---

「Yesterday really happened.. right..?」

I hearkened back to last night as I intently stared at my reflection in the hallway mirror.

Melyn's ceaseless giggles of bliss as I towed her through the rooftops, the angry men pursuing us from the streets below, and the imperfect night sky showering us in the moonlight.

It was an ephemeral scene—hazy and dreamlike. And it all went by so fast like a speeding train. There was some hesitancy in verifying its authenticity.

This doubt I harbored was valid though, as I was no stranger to such vivid dreams. And following Rysef's passing, these dreams only intensified. They were as palpable as reality itself.

Even as they slipped through the cracks between my memories, the sensations I experienced lingered like blood on a pure white shirt.

「There's only one way to know for sure...」

Using my hands, I gathered the overgrown hair on the back of my head into a tail and held it up. I tilted my head and inspected how it looked.

Huh... it really is wild...

Content with the style, I used a leather hair strap I found in the drawer by my room to fasten this auburn tuft. One last look and I was ready.

I lightly brushed my wavy bangs aside and straightened the collar of my button-down. Stepping away from the mirror, I was amazed at how much a simple ponytail could spice things up.

Never before had I bothered cleaning up my appearance—even in the old world.

I might as well look sharp to attenuate Mr. Potternuggets' concerns. It wouldn't do me any good keeping the beggar getup.

Or so I lied to myself.

「Alright. That's enough fiddling around and stalling. I better head downstairs... lest I miss breakfast.」

The steps creaked as I descended to the second floor. Through Hu, I discerned Melyn's absence from her room. Faintly I felt her presence in the dining room.

I had all the right to be nervous. We did part ways on a fairly vague note upon safely making it home...

---

「I don't... think... they saw us...」

Out of breath and drenched like a mop, I leaned against the wall opposite the window after hastily hopping inside.

Melyn also sat beside me, her shoulders heaving as she panted. She wore a dopey smile on her face, which was unbefitting of the predicament we'd just gone through.

「You... look happy...」

「Hehe... do I..?」

I was too exhausted to pry any further.

With my eyes heavier than an anchor on the seafloor, I staggered to my feet and approached the door.

「Um... L-Lorenzo..!」

The thief girl awkwardly called to me. Turning to her, I responded in a slightly spent tone.

「Uh... you don't have to... force yourself to... call me that... Just call me as you always have.」

「O-oh... um... Zozo..?」

「Y-yeah..?」

She gave me an assuring smile.

「I'll... see you tomorrow.」

I deeply sighed.

「You better... Don't go... running off again. I'd go... to the ends of the earth to find you....」

Breathily leaving her with a warning, I exited the room.

And that was that. No more was said that night. I simply sauntered back to my room and collapsed on my bed.

It had been an excruciatingly long day.

---

But was her depressive episode actually quashed, I wondered. There wasn't much of a resolution; I merely conveyed my selfish whims and hoped for the best.

I found it hard to believe that was all it took to erase her sense of grief.

Bop!

Halfway through the hall, I was greeted with a door to the forehead. The impact snapped me out of my contemplation. And behind was Tessa, bearing a dazed expression.

There were heavy bags beneath her lemony eyes, partially obstructed by her crooked glasses.

「Ah—sorry. You alright there Lorenzo?」

I immediately caught glimpse of the bloody tissue lodged up her nose and worriedly addressed it.

「N-never mind me, are you alright..? What's with the nosebleed? Are you sick?」

「Sick? Oh no, you're mistaken. I'd just spent all night rereading the book you found. It was definitely... an experience hehehe~...」

The girl's glasses fogged up as an immoral smirk crept through her lips.

「Forgive me for asking. I should've known you were sick. In the head.」

I silently lamented the stoic and innocent image I had had of her. It was like she'd transformed into another character after catching me reading that damned fiction of hers.

Living with someone truly did reveal a lot about them.

「And wait... did you say all night? Throughout the whole predicament with Melyn? Straight after witnessing our fight?!」

「Psh... don't stress the details, you made up with her in the end, right? That's all that matters.」

「She told you?」

「I can tell from the hair.」

I ran my fingers through my ponytail and flushed a deep red.

「T-this doesn't have anything to do with her... I just felt like tidying myself up for your dad's sake...」

Splurt!

Suddenly a stream of maroon came gushing out of her nostril, forcing the tissue out onto the floor. A small puddle of red had formed, startling me greatly.

「W-w-what happened now?! Are you okay?!」

She covered her nose and looked at me with a stifled grin.

The girl then wrenched out a thumbs up.

「I'm fine, I'm fine! It's just your bashful reply was precisely what the butler Hadlof said when—」

「Get help.」

Fed up with her rotten brain, I walked around the splotches of blood dotting the wooden floorboards and past her.

「You head down without me! I'll join you after I clean this up! My dad's the one cooking this time, so don't worry about breakfast!」

「Yeah, yeah... you needn't tell me to head down without you...」

Another two flights of stairs separated me from the ground floor.

Now my exchange with Tessa, while certainly unpleasant, did alleviate some of the uneasiness clouding my mind.

And reaching the door behind the counter, I could smell the bacon and eggs.

Ga-chak!

「Oho! Lorenzo, you're just in time for breakfast! Come join Miss Melyn on the table and I'll get you your plates!」

Mr. Potternuggets heartily welcomed me as he stirred a cast iron pan of scrambled eggs with a wooden spatula. The curtains were still closed, yet the room felt brighter.

It was only when I shifted my attention to the table, that I ascertained the source of this warm light.

M-Melyn...

Sitting on a chair with her back to me was the thief girl. One glance and I'd registered why she glowed so brilliantly.

「Mel... your hair...」

The green threads of delicate silk that ran down her back were no more. Her long beautiful tresses were missing from the chin down.

「O-oh Zozo... I figured I'd cut my hair since it tends to get in the way and all...」

As she turned to face me, I'd come to realize just how much she'd changed.

The white woolen pajamas she donned really accentuated her pale delicate skin. Her lips were no longer chapped, and her crimson eyes were no longer tainted by dark circles.

She was an entirely different person as far as I was concerned.

Melyn noticed me scrutinizing her new appearance and blushed, giving color to her otherwise snow-white complexion.

「U-um, Zozo... it's kinda embarrassing if you keep staring at me like that...」

「Ah... apologies. It's just...」

I thought I'd wear a ponytail to match you... but now you've gone and shortened your hair...

Unfortunately... my symbolic gesture no longer worked, so I couldn't exactly confess to that.

「It's just..?」

「Eh... never mind. You look fantastic, Mel. Didn't expect such a transition overnight.」

A vibrant pink suffused the thief girl's cheeks as I dropped that nonchalant compliment, and she tried hiding the smile that crinkled her mouth.

She swiftly cast her sights away from me, fidgeting in embarrassment.

「I-i-is that so..? I could say the same about you, Zozo... What made you go with the ponytail..?」

「Ah... I just, you know... felt like it...」

None of us were willing to admit anything, and thus we were at a standstill. The dead atmosphere was getting uncomfortable.

「Ahem! Do you plan on standing around all day? Your food's going to get cold Lorenzo.」

「Oh! R-right, sorry Mr. Potternuggets...」

The caped merchant stroked his goatee and gave a perfunctory nod. I promptly grabbed a seat beside Melyn and settled down.

Again, we were blessed with a generous feast. Mr. Potternuggets was as bountiful as he was respected. The thief girl gaped at the rows of plates before her.

It'd probably been years since she'd seen this much food on a table.

「Well? Dig in!」

The merchant crossed his arms and motioned her to eat. Yet she was still in disbelief.

「All of this..? For me..?」

「You haven't eaten in days. I'm sure you must be famished.」

Melyn ogled at the banquet for a little while longer, practically salivating.

「T-then... I suppose I'll partake...」

The thief girl picked up the slice of bread she was eyeing and gulped in anticipation.

I couldn't help but watch as Melyn took her first bite. Munching down the heavenly rye, her crimson eyes glistened and she quickly spiraled into a hunger-induced frenzy.

It was as though her body remembered it needed to eat. And like a ravenous wolf, she devoured everything she could get her hands on.

At points, she'd drink cups of water to wash down the sheer volume of meat and bread going through her gullet.

Is that what I looked like yesterday..? No wonder they Potternuggets and co couldn't keep their eyes off me...

It was mesmerizing, seeing entire dishes disappear by the minute.

And Melyn, as she swallowed the last morsels of hash on her plate, reclined in her chair and placed her hands on her bloated stomach.

BURP!

Her resounding belch signaled the end of her mealtime. She turned to the merchant, who was delighted by her satisfied mien, and grinned.

「T-thanks for the meal!」

Mr. Potternuggets happily inclined and riveted his gaze to me.

「Now Lorenzo, shall we?」

「A-ah, right. Thank you for the food.」

I proceeded to eat my share of the feast, although watching Melyn had sated my appetite a bit.

The clanging of forks and spoons against the ceramic plates, though not as abundant as the ones in the Lakua Village mess hall, was a sound that brought security and peace to my once-lonely soul.

As we finished up breakfast, Mr. Potternuggets briskly walked over to the kitchenette and rummaged through the overhead drawers.

「M-Mr. Potternuggets..?」

「Just a moment you two, I have to discuss something with you.」

Melyn and I looked at one another. We were unsure of what he had planned for us.

「Aha! There it is! I always tend to misplace these things.」

The merchant confidently strode to the other side of the dining table with sheets of parchment in hand. He carefully slipped the papers toward us and cleared his throat.

「I received word from the authorities earlier. They said the lockdown would be lifted tomorrow.」

「Is that what the documents are for..?」

Mr. Potternuggets slowly shook his head and pushed the legal papers closer to us. It was a form... and written on the header was...

「'Adoption form'?!」

The thief girl was just as stunned as I was. None of us saw this coming.

「Mr. Potternuggets and I had a long talk about it.」

A voice from behind us. It belonged to none other than Lia.

She shambled in with a crutch under her right shoulder and joined the merchant opposite us.

「Lia!」

Melyn and I exclaimed in unison. Surprised by her arrival, we rose from our seats.

「You don't have to stand up you two. I don't demand that level of respect.」

She gestured for us to sit back down. So we did, still bewildered at how they reached the decision to induct us into the Potternuggets family.

「I understand this may come as a shock to you two. Even I was apprehensive when he approached me with the idea.」

Mr. Potternuggets pulled a chair for Lia to sit on, an invitation she appreciatively took up.

「But... as he continued, I began seeing his point. And by the end of his justification, I felt it most reasonable to go through with this course of—」

「Don't we get a say in this?」

The thief girl cut in with a fair argument. She was understandably conflicted in accepting Mr. Potternuggets as family.

「Ah... no worries Miss Melyn. This is purely a cosmetic adoption. I don't expect you to accept me as your father any time soon.」

A deep furrow formed between my brows.

「Cosmetic?」

「Exactly! This is merely a means of getting you two proper identification papers.」

The merchant answered enthusiastically.

「As you know, the Church's culling of the slum dwellers was a thoroughly planned operation conducted in collaboration with the Yarzon authorities and the infamous Bloody Talons. As such, the full extent of their witch hunt is unknown. For all we know, you two may still be on a list somewhere.」

Lia expanded on his response.

「To counter that, we figured it'd be best to apply you two for identification papers. With your names on the city registry, your presence here won't be a cause for concern. You'd practically be hiding in plain sight.」

「Yes! And with my influential family name attached to your IDs, it'd be hard for anyone to suspect you two as former slum dwellers! So what do you think..?」

They'd extensively thought this through. I found myself agreeing with their line of reasoning. But cosmetic or not, this was adoption.

While I was fine lending myself to Potternuggets as a fake son, Melyn might've been hesitant to do the same.

She had a history of losing family, which wasn't helped by the ordeal two days ago. And as Rysef, her father figure, had passed away not long ago, it was easy to see how one could perceive this scheme as tasteless.

I waited for Melyn's thoughts before making my decision. A flinty sideglance told me she was mustering up an answer.

Then, she spoke.

「As long as Zozo stays with me, I don't mind playing the part.」

「R-really Melyn..?」

Lia was caught off guard by her reply. Even I was perplexed by her shift in tune.

Her presumed attitude did a complete one-eighty, and she was uncharacteristically on board with this scheme that was, in light of recent events, quite badly timed.

Was I the reason for this change in heart?

Mr. Potternuggets didn't think anything of it though and rather saw this as unanimous agreement.

「Excellent! I'll head over to the government offices tomorrow. Uh, is there anything else you'd like to add Miss Lia?」

「Yes, of course. Until I've made a full recovery, I'll be staying here with you. So, if you need training... I can help you. As long as it isn't outside amidst the public eye.」

Rysef did say I could question her on a variety of subjects. I was already writing a mental note of the things I wanted to ask.

「Until your full recovery? Where will you go afterward?」

Unexpectedly, the thief girl raised a point I'd overlooked. I'd foolishly assumed Lia would stay with us till... well... forever really...

「Well... while the slum dwellers may be gone from the surface, remnants of our people are undoubtedly still out there. I plan on combing the Warrens for any leads on their whereabouts. From what I know, Master Seyna had been building an underground dwelling for her subjects, though details on the location are scarce. Still and all, that is a good place to start.」

「So... we'll be on our own when the time comes..?」

「If and when I find them, I'll inform you and Melyn straight away. Never once would I abandon you two. You are the Ashen Thief's rightful heirs, and as I am indebted to him, you two are very important to me. Besides... I'm certain the slum dwellers will want you back, considering Rysef's influence.」

I pinched my thigh, skeptical of her proposal. On one hand, I was aware of the importance of our positions as Rysef's apprentices, yet on the other...

I only ever considered the Lakua Village my home, not the Lakua District, not even the slum dwellers.

Melyn held my hand and stared at me quietly, as though she'd grasped the confused sentiments swirling in my head. None of us particularly wanted to return to the poor life.

Especially with Seyna at the helm...

Clap!

「Okey dokey! I'll pretend your silence marks the end of this discussion! Miss Lia thank you for joining me. You're free to go back to bed and rest up. And as for you two...」

Mr. Potternuggets briefly gandered at us.

「Would you mind helping around the store? Tomorrow's our grand reopening and I want all our goods to be in tip-top shape!」

「Hold on Mr. Potternuggets... Mel doesn't work here though.」

「That's not what she told me this morning, my dear apprentice. Or should I say... my senior apprentice.」

The thief girl and I locked eyes. She never failed to impress me.

「I thought I'd pull my own weight around here...」

「I mean... you didn't have to Mel...」

Lia chuckled to herself as she shuffled out of the room.

「Well... that's enough chitchat. We have a busy day ahead of us. Let's make this grand reopening a success!」

Mr. Potternuggets ardently declared.

Melyn raised her fist and cheered, whilst I cheered a little less eagerly.

Out of the blue, I'd received a junior—one who'd just a few days ago treated me as her younger brother. It would take a while before I got used to this new dynamic of ours.

We're starting from square one again... huh..?

Ruminating wasn't going to get me anywhere though. I was officially the responsible one in the relationship now. It was my job to guide and protect this thief girl I held close to my heart.

I swear, I won't let her fall into the pits of despair ever again. I'll make sure her days are devoid of sadness.

A promise she'd never hear about. Yet, a promise that binds me to this day.

---