When the door to Olga Marie's room opened, she was sitting at her desk, reviewing a stack of documents.
Most Magi weren't particularly compatible with modern equipment, and Olga Marie was no exception. As a result, the materials she worked through were almost all paper files.
"Thinking of getting back to work already?" Shiomi asked.
It had been a full month since Olga Marie had shut herself away in her room. As promised, Shiomi had come to see her every day, always bringing meals he had cooked himself.
At first, Olga Marie hadn't touched them at all. Then she started taking a few bites. After that, she managed to eat about half. Now, she could almost finish everything Shiomi brought her.
The return of her appetite was a sign that both her body and mind were recovering. It wouldn't be long before she could resume her duties as Director.
"I'm looking over Mash's records…" Olga Marie said. She was already used to Shiomi coming and going from her room. "About her situation—"
"I didn't expect there to be complications with the Heroic Spirit Summoning. I only heard about it from Romani," Shiomi said, setting the tray down and bracing one hand on the desk. "According to him, the moment the summoning was completed, the soul of Heroic Spirit No. 2 manifested within Mash and attacked the staff on site with extreme violence."
"…If that wasn't Mash's own will, after she became a Pseudo-Servant…" Olga Marie's fingers tightened unconsciously around the paper, leaving creases behind.
"It was probably the doing of that Heroic Spirit whose name we don't even know," Shiomi continued. "Just like you sensed, that Spirit was likely someone quite noble. Upon descending, they learned of Mash's circumstances and decided to pass judgment on Chaldea."
Then Shiomi relaxed his tone. "But don't worry. At the very least, Mash herself won't be treated that way. According to Romani, who was there at the time, Mash acted of her own will and stopped the second Heroic Spirit's rampage."
"Mash…" Olga Marie murmured, troubled as she considered how she should face her.
"That child was born in a test tube, without normal growth or education. All her knowledge was directly input through SHEBA," Shiomi said. "In the end, she's an infant in the purest sense, so pure that she doesn't even possess malice."
Olga Marie set the documents aside and looked up at Shiomi with a questioning gaze, only to realize how close he was, leaning in to look at the papers as well. Her heart skipped a beat.
After Marisbury's sudden death, her mind had been in complete turmoil when she arrived at Chaldea. All she could think about was smoothly taking over her father's legacy. She hadn't taken the time to properly look at the people around her.
Despite having two daughters who were several years older than her, Tenkei Shiomi didn't seem old or rigid at all.
The consideration and tolerance of someone older, combined with the approachability of a peer. Two qualities that shouldn't coexist, yet somehow both were present in him.
…And on top of that, he was handsome.
She leaned back in her chair, putting some distance between them and changing the subject. "So… how should I treat Mash?"
"That's something only you can decide," Shiomi replied, shaking his head. "She was born in Chaldea, born from the Animusphere family's long-cherished wish. Sooner or later, you'll have to face her."
"I see…"
Shiomi stood up from the desk, walked to the side, pulled over another chair, and sat down.
"Let me tell you a short story. Once, there was a baby girl. Her biological father was someone who was born unable to feel the happiness of ordinary people, someone who took pleasure in the misfortune of others. Unfortunately, she inherited that trait too, unable to resonate with the joys and sorrows of normal people. But unlike her father, who went astray, she didn't become a villain. Instead, she chose to fill the emptiness in her heart with the love she received, and grew into a good girl her family could be proud of."
Shiomi told Caren's story in the simplest terms, leaving out her name.
"You mentioned her biological father just now. So that girl was raised by her adoptive father?" Olga Marie asked.
"Yes. When she was four or five, her biological father realized his own nature and decided to give in to his desires and become a villain. But her adoptive father didn't see her as a potential villain because of that. He did everything he could to raise her into an adult who could live her life properly."
As Shiomi said this, he felt a faint itch along his back.
He really didn't want to come across as boasting about this.
Even if the person Caren had become truly couldn't be separated from his guidance.
"That person… no, that girl. Do you know her, Teacher?" Olga Marie was sharp. She picked up on it immediately, even though it wasn't something an outsider should be able to tell. If it were just a story picked up secondhand, it wouldn't have been convincing at all.
"Well…" Shiomi shrugged awkwardly, neither confirming nor denying it.
"…" Seeing that Shiomi clearly didn't want to elaborate, Olga Marie didn't pursue the details any further. She already understood what he was trying to say.
"I'll give it some serious thought," Olga Marie said, brushing aside her slightly disheveled hair and speaking earnestly.
Shiomi nodded in silence, then gestured toward the tray with the meal.
"It's already time to eat. Let's eat first. You'll think better with a full stomach."
"Mm…" Olga Marie looked at the food in the bowls on the tray. "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to go out of your way to cook for me anymore."
"Why? Is it still not to your taste?"
"No. I've decided to return to my duties as Director starting tomorrow," Olga Marie said, shaking her head, her face reddening slightly. "And you already have so much on your plate. On top of that, you've been making time to cook for me…"
She was honestly surprised that Shiomi's cooking was this good.
"You're worrying too much. Our family isn't used to Chaldea's food either, so we always borrow the kitchen and cook for ourselves," Shiomi said, smiling once he understood her reasoning. "Whatever we eat, you eat too. So don't worry about it. It's just the difference between cooking a bit more or a bit less."
"Is that so…" Olga Marie said, clearly taken aback.
"Since you're not planning to stay holed up in your room anymore, you're also welcome to come eat with us whenever you have time," Shiomi added. "How you decide is entirely up to you. Just don't force yourself."
"Okay."
Olga Marie hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"One last question. If I leave now, will you be able to take the finished dishes to the kitchen and wash them yourself later?" Shiomi asked.
"Probably… not…" she replied, shaking her head, her hair already a mess.
Shiomi immediately realized how poorly chosen that question had been. He laughed it off and let the matter slide.
...
The following day, the Director of Chaldea, who had locked herself in her room for an entire month without appearing once, finally showed herself before everyone again. Slowly but steadily, she began taking over all the responsibilities left behind by the previous Director, Marisbury.
Among them, the most important was this: when Romani sought to secure standard Chaldea staff treatment for Mash, he encountered no opposition at all. Olga Marie approved it without hesitation.