Inside Roselith Manor, every corner radiated wealth that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
The architecture was grand and aristocratic, built in a refined old-world style that resembled the noble palaces of ancient kingdoms.
Towering white pillars lined the halls.
Sparkling crystal chandeliers hung from intricately carved ceilings.
Antique furnishings, expensive paintings, polished marble floors, and priceless decorative artifacts filled the estate without ever making it feel vulgar.
Everything was extravagant.
Yet everything was arranged with elegant restraint.
Even after walking through several corridors and crossing one lavish wing after another, the end of the manor still seemed nowhere in sight.
To someone like Kuina, it felt less like a residence and more like an entire private palace.
A maid personally guided her through the estate before eventually leading her toward a separate courtyard residence.
Kuina looked around curiously before finally asking,
"Where is this?"
The maid walking ahead of her slowed her pace slightly and answered with a gentle smile.
"Miss Kuina, this is Lady Seraphina's private residence."
"Because Her Highness specifically gave the order, your guest room has been prepared here instead of the main guest wing."
Hearing that, Kuina blinked in surprise.
"So that's how it is…"
Saint Roselith Seraphina had clearly been worried that Kuina might feel uncomfortable in such an unfamiliar environment, so she had arranged for her disciple to stay close by.
That way, if anything happened or if Kuina had trouble adjusting Seraphina would know immediately.
Kuina looked up at the courtyard again, and this time she observed it more carefully.
It was clearly different from the extravagant grandeur she had seen throughout the rest of Roselith Manor.
This place still carried the same scale and prestige as the main estate, but the atmosphere here was far softer and more personal.
It was quieter.
More peaceful.
More… like Seraphina.
The moment one entered the courtyard, a beautiful garden unfolded before the eyes.
Stone pathways curved elegantly through flowering groves.
A clear, narrow stream flowed gently between polished stepping stones.
Beside the water stood small pavilions and elegant resting platforms carved from pale white jade and fine stone.
The garden had obviously been cared for with great attention.
Although it was not the height of spring, not a single corner looked neglected.
The trees had been pruned neatly.
The flowerbeds were lush and vibrant.
And blossoms of many colors still flourished beneath the glow of hanging lanterns, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that felt almost detached from the cruelty of the outside world.
It was the kind of place one would never imagine existed in the same Holy Land as the rest of Mary Geoise.
"Miss Kuina?"
The maid noticed that Kuina had fallen into a daze while staring at the garden.
"Ah sorry."
Kuina scratched her cheek a little awkwardly.
Then, after hesitating for a moment, she finally asked in a somewhat embarrassed voice,
"I just wanted to ask… where's the bath?"
The maid immediately smiled with understanding.
"Of course, Miss Kuina."
"I'll take you there."
"This way, please."
Her voice was clear and pleasant.
She looked to be only a few years older than Kuina, with a neat appearance and a warm, approachable smile.
Her dimples deepened slightly whenever she spoke.
She wore a spotless white lace servant dress, and her every movement was refined and graceful.
There was not a hint of stiffness in her behavior.
Rather than seeming cold or distant, she gave off the feeling of someone who had been raised in a highly disciplined household, yet still retained genuine kindness.
She extended one slender hand and gestured respectfully for Kuina to follow.
This maid was not an ordinary servant.
Her family had served the Roselith Family for generations.
They were one of the old attendant lineages that had remained loyal to the family for many years.
After Hancock had eventually left, the role of attending to Seraphina's personal daily needs had become vacant.
Victor Roselith had therefore assigned this young maid to take over those duties.
And in the process, she had come to know the one person she had long since decided she would devote her life to serving.
Saint Roselith Seraphina.
Unlike most World Nobles, Seraphina had never once treated the people around her like disposable tools.
She never lashed out at servants.
She never saw attendants as "lesser beings."
She never abused status simply because she possessed it.
To Seraphina, all people were fundamentally human.
Whether noble or commoner, rich or poor, strong or weak it should never be status that determined one's worth.
That belief had never changed.
And because of that, the maid's loyalty toward Seraphina had gradually deepened into something close to reverence.
Not fear.
Not obligation.
But sincere devotion.
"Thank you," Kuina said politely as she followed behind her.
After entering the reception hall of the private residence, they passed through a long corridor lined with soft wall lamps and delicate framed artwork.
Eventually, the maid turned her head slightly and asked,
"Miss Kuina, would you like me to prepare a change of clothes for you as well?"
Kuina froze for a second.
"Huh?"
Then she quickly waved both hands.
"No, no, that would be too much trouble really, I'm fine!"
But the maid simply smiled and shook her head.
"It's no trouble at all."
"In fact…"
"There are quite a lot of Lady Seraphina's old clothes here from when she was younger."
"If you don't mind, I think you could wear some of those tonight."
The maid spoke naturally, as though she had already made up her mind.
Her relationship with Seraphina was unusually close compared to that of an ordinary servant and master.
And one of the things she knew best was just how many clothes Seraphina had accumulated over the years.
As the only beloved daughter of the Roselith Family, Seraphina had naturally received an astonishing number of dresses, robes, winter cloaks, training clothes, ceremonial garments, and daily wear while growing up.
Many of them had only been worn once.
Some had never been worn at all.
Victor Roselith's original attitude toward such things had been simple:
If she no longer needed them, they could just be discarded and replaced with better ones.
But Seraphina had never agreed with that.
Perhaps because of memories and values she still carried deep inside herself, she had always been far more frugal and sentimental than anyone expected from a Celestial Dragon.
Even when she could no longer wear certain clothes, she still could not bear to throw them away.
To her, memories had weight.
And some things should not be discarded simply because they had outlived their immediate use.
In the end, an entire room in the residence had been specially cleared out just to store her old clothes.
And now, because Seraphina spent most of her time away from home serving in the Marines, those garments had simply remained there untouched, collecting time instead of dust.
If Kuina could wear them, then perhaps they would finally become useful again.
And if Seraphina knew about it, she likely wouldn't mind at all.
She might even be happy.
Kuina, however, had already stopped thinking rationally.
Her mind froze for a moment.
Then her eyes widened slightly.
"Teacher's… old clothes?"
"C-Can I really wear them?"
The maid covered her mouth lightly and laughed.
"Of course."
"You're Lady Seraphina's disciple."
"And you're very cute too."
"I'm sure Her Highness won't mind at all."
Kuina's heart instantly exploded.
A strange heat rose all the way to the tips of her ears.
Teacher's clothes?
Her teacher's old clothes?
Even if they were childhood or younger clothes, wasn't that still… wasn't that basically
A sacred inheritance?!
Just imagining herself wearing something Seraphina once wore made Kuina's thoughts begin racing uncontrollably.
Would they still carry her scent?
Would there still be a trace of that faint, clean fragrance that always lingered around her teacher?
That cool, floral scent she could never quite identify but somehow always remembered?
Kuina suddenly felt her face getting hot.
Very hot.
Far too hot.
Meanwhile, outside, Seraphina was walking alone along a stone path inside the manor grounds.
Her mood was unusually good.
Very good, in fact.
The reason was simple.
Tom had agreed.
And that alone was enough to make all the frustration from earlier in the day melt away.
The unpleasant encounter with Charloss and the Rosward family had nearly ruined her mood entirely.
But now, all of that had been washed away by the thrill of progress.
Tom was not just some random shipwright.
He was one of the true foundational talents of this era.
A genius capable of changing the structure of civilization itself.
And now, that genius had finally stepped into the path she wanted to build.
That meant the first real cornerstone of her long-term plan had finally begun to settle into place.
As she walked, Seraphina's silver-white hair swayed gently behind her in the evening breeze.
Her thoughts naturally drifted back to Tom's words.
And then, inevitably
To Vegapunk.
She had, of course, heard that name long ago.
Even in the original canon of this world, Dr. Vegapunk stood at the peak of scientific development.
A monster among scientists.
A man said to possess knowledge five hundred years beyond the current age.
Back then, Seraphina had been too focused on training her body, refining her swordsmanship, and building her foundations within the Marines to seriously seek him out.
Besides, Vegapunk was not someone one could casually meet.
The World Government had hidden him away in secret facilities, guarded heavily and isolated from ordinary access.
Even for many officials, his whereabouts were classified.
But now…
If even Tom spoke so highly of the alloy materials Vegapunk had developed…
Then perhaps it really was time to consider meeting him.
A scientist of that caliber could not simply be ignored.
In Seraphina's original worldview, scientists had always occupied an extremely noble place in human civilization.
Because true scientific advancement was not just invention.
It was liberation.
It was the progressive unlocking of humanity's ability to shape the world.
Every major scientific leap was another step in mankind's ascent over ignorance, distance, limitation, and fear.
Science was not merely knowledge.
It was the engine of civilization.
And if she truly wanted to change this world
Then men like Tom and Vegapunk were not optional.
They were indispensable.
Before long, she found herself nearing her own private courtyard.
At that point, another thought surfaced.
How was Kuina doing?
Would she feel uncomfortable here?
Would the environment be too overwhelming for her?
Just as she was thinking that
Swish.
Inside the bath chamber, Kuina's body tensed slightly.
The environment here was too unfamiliar.
Too luxurious.
Too far removed from the world she had grown up in.
Even if she trusted Seraphina completely, her instincts still hadn't fully settled down yet.
So when she heard movement outside, she became immediately alert.
Then the maid's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Miss Kuina, your clothes are ready."
Kuina let out a small sigh of relief.
"Thank you. I understand."
Inside the large bath, rising steam curled gently around the room.
The water was warm and soothing.
Kuina had sunk herself almost completely beneath the surface, with only her head and shoulders visible.
Her cheeks were flushed red partly from the heat, and partly from everything else.
She puffed her cheeks slightly and let her lips dip into the water, blowing small bubbles absentmindedly.
Her mind was a complete mess.
Teacher is actually a Celestial Dragon…
And now I'm bathing in Teacher's house…
And I'm about to wear Teacher's old clothes…
This is way too much.
Way too much.
At that exact moment, a familiar voice drifted in from outside.
"Xiao Nana~ Are you in there?"
Kuina froze.
Her face blanked out.
Xiao… Nana?
Who in the world was that supposed to be?
No one had ever called her that before.
Not once.
But the voice was undeniably familiar.
Very familiar.
Before she could even process it
Swish.
The bathroom door slid open.
"Oh~ Xiao Nana, you really are in here."
"Why didn't you answer me?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina casually stepped inside as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
The door had not been locked, so she had simply pushed it open and entered.
She wasn't worried about seeing anything inappropriate.
After all, in her mind, Kuina was still very much a child.
And besides, she had no shame whatsoever about such things.
Kuina, however, nearly short-circuited on the spot.
"Teacher?!"
Her entire body stiffened in the water.
Seraphina tilted her head slightly when she heard the panic in Kuina's voice.
Then she noticed her disciple's red face and blinked.
"Hm?"
"You seem nervous."
Kuina swallowed.
Then, trying very hard to act normal, she forced herself to focus on something else.
"Teacher… you seem really happy today."
Seraphina paused.
Then she smiled.
A soft, bright smile.
"Am I?"
"I guess I am."
She stepped a little closer and looked at Kuina with visible satisfaction.
"Xiao Nana~"
"My plan is finally starting to move forward."
"There's finally real progress."
The joy in her voice was impossible to hide.
Even the frustration caused by Charloss earlier had been completely swept away.
Kuina looked up at her.
Although she still didn't understand everything Seraphina was planning, she could clearly feel how genuinely happy she was.
That alone made Kuina feel strangely happy too.
Still…
There was one issue.
Kuina hesitated awkwardly before finally speaking.
"T-Teacher…"
"Could you maybe… not call me Xiao Nana?"
"I'm… not really used to it…"
Seraphina blinked.
Then she tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Is that so?"
"Then…"
A playful glint appeared in her eyes.
"How about Little Kuina?"
Kuina: "..."
No.
That was somehow even worse.
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