I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

“This…guest.”

Just before he was about to ask Miyu's name, he suddenly realized he couldn't remember her name, so he changed his mind and asked, "Do you have any special needs?"

Throughout the entire time, Miyu kept her head down, staring at her toes and her own reflection on the clean floor.

Startled by Shi's voice, she nearly exploded with anger. But when she saw Shi approaching in the reflection on the floor, she immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"No, there's nothing special I need..."

She seemed to think for a moment before adding, "No coffee..."

"Any other drinks besides coffee? Got it."

Without lingering any longer, he decisively pushed open the door and left Xia Lai's office.

After leaving, Amamiya temporarily stopped reviewing the documents and glanced at today's duty roster.

【Duty Student: Seien Mika】and the pink nebula logo symbolizing the halo above Mika's head are particularly eye-catching.

Before swiveling the ergonomic chair, he pinched the space between his eyebrows.

'Recently, Xia Lai... has indeed become a shelter for the "homeless."'

Amamiya's swivel ergonomic chair faces a young girl in a gorgeous white Trinity-style dress, white pantyhose, and black high heels. The lining of the skirt seems to be flowing with the stars of the night, giving her a perfect aura like a princess.

Although she was dressed as a princess, she was not as glamorous as when we first met, and sat awkwardly in an ordinary chair.

With her legs together and her hands resting on her skirt, even her sitting posture wasn't as relaxed and natural as before.

"No flowers..."

"Fairy Tale Princess and Prince" (Mihana's Bond Skill) + "Aristocratic Aura" (Nomiya's Bond Skill) are activated simultaneously.

After adjusting her aura and taking a moment to prepare herself, Amamiya gently pressed her palm down, making a 'relax' gesture to Mika: "In Xia Lai, there's no need to be so reserved."

"Haha~..."

The pink-haired girl flapped her wings slightly and let out a forced and awkward laugh characteristic of Trinity, before quickly becoming dejected.

“Um, Sensei…”

"I apologize for the trouble caused regarding the 'Eden Treaty'..."

The reason why Mika doesn't act as glamorous as a 'princess' but rather like a 'restrained sinner' is because she only recently completed the post-Eden Treaty settlement.

Although overall it did not have a significant impact on the signing of the Eden Treaty...

However, during this period, Mihua made "contact with the Arius region" and was "controlled and exploited by Beatrice"... all of which were quite detrimental to Trinity.

So... she temporarily 'disappeared' for a period of time after the Eden Treaty.

"It wasn't troublesome. Rather, I saw another side of Wei Hua."

"The other side..."

Wei Hua tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes momentarily blank.

In her eyes, a fleeting image of the scene that had left an indelible mark on her mind flashed briefly—

The sky was shrouded in black and red, and a biting cold wind howled in.

Beatrice's palms were facing down, with her five fingertips connected by blood-red and glazed silk threads.

These threads then spread to his limbs and head, controlling him.

And he... could only roar uncontrollably, launching attacks on Sensei, who intended to deal with the real mastermind, and the students of Trinity...

She also remembered... afterwards, the white giant that Sensei summoned, who dispelled the fog with tens of thousands of mantras and cleared the sky.

It was that attack that dispelled the fog of lies and the thorns of despair, bringing her the truth and freeing her from Beatrice's control.

Wei Hua lowered her head and fiddled with the hair on the side of her forehead.

"Back then... I have to thank Sensei."

After expressing her gratitude earnestly and shyly, Mika sighed softly in a tone of 'finding joy in hardship,' saying, 'It feels like I've seen another side of Sensei that Nagisa and the others never had the chance to see.'

For a considerable period during the "post-event reckoning," she was confined to the attic, meticulously reviewing what she had seen, heard, and felt on the day the final Eden Treaty was signed—

A "Garden of Eden" of lies and despair has appeared in the real world, where 'false gods' ruthlessly plunder all life they see.

Under the shadow of Fimbulb Winter, the 'rebels' resolutely raised their flaming swords, the very swords that had created twilight, against the gods.

At that time, because of the fusion of the other world and reality, she briefly gained empathy from her 'other self in the other world'.

The counterpart in that other world is a controlled, foolish, poisonous dragon...

With nothing else to do, Wei Hua searched through many ancient books and finally learned that the 'otherworldly being' who corresponds to the real world is Nidhogg, the culprit recorded in the ancient books who triggered Ragnarok.

Although Nidhogg is not the true culprit of the calamities, its story is the most widely circulated, which has led to its being perceived as such.

'So... the one who wanted to break the Eden Treaty wasn't an "angel," but a poisonous dragon despised by everyone.'

For a long time after that, Mika was plagued by guilt about being a bad child.

Add to that the subsequent 'liquidation' of the Eden Treaty... During this period, Wei Hua can be said to have suffered a double blow, both mentally and in terms of his livelihood.

While it wasn't quite to the point of being 'perpetually imprisoned in the attic' and losing all freedom, it wasn't a good situation overall.

“Um, Sensei…”

Having considered this, Wei Hua temporarily put aside her thoughts and forced a smile through her bracing strength: "What do the students on duty do? Is it enough to just stay here?"

"Or……"

Recalling her performance not long ago, she asked cautiously, "...Should I...serve Sensei like that student who called herself 'Sensei's personal maid'?"

Amamiya smirked: "The word 'serve' sounds really weird..."

"Wei Hua just needs to be herself."

Amamiya's 'direct attack' left Mika stunned for quite a while.

"...?"

Amamiya coughed lightly, then said seriously, "From my current perspective..."

"Wei Hua is like 'Snow White falling into a deep sleep,' 'Cinderella losing her midnight magic,' or 'the ugly duckling before she transforms into a swan.'"

Weihua blinked rapidly, looking slightly confused: "Huh?"

Immediately afterward, she quickly pulled up her side hair to cover the blush that was rising rapidly on her cheeks: "Sen, Sensei?"

【~???~】(Unspecified)

"Wei Hua isn't as delicate and fragile as 'The Princess and the Pea.' From the very beginning, I saw in Wei Hua a strong sense of execution and unwavering willpower."

"But... this willpower was used in the wrong direction at the very beginning."

"If Mika wants to start over... then she should still be 'Princess' in my eyes."

'restart……'

The pink-haired girl cupped her cheeks in her hands, already feeling slightly euphoric.

'Sensei means...through one's own efforts...to shed the identity of a "sinner" and become someone others can see again...'

'Thinking about it carefully... it seems that the "princess" in storybooks, before officially receiving the title of princess and being with the prince... all have to go through all sorts of wonderful setbacks...'

'And Sensei has now made this request, which is to say...'

Thinking of this, Wei Hua felt her throat go dry and her heart race.

"But...starting over requires a long and arduous effort..."

“It’s never too late to start,” Amamiya said, extending her hand to Mika. “Mika isn’t a ‘dragon,’ but a true ‘angel.’”

"I want to prove to everyone... it's never too late to start."

"If Weihua has such plans... I can accompany you."

【~???~】(Unspecified)

[I sensed the gradual change in Weihua's willpower...]

[Title changed!]

【The Forked Princess of the Tea Party】→【The 'Cinderella' of the Tea Party】

The bond between me and Mika has deepened...

【Seizono Mika (Romance) ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"Really?!"

Mika flapped her wings vigorously, and with excitement and gratitude, she grabbed Amamiya's outstretched hand.

"Then... I'll leave it to Sensei!"

"I still have many shortcomings... but I will try my best to be a good child☆~"

Amamiya, her brows furrowed slightly as the bones in her hand cracked from Mika's terrifying grip, breathed a sigh of relief.

It's a good thing for both Wei Hua and Trinity that Wei Hua shouldn't continue to be 'disappointed'.

The sound of footsteps approached quickly from the corridor outside the office.

Hearing footsteps, Mika quickly released Amamiya and obediently sat back down in her original seat.

Time passed and then returned, and a small tea table loaded with various tea utensils was pushed all the way into the office.

After setting the tea table firmly, she immediately froze, wondering how the coffee pot, which seemed to have been brewed in a rather haphazard way to Amamiya, had been used to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Sensei, please use it."

Amamiya picked up her coffee and took a small sip, her expression calm, earnest, yet filled with anticipation.

—Well, it was probably the most 'hasty' coffee he had ever drunk.

Could it be instant coffee that was just brewed?

Setting down his coffee cup, Amamiya offered a forced, insincere compliment: "...Very good."

【~???~】(time)

He had a 'I knew it' expression on his face.

"Sensei, is there any 'special arrangement' for this afternoon?"

When asked the question, Amamiya did not answer immediately, but instead briefly looked at today's "list of students on duty".

When she noticed Amamiya's actions, she became slightly disappointed, but didn't say anything.

"That's it... I understand."

She bowed and nodded, mimicking the restraint of a maid.

"While Sensei is away, I will keep an eye on Xia Lai."

Chapter Thirty: Ellie: We're going to be in a band for life!

The afternoon at Holy Trinity is the perfect time for a leisurely afternoon tea.

As the spring breeze stirs up fallen green leaves, walking among the modern Gothic-style buildings with their pointed roofs, one naturally feels "shrouded in mystery."

With her hands behind her back, the lively pink-haired girl, reminiscent of an anime girl, walked beside Amamiya, stopping every now and then to carefully observe her surroundings with a look of 're-understanding'.

"Observing these shops up close, feeling like I'm no longer being noticed...it's a completely different experience."

Maintaining a 'curious child's sense of wonder, Mika, wearing black high heels tied with bows, moved with excellent balance to Amamiya's side, then moved to the other side of Amamiya, repeating this process.

"Sensei~ Do you prefer soufflé or parfait?"

Mika's question, uttered without a second thought, made Amamiya sigh silently.

Is it possible that... I don't really want to eat either of these?

Although Wei Hua has escaped that 'princess' life, her behavior patterns and speaking style are difficult to change overnight...