At noon, after waking Arturia and enjoying a classic Lateran lunch together, Ecaros, humming a light melody beneath the warm afternoon sun, virtuously finished washing the plates and cutlery the two had used for their meal.
Having done all this, Ecaros wiped the water stains from her hands, expertly removed her apron, reached up to hang it on its hook, and stepped out of the kitchen.
At first glance, she saw Arturia in the living room, holding her cello and tuning it.
“When should we set out?” Watching Arturia fiddling with the cello and tuning it in the living room, Ecaros, who had just emerged from the kitchen, glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and asked casually.
“Probably in about another half hour.
That nursing home isn’t far from where we live.
We have plenty of time to prepare.” Hearing Ecaros’ words, Arturia paused her adjustments of the cello’s tone, estimated the time, and after informing Ecaros, continued tuning her instrument.
Her movements were highly focused, highly professional.
Her deft actions and steady expression did not resemble a sixteen-year-old girl but rather a great artist long since established who had weathered countless performances.
Sometimes, one truly had to acknowledge the gap that talent brought.
In less than four years, Ecaros had personally witnessed Arturia grow from a beginner just learning the cello—whose hand posture wasn’t even correct—into a level beyond Ecaros’ ability to assess, with terrifying speed.
At least in Laterano, Ecaros felt she was unlikely to find a second cellist of Arturia’s caliber.
Even disregarding Arturia’s Originium Arts, this was still true.
“Speaking of which, how has Mama Luciana been lately?
I remember she just got back from Kazdel a while ago.
Her leg injury—there shouldn’t be any issues, right?” Taking her own low heels and Arturia’s black high heels out from the shoe cabinet in the entryway, Ecaros first put on her own shoes, then brought the black heels over to Arturia’s side.
Thinking of that dark-haired beauty who had given her a second lease on life, a tinge of worry crept into her voice.
“…Don’t worry.
Mother is fine.
Besides, pursuing one’s own aspirations naturally requires the courage to bear the costs.
Since Mother chose this path, I will support her forever.” Arturia fell silent for a moment at first.
Though a flash of worry and lingering fear passed through her eyes, they were swiftly suppressed by the resolve in the girl’s heart.
She once again displayed a smile for Ecaros.
Seeing her mother in the hospital had indeed left her with lingering fear, and she did worry that, if things continued this way, she might one day lose her mother forever.
But thinking of her mother’s gentle eyes and comforting words, Arturia understood she could not stop her mother.
Because that was her mother’s aspiration.
Arturia, who had felt the stirring brought by that aspiration, could not bring herself to stop her mother.
Thus, she could only support her and continuously convince herself that no matter what happened, her mother would surely be happy.
“Haah…
So Mama Luciana really was injured again, huh?
No wonder she hasn’t come to see me lately.
But she should still be receiving treatment at the usual place, right?
After the performance today, let’s go visit her on the way.” Hearing Arturia’s words, Ecaros sighed.
Understanding dawned in her heart, and she silently removed the family dinner from her plans.
That made sense.
With Mama Luciana’s level of concern for her, normally, if she’d returned from the battlefield unscathed, there was no way she wouldn’t have come to see her.
But being injured on the battlefield—that made perfect sense.
Truthfully, she understood Arturia’s choice.
But she didn’t want to one day hear news of Luciana’s death…
So she’d better secretly add a few more safeguards on Mama Luciana.
“…Alright.
It just so happens that Mother has been missing you too.
After the performance today, let’s go visit her together.” Arturia watched Ecaros, who already had everything planned out.
She didn’t refuse.
A sense of relief also filled her heart.
Although her mother had specifically instructed her, before she came to find Ecaros, not to tell Ecaros about her injury…
if Ecaros figured it out on her own, then that would be fine, right?
She knew that her mother was very fond of Ecaros.
She vaguely remembered that back when Ecaros had resolutely moved out of their house, her mother had practically flown back to Laterano overnight carrying a landship, crying and refusing to let Ecaros leave…
Her father had also been a complete mess.
He, who neither smoked nor drank, spent that entire day in a small room utterly dejected.
She herself had been the most composed—she’d only accidentally snapped over a dozen strings in her room in a single day, dragging Federico into it.
…Mn, alright.
She had been a little agitated at the time.
Federico had been the calm one—he’d only laid a few tripwires on the road Ecaros took when leaving…
But after Arturia learned that Ecaros lived just nearby, her mood improved considerably.
Now, Arturia had already grown accustomed to dropping by.
And compared to seeing each other every day at home, this way of interacting with a slight sense of distance also, she had to admit, held a distinct charm of its own.
So, she had come to accept the current situation.
Her thoughts drifting unconsciously, Arturia was somewhat lost in reverie.
And Ecaros, watching Arturia who was clearly spacing out, and then glancing at the clock, where another five minutes had unknowingly slipped away— She bent down, one hand directly grasping Arturia’s calf, wrapped in black stockings.
Gently lifting it, she exposed Arturia’s delicate little foot to the air.
The small foot, wrapped in black stockings, was delicate, warm, and soft.
Perhaps because it had been suddenly exposed to the air from the warmth of the cotton slippers, the long, slender arch unconsciously tensed slightly.
The round, elegantly spaced toes curled inward together—graceful, exquisite.
Paired with the overall lovely curve, it was as beautiful as a work of art.
But faced with such a sight, Ecaros merely glanced at it once before expertly, smoothly, as if by habit, tucking it into the black high heel.
Then, without a trace of expression, she lightly rubbed the warm, soft, stocking-clad calf of Arturia’s in her hand.
Having internally confirmed that Arturia hadn’t gained weight, Ecaros released that leg and reached her small hand toward Arturia’s other calf.
“W-wait…
wait, Ecaros.
What are you doing?” But before Ecaros’ mischievous little hand could grasp Arturia’s other leg, Arturia’s slightly agitated, nervous voice sounded by her ear.
Was this shyness?
Ecaros found it a bit strange, but reflecting briefly on those past mornings when she’d pretended to be asleep and successfully ambushed Arturia, and what the other’s reaction had been like…
Mn…
Perhaps.
It seemed Arturia really was shy.
But it was probably more embarrassment than anything else—after all, someone touching another’s body without permission…
That made sense.
Arturia was already sixteen.
They probably couldn’t interact the way they used to anymore…
Haah.
What a pity.
“Sorry.
I thought you were busy tuning, so I wanted to help you put your shoes on first.
I won’t do it again.” “No, I…
that’s not what I meant.
It’s just…” “Just what?” “…No, nothing.
Help me put on the other shoe too, Ecaros.” “Alright.” Not quite understanding Arturia’s meaning, Ecaros glanced at Arturia, who had turned her face away.
She simply assumed the other was reluctant to make things awkward for her, out of consideration for all the years they’d spent together.
So after helping Arturia into her high heels, feeling the lingering softness and residual warmth in her hand, a trace of regret and loss inexplicably surfaced in Ecaros’ heart.
If nothing unexpected happened, she likely wouldn’t do such things again in the future.
Naturally, she would no longer be able to experience that touch, that softness…
It made her feel somewhat sad.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Having experienced a simulation and awakened her past-life memories, she could no longer act without a sense of boundaries the way she once had.
She cherished Arturia dearly as a friend and didn’t want to gradually lose her in the future because of improper behavior.
Thus, she no longer dared to interact with Arturia as freely and without restraint as she once had.
In the future, she would need to maintain a certain distance.
Though there was a little unwillingness and sadness in her heart, for the sake of their friendship lasting for all time, Ecaros could only ignore these small pangs of unwillingness and sadness.
She wanted to be friends with Arturia for a lifetime.
And Arturia clearly had no idea of the misunderstanding caused by her own actions—turning her face away out of slight embarrassment, not wanting Ecaros to see her face.
Otherwise, she would never have turned her face and denied Ecaros the sight of her expression.
But unfortunately, Arturia could never know that now.
She was still there, her small face faintly flushed, turning her head to look at the sunlight streaming in through the window, trying hard to suppress the accelerating heartbeat brought about by Ecaros’ skin contact with her.
Although Arturia was, truthfully, already accustomed to the occasional intimate contact between her and Ecaros in the mornings, those had always been situations where she’d had mental preparation.
And a sudden ambush like this was something Arturia had never anticipated.
Thus, the girl’s heart couldn’t help but grow a little more flustered, along with a trace of unconcealable shyness.
And feeling the residual warmth on the part of her calf that Ecaros had touched, along with the temperature and sensation transmitted from the calf now gently held in Ecaros’ hand— Her heart was somewhat restless.
Ecaros’ hand…
feels so warm…
Thinking this, Arturia’s small face flushed even redder.
But that was only normal.
After all, the current Arturia was only sixteen.
Unfortunately, Ecaros had subconsciously forgotten this point, instinctively substituting the current Arturia with the personality of that operator from the game in her past-life memories.
Thus, an unnecessary misunderstanding and divergence arose between the two of them.
One could only say the road of feelings between the two of them was still long and still heavy with burdens and distant horizons.