A faint, sudden sense of loss rose in her heart.
"Honestly, it wasn't like this was the first time. And it wasn't as if we couldn't meet again. I'm being so sentimental!"
Muttering to herself, Rita stood up... brewed another cup of black tea, and also brought over some fruit and two... Baumkuchen.
Carrying those things, Rita came to Shiina Mashiro's side. Seeing the girl engrossed in painting, Rita did not disturb her. Instead, she carefully... gently placed the food beside her.
However, Shiina Mashiro seemed to have noticed after all.
"Rita."
Shiro stopped painting. Coming back to herself, she tilted her head and looked adorably at Rita.
At that moment, Shiina Mashiro seemed like an angel, illuminating the entire world.
"Mm."
Rita replied with a smile.
Dressed in a maid uniform, Rita stood beside her while maintaining proper maid etiquette.
(End of Volume)
Sirin, the Little Angel
Siberia was a vast region in northern Asia, stretching west from the Ural Mountains to Cape Dezhnev in the east, bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, and covering as much as 13.22 million square kilometers. However, most of Siberia was controlled by Russia.
"Siberia" meant "land of tranquility." The name originated from the Mongolian word "Sibor." In ancient times, Siberia had been a muddy region, and the Mongolian ancestors living there named the place after its terrain. When the Russians arrived, they transliterated the sound as "Siberia." The resources contained here were extremely abundant, and the West Siberian Plain could even be called Russia's granary.
Many ordinary villagers lived around Siberia's snowy plains. Though life was far from good, they could barely keep going, and it was considered peaceful enough.
Then, toward the end of the twentieth century, a Steel Tower suddenly rose from the snowfields. Its construction had