When she woke up, Charlotte found herself on a brand-new bed. She sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her heavy eyelids before looking around.
There was a closet bed, a writing desk, a chair, and a bookshelf that was yet to be filled. It was a simple yet cozy space.
This wasn't the residence of the Evans family.
It was Charlotte's room in Allen's mansion.
Outside the window, the night sky stretched far and wide. The signs of morning remained distant, and there were no sounds of animals, only a tranquil silence enveloping the outside.
Charlotte mumbled to herself absentmindedly, "...It feels like I was dreaming about something."
Though Charlotte couldn't recall what the dream was about, she felt an overwhelming fear lingering in her heart like a lump.
Perhaps it was a dream of the time when she was still at the residence of the Evans family.
This was the first nightmare Charlotte had since moving to this mansion. At first, she slept deeply like a log and didn't have any dreams, but maybe it was a sign that she was finally getting used to this new life.
However, if that was the case, she wished she had dreamed of something more pleasant.
Then again, perhaps it could be considered a good dream too.
The dream wasn't just filled with fear. In the end, there was a lingering touch of something warm – perhaps it was because Charlotte had the chance to meet her beloved younger sister from the past.
Charlotte felt a twinge of regret for not being able to recall the details, but she had no desire to go back to sleep. Perhaps she was afraid of experiencing the same dream again, only this time it could become a nightmare filled with nothing but fear.
The thought alone sent shivers down her spine.
Charlotte decided to quietly slip out of bed to drink some water while waiting for the morning to arrive.
As she made her way towards the living room, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of light seeping through the gap in the door. Slowly opening it, she discovered Allen sitting on the familiar sofa.
Noticing Charlotte, he raised a hand in acknowledgement.
"Oh, you're already up?" he remarked.
"Yes." Charlotte timidly approached him.
There were thick books and bundles of paper were piled up haphazardly on the coffee table. It seemed like he had been working on some writing, causing him to stay up late.
"Are you working?"
"Oh, it's just a favour someone asked of me." Allen shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you remember Magus, the person we met the other day?"
"Yes. He's the one from the Rock Tribe."
It had been about a week since they went to the town and got caught up in that small commotion. During which, they met a former student of Allen, a member of the Rock Tribe.
"That guy had a change of heart and wanted to start his studies anew. I'm working on designing a specialized course for him," Allen explained.
"I see…" Charlotte nodded in response.
Charlotte had always viewed the people of the Rock Tribe as nothing more than a formidable and intimidating presence.
Yet, Allen not only managed to turn him over a new leaf but also took the initiative to guide him afterward.
Charlotte couldn't help but smile.
"As expected, Allen is a kind person."
"Nah, it's just a hobby of mine to administer specialized courses that push people to the brink of death," Allen joked.
"The people from the Rock tribe are quite tough, you know. I just can't wait to test out his skills!" He enthusiastically flipped through a thick stack of papers.
Charlotte caught glimpses of ominous words like "Magma", "elevation of 3,000 meters" and "100 hours of endurance".
At first, Charlotte couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but recently she had become somewhat adept at deciphering his intentions.
She estimated that about 90% of what he said was genuine.
The remaining 10% was probably an unintended act of kindness that he himself might not even be aware of.
He was indeed strange, but more than that, Allen was actually quite a kind-hearted person. Charlotte thought.
But even if she were to say such things, Allen would likely brush it off casually and so, Charlotte asked with a quiet smile, "I can't sleep. Is it alright if I stay with you?"
"Of course." Allen nodded and made room for Charlotte.
Suddenly, as if he realized something, Allen looked up, "Oh, that's right! This seems like a good opportunity. Let's do that tonight."
"That?" Charlotte asked.
"Well, of course—" Allen raised his index finger and grinned mischievously, "It's something bad that can only be done at night."