—
A sudden jolt from the carriage caused Leah’s head to bump against the luggage beside her.
She woke up from her nap.
“Miss? We’ve arrived.”
The coachman’s voice brought her back to reality, and Leah blinked in confusion.
Perhaps it wasn’t a dream—it felt more like a distant mory.
Over the past three years, she had shared countless monts and mories with Will. He had benefited from her guidance at school, and she had received his help with her projects.
In the blink of an eye…
Three years had passed.
“Thank you. Here’s the fare. The ride was smooth, and I slept well. I’ll definitely recomnd your services.”
Leah adjusted her hat as she stepped off the carriage.
However, the coachman didn’t leave imdiately after taking the money. Instead, he lingered, watching Leah as if he wanted to say sothing but hesitated.
“What is it? Is there sothing on my clothes?”
“No, it’s just… you’re an odd one, miss. You look like a child, but you act surprisingly mature. I’ve been a coachman for many years, and this is the first ti a passenger has complinted .”
The coachman rubbed his calloused hands before pocketing the gold coin.
“And with that hat… you must be one of those witches, right?”
“Yes… I am a witch.”
Leah pulled her hat down slightly.
It was the first ti soone had called her “mature.” In her younger years—well, back when she was around forty or fifty—people often mistook her and her mother for sisters, with Leah being the “immature” twelve-year-old.
“Hahaha, it’s my first ti eting a witch. You seem to be in a hurry, so I won’t keep you. There’s an inn just ahead—I take it you’re planning a long trip?”
“Yes. I’m… looking for soone.”
“Not many straightforward and mature kids like you around—though, judging by your age, calling you a kid might be off.”
The coachman, unexpectedly chatty, spoke a few more sentences before cracking his whip and turning the carriage around.
“I was going to tell you to be careful, but it seems unnecessary. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Leah waved as she bid the coachman farewell.
It seed that over these three years, she really had…
“Grown up” quite a bit.
And it was all thanks to that student of hers who had the audacity to disappear without a word!
Walking through the small town’s streets, Leah suddenly felt raindrops falling on her hat.
She hadn’t brought an umbrella, but her large witch’s hat provided so cover from the rain.
As she walked through the drizzle, a sense of lancholy crept over her.
Back when they had ford the adventurer team, Leah had been filled with hope—hope that she and Will would one day find her mother together.
She had dread of standing before her mother, proudly introducing Will and telling her… that over the years, not only had she learned to get along with humans, but she had also taught such an excellent student.
—
Leah found a reasonably priced inn to stay at.
The edges of her hat had let water drip onto her shoulders, leaving them damp.
Standing in front of the room’s mirror, she removed her coat and looked at her reflection.
“Hmm…”
She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heartbeat.
As expected…
She thought she understood why she had dread about Will on the carriage.
For so reason…
When she first discovered Will was missing that morning, she had been extrely anxious, her heart racing as she imagined rushing out to find him. She had even pictured… unsettling scenarios of him gazing into another woman’s eyes.
But now…
All she felt was a strange sense of helplessness.
Her hand on her chest, she noticed her heartbeat was slower than usual.
Her magical circuits felt unusually quiet—not “calm,” but more like a lethargy that made her unwilling to engage.
It was…
A dreadful sense of apathy.
And it was a feeling she desperately wanted to shake off.
Could it be because she hadn’t used the crimson mint essential oil?
Will had once ntioned that stimulants like the crimson mint essential oil could cause “withdrawal symptoms” when stopped—physical discomfort, as he described it.
But in the past few days, except when entering dungeons, she hadn’t used the oil. On rest days, she had felt perfectly fine.
Even Will had said that if she experienced no side effects, it was proof that the oil likely had no adverse effects on witches, so there was no need to overthink it.
She had used it for years and had stopped using it before without issue. Why would today be any different?
“This is strange…”
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, her gaze falling on the box placed on the floor.
“Should I… try using a dose?”
Her hand moved hesitantly toward the box, but she pulled it back just before touching it.
No, no, what was she thinking?
The crimson mint essential oil was a precious resource. There was no need to use it in a mont of calm like this, especially when she was about to sleep. Why had the thought even crossed her mind?
She removed her hat and placed it on the table, quickly turning off the light.
She must be tired—yes, that had to be it.
She climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.
If she went to sleep early and woke up early to continue her journey, she wouldn’t… wouldn’t have these thoughts again.
But…
As she lay there with her eyes closed, Leah found herself revisiting the mory from the carriage.
What had Will intended when he asked that question?
At the ti, she hadn’t reached a conclusion.
And now…
She still couldn’t find the answer.
Could it be…
That it had sothing to do with the “protagonist” he had written about over and over in his notebook?
—
Will had a fantastic sleep!
“Haaah~! That felt amazing!”
When he woke up, he felt completely refreshed, as if he had just risen from a bed of clouds.
It was a lightness that spread from head to toe.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept enough the previous night, or maybe… it was because he rarely went to bed so early.
He sat up and…
From the open window, he saw a breathtaking view of the sea and sky.
The morning sunlight sparkled on the ocean’s surface, the beach glistened, and the sky was cloudless, reflecting perfectly in the water below.
And…
Shuna was already standing by the window.
She leaned against the windowsill, her freshly washed hair from the previous night flowing smoothly in the sea breeze.
Her black eyes gazed into the distance, reflecting a hint of the ocean’s blue.
“Good morning.”
She turned her head, noticing that Will had woken up, and greeted him with a smile.
However…
Compared to her usual energetic deanor, she seed a bit groggy, as if she had just woken up and was trying to clear her head by taking in the scenery.
“Good morning.”
Will reached for his shirt nearby—he hadn’t even realized he was shirtless when he sat up!
It seed…
Being around Shuna made him feel more at ease?
“You know, even though I’ve seen the ocean before, seeing it again feels… different.”
“Hmm? How so?”
“It’s just…”
Shuna’s gaze shifted from the sea and sky to Will.
It was as if her eyes carried the colors of the ocean and sky, transitioning seamlessly to him.
“Don’t you think… your eyes look a lot like their color?”
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