When it came to family dinners, Marilyn had quite the heartwarming experience with them, in her second life that is. She remembered how she used to be a passive child during that time, eating for the sake of it, and not socialising much.

But ever since her conversation with her older sister in that hidden glade, she gradually became less fearful and avoidant, socialising with her family and bonding with them like any other child would.

It could be deemed as something so trivial, but to her it was worthy of celebration. She smiled bittersweetly in accordance with that memory. She couldn't really experience that same warmth again with Helena being gone, and her being a Novice Pathfinder now.

“Hm…”

But that smile quickly disappeared, as her eyes had made contact with something she held disdain for, both in her previous and current life.

“...broccoli.”

“Hm? Something wrong?” Lydia was the one to respond to her words, curious at the sudden quiet comment she had of her meal.

Marilyn looked up, shaking her head, “Nothing important. I just don't like broccoli.”

“You don't like broccoli?” Cecilia interjected, “Umm, may I ask why?”

Marilyn was playing with her food using the fork. Aside from those things, it seemed to be quite the succulent warm meal. “Texture is terrible, often no flavour, and it just feels weird to eat it,” she answered.

Marilyn's party, consisting of three girls and three boys, were now eating together with three extra people in the early evening. They were the relatives of Adrian Hunt in particular, Lydia being his mother, Julia being his little sister, and…

“Well, you should be able to just avoid it and still finish your meal I’d reckon,” Adrian said, before turning to Vincent, “Isn't that right, Vivi?”

“For the last time stop calling me Vivi, damn it!” Vincent retorted, “Plus, what the hell is this doll doing next to me!? It's creeping me out!”

The rest of the people that had been eating on the long table of this manor's dining hall turned towards him, and then towards the ‘person’ that had sat next to him, ever since they started this event.

A woman, perhaps around her mid-twenties in appearance, was the one that had been present upon that would've been vacant seat. She wore herself something akin to a Victorian dress, and while it was not particularly visible, she had doll-like joints all around her articulable limbs and body-parts.

From shoulders to even her fingers, she was a pure doll, porcelain skin and a rather innocent expression. “Is something the matter?” she asked them all, her eyes blinking as if she were human.

In fact, apart from her body, she was acting human, near-perfectly. She just didn't breathe, that was all.

Adrian spoke first, “Oh, that's my aunt.”

“Your what?” Vincent, with a bewildered face, turned towards the group’s de-facto leader. “Are you saying that this thing is somehow related to your parents?”

Lydia and Julia had a particularly offended face, Julia more so and she did not hide it, Lydia being much more muted in comparison. Adrian however laughed awkwardly.

“You're being insensitive right now, Vincent. I suggest you let her explain it herself?” he said.

The doll-woman turned her head slowly towards Vincent, her movements smooth but unnervingly precise. “I am Maria Hunt,” she said, her voice soft yet carrying a strange weight. “Before his marriage, when he was still your age, his father rescued me from the Old Domain and took me in as his own. I do not remember who I was, but I knew that this wasn't my natural state either.”

Vincent's face was a mix of scepticism and discomfort, “You mean you were someone else, before being brought back as this?”

Maria nodded. “Yes, my soul was bound to this form. It may seem strange to you, as my body is artificial, but I am no less present.”

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Marilyn, who had been silently observing, found herself both intrigued and unsettled. She had heard rumours about the Hunt family having someone like this, but seeing it up close was something else. Her fork paused mid-air, her previous disdain for broccoli suddenly trivial compared to the bizarre spectacle unfolding at the table.

Vincent leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “This is insane,” he muttered, his eyes still fixed on Maria, “No offence, but—”

“Perhaps, Vincent,” Lydia interrupted, her tone sharp, “you should learn a bit of respect for things beyond your understanding. Maria is still family.”

Vincent winced, “S-sorry, ma’am.”

Lydia could only sigh, “It's at least expected that someone would be weirded out, your apology is accepted.”

Julia huffed, “Weirdo.”

The table fell silent for a brief moment, the tension palpable. Marilyn could sense the growing discomfort, but also the underlying fascination rippling through the group. She exchanged a glance with Cecilia, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘Well, this is new.’

Nonetheless…

“That's…” Elysia attempted to break the silence, “Awesome!!!”

“Hm?” Maria turned towards the dragon-kin princess, a bit curious, “I beg your pardon?”

“I mean, you're like a living legend! A real-life soul-bound doll! How does it feel? Can you do everything humans can? Do you have super strength? Oh! Can you—”

Maria smiled softly, her porcelain face barely shifting. “It’s not quite as extraordinary as you might think. I feel as you do, but there are...limits.” She raised her hand delicately, fingers flexing with eerie precision. “My movements are precise, but I can never feel warmth, nor the wind against my skin. I exist, but in a different way.”

Elysia’s expression faltered slightly, the weight of Maria's words sinking in. “Oh…that sounds kinda...sad.”

Maria tilted her head, a gentle look in her glassy eyes. “It is simply the price I have to pay, I’m used to it.” She glanced meaningfully at Adrian and Julia. “At the least, I can see the family grow and partake in it.”

Elysia nodded, her excitement tempered with a newfound respect. “Well…I still think it’s amazing! I mean, you’re here, with us, and that’s something."

Maria’s smile deepened slightly. “I thank you for your compliment.”

Marilyn had just been looking at the two of them, and then towards Lydia and Julia. She was only eating her meal as the group talked around her, but there was something she wanted to ask of these people in particular. Or rather, she just wanted to ask one of them.

“U-umm, Lydia, right?”

“Hm? What is it?” Lydia turned to her with a smile.

“Well, we’re taking temporary lodging here because of our mission sent by Aegis…do you know them?”

Lydia hummed, “Do I…?” It was as if she was genuinely trying to remember, until— “Of course I do! I work with them, part-time!”

Cecilia raised an eyebrow, “Part-time?”

“Well, I was a full operative, before getting married to Adrian's father of course,” She said. “Ever since then life got busy for me, and I relegated myself to just doing assistance work here and there. No longer an operative, but you might actually meet me there if you guys got in.”

Lydia smiled at them, before suddenly burping. “Excuse me. It seems I’ve become full,” she said, chuckling a little.

“Such it is an honour to have met one of the more famous people here, truly!” Eldryn commented, “You could train us, but no obligations necessary, Mrs. Hunt.”

“Well, I sincerely appreciate the offer at least,” Lydia responded, “It’s rude of me, but I refuse, you are all capable enough to train by yourselves. I assume the academy already gave you the necessary knowledge that I would've given you too.”

“Uh, well…anything to watch out for in our first Veil, at least?” Cecilia asked her.

“Hmmm…that’s a good question.” Lydia leaned against her chair, thinking. “I’d say that the threat assessment from your Tomes, while accurate, does not represent the full picture on what you may face,” she said. “The Veils we’re facing now are unpredictable, so be ready for anything, even things that you’re all under equipped for. Anything else you’ll have to learn on the fly, because that's how Adrian's father learned when he went to his own Veil for the first time.”

“Hmm…”

Marilyn was once again in deep thought. In particular it was about her readiness here. She may be immortal, but the threat of failure in that mission was very much real. The stakes would be far higher than the Sanctioned Veil that was fully contained and ordered. There would be risks involved that she may not foresee, and in turn she could probably…

“Lose them…”

She raised her head, her eyes gazing at the friends she had made these past two years. They were all happy here, laughing and bantering. She couldn't lose them, she mustn't lose them. And remembering the promise she made to herself—

“Lydia, where can I train after this?”

Her meal was all but finished, she just had the broccoli left on the plate, to which she would never eat—ever. It might be impolite, but she wanted to get as ready as she could be, even if it had to be her alone.

Lydia turned to her, “There's a sanctioned forest area that the family bought specifically for that…so I guess there?” she said, a bit in the unknown about this habit of Marilyn's.

“Dear Marilyn, do you want us to join you? Maybe?” Cecilia asked her, in some mildly desperate attempt to lessen their distance in understanding her.

But Marilyn shook her head, “No need.”

And with that, she took the risk of impoliteness and stood up from her chair. It caught all of their attention, but that didn't matter to her. “I thank you for the meal, Lydia, but I must depart.”

Lydia attempted to respond to that, but it was cut short the moment Marilyn hastily left the table. It was to everyone’s absolute bewilderment barring the priest, but to two people specifically it just brought further exhaustion and concern.

Adrian sighed, and Cecilia could only look on, in hopes that her friend would come around eventually.