A Bond from the Past
Noah burst out of the dining hall and planted herself squarely in front of Iris.
"Hm? And who might you be?"
Noah was panting hard, gasping for breath after the sudden chase. Iris made to brush past her without a word, but Noah blocked her way again.
"Wait... just a moment. Hah, hah... Are you Erich's daughter?"
What is with this woman? Why is she bringing up my father's name like that?
"Yes, that's right... I'm Iris Secree, born to Erich Secree and Shiina Secree. But... who are you, exactly?"
At Iris's words, Noah began to weep. The moment the tears started, Iris found herself utterly at a loss.
"I mean... is asking your name really something to cry about?"
She awkwardly patted Noah on the back as the woman kept sobbing.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry—we've never even met, and here I am crying all over you... The moment you said you were Erich's daughter, my feelings just... overwhelmed me. I've caused you trouble. I'm sorry."
Haah... I picked a bad one to run into. She seems to know Father, so I can't just blow her off, but I really should be heading inside... Haaah... Oh, well. Nothing for it.
Iris wiped the tears from Noah's cheeks and did her best to calm her down.
"Um... what's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"
Still sniffling, Noah looked up at her.
"Hic... *sniff*... My name is Noah."
Noah? Hmm... I've never heard that name before. I'll have to ask about it later.
"Listen, Miss Noah... it seems like you've calmed down a little. There's a nice café nearby—why don't we go there and talk?"
"Mm... all right..."
And so Noah and Iris made their way to a café just down the street.
Meanwhile, Yuna had come down to the shop on the first floor together with Arhen.
"Yuna, you must have some personal necessities you'll need to buy for yourself. Don't be shy about it—if there's anything you want, buy as much as you like."
Arhen handed her a pouch full of gold coins and stepped outside the shop to wait.
Hmm... what should I buy?
As Yuna stood there deliberating, she noticed a child staring at her. Sensing the gaze, she turned her head toward it.
"Um... who are you?"
"Heheh! Finally, she looks my way! Hello there—my name is Jamille. Let's get along from now on!"
The short girl with pink hair who held out her hand to Yuna was Jamille, daughter of Zaira, the shop's owner.
"Oh~ so you're the daughter Aunt Zaira mentioned! I'm Yuna. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too! Wait, you already know my mom? So? Isn't she just the coolest?"
And with that, Jamille spent the next ten minutes singing the praises of her mother, Zaira.
What?! This kid has been talking about nothing but her own mother for ten whole minutes! Something about this is terrifying!!
Just then, Arhen—who had grown weary of waiting outside the shop—came over to Yuna's side.
"Yuna, are you still not finished? It's been about twenty minutes, I'd say."
Yuna and Jamille both turned their heads toward Arhen, and Jamille's eyes met his.
"Huh? Uuuuuuuuh? Ar... Arhen?!"
"Hm? And who's this little one? Yuna, have you made yourself a friend while I wasn't looking?"
At Arhen's words, Jamille snapped back to her senses and looked up at him.
"KYAAAAAAAAAA! It's really you! It's really Arhen!"
"Hm? You know me? If you mean Arhen, master of this Magic Tower, then yes, that's me. And you are?"
"H-h-hello!!!!! My name is Jamille! I'm the daughter of Zaira, who runs the shop here!!!!!"
Having introduced herself, Jamille frantically hunted down a piece of paper and a pen, then thrust them at Arhen.
"Um... Arhen, I'm your biggest fan!! If it's not too much trouble, could I possibly have your autograph?"
Arhen seemed pleased by this, and taking up the paper and pen, he signed it with a flourish.
You're watching this, aren't you, Yuna? THIS is Yurihen Hiridi!
Wow... I finally got Arhen's autograph! I'm going to treasure this forever!
Wow... my teacher must be someone really important, huh... People even ask for his signature! That's so cool...
And so, for one fleeting moment, three separate thoughts crossed paths.
"Jamille! What is all this racket? Are you throwing a fit again? How many times have I told you to keep it down inside the shop?"
Zaira, who had been in the storeroom, emerged at the noise.
"Oh? Arhen and Yuna. Ahh, so that's why Jamille was being so loud."
"Zaira, it's been a while. Sorry about the commotion."
"Oh, don't apologize—it's my daughter who caused it, after all. Arhen, it's getting late and it's dinnertime—why don't you and Yuna stay and join us for dinner? My husband made curry today."
"Curry?!!!! Daddy made curry?!"
At the word curry, Jamille began to drool, then spun around to face Arhen and Yuna.
"Arhen, Yuna, won't you stay for dinner at our place? My dad's curry is suuuuper delicious!"
Arhen glanced at Yuna before answering.
"Yuna, did you get everything you needed?"
"Not yet... I'm still not sure what I should buy..."
"Is that so? Then how about we have dinner first, and you and Jamille pick out the rest together afterward?"
"Yes!! I'd like that!"
"Zaira, then we'll gladly impose on you for dinner tonight."
"Impose? You and Yuna are welcome here any time. Come on in!"
And with that, the two of them followed Zaira through the door at the back of the shop and into her home.
Iris and Noah arrived at the café and ordered tea in a soundproofed private room, then took their seats.
"Um... Miss Noah? You seemed to know my father's name. Do you... know him?"
Iris spoke first, and at the question, Noah's eyes widened.
"Yes... your father and I are... well acquainted."
Huh? That's odd... I've never once heard Father mention a female acquaintance??
"Miss Noah? I've never heard Father speak of any woman he knew... Are you truly that close to him?"
To Iris's question, Noah could only answer with silence.
"Haaah... then let me change the question. Why did you stop me on my way home?"
"It's because... I wanted to know how Erich was doing... I grabbed you without even thinking. I'm sorry..."
What is wrong with this woman? She stopped me dead in the street for THAT?
Iris felt her temper flare, but she swallowed it down and kept talking.
"If you wanted to know how my father was doing, couldn't you simply have contacted him?"
"I've tried. Many, many times... I suspect it's Shiina who's been blocking them..."
"Ah... hearing that, it actually makes sense... Mother certainly wouldn't have left any letters from Father lying around unattended..."
Iris sank into thought.
There must be a reason Mother secretly intercepts the letters Father sends...
"Even so, I fail to see why I should discuss my father with a complete stranger."
"Then listen... if I promise to ask nothing else, could you just tell me how Erich has been lately?"
"Fine. To that much, at least—Father has been looking quite full of life these days. When I was little, there was no light in his eyes at all, and no matter what anyone said to him, he had no strength in his voice. But lately he's genuinely improved."
"No... that can't be right... Erich could never be that healthy..."
Noah's voice had dropped to a whisper, and Iris leaned in.
"I'm sorry? What did you say? I couldn't hear you."
"There's no way Erich could be doing well like that!!! Erich only ever had eyes for me—so why would he live on looking so full of life when I'm not there?! There's just no way!!!"
With that, Noah bolted from the café.
What is with that lunatic? Haaah... my luck really ran out at the end of the day, huh...
Iris headed home.
When she arrived, she went straight to her room and spent a long while wrestling with whether she should tell her parents about Noah.
Noah... that woman knew Father. There's something more to this... I should talk to Mother first, before anyone else...
Dinner at the Secree household was always taken together in the dining hall. At the head of the long rectangular table sat Shiina, with Erich on her left, Iris directly across from Erich, and Vic seated beside Iris as the family ate.
"Iris, it seemed like you left the moment you stepped off the carriage today. Where did you run off to?"
At Erich's question, Iris answered.
"I went to the Church of Helena to pray."
"My, and here I never knew our daughter was a devotee of the Church of Helena."
"You probably only found out recently, Father. I've been going there regularly for a long time now."
Erich had only just recently—barely—won his freedom from Shiina's grasp.
"Ahem. Now that I've earned a measure of trust from you, Erich, I've decided to let you move freely. You understand that, don't you, Erich?"
Shiina shot him a meaningful look as she spoke.
"I understand perfectly. So you can stop the surveillance now."
"I'll... give that some further thought."
The table lapsed into easy chatter, and just as the meal was winding down, Iris turned to Shiina.
"Mother. Once we've finished eating, could you spare me some time?"
Shiina looked genuinely startled.
"You? Requesting a private audience with me... Well, I suppose anything is possible in this world. Very well—I'll make the time. Come to my study thirty minutes after the meal."
"Yes, Mother."
Thirty minutes after dinner, Iris presented herself at Shiina's study.
(Knock, knock)
"Mother, it's Iris. May I come in?"
"Yes, come in."
When Iris entered, Shiina was seated at her reading table, on which sat wine and appetizers—and, set apart from them, the grape juice that Iris loved.
"Come, sit here and we'll talk. I had them bring out your favorite—grape juice from the Shadow estate."
Iris walked to the table, sat down across from her mother, and poured the juice into her glass.
"Mother. On my way home from the Church of Helena today, I met a woman named Noah. Do you by any chance know who she is?"