CRASH!
The deafening sound echoed throughout the grand hall.
Guests gasped.
Children screamed.
Glass shattered across the polished floor.
The beautifully arranged display collapsed in an instant.
Fragments scattered in every direction.
“…”
Silence followed.
Arianne’s heart sank.
She was too late.
People immediately turned toward the source of the noise.
One figure stood frozen beside the ruined display.
Leon.
His blue eyes widened.
He looked just as shocked as everyone else.
For a long moment…
Nobody spoke.
Then the whispers began.
“What happened?”
“Did that child knock it over?”
“Someone should’ve been watching them.”
“So careless…”
Each whisper grew louder than the last.
Leon lowered his head.
“…I’m sorry.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Arianne frowned.
He apologized.
Immediately.
Without asking what had happened.
Without defending himself.
As though he had already accepted the blame.
“…”
That bothered her.
More than it should have.
The system appeared.
[Recommended Action Available.]
[Intervene.]
Arianne stared at the blue screen.
“…You really don’t waste any time.”
The system offered no response.
Naturally.
She hurried toward the fallen display.
Ignoring the curious stares that followed her.
Leon noticed her approaching.
His shoulders became even more tense.
“…Miss Arianne.”
He looked down.
“I’m sorry.”
Arianne blinked.
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
Leon hesitated.
“…I caused trouble.”
“No.”
Arianne shook her head.
“You got caught in trouble.”
“They’re different.”
Leon looked confused.
As if he had never considered there might be a difference.
Arianne crouched beside the broken display.
Her eyes carefully examined the damaged wooden stand.
The supporting leg had snapped.
Cleanly.
Not cracked.
Not bent.
Snapped.
“…”
That wasn’t normal.
She gently touched the fractured wood.
The break looked old.
Not obvious.
Just enough to suggest it had weakened long before today.
Almost as though…
It had been waiting to collapse.
The system flickered.
[Observation Confirmed.]
Arianne almost rolled her eyes.
“You couldn’t have told me that earlier?”
Silence.
Of course.
Footsteps approached.
“What happened here?”
The firm voice instantly quieted the surrounding whispers.
One of the estate’s senior stewards stepped forward.
His sharp gaze swept across the shattered display.
Then stopped on Leon.
“You.”
“What happened?”
Leon opened his mouth.
Then slowly closed it again.
His fingers tightened around the hem of his clothes.
“…I’m sorry.”
That was all he could say.
Arianne sighed inwardly.
This boy really had a habit of apologizing for things before anyone even accused him.
If he stayed silent…
Everyone else would decide the truth for him.
She stood.
“I don’t think he did it.”
The hall fell silent once more.
Every eye turned toward her.
Even Leon looked stunned.
Across the room…
Fiona slowly shifted her gaze toward Arianne.
Her expression remained composed.
But something in her eyes changed.
Just slightly.
As though she hadn’t expected Arianne to step forward.
The steward frowned.
“And what makes you say that, Miss Arianne?”
Arianne glanced at the broken stand one last time.
Then met his eyes.
“Because…”
“…that display was already damaged before it fell.”
The steward looked at her.
“…Already damaged?”
Arianne nodded.
“I think so.”
The steward frowned.
“And why would you think that?”
Arianne glanced toward the broken display once more.
“The supporting leg.”
“It didn’t break like something that was suddenly hit.”
She pointed toward the fractured wood.
“It snapped too cleanly.”
Several guests instinctively looked where she pointed.
The steward walked over.
He crouched beside the display.
Carefully examining the damaged leg.
His expression gradually changed.
“…”
He reached out.
Running his fingers across the fractured surface.
Then gently pressed against another section of the wood.
It shifted.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“…Interesting.”
He slowly stood.
“This wasn’t caused today.”
Soft murmurs spread throughout the hall.
“So it really wasn’t the boy?”
“The stand was already damaged?”
“I didn’t notice…”
Leon slowly raised his head.
Confusion filled his eyes.
As though he couldn’t understand why anyone was speaking in his defense.
The steward looked toward him.
“You touched the display?”
Leon nodded hesitantly.
“…Someone bumped into me.”
“I lost my balance.”
“I reached out.”
“I…
grabbed the table.”
His voice became quieter.
“…Then it broke.”
The explanation was simple.
And believable.
The steward nodded thoughtfully.
“That would explain it.”
He turned toward the nearby servants.
“Inspect every exhibition stand.”
“If one was weakened…”
“We cannot assume the others are safe.”
“Immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
The servants hurried away.
The atmosphere in the hall slowly relaxed.
Guests resumed talking.
Though many now glanced curiously toward Arianne.
She immediately looked elsewhere.
“…Please stop looking at me.”
Attention was exhausting.
The system quietly appeared.
[Hidden Scenario Cleared.]
Arianne blinked.
“That was the Hidden Scenario?”
Another line appeared.
[Outcome Improved.]
“…”
That sounded…
Surprisingly optimistic.
The screen flickered once more.
[Trust: Leon 5%]
Arianne smiled.
“There we go.”
“Now we’re making progress.”
Leon slowly walked toward her.
He stopped a short distance away.
“…Thank you.”
His voice was still quiet.
But this time…
It wasn’t an apology.
Arianne smiled gently.
“I told you before.”
“You don’t have to apologize for everything.”
Leon lowered his gaze.
“…”
After a moment…
“…I’ll try.”
Arianne couldn’t help laughing softly.
It wasn’t much.
Just four words.
But for Leon…
It felt like a promise.
Before either of them could continue…
Another notification appeared.
[First Seed Status Updated.]
Current Growth: Healthy
A tiny green sprout appeared beside Leon’s name.
Arianne stared.
“…”
“That’s adorable.”
The system, as always…
Offered no comment.
Somehow…
That made the tiny sprout even funnier.
For the first time since arriving in this world…
Arianne felt like she had truly changed something.
Not through strength.
Not through power.
Simply…
By reaching out.