Klein looked at Alice, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"Will you still grow up?"
"Uh..." Alice paused, remembering that terrifying possibility of never growing taller. "Have I told you that I can now return my body to the state it was in some time ago..."
In other words, growing up had lost its meaning in a sense... Before Klein could properly analyze it, he heard Alice add:
"But in a sense, I still can. I can be born again and grow up again. If you're willing, maybe one day in the future, I can call you Father... or Mother?"
Bilt began wondering whether he should cover his ears.
Alice blinked, then suddenly turned her head and said, "I can also send you back a few minutes, so you won't remember what I just said."
What Bilt was hesitating over became whether he should run away immediately.
Klein controlled the muscles around his eyes and mouth, preventing himself from making an overly strange expression. Then he asked Alice curiously:
"Looks like I don't need to worry about you getting drunk?"
Alice looked at him and blinked twice, suddenly recalling The Hanged Man Alger's expression from a few months ago when she had asked whether she got seasick.
These two things somehow seemed to share an indescribable similarity... Alice frowned slightly, gave up analyzing it, and turned to ask Bilt:
"Can we only take a look at that whoever-it-is at the dinner party?"
Klein looked over as well.
"Of course not." Bilt smiled. "After the dinner party, Your Excellency, Admiral may wish to meet the two of you."
Alice stared at him and frowned slightly. Somewhat uncertainly, she asked, "Didn't you report my situation..."
Bilt fell into deep thought.
More than ten seconds later, Alice glanced at him in amazement,