Moonlight and the warm glow of the corridor lamps interwove and spilled across the hall, as if gilding them in a hazy halo.
Two faces—uncannily alike—stood side by side, like a pair of golden twin lotuses.
They were Layla Heartfilia, and the mysterious woman who had come through the Eclipse Gate.
"They already talked it out?" Shane felt a flicker of surprise at the harmonious scene.
Then he stepped forward half a pace and spoke first. "Did you need something?"
Even as he asked, a small, private hope stirred in him—that they'd come to reveal something about the Eclipse Gate's deeper secrets.
But he pressed that thought down almost immediately.
To complete the "major event," he'd already more or less taken advantage of Layla's situation to get information about the Zodiac keys.
Now that the "event" was over, prying into another family's most guarded secrets just to satisfy his curiosity…
He really couldn't bring himself to do that.
"Ancestor Anna heard about how you helped me open the Eclipse Gate, and she wanted to thank you in person," Layla explained with a gentle smile.
So it wasn't about sharing hidden information after all.
A trace of regret passed through Shane's heart, but his face held a polite smile. "It was nothing. It was a commission I accepted from Lucy—and for the guild's reputation, I had to see it through."
(Granted, he'd also very casually failed the wintertail fish commission before. He added that silently to himself.)
"Lucy?" Layla looked genuinely surprised—clearly she hadn't heard about that.
Had those two kids gotten along unexpectedly well during this time?
She couldn't help but reassess the boy in front of her.
He was only a few years older than her daughter, still not fully grown, but you could already tell he'd be handsome later.
And he was strong. His personality could be a bit self-directed at times, but overall he seemed decent and principled…
When she thought about it, the two of them actually seemed rather well-matched.
Before she realized it, a faint smile—an older relative's smile, with a hint of playful imagination—crept onto Layla's lips.
"What commission did you accept from Lucy?" She bent slightly at the waist so her gaze met his more evenly.
That sudden shift in her demeanor made Shane feel inexplicably uneasy.
He could sense it: the way she looked at him had changed from "equal mage" to something closer to…
"a younger family member."
Still confused, he pushed the feeling aside and answered honestly. "I promised Lucy I'd help her mother smile like she used to."
"Oh my," Layla clasped her hands lightly together, the warmth in her eyes deepening. "How on earth am I supposed to thank you properly?"
That made Shane even more uncomfortable. He waved his hands quickly. "No need. If Lucy asks later whether I helped you, just answer based on your own judgment."
"Oh, but that won't do." Layla's smile only grew brighter. "You truly helped me so much. I'll make sure I thank you properly in front of Lucy."
Did meeting her ancestor make Layla this happy? Had she learned some good news? No—Layla was definitely misunderstanding something.
Shane tilted his head, baffled, and then decided firmly to himself:
Yeah, she's misunderstanding.
"I also need to thank you properly," the woman named Anna said at last. She'd been standing quietly to the side until now.
"If you hadn't helped, my descendant—Layla—would have died filling the Eclipse Gate's missing magic power. For my plan, my descendant has already sacrificed far too much. If that had happened… I…"
She didn't finish. Her voice thickened, catching slightly.
Layla stepped forward and gently hugged her younger-looking ancestor. "I'm fine, Anna-sama. If that truly had been the destined outcome, it would've been a road I chose myself. You don't need to carry that burden."
Anna seemed like she wanted to say more, but under Layla's steady, accepting gaze, she finally forced her roiling emotions down, then turned to Shane and thanked him again and again. "In any case… thank you. Truly, Shane-san."
After sincere gratitude, Anna announced her departure. "There are things I must do in this era."
At the last moment, Shane's curiosity and restraint fought a brief war in his head—and curiosity won by a hair. He seized the chance to ask, "You… really are from four hundred years ago? And what exactly are you here to do?"
He studied Anna. Beyond simple curiosity, he was also thinking about the secrets she carried—secrets that might connect to the "major event" trial chain that followed.
"I'm sorry. I still can't say," Anna said softly, shaking her head.
But then her gaze lifted into the night sky beyond the corridor. "Still… I'm leaving to search for the five children who were separated from me.
When the day comes that I can explain everything—"
Her words paused in a strangely delicate way.
Layla naturally picked up the thread. "Keeping it secret… right?"
That didn't seem to be what Anna had meant to say.
Her eyes flicked quickly along the corridor. Not seeing King Toma anywhere, she gave a small shake of her head. "Yes… it's nothing. I should go."
And without hesitation, she turned and left.
"She really is carrying something heavy," Shane sighed, watching her disappear.
"Our ancestor only told me to live happily with my family," Layla said quietly. "She didn't tell me much else, either."
Shane turned and met Layla's knowing gaze—she'd seen through his curiosity about Anna with ease.
She really was perceptive.
They chatted for a few more minutes at the doorway, then wished each other good night and returned to their rooms.
Early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the palace's tall windows into the corridor. Layla invited Shane warmly, "Would you like to visit the Heartfilia estate? Jude still seems to have some misunderstandings about you. This would be a good chance to clear them up."
With how much closer Layla was becoming—almost like family, with that sort of gentle concern—Shane's face warmed a little as he remembered his original reason for approaching her.
He took a breath and started, "Actually—"
But Layla stopped him with a soft, gentle look.
"I already know," she said lightly. "You aren't one of Duke Everlue's people, are you?"
Shane froze, surprise flashing in his eyes.
Layla smiled faintly. "But it doesn't matter. Magic reflects the heart.
Your magic tells me you're someone I can trust. Even if there are things you can't tell me… you don't need to feel ashamed of them."
Her open, radiant smile—like winter sunlight—made Shane feel that Layla was the real hero here.
Where did Jude's ridiculous good luck come from, landing a wife like this? Shane couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
Between the guilt stirred by her sincerity and the way she'd already said so much, Shane couldn't find a reason to refuse anymore.
So he followed Layla's arrangements, leaving the palace with her to stay at the Heartfilia estate for a few days.
Only this time, his status had changed—from "suspicious person" to an officially welcomed "guest."
At the palace gates, they said goodbye to King Toma.
Toma held Shane's hand with obvious reluctance and declared with booming excitement, "Someday I'm going to gather all the mages as strong as you and host the largest-scale—"
He paused, searching for the word.
"—a grand festival! The biggest in history!"
What an amusing king, Shane thought with a quiet laugh.
No wonder so much of Fiore had such a strong magic culture. With a monarch who loved magic this much, it made perfect sense.
He even wondered whether that innocent, lively Princess Hisui might end up being influenced by Toma's enthusiasm.
With that light thought in mind, Shane boarded the return train with Layla.
~~~
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