Listen, Emilia-Tan.

Suzune knocked on Emilia's door, waiting a moment before entering. Inside, Emilia was sitting at her vanity, combing her silver hair. Suzune stepped in and stood rigidly beside her, her expression severe and her posture stiff, like a knight on constant guard.

Emilia glanced at her reflection in the mirror, then at Suzune, who looked more like a sentry than a companion. The tension in the room was palpable. "Suzune, do you need anything?" Emilia asked awkwardly, not used to such intense scrutiny.

"It's my job to look after you, Emilia-tan," Suzune replied with a hint of stubbornness in her voice.

Emilia sighed, setting down her comb with a soft clink. "Could you please stop calling me that?"

"No," Suzune replied firmly, her voice unyielding.

Emilia sighed again, clearly exasperated but deciding not to press further. The moments of silence between them felt thick with tension, as if a single word could tip the balance into outright awkwardness.

o—O—o

Later, in the dressing room, Emilia was trying on a new dress, admiring it in the mirror, when she noticed Suzune standing close by. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were scanning the room like a hawk. It was as if Suzune was expecting an enemy to leap out from behind the clothing racks.

"Suzune, do you really have to be here?" Emilia asked, trying to maintain her patience despite the bizarre situation.

"Yes," Suzune replied. "It's to protect you."

"From what?" Emilia demanded, exasperated. "Who attacks people in a dressing room?"

"An assassin might," Suzune replied seriously, her face not betraying a hint of humor.

Emilia blinked at her, incredulous. "Oh, come on! You're making that up!"

Suzune shook her head solemnly. "No, I'm not."

Emilia stared at her for a moment, unsure if she should laugh or cry. Instead, she simply turned back to the mirror, trying to focus on the task at hand. "You really think someone would try to attack me while I'm trying on clothes?" she asked, more to herself than Suzune.

"It's possible," Suzune said, still scanning the room. "An assassin could strike at any moment."

Emilia groaned, feeling a headache coming on. "This is getting ridiculous."

o—O—o

During dinner, Emilia was trying to enjoy her meal. Suzune stood at her side, watching her with the same stern expression. It was beginning to feel like having a very serious statue following her everywhere.

"Suzune," Emilia began, cutting into her food, "could you please sit down and eat with me? You're making me nervous."

Suzune shook her head. "No, I need to stay vigilant. Someone might attack you."

"At the dinner table?" Emilia raised an eyebrow, pausing her meal. "While we're eating?"

"Yes," Suzune said, deadpan. "An assassin could strike at any moment."

Emilia put down her fork, trying to keep her composure. "Are you seriously suggesting that someone would try to kill me while I'm eating my dinner?"

"It's a possibility," Suzune replied without a hint of irony.

Emilia groaned, leaning back in her chair. "This is getting out of hand."

o—O—o

The most awkward moment came in the bathroom. Emilia was trying to take a bath, and Suzune stood by the door, her back turned but her ears perked up. The sound of water sloshing was the only thing breaking the silence.

"Suzune, this is too much," Emilia protested from behind the curtain of the bath. "No one is going to attack me in here."

"An assassin might," Suzune replied stubbornly.

"Through the toilet? Really?" Emilia's voice was a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"Yes," Suzune said, not missing a beat. "It's a possibility that they might come out of the toilet."

"You're making that up!" Emilia huffed, splashing water in frustration. "And stop staring!"

Suzune turned around, facing the wall. "I'll turn."

Emilia sighed deeply, sinking back into the bath. "This is going to be a long day," she muttered to herself, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.

Emilia tried to relax in the warm water, but the presence of Suzune outside the bath was making it nearly impossible. "You know," she said, trying to break the tension, "most bodyguards wait outside the door."

"Most bodyguards aren't protecting Emilia-tan," Suzune replied without missing a beat.

Emilia groaned again. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Just thorough," Suzune corrected, her tone implying there was no difference between the two.

Emilia couldn't help but chuckle despite her irritation. "You really are something else, Suzune."

"I aim to guard," Suzune said, still facing the wall, her voice as serious as ever.

o—O—o

It was late at night, and Suzune was standing in front of the mirror in her room, her reflection staring back at her with the same stern, emotionless expression she'd worn all day. The entire day had been spent acting weirdly around Emilia-tan, shadowing her every move and causing more frustration than comfort. If that wasn't enough, Rem had tried to kill her three times.

Suzune sighed, recalling the first attempt. During tea time, Rem had handed her a cup of tea with a polite but cold smile. Suzune had accepted it, noticing the barely concealed excitement in Rem's eyes as she took a sip. The tea tasted slightly off, but Suzune drank it anyway, maintaining her stoic facade. Rem watched her intently, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she muttered something under her breath and left the room in a huff.

Curious, Suzune had later taken the empty cup and plates to the kitchen. As she rinsed them in the sink, she noticed a few ants floating in the leftover tea. She narrowed her eyes, realizing that the tea had been poisoned. "Guess it takes more than that to kill me," she murmured, dumping the contents down the drain.

The second attempt had been more direct. Rem, in the guise of cleaning, had approached Suzune from behind with a staff. Just as Suzune had sensed the movement and braced herself, the staff came down with a forceful swing. But instead of causing harm, the staff snapped in half upon contact with Suzune's head. Rem stared at the broken pieces in shock while Suzune remained unfazed.

"Oops," Rem had said, feigning innocence. "I'll fetch another staff."

"Don't bother," Suzune had replied coolly. "This one seems to have done the job."

Rem's eyes had flashed with irritation before she stormed off, leaving Suzune to pick up the broken pieces.

The third attempt had been almost comical in its audacity. Rem had locked Suzune in the bathroom and filled the entire pool with a weird green liquid that bubbled ominously. Suzune had eyed the liquid warily before stepping into it. To her surprise, it felt like ordinary water. She had stood there for a while, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she had calmly drained the pool and walked out, leaving a confused and frustrated Rem behind.

Suzune now stared at her reflection, contemplating the day's events. She had an excellent body that was resilient to almost everything, thanks to the witches. However, if things continued like this, she would never be able to befriend anyone in the mansion.

She clenched her fist and punched herself hard in the stomach. Nothing. No pain. She punched harder, still nothing. She hit herself again, harder this time. A dull ache spread through her abdomen, but it was barely noticeable. Frustrated, she punched herself with all her might, finally feeling a sting of pain.

"Great, even I can't hurt myself," she muttered, rubbing her sore stomach.

Suzune took a deep breath and looked at her reflection again. "I need to make the demons my friends once more. And everyone else in this mansion."

But a part of her wondered if that was even possible. She leaned closer to the mirror, staring into her own eyes. "Who are you?" she asked her reflection. "Why are you so stone-like?"

The reflection stared back, unyielding and cold. "Why are you so heartless?" Suzune continued, her voice rising in frustration. "Why are you blocking Subaru's emotions?"

She banged her fist against the mirror, causing it to rattle in its frame. "What are you so afraid of?" she yelled, her voice echoing in the empty room. Tears of anger and confusion welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

"Get it together, Suzune," she muttered to herself. "You're not going to get anywhere by wallowing in self-pity."

She straightened her posture, her determination renewed. "Tomorrow is a new day. I will find a way to break through to them. I have to."

TBC