It's cold outside when I open my eyes, and I just want to stay in bed.

Of course, it's December. Levianta has some of the coldest winters, and there was already a shower of snow falling outside the window.

I rub my eyes and, although it's chilly and I need to get dressed, I sit up and throw off the blankets.

What a nightmare...

In truth I can barely remember the dream now, it slips by so quickly. I'm just glad it's over.

By the time I'm getting dressed, I see a lunar calendar posted up over the bed.

Huh—I don't remember seeing that before. It's a little crooked and it's covered with red marks. The day of the full moon is circled.

The full moon is—two weeks from now.

The final selection isn't that far after that.

Thinking about that time is just making me anxious, so I'll forget about it and go downstairs.

...It seems I slept in, the sun is already up. Even so, there isn't a soul about the house, and I have to wonder where my sister and beloved have gotten off to.

By the time I get downstairs and into the workroom, I have my answer. He's fast asleep at the table and there's a smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen.

I gently tap him on the shoulder, "Wake up, Kiril."

"Ah, Elluka..."

He looked over at me and smiled, lifting off the hard desk. His glasses were a little crooked; I fixed them while he was still yawning.

"You shouldn't stay up so late, it's not good for your health."

"My beloved worries too much about me," he said softly, with a smile. "Until it's the queen of Levianta who says so, I won't obey that."

I only gave him another smile.

In truth, who knows if I'll become the new 'Ma' with those other influential candidates?

He looked over his worked and sighed, "Ultimately, I couldn't get much done."

Set in front of him were many materials and a half-finished doll, which he had started the night before. It looked to me as if he didn't get any farther on it, only assembling some of the machinations. That showed him what staying up late would accomplish.

"Next time, I'm not going to bed until you're with me."

He looked back at me, blinking, and then a smile came across his face. "Is it cold up there without a second heart beating?"

"It's cold all right," I gave him a kiss, and I saw him fumble with his glasses, a gesture that he did when I embarrassed him like that.

It was such a familiar gesture, he must have made it a hundred times and he never failed to do it. I kept my arms around him, "So, drag yourself from this worktable if you have to, when it's in service of keeping me warm~."

"..."

I stopped and started again. I looked up and his glasses were already back in place.

Neither of us spoke next until I uttered a little sound.

It took forever, and then he eventually smiled back. "I...can smell something..."

"Oh, is that my little sister making us breakfast?"

Her voice came from the kitchen, "Someone has to. You know this is close to lunch too, right?"

Sometimes Irina becomes sullen, but it's not because she's angry, but just because she gets tired in the mornings. I let Kiril go and we both walked into the kitchen, and I saw her making potato pancakes, my cute little sister.

Briefly, I think that maybe she's going to poison me with them.

So, with a smile, I shove the first two into Kiril's mouth.

He's fine~. I knew he would be fine. Because Irina wouldn't hurt me like that no matter what was at stake. So I eat as many pancakes as I can.

"You're getting fat eating like that," Irina said.

"Oh, my, are you fattening me up for some devious reason?"

"She's not getting fat!"

This was my morning in the Clockworker House, with the two people who mean more to me than anyone, on one day out of the week when there's nothing going on. It was my favorite time.

Today, it felt a little different.

As though nothing we were doing meant as much as it should, as much as we acted like it did. I don't know how to explain it, so I just ignore that feeling.

But...

It grows. There's an artificiality to it all.

Maybe I'm just anxious. I need to savor these moments.