“This is driving me crazy!” Kirine exclaimed, rubbing her eyes and leaning back in her chair. This was her tenth failed attempt at creating a memory-restoring potion.
“And now I’m out of ingredients,” she groaned. Days had turned into weeks as she tirelessly experimented, but failure seemed to be her constant companion. Despite her mental preparation, the lack of progress was infuriating.
“Where am I going to find more supplies?” she wondered aloud. Frustration bubbled up, and she found herself gripping her hair. Even if she could locate more ingredients, they might not be suitable for her experiments. It felt like trying to break through a brick wall with a feather.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. “Is Sasha doing okay?”
Today was Sasha’s first day at the educational facility. She remembered how friendly and adorable he was with everyone, but she’d never seen him interact with other kids her age. A wave of worry washed over her.
“This won’t do,” Kirine muttered. Since she couldn’t continue her experiments without ingredients, she decided to relax after ensuring Sasha was doing well. Without hesitation, Kirine stood up and headed to the educational facility. She planned to just peek inside, not wanting to be a disturbance.
But someone was already there.
“What are you doing here?” Kirine asked, surprised. The man who had arrived before her turned, a slight frown creasing his brow.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he replied.
“I mean, why are you here?” Kirine clarified.
“Am I not allowed to be?” he retorted.
“Is being the commander of the knights really such a leisurely job?”
“And what about you?”
The man was Ares. He responded curtly before turning back to Sasha. Despite being in an unfamiliar place, Sasha was playing naturally with the other children.
“He’s doing better than I expected,” Kirine said.
“Yeah, seems so,” Ares agreed.
Kirine nodded absentmindedly, but then paused. For a month, Sasha had lived alone in that huge mansion. Seeing her now, playing happily with other children, Kirine felt a mix of relief and guilt.
“You’re quite attached to her, aren’t you?” asked Ares.
“Attached? Don’t be ridiculous,” Kirine replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face. “Who does she take after to be so good with people?”
In such an unfamiliar place, Sasha could have easily felt shy or out of place. Instead, she fit in seamlessly, as if she’d been there many times before. Watching her made Kirine smile with a sense of pride.
“It’s probably because she takes after me,” Ares said, standing next to her. He nodded confidently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kirine couldn’t help but laugh.
Kirine couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you being serious?”
“About what?” Ares asked.
“That you’re good with people?” Kirine asked, staring at him as if she’d heard the most absurd thing in her life.
Ares, unbothered, simply raised his chin. “I’m plenty sociable.”
“You really have no idea, do you?” Kirine retorted. “Your personality is a complete wreck. The only redeeming thing about you is your face.”
Kirine thought God must be fair—blessing him with good looks but leaving his personality in shambles. She clicked her tongue and shook her head in disbelief. But Ares’ response was unexpected.
“So, you’re saying my looks are decent?” he asked.
Kirine looked at him, confused. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, but when she met his gaze, there was no teasing in his deep blue eyes. Ares was genuinely serious, leaving her momentarily bewildered.
“Well, I suppose so?” she finally replied.
“Not bad. It feels good to be recognized, especially by you,” Ares said, puffing up with pride.
Annoyed by his smugness, Kirine quickly corrected him. “I only acknowledged your looks, nothing else.”
“Being acknowledged for my looks is better than nothing,” Ares retorted.
“Well… I suppose that’s true,” Kirine admitted, unable to argue.
A question suddenly arose in her mind. Since when had Ares enjoyed being complimented on his looks? From what she’d heard, he despised any comments about his appearance. In fact, he was known to unleash sharp, cutting remarks that would make anyone want to dig a hole and crawl into it. Even when the compliments were about how handsome he was.