Under the fresh morning light streaming through the window, Alice and I sat in tense silence on the sofa.
The awkwardness between us was palpable, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit amused.
Despite her usually calm demeanor, Alice’s reaction hinted at something more vulnerable, like a young girl caught off guard.
I almost wanted to tease her because of how genuinely cute she looked in this flustered state.
But time wasn’t on our side.
In the game, Alice had intercepted it only after detecting the White Queen’s energy, but by then, the monsters had already spread chaos.
Clearing it now, before anything could happen, was critical.
I glanced at Alice, who seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move, her cheeks still tinged with that lingering blush.
“Senior,” I began, keeping my tone light to ease her nerves.
“Y-Yes…?” she stammered, her eyes flickering up to meet mine with a hint of hesitation.
“I won’t ask how you ended up in my bed, but if I had to guess, I’d say it had something to do with Cheshire, right?”
“Well, you don’t exactly strike me as the type to just hop into my bed for no reason,” I replied with a half-smile.
“So, you don’t need to be so flustered about it. I understand,”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and her eyes softened.
“Well, I’m not that dense,”
“Did you say something?”
“It’s fine, really. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s Cheshire,” I reassured her.
She blushed again, clearly recalling her unconscious actions while I slept.
Though the memory seemed to mortify her, I found myself more amused than bothered.
“It really doesn’t bother me,” I said, shrugging, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
She glanced up, surprised, and I could tell my words had a calming effect, her cheeks losing some of that telltale redness.
Reassured by my words, Alice seemed to relax, her shoulders visibly easing.
I shrugged, meeting her eyes with a small smile. “I won’t lie and say I’m not, but would you actually tell me if I asked?”
“Then why even bring it up?”
“If you ever need me,” she said, a glint of seriousness in her eyes, “just snap this card in half. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’ll come to help you immediately.”
I took the card from her hand, feeling the soft hum of power coursing through it as her mana resonated against my fingers.
I looked up at her, a sincere smile spreading across my face. “Thanks, senior. I’ll keep it safe.”
She nodded, a touch of pride showing beneath her blush.
I leaned back, meeting her gaze with a smirk. “I don’t mind being bothered by you, senior. In fact, you can even touch me more if you’d like.”
“Wh-What ridiculous things are you saying?!” Her face flared with color, and she crossed her arms in a flustered huff. “Do you want this senior of yours to burn you to a crisp?”
“You’re really going all out with that ‘senior’ role, aren’t you? Even though you technically sexually assaulted this junior of yours in his sleep.”
“Hahaha.”
“Who knows?” I said with a shrug, enjoying the way she half-heartedly turned her head away, avoiding my gaze.
With a final glance, she focused her energy, and red mana began to glow around her, wrapping her form like a blazing aura.
Cards flickered into existence, hovering briefly before spinning around her, and in a rush, she rose off the floor.
In a flash of red, she soared out the window, her speed leaving only a faint trail behind.
If anyone saw a sudden red blur streaking from my window, it’d undoubtedly spark some rumors, but without concrete evidence, they’d likely be dismissed.
Watching the faint trails of Alice’s mana slowly dissipate, I stood up from the chair, stretching out my arms as I examined the card she’d given me.
Its surface gleamed with a subtle but distinct aura, the Ace of Hearts seeming to pulse slightly in my hand.
This item held more power than I’d expected, with effects that went well beyond what I thought Alice would entrust me with.
I traced the card’s edges, musing over the weight of the gift.
Yet, the future remained unpredictable and ever-shifting, and I couldn’t deny the potential value this card held if a situation truly spiraled out of control.
For now, I’d keep it close.
Even with all my knowledge, finding the dungeon on my own would be impossible.
In the game, the only clue given was that the outbreak originated in the library.
I’d need an ally, someone capable of immense mana sensing, someone who could pick up on even the slightest hint of hidden mana in a flash.
‘Rose.’
She’d be perfect for this.
Her mana sense was exceptional, and with her, there’d be a solid chance of detecting and containing the outbreak before it spread.
I’d have to ask her to join me later.
Sure, Alice would have been an ideal choice, considering her experience with the White Army. Fighting them was practically her specialty.
Between the dimensional cracks and the constant exposure to hostile forces, she was under more strain than I liked. Keeping her away from these monsters was my top priority.
For her sake, and the long term, I couldn’t risk her any more than necessary.
With that in mind, I moved to prepare for the day ahead when a sharp clicking and creaking sound echoed from behind me.
The door opened, and to my surprise, a strikingly beautiful boy with long, wavy brown hair entered, his deep sky-blue eyes oddly familiar despite this being, supposedly, our first meeting.
Just behind him trailed Yui, her head slightly lowered, an uncharacteristically uneasy expression on her face.
“Who…?” I asked, half to myself, as I tried to place the stranger’s face.
“You may leave now,” the young man cut her off coldly, dismissing her with a wave.
Yui hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting mine, filled with an odd, almost pitying look before she sighed and retreated from the room.
I was left staring after her, a thousand questions brewing.
What’s going on right now?
I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could get a word out, a shimmer of blue light enveloped him.
I watched, frozen, as his appearance shifted, softening with every flicker until it revealed a face I knew all too well.
“Snow…?” I whispered, hardly believing it.
The penetrating gaze she fixed on me was enough to drain the words from my mouth.
