It was probably around six or seven in the evening, the time when the sun was almost set.
The sunset inched downward; the afterglow at the horizon gradually gathered, the last warm light fading from the streets. The clamor of the day finally quieted, and Capitoline Hill City once again sank into its cyclical silence.
Ray rubbed his sore arms, collapsing onto a bench in Leonidas Plaza.
He leaned back, looking at the not-quite-extinguished glow on the horizon, unable to suppress a long sigh.
Luno's energy was truly far beyond what he had anticipated.
Maybe it was because she'd been cooped up in the Temple for too long. This time in Capitoline Hill City, her energy seemed inexhaustible. Curious about everything, her eyes sparkling, forever tireless.
Ray had already lost count of how many roads he'd walked with Luno in the city today. He only knew that at this moment, his whole body felt like it had fallen apart; even lifting a finger felt exhausting.
As for Luno...
She still looked like she hadn't had enough.
"Seems like a lot of new things have appeared in Capitoline Hill City during the time I was gone."
Luno sat beside him, gently swinging her fair legs, looking up at the darkening sky, a soft, moist smile on her lips.
An ethereal breeze lifted the young woman's blue hair, swaying with the wind.
A momentary scene, yet dazzling enough to seem to soften the surrounding air.
"Mhm, I had a lot of fun today! Of course, you share some credit for that."
She withdrew her gaze from the twilight, turning to look at Ray, only to meet his utterly drained eyes. Luno couldn't help but pout, mumbling softly.
"What's that expression! Is being with me really that unpleasant?"
Ray let out a long, drawn-out breath, forcing himself to sit up straight. "Yes, yes, spending a day with Miss Luno is truly the honor of lifetimes."
"That's completely monotone reading!" Luno crossed her arms and turned her face away with a light humph. But within seconds, she secretly opened one eye to peek at him. "...Suddenly want ice cream. Seeing as you accompanied this Maiden all day today, I'll get one for you too."
"This isn't a service just anyone can enjoy. Sit right here and properly appreciate this Maiden's great kindness!"
Luno stood up, her skirt spinning lightly as she headed towards a distant ice cream shop.
Watching the young woman's retreating figure, Ray couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
Tsunderes are like this.
After spending the day together, he had pretty much figured out Luno's personality.
A textbook tsundere.
And, plus that attire and twin-tails...
For some reason, Ray had a strong sense of déjà vu, very much like a certain goddess who frequently dropped the ball.
Just missing the East Anglian accent.
Thinking of this, Ray suddenly remembered something else.
How was the Second Young Miss doing?
When he contacted Carlotta this morning, she seemed incredibly busy, saying there were some thorny problems with the family's business in Septimont and she probably wouldn't be free for the next few days.
"Ah, seems I forgot to tell the Second Young Miss about Luno being with me."
"But... it should be fine, right?"
Ray murmured softly to himself.
Just then, a stranger naturally took a seat beside him.
The person wore a faint, elusive smile on their lips, their gaze following Luno's skipping figure in the distance, their tone leisurely.
"That girl is quite willful, isn't she?"
Ray was slightly taken aback, turning his head to look at this uninvited visitor.
They seemed to already know Luno's identity. Could they be from the Tetragon Temple?
"You know Luno?"
"Yes, you could say that." She nodded gently, her hair swaying slightly in the evening breeze. "We're old acquaintances. Willful, impulsive, always doing unexpected things when you least expect it. Being with her is tiring, right?"
Hearing she was an old acquaintance of Luno's, Ray lowered his guard somewhat, his gaze returning to the sunset-soaked horizon. "It's not that bad, actually. Luno just often says the opposite of what she means. She is a bit willful, but she knows her limits. It's not troublesome."
"Besides, I think... that kind of personality is actually quite cute."
Hearing such an answer, a flicker of surprise passed through the woman's eyes before returning to her composed demeanor.
Pressing her lips together, she gave a light laugh. "Cute? That's the first time I've heard someone describe her that way. The old folks in the Senate find her existence quite a headache."
"Well, I wouldn't know about that." Ray shrugged, responding nonchalantly. "Anyway, I'm not part of the Senate, and Luno hasn't caused me any trouble. At least from my perspective, Luno is still pretty cute."
Hearing such an answer again, the woman's smile grew a little more unrestrained.
Covering her mouth with her hand, she laughed softly. "It seems you like Luno quite a bit? And you've only known each other for a day?"
"Like?" Ray weighed the word in his heart, his gaze unconsciously chasing the cheerful figure heading towards the ice cream shop. "Saying that might lead to misunderstandings. But after spending the whole day together, I truly don't dislike her. Though a bit willful, that contradictory, contrary nature makes everything just right."
He withdrew his gaze, nodding frankly. "Mm, I do quite like her."
"Answered quite readily."
"And admitted rather freely."
Augusta gently massaged her temples, her expression somewhere between a smile and not, that hint of helplessness mixed with a touch of amused observation.
Just then, Luno came happily skipping back holding two ice creams. When she saw the woman beside Ray clearly, her steps halted abruptly, her eyes instantly widening.
"Augusta?! What are you doing here... Wait, how did you find me?"
The woman called Augusta crossed her arms, leisurely half-closing her eyes. "Oracle Maiden Luno, misconduct, left the Tetragon Temple without permission." She enunciated each word slowly and deliberately, yet without any accusatory tone. "Do you have any idea these past two days, those old folks in the Senate have nearly worn my ears out with their nagging? And here you are, leisurely enjoying life."
Luno raised her chin defiantly. "Hmph, well, who made you the Ephor?"
"Yes..." Augusta let out a soft sigh. "Who made me the Ephor?"
Augusta?
Ephor?
Wait, is she the Ephor of Septimont?
Ray's eyes instantly widened in disbelief as he looked at Augusta beside him. "E-Ephor... ma'am?"
"Drop the 'ma'am'." Hearing him address her like that, a slight twitch crossed Augusta's facial muscles. "Call me Ephor, or Augusta, either is fine."
Despite her high position, at her core, she was still that girl who had clawed her way up from the streets. After becoming Ephor, she never put on airs in front of commoners.
Of course, the Senate and nobility were exceptions.
In front of these people, humility and concession would only be seen as weakness.
Luno walked over to Ray's side and handed him an ice cream. "Here, this one's yours."
She sat down beside Ray, taking small licks of her own.
"And mine?" Augusta deliberately asked.
"Buy it yourself." Luno swung her legs.
"How heartbreaking..." Augusta let out a light sigh, pressing her fingertips to her chest. "All these years of friendship, and you won't even buy me an ice cream."
"Cut it out!" Luno puffed out her cheeks, muttering softly. "Last time, the time before that, and the time before that, the sweets I gave you, which time didn't you just take a couple of bites and leave? Now you know how to act hurt! Making me look like the bad guy!"
"Alright, alright, enough of that with you." Augusta reined in her smile a little, her expression turning somewhat more serious.
"Luno, something's happened in the Sanguis Plateaus."
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