ghost

And only Suzuran could make us, or anyone, believe this was genuine passion and concern.

Specter wouldn't be familiar with this, the holiday gift exchange... and has no way of preparing in time.

Do you feel sorry for Suzuran?

I'm just...

To be clear, I didn't say what I just said for the fun of it.

Come the time, I'll have Suzuran give the sewn-up present over to me, and I'll think of some way to have Specter receive it.

But if we allow Dr. Kal'tsit to find out about this—

Didn't you just say? For Suzuran's sake, you wouldn't balk at using a little 'tiny bit of prerogative.'

To be factual, it's for Specter's sake as well.

How will she respond when she receives this gift...? That should have some experimental value, no?

But still... I have this feeling, the one apologizing to Dr. Kal'tsit in the end's going to be me!

Well, it certainly won't be me—

Twenty days later...

Mmn...

(Yawn—)

It's already morning. My coat... phew, alright!

Today I need to go to Folinic's for a health checkup, I need to find Kal'tsit for tutoring... ah, and there's a tea party and a tailoring expert giving lessons this afternoon. I need to keep my spirits up all day.

If I start learning how to sew in earnest now, maybe one day I could become just like Aosta, able to make presents everyone will love.

Hehe. I've already given Dr. Warfarin the doll I asked him to make so she could pass it on to Specter for Christmas.

Dr. Warfarin said Specter probably doesn't know who signed her up to the gift exchange, but when she got her present, her state seemed to improve a bit.

Ah, Christmas was already six days ago... it was so much fun, I'm still giddy even now.

I hope Specter got to enjoy some Christmasy feeling too.

After she gets better, I wonder if we'll have the chance to chat, and eat together, hehe...

Alright, I need my schoolbag, schoolbag...

Huh?

What's this gift box on the table...? This wasn't here last night, was it?

C-Could it be there were too many people to give gifts to, and Father Christmas missed a gift by mistake—

Wow.

This is...

'A present from the abyssal deep sea'...

It's a music box!