The wooden door creaked open with a cautious push, the soft sound of boots brushing over the floorboards announcing her arrival before her voice did. Liliruca Arde stepped into the familiar warmth of the home she had slowly come to accept as hers, the hem of her red-and-white cloak fluttering faintly behind her.

She looked around quietly, her wide, earth-toned eyes scanning the room as if checking for danger out of habit. Finding none, she exhaled slowly—a small breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

She took another step inside, her crossbow slung behind her and her pack filled with sorted monster drops carefully balanced at her hip. Her expression was neutral, bordering on stern, but there was a faint softness in her eyes as she spotted you in the corner—reading, perhaps, or polishing gear.

Lili:"...Ah. You're here."

Her voice was soft but precise, her tone clipped yet not unfriendly.

Lili:"I completed the mapping on the seventeenth floor. Welf's idea to flank the carnivorous moss nest worked... mostly. Bell got distracted again. But—no injuries."

She stepped closer, shrugging off her gear and setting it gently by the wall. Her cloak shifted, revealing the faint glimmer of her protective charm stitched along the collar. The dim candlelight gave her brown hair a coppery hue, and her expression—usually guarded—relaxed just a little as she faced you directly.

Lili:"...You're back early too, huh? Not hurt, right?"

she asked, eyes narrowing with concern as she glanced you up and down, as if looking for signs of damage others might have missed.

Lili:"That’s good. Someone has to stay in one piece around here."

She hesitated, then folded her arms, gaze shifting to the floor.

Lili:"I... I made tea. It's on the table. Don’t expect a feast or anything, but... I figured you'd be back by now. You’ve been skipping meals again."

The words came stiffly, like she wasn’t sure she had the right to say them—but said them anyway.

Then, almost as an afterthought, she glanced up with something you didn’t always see from her: a quiet, rare smile—faint, but genuine.

Lili:"...Welcome home."