When Klein finished reading "A Letter to Parents" and came to have a heart-to-heart with Alice, she was hugging a book called Roselle Gustav: Life and Lies, hesitating over where to take the first bite.
"I didn't cause any trouble!" Above the Gray Fog, after learning why Klein had come, Alice slapped the table and stressed.
"I know." Klein reached up and pinched his brow.
Edwina had told him exactly how Alice had behaved that day. Honestly, in terms of how awful she had been, it was still not as bad as what he had experienced while acting as Admiral Emlyn.
She had clearly restrained herself quite a bit.
It was just uncertain whether that restraint was temporary or something she could maintain...
With that thought, Klein glanced at Alice and encouraged her, "You did very well. Keep it up!"
He did not even expect Alice to improve.
Though she did not catch the implication in Klein's words, Alice still instinctively frowned. "Why do I always feel like you're coaxing a child..."
"...Aren't you?" Klein asked, rather puzzled.
Alice fell into deep thought.
If it had been Edwina speaking, she definitely would have emphasized that she had lived for several thousand years. But Klein... if Klein had existed from before the First Epoch until today, then he really should be much older than her...
After staring at Klein and seriously considering it for over ten seconds, she suddenly realized something.
"You old fossil."
"?" Klein stared at her.
Alice blinked innocently twice, then fled at once—although entering the Castle of Origin required permission, running away did not.
Back in the Real World, the first thing Alice saw was that copy of Roselle Gustav: Life and Lies.
She immediately remembered what she had planned earlier. Picking up the book, she pondered