Ophelia lifted her skirt and jumped from the carriage like a butterfly, and the lace edges of her pure white winter dress fluttered as she jogged forward. Her amber eyes lit up the moment she noticed Chloe.
"Chloe!" Ophelia's voice was filled with undisguised joy. "It really is you!"
Loran stared at her in a daze until Chloe gave his lower back a sharp pinch. He hissed as he sucked in a breath of cold air and snapped back to reality.
"Forgive me."
Chloe's voice was a bit cold as she took a half-step back and bowed to the other girl alongside Elia.
Ophelia blinked and looked between Chloe and Loran a few times. She didn't seem to notice Chloe's awkwardness at all and pulled the silver-haired girl into a tight hug.
"It's been so long—" she said as she rubbed her chin against Chloe's shoulder. "You seem to have grown taller, and your hair is longer too. You've become even more beautiful..."
Chloe's body stiffened visibly, but she patted Ophelia's back and her gaze softened.
"...You haven't changed at all. You're still as silly as ever."
"Is that so?" Ophelia let go of her and spoke with a pout. "I spent a long time studying the travel routes just to see if I could run into you on the road." The girl turned her gaze toward the wreckage of the carriage. "But looking at this, it seems I arrived at just the right time?"
Elia and Loran subconsciously looked at each other before quickly averting their eyes.
Ophelia had already linked arms with Chloe and was leading her toward her own carriage. Loran tried to take the opportunity to slip away. He turned and took a few steps, but then he heard Chloe's voice behind him.
"You come along too."
"There is no need, Your Highness. I will just go to the carriage in the back..."
"I said..." Chloe stopped and turned her head. "Come here."
...
The interior of Ophelia's carriage was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. The walls were lined with velvet and the floor was covered with a thick bear-skin rug. Loran found a seat by the window after he boarded, and Chloe sat right next to him. Ophelia sat across from them with a bright smile.
The door closed and shut out the sound of the wind and snow, and only the occasional crackle of charcoal in the heater remained.
Ophelia brewed a pot of tea and skillfully opened a topic of conversation. The two girls talked about playing together as children and their parting in the royal capital, and then they discussed hunting in the snow-covered forests on the edge of North Youngton County.
Loran was happy to be left alone. He watched the scenery recede through the window while he listened to their conversation.
These details about the relationship between Chloe and Ophelia were never mentioned in the main story of the game. Loran had originally thought they would be more antagonistic, but he hadn't expected their past to be so close.
He looked up and stole a glance at Ophelia.
'She looks about the same age as Chloe.'
The girl still had a bit of youthfulness in her features. She wore a pure white winter dress and her blonde hair was as bright as sunlight.
Suddenly, Ophelia noticed Loran's gaze and turned to look at him.
"By the way... isn't Chloe going to introduce this gentleman to me?"
The girl tilted her head with a light smile and reached out her hand toward Loran.
"I am Ophelia Blanche, Chloe's best friend. Even though you are wearing the clothes of a retainer, you must be someone very special to her if she keeps you by her side."
Ophelia's hand was slender and pale. Loran hesitated before taking it. The moment their palms touched, he felt a very faint trace of Holy attribute mana from her fingertips, but it vanished instantly.
"Loran," he said briefly. "I am currently Her Highness's magic advisor."
"A magic advisor..." Ophelia nodded meaningfully. She rested her chin on her hand and watched Chloe's face. "Chloe, I remember you used to hate studying magic."
"That was then." Chloe calmly set down her teacup. "Besides, he is different."
Ophelia covered her mouth and giggled. "Yes, yes, I understand." She winked at Chloe. "If our Princess Chloe is willing to praise him personally, then he must have some extraordinary qualities."
Chloe's cheeks turned red again, and she turned her head toward the window to pretend to look at the snow.
'It would be better if she didn't secretly step on my foot under the table.'
The carriage continued forward, and Ophelia turned her attention back to Chloe to tell her about recent events in the royal capital. The girls' laughter echoed in the carriage.
Loran wondered if Chloe had sat alone in her carriage staring outside in the previous timeline.
Now, the two protagonists had met early, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious. Loran closed his eyes and opened the square interface in his mind. He looked at the two lines on the page that were branching away from each other.
He didn't know how long this harmony would last or what Ophelia was really thinking. Based on that testing touch of mana earlier, she wasn't entirely without guard against him.
Chloe's fingertips quietly tugged on Loran's sleeve. He adjusted his posture so their contact looked more natural.
...
The group reached the town as dusk crawled across the horizon and dyed the snowfields a gentle color.
The town's inn couldn't hold everyone, so they didn't disturb the residents much. They greeted the mayor and began setting up camp near the entrance of the town.
Loran jumped from the carriage and turned to help Chloe and Ophelia down while his gaze swept across the Blanche family convoy. The knights were unloading supplies in an orderly fashion.
He wanted to get closer to hear if they would talk about Ophelia, even if it was just a few words.
But a knight stopped him before he could move.
"Mr. Loran." The lead knight took off his helmet and smiled politely. "Her Highness ordered that you are a distinguished guest. Leave this heavy work to those of us who carry swords."
Loran nodded and watched the knights set up tents. He was surprised when he saw how luxurious the tents were as they were raised. They looked like a traveling palace.
He turned around and saw Elia holding a stack of blankets.
The head maid had changed into a dark winter dress. The hem swayed in the wind and revealed her delicate ankles covered in black silk.
She stood by the carriage and seemed worried about how to fit everything inside. Loran walked over while Elia stood on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf of the carriage.
"Do you need help?"
Elia turned and looked surprised to see him.
"Aren't you..."
"Her Highness and the others are sharing secrets, so I came to see if I could help."
Loran took the blankets from Elia and folded them before sliding them into the gaps between the luggage.
...
The two girls sat nearby and watched the crowd. The sunset stretched their shadows across the snow until they overlapped.
"Vivi." Ophelia's voice was soft. "How long has it been since we last met?"
"I don't remember."
Chloe answered quickly. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on her arms while watching the tents.
"Do you really not remember, or are you pretending?"
Ophelia turned her head. Her eyes shimmered in the sunset.
Chloe didn't answer. She looked down at her boots and kicked the snow dust away.
"Vivi, I won't let that happen again. I won't let you... be kicked out of Valgard like that again."
"That is in the past," Chloe said quietly.
"It is because it's in the past that it is unforgivable." Ophelia looked at the sinking sun. "I will definitely do it. I will become the best at Altras Academy and make sure no one bullies you again."
Chloe stared at Ophelia's profile.
The sunset turned the girl's blonde hair into a warm color. She looked the same as she did in Chloe's memories... but Chloe felt something was different.
Her heart fluttered, so she looked for Loran in the crowd.
The boy was easy to find. He was bending over to help Elia with the supplies, and the light from the campfire flickered against his face.
Ophelia saw every move Chloe made.
She kept a smile on her face, but something sank deep within her amber eyes.
'I will definitely do it.'
'I won't let you be hurt again.'
'We will always be... the best of friends.'
...
Loran suddenly paused while he was working.
He felt a movement from the little iron book in his mind.
He put down his work and opened it in his consciousness while he rested.
The iron book lay there quietly, but when he turned the page, he saw that the golden line had grown a little longer.