My eyes slowly open. I’m gd I actually got some sleep st night. I feel surprisingly energetic. I sit up in my bed and stretch my arms. Then everything that happened st night hits me at once, and heat rushes straight to my ears.

  Oh my god. I can’t believe Myrin did all that. I know he probably did it solely out of loyalty to my brother, but still… it makes me happy.

  Honestly, I don’t even know where I found the courage to ask him to stay. I just thought his opinion of me couldn’t possibly get any worse. That it wouldn’t matter if I begged him. It wouldn’t damage our retionship since he already dislikes me so much. I just didn’t want to be alone.

  I never would have expected him to comfort me like that. The feeling of his hand stroking me is carved into my memory. I will cherish it forever. Even though he didn’t do it out of worry. His touch was cold, probably because of his ice mana, but it still made me feel hot inside.

  I sp my cheeks.

  Okay, Elena. Get it together. Don’t start daydreaming. It probably meant nothing, so don’t get your hopes up. I get ready for work and go eat breakfast in the dining hall. I spot Myrin there.

  Did he sleep at the Tower too? He never eats breakfast here.

  Should I sit next to him? Or would that be awkward? Or would it be even more awkward to avoid him? Normally, I would sit next to him, so I do just that. Let’s pretend yesterday never happened.

  “Good morning, Rin!” I say with my usual bright smile.

  “Morning, Elena.”

  “Aren’t you a rare sight here.”

  He stays silent, which is hardly surprising.

  “I’m really not eager to start work today since we have to begin the budget report. It’s hideous. There is nothing more boring than being swallowed by documents and receipts. I don’t get why doing it once a year isn’t enough.”

  Myrin just keeps eating. I wonder if he even listens to me when I talk. Or is he completely ignoring me? Maybe I should test it.

  “You know, sometimes I wish I could mess with him a little. I mean Master. Just walk into his office with the budget report and light it on fire in front of him, just to see his angry face. He would totally deserve it.”

  Myrin looks at me sharply, gring. My smile widens. So he does listen.

  “Elena, you know better than to joke about things like that. We should not mess with Master.”

  Myrin has always been serious when it comes to Master. He would be the st person to ever provoke him.

  “Sorry. I just wanted to see if you listen when I talk to myself.”

  “You could just ask.”

  “Well, do you always listen, or only to some parts?”

  Silence.

  “So?”

  More silence.

  “Rin! Answer me.”

  “I never said I would answer.”

  He gets up and leaves.

  Ugh. What an idiot.

  I go back to my breakfast. I’m still hungry anyway. Sometimes I wonder how my tiny body can eat so much. No matter how much I eat, I never gain weight. Trust me, I’ve tried. I kind of hoped that if I got a little bigger, I’d get bigger boobs too. Pathetic, I know.

  After breakfast, I head to the potion department's office and find Myrin already there. I truly hate office work, but it can’t be helped. Two mages are always assigned to do the budget report. Myrin volunteered, and I was assigned to help him.

  Normally, I’d be happy to work with him. But paperwork is just awful.

  “Start gathering the receipts. You handle the expenses. I’ll deal with the income,” he says.

  I let out a heavy sigh.

  “Sure.”

  I open the drawer where all the receipts are stored. It’s a complete mess. I take an empty sheet of paper and start listing everything, one receipt at a time.

  “I don’t get why we need to do this. We already bought everything. Why does it matter to report it afterward?”

  “It’s crucial,” he replies. “Master needs to know where the Tower’s money goes. Managing something this rge requires oversight.”

  “But the money is already gone.”

  “Yes, but it helps pn the future, cut expenses, and adjust the budget.”

  “But the Tower is loaded with money. It’s not like we’re struggling.”

  “You know how greedy Master is. No amount of money is ever enough. And the more the Tower makes, the more we earn.”

  I fall silent. He’s right.

  Money has never really mattered to me. I was born a noble, and my family always provided everything I wanted. I know how lucky I am. Of course, earning my own money feels nice, but I’ve never had to worry.

  For Myrin, it’s different. Especially since he chooses to pay for his own apartment instead of living at the Tower for free. If he doesn’t earn enough, he could lose his home.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Is there a way to stop you?”

  “No, I was just being polite,” I smirk. “Do you live alone just because you like solitude?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are there other reasons?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like what?”

  “I want to separate work from my personal life. I don’t understand why someone would want to live where they work.”

  “I get that. I just enjoy living close to people. It’s nice knowing there’s always company.”

  “I know.”

  I guess it’s pretty obvious that I enjoy talking to people. Of course, I enjoy talking more to my close friends with whom I feel comfortable whit. But I do like to talk in general. So I often bbber to just anyone. And just being surrounded by noise is comforting, and I find it easier to focus and do things when there is life around me. The only time I truly like silence is when I paint. Then I can fully disappear into it and lose the sense of time and space.

  “Is the reason you keep your hair long so you can cut it yourself?”

  He looks up, surprised.

  “Where did that come from?”

  I shrug. “Just a random thought. You know how my mind wanders sometimes. So is it?”

  “What is this interrogation?”

  “You know I focus better when I talk. You can either answer or listen to me ramble by myself. And I have never really asked you about anything; I have respected your privacy. So I’m just curious.”

  “Why stop respecting now?”

  “I thought you considered me as a friend previously, that you liked me as a friend. So I didn’t want to make you dislike me. But now you have clearly pointed out that you dislike me, there is no reason to try to please you.”

  It’s probably not the smartest approach, but being careful around him hasn’t worked either. So let’s try to be bold for a change. If I’m not, I will probably never learn anything about him.

  “Well, I’m done answering your questions.”

  “That’s fine. I figured I was pushing my luck.”

  I pull out a receipt.

  “Oh my god! I had no idea a simple vial costs this much! Now I understand why Master was furious when Ayas broke them.”

  This is the first time that I’m participating in the report, but I guess this is a good learning experience.

  “Master said that he will cut the cost from our pay! It’s going to be a huge loss! Oh, I’m so going to sh out at Ayas after this is done. I really don’t understand how he is so clumsy all the time, and why he had to choose to work here. I’m sure there are many departments where there aren’t so many breakable things.”

  I’m honestly not sure what department would even fit Ayas.

  “Why did you want to work in the potions department?” I ask.

  He keeps just writing, staying silent. I let out a sigh.

  “I would figure that you would like to work in the weapons department. You always modify that bo staff of yours. I think you are a little obsessed with it. Not that it’s a bad thing. I think the staff is pretty cool. It sticks out, since everyone always just uses swords. Oh! Is the reason you use the bo staff the same as the reason you don’t cut your hair? You’d rather fight from a distance?”

  He is silent as ever.

  “Maybe I should learn to fight too, with something other than magic. You know, in case something…”

  I fall silent, thinking about what happened with Baron Louffer. My chest tightens, and I feel anxious when the memories overwhelm me. I stare at the paper in front of me, pressing the tip of the pen hard against the paper. The lead in the tip breaks, and it snaps me out of it. I startle a little when Myrin suddenly speaks.

  “Yes, I keep my hair long so I don’t need anyone to cut it.”

  I stare at him for a while, a little shocked. But my body rexes. I can’t help but think that he caught my discomfort and wanted to distract me from thinking about something else.

  “I so knew it! So does it apply to your bo staff too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm… Why the bo staff, though? Why not a spear?”

  “Easier to carry since it can be downsized better, and it’s more versatile.”

  “Which do you prefer, summer or winter?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Really? That’s odd. I was sure you would like winter because you act cold as ice all the time.”

  I grin, looking at him. His face doesn’t falter.

  “Come on, Rin! When I joke, you should ugh or smile at least.”

  “It was a bad joke, since it’s the truth.”

  “Hmm… I guess so. Have you always disliked me? Like this whole time, even when I was a kid?”

  “Yes.”

  He really is ruthless.

  “Why do you dislike me?”

  I know it’s risky to ask, but maybe if he answers something, I could try to suppress that characteristic of mine. You know… That he would maybe start liking me.

  “You are everywhere, constantly fluttering around. You are loud and way too colorful. It hurts my eyes and ears. You ck discretion; you force your company on others when they don’t desire it. You have no ability to understand when it’s better to remain silent. You are hopelessly naive and don’t understand how the real world works for others. You are pampered and spoiled to the core. You don’t consider others’ feelings or desires at all. You even started to call me by a nickname when I never agreed to it. I hate it. It grinds my nerves. You grind my nerves.”

  I stare at him, stunned. I mean, sure, I knew he disliked me. But I never thought that he would dislike me to that extent. I know I might be cking, but I never thought my list of fws was that long. He really hates every part of me. It hurts, hearing that really hurts. Why did I ask that?

  I feel a tear sliding down my cheek. I try to just suck it in.

  Come on, Elena. Don’t start to cry here, not now. Just breathe and count to ten. It’s okay. Your world doesn’t colpse even if Myrin hates you that much. It’s my fault that I went and asked that. Just another proof of how naive I am. Thinking he would only say something light. Still thinking that he actually liked some parts of me.

  Despite my effort, I can’t stop my tears. He doesn’t even lift his gaze at me. No remorse whatsoever. Just cold as ice.

  I get up and run away from the office. I need to go to my room. I need to cry this all out so that I can face him again.