Lucy's father glanced over his shoulder, scanning the room; his stare momentarily hardened on Frieren before he departed.
When he returned to the shop, he held a latte and quietly handed it to Frieren.
"Thank you," Frieren said as she held the cup.
"Lucy, can you come?" he said.
Lucy's smile faltered just a little as she looked at her father's expression.
He didn't raise his voice, but something in his tone felt heavier than before.
Frieren paused, the cup hovering near her lips, her eyes lifting from the cup.
The air between them seemed to narrow, as if waiting for someone to acknowledge it.
Lucy stepped closer to her father, her hands twisting lightly behind her back.
Frieren lowered the cup, setting it gently on the counter without breaking eye contact.
"Do you have any idea how our camera was broken?" he said. For a moment, he shot a brief glance at Frieren.
"N… no? So it was that crack we heard?" Lucy said.
"Huh," Frieren said, the foam of the latte resting on her lips, as she watched the father and daughter talk.
Lucy's father leaned closer to her. "I know you're getting along with this girl, but…" He turned back to Frieren, her legs swinging gently, as if she were unaware.
"Could it be that someone sent this girl here?" he whispered.
Frieren tilted her head slightly, the faint glow of curiosity lingering in her eyes.
She blinked slowly, savoring the warmth of the latte, yet her attention remained on their conversation.
"There's something not right about this girl… something I can't explain…"
"What do you mean, Dad? Look, she's a girl… she's adorable…"
"She's Frieren!" Lucy said, pointing at her.
"But that doesn't prove she's innocent," her father said, pressing his hand firmly against the counter.
Lucy's hands clenched slightly at her sides, her wide eyes darting between her father and Frieren.
Frieren's gaze flickered briefly toward the door, assessing exits and entrances, but remained calm.
Lucy stepped toward Frieren, embracing her again.
"Frieren, you're a good person. Don't listen to my Dad," she whispered.
"Do you believe?" Frieren said, staring directly at Lucy, her expression unreadable.
"Why are you looking at me like that…? O-of course I do!" Lucy said.
"So you accept me as I am?" Frieren said.
Lucy's breath hitched, a shiver running up her spine as the warmth of Frieren's gaze pinned her in place
Frieren didn't blink, as if waiting for something deeper than a simple answer.
The faint hum of the shop's machinery filled the silence between them.
"I… I do," Lucy whispered, shifting her weight, suddenly aware of every inch between them.
Frieren's head tilted slightly, as though she were studying a puzzle she'd seen countless times yet still didn't fully understand.
"Then… look closely," Frieren whispered, her fingers trembling slightly as the hood slipped back.
Lucy's breath stilled, her eyes widening with slow-growing wonder.
Frieren's expression remained unchanged, almost serene, as if unveiling her hood meant nothing to her.
Lucy flinched, her fingers rising instinctively toward her chest.
A wail of a police siren sliced through the quiet, making the small shop tremble in its echo. Lucy froze, and Frieren's hand paused mid-motion."