Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 2===

Dinner that night consisted of potato and bacon stew, walnut bread, boiled eggs and pheasant roasted until its skin was crisp. Dessert was Claire's favorite peach tart.

There was no need to reminisce about former dinners eaten in the Elstein castle. Although this meal was very simple, to Claire, her mother's cooking was more delicious than anything in the world.

Sitting around the table in the room, there were too many things to talk about after being separated for four years.

Life in the prep school, enrolling in Areishia Spirit Academy, entering the Blade Dance, also about Kamito&mdash;

"Eating canned food all the time is not good for your health."

Her mother reminded with care and concern.

"I-I've already started cooking recently."

Claire puffed out her chest proudly.

"...Really? In a previous letter, you even said there was a boy who cooked for you&mdash;"

"Y-Yeah, that's&mdash;"

Claire's gaze began to wander and she mumbled her words.

"Or perhaps, you mean you're cooking particularly for that Kamito child?"

"...Hmm?"

Duke Elstein seemed to catch on to a sensitive topic.

"N-No way. Why on earth would I cook particularly for him&mdash;"

Blushing red, Claire shook her head vigorously.

"Is that so...?"

"K-Kamito is just a slave... And a teammate, that's all! Anyway, putting that aside&mdash;"

Claire coughed lightly, hastily changing the subject.

"I met Ren Ashbell in this time's Blade Dance."

"...Ohoh, the girl who placated the Fire Elemental Lord's wrath."

"Yeah... I worship her very much. This time, I finally got to meet her."

With great fervor, Claire kept telling her parents about her(him). Not the Strongest Blade Dancer she idolized from three years ago but the Ren Ashbell who had fought alongside her as a teammate.

"She(he) is stronger and kinder than anyone. A very gallant person&mdash;"

Only when talking about Ren Ashbell was she the most able to express the feelings in her heart with honesty and forthrightness.

(W-What should I do, these feelings in my heart are suddenly surging forth...)

In the middle of the conversation, noticing her feelings towards Kamito, Claire's face went fiery hot.

Even so, she still continued to talk about her(his) deeds...

These feelings, suppressed for such a long time, flowed out in a torrent.

(...So these are my true feelings huh?)

Claire pressed hard against her chest.

...These were the true feelings she was unable to convey to Kamito's face.

The feelings that she had always kept buried in the bottom of her heart ever since their first encounter by the spring in the Spirit Forest.

"When I was alone, she(he) reached out to me..."

Indeed, Kamito had always stayed by Claire's side.

Protecting Claire.

"...She(he) is the one I love."

Claire blushed to her ears.

"Is that so&mdash;?"

Smiling, her mother caressed Claire's scorching hair.

"...You've made very good friends, I see."

"Y-Yes!"

After having dinner, Claire went to sleep, squeezing onto the same bed as her mother.

Like when she was young, Claire hugged her mother's arm.

She had been hesitant whether she should tell her parents about her sister. But if she did that, it would involve the matter of the Elemental Lords going insane. About the Otherworldly Darkness eating away at this world, the water elemental lord had forbid them to tell anyone else.

(...Mother, I will surely bring Nee-sama back.)

Held in her mother's arms, Claire secretly steeled her determination.