"Hmm?"
"Where's Gwen?"
When Yolandale came down to the living room, she noticed that someone seemed to be missing and couldn't help asking.
"The captain said he was preparing a gift for Kiana..."
Anna, dressed in an ice-blue gown with an exquisite ice-flower hairpin tucked into her chestnut hair, spoke as she glanced at the ladies' watch on her slender wrist.
"By the time, he should be back soon."
Before Anna had even finished speaking, a ripple in space caught Kiana's attention, followed by Gwen's voice appearing in the living room—
"Looks like I got back just in time?"
Gwen, having returned from who knew where, appeared in the living room with the familiar smile everyone knew.
"If you'd been any later, you should've started thinking about how to apologize to Kiana..."
Choukai, wearing a long dress patterned with red flowers, raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile. Though she was speaking to Gwen, her gaze was directed at Kiana.
"Choukai, you're awful. I wasn't..."
Kiana puffed out her pink lips, her little face swelling like a pufferfish. But under Choukai's teasing gaze, she quickly surrendered, flicked her ponytail behind her, and hurried toward Gwen.
"Let me see what gift you prepared, Gwen..."
Though she had traded her braided hair for a high ponytail, the sway of her silver-white locks still carried the innocent sweetness of the girl she had once been. She placed both hands on Gwen's shoulders, leaned her little head past him, and searched for this year's birthday present.
When she failed to find her target behind Gwen, Kiana turned her gaze to him instead. Her little hands began to wander toward his chest... seemingly intending to rummage through the pockets of his trench coat.
"Hmm?"
"Do you really want to see it right now?"
Gwen caught