As a lone worker who had come to a foreign land, Sandrone had been quite lonely when she first joined the Fatui.
So she thought about making a friend.
But among the Harbingers of her generation, the stars were dazzling.
Some were worth befriending—but not suited to her.
Some were outright beasts—she looked down on them.
Others were so busy they were practically invisible.
Only the Maiden stood out—ethereal and pure.
Not like Capitano's righteous brilliance, nor Dottore's utter depravity.
Most importantly, she didn't talk much—and caused even less trouble.
Unfortunately…
Sandrone had arrived too late.
Dottore's earlier actions had already destroyed the Maiden's trust in her new environment, sealing her off from others.
And Sandrone herself wasn't exactly warm or outgoing either—
As she would put it:
"A proper lady must know restraint."
In short, no one could expect a lady (read: tsundere) to repeatedly lower her pride to break the ice with someone who barely showed emotional response.
What she didn't know was that the Maiden had already come to acknowledge her somewhat—she just wouldn't express it due to her nature.
And so, their relationship remained awkwardly suspended for centuries.
Not bad—they would occasionally gather for tea with a few tolerable colleagues.
But not good either—no heartfelt conversations, barely any real interaction.
And then—
That silly dove suddenly… figured things out today?
Sandrone didn't know who was responsible.
But it was probably related to that time over a year ago when the Maiden suddenly disappeared for a few days.
After she came back, her behavior had clearly changed.
If nothing else, she no longer constantly talked about "exchange" and "repayment"—
A habit Sandrone absolutely hated.
Helping someone out of goodwill, only to have them immediately talk about repaying the favor…
It felt like they were trying to draw a boundary.
As if being associated with her was unpleasant.
"...I really want to meet that person."
Sandrone composed herself, restoring her usual state, crossing her legs as she picked up her teacup and took a sip.
"Just so I can…"
A hint of embarrassment suddenly surfaced on her face.
"Beat him up!"
Did she look like someone who didn't hold grudges?
That ridiculous song—
That silly dove had been singing it outside her door for over a year.
Every single night.
Didn't matter whether she was in Zapolyarny Palace or Nod-Krai—
Teleportation is impressive, huh?!
As for why she blamed some unknown person for the Maiden's singing…
Sandrone figured:
Sure, the Maiden might be capable of writing lyrics.
But would she ever think to do something like that on her own?
Someone must have taught her.
Maybe even wrote the lyrics for her.
Daring to mock her like that behind her back—
"Just you wait."
"I'm definitely going to beat him up."
"Definitely."
"Definitely what? Did someone make you angry, my dear Sandrone?"
A flash of white light appeared.
The Maiden, who had just left, suddenly reappeared—catching the tail end of her words and startling her in the process.
"…Nothing."
"Why are you back? Something changed?"
Sandrone brushed it off quickly, changing the subject.
Teleportation really was impressive—especially for scaring people.
"Oh, nothing changed."
The Maiden spoke casually, reaching for Sandrone's teacup again—
Only for Sandrone to snatch it away first.
Unbothered, she turned and picked up her own cup instead. It was still nearly full.
"I just remembered I hadn't finished my tea… and I still haven't had the snacks Pronyia made."
"They should be ready now."
—————
Back to Lin En.
The next morning, out at sea.
"Aveline? Aveline? Wake up."
After finishing his morning exercise on deck, Lin En noticed she was still asleep and called out to her.
Not that he was against sleeping in.
But it was already past 9 AM—hardly early morning anymore.
More importantly, from the bow, the silhouette of Port Romaritime was already clearly visible.
At this speed, they'd reach land in at most half an hour.
"Ah… is it really that late?"
Aveline forced herself to glance outside—and instantly woke up.
She usually woke up early.
But today…
Well.
She had gone to bed a bit late.
More importantly—
She had been thoroughly exhausted.
Or rather, made to be.
"…Ugh…"
As she became more awake, memories of last night resurfaced, and a silent wail echoed in her heart.
For a moment, she actually missed her days in Natlan.
Truly—
What goes around comes around.
When she left Natlan, amidst the sadness of parting with her friends, she had secretly felt a little happy.
Finally, she could have Lin En all to herself for a while.
But now?
This was not what she had imagined.
Could it be—
That after becoming something like a god…
Even that aspect gets enhanced?!
Back in Natlan, Lin En could handle multiple opponents at once, sure—
But he wasn't this strong!
It felt amazing, yes—
But she really couldn't handle it…