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*★ Hom’s POV*

I wasn’t unfamiliar with what the city looked like when welcoming the New Year, but this was the first time I was seeing it with my own eyes.

Even though it was night, the city was adorned with countless lights and bustled as though it were daytime. Borrowing Master’s words, it could only be described as fantastical. It was the sort of sight Lady Alfe would surely delight in.

“It’s very lively,” Lady Estea said.

Nodding, I walked alongside her in the direction of the flow of people. The road leading to the Dragon Temple was illuminated by the lights carried by worshippers, and I found it very beautiful.

“It’s beautiful.”
“I thought so as well.”

The one walking beside me was not Master, but Lady Estea.

“The Dragon Temple must be even brighter. I feel like I might forget it’s nighttime.”

As she smiled, Lady Estea’s breath turned faintly white. Watching it dissolve and vanish in a sudden gust of wind, I glanced at the tip of her nose, which had grown slightly red.

“Yes. It’s a little cold—are you all right?”
“Of course. What about you?”
“I was designed to be resistant to such conditions.”

When I answered that way, Lady Estea looked at my face as though something had just occurred to her.

“…Right. I suppose you would be.”
“Was there something strange about my response?”

I had merely stated something perfectly ordinary for me—had I answered incorrectly?

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that, watching you at Leafa’s house, I almost forget that you’re a homunculus.”
“I don’t think that would quite be the case…”

Her words surprised me, yet they didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I could sense that, just like Lord Rudra and Lady Natal, Lady Estea felt a genuine fondness toward me.

“…Still, thank you.”
“There’s nothing I’ve done to deserve thanks.”

Lady Estea said that and smiled faintly. I felt as though I’d glimpsed something hidden behind that smile, and without realizing it, I clenched my fist.

My goal in the Zersteller—Canalford Cup, and the fact that I had achieved it, was what had brought about this current confusion.

I needed to apologize for that.

“That may be so. What I need to do right now is probably to apologize.”
“…Hom?”

A puzzled voice fell on me, but I paid it no mind and bowed deeply.

“I am very sorry. About the Canalford Cup, I—”
“I don’t want to hear that.”

Before I could finish, Lady Estea made her refusal clear and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“But—”

Had I done something wrong? Had I used the precious opportunity Master had given me only to upset Lady Estea?

I cautiously raised my face, but she didn’t seem angry.

“It’s fine.”

They were only two short words, yet the gentle expression with which Lady Estea spoke them was enough to ease my unease.

“There isn’t a single thing you need to apologize for. You and I both fought with everything we had. The reason I lost was my own fault. And thanks to that, I was able to learn about my own weakness.”
“Lady Estea…”
“That’s why I’m truly glad it was you—the one I fought, and the one who defeated me.”
“Is that… truly how you feel?”

Her words flowed without hesitation, yet I couldn’t immediately believe them. I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps she was simply being considerate of someone like me.

“Does this look like the face of someone lying to you?”
“No—”
“Right? But this isn’t the end.”

Smiling as she cut off my reply, Lady Estea looked straight into my eyes.

“Next time, I’ll be the one who wins.”

Lady Estea said that and showed a smile as if a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. It was different from her smiles until now—a gentle one that clearly conveyed the fondness she felt toward me.

“I won’t lose either.”

Drawn in by that kindness, I felt the tension I’d been carrying in my cheeks finally ease. This was the same kind of smile Master had once described—one that naturally welled up when you were truly happy. For the first time, I was able to clearly recognize that sensation within myself.

“It feels like we finally understand each other. Not through fighting, but like this—by exchanging words and feelings.”

Though it was only a faint smile, she must have sensed the change in my expression. Gently narrowing her eyes, she took my hand.

“I feel as though I’m beginning to understand the kind of person you are as well, Lady Estea.”

I returned her grip, her hand cold in mine, and spoke her name with both respect and affection. Lady Estea gave a troubled little smile at how I addressed her, then continued, holding my hand as if to gently reason with me.

“Hom. Won’t you stop calling me Lady Estea?”
“…Huh?”

I didn’t know how to respond to such an unexpected request.

“I’m not saying you should stop showing respect. That’s part of who you are—almost your identity. But you were the victor of the Canalford Cup. So I want us to stand as equals.”

Ah—this wasn’t condescension or indulgence on my part. Lady Estea truly meant it, sincerely and warmly. And if that was the case, then accepting her request was the proper courtesy I could offer in return.

“Understood. …Estea.”

I said it, but an indescribable, almost ticklish sense of discomfort made me furrow my brow. Was this really all right?

“…Um. Is this truly acceptable?”

In response to my question, Estea showed an innocent smile and nodded repeatedly.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t even mind if you dropped the politeness altogether—but asking you to change everything would just be my own arrogance, wouldn’t it?”
“Thank you for your consideration, Estea.”
“Hehe. Please keep it up like that, Hom.”

When I tried calling her name once more, a blush bloomed across Estea’s cheeks like a delicate flower, and her smile grew even gentler.

*—Estea. Estea.*

I practiced calling her name over and over in my heart. It still felt a little embarrassing, but seeing her unguarded smile made me happy, and I found this atmosphere more comfortable than any I’d ever shared with her before.

Borrowing Estea’s words, it felt as though we had finally come to understand each other for the first time.