Disagreement

Even if the captain says that we should cherish the remaining half of happiness, I still can't believe that such a thing is still my happiness.

Surprisingly, Ink Lotus directly expressed his opposition to the Larkspur's viewpoint.

"Happiness isn't like bread and cake, where even if half is taken away, it retains its original flavor. Happiness is like the structure of a magic Spell Formula, like a magical artifact. If half is taken away, then... then what's left is just a pile of parts."

Ink Lotus slowly pierced the cream on the cake with her fork, her eyes narrowed, her gaze seemingly passing through the Larkspur and looking at something else entirely.

"That kind of thing is no longer happiness; it's just that our memories give it meaning, making us feel that it's still 'part of happiness.' In reality, it's just a component now."

"Captain, you're too easygoing. At times like this, we should be trying to find a way to reclaim the happiness that has vanished, or perhaps create one. Otherwise, we'll just be trapped in the past."

This was the first time since their reunion that Ink Lotus had expressed such a long opinion in front of Larkspur. Although her words were still slightly hesitant, the meaning was surprisingly fluent.

Thus, the Larkspur was finally able to glimpse a corner of its thoughts.

"Who told you these words?" she asked after some thought.

Ink Lotus paused for a moment.

"... No, that's not it."

Then she explained, "It's something I came up with myself while discussing it with others."

That's really surprising, because it doesn't sound like something you would say in the past.

Larkspur sat upright, her hands clasped beside the teacup she had set down. "No, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. After all, so much time has passed; it's perfectly normal for your thoughts to have changed."

Ink Lotus did not respond, which was tantamount to acknowledging Larkspur's words.

"I don't think you're wrong."

So Larkspur continued, "Nothing in this world is ever the same. Even with 'happiness,' we might all use the same word to refer to it, but we might not be talking about the same thing."

"Just like this pot of chocolate, we also call it 'chocolate,' but in reality, the different contents of cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and even water can give it completely different tastes, colors, and even shapes."

Larkspur gestured to the chocolate fondue in front of her. "Clumpy dark chocolate and a cup of melted hot cocoa with milk, they are both chocolate, but they are so different."

"... I don't understand." Even Ink Lotus herself didn't know how many times she had said this.

"It's a very simple thing, Ink Lotus. My idea of happiness is correct, and your idea is also correct. The opposite of the truth is not necessarily wrong; it may just be another truth. Perhaps it's just that the 'happiness' you and I want are different, which is why our views differ."

Larkspur slowly closed her eyes. "I didn't lie about this, Ink Lotus. If you feel that my answer was insincere, perhaps... it's just that we're different."

Ink Lotus was somewhat stunned.

We are different.

This saying is actually commonplace, and even Ink Lotus herself knows it: everyone in this world is different. However, at this moment, she still felt her breathing become much more rapid.

"We are all people who seek happiness, but all I want is something very simple, something I can easily be content with. It doesn't have a complicated structure, so even if it's divided or taken away, I can, or rather, I must, hold onto what's left, because it truly is my happiness."

Larkspur had actually noticed Ink Lotus's emotions and state, but now she felt she had Peering Stage something, and what she Peering Stage was urging her to be ruthless and to make her point clearly enough:

"The happiness you desire is probably more complex and delicate than mine, which is why you're troubled by this, right? But that kind of overly complex happiness... I'm sorry, I don't quite understand."

This statement brought the discussion to a close.

After that sentence, Ink Lotus stopped saying anything and just mechanically stuffed desserts into her mouth.

Fortunately, although she seemed a little down, she wasn't depressed; she seemed more lost in thought. So, Larkspur didn't interrupt her.

The desserts on the table were changed one after another. This was supposed to be afternoon tea... but it had turned into a dinner party that lasted for more than two hours.

"Excuse me, this is your last dish and drink: Fairy Fruit Wine Smoothie with Mango and Loquat Parfait. I hope you both enjoy it."

Busy waiters moved between tables, carefully placing two golden-yellow drinks in front of the couple at Larkspur's table, then bowed and took their leave, marking the end of this two-hour dessert marathon.

Only at times like this would Larkspur be grateful that she was a magical girl. Even after eating desserts for two whole hours, not only did she feel no discomfort, but her sense of taste remained at its peak. If Lin Yun had eaten such a high-sugar meal, aside from the blood sugar issues, her tongue would probably have been numbed by the sweetness.

Lost in thought, Larkspur reached out and pulled Parfait close, deciding to abandon her common sense of health as a human and succumb to the magical girl's taste buds, recklessly shoving a spoonful of a mixture of shaved ice and jelly into her mouth.

The waiter mentioned a product with the words "Fairy Fruit Wine" in its name, but Fairy Fruit Wine was originally famous in the Kingdom for being supplied to the Royal Court; it was a well-known low-alcohol beverage. Therefore, the slight bitterness of the alcohol was not a problem at all for Larkspur, who was experienced in drinking circles as Lin Yun. On the contrary, this slight bitterness, combined with the sweet and sour taste of loquat and mango, and the refreshing texture of the shaved ice, helped to wash away some of the cloying sweetness of the previous meal.

Silently evaluating the Parfait in her hand, Larkspur subconsciously looked at Ink Lotus, only to find that Ink Lotus's condition didn't seem quite right.

At this moment, Ink Lotus seemed completely unaware of the waiter's arrival and the fact that a Parfait had appeared in front of her. Instead, she kept putting the previous dish into her mouth, and when her lips were covered in jam, she subconsciously pulled at the napkin in front of her.

The scary thing is that one corner of the napkin was currently being pressed down by the Parfait.

So, by the time the Larkspur noticed, Ink Lotus had already pulled the napkin away, and the unfortunate Parfait spilled over, sending the half-loquat on top flying into the air.

"Careful."

Larkspur instinctively wanted to use her Magic Armament to stop it all, but then she remembered that this was Mana-Free District and she couldn't use her Magic Armament. So she could only stand up, almost lunging forward, pressing her upper body against the table, and then grabbing the Parfait's cup with her hands.

Unfortunately, because of that brief moment of thought, although she prevented the worst-case scenario from happening, she couldn't completely stop the spilled portion from being discharged.

Jelly splattered onto Ink Lotus's face, while the mixture of shaved ice and fruit wine splashed onto her shirt and hair, completely soaking the fur on her prosthetic leg.

Ink Lotus's upper body instantly became soaked.

Are you alright?

With some effort, she put the Parfait back in its place, Larkspur immediately asked, "Which parts are wet? I'll call the waiter right away."

Ink Lotus raised her head.

Jam was still on her lips, jelly was stuck to her face, and fruit wine was dripping from her hair, but she remained calm, as if she wasn't the one in such a disheveled state.

"Captain, I've thought about it carefully."

It had been a long time since she last spoke, so it seemed that the topic she wanted to talk about was still the same as before.

Even if we've encountered different things over the years; even if we want different things; even if we're fighting for different things...

She slightly widened her eyes, revealing her amber pupils, which now appeared almost like animal eyes due to their sharpness.

"But I couldn't just stand by and do nothing; I wanted to help you."