She parted her lips slightly in disbelief, momentarily wondering if her desire to see Silverbloom had conjured a hallucination before her eyes.
“Roland? I heard you were looking for me?”
Silverbloom’s words, however, pulled her back to reality. She fumbled, stammering in response, so nervous she didn’t know how to stand.
Though her own sister was also a council member, seeing her sister was entirely different from meeting other hero-rank council members, especially one as revered as Silverbloom.
And from Silverbloom’s words, it seemed she had only come to meet her after learning Roland was looking for her. This thought amplified Roland’s nervousness even further.
“Please, sit.”
Silverbloom spoke calmly. Roland, stiffening, sat on the sofa, her posture rigidly upright.
Sharlene noticed her tension and couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh, observing her with keen interest.
“Is there something you need?” Silverbloom inquired.
At the mention of her purpose, Roland’s attention shifted, and she instinctively relaxed significantly.
“As Chiling’s teammate, I wanted to ask, do you know what Chiling likes?”
“Don’t you dislike her? Why would you ask that?” Silverbloom seemed perplexed.
“Does Silverbloom also know about our relationship?”
“Yes, she often spoke of you to me.”
Roland’s gaze darkened. She could easily imagine how Chiling must have described her to Silverbloom: rebellious, ill-behaved, annoying… As a child, her dislike for Chiling often led her to do things that angered her sister, so she wasn’t surprised by such an assessment.
But for Silverbloom to know about their fractured relationship—was that truly a good thing? Roland deeply admired Silverbloom.
Yet, Silverbloom’s next words were the complete opposite of what she had expected.
“She always said you were very cute, that you managed to live well despite your young age. She also constantly blamed herself, saying she hadn’t taken good care of you…”
‘Chiling would say such things?!’
Her heart stirred, but Roland let out a cold snort. “Who needs her feigned concern?”
“If she truly felt remorse, why didn’t she come back when Mother passed away? Why did she only rush back for a quick glance before leaving again?”
“Does she even know that before Mother died, her last murmurs were of Chiling’s name?!”
Recalling those past scenes, a surge of anger made her speak with increasing fervor, completely forgetting her earlier nervousness.
She still remembered it vividly: her mother, on her deathbed, struggling to call Chiling’s name. Roland sat by the bed, holding her mother’s gradually chilling hand, eagerly awaiting her sister’s return.
But Chiling never came back before their mother passed.
Seeing her so enraged, Silverbloom quickly stood, bowing deeply as she apologized. “I’m sorry.”
This startled Roland, who asked, “Silverbloom, why are you apologizing?”
“She wanted to rush back immediately at the time, but I was the one who told her not to. I simply couldn’t manage without her; I was too selfish…”
Silverbloom’s long silver hair fell from her ears, obscuring her face. Her expression was unreadable, but even Sharlene, who didn’t know the full story, could feel the immense guilt in her words.
Roland was momentarily speechless.
“You…”
“I’m sorry… If you must hate someone, hate me. Chiling wasn’t trying to avoid returning…”
Silverbloom straightened, one hand gently pressing against her chest, her gaze unfocused. A blush crept up her cheeks, as if she were utterly ashamed.
Seeing her in such a state, Roland blinked, then couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
This left Silverbloom momentarily stunned.
“Don’t pretend, Silverbloom. I actually know everything.”
Roland’s nervousness in front of Silverbloom had completely vanished. She offered a gentle smile, then continued, “If she had returned then, you would have sacrificed yourself, wouldn’t you?”
“Eh?”
“I learned long ago what happened back then. She stayed behind herself, for that city. You, at the time, actually urged her to return, didn’t you?”
Upon realizing Roland had long known about the past events, Silverbloom’s pupils slightly unfocused. A blush then spread from her pretty face down to her neck, and she involuntarily stumbled backward, sinking back onto the sofa.
Now, she felt like… like a clown!
How utterly mortifying!
“It’s not that she didn’t miss Mother; it’s that her identity as a hero made it impossible for her to fully care for her family. I didn’t understand this before, but after becoming a hero myself, I finally comprehended.”
“She safeguards everyone with her life. What right do I have to blame her? Even Mother never blamed my sister; she always considered her her pride.”
“Even if my sister didn’t return to see her one last time before she passed, Mother must have felt the same way, right?”
In the past, Roland hadn’t understood why her sister didn’t come home, or why she was always so busy. But after becoming a hero herself, the responsibilities of a hero made it impossible for her to continue harboring resentment.
Even if her sister had neglected their family, she was still a true hero.
Silverbloom hadn’t anticipated that Roland had already come to terms with everything. She covered her burning cheeks and quietly asked, “Then why did you say all those things earlier…”
“I’ve hated her for a long time, and I can’t forgive her that easily… Otherwise, why would I be asking what she likes?”
Yet, this did not mean she had forgiven Chiling for her indifference toward their family. The painful days Roland had endured alone after their mother’s death felt as vivid as yesterday. If Chiling had spent more time with her back then, things would have been much easier.
Watching Silverbloom, who was covering her face in embarrassment, Roland felt for the first time that this former strongest hero could actually be so adorable.
Subsequently, a rather impious thought of teasing her unexpectedly arose.
“Silverbloom, were you trying to take all the blame yourself, just so I wouldn’t hate my sister?”
Silverbloom could no longer endure Roland’s gaze. Hastily leaving a single sentence, she opened the office window and leaped from the second floor!
“She, she likes romantic paper cranes! Go prepare them yourself!”
“Huh? Don’t go, Senior! I still don’t know how to meet her!”
Roland rushed to the window, leaning on the sill with both hands, shouting loudly. Unfortunately, the wind chimes of a passing carriage rattled, and Silverbloom’s figure had already vanished.
Completely unlike the revered senior she had imagined, Silverbloom felt more like a kind older sister from next door, occasionally prone to a bit of silliness.
“Silverbloom is so cute and gentle,” she said with a smile, to herself.
“Of course. You have no idea what kind of pressure she endured just to come to the guild to see you.”
Roland elegantly crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair as she picked up her warm tea and took a sip.
“If your sister found out, she’d be dragged away immediately!”