The brightness of the sun through the curtains gently wakes Robin from her sleep. Her eyes open slowly, blinking several times to chase away the remaining sleepiness. Using her hands, she sits up, rubs her eyes, and looks around.
She gazes around the room with confusion until she remembers she's at Stella's house. Next to her, the bed is empty, but a sweet smell reaches her nose.
The chill in the room makes her shiver. Reluctantly, she leaves the warm bed and quickly puts on her shoes before exiting the room and descending the stairs.
In the kitchen, Stella stands at the stove, flipping pancakes that stack up on a plate beside her. A soft tune fills the air.
The sound of little footsteps on the wooden steps catches the woman's attention, and she turns her head to the child, offering a gentle smile.
"Good morning, princess. Did you sleep well?" The child approaches slowly, nodding while rubbing her eyes to dispel her remaining fatigue.
"Yes. And you?" She asks in a sleepy voice that makes Stella smile.
"I slept like a log. I hope I didn't wake you with my loud snoring in the middle of the night." She jokes, to which Robin responds with a smile on her face.
"No, not at all! Maybe next time." She replies before blushing at her words. Such banter is common with her mother, but here, it's the queen of the island facing her. She fidgets with her fingers and lowers her head, expecting to be scolded. But it's only a chuckle that meets her.
"Next time, I'll make sure you can't sleep with all the noise I'll make." Stella laughs, returning to her pancakes.
The young archaeologist sighs in relief and smiles again before timidly climbing onto a chair in front of the breakfast laid out on the table. She grabs the juice carafe and pours herself a glass, sipping it slowly while waiting for the pancakes.
The queen finishes flipping the last pancake and brings the steaming plate to the table.
"Help yourself as much as you like; I made them especially for you." She says, grabbing the maple syrup and pouring it over her own stack of pancakes.
Robin looks at the food with some apprehension, not used to being able to eat whatever she wants. But faced with Stella's relaxed and smiling demeanor, she starts eating with appetite.
Breakfast unfolds in calm and good spirits, but like all good things, it comes to an end, and Robin has to go home.
"Come on, princess, it's time for you to go back to your uncle's; he must be worried about your absence." Stella says with an encouraging smile, but seeing the child's dejected face, she feels a tug at her chest. She starts to want to keep Robin close to her, but she must fight against this feeling. She has no right over the child, and even though she's the queen of this island, she'll never use any form of tyranny to satisfy this gut-wrenching need for protection.
Gently kneeling in front of Robin, she gives her a reassuring smile.
"Don't be sad, princess. If things ever go wrong, you can always rely on your teachers, like Clover. They care about you and will always listen to you. And in the worst case, you can come find me; I'll try to be as available as possible for you. What do you say?" She says softly, with a hint of affection. The little girl looks at her with mixed feelings. On one hand, she doesn't want to go back to her uncle and be neglected again, but on the other hand, she's happy to know that there are people who care about her and only want what's best for her.
If she could decide, she would beg Stella to keep her with her. But she also knows that the woman in front of her, though she resembles her mother, is not her, and that she is the queen of the island, thus someone very busy.
"Okay." She mumbles, nodding as she timidly grabs Stella's outstretched hand and holds it tightly as they walk towards the town and her uncle's house.
The walk is quiet, disturbed only by the sound of snow crunching beneath their feet. Along the way, they encounter a few early risers who warmly greet the queen and wish her a Merry Christmas. They hardly notice Robin's presence, which suits the child who has no desire to attract the attention of adults.
A few minutes later, they finally arrive at the front door of her uncle's house. Through the door, one can hear her cousin's joyful and excited voice, likely opening her presents. Her absence seems to have gone unnoticed.
Stella hears the voices' exclamations and furrows her brow as she detects no hint of stress or any other sign indicating that the inhabitants of the property have noticed Robin's absence in their house. Yet, it's the time when children open their gifts. Could it be that Robin doesn't have any?
Suppressing a grunt of irritation, she knocks on the door as she feels Robin release her hand and hide behind her legs under her coat. Footsteps are heard, and the door opens to reveal a woman with curly red hair, a rather imposing figure, and a haughty expression. But when she sees Stella, she hesitates for a moment, probably trying to discern if it's Olvia or their queen she's facing. However, confronted with Stella's fiery gaze, presence, and confidence, she quickly deduces that she's facing the queen.
Immediately, her face breaks into a hypocritical smile.
"Your Majesty! I didn't expect your visit to our humble abode. What brings me this pleasure?" She whispers in a honeyed voice that almost makes Stella wrinkle her nose, as she detests such things.
"Hello, and Merry Christmas to you too, Roji." She begins, causing the woman to pale as she realizes she hasn't even greeted the queen. "I'm here because I need to talk to you and your husband about a certain matter. May I come in?" She asks, keeping her voice as neutral as possible.
Somewhat flustered, the woman can only nod and let Stella pass, who keeps Robin hidden under her coat. Her steps lead her through a small hallway to the living room, which is richly decorated with Christmas decorations, a large sparkling tree, and a heap of gifts at its base, half of which are already unwrapped.
A little girl with golden curls tied with two large red ribbons is opening a new present when she looks up at the newcomer. Like her mother, she pauses momentarily before recognizing the queen and running towards her, all excited.
"Your Majesty! You've come to wish me a Merry Christmas! That's so awesome! Do you have a gift for me too?" The child asks with a big smile.
Stella blinks before giving a small smile. This child isn't responsible for her parents' actions, so there's no reason to be cold.
"Hello, Mizuira, Merry Christmas. Unfortunately, I don't have a gift for you, but you're one of the first people I've wished happy holidays to." She says softly, as the little girl's smile widens. "I need to speak privately with your parents. Can you go to your room? You can play with your new toys. How about that?" She asks calmly and affectionately, causing Robin to wrinkle her nose feeling betrayed.
The little blonde is a bit hesitant, not really understanding what's going on, but upon seeing a slight nod from her mother towards the hallway, she timidly agrees, gathering as many gifts as she can in her arms before heading towards her room with a somewhat unsteady gait.
Silence settles in the living room until the sound of a door slamming is heard. Slowly, Stella turns to the two adults with a stern look.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions about your niece, Oran." The queen begins in an authoritative tone that makes the parents flinch. "I'm sure you're aware that I've banned any form of child abuse on this island. That includes neglect. I hope you're aware?" She asks as she feels Robin tighten her grip on her pants, staying well hidden from view.
The couple display different faces, shame and guilt for the man, indignation for the woman, distorting her puffy face.
"I don't know who told you such slander, but I can assure you that we treat Robin as well as our own daughter!" The mother declares in a completely offended and scandalized voice by such accusations. The fiery blue eyes turn to Oran, whose head is lowered and who obviously lacks the courage to deny his wife's words.
Stella hasn't reacted to this outburst and has scanned the living room until she finds herself facing the pile of gifts.
"If you treat Robin as well as you claim, why isn't she here to open her gifts? If, of course, she was given anything." She asks, feeling the child behind her curling up, apprehending the response.
Roji lets out an offended breath, placing her hand on her chest theatrically.
"How dare you? Your Majesty, with all the respect I owe you. I cannot let you say such a thing that would dishonor our promise to Olvia! We promised to take care of her daughter, and that's what we're doing! I don't know who put such an idea in your head."
Stella blinks slowly, unmoved by the almost shouting tone of the redhead.
"Then prove it to me. Where is Robin?" she asks in a detached tone.
Roji prevents her face from grimacing, and she straightens up with a haughty air.
"She's currently in her room. If she's not in the living room, it's simply because she's still asleep. But if you want to wake her up on this beautiful Christmas day, that's up to you." She finishes with a victorious smile, knowing that the queen doesn't like to upset a child and therefore won't disturb Robin's sleep.
Stella raises an eyebrow at this statement, sensing the emotional manipulation attempt that might have worked if Robin wasn't currently hiding under her cloak. Because she won't lie, her greatest weakness is children, whom she considers treasures and, above all, the future generation that will build tomorrow's world.
Suppressing the feeling of irritation that was beginning to swirl in her stomach at so much bad faith and manipulation, she crosses her arms and stares intensely at the woman.
"So, you confirm on your honor that Robin is currently in her room in perfect health?"
"Yes! I have nothing to reproach myself about concerning Robin. So, if you have nothing more to add, please leave. We were having a peaceful family time, and we would like to continue our day." Roji says with a hypocritical smile as Oran averts his gaze when Stella turns her attention to him.
Seeing that she won't get anything from the husband and that the woman is blatantly lying to her, she lets out a sigh.
"So... If I prove that you lied to me and neglected Robin, do you agree to risk being banned from the island?" she asks, seeing horror and then anger distort the mother's features.
"How dare you threaten to ban us from here? Have you even thought about Mizuira?! How traumatic it must be to have to leave her friends!" the woman cries out unabashedly. But Stella barely blinks at this aggression.
"We? I never said that Oran or your daughter would be banned from this island. So don't worry, Mizuira won't have to leave her friends." The queen replies with a mocking smile.
"W... What? But... But you don't have the right?!" Stella waves away these words with a dismissive gesture.
"It seems you've forgotten a little something, my dear Roji." her blue eyes become even more fiery. "You have no power on this island. Moreover, you have nothing to fear, right? It's not like you're really neglecting Robin, is it?" she finishes with a kind smile at the discomposed face in front of her, who tries to regain her composure as quickly as possible.
"I... Uh... Yes! Yes, that's true! We're taking good care of Robin, and we'll continue to do so until the end." The mother says, trying to calm her anxiety and appear relaxed in front of the queen, who nods at her words.
"Good. In that case, I won't stay any longer. But first..." She turns to Oran. "I'd like to say goodbye to Mizuira, can you take me to her room?" she says delicately, making sure to keep Robin hidden under her coat.
Somewhat surprised, the man nods before guiding the queen to his daughter's room at the end of the hallway, leaving his wife in the living room trying to calm down.
Inside the room, Mizuira can be heard singing a Christmas carol. Oran knocks on the door before opening it and peeking inside.
"Hello, sweetheart. Her Majesty wanted to say goodbye to you before leaving." He says excitedly, as the child abandons her toy on the floor in an energetic leap and rushes out of the room.
"Careful there! Watch out, young lady, you could fall and hurt yourself." Stella chuckles with a big amused smile, catching her before she collides with her. The child looks up at her, blushes, then steps back while stuttering apologies. The queen lets out a small laugh before placing her hand on the blonde head and reassuring her.
"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. I just came to say goodbye and wish you a good day and a good end of the year if we don't see each other again by then." Stella says in a calm and reassuring voice that immediately brings a smile to the little girl's face.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, I hope you have a good day too!"
"Thank you. How about going back to the living room to open the rest of your presents?" At this proposition, Mizuira eagerly agrees before rushing back to the living room, where her mother is still present.
Stella watches her go with a small smile, but when the child is out of sight and hearing range, her smile fades, and she turns to Oran, who immediately senses the change in atmosphere.
"Oran, I won't beat around the bush. You know your wife lied about Robin. My visit is to warn you and give you a chance to change things." She says gently, lifting her cloak to reveal Robin who is looking at her uncle with fear, while holding onto Stella's pants for emotional support. The father's eyes widen in surprise, he opens his mouth to say something but Stella cuts him off. "I found her last night, during the festivities, alone in the cold, without warm clothes. The fact that she managed to leave without you noticing all night leaves me somewhat perplexed. Do you have any idea about this mystery?" she asks sternly, squeezing the little hand that slipped into hers as a sign of support.
The man remains speechless for a few seconds, looking at the little girl hiding her face in the long white coat, unable to maintain eye contact with the adult.
Oran stammers out apologies, feeling increasingly ashamed. He never wanted to hurt his niece. He loves his sister very much and was delighted to take care of Robin. He had the idea of raising the two little girls together, like sisters. But he never had a strong temperament, allowing his wife to make more and more decisions without being able to oppose them. And here he is, because of his lack of reaction... He feels his throat tightening with shame and sadness rising in his body. He has no valid excuse to defend his wife's actions.
"I... I don't know what to say..." he finally says, lowering his head, his face full of shame and awaiting the sentence.
The queen looks at him sternly, but can't help softening her expression, as she understands that the man before her is of a gentle and loving nature. That's why she wants to give this family a chance to redeem themselves, as only the mother's behavior towards Robin is the problem.
"Lift your head. As I said, this is a warning. If you change things for Robin's sake, then nothing will happen." She says gently, looking at Robin with a soft smile while letting go of the little hand and resting it on the raven hair. "If you don't do it for Robin, do it at least for your wife and daughter." She finishes, looking at the man who stares at her with fear, but eventually nods.
"Understood, I promise that things will change from now on." He says, straightening up to show that he can be relied upon for this task.
The queen nods before kneeling in front of the child, who looks at her sadly. She doesn't want to be separated from Stella and left alone in this house. Stella notices her mood, but she must not intervene further in the child's life.
"Don't be sad, princess. If things go wrong, you can go talk to Clover if I'm not available for you." Robin looks at her with a sad and worried expression, not reassured by the woman's words, as she believes that talking to an adult won't change anything. Seeing that the little archaeologist is not reassured by her words, Stella thinks of something to make the child smile.
"Everything will be fine, we'll see each other soon, I promised to give you a Den Den Mushi after all, and you have to learn to take care of it properly first, right?" she asks with a mischievous smile that seems to have succeeded in dispelling Robin's worry. A beautiful smile responds to her, the blue eyes sparkling with excitement at this promise.
"Is it a promise?! Will you teach me how to take care of Aoi and Maru?"
"Of course! If you want, we can even start tomorrow." The child's smile widens even more, and she can't help but hop in the hallway under the benevolent gaze of the two adults. Oran has never seen Robin so happy with anyone else but Olvia. He is glad that his niece is opening up to other people.
Stella watches her with a gentle smile, but it's time for her to leave.
"I'll leave you to be with your family and enjoy this day." She looks at Oran. "I'm counting on you to watch and fix things." The man nods in response, then she refocuses on the child who looks at her with bright eyes. "As for us, we can meet at the library tomorrow afternoon. I think I'll have some time around 3 o'clock."
Robin beams with a big smile.
"Okay!"
"See you tomorrow, princess." Stella finishes with a wink before heading to the living room. Not surprisingly, she finds Mizuira in front of the rest of her gifts, all of which are already opened. A small frown forms on the queen's face when she realizes that not a single gift is still intact. They didn't even bother to buy her something. She suppresses the slight irritation rising in her throat and strides smoothly into the living room, drawing the attention of the two occupants.
The little blonde girl jumps in her direction with a big smile and a new doll in her arms.
"Are you leaving already?" she asks with a little pout. The queen smiles at the child's pout.
"Unfortunately, I have a lot to do, and I'm sure your parents have something planned for today." Mizuira looks at her sadly, but her mother comes to her side to prevent her from throwing a tantrum.
"Don't be sad, darling, Her Majesty is a very busy person, so be happy that she came to wish you a Merry Christmas." Says the mother in a reassuring but firm voice, preventing the little girl from crying and screaming out of a tantrum. The little girl shakes her head, ashamed, and hugs her doll tightly.
Stella nods to the child, indicating that she's behaving correctly, then looks at her mother, who is full of apprehension.
"It was a pleasure speaking with you, and I hope I didn't spoil your day." A flash of irritation passes through Roji's eyes, but she just smiles.
"Likewise, Your Majesty, your visit didn't cause us any trouble. You were only here to verify information that could have tarnished our reputation." The queen smiles at this attempt to maintain an image of propriety before turning to Oran and Robin, who remained at the entrance of the living room.
"And I certainly hope that this information remains false." She says, giving a meaningful look to the father. "Anyway, we'll meet again tomorrow at 3 o'clock, Robin." The little archaeologist smiles widely and nods energetically.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Stella chuckles tenderly at her good mood, then heads to the front door.
"In that case, I'll take my leave. And I wish you a good day."
"You too, Your Majesty." The whole family replies as the queen finally leaves the house.
A few seconds of silence pass, as if to check that Stella has really left. Mizuira wonders what's going on and gently pulls on her mother's hand.
"Mom? What's going on? Why are you silent?" The two adults look at each other and read in their eyes that a conversation will have to take place about what happened. But later, for now, they must continue with what they had planned, but with a change.
"We were thinking about what we were going to do today. Are you interested in ice skating?" Roji asks in a soft voice, trying to relax and get back into the Christmas spirit. Not surprisingly, Mizuira is thrilled to go skating, but Robin knows she will be left out again, as she is every year. However, a deep voice next to her surprises her completely.
"And you, Robin, do you want to come with us?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere that the child thought it was her imagination. "Robin? Are you okay?" Slowly, she lifts her head to look at her uncle, who is watching her with concern.
"I... Uh..."
"I'd like you to come with us, but if you don't want to, I'll totally understand." He finishes with a somewhat sad voice that it's too late to bond with his niece.
The future archaeologist remains still, completely shocked by what is happening right now. Is her uncle really inviting her to the Christmas festivities? With them? The whole family?
Robin swallows with apprehension and fear of ruining the chance that seems to be presenting itself to finally escape this lonely situation. Seconds tick by without her making a move.
Thinking that his niece doesn't want to come, Oran lets out a small sigh of disappointment, feeling that it's probably too late to rectify the mistakes he has allowed to happen. But to his surprise, he feels a small hand slip into his own and squeeze it hesitantly. Surprise registers on his face before a happy smile lights it up.
"I... I don't mind coming..." Oran smiles even more at this opportunity to make amends for his mistakes. He looks at his wife, and his smile fades a bit. Roji's face is neutral, although it reflects some irritation. She's not going to tell Robin to stay home, but she's not thrilled about her coming along either. But Oran is not going to back down and distance himself again. He looks at his niece with a gentle smile.
"That's great, you'll see, we'll have fun." He says reassuringly, encouraging Robin to relax and trust him. The child nods slowly and then looks at her aunt, grimacing as she sees the piercing gaze of the adult, but since she doesn't say anything, she considers it a small victory.
Everyone gets ready to go skating. Mizuira doesn't say much about Robin's presence among them, simply choosing to ignore her. The young archaeologist couldn't have asked for more: her uncle has always stayed by her side and patiently taught her how to put on skates and stand upright on the ice. She takes a few falls but has a great time. Afterwards, they went to a café and she had a hot chocolate.
The taste of chocolate reminds her of the Christmas Eve, how Stella took care of her and reassured her, and today she managed to improve her life with her family. Her admiration for this strong, powerful, and kind woman, a true guardian angel, only grows.
With a smile and a dinner at a restaurant, she falls asleep in her bed, looking forward to meeting Stella at the library.
But even though things have improved, she still feels her aunt's gaze on her. So she sticks to her routine and heads to the library once she's finished her breakfast. Wrapped in her coat, she quickly makes her way to the giant tree to avoid the cold from seeping into her clothes. The city is much livelier today than yesterday at this early hour. Passersby chat amongst themselves and go about their business, paying no attention to the seven-year-old girl.
A few minutes later, Robin pushes open the heavy door of the library and is immediately greeted by the librarian. A woman in her sixties fixes the child with her piercing green eyes behind crescent moon-shaped glasses. Her hair is still black, although a few white strands are visible. She stands about 1.70 meters tall and is slender, which isn't particularly intimidating at first glance, but her stern face is enough to keep everyone at a distance in this quiet and silent place. Even the queen avoids upsetting her.
Seeing that it's Robin who has entered, a barely perceptible smile appears on her stern face, softening it greatly.
"Oh, it's you Robin, always the first one here. If you arrive second, then something serious must have happened." She says in a joking tone, which is rare enough to note.
The girl smiles timidly at her and closes the door to protect herself from the cold.
"Hello, Mrs. Sagyo, did you have a merry Christmas?" She asks, opening her coat, as the warmth inside the tree is much higher than outside. A natural thermal system regulates the temperature inside the tree to prevent thermal shocks to the books.
"It went very well, thank you for asking. And you?" There's a certain coldness and hesitation in her voice, not directed towards Robin, but rather towards her family, who never seem to want her. But a glimmer of surprise appeared in her green eyes when the child's face lit up instead of closing off.
"I had a great Christmas!"
"Really?" She asks, surprised. Has this family finally done something positive for this promising child?
"Yes! I got to go ice skating and went to a restaurant!" Robin replies simply. She doesn't know yet if she can say she spent the evening with Stella. So she decides to keep quiet about it.
Sensing that the child wasn't going to elaborate on the subject, Sagyo simply nodded.
"I see, I'm glad for you." She finishes in a soft voice. Robin smiles broadly.
"Thank you!" Then she heads off between the tall bookshelves of the library to continue expanding her knowledge and finally take her archaeology exam. Her smile widens as she thinks about her mother and the adventures they will finally have together.
The hours pass by. She barely takes the time to have lunch before diving back into a huge book about a city submerged centuries ago. A shadow appears on the pages, catching her attention. When she recognizes the person in front of her, a big smile spreads across her face.
"Stella!" She carefully closes the book before jumping out of her chair and embracing the queen, who, very surprised by her gesture, doesn't dare to move. "Thank you, Stella! Thank you so much! Thank you! Thanks to you, my uncle invited me to their outing! I got to go ice skating yesterday!" She exclaims, her eyes shining.
Seeing the child's excitement and good mood, a feeling of warmth fills Stella's heart. It's to see children smile like this that she strives to build a better and safer world for them.
With care, she places her hand on the child's head and strokes her hair.
"I'm really happy to hear that, princess. And I hope it stays that way." Robin giggles with contentment before blushing and stepping back, realizing what she just did in the middle of the library.
A few curious eyes watch them, no doubt because of her outburst and the strange spectacle she just gave.
"Um... I..." Stella kneels down, smiling at her with amusement.
"Don't worry, princess. You haven't done anything wrong. Why don't we go to my place and get away from all these curious eyes?" She says playfully, winking at her.
The child smiles again, nodding, and follows the queen out of the library after putting away the book she had been reading for hours. She admits that sitting in a chair has made her muscles a bit stiff, so a little physical activity wouldn't hurt.
With this warm thought, she follows Stella home, already bombarding her with questions about the Den Den Mushi. The Queen answers all her questions with undisguised enthusiasm and educates her a little more with each passing second.
The hours that follow are both fun and instructive for Robin. She learns to handle the Den Den properly, to feed them, to know the different species and their specialties, the geographical areas where they can be found, to put on and use the different transponders. But it's the interaction with Aoi and Maru that has been the most pleasant and enjoyable.
Although the two babies are only a few days old, they are already mischievous and talkative. Robin couldn't help but pout and feel a tug at her chest as the learning time came to an end.
Robin places the two Den Den in the vivarium with a pout, clearly disappointed that she can't stay longer.
Seeing the child's puffed cheeks and slightly angry eyes, Stella raises an eyebrow at the petulant face she has never seen on Robin before. But unlike annoyance or irritation, Stella feels an immense sense of gratification.
This little girl, so withdrawn and detached from the outside world, is slowly but surely opening up to others. And this tantrum shows how much the child trusts her and feels comfortable with her.
"Don't pout, princess. I haven't taught you everything about Den Den yet, and it would be mean of me to keep you from seeing Aoi and Maru as often as possible. Especially since they like you a lot and they'll yell at me if they never see you again." Stella chuckles as Robin blushes at her little tantrum. But her eyes light up again.
"So... does that mean I'll see them again soon?"
"Of course you'll see them again! Not before New Year's, but how about January 2nd, if you want..." Asks the woman, seeing a flicker of disappointment and then excitement in the blue eyes.
"Sure! I can't wait!" She turns to the vivarium where Aoi and Maru are watching them through the glass. "We'll meet again in a few days! Eat well and don't get into trouble, okay?" The two Den Den smile at her, nodding eagerly because they too want to see the little girl again.
Stella watches them tenderly, happy to have offered to take care of the two newborns. At first, she thought of giving away only one, but now she might have to give away both. This thought makes her laugh before inviting Robin to go home.
With a big smile and a warm goodbye, the child leaves the house, happily walking in the snow.
The following days pass by quietly, without a cloud in the sky. Her family invites her to various activities, and her uncle always ensures she feels included, despite her aunt's sharp glances behind her back. But if New Year's Eve is supposed to be a joyful day, for Robin, it marks the beginning of a loneliness she never thought she could feel.
Her feet run through the snow, her breath short, her eyes trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. Her foot hits a stone hidden under the snow, and she falls flat on her face in the fresh snow. She bites her lip to stifle the pain from the impact.
People around her watch her fall heavily, and someone approaches her to ask if she's okay, but Robin doesn't hear them over the blood pounding in her ears and the sentence echoing in her head since she overheard a conversation between two adults.
They're lying... They're lying... It's not true!
Ignoring the onlookers who had come to help her, she jumps up and continues her frantic run towards the port.
Please! Please! Let it not be too late! Please!
The sea quickly comes into her view, along with the port where a small crowd is visible.
Her feet quicken their pace even more, the air barely seems to enter her lungs as she finally reaches the vicinity of the group. Frantically, she looks around for white hair. But her eyes fall on a small ship drifting further and further towards the horizon.
No... No... No! Why?! Why?!
Fatigue takes its toll, and she lets her tears flow freely down her cheeks. If only she were faster.
"Robin? What are you doing here?" The crying child looks up to see Professor Clover looking at her with surprise, then concern. "Why are you crying? Did something happen to you?" He asks with concern, approaching a little closer, examining the child closely for any signs of injury.
Robin rubs her eyes to wipe away the tears, but she can't stop.
"Is it true that Stella is gone?" She manages to say between sobs.
The professor furrows his brow at Robin's sudden behavior. Indeed, it's the first time she's expressed such sadness at the queen's departure. Usually, she's just a little quieter and studious when her majesty is absent, but never to the point of crying.
"Come now, Robin. Why are you crying? It's not like she's leaving indefinitely. She'll be back soon. If all goes well, she'll be back next week."
"And... what if things don't go well?" She asks in a small voice. Clover gives her a reassuring smile.
"Then she'll take more time. There really is no reason to cry." Robin nods meekly, thinking about the meeting that will take place in two days.
"Um... Did Stel- Um... Her Majesty say anything specific about me?" The man looks at her curiously before remembering something.
"I may have something for you, indeed." He rummages in his jacket and pulls out a stack of letters. Conscientiously, he looks through the recipients one by one until he pulls out a letter from the pile. "I found it!" With a reassuring smile, he hands her an envelope with her name on it. "You must be important to her majesty if she took the time to write to you despite the little time she had to prepare." Robin delicately takes the letter, furrowing her brow.
"What do you mean by that?" Clover strokes his long beard.
"Her Majesty received an urgent call barely an hour ago, which barely left her time to write her instructions in her letters and leave."
The young archaeologist rubs the corners of her eyes as a feeling of relief washes over her. Stella hasn't abandoned her, nor forgotten her, she's just been called urgently. She looks at the letter, wondering if she can open it now or not.
"I see... Thank you." She says in a small voice, smiling gently at her mentor. Clover nods, happy to have been able to help the little girl.
"Don't mention it. Go on, I'm sure you're eager to read its contents." He replies with a hint of mischief.
Robin quickly walks away, thanking the man once again, then heads to the library, which is open on this festive day. Discreetly, she returns to her reading corner and opens the envelope to find a letter and an intricately crafted key.
Dear princess,
When you read these lines, you will probably be confused, both by the letter and by the key in the envelope.
Their presence is simple, I promised you that we would have a lesson on Den Den and we will.
You may have guessed it, but this key is the key to my house, so don't lose it! You have no idea how complicated it is to make duplicates.
Your lesson will be to use the transponder phone and call me at this number : XXXX
Call around 3 pm, I should answer if everything goes well.
I apologize again for not being able to be with you directly, but I was caught off guard and couldn't wait any longer.
I also entrust you with the task of feeding and looking after my Den Den. Feeding them once a week is sufficient. If it seems too complicated, ask Clover for help, he usually takes care of the snails.
Otherwise, I don't know when I'll be back. If everything goes well, I should be back next week, otherwise it could take much longer, even a few months.
Don't be sad about my absence, we can still talk in the worst case scenario. By the way, I heard you're going to take your archaeology exam in the fall. Do you realize how extraordinary that is? I'm sure no other child your age can get such a prestigious diploma!
You have your whole life ahead of you and a bright future.
I'm sure your mother will be very proud of you and that you two can go on adventures together!
So don't give up and keep doing what you love!
And I hope we'll see each other again soon.
I wish you a happy new year and lots of success.
See you soon.
Stella Star.
Tears stream down Robin's cheeks, but a smile forms on her lips. Stella hasn't forgotten her; in fact, she fully trusts her ability to take care of her Den Den and to get her diploma. A feeling of gratitude and warmth blooms in her chest.
It's true, she'll get her diploma in the spring. She's looking forward to it, but she's a bit nervous about failing and having to wait another year. But she has full confidence in her abilities, and besides, she can now read poneglyphs. It's a secret, as she wants to surprise her mother when she returns from her expedition.
She can't wait for her mother to come back and take her around the world. At any rate, that's her dream: to discover the history of the Void Century with her mother. What a beautiful dream! And she'll do anything to make it come true, even if it means becoming an outlaw.