Motherly love

Why Mom? The answer was all too simple.

As the protagonist of the entire story, Klein naturally held a different place from everyone else. Neph had paid him a great deal of attention.

She knew Klein's life story, and she knew that it ended with him falling into slumber. That was why she felt tenderness toward him.

Tenderness-not sympathy.

When Klein was merely a character in a story, this feeling, with its inherent sense of looking down from above, hardly mattered. But when the story became reality and everything played out before her eyes, when she actually came into contact with its characters and other feelings began to develop, it all started to feel strange.

Neph thought that what she felt toward Klein now might really be a little like motherly love.

But you can't say that out loud!

Neph gave an awkward but polite smile. Her mind raced as she forcibly changed the subject.

"Are you getting ready to leave Backlund?"

Klein glanced at her and obligingly nodded. Neph continued, "If you leave a little later, you'll probably get to see your brother and sister."

Klein paused briefly and instinctively asked, "They're coming to Backlund?"

Neph nodded. Klein hesitated for a moment before asking, "When? Where?"

"If I remember correctly, the afternoon of January third," Neph replied. "By steam train."

Klein looked at her silently for several seconds, then nodded and said,

"I understand.

"Thank you."

Neph sighed and said nothing.

What good would it do? Klein wouldn't go up and greet them. He would only look at them from a distance.

Silence fell between them above Sefirah Castle. After a brief lull, Klein was considering whether to say goodbye when Neph spoke first.

"While you're still in Backlund these next few days, could you listen for some gossip