We are strolling around the city with Florentia and David. I’m super excited that Florentia was willing to go out with us. She is slowly but surely getting more talkative with all of us. And lucky for me, Myrin hasn't paid much attention to her since that one day.

  But I’m starting to get intrigued by her retionship with Master. There really is something going on there, even though Florentia denies everything. I’m dying to gossip about it, but I try my best to suppress the need.

  “So, Florentia. Since you got your first paycheck, is there something you want to buy?”

  “Actually, there is. I visited the market area once and spotted a booth selling hairsticks. I want one.”

  “Hairstick? Oh, I bet it will look so pretty on your shiny hair! Let's go there right away! I suck at putting my hair up with sticks. Should I buy one too? Maybe you could teach me? I just use hair ties since I’m zy. Oh! We should definitely buy some snacks from there too!”

  “Snacks?” David asks, confused. “We literally just ate, Elena. How can you fit anything in your stomach after that?”

  “Oh… You are right, just forget I said anything. It was a stupid suggestion.”

  “I could fit some dessert, so I don't mind,” Florentia says.

  My eyes widen as I look at her while we walk.

  “Really?” I practically feel my eyes glistening.

  “Hell yeah. There is no such thing as too much dessert. When the food goes to your stomach, the dessert goes straight to the heart.”

  “I definitely like the thought of that! So more food it is!” I say, excited.

  “I swear I really struggle to understand you women.”

  “Oh, David, you are just weak.”

  We soon arrive next to the booth with different accessories. Florentia starts looking for different kinds of hairsticks, and I gaze at different strings meant for tying hair. You can combine different colors and twist them together to make a custom hair tie.

  My birthday is next Monday, and Myrin's birthday is next Sunday. I always imagined as a child that when we would finally be together, we would hold our birthday parties together at the same time and invite all of our friends.

  Pathetic, I know.

  I kind of want to buy him a birthday present. He will probably just reject it or throw it in the trash. But if I buy something useful, he might keep it. Like a new hair tie, for example. He always uses the same bck string to tie his hair, so maybe I could buy a new one?

  I choose a bck and grey string, since I know he won’t use it if there is any color in it. But if I were to put just a teeny tiny bit of vender color to resemble me, would he mind? Or even notice? Or maybe the core of the string could be vender, and then I just surround it with bck and gray, and he will never even notice the vender inside.

  I know it’s probably stupid to want something that resembles me to slide in there. I’m pathetic, I know, I know. But my heart can’t just stop beating for him, even though he is a complete idiot nowadays. I might be even slightly worried about him. Sure, he has always been cold, but never mean. What happened that he is so harsh tely? Does he have some troubles in his personal life or something? And he just takes it out on me?

  I ask the merchant to build the hair tie for Myrin, hiding the vender inside. I buy another one for myself, where the core is bck, and it’s surrounded by two different purple colors. Like the opposite of his.

  What?

  Can you bme me for wanting to have matching hair ties with my crush? I think it’s rather romantic. And he will never find out, so what’s the harm? There is still the chance he will never even use it.

  I look at both of them, pleased with how they look. I turn to look at Florentia.

  “I’m all done. Have you decided already?”

  “Hmm… No. I was already going to buy the one with green stones so it would match my uniform, but then I saw this one.”

  She shows a silver hairstick with blue and red stones embedded in it. Oh my god! Is she going to buy one for Master? Since the hair stick clearly matches Master’s colors. He has the silver details in his uniform, blue hair, and fire mage's eyes turn red sometimes. Well, not Master’s. He is way too emotionless to let his fire mana show in his eyes.

  “Are you pnning to give it as a gift to someone?” I poke a little.

  “Gift? Hell no. It’s for me.”

  “Oh…” That was disappointing. “In that case, the green one suits your skin tone better.”

  “Yes, I do agree. But something in the other one just speaks to me. Like it’s drawing me in like a magnet.”

  My smile widens once again. Oh… I see how it is.

  “Oh, really? Does it perhaps remind you of someone?”

  She furrows her brows before answering. “No, not really.”

  I roll my eyes. I kind of want to point out who it reminds me of, but I don’t. If I do, she will probably not buy it. I see this weird thing between her and Master is still in its baby shoes, and I don’t want to ruin it from growing. So let's just push her to buy that one, so she might realize ter that why she was drawn to it in the first pce.

  “Okay. If your instinct says that you want that, then you should take it. And you already wear so much green. Sure, the green one matches you better, but it could be a nice change to have something different. I’m always supporting colors!”

  She smiles. “Yeah, you are probably right, thanks. So what about your hair ties, are they both for you?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Of course.”

  “Really? I know we haven’t known each other for long, but the bck one doesn’t really feel like you.”

  “I wanted some change too. It’s useful to have at least one bck one, since it matches easily with other colors.”

  “Okay. I get that.”

  She pays for her hairtick, and we start walking away in the direction where David is waiting for us. I exhale heavily, happy that she didn’t question further. I really want to keep my crush toward Myrin a secret.

  “Finally. I thought you were going to stay the night in that booth,” David says a little bit too dramatically.

  “Jesus, David, no need to act like a martyr for waiting for us for like fifteen minutes,” Florentia says.

  “Jesus? What is that?” I ask, confused.

  She looks rather uncomfortable. “Oh, nothing. Just some stupid expression.”

  “Expression for what?”

  “Umm… Never mind, Elena. It’s hard to expin, just forget it.”

  “Okay…”

  “So, ready to fetch some desserts?” She clearly forces her smile.

  Is she hiding something? I want to ask, but maybe it’s not my business to force myself into her life like that. I should be careful with what and how much I speak, since I really want her to be my friend. I don’t want her to think I’m just a bbbering annoying little sister like everyone else apparently does.

  So I just smile brightly.

  “Yes! I know a great dessert café just around the corner.”

  We turn and go to the café and go order from the front desk. As I gaze over the different delicious desserts, the air surrounding us gets rather chilly. Did the weather change?

  “You are in the way.”

  Florentia yelps as she clearly startles at the sudden low voice behind us. I, of course, immediately recognize it as Myrin’s voice.

  “Jesus Christ, Myrin! Make a sound while you approach someone!” She spits out.

  Not just Jesus? But Jesus Christ? Is that some other nguage? She said that she was born here in the capital, so she can’t be a foreigner.

  But wait. Why is Myrin here? He hates sweets.

  “Oh, hi, Myrin! I wouldn’t expect to see you here. Are you going to save me and join us? I can’t handle being alone with girls anymore. They are just too weird sometimes,” David says.

  Florentia sps David on his arm.

  “Don’t go whining when you yourself wanted to come! Be a man, David.”

  “Ouch! Okay, okay, you might be right. But I still think you guys are weird sometimes. So, Myrin. Want to join us?”

  “No.”

  “Are you getting yourself some desserts too?” Florentia asks.

  “No. Can you move a little? You are still in the way.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  When she moves, Myrin reaches for one takeaway box on the counter. But he said that he wasn’t getting desserts for himself, and I don’t think he was lying. I know he doesn’t like desserts. So is he buying them for someone else?

  A girlfriend, perhaps?

  My heart aches so much for the thought. I know I have no right to be jealous, but I can’t help it.

  “Oh? Are you trying to woo some dy with sweets?” I smile and use my teasing tone, hiding the fact that I’m afraid of his answer.

  “That doesn't concern you.”

  He turns to chat with David, and my heart plummets. He really has a girlfriend. I just know it. Myrin keeps his private life a total secret, so it makes sense that he has someone to share the nights. That’s probably why he never sleeps in the Tower. And well, he is ridiculously hot, so of course he has a girlfriend.

  Maybe that’s why he has been meaner toward me. Maybe he noticed that I tried to get closer to him and just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t make any advances toward him. But why couldn’t he just say that he has a girlfriend? I’m sure knowing that would make me move on more easily.

  I really have to move on from him. I really do.

  “Lady Elena, is that you?”

  I turn around to look at a young man, and it takes a minute for me to realize that he is our old neighbour from when I was still a kid. His family moved away a long time ago, so he has grown up quite a bit.

  “Hugo?” I ask, still a little unsure if I recognize him.

  “I’m happy that you still remember, it’s been years since we st saw each other.”

  “Well, it took a short while to recognize you since you look like a man now, not a little boy. You have changed a lot.”

  “I guess I have. You, on the other hand, look young as ever.”

  “Oh… Yeah… I know.”

  I really am starting to hate when people point out how young I look.

  “Oh, don’t get it the wrong way, it was a compliment. You look stunning, just like you did back then.”

  “Thanks… So what are you doing here in the capital?”

  “I’m staying for a week for family business. So just a small trip.”

  “How are your parents doing?”

  “They are just the same. Boring and nagging all the time. I was always so jealous of how nice your parents were, allowing you to do anything.”

  “Your parents weren’t that bad. It’s just their way to show they care.”

  “Or their way to force me to learn everything to take on the family business.”

  I chuckle. “You could be right. That’s the noble way of life after all.”

  “How about you? What are you doing nowadays? Did you marry some rich man and live as a perfect little housewife, painting all day?”

  “Oh no. Far from it. I’m actually working at the Mage Tower.”

  “A Mage Tower? Really? I wouldn’t have thought of you as a working woman, but I guess I can see it. Let me guess, you are working in the art department?”

  “No, I’m not. I’m in the potion department.”

  “Why? Did you quit painting?”

  “No. I just prefer to keep it as a hobby.”

  “Are you alone? Do you want to grab a coffee?”

  “No, I’m actually with friends.” I gesture to everyone behind me.

  “What a shame. Well, how about tomorrow? Are you free? I would love to catch up with you.”

  I gnce back at Myrin, who is still just talking with David. He probably hasn’t even noticed my conversation with Hugo. And what do I care if he noticed or not? He has a girlfriend. I’m free to do anything I want. Maybe bumping into Hugo was just God’s message for me to move on.

  “Sure. I’m free after five.”

  His smile brightens.

  “Perfect. I will pick you up from the Tower then.”

  He takes my hand, bows, and kisses me on the back of it. His gesture momentarily shocks me. I’ve been living so long in the Tower, so long out of a usual noble’s life, so him acting like that feels weird and foreign, even though I know how nobles behave.

  “Until tomorrow then. I can’t wait.”

  I just stare at his receding back. So does this mean I have a date tomorrow?

  I’m not sure how I feel about that. I mean, yes, I liked Hugo when we were kids, as a friend, of course. But you never know how much he has changed over these years. So I need to be on guard. I don’t want anything bad happening to me again because of some man, like what happened with Baron Louffer. So I have to make sure we stay in public where he can’t do anything bad.