Albedo's eyes locked with Morgana's as he heard her question, noticing the slight changes in her demeanor from when he previously had met her. She didn't have any cocky smirks or that deadpan cold expression that she usually greeted everyone with.

No, instead Morgana looked nervous, her fingers fidgeting with the cuff of her sleeve, and her crimson-tinted lips parted, and then closed again, as if she was struggling to find the right words.

Diona tilted her head curiously while Gwen blinked and glanced at Albedo, her gaze constantly switching between Albedo and Morgana, wondering what as going on between them.

"…Can we talk?" Morgana asked again, her voice quieter this time, almost fragile due to her obvious nervousness.

Albedo quickly gave a small nod, "Sure," he responded also.

He then quickly turned to Gwen and Diona and said, "Give me a moment."

Gwen narrowed her eyes playfully. "Should I be worried?"

"Only if she sprouts shadow tentacles," Albedo replied dryly.

Morgana huffed, cheeks turning the faintest pink as she looked away. Gwen giggled and skipped off with Diona, giving Morgana a mock suspicious glance before disappearing deeper into the glowing flora.

Now alone, Albedo stepped forward until he stood a few feet in front of Morgana.

He crossed his arms casually, "Didn't think you'd be out here… much less waiting under moon-lilies for me."

"I wasn't waiting," Morgana said quickly—too quickly. Then she winced and looked away, clearly annoyed at herself.

"…Maybe I was," she muttered.

Albedo arched a brow, amused, "Well?"

Morgana inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, "Okay. Look. I heard you were out shopping and I came here because I… needed to say something."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her eyes not quite meeting his, most likely due to embarrassment.

"Back during the Mid Term exam," she said, voice barely above a whisper, "You… saved me."

Albedo remained quiet.

"Twice," she continued, "Once when that Abyssal monster nearly crushed me, and again when you dove into the lake without hesitating. I… I was stunned. No one else did anything. They were all shocked by the Hydra, but it seemed like you had no hesitation when you dove after me,"

Albedo's expression didn't change, but his gaze on her grew a bit warmer as he listened to her speak.

Morgana bit her lower lip, "You didn't have to. You didn't owe me anything. I'm not exactly nice. Or approachable. Or… you know. Liked." She gave a small, bitter laugh, "But you still helped me."

She paused for a moment, most likely just to gather what she wanted to say next. Then she finally spoke once more,

"Thank you," she said, soft and genuine.

It echoed louder than any shout, as it came from the heart. Albedo's brows had furrowed slightly, not from confusion, but from surprise.

Morgana was always an extremely cold character throughout the Novel. Her background was barely explained aside from her being the Blackstone Heiress.

She had simply attended the Academy, graduated and moved on with her life.

While she had some moments with Lucian & his gang and even helped them in the later battles against Loba and the other Monarchs, she could never be considered a 'friend' to Lucian.

She was always an associate, her frosty personality never changing, so what just happened was a decent surprise.

"I just…" Morgana continued as Albedo was thinking, looking down again, "I wanted you to know I appreciated it. Even if I was too prideful to say it before."

She hesitated for another moment, her fingers pinching the edges of her clothes as she thought for a couple seconds before saying something even more unexpected, "If you ever need something, anything, from me… I'll try to get it. No matter what."

Albedo blinked, just once as he heard what she said.

Morgana quickly clarified, cheeks red as she hurried to explained, "I-I'm not saying that because I owe you. It's not about debt. It's because…" She paused, struggling.

"…Because you're my first friend," she finished softly.

That made Albedo go still for a moment as he contextualized the word Morgana used.

Friend.

The word felt… oddly heavy. Since they hadn't interacted much, Albedo had never considered Morgana much of a friend, yet it seemed him being generally friendly and saving her was interpreted differently.

That did make him wonder what her home life was like to act like this however.

Albedo wasn't the type to be sentimental. But as he looked at the normally brash, haughty, and aloof Morgana, now reduced to a nervous mess beneath a moonlit arch, it struck something within him.

She wasn't putting on a show, she was being genuinely earnest with him, and he definitely couldn't turn her down.

Beside it making him feel bad, he was also just interested in her. Morgana was one of the most mysterious characters in the Novel alongside Luna and Raphaeline, so he naturally was curious about her.

He gave a quiet exhale, then stepped closer, "Morgana."

Her head jerked up as she heard him call her name and she listened attentively, "You're welcome," Albedo said plainly, "And… I don't regret saving you. Not even once."

Her eyes widened slightly as she heard him continue.

"And if you consider me your friend," he added, "Then you're already one of mine."

Morgana's cheeks turned a vivid red, "Y-You!"

Albedo smirked faintly seeing her cute reaction, "Relax. I don't bite."

Morgana opened her mouth to reply, but then froze as Gwen came skipping back into view, halting just in front of them as her twin ponytails swayed with each step.

Diona was trailing behind her with their floating bags in tow.

Albedo turned toward them and gestured calmly with his hand.

"This is Morgana," he said evenly. "A classmate from the Academy… and a friend."

Morgana blinked once, her expression unreadable for a heartbeat as she heard him call her a friend in front of his sister.

But then she quickly dipped her head in a polite nod, managing to compose herself, at least on the surface. Her cheeks still had the slightest flush to them.

Gwen's eyes lit up like twin emerald stars, "Whoa!"

She stepped forward, hands on her hips as she stared up at Morgana in awe, "You're super pretty."

Morgana was visibly startled as she heard what Gwen said, "W-What?"

"I mean seriously," Gwen said matter-of-factly, twirling a finger toward Morgana's onyx outfit, "You look like a cool assassin-princess from a movie or something."

Diona stifled a giggle, and even Albedo's smirk widened just a little.

Morgana, meanwhile, stood frozen like someone had just short-circuited her dark persona.

"I, uh—thank you?" she managed, the tips of her ears going a bit red now at being complimented from Albedo's sister.

"We should go shopping sometime!" Gwen declared, already pulling out a tiny notepad from her storage ring, "You have to help me pick an outfit next time. I bet your fashion sense is killer."

Morgana's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again.

"I, I guess I could… if I'm free…" she murmured, the sentence coming out almost against her will due to her shock.

"Yay!" Gwen smiled brightly, "We'll make a girls' day out of it. You too, Diona."

Diona nodded shyly, smiling at Morgana, "I'd like that."

For a second, Morgana just stood there.

And then, just barely, an awkward but sincere smile tugged at her lips.

"…Sure."

Albedo raised a brow, amused, "I'll make sure your schedule's clear."

Morgana gave him a sideways glare, but it was too weak to be threatening. She looked more embarrassed than anything else.

Then she exhaled softly, composing herself.

"I should go," she said quietly, brushing back a strand of hair, "Didn't mean to crash your day. I just… needed to say what I did."

Albedo gave a short nod.,"I'm glad you did."

She met his gaze for a moment, and then,

"Good luck," she said softly. "With… whatever you're planning this break."

He tilted his head.,"You make it sound like I'm up to something."

She smirked, a ghost of unexpected mischievousness peeking through with that smile, "Aren't you always?"

That made him chuckle.

"Have fun," she added, this time looking at Gwen and Diona, "And… thanks. For being nice."

Gwen gave a two-fingered salute, "You bet, Lady Shadow."

Diona gave a small wave, "See you soon."

Morgana turned, her long black hair fluttering behind her as she began walking away, vanishing slowly into the glowing garden path until the moon-lilies consumed her silhouette.

Albedo watched her go, feeling strange. The cold, ruthless Blackstone heiress he remembered from the original Novel… was nowhere to be found today.

Instead, he'd met someone real. Someone with cracks in their armor and a nervous, genuine core hidden beneath shadows and pride.

And somehow, she'd called him her first friend.

Gwen tugged on his coat sleeve, "Sooooo… was that your girlfriend?"

Albedo gave her a flat look, "She's not."

"Yet," Gwen teased with a wink.

Diona giggled softly beside them.

Albedo sighed. He looked up at the glowing lanterns above, casting trails of light like stars across the sky, and he only had 1 thought.

'Am I building a Harem?'