"......"

The moment I caught the thick, sweet scent of milk drifting through the crack in the door, I instinctively knew. Whatever was happening inside, if I entered now, it wouldn’t lead to a favorable situation for anyone involved.@@novelbin@@

But at the same time, I hesitated. This was Erestica, after all, and she had been unable to resolve the situation on her own for over a week. At the very least, I had to ask if she needed help.

If what I was guessing was correct, then all the more reason to intervene. And besides, if it came down to it, I didn’t necessarily have to be the one to help. There were plenty of other people I could call for assistance.

'Erestica won’t be thrilled about more witnesses, though...'

Still, leaving her alone to deal with it seemed like a worse option. I steadied myself and knocked on the door.

"Erestica, are you in there?"

The faint voice I had been hearing from inside immediately ceased. As if evaluating the situation, a long silence followed.

"...Is that you, Aii?"

Her voice finally broke the silence, filled with a mixture of emotions: surprise, embarrassment, and even a hint of sensuality.

"Yes, it’s me."

"H-how did you...?"

"It’s been over a week since anyone has seen you. You’ve turned down summons from His Majesty, and you missed the opening of the new lecture series. I was worried, so I came to check on you."

"A week?! Has it really been that long already...?"

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