"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ugetsu."
"Please stand up, Lady Leyla. I know you didn't mean for this to happen," Ugetsu said, assisting the girl to her feet. Saya had knelt and bowed in apology for the third time. Her face was so full of guilt that, instead of being angry, Ugetsu felt more alarmed by her distress.
The incident had left a massive hole in Old Man Talbot's workshop roof, and the ground where the girl had stood was cratered as if struck by a meteorite.
"At least you still have one short sword left, Ugetsu," Talbot said, holding it out. As Ugetsu reached for it, the old man pulled it back and walked toward the forge. "I need to use this as a template to re-create the rest. I'll have you come back to balance it once it's finished."
"It's all gone… my weapons," Ugetsu muttered, his shoulders slumping as a wave of gloom washed over him. He sank to the floor, propping himself up with his hands until G and Knuckle came to support him.
"It seems we're done for today. Leyla, keep Ugetsu's ring for now; it looks like we'll need it again," G said.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Alaude spoke. But before he could turn away, Giotto—who was sitting cross-legged on the floor—called out.
"Wait, there is one more thing I need to discuss with everyone," the golden-haired young man announced. "Guardians, this is very important regarding Leyla's care. Since she possesses all seven flames, whenever her internal flame changes, I ask that the Guardian of that specific element look after her until a new flame appears."
Alaude glanced back from the corner of his eye while Daemon Spade remained silent. Soon after, Daemon vanished into mist, and Alaude walked away quietly.
"Go and rest for today, little lady. You too, Giotto," Talbot advised. "Young Ugetsu is exhausted; he needs rest as well."
"I suppose so," Giotto stood up, instinctively clutching his ribs for a moment before straightening his posture. He walked over to Saya and extended his hand. "Let's head back to the mansion. Kevin must be waiting."
The girl looked at his hand before taking it. He tightened his grip slightly as they walked side by side, with Ugetsu's group following behind. Lampo watched the scene, looking displeased.
"Only met her for a day and you're already interested?" G teased Lampo, whose face turned beet red.
"That's not it at all!" Lampo shouted.
"If you don't plan on falling for her, then hurry up and climb out of that hole," G said, watching the two figures walking hand-in-hand a short distance ahead. The red-haired man knew well that his friend was hurting from old wounds after using his Dying Will state to suppress the girl's flames, but Giotto refused to show it, likely not wanting her to worry.
G watched the two of them talking and frowned. Aren't those two getting close a bit too fast?
"She is a very beautiful woman; it's not strange to be interested," Knuckle said with a smile. "She is lovely yet mysterious, with a faint, searching charm. Though she doesn't incite a wild obsession, she makes one want to keep her close—like a pure and peaceful sanctuary.
I believe in two or three years, if she stays with us and grows further, Leyla will surely be known as one of the most beautiful women in the Holy Roman Empire."
"Are those words coming from a man of God?" G asked, joined by Lampo, who walked with his hands behind his head. "A priest shouldn't break his vows, you know."
But Knuckle laughed loudly before clutching his chest in pain from his wounds.
"I only speak what I feel. Back when I was a boxer, I met many interesting women, some like Lady Leyla… but also different. Her speech, her maturity, her social grace—it's all beyond her years.
If I were to define her now, she would be like a beautiful, fragile orchid in the forest, yet inside, she is as strong and resilient as meadow grass that thrives on every land."
"The Father is speaking of things other than scriptures and parables today. That's rare," G noted.
"The priest has broken his vows," Lampo joked, before getting a flick to the head from G on behalf of Knuckle, who couldn't hit the brat himself. "Hey, that hurts!"
"I won't argue about her beauty," G said, watching Saya talk with Giotto. "But we still have to see about her character. A pretty face doesn't always mean a sweet soul. You have to see people over the long term; their true nature comes out after being together for a long time."
A woman of unknown origin cannot be fully trusted.
"Is your paranoia acting up again, G?" Knuckle teased. "Don't you trust Giotto's intuition about people at all?"
"I trust it, but being cautious doesn't hurt. There are plenty of ambitious women out there. Giotto and I have dealt with many," G said. "It's fine for now… but if her true colors come out later, it won't be good."
"Let time be the judge, then." Knuckle sighed at G's scowl, then looked at Giotto, who was talking and smiling cheerfully—unlike the past week when he sat buried in medicine, wine, sorrow, and endless guilt.
Even if it had only been one day, in Knuckle's eyes, Giotto looked brighter now, if only a little.
Two days had passed since she arrived, and Saya's flame element had not changed. As the girl tried to get used to things, Kevin and Lampo were tasked by Giotto to study. They were taught by Pedro and G, and sometimes by Giotto himself whenever he was free. Knuckle continued to care for the children at the chapel.
"Grandfather Talbot, how do you know my real name?" Saya asked after Ugetsu left to boil tea by the small stream. He was accompanied by a fluffy light-brown puppy he had rescued from town and named 'Fuwa.' Ugetsu brought bento boxes to the workshop, making enough for everyone since he had to look after Saya per Giotto's orders.
"Hmm… some things are better known when the time is right," Talbot said as Saya practiced controlling the flames in both hands. The old man used iron tongs to pull a specific ore to mix with iron and other elements. As they melted, they merged into a silver liquid floating above Saya's palms. "You should know that meddling with time is never a good thing."
"But Mr. Giotto sent me back too," she asked as Talbot repeated the process until a large silver drop formed. He pointed to the iron mold for the short swords. The girl carefully placed the molten alloy into it.
"It is not the same. If I say more, it will bring more harm than good. Believe me, little lady," he said as Saya extinguished the flames in her hands. "Ho, you're starting to control it now."
"I have to thank Mr. Ugetsu for teaching me. Mr. Giotto and G too." Suddenly, the flames began to flicker on her hands again, but this time Saya didn't intend it. As it began to spread across her body, the girl sighed, having grown used to it. "Sigh, here we go again."
Saya folded her hands in prayer, just as she had done with Giotto. Strangely, doing this calmed her mind significantly, and the spreading flames returned to her hands.
"When you no longer fear it and your mind is at peace, it becomes your power, little lady," Talbot said. "In the past, you likely only tried to balance the elements, so the power was constantly pent up inside. A body not suited for this level of power would only stagnate or deteriorate, even with constant movement."
"Actually, an acquaintance told me to use it sometimes. He showed me how to use the Sun Flame," she said. "A friend of mine, who has the Rain Flame like Mr. Ugetsu, also uses it to suppress wound pain."
The old man noted, "Is that so? It means you have some foundation. Better than nothing, I suppose."
"I have some, but I don't know how to use the other flames yet," Saya shook her head before pulling up a wooden chair to sit near him. "But speaking of which, whenever I see Mr. Giotto's face, it reminds me of a friend named Tsuna-kun. He is the leader of the Vongola Family in the future. And actually, many of the faces here look just like my friends."
"The secrets of fate," Talbot laughed softly and said nothing more. Soon, Ugetsu returned with a tray of tea and opened the bento boxes. Eating Japanese food in Italy amidst nature was a first in Saya's life.
"You still cook to suit an old man's taste, Ugetsu," Talbot praised.
"Thank you, Master Talbot. But for food to be delicious, it isn't just a feast for the eyes; it must delight all five senses, including the heart." With that, the young man set down his chopsticks and picked up his flute to play. The sound of the flute seemed to follow the wind—soft yet piercing, cutting through the air in a strangely peaceful and beautiful melody.
The girl placed a piece of tamagoyaki in her mouth and felt it taste so much better.
"Go and rest for today. It won't be too late to start again tomorrow, little lady," Talbot said. Saya nodded, sitting and listening to Ugetsu's performance until the end of the meal.
For two days, she had been staying at Ugetsu's Japanese-style house nearby, and today was the same as long as the Rain Flame persisted. But she had come to the main mansion because Pedro said Giotto had something for her to do.
"No, this question should be answered like this!" Saya stopped in her tracks when she heard Lampo's voice coming from G's room, which was next to Giotto's office. It was followed by Kevin's voice. "No, you calculated wrong, Brother Lampo! It should be like this!"
"Alright, settle it. I'll give you one more chance," G's voice said. "Decide quickly. It's evening; once this is answered, we can go eat."
Saya blinked, wanting to see how Kevin was learning, but she also knew Giotto was waiting, so she hesitated to enter.
Maybe just a quick peek… but Mr. Giotto is waiting.
"Aren't you going in to look, Leyla?" Saya spun around to find the golden-haired young man standing beside her. "Or… would you rather enter my room?"
"Uh…" Caught off guard by the flirtatious remark, the girl was at a loss for words. She coughed lightly and looked away. "Don't you have work for me to do?"
"Indeed I do," Giotto said with a playful glint in his eyes. "But I've been watching my worker stand here for quite a while without entering. I've been waiting for a bit now."
Saya's face flushed. Her heart raced but calmed quickly. Seeing this, Giotto felt a surge of affection and wanted to move closer, but he knew he shouldn't toy with anyone's heart, so he stopped there.
However, the memory of her hugging him still lingered. He didn't know why she did it, but he admitted it had a significant effect on him.
"Why don't you take a look inside to put your mind at ease? G is an excellent right hand and an excellent teacher as well." Giotto knocked on the door and waited for G's response. "It's me, G."
G opened the door, looking between Saya and Giotto before the golden-haired man spoke. "Look after her for a moment. Once the kids are done, please bring her to my room, G."
"Fine." At that moment, Kevin ran to hug her as he did every day, making Lampo pull a face of annoyance. G watched everything, thinking as he went to light a cigarette, but remembered Saya didn't like the smell and put it back in its silver case.
"So, what is the work?" Saya asked after G brought her to Giotto's room. G had taken the children to eat since Lampo was getting sleepy. Saya promised Kevin she would follow soon. Giotto was sitting behind a teak desk as if waiting for her.
Giotto handed her a book. It was an English book titled:
A Description of New England by John Smith
"I'd like you to translate this into Italian for me," he said. "Translate it and read it to me. This book was quite famous in England for a time. It's the work of someone who went to the 'New World.'"
"The New World… the land found by Christopher Columbus? No, he was Italian from Venice, so it should be…" Saya caught herself. "Is it the land discovered by Christophorus Columbus?"
The New World must be America. There's nowhere else.
"…Your knowledge is broader than I expected, Leyla," Giotto said with a smile. "Honestly, I'm starting to understand why my future self sent you. My future self must have liked you very much."
"You overpraise me, Mr. Giotto. In my era, knowledge is quite easy to find," Saya laughed nervously. "Education is widespread—meaning most people receive it."
"Do you live in a country full of books and scholars?" Giotto's eyes sparkled. "And they promote education…" He smiled. "It truly sounds like a fascinating place."
"A life spent only studying is very boring, Mr. Giotto," the girl sighed. "In the past, I only slept eight hours a day; the rest was all studying. No holidays, no time to play. Plus, I had to socialize. Just thinking about wearing a mask every day, even at home, was exhausting."
"A debutante ball? Or the tea parties the royalty likes?" The young man asked with increasing interest. "Are your parents nobles? To have to socialize that much?"
"…If I were to compare it to this era, it would be a world-class beauty who is an opera singer and a merchant leader with great influence in many countries, I suppose," the girl sighed. Giotto looked confused because in his era, merchants were a rising new class, and while opera singers were honored, they wouldn't typically host tea parties like high nobility.
As for Saya, she didn't like talking about her family. Thinking of Gokudera alone was enough—she had let her guard down too much that time.
Thinking of the time Gokudera almost kissed her made her face turn red, surprising Giotto since he hadn't done anything to cause such a reaction. She quickly regained her composure.
"Anyway, I'll translate it for you. But I should tell you, this book is more like a travel fantasy novel, highlighting only the beautiful parts of the New World because they wanted people to migrate there."
"I just want to know what makes this book so good that it drives people to emigrate," Giotto said. He sensed she didn't want to talk about her family, so he didn't pry further. "G usually translates for me, but he's quite busy lately. Our workload is overflowing."
"So you're having me do his work instead."
"Do you want wages?" Giotto asked with a smile. "I can pay. How much do you want?"
The girl went silent. She wasn't sure of the exchange rate here and didn't know how long she would stay. As she was calculating, Giotto spoke up. "In that case… every time you finish a chapter and read it to me, you can ask one wish of me."
"…A wish?"
"Where do you want to go? What do you want to eat? What do you want to have?" the young man explained. "If I, as the Vongola Boss, can do it, I will. We can read on Wednesdays and Sundays for an hour. Is that a good offer?"
"Uh…" Saya thought and then nodded. "It is. In that case, if I ask for the real Mona Lisa as an advance payment, is that okay?"
Giotto was stunned for a moment before laughing. "If it's that… even if I know where the real one is, even if we cross into France, the owner is very protective. It would take several years. I can't give it as an advance. But if you plan to stay here for several years, it might be possible."
"Wait… are you serious?" Saya's lip twitched. Giotto stopped laughing, but his smile remained.
"You asked for it. There is nothing Vongola cannot do."
Saya ate dinner with everyone—Giotto, G, Lampo, and Kevin. Ugetsu usually ate at his Japanese house, joining the group only twice a week.
The girl brought the book back with her, but tonight Ugetsu wasn't playing his flute as usual. He sat on the porch with paper, brushes, and star-reading equipment—circular plates layered on top of each other. Ugetsu rotated them with a serious expression, his thumb tapping as if calculating. Saya didn't dare approach, fearing she would break his concentration.
It took nearly fifteen minutes before he set down his brush. Ugetsu sighed and looked at the sky again. "Is this also an omen?"
"Mr. Ugetsu, is something wrong?"
"Lady Leyla, how long have you been there?" He asked, extending his hand to help her onto the porch. "How rude of me not to notice you standing in the dew. I am truly ashamed."
"I just got here. Achoo!"
"Let me get you some warm tea and some snacks to warm your body."
Ugetsu hurried to get tea while Saya looked at what he had written.
"Comet… illness… disaster?" The girl was stunned. Ugetsu returned and placed the tea near her.
"A comet appeared in the sky just before you arrived, Lady Leyla," he said. "A four-pointed comet. I had a bad feeling, so I tried to use the star chart to predict the city's fate."
"And what was the result?" Saya asked. Ugetsu shook his head.
"Not good. It is a comet of pestilence," he said. "Before a plague occurs, such comets always appear. It happened last time, but that white falling star was a good omen, signaling a major change. It meant the fulfillment of fate.
The young man looked at her meaningfully. "But this second one that just appeared is a true disaster. Though I cannot say exactly when, it will surely happen."
Saya went silent as Ugetsu continued to look into her eyes. He stared for a long time before looking away. "I hope that until this disaster passes, Vongola and this city remain safe."
"I am only here to fulfill Vongola's fate, Mr. Ugetsu," the girl said, turning back to him. "I'm… sorry."
"…I understand, Lady Leyla," Ugetsu said, looking at the almost leafless sakura tree before him with an air of resignation. Saya felt a pang of sorrow, but she couldn't change a future where millions would die globally.
If I interfere with the timeline too much… what will happen? Gokudera and Talbot's warnings were important. But if she didn't interfere now, someone in Vongola might die. The question was who and how many.
Saya closed her eyes and thought.
Maybe 'fulfilling fate' doesn't just mean making equipment for Giotto and the others.