At that moment, the chestnut-haired girl named Aoko heard the sudden commotion at the door. She scrambled to her feet, hurriedly hiding her hands behind her back. Her eyes darted about as she stood uneasily before the flowerbed, shaking her head with a stammer.
"N-No, nothing..."
"Nothing?"
Apparently sensitive to the cold, the black-haired girl had wrapped herself up tightly even indoors. Her gaze swept around the area before settling behind Aoko, and a crease gradually formed between her brows.
A moment later, the black-haired girl flicked down her right hand. Two ghostly blue robins chirped as they spread their wings and glided out from behind her, curving elegantly around Aoko and slicing through the vibrant camellia bushes behind the girl.
Swoosh!
In an instant, sharp force swept up an icy gale through the courtyard, scattering red-and-white camellia petals everywhere.
Amid the rather picturesque rain of petals, the air around the flowerbed twisted. A figure crouching behind the blossoms was directly exposed before the two girls.
"What is this?"
The black-haired girl's dark pupils turned toward Aoko, her gaze indifferent.
"Th-This..."
Caught red-handed, Aoko was at a loss for words. Her pretty face flushed crimson as she stood there helplessly.
"Ahem, well, I was just passing by... Hiss!"
Samael, who had been left standing there, cautiously raised his right hand. Just as he was about to explain his innocence, his voice abruptly cut off. He sucked in a cold breath, his expression gradually twisting as he lowered his head to stare resentfully at the foot that had been viciously stomped on, baring his teeth in pain.
"Aoko, the first lesson I taught you was the importance of concealing Mystery. At a time like this, you should know what you need to do..."
The black-haired girl at the doorway calmly watched