone Olivia hung out with taller than me?

"You know who I am?" If she was someone who was trying to cling to Olivia and steer her away from me because of those still circulating rumors, then I wouldn't stand for-

"Of course! Lady Olivia's always spoken highly of you whenever we meet. And it seems like she hasn't lied to me since you really do look like a cute little sister!" …Maybe she wasn't all that bad. You can't judge a book by its cover, as Olivia would say.

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"I thank you for the compliment, Lady Lyllium. How is the Baron these days?" Even if I didn't go out the past month, I still heard rumors and stories from my mother and knew Baron Lyllium was suffering from a cold. It wouldn't hurt to make small talk with Cassandra since she was being nice.

"My mom's doing much better! No flu can beat her!" Cassandra gave a proud smile and opened a fan she was holding to start fanning her face. Her springs jostled in the breeze she made.

"Mom?" Olivia asked as she sat back down. "The Baron's a woman?"

"…Pfft," Cassandra stifled a laugh and hid her mouth with her fan. "You always say such fun things, Lady Olivia!"

"…?" Olivia seemed even more confused, so I filled her in.

"While you might not see it much anymore, noble titles aren't tied to gender, they're tied to role. A baron is in charge of the land given to them by their lord while the baroness is the one who takes care of the house and internal affairs," I explained while sipping a cup of tea that Mary poured for me. I knew Olivia had been neglecting her studies in favor of relying on her past life's knowledge so she could focus on training her body, but it seems like it's starting to catch up to her. "It's the same with all noble ranks, but men have typically held the landholder title since that also comes with the responsibility of going out with the knights when needed, should a house have them."

"But I'm receiving training in combat despite being a girl," Olivia countered, seemingly oblivious to how absurd she sounded to a normal person.

"That's because you are an Aurister, Lady Ordrin," Margaret spoke up. "Auristers are a rare exception as their enhanced strength can single-handedly turn the tide of battles, so they're always given martial training, be it man or woman."

"Mom's not an Aurister, but she's still very strong!" Cassandra declared while puffing out her chest. "She won my dad by picking him up off his feet and carrying him home! Which is exactly what I'm gonna do, too!" There was a dangerous glint in her eye as she clenched her fist.

"And I fully support you!" Olivia sounded way too eager to help, and a glance back to Mary sighing told me all I needed to know about what was coming next. "Which is why you should come work out with me! I'll help you build muscles to lift any man off their feet!"

"Lady Olivia!" Cassandra's eyes were wide with admiration and love as she and Olivia held hands.

"…" I heard Mary face palm behind us.

"…And, how have you been, Lady Margaret?" To change the subject and to stop Cassandra from holding Olivia's hands any longer, I brought up Margaret being here despite not being a noble. "Did Olivia invite you and your father?"

"No, Lady Ordrin invited just me," Margaret admitted before giving a nervous chuckle and brushing her hair behind her ear. "When my father found out about what had happened during your visit last month and that I was personally invited to a gathering by the Duke's daughter, he said my attendance was mandatory and splurged on this dress." Margaret gestured to her rather ornate-looking yellow dress that was accented with green jewelry; the colors of her father's trading company.

"That's nice of hi-"

"And if I didn't attend, he would refit the dress and attend himself." There was a blank expression on Margaret's face that held both love and disappointment at the same time for her predicament.

"…I see."

"Why are you two still being stuffy?" Olivia spoke up and looked at Margaret and Cassandra expectantly. "We're the only ones here, and I've told you both to just call me Olivia when we're like this."

"I couldn't possibly speak so casually to the Duke's daughter!" Margaret tried to protest.

"…Mom said I'm not allowed to talk like that while here," Cassandra mumbled dejectedly.

"What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her, right?" Olivia said while giving a wink to Cassandra whose eyes went wide like a puppy's, again. "And, as I've told you before, Margaret, even if you're here as a representative of Trent, that doesn't mean we can't also be friends." Even though Margaret was older than us, she was still weak to Olivia's kindness; as anyone should be.

"But-" Margaret was going to try and politely decline again, so I decided to step in.

"I'd just do what she says," I said after sipping some tea to add an air of elegance to myself. "As the one who's known her the longest, Olivia is quite persistent about things like this."

"You make me sound like an unrefined person," Olivia flatly joked.

"No, I'm saying you're someone with a big heart."

"…You're not allowed to be smooth." Olivia blushed and cleared her throat. Yes, this is how it should be. Even if I'm no longer Olivia's only friend, that doesn't mean I'll lose her; if anything, this is a blessing. My legitimacy rumors are still going around which has led me to be ostracized at gatherings where the older Ladies won't let their daughters even go near me, so my mother only takes me to ones in Wortrest since she knows at least Olivia will be here for me. But that means I can't be there for Olivia at social gatherings if something happens to her. While Cassandra puts herself out there as being haughty, she seems like someone I can trust to genuinely be there for Olivia without some ulterior motive. Margaret, too, is someone I can trust since she owes Olivia too much to ever betray her. Even if she can't normally go to gatherings since she's not a noble, there are two other people now by Olivia's side. And that's enough for me.

***

As the day drew to a close, the gathering ended, and the Ladies and their children began their journeys back to their homes; all except for Lucina and Elizabeth who would be staying in Wortrest for the night. "Here, you can have this one for tomorrow," Olivia said while holding another of her old dresses that didn't fit anymore and offered it to Lucina. The two girls had retired into Olivia's room and were getting ready for bed.

"It's really alright, Olivia," Lucina tried to reassure her friend.

"It's not, though!" Olivia put the dress down and angrily plopped down on her bed. "I thought I told Derik to knock it off with that behavior. I should go give him another piece of my mind!"

"Don't!" Despite how uncomfortable it was, Lucina didn't want to trouble Olivia with her problems. Derik didn't like her, and no amount of lecturing would change that, so she decided to live with it since his opinion of her didn't matter. "It's not that bad, and I can always get the seam fixed. I just want to be with you right now." Lucina crawled onto the bed and laid down next to Olivia.

"…You shouldn't be so forgiving," Olivia muttered as she wrapped her arms around Lucina and brought her into a hug like an older sister comforting a sibling. "If he does it again, punch him in the face! I'm giving you my permission!"

"Okay." Lucina had no intention of doing so but smiled at the care Olivia had for her. "How did you meet Cassandra, anyway?"

"She may not look it since it was just the four of us in the garden, but she's actually quite the social butterfly." Olivia laughed as she thought back to their first meeting. "It was during a gathering in the neighboring county, but everyone was too nervous to approach Duke Ordrin's formidable daughter. It was pretty boring, and I was going to see if I could leave early when, all of a sudden, Cassandra sprang in front of me and introduced herself." She smiled and softly rubbed Lucina's back. "The daughters of counts feared me, but a small baron's daughter held only joy as she struck up a conversation with me. I couldn't help but like her."

"I'm glad you had fun," Lucina said through a yawn as she was getting tired from Olivia softly rubbing her back.

"…Lucina?" Olivia hesitated and sounded bitter, "Do you think I'm cruel?"

"Who said that!?" Lucina was now wide awake, sprang up, and grabbed Olivia by the shoulders. "Who would dare say that about you!?"

"…Truthfully, I initially befriended Cassandra because she reminds me of one of my friends from my past life." A heavy air pressed down on the two girls. Olivia had always danced around explicit details regarding her past life's friends and family when talking to Lucina, but this was eating at her and she needed to get it out. "My friend also had bright pink hair, though she had to dye it that color instead of it being a natural hair color like it is in this life… Their personalities are different, my old friend wasn't as bubbly as Cassandra…but…" Olivia took a deep breath before finishing, "Is it cruel to be her friend just because I miss Sato-chan?"

"…" Lucina held her tongue and allowed Olivia to hug her tightly. After a few seconds of silence, she asked, "Do you dislike Cassandra's personality?"

"…No," Olivia quietly replied, "She's much more fun to be with than other nobles."

"Then, I think it's fine."

"But, I only became her friend because-"

"And? Didn't you also fear me just because of your past life?"

"…" Lucina's words cut deep, and Olivia fell silent.

"Even if your past life leads your decision-making, you can still choose for yourself after you get to know her." Lucina returned Olivia's hug and nestled herself closer. "Just like how you don't fear me anymore because of who I am, you can be Cassandra's friend because of who she is. I believe in you."

"…Thank you," Olivia whispered. When she had first seen Cassandra, Olivia almost called her Sato-chan on impulse. Whenever she saw that bright pink hair, it felt like she was deceiving Cassandra with her kindness that was meant for someone she couldn't see anymore. But Lucina was right; even if her initial reason was selfish, that didn't mean things couldn't change. Even if she initially went along and befriended Cassandra because of her hair, that didn't mean she would ignore who Cassandra was: a bright and joyful person to be with. "Thank you, Lucina, for being my friend."

"I'll always be here for you, Olivia," Lucina softly replied, and the two girls fell asleep in each other's arms as a cool summer breeze wafted in from the open window. It was a peaceful night.

***

"Run!" It was a peaceful night, at least, for those not running for their lives. Near the town of Ertrum, two hunters bolted through the woods just before the crack of dawn. Their lungs screamed for air as they ran as fast as they could. The bushes behind them rustled in pursuit. "They're gaining! Get to the horses!"

"We're almost there! I can see the clearing!" Up ahead was an opening in the forest where the two men had left their horses to wait. "Just a little-" A shadow bigger than the largest of war horses sprang from the brush and tackled one of the men to the dirt. "GAH!" The man screamed as his arm was ripped off his body at the shoulder by powerful jaws and pointed teeth.

"Louis!?" the other man cried and turned only to see his fellow hunter being mauled by a demon shrouded in the shadow of the trees. Blood watered the forest floor as it crunched down on the severed arm in its mouth, tearing flesh and shattering bone.

"Go, Dennis!" Louis shouted through the pain while the demon continued to tear into him. "Warn the town! We need he-" The demon's teeth punctured the man's body and tore open his chest cavity. Louis tried to scream, but his lungs were no longer inside his body.

"!!!" Dennis ran. He sprinted back to his horse, cut the reins that tied it and Louis' horse to a tree, and galloped at full speed back to Ertrum. The demon didn't give chase any further since it had captured its meal for the day. Its long, canine snout buried itself into Louis' guts as it tore off chunks of meat and crunched through bone as if it were hard candy. Infernal eyes glowed a sinister red as blood flowed down its perpetually dry throat. The hellhound feasted this peaceful night.