I walk through the halls of this manor I have not seen in over a year. Very little has changed, it seems. Though, there is a single change. No cute little girl with similar curly blonde hair to mine, but red eyes, greeting me with a lovely smile.

I wonder if Rishya is doing well with her crush. I chuckle. I always thought she might well fall for the same man as the princess. With something like the Sage of Thunder hanging around her as well, I dread to think how strong she... and 'Michael'... have become.

Secretly, in my head, I also started naming my spirit 'Angelica' recently, after my first doll. Probably another sign of my ever-increasing madness.

I make a wry smile to myself. I wonder if my near-death experience really changed me, or whether it just made me less controlling of myself.

I make my way through the crowds that mill around the manor. This is another significant change. With the damage to several palace facilities and death of many council members, the estate has become a sort of temporary emergency headquarters for the relief effort.

I reach the hall. My grandfather, and Rishya's, are here, managing people back and forth. I put this off for a day, pretending I was busily helping Kuro, but in the end, she made sure I came back.

She is such an idiotic woman. I honestly baffle myself with my decisions as of late.

I muster up my most dignified voice to speak to the old man in white knight’s attire matching his beard.

"I'm back, grandfather."

He looks up from the document he was reading in shock, and he looks rather angry.

"Yuuzu!!!" Grandfather suddenly shouts. I shut my eyes and grimace at his commanding tone.

But a further rebuke doesn't come. Just as I crook my eyes open, I am hugged.

"I'm glad you're safe."

Uncle Douglas has noticed me as well. He has dismissed the clerk talking to him, and has crossed his arms, nodding is the background.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"She has become even more beautiful, in fact." Uncle says. "She now looks so much like Kana, its untrue."

"You old fart, have you gone blind? Kana had dark hair." Grandfather lets go of me and heckles uncle.

"Did she? Huh..."

Grandfather rolls his eyes. Uncle Douglas always makes jokes like this. Something about a past trauma regarding dark haired women, he claims, renders him incapable of seeing non-blondes, or something? It’s no wonder Rishya has a twisted sense of humour as well.

"He is right, though, you have got more beautiful."

"Please, grandfather, that’s embarrassing."

"Is it now? Well... you can't just wander off for a year and not expect something like this when you return."

He looks cross again, but he shakes his head to rid himself of it. He looks me up and down, then sighs.

"You must have survived a few scrapes, for sure. Gone is the naive girl that left, though she looks similar. You have a palpable battle sense to you now, girl."

"I... I do?"

Grandfather chortles.

"The fact you don't even notice as well is a good thing."

"Well, good for battle. Not so good for a being a noble wife!" Uncle laughs.

"Hah... well..." I stutter. "Wait! That reminds me! Why did you give that armour to Rishya's boyfriend, uncle! It was my betrotha..."

The temperature of the room drops a few degrees and I shiver slightly. What was that?

"Ho... you saw Rishya and her... boyfriend? Do tell."

Urk. I actually have no grounds for that assumption. Little girls always have crushes and here I am leaping to the finish. I am sorry, ser etranger, I'll set the record straight.

I spend some time talking about what I recall from my journey. I leave out certain things. Like me having an affair with Kuro.

"Hoh... it sounds like you have learnt a lot after all. Didn't I tell you it would be for the best?" Says uncle, to my grandfather.

"I don't really want to hear that from the man who was bawling for days about his granddaughter leaving the nest."

They glare at each other and I can't help but laugh. Did I miss these grumpy old men? Crazy... I have really gone crazy...

I continue to guffaw until I'm red in the face, and I set them off as well.

I bet the others in hall are looking a strangely at this scene.

Ah well.

"Ahem. To answer your earlier question, my dear, I rather felt sorry for the lad. He reminded me of your father. No real skill, but earnest. Dense to the ways of the world, but pointlessly kind. Nevertheless, very much able to stick up for what was important for him. It almost seemed wrong to not give it to him. He appreciated it a lot and is probably still wearing it now, but as a dowry, it would rot in a storeroom for years. No armour of any renown deserves such a fate."

That... was surprisingly detailed.

Like father? He was? Huh. Well I guess in some ways that’s the case. I only remember father in passing for the first six years, but he was an eternally low-ranked knight who mysteriously married into the prestigious Ashensalve line. My mother was stubborn or someth...

Hmm...

It’s not like I'm similar to her or anything!

"A-anyway... I g-guess that’s fine then." I stutter.

Grandfather and uncle laugh again.

I really am going crazy.