...... Hey Liana. Have you thought about that harvest festival we talked about last time?

'Yeah, oh ....... Yes, that's right: .......

　As the two sets of twins were looking around the village as usual, Din walked over and lined up next to Liana and asked her with reservations.

　Liana muddled through her words and pondered in her mind how to answer.

　It wasn't that she didn't like Din.
　It's not that I don't like Din and Karina, but they are two of the few people Liana and Filia know at the same age.
　Kirill was there as well, in terms of the same age, but he was more of an acquaintance of Aldis and was more of a tutor to them, who taught them many things.
　It would be fair to say that Din and Carina were the first friends Liana had ever had.

　But if you asked her if she was even closer to them than that, she found herself at a loss for an answer.
　It's not that I don't like them, but I haven't been able to get close enough to spend a lot of time alone with them.

...... Let me think about it some more.

Okay, all right. You can say no to me if you don't want to.

　After leaving a few simple words for Liana to say to her on hold, Din left her.





　On the way home that day, Karina now calls out to Liana.

'You look unflattering, Liana. Do you feel like you're wondering how to refuse Din's invitation?

What?

　Carina's question, as if she had read her mind, caused Liana to express her surprise.

'How do you know?'

Nothing.

　Carina chuckles.

'Both you and Filia are easy to recognize because it comes out in your expressions so easily.

Huh?

　Quickly, Liana flattens her face, but that doesn't tell her anything.
　Seeing this, Carina blurts out a little.

'Well, I can see why you're confused. I'm sure you still don't know much about Dinh, even if he's suddenly making a move on you. ...... I understand how Dinh feels, though.

What about Dinh's feelings?

Not long ago, Din would have dreamed of spending the harvest festival with the girl he loved. The only other girls in Din's age range were Marie, who was five years older than me, and Chelsea, who was seven years younger than me.

Is it Din's favorite girl?

Yes.

Who did?

It's about Liana, of course.

Is ...... Philia and Aldis different?

　Liana asked, not knowing why her name was the only one that came up there.

'Why does Ms. Aldis come up, if not Filia, then why does she come up?

　Catching Liana's question with a curious look on her face, Carina seemed to notice something.

'Oh, eh ....... Could it be that you've never fallen in love with someone?''

'There are plenty of people I like. I like Filia and Ardis, Nere and Kirill, Din and Carina.

　Carina sighs at Liana's words.

'Haha ......, I see. This is going to be a struggle for Dinh.''

　For some reason, Carina took pity on Din and began to explain to Liana as if she were telling a little girl to do the same thing.

Liana, you know what? You see, Liana, I don't mean to say that I like you as a person, but as the opposite s*x. I don't mean that I like you as a person, I mean that I like you as a girl, as the opposite s*x.

What's the difference?

　Liana tilts her head lightly, unsure of what Carina means.

'Well, I mean. Can you understand if I say it's a special person among the people I like?

Filia is special.

'No, I don't mean that. In this case, just think of a guy. Hmm ......, for example, but is there a partner who 'makes my heart feel tight when I think about that person'?

　Liana shook her head as she tried to think of such a partner, but no one came to mind.

'Other than that, like ......, someone you'd like to 'always be with'.

　There's always someone you want to be with. It's Filia and Aldis.
　But since Carina says to think only of men, Filia should be excluded.
　So, for Liana, Aldis is the only person she would want to be with.

''The other is 'I feel relieved to be with you.''

　The word "relieved" immediately brings Aldis' face to mind.
　The one and only person who gave Liana and Filia both food, a place to sleep, and peace of mind.
　If it wasn't for Aldis, Liana and the others would still be people, and even as young children, they knew well enough to understand what kind of circumstances they were in.

'The thought of that person being 'gone' would be unbearably distressing,'

　She had never thought about the fact that Aldis would be gone.
　At the same time, as soon as she thought about what if, an inexplicable sadness and fear overtook her.

　No," was the only word that came to her mind.
　Just as Filia is the half of her body that she can't let go of, she realizes, not with understanding, but with realization, that Aldis' presence is essential for Liana to be Liana.

'You think, "I want to see them happy,

　When Aldis is happy, I am happy too.
　I want Aldis to always have a soft smile on her face, and I want it to be directed at me and Filia.

Like, 'I want to help that person.'

　Aldis has given me a lot of warmth.
　So in return, Riana wants to give something back to Ardis.

　Of course, there's little I can do now.
　I'll only be a liability in battle, I don't have enough knowledge to support Ardis, and I can't make a good cup of tea like Nere did.
　Still. Just a little bit of it. I wanted to be useful to Aldis, not just given.

　Chewing on each of Karina's words in her mind, Liana began to question her feelings a little more.
　There was no doubt that Aldis was as important to Riana as Filia was to her.

　But, after a pause, she asks herself again, "What is this feeling?

　What is this feeling?
　Her feelings for Filia and her feelings for Ardis are slightly different.
　Liana began to slip into deep thought, not even hearing the words thrown at her by Karina, who was walking next to her, as to what the difference was.





　A few days passed since then.
　The day after all the crops in the village were harvested, a harvest festival was held.

　Even though the harvest festival is held in a village with a population of about a hundred people.
　At best, people would sit in the square in the center of the village and enjoy celebratory drinks and feasts by the light of a large bonfire made of logs, which would light up the night.
　If one could see a place in the village from a distance, he would see the darkness of the sleeping Canobis and the shining needleholes that pierced its dark curtain.

　It is a small celebration, but for the village it is the day of the year that brings smiles to the faces of its people.
　This year's harvest was better than usual, and the villagers were cheerful as they drank their wine.
　There was only one log in the square, on which Sailor sat alongside the village chief, while the rest of the villagers sat around the fire, laughing, eating and rejoicing at having had a safe year.

　Liana sat down on one of the logs and took a sip of diluted fruit wine from a wooden cup.

'Did you turn down Din's invitation?'

　Filia's voice asked from the other side of the room, with Aldis sitting next to her.
　Liana looked at Aldis for a moment and shook her head silently.

''Hmm.''

　Filia didn't seem to be that interested in the meat, and then she took a bite of the meat in her hand.

　In contrast to the delicious-looking Filia, who was chewing with a delicious face, Aldis placed her right hand on Liana's head and began stroking her roughly, perhaps looking a little listless.
　Liana surrendered herself to his rough touch, not caring that her hair was disheveled.

　A few days ago, Liana wouldn't have noticed it.
　That the reason she could allow this kind of thing to happen was because Aldis was the one she was dealing with.

　I've been patted on the head by other people.
　Nere, Kirill, and the sorceress who sometimes came to the Corsus' house and said she knew Aldis.

　But Nere and Kirill never treated Liana roughly, always gently stroking her head with a gentle hand.
　They don't stroke you in a way that makes your hair shaggy, even if you make the mistake of doing so.
　If he did that, even if the other party was Nere or Kirill, I would have brushed his hand away.

　The red-haired female sorceress didn't stop at just stroking your head, she would sometimes suddenly hug you or rub your cheek against you, but honestly, that was extremely annoying to Liana.
　It was no wonder she didn't feel sorry for him when she saw him slumped and depressed after receiving attention from Aldis.
　And as for the big man with the scary face of his companion, or the frivolous man with a somewhat cold impression, I don't even want to approach him.

　Aldis is special.
　The more she ruminates over Karina's questioning, the more Liana becomes aware of it.

　But whether this is the 'special kind of love that is different from the 'ordinary kind of love' that Karina says is still not clear.

　But what I can say without a doubt is that the place next to Aldis is where I belong.
　Liana now understands that this place is the only place where she can be herself and the only place where Filia and she can live as they are.