Chapter 24: Are you mature and are you happy?

“Those two are—”

“Nothing. His leg just hurts from standing too long… once you hit middle age, it’s normal to have some joint problems.”

Sal answered smoothly, without the slightest appearance of lying.

—As long as one ignored the very obvious shoe print on Rayne’s pant leg.

Natiaweda opened and closed her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more.

But recalling that Sal and Rayne were most likely actually family, she chose not to pry further, and instead politely shifted the topic, asking Rayne, who had just stood up:

“Then… Mr. Ryne, where will you be staying tonight?”

“Ryne” was a name Rayne casually made up on the spot when Natiaweda asked for it earlier.

And the reason Natiaweda asked this question was because she clearly assumed that Rayne, unlike Sal, was not a new student.

Since he wasn’t a new student, by Kanteria Academy regulations, he could not live in the student dorms.

“It’s already quite late, and the academy’s gate curfew will begin soon, so where will you—”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I have places I can rest at any time.”

Rayne had already recovered from his shin pain and replied lightly.

“What I need to trouble you two with now is simply taking care of my… daughter, Sal. Please allow me to express my thanks in advance.”

And with that brief explanation, Rayne proceeded to toss Sal—who had her arms crossed and was glaring daggers into his back—into the care of the two sisters.

Before leaving, he made sure to drop one final message:

“Remember to listen to your big sisters, okay?”

Along with a very annoying smile.

Ignoring the murderous look Sal shot at the back of his head—one that seemed ready to bite a chunk out of him—he left with an overly casual, dramatic stride.

Leaving only Sal and the elf-and-human pair staring at each other in silence.

This time, Natiaweda was noticeably more proactive than her best friend Vivian.

She stepped up to Sal, bent down slightly, and reached out her right hand while speaking to her in the gentlest tone possible, explaining that she and Vivian would take her to the dorm building to register her temporary stay.

After their shared lunch earlier today, Natiaweda had already mentally categorized Sal as a junior she needed to take care of—
Though this was entirely one-sided.

After all, Sal had barely said twenty sentences to Natiaweda and Vivian combined.

But clearly, Natiaweda had decided on Sal—
As though convinced that Sal and Rayne were not ordinary people.

So, on the walk toward the Magic Division dorm building, she continued trying to engage Sal in friendly conversation.

Vivian, watching this from the side, was stunned—and maybe even a little jealous.

She and Natiaweda had been best friends since their first year.

Yet in the past year or two, she had never seen Natiaweda act this gently toward her.

But jealousy aside… it was understandable.

Sal looked to be only fifteen or sixteen, with an innocent expression (an act) and an air of confusion (where am I, who is this green-haired woman dragging me), resembling a fairytale princess with her golden hair and delicate features.

If it were Vivian doing the welcoming, she would’ve been even more enthusiastic.

Who could resist such cuteness?

Who wouldn’t reach out and want to pat her head?

It had nothing to do with romance—

It was simply the natural motherly instinct one feels toward adorable, younger same-species children.

Especially for two young women still in school themselves—they had no defense.

(So cute. I want one.)

“Sal, sweetheart, why did you decide to come here to study?”

While Vivian was still busy fantasizing on the side, Natiaweda, being the closest, was already chatting while holding Sal’s hand, even subtly trying to guide Sal toward her chest for a hug.

Sal immediately thought: Absolutely not.

Two more steps and she’d be physically scooped into this woman’s arms.

In her previous life as Xiao Chunan, she had never encountered anything like this.

So she quickly pulled back to widen the distance and, to defuse the awkwardness, casually made up a response as an answer.

In the simple motion of pulling away, Sal felt her dragon heart nearly leap out of her chest.

She thought:
If not for the bracelet Rayne gave her, she probably would’ve already lost control and transformed.

As if to prove her suspicion, the ruby bracelet that had never shown any reaction before emitted a faint dark red glow at that moment.

Fortunately, they were walking under streetlights, so none of the other three noticed.

Once that topic passed, Natiaweda quieted down a little, and Vivian, who had barely spoken to Sal earlier, took her chance to lean in.

From the look on Vivian’s face—she had no intention of letting Sal escape that easily.

In the remaining two minutes of walking, she fired several questions in a row.

Questions including, but not limited to: “What food do you like?”, “What sports do you like?”, “What toys do you like?”, and even—

“Sal sweetheart, I want to ask… Do you have someone you like?”

(Bro what the hell— asking a fifteen-year-old that? The gossip is insane.)

“This… no, big sister. I’m only fifteen. I haven’t grown up yet. And I’m a good, well-behaved child.”

“Really? But when you answered Natiaweda’s questions earlier, you looked so calm and confident. That doesn’t seem like a child who isn’t grown up yet~”

This woman’s level… was not low.

Meaning Sal would have to stay fully alert.

She needed to think carefully, gather her strength, and strike once—

A clean, decisive finishing blow.

Sal took a deep breath, disguised her expression with innocence, and replied:

“Then big sister, since you’re so much more mature than me, you must already have someone you like, right?”

…

Pfft!

After a beat of silence, the first to fail holding back and laugh into her hand was Natiaweda, still holding Sal’s hand.

“Kh—!”

The next to collapse was Vivian, struck by the blade named Truth.

If it weren’t for the dorm curfew requiring them to keep walking, Vivian might have dropped to her knees right there and apologized for her life choices.

Lies don’t hurt people.

Truth does.

But what could Vivian do?

Sal looked like a naive girl who just spoke whatever came to her mind.

Vivian had asked the question herself—

She had dug her own grave.

From a rational standpoint, yes, it was a rude question.

Fortunately, the punishment was instant.

Sal shut down Vivian’s gossiping with a single sentence.

Natiaweda gained entertainment.

And a legendary moment of Vivian getting humbled was born.