Crackle. Crackle, Crackle.

Inside the fireplace, flames dance, casting a warm glow all around. And in front of it, a shadow is cast by a person.

The fire welcomed the guest with its warm heat, but it seemed that warming up wasn’t the person’s goal. They pulled out a letter from their coat and tossed it casually into a spot where someone might find it if they stirred the fire with a poker.

The flames quickly caught on to the letter.

The fire meticulously savored the letter. If it had been an important letter, perhaps full of love, it wouldn’t have dared to burn it, right?

But no matter how the flames licked and scanned it, they couldn’t detect any emotion from within the letter. Only then did the flames feel reassured. Ah, this is just firewood. It’s okay to consume it.

Tsk, tsk.

Sparks fly. The loveless love letter burns black.

The letter becomes one with the firewood, turning into ashes.

A Secret Meeting

In a secluded part of the mansion, a guest room that had been vacant for years and untouched by even the servants, Neriel made her way there late at night.

The secret letter she had received stated that there was something important to discuss and asked her to come to this place.

When Neriel opened the door and entered, a servant who had been waiting inside stood up and bowed. She was one of Neriel’s maids.

“Who are you…? And why did you summon me?”

The servant looked at Neriel with a face full of pity and sympathy.

“Lady Neriel, the heavens are cruel, and the Duke is even crueler. How could he be so heartless…?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“Ma’am, don’t you feel wronged living like this? I have a way. A way to escape this situation.”

Neriel held her breath and cautiously asked,

“…What is this way?”

“Spread the word about how you’ve been mistreated, and return to your family. If everyone knows about this, the Duke will be the one they blame!”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“I’ve even arranged for a carriage. Johnny, who works in the stables, was more than willing to help. He said your situation is too pitiable…”

The plan was more lackluster than expected. I had anticipated a scheme to plant the second wife as a spy within the mansion to steal vital information or to create severe internal conflict.

Perhaps it was part of a larger plan—to whisk Neriel away, have her bear a child, and then claim the child was the Northern Duke’s, asserting inheritance rights.

But whatever the plan was, it ends here.

Neriel, as if moved by the servant’s words, grasped her hand. And then—

Click. She locked magical cuffs onto her wrist.

“Ma-Ma’am? What is this…?”

“So, you intend to shake the Duke’s household from within?”

“…What?”

“Come out.”

At Neriel’s command, I and the Duke’s soldiers, who had been waiting, rushed in through the door. The servant’s face turned pale.

The soldiers grabbed the arms of the servant who had dared to harm the Duke’s household and began to drag her away.

“I’m innocent! I wasn’t trying to do that…!”

The servant protested her innocence as she was dragged away. I dismissed it as the final desperate struggle of a thief caught in the act, ready to move on, but then—

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

The expression on the servant’s face wasn’t one of anger or desperation. There wasn’t the frantic urgency of someone trying to escape this situation, or the rage at the person who had put them in this position.

The emotion that stood out the most was something else, something I couldn’t quite understand, and it left me puzzled.

Why did this servant feel betrayed…?

I turned to Neriel and asked. She was twisting her hair around her fingers, watching the servant being taken away to the last moment.

“Neriel. Doesn’t something seem strange?”

“Hm? What part, Heart?”

“The servant’s expression. I’m wondering if we might have misunderstood something…”

“Well… but it all happened just as you said, Heart. From here, the Duke’s soldiers will handle the interrogation, so we can just wait for the results.”

That was true.

Feeling both relieved and somewhat uneasy, I stretched and then spoke to Neriel.

“Shall we go have a meal together? I’ll bring Arte and Daisy-kun along too. Now that the misunderstandings are cleared up, if you approach it slowly and carefully, you can create a harmonious home!”

“Yes, thank you, Heart. It’s all thanks to you!”

No need to mention it.

With just a little couple’s therapy left, my role would be complete. I led Neriel to the dining room. That day’s meal was quite cheerful and lively.

A Late Night Knock

Knock, knock, knock.

At the sound of knocking in the night, Arte Loffelman put down her research and stood up.

Before, she might have ignored it, but after the incident where the door was sent flying by a dropkick, she made sure to check on any visitors. She didn’t want to experience that twice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Neriel, the second wife. May I come in?”

An unwelcome guest.

She wanted to chase her away, but she also didn’t want to give her the opportunity to complain about her to Heart. Arte clicked her tongue and replied.

“It’s not pleasant to receive visitors at this hour. Come in.”

“I heard that the First Wife’s schedule is reversed, day and night, so I thought it might be fine. Pardon the intrusion.”

Creaaaak. The door opened.

Neriel entered the room without hesitation, glancing around as she did. Arte quietly put a kettle on the fire. If she had to converse with someone she didn’t want to see, at least coffee might make it bearable.

She busied herself with preparing the coffee. In the meantime, not a word was exchanged.

Bubble, bubble, bubble.

The kettle started to boil. Only then did Arte speak.

“I thought we settled things between us a long time ago. I told you I don’t care what you do in the mansion, just don’t drag me into it. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten?”

“Of course not. I just came because I had a question. I heard you had tea with Heart this evening.”

“That’s right.”

“It must have been an enjoyable conversation. Could you tell me what topics you discussed? I’d like to get closer to Heart myself.”

Arte poured the coffee into a cup and moved it, along with the saucer, to the table. She only prepared one for herself. There was nothing for Neriel.

Taking a sip, savoring the rich flavor and aroma of the coffee, Arte said,

“I don’t know.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Weren’t you here to find out if Heart noticed? I don’t know. I tried to probe Heart because it annoyed me that she was being played by your tricks, but she completely trusted you.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

At Arte’s cryptic response, Neriel flinched as if she had been pricked by a needle. Her smiling expression crumbled, revealing a glimpse of guilt.

Arte snickered.

“I don’t care. I won’t say anything. Why? Because it has nothing to do with me, and besides, Heart asked me to get along with you. But… isn’t it funny?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s about the love letter incident… The truth is, there was neither love nor friendship involved. So what is it that you actually have, Neriel?”

Neriel’s face darkened abruptly. Her heart had been struck in a sensitive spot.

“...I think I’ll take my leave now.”

Neriel stood up as if fleeing, and Arte sneered as she watched her go. She could clearly see Neriel’s future.

Heart was a smart person. She would figure it out before long. And after that… who knows? Will she be forgiven?

Late at Night, When Even the Servants Were Asleep

I headed to Daisy-kun’s office, carrying a bottle of liquor in each hand. Judging by the light through the window, he wasn’t asleep yet.

With the missing love letter incident resolved, it was time to unwind.

We hadn’t had a proper conversation even back in the Holy City, with all the busy events. Now was the chance.

Since my hands were full, I knocked with my head.

Knock, knock, knock. “Daisy-kun, are you there?”

“Ah, Heart. You may enter.”

Daisy-kun welcomed me warmly. He glanced at the bottles in my hands and smiled, quickly tidying up the papers on his desk and pushing them aside.

There was quite a bit of work there. I should help him out later.

“How about a toast?”

“Heart, you have a body that rarely gets drunk. I remember it was always me who passed out first when we drank. Is your drinking capacity still the same?”

“Ah, back then, I was kind of cheating. I drank, but it was as if I hadn’t. Now, I might actually get drunk, so I’ll drink carefully.”

“Let’s take it slow.”

We set the scene simply. I dragged over a chair and placed it in front of the table—ready to go. Some snacks would have been nice… but we made do with storytelling.

“Daisy-kun, it’s been a while since we had tea together… Oh, wait, we did meet in the Holy City.”

“It feels like it’s been ages. For me, it was a very long wait.”

“Save lines like that for your wives. As I always say, it’s a little creepy.”

“It’s meant to be.”

So shameless. Acting as if he’s all grown up now.

“Cheers.”

“To friendship.”

We took a deep drink.

Then we started reminiscing about the past. Having known each other for over two years, stories poured out with just a little shake.

Daisy-kun often says that I was his emotional savior.

But in truth, Daisy-kun also contributed greatly to my emotional stability. Back then, the seniors at the Magic Tower were quite hostile, and while Yuna and I had our fun bickering… she’s still a girl.

To me, Daisy-kun was my first male friend.

There are things you can only talk about with other men, right? Like that time we found a particularly cool-looking stick (shaped like Excalibur) in the back alley and brought it home as if mesmerized.

Or the kind of “who would win” debates guys often have.

“Your drinking seems stronger, Daisy-kun.”

“I’ve improved. Now, if I feel like I’m getting drunk, I can hold back.”

“That’s right, I remember you once got so drunk you couldn’t stop shouting for Heart….”

We laughed and talked for a long time, but then suddenly—

It hit me that these aren’t really my memories.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

I’m not the original.

I claim to remember Daisy-kun more intimately, but the one who actually built a relationship with him in the past was… the original. I’m just a doppelganger, of sorts.

When the original comes to the North, I’ll lose the right to call myself Daisy-kun’s friend. My existence, too. Realizing that I’m just a copy of someone else was colder than I thought.

As I stared silently at my reflection in my glass,

Daisy-kun suddenly spoke.

“That’s not true.”

“…What?”

“You are Heart.”

“Haha, what are you saying all of a sudden, Daisy-kun! Of course, I’m Heart, who else would be?”

I tried to deflect, but Daisy-kun’s gaze was unyielding. Those eyes seemed to pierce through my heart, peering deep inside.

Yes, the Northern Duke, Daisy-kun, learned how to read people’s hearts from me five years ago. I remember his insight was nearly as sharp as the “original’s.”

And just as I’ve spent a long time observing Daisy-kun, he’s probably come to know me well, too. So, perhaps, he was able to read me.

He said,

“I know you’re a little different.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“But as long as we can reminisce about our time together, believe in our friendship, and care for each other, does it really matter whether you’re the same or different? No matter who you are, you’re still my friend.”

“…Wow, Daisy-kun. When did you learn to talk like that?”

“You taught me. How to say what someone needs to hear.”

You rascal.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I was so easily reassured and comforted by his words that it was almost funny.

Yes. Even though I’m just a module, I’ve already made two friends. Three if I include Arte’s ambiguous feelings.

With that, I wouldn’t regret it as much if I were absorbed by the original.

“By the way, Daisy-kun, that’s quite something. Even though I’m just one-thirtieth of my original self… it’s not easy to read my mind…”

Wait.

My body felt warm from the alcohol, but suddenly a cold, eerie sensation ran down my spine. It was the current of realization.

What is it? I feel like I’ve missed something important, but why am I feeling this way?

Daisy-kun’s insight is impressive. Almost comparable to the original’s. We were just talking about that…

—Neriel Bruneu also doesn’t like me. So, she wouldn’t have been that hurt.

Oh.

What flashed through my mind was something Daisy-kun said.

I thought it was a mistake in judgment. It didn’t make sense that Neriel, who poured her heart into love letters, wouldn’t actually love Daisy-kun. And nothing seemed off to me.

But.

I’m currently… fragmented into thirty pieces and incomplete. With reduced computational power, my ability to read people’s minds naturally diminished as well. So…

If I have to trust one of our insights, it would be Daisy-kun’s.

“Neriel Bruneu doesn’t love Daisy-kun.”

If this statement is true…

“...!”

I shot to my feet. Frantically looking around, I spotted a picture frame hanging on the wall.

It was a portrait of a black-haired woman, who bore some resemblance to Heart. Without hesitation, I grabbed the frame. I needed it.

“Heart, wait… no, use the one next to it. That one is special to me…”

“I’m borrowing this for a bit, Daisy-kun!”

“….”

I sprinted down the corridor. My destination was Neriel’s room.

The missing letter incident wasn’t over yet.