Zenos came out of the examination room and took in the sight of the dining table. “Whoa! What’s with the luxurious feast?”

“Aw, stop,” Liz said coyly. “I just used what we already had. Come, Lily, join us.”

Lily peeked out from the kitchen, looking apologetic. “Um, I haven’t finished making my first dish yet...”

“Ah, really? Oh, but it’d be such a waste to let it get cold. Maybe just eat for now?”

“O-Okay.” Lily took a seat at the dinner table and took a bite of her food. “It’s so good!”

“Really? I’m so glad,” Liz said, putting on a relieved expression before turning to Zenos. “By the way, Zenos, I still can’t remember anything from after the orphanage, but I’m starting to remember a lot of things from our time there.”

“Really? That’s heartening,” Zenos replied.

“We were always so hungry we used to sneak out to the mountains to pick berries, remember?”

“Yeah. That sure was...a time.”

“Remember the hidden cave with a spring? We used to go swimming there sometimes.”

“That spring was a lifesaver, since there was no bath in the orphanage.”

“Marcus almost drowned one time.”

“Oh yeah! He saw this unusual shellfish at the bottom of the spring and wanted to grab it to eat.”

“Yes! He got his leg caught in some seaweed, but still wouldn’t let the shellfish go.”

“And in the end it was just a plain old rock. Classic Marcus.”

“Absolutely.” Liz covered her mouth and giggled softly. “Velitra hated water and refused to go in.”

“Yeah, Velitra had an odd quirk or two, that’s for sure.”

Lily ate her meal in silence as the other two reminisced.

Eventually, as the night deepened and all the plates were empty, Lily picked up the dishes and headed to the kitchen, overhearing the rest of their conversation.

“That was delicious, Liz,” Zenos said. “Thanks.”

“It was nothing,” Liz replied. “If you’d like, I can cook every day.”

“Oh...” In the kitchen, Lily’s shoulders slumped. The dish she’d been making had grown completely cold, abandoned in a corner. Silently, she moved to tilt the plate over the trash can, but Zenos stopped her.

“Wait. Isn’t that the stew you always make?” he asked.

“Oh, um, yeah. I was in the middle of making it, but it’s already—”

“Don’t throw it away. That’d be a waste.”

“B-But it’s cold now.”

“So what if it is? Back at the orphanage, even stale bread was a feast.” Zenos took the plate from Lily and gave the stew a taste. “See? Delicious.”

“It’s not,” Lily protested. “Compared to what Liz made...”

“Liz’s cooking was surprisingly good, yeah. But your cooking tastes comforting. Maybe because I’m always eating it.”

“Zenos...”

“Hmm? Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”

“I-I’m not!” Lily wiped her face and smiled. “Next time, I’ll make you something warm, okay?”

Watching from behind the wall, Liz bit down on her thumbnail sharply. “Why? My plan was perfect...”

***

A translucent woman further observed the developments from the second floor.

“I see,” she remarked. “First she breaks the girl’s spirit by showcasing how overwhelmingly superior her domestic skills are. Not stopping there, she goes on to reminisce about shared childhood memories that the girl cannot intrude upon, keeping her opponent out while emphasizing her bond with her target. A classic assertion-of-dominance strategy, masterfully executed.”

Carmilla was, admittedly, impressed.

“However, despite how short her time with Zenos has been, Lily’s bond with him is by no means weaker. After all, she has shared in both the hardships and joys of his life since the clinic’s inception. Securing the position of number one will not be quite so simple, dear childhood friend. Hee hee hee...”

The wraith’s lips curled up into a smile for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed.

“Nevertheless, this childhood friend’s tactics are crossing a line. I avoid interfering with the matters of the living on principle, but it might be appropriate to curse her to, say, have nightmares about a headless woman during her stay here.” After mumbling what sounded like a spell, Carmilla rubbed her shapely chin. “Still, I sense a certain desperation in her. Perhaps she is in some sort of pressing situation? Regardless, she does not seem to be the type to give up easily. What shall her trump card be, I wonder?”

And when that time came, what choice would the healer at the center of this circle of women make?

“Stay tuned...” echoed her creepy voice throughout the second floor.

***

It had been overcast since morning, the gloomy sky extending overhead.

Lily, with her hands on her cheeks at the reception desk, looked out the window at the gray clouds and said, “Hey, Zenos. I wonder what’s up with Zophia and the others.”

Zenos looked up from an old medical journal he’d gotten from the black market. “What do you mean?”

“It’s been a week since they last came to the clinic. This never happens...”

“That explains why things have been so quiet and peaceful.”

“Really, Zenos? You’re not worried?” the young elf asked anxiously.