Days passed by with their relationship continuing like that. Not strangers, but not a couple, either. Slowly, Chiaki accepted that as her new routine.
Waking up without Lance because he was already holding court, having breakfast - lunch - dinner alone because either he had left or he just skipped it, doing her tasks cleaning out the house alone because she didn't want the servants to busy themselves while she did nothing.
Chiaki couldn't hold it sometimes. She wanted to talk to someone, but Poplar and Sea seemed afraid of her. It wasn't due to her scars, she supposed, because the last time she checked herself in the mirror, all had faded. She had no remaining scars left, it had been almost two months since the battle.