The Node of Fate - I
The lord and lady of Hydral Manor, currently residing in the alchemical fortress soaring ten thousand meters above the imperial capital, leave only the future Hydral and his pact head to grace the garden's tea table.
Meanwhile, Miss Seraphina, who boasts the combined powers of two pact heads and considers herself the preeminent among them, sits cross-legged on her chair, her puffed-up demeanor oddly endearing, tempting one to pinch her cheeks in affection.
Across from her, a delicate and charming girl sips her tea with a calm that, while not particularly graceful or serene, possesses a straightforward elegance that is uniquely captivating.
—If only she weren't seated in Ansel's lap.
Behind Ansel, Marlina watches her sister, who seems to be grinding her teeth, with a helpless, silent sigh, then gazes with enviable admiration at… Miss Helen, in Ansel's embrace.
She is to be Ansel of Hydral's second, oh, to be precise, third pact head.