Upon hearing the question, Valorant's expression changed as he turned to look at his disciple.
"It seems you've started to understand quite a few things."
Aster began speaking in a calm, cold voice.
"There are very few servants here—almost none. No guards. No adventurers either. I couldn't sense any mana from them," he paused midway and placed a hand on his chin.
"From what I can tell, the duke is trying to protect people—not just from an external threat, but from someone… or from himself."
Hearing this, the corner of the old man's lips lifted slightly.
"You've thought this through more than I expected," he said, a comment that barely sounded like praise.
"I won't explain everything now. You'll learn the rest when the time comes. For now, I'm giving you a task—do your best to carry it out."
With a sharp gaze, Valorant faced his disciple seriously. Aster nodded instinctively.
"Get close to Anna. Stay by her side. If possible—always."
Those words didn't sound like a task to Aster. They felt like something else entirely. He opened his mouth to say something, then decided to remain silent.
"They may not be targeting only Alaris himself. That's why you need to keep an eye on both Anna and Suna."
Only after hearing that did Aster let out a quiet breath.
After training ended, Aster headed to the library to carry out the task he had been given.
Since he had seen Anna sitting in the library even at midnight, he was certain he would find her there.
'She's still here. Suna said she didn't come out for breakfast.'
With that thought, he entered the library.
At the table in the center of the library, Anna was deeply engrossed in reading, searching through the pages of a book. A faint frustration showed on her face.
Aster didn't know how to begin. Asking about the book felt strange; talking about the weather felt foolish. In the end, he decided to break the silence.
"Sorry for disturbing you," he said, lightly tapping one of the bookshelves.
Anna turned her eyes toward the voice, recognized who it was—and then continued reading as if nothing had happened.
"Hello…"
A heavy silence settled between them. Aster did his best to start a conversation with the duke's granddaughter. In any other situation, he wouldn't even have dared approach a girl like her. But to fulfill his master's task—and to do it well—he had no choice.
"Can I sit and read too?" he asked, standing across from the table.
Anna glanced at him once more, then returned to her book.
"Thanks…"
Taking that as permission, Aster sat down and occasionally looked toward Anna as she read.
When he saw no reaction from her, he decided to read as well.
Some time passed.
After finishing his book, Aster slowly closed it and slid it aside.
Simply sitting and reading together wouldn't guarantee progress—nor would it ensure that he was fulfilling the task given to him. Because of that, he decided to try a different approach.
"Anna, what kind of book are you reading?" he asked, casting his gaze toward the open pages in front of her.
Noticing his attention, Anna closed the book before he could see it clearly.
Despite having his eyes covered, Aster could still sense his surroundings.
Before she closed the book completely, he had caught sight of small illustrations and bits of text.
They depicted plants and described the properties of various medicinal herbs. Without thinking, he asked,
"Are you interested in healing people?"
"No," she replied after a brief pause.
The answer surprised him.
"Then why are you reading a medical book? Or… are you trying to heal someone?"
Sensing her discomfort, Aster didn't press further. But then came an unexpected reply.
"Yes. Just like you think," she said in a low voice.
At that moment, Aster felt a subtle shift—in his actions, or rather, in the task he'd been given. It was as if the distance between them had quietly shortened.
"I know how you feel. That's true. I would've done anything to save someone close to me as well."
Hearing sincerity in his words, Anna sensed that he understood her.
"Other than my grandfather… I have no one close left."
That statement stirred memories from Aster's own past.
"I understand," he said, pausing briefly mid-sentence.
"I couldn't save everyone either."
Suddenly, a cold look appeared in Anna's eyes.
"Are you telling me to give up hope?" she said sharply, standing up from the table.
"On the contrary," Aster replied quickly.
"I mean you shouldn't spare anything when it comes to protecting someone you love. The words slipped out before he could stop himself." he added, coughing awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
Then, trying to dispel the tension, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"But I do know this—you're a kind girl."
After those words, Anna froze in place. Her gaze drifted toward an unseen corner of the room. She neither spoke nor listened—she seemed lost deep within her thoughts, as if she had found something long forgotten among old memories.
***
In Anna's ears, familiar voices echoed—voices gentle and clear, like the ringing of bells. She hadn't heard them in a very long time.
Nearly four years had passed.
She remembered when those words were spoken.
She had been standing at the doorway, holding her grandfather's hand.
A horse-drawn carriage waited outside, ready to depart, carrying her parents away. Her mother bent down, gently stroked her daughter's face, and said,
"We'll be back soon. Listen to your grandfather."
The young girl nodded, looking up at her parents.
"I know you're a kind girl. Take care of your grandfather."
As those memories resurfaced, Anna hugged the book tightly to her chest.