Chapter 318: My Little Star

"Mother! Father!"

Nura cheerfully called out.

"Sweetie!"

"Nura..."

Her mother opened her arms, and Nura ran into them without hesitation. The two embraced warmly, while her father stood nearby with a satisfied nod.

"You came again today!" Nura said, looking up with bright eyes.

"Of course. We missed you," her mother replied, brushing a strand of hair from Nura’s face. "How are your studies? Are you eating well?"

"Yes, yes, everything is fine. You worry too much." Nura laughed.

Her father stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep working hard."

"I will, Father."

They talked for a while longer, the conversation light and warm. But eventually, it was time to go.

"Don’t forget about our appointment." Her father said, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness beneath the warmth. "I really want to treat you to a proper meal before we leave the city. It’s been too long since we’ve eaten together as a family, too."

Nura’s eyes lit up again. "I won’t forget. I promise!"

"Good." Her father smiled and playfully ruffled her hair. "I also promise to buy you anything you want!"

"Hehe, then I will order the most expensive thing on the menu," Nura teased. "You can’t complain later."

"I wouldn’t dare." Her father chuckled.

Her mother watched the exchange with a faint smile, though her eyes held something unreadable. "We really should go now."

Nura nodded and hugged her mother one last time. "See you later~."

"See you later, sweetie."

With that, they parted ways. Nura watched as they left, her fists clenched slightly. She then turned to her personal maid. "Sister Grace, can you bring a meal from outside again? I wanna eat something sweet."

The maid nodded. "I’ll be back as soon as possible."

"Thank you! And remember to buy ice cream too!"

"As you wish." She bowed and walked away, leaving Nura alone. Nura watched her leave and slowly made her way back to her room. Her steps were unhurried, a smile playing on her lips. But...

As soon as she stepped inside and the door clicked shut behind her, the smile vanished.

"Huf..." She took a deep breath and opened her fists, staring at her palms. The reddish marks lingered on her skin, faint but unmistakable. She fell silent, her expression turning complex.

It was because these reddish marks came from her mother’s hair. She had run her fingers through it when they hugged, and the faint residue of dye had stained her skin. She had used a special spell she learned from a friend to confirm it, and the results were clear as day.

’...She...’ She muttered inwardly. ’Is she really my mother?’

That single doubt, buried deep for so long, now began to surface.

The mother in her memories always had red hair. She was sure of that. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember her face clearly. It was always blurred, like a portrait left out in the rain.

She had tried to sharpen that image, to recall the warmth of her smile and the exact shade of her eyes. But every time she reached for it, every time her face began to take shape in her mind, it would blur and slip away, leaving behind only a vague silhouette and a faint sense of longing.

And now... this woman who claimed to be her mother had dyed hair.

’...’

It could be a coincidence since many people dyed their hair. Perhaps she used to dye her hair back then too, and now she was just doing the same or was covering up her graying hair.

But... the doubt had already planted itself, and it refused to be uprooted. Because that wasn’t the only thing that felt wrong.

Her mother used to call her ’my little star.’ Not ’sweetie’ or ’dear’. In all of the memories she could recall, it was always ’my little star’.

Nura had told herself it was a childish thing to cling to, a pet name that didn’t prove anything. But the woman who visited her today had never once called her that. Logically, to help her remember, her mother should have used it, right?

But more than the name, it was the absence of something else that bothered her. She didn’t feel any connection with this woman. It was hard to describe, but something felt missing.

Sure, she sounded and acted like her real mother, and Nura really felt happy when she was with her. However, that happiness never truly reached her heart. It stayed on the surface, like a reflection on water. When they parted, it faded quickly, leaving behind a strange emptiness she couldn’t explain.

She wanted to believe it was because of her lost memories. That the connection would return in time if she just kept meeting her. But it hadn’t. If anything, the distance between them only seemed to grow with each visit.

What frustrated her even more was that her father was the same as in her memories. She couldn’t remember every detail, but what she did remember matched the man who visited her today. His face, his voice, and his stern personality.

So why wasn’t it the same with her mother?

...Who was her mother? Was she overthinking? Or was this mother her father’s new wife? If so, what happened to her real mother?

’...’ She sank to the floor, her back against the door, her mind spinning in circles. The questions kept coming, each one heavier than the last. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms, her breath coming out in short, uneven bursts.

She snapped out of her thoughts only after she heard a knock on the door.

She quickly wiped her face and forced herself to stand. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed down her clothes and opened the door.

Standing there was a girl with short purple hair and a sweet smile on her face. "Hello, Nura! I was just heading to the cafeteria. Want to eat lunch together?"

Nura’s expression turned awkward as she shook her head. "Ah... sorry, Sister Grace already went to get me something."

"Oh." The girl’s smile faltered slightly, but she nodded in understanding. "That’s fine. Maybe next time then."

"...Wait!" Nura called out just as the girl took her third step. "Actually... do you want to eat with me instead? I’ll tell Sister Grace to add another portion on the way."

The girl’s eyes lit up. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Mm." Nura nodded. "Just consider it a thank you for the spell you taught me. It... really came in handy."