"What a cold, hateful man, isn't he?"
Rolling her eyes, Koyanskaya looked in the direction Ruslan had left and pursed her lips.
"He's already gone. Aren't you leaving too?"
Ophelia picked up the vodka on the table, screwed the cap back on, and looked at Koyanskaya with the same icy expression.
Or did she think that would be enough to send away this seemingly idle fox woman?
"Now that the nuisance has finally left, don't you want to keep chatting with me?"
"Even if this Lostbelt was modeled after your hometown, it isn't actually your hometown in the end, is it?"
"Or perhaps you can find traces of your former self here?"
Koyanskaya no longer seemed to be in the mood to keep playing around. She merely smiled as she approached Ophelia.
".What exactly are you trying to say?"
Ophelia instinctively took a step back, watching Koyanskaya warily.
She realized that perhaps because Ruslan had just been here, this woman had little patience left.
"I'm just worried about you, woman to woman."
Koyanskaya smiled and took half a step back as well, putting away her aggressive attitude.
"I don't think I need you worrying about me. We Crypters and you Apostles are responsible for entirely different things to begin with."
"Really? Is that truly so?"
"Ophelia, I know you, you know."
Taking another sip of vodka, Koyanskaya's smile remained.
"You're honest, serious, and kind. As a magus, your abilities are exceptionally outstanding, but I can't help feeling there's a sort of absent-minded weariness about you. Hmm? Is that just my imagination?"
"That feeling makes my maternal instincts stir."
Koyanskaya moved close to Ophelia again, though this time she was not as... serious as before?
Still, it frightened Ophelia into retreating two or three steps.
"You!"
Even her pupils constricted slightly.