A few days had passed since that day.
The atmosphere in the mansion had shifted, if only slightly.
Now, whenever I walked down the hallways, tiny footsteps trailed in my wake. When I turned around, Fia was always there.
"...Master."
Her voice was reserved, but she had started addressing me clearly.
At first, she had called me Luka, but Yuka had stepped in to "correct" her. Personally, I didn’t mind either way, but the title had stuck. For the record, I hadn't forced the "Master" thing on her. She spent a lot of time following Moore around, and it seemed she’d simply picked up the habit from her.
Currently, Fia was glued to Yuka's side.
"We'll start with simply setting the table," Yuka instructed.
"……Okay."
Fia had finally broken out of her shell of total silence. Her voice was still quiet, but she was responding now. I’d tried to learn more about her, but all I’d managed to uncover was that she was eight years old. I still couldn’t quite read her moods, and I had yet to see her smile.
Still, her trembling fear had vanished. These things take time; you can’t rush recovery.
Yuka set down a plate. Fia imitated her, placing one down as well. She was being cautious—extremely cautious. The sight of her concentrating so intensely on such a trivial task was undeniably adorable.
"You're doing very well," Yuka said.
"……Really?"
"Yes."
Just a little bit—a tiny, almost imperceptible fraction—the corners of Fia's mouth softened.
Her cuteness was reaching critical levels. How was I supposed to survive this?
Fia continued her work with steady progress, but then, a few minutes later—
Clatter.
"Ah."
A cup tipped and slid off the edge of the table.
...But it stopped just before it hit the floor.
A thin, transparent membrane of water caught the cup, cradling it in mid-air. It floated softly until Fia reached out, pulled it back, and placed it safely on the table. She let out a small sigh of relief, acting as if the miracle that just happened was perfectly natural.
"……Yu-Yuka. Fia just now……"
Yuka narrowed her eyes. "Yes. She used magic."
I stood up from my chair, stunned. "……Does she have the Water Attribute?"
Fia’s shoulders gave a sharp twitch. Did she think I was going to scold her? I was going to shower her with nothing but praise! I felt a strange surge of indignation at the idea of her being afraid of me.
"That was amazing! You're incredible, Fia!"
I scooped her up and began praising her to the high heavens.
"……Whu?"
"Catching the cup before it fell like that... My god, is our girl a genius?"
A few seconds of silence followed. Then, she looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
"……Did I do something amazing?"
She seemed genuinely confused. If she had really done that subconsciously, I was going to cry from the sheer emotion and my own relative lack of talent. It certainly hadn't looked like intentional control. There hadn't even been an Incantation. Was that even categorized as magic? I didn't remember anything like that in the beginner-level spells.
She had done it by reflex, as naturally as reaching out a hand. I suppose this was the legendary potential of an Elf.
In the afternoon, I took Fia out to the garden.
She sat neatly on the grass, soaking in the sun. It was good for her to get some vitamin D and fresh air. At first, she had been terrified of leaving the house, but now she seemed perfectly fine as long as we were within the estate grounds and she was by my side.
"……It's bright."
"The sun feels good, doesn't it?"
"……Does it?"
Having even a small back-and-forth like that made me happy, but occasionally, the scars of her past would leak through her words, making my heart ache.
"Master."
"Hmm?"
"……Can I... stay here?"
What a question. The answer was already decided. I pretended to ponder it for a moment before speaking.
"Fia, your name is Noctear now. Fia Noctear."
"……Yeah."
"Then that makes us family, right?"
Fia fell silent and tightly gripped my sleeve. I wasn't entirely sure what to do in moments like this, so I simply reached out and gently stroked her head as she looked down. Usually, when I did this, she would end up falling asleep.
"……"
It still wasn't enough. For Fia to truly be happy, I had to work even harder.
Night fell, and it was long past my bedtime. Fia joined me in my room, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As far as I was concerned, I was more than happy to have her there. As long as she wanted to be there, I would let her sleep in my bed. Her comfort was the priority.
Fia slipped under the covers beside me.
"……Master."
"What is it?"
"……Good night."
My "preciousness" meter was currently redlining. The sheer purity of this moment was enough to resurrect a man from the dead. Since I trained my mind and body every day, I managed to survive with only a minor brush with death.
"Good night, Fia."
I felt a faint warmth beside me. We were much closer now than we had been just a few days ago. I made sure to respect the fact that she was here of her own volition. That was what mattered most.
Soon, I heard the sound of quiet, rhythmic breathing. It seemed no nightmares would plague her tonight.
The next morning, Yuka made an observation.
"She's certainly settled in."
"Yeah."
"……Aren't you spoiling her a bit too much, though?"
"Children have a right to be spoiled," I countered.
"Both you and I are children as well, Luka-sama."
"I'm twelve! That's practically an adult."
"And yet your mental age is significantly lower than that."
She was being a bit mean, wasn't she?
Then, Fia let out a small laugh. It was only for a fleeting second—and I’d almost missed it.
It was the first time I had seen it. Though she didn't make a sound, she definitely smiled. Yuka and I both froze at the same time.
"……Fia, did you just laugh?"
Fia hurriedly hid her face behind her hands, but I could see that her ears were bright red.
It was a cause for celebration! Her very first smile! This was a monumental event—I needed to order red bean rice, pound some mochi, and throw beans for good luck!