The girl's thoughts raced, and the moment she turned around, they came to an end. Yet a small part of the future she had worried about had become reality. Because just as she took her second step, she heard her friend's slightly hesitant voice.
"Surtr, how do you... see Kal'tsit?"
The girl stopped.
She deliberated, she thought, and then she began to speak.
"Kal'tsit... is a very talented person." Miss Surtr lowered her voice slightly. "I admire her very much, and I like her, too. She has shouldered too many things by herself—too many responsibilities, too many secrets unknown to others. I want to help share the burden she carries, and I want to show her some care when she's tired."
—That was the truth, even though I usually call her Foul-mouthed Lynx at every opportunity. But I know what she carries in the game. And I also know that what she bears in reality can only be even more. Her character, principles, and temperament are beyond reproach. My impatience with her is merely one of my selfish desires—and a completely unreasonable one at that.
"So you don't hate her?" Warfarin continued.
"Mm, I don't hate her. Or rather, I might even admire her a little. Hmm... that doesn't sound quite right either. Appreciation, perhaps. I appreciate her seriousness, her focus, her resolve... Never mind. If I listed everything, we'd probably be here forever. I appreciate all of her. From her will to her body, I find every part of her beautiful."
"Wow... You make it sound like you really like her. Don't you think that's rather ambiguous?"
"Something like liking her... I can't exactly deny it." Miss Surtr sighed softly. Could affection for a paper-doll wife really be called liking? Of course it could. More than that, it could