Below the skirt, a pair of white, semi transparent stockings clung tightly to her smooth, delicately contoured pale thighs, pressing in just enough to leave faint indentations.
On her feet were clear crystal high heels that not only made her figure appear even more slender and graceful, but together with the translucent stockings, perfectly displayed ten round, plump jade like toes.
The sight made Kabe nearly want to kneel down on the spot, cradle them in his hands, and personally coat them with polish, embellishing them until they became even more enticing.
'Wait… who is this? Such a stunning beauty, but I have no memory of her?'
As always, people in reality were very different from their manga or anime versions.
Take the woman in front of him for example. She had only changed her outfit, yet Kabe could barely recognize her at all.
Luckily, certain details quickly helped him piece things together.
His gaze settled on the deep blue key pouch tied at the waist of her puffed skirt.
Kabe narrowed his eyes and muttered as if thinking aloud,
"Silver white hair, Celestial Spirit Mage… are you Yukino?
No, Yukino's too young. That doesn't line up. So you must be the older sister. Am I right?"
"Y you know Yukino?"
Sorano's pupils shrank sharply. She had never expected to hear the name of her long lost sister spoken by this man.
In the next instant, she rushed forward and grabbed the hem of Kabe's clothes, demanding urgently,
"Where is Yukino?! Tell me! Is she… is she doing well?"
When they were separated, the sisters had still been inseparably close.
Sorano had always believed that her young sister might have already starved to death, or perished for some other reason.
But if this man could accurately name her sister, that meant Yukino was still alive.
For Sorano, whose heart had been hollow and dark for years, this was the first ray of light she had seen in a very long time.
"So it really is you. Miss Sorano, one of the Oración Seis."
Kabe grabbed her wrist firmly, his voice low and steady.
Sorano's heart leapt in shock again. She instinctively tried to reach for the Celestial Spirit keys at her waist, but then heard Kabe continue,
"Relax. I'm not planning to do anything to you.
You're just another victim of the R System. If you'd had a choice, you wouldn't want to end up like this either."
"Y you even know about the R System…"
"I know far more than that.
Every single one of you in the Oración Seis, who you are and where you came from, I know it all clearly.
What do you think, Miss Angel?"
Sorano was completely stunned.
Where in the world did this man get such intelligence, to casually expose secrets only a handful of people knew?
But hearing the sincerity in his tone, and knowing she still needed something from him, she could only forcibly suppress her impulses for the time being.
"Y you…"
"Shh. Someone's coming.
Whatever you want to ask, we'll talk in private later. Forget about stealing the key. As long as I'm here, it's impossible."
Kabe raised a finger and gently pressed it against her lips, then gestured behind her with his eyes.
Sorano's heart tightened. She hurriedly turned around.
The tightly closed gates of the estate had already opened. Led by the maid who had left earlier, a blonde, radiant girl was now walking briskly toward them.
Seeing this, Sorano's thoughts fell into complete chaos.
Her target was right there, in front of her eyes.
Yet she still had unresolved questions weighing heavily on her heart.
For a moment, she did not know how to face that young lady at all. In the end, she could only nod faintly, choosing to follow the man's arrangement for now.
...
In the distance, Lucy, dressed in a gorgeous pink long dress, seemed to notice something.
She suddenly overtook the maid in front of her, lifting her skirt as she ran forward at full speed.
"Miss Lucy, please slow down!"
The maid's face went pale with fright as she hurried to catch up.
But Lucy was like an excited little puppy. In just a few steps, she rushed up to Kabe, threw her arms wide, and leapt straight at him.
"Kabe! Long time no see!!"
Kabe caught her smoothly and spun once with her before setting her down with a smile.
"You've grown up, Lucy. For a second there, I almost thought the kingdom's princess was charging at me."
"Hehe, you're exaggerating."
Lucy did not know whether it was from running or from being praised, but a faint blush spread across her slightly baby faced cheeks as she replied modestly.
Then she looked up at the friend she had not seen in years, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Kabe, I see you all the time in magazines and newspapers these days.
You're already famous across Fiore. No, across the entire Ishgar continent.
Even my dad mentions you occasionally, saying you're an incredible mage."
"Oh? Mr. Jude has heard of me too? That's truly an honor.
This time, besides coming to see you and give you a surprise, I also wanted to meet Mr. Jude.
If possible, I'd like to ask you to introduce me to him."
...