“Was that the truth?” Odilia demanded to Erwin as he entered the back parlor. “What you said to them about reversing the spell.” She’d leap from her agitated sitting on the black couch to chase after her adoptive father as he disappeared around the corner to set aside his long coat and hat. 

Erwin shook his head. “No, of course not. As the caster, only you can break the spell.” 

Odilia frowned. “Then why’d you say all that?” 

“Why did you tell me of those girls becoming human at night? Was it not so that I could help you keep their secret?”

Odilia bit her upper lip. 

Erwin sighed as he lowered onto the velvet cushion of the couch. “I don’t see why you’re so worried,” he motioned for Odilia to join him in sitting down. “This way, the girls will stay safe and unseen under your watch.”

“No!” Odilia cried, still standing. “They’ll obviously recognize me.”

“Sure,” Erwin shrugged as he lazily waved his gloved hand; a bottle of white wine and a glass flew in and landed on the coffee table before him in response. “Maybe they will,” Erwin said, tugging on his necktie as the wine poured itself into the glass. “Or maybe they won’t. You have magic at your disposal. Use what I’ve taught you to disguise yourself.”

“This isn’t right,” said Odilia.

“No.”

Odilia finally gave in and flopped down next to Erwin on the black-colored couch. “I wish the whole reversal thing was the truth,” she sighed. Then after a slight pause she asked, “What kind of name is Rothbart, anyways?” 

Erwin leaned back and looked up at the dark ceiling. A smile tugged at his lips. “It was my father’s self-proclaimed nickname. I thought I’d borrow it.” 

Odilia didn’t mind much for this conversation, but she felt she had to distract herself from the gut-wrenching feeling that was eating at her insides. “What does it mean?” She hugged a decorative pillow close to her heart.

Erwin glanced at his daughter. “You want to know the meaning behind the name? Rothbart?” He took a long swig from his wine and began to pour another glass. “Red beard.”

Odilia shook her head to clear her mind. “Sorry?”

Erwin smiled. “That’s what it means,” he shrugged as he took another sip of his wine. “Red beard.” 

“Oh…” Odilia sank into the soft cushioning of the couch. “Why would he want to name himself that?” Then she thought to joke, saying, “Are red beards special where you come from? Should I name myself red-head now that I have red hair?”

Erwin chuckled. “My father’s mane of hair was no special thing. He was just oddly very proud of it. If you’d like to know, his nickname used to be Tuft.”

“Sounds like a story.”

Erwin smiled. “It is.”

Odilia tucked in her legs and got comfortable. “Well, are you going to tell it to me?” 

“The story of my father?”

Odilia nodded her head. “Since he’s technically my grandfather now,” she shrugged like it was a matter-of-fact.

Erwin leaned back and arched an eyebrow. “Ohhh. So now that I’ve taught you some magic, you’re begging for some family history too?” 

“I have the right.” 

“You do.” the doctor agreed. “But the story is very short. My mother was the one who told me. She said your grandfather used to have just a tuft of hair. I think it was my mother’s way of saying he was ugly because she didn’t marry him until he grew a full head.” 

“All babies and old people have tufts for hair,” argued Odilia. “And some unlucky children, I guess.” 

“And in my father’s case, some unlucky twenty-some year old adults,” added Erwin. “But one day he became so very gorgeous that my mother took his hand and accepted him immediately.” 

“Wow. I wonder what medicine he used on his hair,” Odilia said out-loud. 

“My mother said the same thing while telling me his story,” laughed the doctor. 

“Your father didn’t say?”

“Your grandfather hated this story, hated his nickname. Having people call him Rothbart was his way of covering up his past.” 

Odilia remained silent.

“Or so I assume,” Erwin looked at Odilia and gave her head a pat. “Father never told me anything, so I would only know as far as my mother said.”

Odilia smiled and tilted her head. “So where are grandma and grandpa now?”

“The grave, currently.” Erwin released a snort when he saw Odilia’s startled expression. “But I suppose that’s not what you wanted to know,” he quickly added. “Iyll is the country I come from. It’s right above Gris.”

“Ill?” Odilia repeated, the pronunciation rolling awkwardly on her tongue. “Grease?”

“It’s pronounced like eel,” Erwin explained. “I’ll take you there some time. And as for Gris,” he chuckled. “That’s what we foreigners call Kuroba.” 

Odilia yawned. “Okay.” 

Erwin ushered her to bed afterwards. Odilia didn’t complain. For the first time since returning to Hikizu village, her mind had wandered away from the red-crowned cranes in the lake.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Odilia received a letter from the Kigoguchi orphanage. It was from Emiko, noted as the last letter she would send before leaving the orphanage. 

Erwin had picked it up for Odilia from the town post because she wasn’t yet brave enough to show face in case someone recognized her. Erwin didn’t push for her to go even though Odilia could have just worn a veil to cover her face. 

In the letter, Emiko wrote her final farewells and addressed that she had finally accepted that her parents would not come back to pick her up. Odilia felt sympathy as this came from the optimistic friend who always believed that her parents would one day return. Emiko’s written enthusiasm didn’t seem to dwindle however, because the rest of the letter was a ramble on all the places Emiko would finally get to visit. Emiko said she would find a place in Toukuhai, the capital of Kuroba, where she hoped to find work.

Emiko’s letter mentioned that her friend, Merlin, who’d lived at the orphanage until the year before they’d met Odilia, now held a respectable position in the capital. Emiko gushed happily that Merlin had offered to help her. After reading an entire paragraph dedicated to praising Merlin, Odilia began to guess that Emiko might have a small crush.

The last sentences of the letter wrote that Arthur and Lancelot were still at the orphanage and were waiting for Odilia’s next visit. Emiko also wrote that she expected to see Odilia more often since they now only lived one town away. 

Odilia tapped her quill pen thoughtfully while scripting a reply. She liked the idea of visiting a friend a lot. 

Although it’d only been a month since arriving in Hikizu village, Odilia felt cooped up and stale in her new home. Erwin will soon finish his medical work in this village, so when it's time for him to move on and continue down to Makigawa, Odilia began to think that maybe she could take the time to go to the capital and visit her friends. Odilia folded her letter into an envelope and placed it on the edge of her desk. She would ask Erwin later.

Odilia placed her head on the window’s glass pane and peeked out the folds of the curtain where she could see the seven cranes below. They flocked aimlessly. None cried or attempted to soar in the sky. Tame. 

Odilia supposed that was exactly how it should be. Outsiders who viewed these birds would think nothing of them. Even Odilia thought to herself that she could convince herself to forget. They were identical. She couldn’t even recognize which one was her sister. 

A knock sounded on her door. Odilia looked up to see Erwin leaning against the doorframe. “Lunch is ready.” 

Erwin had made butter noodles.

“I thought something simple now would be best,” Erwin said, as he placed two atomic plates on the table and settled himself into a chair across from Odilia. “We’re having guests later.” 

“Guests?” Odilia assumed that it must be his close clients.

“Not clients,” Erwin said as if he’d read her mind. “Friends.” 

Odilia had never heard of Erwin’s friends before. “Are they from Iyll?” She referred to Erwin’s home-country. 

“No,” Erwin shook his head. “Not my friends. Yours.”

Odilia looked up from her plate in surprise. “Okay, who?” Then after thinking, “Are they staying overnight?”

Erwin nodded. “At an inn out in town.”

Good. Odilia didn’t want anyone, especially anyone she knew, asking her about the cranes that turned into girls after midnight.

“So who's coming to visit?” Odilia asked again.

“I’m getting there,” the doctor held up a finger. “But first, are you happy?” 

“That’s an odd question,” Odilia shoved food into her mouth. 

“I suppose my announcing that you stay here while I move on shocked you.”

Odilia looked up at her father with a look that signified her saying, ‘you don’t say’. 

Erwin coughed into a gloved fist. “And we had that thing with the cranes.” 

Odilia swallowed. “Yup.” 

Erwin dabbed his whiskers with a handkerchief and set it down, leaning forwards. “So here’s what, I want to be flexible with you.” He folded his hands as if he were preparing to talk business.

Odilia nodded. “So I can continue traveling with you, right? Because we never had a discussion before this and if you want to be flexible, we can start here.” 

Erwin sighed. “Odilia,” he warned. 

“Sir,” Odilia replied around a mouthful of pasta. “With all due respect, unless you count surprising me with a brand new house and demanding that I stay here, a discussion, we had none”

Erwin pointed his fork at her, his elbow on the table. “And if I don’t dare say so myself, I’d say it was a fantastic birthday present.” 

Odilia frowned, setting down her fork. “You’re dodging my question.”

Erwin ignored her and continued, “You know, when I was your age, a house of my own was exactly what I wanted.”

“I thought you said you were going to be flexible.” Odilia folded her arms, her voice was turning into a whine.

“Flexible, not lenient.” Erwin corrected. “So I specifically invited Emiko since I heard that she’s left the orphanage. Both of you are now young adults… I think you two could use each other’s company.” 

“Is this something you’ve been planning for a while?” demanded Odilia. “Nevermind,” she quickly brushed the question off. “Obviously you did, because otherwise nothing makes sense. I just got a letter from Emiko today.”

“You’re welcome.” Erwin sipped from a sugary mug filled with hot coffee, the color of toffee.

Odilia slouched. “You should’ve told me.”

“I just did.”

“I mean earlier. For how long is she staying?”

“Oh.” Erwin coughed again. “You’re both leaving tomorrow.” Then he added, “By carriage.”

Odilia clenched her fists beneath the table. She’d never felt so overwhelmingly angry in her life. “Any other surprises?” she asked mockingly through clenched teeth.

“Yes, actually.” Erwin said as a matter of fact. “Emiko is bringing a friend from the capital when she comes. Apparently they were raised in Kigoguchi orphanage as well.” 

“Great.” Odilia stood and pushed in her chair behind the dining room table. She was not in a mood to meet new people. What Odilia really wanted to do was fall onto her bed and just stay there. But she forced herself to open her mouth so that she could politely excuse herself before she would begrudgingly pack her belongings.