Anastasia returned quietly to her main room—her office within the mindscape.

  Ange had excused herself, needing to consult with Wistoria about the upcoming ritual.Five days remained.

  Five days before Ange would attempt to read the fates of her family.Five days before Anastasia’s final fragments of na?ve hope would shatter like thin gss.

  For now... she decided to embrace her brief illusion of peace.

  5 Days Left.The next morning began with chaos.As soon as Anastasia stirred from bed, Roxy was there—grinning, teasing, and poking at her like an older sister who smelled blood.

  Anastasia’s blood boiled instantly.

  "Stop mocking me, you impudent magician!" she grumbled, cheeks flushed with frustration.But remembering Ange’s "tsundere training" advice, Anastasia forcibly bottled up her anger, turned her head away dramatically, and ran out of the room in a theatrical huff.

  Downstairs, the family hear the little show unfold with mixed expressions.Paul chuckled under his breath, while Zenith exchanged a worried gnce with Lilia.

  Was it just their imagination, or had Anastasia and Roxy grown... suspiciously close?

  Anastasia refused to look at anyone. She ate her breakfast as quickly as elegance allowed, maintaining impeccable posture despite the seething aura around her, and bolted to the training field.

  There, she summoned Wistoria and Ange for sparring practice—

  —but both looked at her pitifully, their stomachs growling in unison.

  "...Fine," Anastasia said with the air of a queen granting mercy. "Eat first, weaklings."

  The two immediately fled inside for breakfast, leaving Anastasia solo.

  Without missing a beat, Paul wandered onto the field and offered a casual sparring match.Their wooden swords cshed in rhythm, a battle punctuated by casual banter and sharp remarks from Anastasia as she relentlessly targeted Paul’s vital points with surgical precision.

  After their morning duel, Anastasia sought out Roxy again—this time to prepare her bath.She marched up, crossed her arms, and demanded, "Water. Tub. Now."

  Roxy raised an eyebrow. "Say please."

  Anastasia stiffened like she'd been stabbed. "W-why should I degrade myself—"

  "Can't hear you~" Roxy teased, swirling a small orb of water above her palm threateningly.

  Grumbling and twitching, Anastasia finally muttered a begrudging, nearly inaudible, "...Please."

  "What? Still can't hear you," Roxy sang.

  The bathroom erupted into tsundere chaos, and somehow, both of them ended up sharing the bath again.This time, Anastasia guarded her modesty fiercely—crossing her arms, shrinking into the tub, and gring daggers at Roxy the entire time.

  Roxy, for her part, sweat-dropped awkwardly... though deep inside, a faint, guilty disappointment bloomed.

  After bathing, Anastasia returned to the training field.

  Wistoria and Ange stood ready.

  Today's training was harder: two magic missiles at once, blindfolded.

  The first attempt? Anastasia was pelted mercilessly.Ange rushed to heal her with wide-eyed panic.

  The second attempt?Another brutal beating, another emergency healing.

  The third attempt?Anastasia stood firm—bleeding, limping—but her bde fshed with stubborn brilliance.With a precise ssh, she parried both missiles perfectly, standing tall against the whistling wind.

  For a moment, silence reigned.

  Then Anastasia smirked, her hair ruffled by the breeze, her wooden sword pointed toward the sky like a decration.

  “Easy,” she lied through her teeth.

  Ange wiped away a tear of pride.

  Wistoria bowed her head, thinking: This child will one day rule battlefields.

  4Days LeftThe morning began just like any other.

  However, Roxy noticed something strange.

  Anastasia had softened—barely.During the night, she had allowed Roxy to inch a little closer while sleeping, her breathing steady and unguarded.Roxy didn't dare disturb her, but a small, proud smile formed on her lips.

  At breakfast, Anastasia ate with her usual elegance, ignoring everyone’s looks.When she finished, she dragged Lilia outside for another swordsmanship lesson.

  Lilia, however, gave her surprising news:

  "You have officially reached Intermediate Rank in the Water God Style, Young Lady," she said with a faint smile. "But your Sword God and North God forms are... gging behind."

  Anastasia narrowed her eyes, considering.

  Then, with a dignified huff, she said,"I shall abandon the crude styles and focus solely on Water God from now on. It suits my grandeur better."

  Lilia chuckled under her breath but nodded.

  She also leaned closer and whispered,"Thank you, Young Lady. For allowing Ange to heal my injuries."

  Anastasia’s hand froze on her sword.

  She turned a slow gre at Ange—who shrank away nervously—but Lilia only ughed warmly."It wasn’t Ange's fault," she said, ruffling Anastasia’s hair fondly."I knew you were the one who orchestrated it. You're too sharp not to have noticed my limp."

  Before Anastasia could sputter a response, Lilia pressed a kiss gently to her forehead.

  Anastasia froze.

  Inside, her heart bloomed in quiet warmth.Family... huh...

  But outside, she crossed her arms dramatically and scoffed,"I don't need your thanks! It is only natural for a magnanimous sovereign like myself to grant such kindness! You owe me nothing!"

  One day I will repay the humiliation you caused me, though...Anastasia thought mischievously, already plotting.

  Afterward, Anastasia gathered Wistoria and Ange at the training field.

  "Today’s goal," she decred grandly, "is to sharpen my instincts further.Wistoria, unleash your magic!"

  Wistoria tilted her head."How many missiles would you like, Master?"

  Anastasia raised an eyebrow."How many can you conjure at once?"

  Wistoria looked serious."Approximately one million."

  Anastasia's face twitched."...Let's... start with five."

  Without hesitation, Wistoria unched five small ice missiles.

  Anastasia, blindfolded, moved on pure instinct, wooden sword fshing—

  —but the missiles battered her one after another, sending her skidding backwards.Ange rushed to heal her, as usual.

  And so the brutal cycle repeated.

  Attack. Failure. Heal.Attack. Failure. Heal.Attack. Failure. Heal.

  By the twentieth attempt, Anastasia’s muscles screamed in protest, her breathing was ragged...

  But when Wistoria sent the missiles once more—Anastasia shifted her stance, bde singing through the air—

  Cng! Cng! Cng! Cng! Cng!

  Five perfect parries.

  The training ground fell silent.

  Anastasia straightened her posture with practiced dignity, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said—

  "...Passable."

  Inside, however, she allowed herself a small, genuine smile.

  3 Days LeftThe morning light filtered through the curtains.Roxy stirred from her slumber—

  —and immediately froze.

  Anastasia was nestled extremely close to her side.

  Roxy inwardly screamed, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.(S-s-so close...! Is she... offering this?!)

  Carefully, carefully, Roxy tried to wrap an arm around her—

  —smack!

  Anastasia’s eyes snapped open.Her face immediately flushed a deep, burning red as she scrambled backward, pointing a trembling finger.

  “W-w-w-what are you doing, you perverted magician?!” she barked, her whole body trembling with embarrassment.

  Roxy filed her arms in panic."I-I'm sorry! I thought—! No, I mean—!"

  After a chaotic few minutes of blushing and arguing, the two managed to awkwardly descend the stairs together.

  At the breakfast table, Rudeus watched them with open jealousy.

  That damned chuuni sister...! Why is she holding Roxy-sensei’s hand like it’s normal?!

  He stabbed his eggs with unnecessary violence, sulking.

  Meanwhile, the adults at the table—Paul and Zenith—shared a quiet look, noting how naturally Roxy pced extra food onto Anastasia’s pte.

  Anastasia merely huffed, crossed her arms, and accepted it without a word.

  After the meal, Anastasia approached Paul.

  “Father, I demand a spar!" she said with her usual regal arrogance.

  But Paul shook his head regretfully."I can't today, princess. Patrol duty—there’ve been reports of monster activity nearby."

  Anastasia clicked her tongue in frustration.

  Denied her sparring partner, she decided instead to hone her own sword style.

  She summoned Wistoria and ordered her to increase the difficulty—this time demanding magic attacks with unpredictable patterns and element variations.

  The challenge was brutal.Without her magic sense, Anastasia’s precision faltered, and for the first time she seriously reconsidered if cutting herself off from magic was truly wise.

  Still—her pride refused to back down.

  Strike after strike, misstep after misstep, she forced her body to learn by instinct.

  Ange, now officially her permanent personal healer, watched anxiously from the sidelines, already preparing healing spells in advance.

  Zenith sighed inwardly.With Ange glued to Anastasia’s side, the clinic’s assistance was postponed—but even Zenith couldn't bring herself to stop her daughter’s mad dedication.

  By nightfall, Anastasia was utterly exhausted.

  Her steps were slow and heavy, her body sore in pces she didn't know could be sore.

  Roxy, with surprising gentleness, scooped Anastasia into her arms.

  "Cleanliness before dignity," Roxy whispered with a soft smile, carrying her toward the bath.

  Inside the steamy bathroom, Roxy gently lowered Anastasia into the wooden tub filled with warm water.

  Anastasia, half-asleep, barely noticed.

  Her arms draped zily over the tub’s edge, golden hair soaking in the water, her expression rexed and vulnerable.

  For the first time, Roxy saw her without her usual prideful mask—just a sleepy, beautiful little girl, no different from any other child.

  Roxy's face grew warm.

  "We’re... not so different in size..." she thought, gncing down shyly.

  She helped wash Anastasia's hair, careful not to wake her fully.

  And ter, when they returned to bed, Anastasia simply colpsed into Roxy’s embrace without protest, her breath deep and even.

  Roxy tightened her arms around her gently, feeling an unfamiliar tenderness bloom in her chest.

  2 Days Left.The day began with Anastasia slowly opening her eyes—

  —and finding herself wrapped securely in Roxy’s gentle hug.

  For a moment, she considered kicking up a fuss as usual.But instead, she simply y still, quietly pnning her day inside her mind.

  “Good morning,” Roxy greeted with a small smile, noticing Anastasia's fluttering eyes.

  Instinctively, Anastasia mumbled back, “Good morning.”

  Realizing too te what she said, her face flushed pink, and she immediately kicked into her usual tsundere routine.

  “N-not to you! You magician! Unhand me immediately! This is gross misconduct! I’ll send you to jail!” she barked, squirming wildly in Roxy’s arms.

  In response, Roxy simply ruffled her golden hair fondly.

  Anastasia gave a flustered huff and stomped off towards the stairs, Roxy following behind at a rexed pace.

  Since they had woken earlier than usual, Roxy volunteered to help Zenith and Lilia with the morning chores.Meanwhile, Anastasia decided to warm up in the backyard, her sword drills graceful and controlled.

  Inside the kitchen, however, a different scene was unfolding.

  Zenith and Lilia cornered Roxy between drying dishes, their smiles sharp.

  “So..." Zenith began sweetly. "Any thoughts about Anastasia?”

  Roxy nearly dropped the pte she was holding.

  "N-no! Absolutely not! Nothing inappropriate! She’s just a child, I swear!” Roxy yelped, waving her arms desperately.

  Lilia chuckled behind her hand, while Zenith gave a suspicious nod—clearly not fully convinced.

  "Maybe in the future..." Roxy thought faintly in betrayal to herself, before forcibly shaking the idea from her mind.

  Sensing danger, Roxy swiftly changed the topic to Rudeus' progress, distracting the two women expertly.

  Dinner came and passed peacefully.Everyone noticed how much calmer Anastasia had become tely, even if she still threw the occasional tsundere jab at Roxy.

  Later that evening, under the fading sunset, Anastasia headed back outside.

  Tonight’s training with Wistoria was even harsher—not only was Anastasia tasked with parrying incoming magic missiles, but now she also had to dodge carefully aimed spells based on Wistoria’s reading of her body nguage.

  The difficulty spiked.

  From the sidelines, Ange watched, wide-eyed.

  “Wistoria... did you become a sadist...?” Ange whispered, genuinely concerned at how ruthlessly Wistoria was fine-tuning her attacks.

  Despite gritting her teeth and enduring dozens of close calls, Anastasia never once told Wistoria to stop.

  By nightfall, Anastasia was completely drained.

  Still, she refused to forgo her evening bath.

  As they prepared to bathe, Anastasia no longer batted an eye at Roxy joining her—although, whenever Roxy’s gaze lingered even slightly too long on her, Anastasia would immediately snap like a startled kitten.

  “Where are you looking at, you indecent magician?!”

  Roxy only chuckled, feeling a strange warmth from these exchanges.

  The gap between them was shrinking, little by little.

  Later that night, under the soft light of the moon, they y side by side in bed.

  This time, Anastasia didn't resist.Instead, she quietly leaned into Roxy’s arms, letting herself be hugged without a single word of protest.

  Roxy smiled faintly and tightened her embrace, pulling the tiny blonde girl closer.

  "She’s really... opened her heart, hasn’t she?"

  And so, the night drifted quietly onward, the house bathed in peaceful silence.

  1 Day Left.The day continued in its now-familiar rhythm.

  But even the rest of the Greyrat family couldn't help noticing the subtle — or not-so-subtle — closeness between Roxy and Anastasia.At breakfast, Roxy wiped a smudge from Anastasia’s lip with a handkerchief, nearly feeding her out of reflex before realizing what she was doing and hastily wiping the cloth on her own shirt instead.

  Anastasia froze momentarily, a strange tightness curling in her stomach.

  (Tonight... everything changes.)

  Suppressing the roiling anxiety deep inside her, Anastasia threw herself into brutal training.

  No blindfold.No restraints.Her magic sense fully unleashed.

  Each of Wistoria’s spells was crushed mid-air before it could even form properly —as if Anastasia could predict the attacks before they were even cast.

  Wistoria, for the first time, was forced to grow serious, casting at full speed.

  Ange, watching from the sidelines, saw the truth:Anastasia wasn’t training out of ambition tonight — she was running from something.

  "Right... Tonight is the fate-reading..." Ange thought, biting her lip.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, Rudeus was undergoing his magic lessons with Roxy.

  Between chants, Rudeus hesitated — and then asked bluntly:

  “Sensei... why are you so close to my chuuni sister now?”

  Roxy nearly stumbled over her own incantation.

  She quickly turned away to hide her pink cheeks.

  “Don’t say it like that, Rudy," she said, recovering. "You shouldn’t speak badly about your family.”

  “But you hated her too, right?” Rudeus pushed stubbornly. “Now you act like... like you love her or something.”

  Roxy’s blush deepened.

  Annoyed at herself, she huffed and said stiffly, “I judged her too early. That’s all.”

  Then, forcing herself back into a teacher’s posture, she returned to the lesson.

  Rudeus, meanwhile, gnced down at the ground — quietly swallowing his growing feelings of frustration and disappointment.

  As night fell, a cold wind swept through the vilge.

  Midnight was drawing near.

  Anastasia sat on her bed in silence, feeling the ticking of the unseen clock hammer against her ribs.She gnced once at Roxy, peacefully asleep, before casting a sleeping spell over her to ensure she wouldn’t wake.

  Carefully, Anastasia pried Roxy’s hands free from her own body and slid out from under the bnkets.

  The window creaked open.

  With a single graceful movement, Anastasia vaulted herself onto the rooftop, her golden hair rippling in the moonlight.

  She summoned Ange beside her, who appeared with a solemn expression, holding her staff close.

  Together, under the frozen sky, they performed the star-reading ritual.

  Ange’s face grew more and more conflicted as the ritual progressed — her hands trembling slightly.

  When the st star dimmed, Ange lowered her gaze.

  Without speaking, she gestured. Let's talk inside the dreamscape.

  Anastasia nodded tightly, already knowing the answer.

  She silently climbed back down, crept back inside, and gently pced Roxy’s hand over her once more before closing her eyes and slipping into uneasy sleep.