“Nephren, what relation do you have with our father?” Almaria asked suddenly. After the
words left her mouth, she realized they sounded a little unfriendly. “... sorry, I could have
phrased that better. I’m not accusing you of having that sort of relationship, it’s just… how do I
put it…” She had a difficult time finding the right words. “I heard you’re his junior comrade as a
Brave, but it feels like there’s more than that.”
Ever since she first laid eyes on her, Almaria could tell that Nephren was treated very
importantly by Willem. Nephren also seemed to treat Willem very importantly in return. Watching
from the side, their mutual attitude of caring for each other seemed extremely natural, but it also
didn’t seem like a romantic relationship in any way.
“Nn…” Nephren thought for a bit. “Pet.”
Pet. Upon hearing that unexpected word, Almaria’s vague smile deformed into a dead
serious expression. It looked like she had a little questioning to do with father about this
situation.
“Willem looks like he would break if left alone, so it’s my duty to stay beside him to
prevent that. Recently, I’ve learned to maintain a distance just close enough that I might be
considered a nuisance,” Nephren elaborated.
“Ah… that’s what you meant.”