While Nadia was utterly confused about what he was trying to say, Mika went on to say with a nostalgic look in his eyes.
"You're the one, who taught that if we want world peace—if we want a world where harmony exists with no fighting—the first aspect of it is making sure that the people who exist there feel equal amongst themselves."
He leaned back on the bench, looking up at the stars.
"No matter what race they belong to. No matter what realm they ca from. No matter what color of skin they had."
"In the world that exists today, if you want peace..."
"...you have to make sure that everyone feels equal."
His voice softened.
"You drilled that into , Nadia. Over and over."
"Equality. Respect. Seeing everyone as people, not categories. You instilled so many values inside of about treating everyone as equals."
"And without those values?"
He shook his head.
"I probably wouldn't have the sa mindset I have right now. I probably would be just like any other human who thinks they're better than demi-humans."
"I probably would have looked at Nuri and seen a 'lesser being' instead of a friend. I probably would be just like Astrid and want every single demi-human kicked to their own realms."
Nadia was quiet.
"So thank you, Nadia." He said simply with a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you for teaching . For shaping into soone who could even think about bringing people together."
Hearing these words, unsuprisingly made Nadia horribly emotional to the extent that ever her cold gaze shimred with turbulent emotion and her coulf be heard from the room nearby.
She even had to clench her fists to control her emotion or else she was sure she would cause another earthquake.
But was really struggling to hold it all in, but unfortunately for her he wasn't done.
"And that's not all."
"I-It's not?" She stamred out, since she was gritting her teeth.
"No. When it ca to diplomatic issues—creating peace between two parties who are against each other—you're also the one who lectured ."
"You gave lessons. Taught etiquette. How to remain neutral. How to solve problems before they escalate. How to think about consequences before acting, because one wrong move could offend both parties. How to keep both sides in mind. How to talk smoothly to everyone."
He looked at the students passing by, while thinking of all the walks he and Nadia went on together in other realms where she taught him so many things and chuckled.
"Basically, when it cos to negotiations and peacemaking, you taught everything, Nadia. And I followed those very lessons tonight."
"I used your techniques. I approached everything from your perspective. Every decision I made—every item I introduced, every ice cream I brought out, every mont I created—it was all filtered through what you taught ."
"So in a way?" He said with genuine respect in his voice. "Half the achievents of what happened tonight are yours. At least half. Probably more."
And in response, there was only silence on the line.
Then—a sound.
Small. Quiet. Almost imperceptible.
But Mika heard it.
It was the sound of Nadia breathing differently. A slight catch. A tiny tremor.
When she spoke, her voice was softer than he'd ever heard it.
"Mika..."
"I an it." He said, echoing her words from earlier. "Every word."
Another pause.
Then, slowly, she responded and decided to open about her deepest insecurities—unable to resist after hearing her son speak so openly for the first ti.
"Yes, Mika. It's just as you said. I did teach you a lot of things when you were young."
"I wanted to. It was my job—I was the diplomat, the one who understood politics and relationships. And I wanted to show off to you. I wanted you to learn from ."
"But you know, Mika?"
Her voice grew quieter.
"Even though I taught you...I myself was never able to do what you did tonight."
"What do you an?" Mika frowned. "Didn't I just say—"
"No, Mika I understand what you're trying to say."
She interrupted.
"But what I'm trying to say is that when it ca to etings and conferences, I was always able to command a certain authority."
Nadia explained.
"People didn't cross . They kept the peace. But it was because they respected or more accurately, because they feared ."
"Because of my position. Because of who I am. They held themselves back because I was there."
Her voice grew quieter.
"But what you did tonight? The peace you created? It wasn't because you showed authority over them. It wasn't because they respected you or feared you."
"They just naturally connected. They just wanted to be together. They just had fun."
"And...I have never been able to do that before, Mika."
She said with a hint of resignation.
"I've tried to create a friendly atmosphere between two parties so many tis. But I don't know why—every ti I try, the other people get this awkward look on their face."
"Like I'm threatening them. Like I'm about to demand sothing. Like I'm forcing them into it."
Her voice carried a rare note of frustration.
"It always ends badly. Both sides leave uncomfortable. Nothing ever cos of it."
"And...I just don't know why that happens, when you've literally followed what I've taught you. That's probably what's bugging right and making jealous."
"Like yes, I am proud of you. But I'm also frustrated about why I can't do the sa."
Hearing this, Mika's expression shifted.
Slightly awkward.
Slightly uncomfortable.
"Oh." He said slowly. "Yeah. Well..."
Nadia caught the hesitation imdiately.
"What?"
"It's just..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's only natural that they would react that way, isn't it?"
"What do you an?"
He took a breath before finally saying,
"Nadia, you have all the right values in your head. You know exactly what to do theoretically. You could probably write a textbook on diplomacy and peacemaking."
"But when it cos to actual, practical, real-life interactions?"
He winced slightly.
"You kind of...freeze up. Or rather, your face freezes up. Your emotionless voice also doesn't help."
He said honestly, before adding,
"No matter how hard you try to negotiate sothing, or to broker so kind of friendship, it always cos out sounding stiff. And the other party can't resonate with your emotions because they can't tell what you're feeling at all."
Nadia was silent.
"And whenever you're trying to talk to soone." Mika continued. "Or trying to calm a situation down, it doesn't seem like you're trying to do so for peace."
"It seems more like you're threatening them. You don't have that friendly effect. You have the opposite of that effect."
"What I'm trying to say is that..."
He sighed, already knowing that Nadia was not going to like what he was going to say.
"...if you're trying to create friends between two people, you yourself have to be friendly. You have to put on a smile."
"...But you?"
"You're the exact opposite of friendly. Even the biggest smile you give—the one you think is warm and welcoming—it looks more like a mocking smirk to everyone else."
"There's no way other people can understand your emotions, Nadia. Even though you're probably trying your best in your heart. And that's probably why things haven't worked out for you."
For a agonizing mont, there was nothing.
Then—
"Mika."
Her voice was slow. asured. And underneath the monotone voice, he could hear it: Fluster. Embarrassnt. A hint of sothing wounded.
"How many tis have I told you not to bring up how my face is and how cold my voice is?"
He winced.
"You know how emotionally sensitive I get over that, Mika. You know it really hurts my feelings when you speak about it in such a manner."
Mika sighed.
"I know, Nadia. I know. But—"
"It's not sothing I can control." She continued, and there was genuine pain underneath the flatness. "I've tried. For years, I've tried. But my blessing, you know what it's like."
"If I let my emotions run free, if I let them show on my face, in my voice, I lose control. And when I lose control..."
She trailed off.
Mika knew. He knew exactly what happened when Nadia lost control. He'd seen it once, years ago, and the mory still sent a chill down his spine.
"But Nadia..." He said gently. "...everyone is already used to it. They already treat you as the Ice Cold Queen of the Battle Angels. You live up to the hype."
"And it's not exactly a bad thing—everyone respects you because of that. Because of the image you have, everyone's scared of doing anything against you."
"It's exactly because of that that so many negotiations have gone perfectly with you around. They're even too scared to lie around you."
He tried to sound reassuring.
"I don't think you should be embarrassed over that. It's a strength, not a weakness."
But Nadia shook her head on the other end—he could almost feel the movent through the phone.
"No, Mika. No."
Her voice was firm.
"I don't want that. I never wanted that. Ever since I was little, I never wanted people to be scared of . I never wanted them to treat with respect just because they feared the power I wield."
Her voice softened, the pain bleeding through.
"I wanted the exact opposite. I wanted them to respect because they thought of as a friendly person. A person they could trust. A person they could smile with."
"A person they could be happy around."
"That's always been my goal. That's always been what I wanted."
Her tone turned wistful, sad in a way that made Mika's throat close.
"But over the years...my face beca stiffer. My voice beca colder and more emotionless. I was never able to achieve that goal."
"Instead, I beca the opposite."
"And I will agree..."
She let out a deep sigh.
"...it has worked for in a lot of ways."
"My image, my reputation, the fear I command—it's useful. It's powerful. It's gotten far."
"But overall, Mika..."
Her voice cracked—just slightly, just barely, but Mika heard it.
"I would prefer if they saw as soone they could trust. Soone they could smile and be happy around. Instead of soone they have to fear every single second, wondering what will happen if they make a mistake."
Mika's heart clenched.
He knew why she was like this. He knew the source of her emotional suppression.
Her blessing—powerful, overwhelming, dangerous required constant control. Constant rein.
If she let her emotions run free, even for a mont, the consequences could be catastrophic.
So over the years, she'd learned to lock them away.
To suppress them.
To bury them so deep that eventually, she forgot how to let them out at all.
And now, even when she wanted to smile, wanted to show warmth, wanted to connect—her face wouldn't cooperate.
Her voice wouldn't soften. Her body had forgotten how.
He felt terrible.
He'd been so casual about it. So flippant.
"Just get over it." He'd implied. "It's not a big deal."
But it was a big deal.
It was her whole life.
He opened his mouth to apologize, to say sothing comforting, to try and make her feel better—
But before he could, Nadia's voice shifted, almost like she wanted to change the topic for her own sake.
The sadness faded replaced by sothing else
Interest. Curiosity. A hint of her usual sharpness.
"By the way, Mika..."
"Yeah?"
"What about Astrid? Was she at the party as well?"
Mika froze.
His face, which had been soft with sympathy monts ago, suddenly beca a mask of uncertainty.
He didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to explain the tangled ss of emotions and events that had transpired between him and the fox girl.
"Mika?" Nadia's voice ca through, slightly concerned. "Did the phone cut out? Mika?"
"No, no." He said quickly. "I'm still here. I'm just...I don't know how to explain Astrid's situation."
Nadia was quiet for a beat.
Then, calmly, "I already know about the football incident, Mika."
He blinked. "You do?"
"The Academy called . They told about the...situation she created. I have to thank you, by the way, for sorting that out. It could have beco a massive issue if you hadn't been there."
She stopped and then fondly added,
"And I've also seen the videos of you playing l, Mika. The goalkeeping.The penalty shootout. All of it."
He groaned internally.
"I'm impressed." She continued. "And not just —many people are impressed. Those videos are going viral as well. The whole world is watching you right now, it seems."
Mika wanted to sink into the ground.
This was exactly why he avoided situations like this. W
hy he preferred to stay in the background.
Why he hated being the center of attention.
But Nadia wasn't done.
"But what I want to know..." She said, her voice shifting back to that interested tone. "...is what happened after that. Was Astrid at the party? Was she by your side? What exactly happened to her?"
Mika sighed.
A long, weary, complicated sigh.
He leaned back on the bench, looking up at the stars, trying to find the right words.
Finally, he spoke.
"All I can say...is that Astrid was at the party. But at the sa ti, she was also not at the party."
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