Millavair walked silently through the Central Plaza, where blue-leafed willows swayed their branches over the floating fountains. Around her, people laughed, talked, and shopped. She moved like a restrained specter: still, elegant, utterly out of place.

But no one noticed.

The emerald-green cloak covered almost her entire body, except for her delicate, serene face and her bare legs, which peeped out from under her short white dress. The floral ornament and the yellow ribbon hanging from her temple seemed like a simple feminine accessory to any civilian. But she was no ordinary woman.

Millavair Lou Nebulis VIII. The heir to Sovereignty. A wind mage. A murderer of Imperials.

...and now, a liar.

She had hidden her magic. She stripped herself of her visible magical essence for a few hours, using a forbidden art her mother would never approve of. Just for this. For him.

To see you.

She had heard rumors that you were here, in this neutral city, retreating after your betrayal of the Empire. Many believed you dead, or a prisoner. But she knew better. She felt you alive.

Because you cannot forget the man who saved you from death.

Or the man for whom you feel... this. Love.

Though her face remained stoic, her steps were light, almost trembling. As if her body refused to believe she was doing this. Looking for a man. Like a normal woman. Like a civilian.

Like a farce.

She passed a walnut bun stand and stopped, somewhat curious. She pretended to look at the sweet treat with interest, though in reality her scarlet eyes scanned the surroundings with military precision.

And there... on the other corner of the square... There you were.

You weren't wearing armor. You were no longer the Imperial soldier she'd known, though your aura was still intact. A shadow of battle in a world that wants to forget the war. You had changed your clothes, perhaps your life, but not your eyes. They were still yours.

And for a moment, all the air around her swirled without her noticing. A faint breeze, heavy with emotion. It escaped her. Her magic reacted on its own when it saw you.

"Calm down..." she told herself, tensing her face again.

Then she took a deep breath. She straightened her shoulders. And took the first step toward you.

One. Two. Three.

She stopped right in front of you.

"Hello," she said in a soft voice, an almost musical note that didn't match her serious gaze. "Do you remember me?"

Her gaze pierced you with something between curiosity and suppressed anxiety. As if she were preparing for a rejection or a truth.

"We met once. During... something complicated." A hint of bitterness flashed across her face. Then she hid it.

"My name is Mira." The lie came out easily.

"I came all the way here... because I needed to thank you. In person."

And now, with the wind barely lifting the ribbon in her hair...