Are you sure about this, Alice?
Yeah, I don't mind.

　We were able to come quietly and quietly into the royal castle. I'm honestly relieved that the timing seemed to be good, as there was just no media in the area.

　The name of Elwydd Willis is said to have already spread throughout the world, not only in the kingdom, but all over the world.

　That's how immeasurable his accomplishments are.

　But I was happy to hear that. The fact that he was on equal footing with me was the biggest thing in my mind, not to mention the fact that he had accomplished such a great feat.

　If it was Elle until now, I would end up being just a genius. I'm sure that I wouldn't have been at the level to be balanced with royalty. But now it's different. Right now, he was the greatest genius alchemist in history. And that's in name only.


　Numerous alchemists have been striving to reach the pinnacle of their azure-star class 《Blue Star》. But........until now, no one has been able to reach that place. With the exception of the Alchemy Ancestor, no one had literally risen to that position.

　But he had reached that position at the tender age of a teenager.

　It's no wonder the media would want to pick up on it.


'Oh, it's a beautiful room!
Is that so?
Yeah. It's a far cry from my messy room.


　And so we had come to our room. Of course, we cleaned the room carefully. It's not always true that we don't have visitors at any time and place. However, there is no need to pay so much attention to my room, but for once I should be grateful for my character.


'Well, would you like something to drink?
Are you sure?
Yeah.
All right, I'll have a cup of tea.
I understand.


　And just as I said it, the door opened and Saria had just brought tea and sweets for two people.


''........!　Isn't it too soon to be a stone's throw away!
'I've already prepared a few things for Master Willis to drink...'
Oh. It's no wonder you work for a royal city. You're good.
No. Not at all.


　I could see it, even though she was bowing reverently.

　I saw Saria grinning at Elle when she said that. Saria is an excellent maid, but she also has this side to her.

　To be honest, Saria is rather unreserved towards me. I don't think it's a matter of my origin, but rather because we've become somewhat distant........ But it's not like I'm royalty to the core either, so to be honest, I'm quite satisfied with my relationship with Saria.


''Then.........I'll take my leave.......''


　Again, he thanked her reverently and Saria left.

　The two of us are currently sitting at a table in the room. In front of me there is tea and the sweets that Saria made by hand. This time it looked like she had prepared cookies and pound cake. Of course, you can put sugar in the tea, but I don't. Because I don't want to drink something sweet after I've eaten something sweet.


'Would you like some sugar, Master Elle?
No, it's straightforward.
Oh, I see. Well, shall we have it?
Yeah.


　 I'm sure that maid must be a confectioner by profession, right?　I'm so good at making sweets that I think I'm good at it. In fact, though working as a maid in this royal castle might be an employment with such conditions taken into account.


''Mm!　Yum, this is good!
Hmm ... isn't it?
'Yeah well the media hasn't allowed me to settle down and get a meal these days.
Then you can relax to your heart's content today.
'Yes. Alice's suggestion has really helped me a lot. Again, thanks.
No, it's not that...it's fine. If you're in trouble, it's fine, we're both in trouble.


　I smiled back. Of course, there may have been some calculating feelings in me, but I still genuinely wanted to help if I was in trouble.

　Until now ... especially after my mother's death, I had never felt this kind of emotion.

　I had no interest in any other human being.

　It's just that Alice Canovalia is the one standing there in the gray world, dumbfounded..............and I thought I'd been able to separate myself from that.

　Strangely enough, this world seems so colorful these days.

　Is this what it feels like to be in love with someone? But there's a part of me that I'm still trying to gauge. I've never fallen in love. I have some knowledge from books and hearsay, but I have never really experienced it.

　But with him, I can be myself.

　I can settle down.

　There was no doubt about that.


'Well, what shall I do with the rest of my time...'
I mean...
Hmm?　What's going on?
"Will you teach me alchemy?
Alchemy...?
''Yes. I would like to enroll in the Alchemy Academy next year as well.
'I see. But don't you have a personal tutor?　That's what you'd expect from royalty.
'Yes, but. I would like to ask Master Elle for help.
Well I get it. I'll return the favor today. I'll take care of it.
"...Yes!　It's nice to meet you, isn't it?


　That's how I was able to get him to teach me alchemy.

　It was a very dazzling, warm, irreplaceable time.