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I ended up returning home with just Mama Sonia. Papa Howard stayed at the station to receive Aria’s team’s report on the trial, and afterward, he was scheduled to attend a meeting with the heads of the Amukham households. So he wouldn’t be home until evening.

The carriage back home was driven by Mama Sonia. I offered to take the reins myself, but she said, “Just sit quietly beside me and rest,” and didn’t hand them over.

On the way, I chattered endlessly about everything that had happened during the trial.

How I set up camp on a high ridge. How I hunted, skinned, and ate a Jackalope. How lucky I was to find rock salt. How the spices I had brought improved the dishes… And of course, how the sandwiches she had packed were incredibly, unbelievably delicious. I just spoke of whatever came to mind, in no particular order.

Mama listened the whole way with a warm smile, occasionally responding with things like, “Is that so?” “I’m glad to hear that.” “How wonderful!”

The road home was now a familiar sight to me.

During the spring, Hodgson Pond held a turquoise glow, reflecting the trees in the copse surrounding it. The ripples left by water birds gliding across the surface made the reflection of the woods waver gently.

The row of poplars along Croque Avenue was still bare in March, but their bold, powerful branches stretched toward the sky as if to show off their strength.

The wheat fields in March had only just begun to sprout, and most of the land still showed the color of the soil. But the stripes of brown earth and young green stretched over the hills in waves, rolling on endlessly. The sight carried the fragrance of spring.

This was the landscape I had first seen last summer, when Papa Howard brought me here. The season now was different, and the scenery itself had changed, but to me, it had already become a landscape that stirred a sense of nostalgia.

Even though I had only been away for a single week, the road, the fields, the trees—everything felt so deeply nostalgic. This was the place I could think of as home.

Just before we arrived, when the carriage was climbing the hill in front of the house, Mama Sonia suddenly remembered something and said, “Oh yes! When we get home, there’s someone I want to introduce to you, Susie! I’m sure the two of you will get along splendidly!”

She said it with a radiant smile.

(Huh? Who could it be?)

I wondered if we had guests waiting.

As we entered the grounds, Mr. Gilbert came up as if he had been waiting. “Young miss, you must be tired. Congratulations on completing the trial!” He offered his congratulations and helped unload the luggage from the carriage.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Gilbert! I’m back, safe and sound.”

At my reply, Mr. Gilbert beamed. “As expected of the young miss! Yes! As expected, as expected!” As always, he repeated *as expected* again and again, nodding happily with a big smile.

With him carrying my things, I proceeded to the entrance, where Miss Elrose was waiting. She, too, offered words of congratulation and welcome. I thanked her and then noticed someone standing just behind her.

Seeing my eyes wander, Miss Elrose’s smile grew, and she gently ushered the person forward.

A young woman in a maid uniform stepped out. Had I seen her before? She looked familiar somehow…

She was shorter than both Miss Elrose and Mama Sonia, but I had to tilt my head up slightly to look at her. Her glossy, beautiful dark-blonde hair was tied neatly at the back, topped with a small headdress. Her fine eyebrows, sharp eyes, the color of turquoise blue, and the little pince-nez spectacles perched on her straight nose all made her seem very intelligent.

Her maid uniform was a long midnight blue one-piece. The large folded-back white cuffs stood out as an elegant detail.

The collar wasn’t winged but a high, refined standing collar that covered her throat. A row of small white buttons ran down neatly from there.

The long white apron reached all the way to the hem of her skirt, with two strips on both sides going up to the shoulders. The frills on the shoulders were cute, but since the apron didn’t cover the chest area, her ample figure stood out all the more—though perhaps that was just natural for an older sister-like figure.

From beneath the long hem, I caught a glimpse of her ankles, clad in black stockings.
On her feet, she wore black round-toe shoes fastened with straps.

The maid stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and introduced herself.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Susie. My name is Anne-Marie Bayros. I have been assigned to look after you from now on.”

As she spoke, she smiled at me so sweetly that it felt like I might melt.

***

“All right! This is for you, Bibi. You’ll have the last trial in two months, so I’ll give you my best piece of advice!”
“Eh?! Th-thank you, Irvine…!”
“Listen—when you sleep inside a hollow tree on rainy days, you have to be careful, or water will seep inside. You need to check the position of the tree first.”
“…Huh? But I’ll be setting up a tent, so I won’t be…”
“I sleep on top of trees myself!”
“Oh? Dana, you’re a tree-sleeper?”

“That’s right! If you tie yourself to a branch and cover up with your cloak, you won’t fall, and even if water floods below, you’re safe! Plus, it’s easier to spot prey!”
“Fair point! But Bibi’s a girl, so she should pick a place where she can defend herself more easily.”
“Th-thanks, Irvine… but, um, tent…”

“Which is why atop a tree is the best choice, right? Irvine, if she’s up in a tree, no one can ambush her out of nowhere!”
“Even so, Bibi’s not a vanguard, and a girl at that…”
“…Bibi, don’t take what these two are saying too seriously, okay?”
“I know… I know, Corin, don’t worry! I know! Really, I know!”