After breakfast, as Lilia headed to her room, Alisa stood in front of the door. As soon as Lilia noticed her, she greeted her humbly. Lilia ignored the greeting and continued into the room, barely acknowledging Alisa.
"Ma'am, what will you do about school?"
Lilia halted mid-step.
There are two types of schools in this country: the higher schools for aristocrats and wealthy merchants, and the lower schools, which are more accessible. In the higher schools, students are taught advanced subjects such as reading, writing, history, mathematics, and even some magic. These schools are designed to cultivate the elite. On the other hand, the lower schools focus on teaching the basics of reading and writing, and almost anyone can enroll with a little money.
Naturally, Lilia attends one of the prestigious higher schools. She enrolled alongside the prince and consistently achieved top grades. But honestly, she didn't feel like going to school at the moment.
"I'm not going."
When Lilia said this, Alisa gasped.
"No, ma'am. You've been absent for another week. Your husband hasn't said anything yet, but if this continues..."
"Continue what?" Lilia interrupted, turning to face Alisa with narrowed eyes.
Alisa looked on the verge of tears, distressed by Lilia's response. Lilia let out a small sigh and walked toward the back of the room. She sat down in a high-backed chair and gently tapped her fingers on the table in front of her.
"Yes… I understand," Lilia muttered, a hint of resignation in her voice.
Alisa, sensing the dismissal, left the room with a quiet "thank you." Lilia slouched deeper into her chair, exhaling in relief.
– Lilia, you need to go to school.
– I know...
Lilia knew she couldn't avoid it forever. But if she went to school, she'd have to see a face she dreaded, and she was sure she'd be met with the prince's contempt. The mere thought of that made her stomach churn.
– Sakura, if I do as you ask, will I ever get the prince back?
– I'm sorry, I don't know… but I don't think so.
It was the answer Lilia had expected, but hearing it again made her feel even more crushed. The prince had once smiled at her, but she was certain that smile would never be directed her way again. The thought brought a flood of tears to her eyes.
– Lilia, I can't even imagine what you're going through.
– What…
– Rust is coming out of you. You deserve it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lilia's eyes widened in shock. A fire of anger flickered in her gaze, and she opened her mouth to scream.
– What do you mean by that?
But the words were stuck in her throat, unable to escape.
"You were engaged," Sakura said softly, her words carrying a weight of undeniable truth. "No matter how many princes come your way, you can't just forget that fact. You can't easily erase it. I know there was something that made you uneasy, but maybe I should have just seen it for what it was—a temporary distraction from the prince."
Lilia hesitated, her mind reeling with disbelief. "I… I can't believe you didn't…"
"I know," Sakura responded. "But those things are in the past now."
Lilia frowned slightly at Sakura's words. The truth was undeniable: what had happened couldn't be changed. But there had to be a way to move forward, right?
Sakura leaned forward, her expression determined. "Now, we just have to do our best."
Lilia sighed, feeling the weight of her situation. "I know. I have to go back to school... but I really don't want to face her. Or him, the prince."
Sakura gave a wry smile. "That's why we're going to make that prince regret not choosing you, Lilia."
Lilia shook her head. "That's not really possible... What could I even do?"
Lilia wasn't sure about the idea of trying to make the prince regret his choice. But she did understand the temptation. If he was out of reach now, maybe making him regret it wasn't such a bad thought. But what could she do? How could she possibly make him feel that way?
Sakura's smile grew wider. "It's simple! You just need to improve yourself. Be knowledgeable, be well-rounded. Learn everything you can. Make people respect you—not just a few, but as many as you can. Be kind, but tough when necessary. I'm not saying you need to win over everyone, but at least gather support from those around you."
Lilia hesitated. "That sounds... like a dream."
Sakura shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe. But it doesn't hurt to try, right?"
The idea sounded idealistic—perhaps too idealistic. No matter how much Lilia studied, she knew she couldn't match the professionals. But still, it felt like it might be better than stagnating, letting her life pass by. She knew she had to care for herself, whether it led to happiness or not.
"Of course, I'll help you," Sakura said cheerfully. "I'm an angel, after all! I'll help you become wise."
"An angel? More like a mischievous spirit," Lilia teased.
Sakura gasped, feigning outrage. "How dare you!"
Lilia chuckled, rolling her eyes. She could see through the playful tone, but it made her feel better, even if just for a moment. They had always joked like this, and despite everything, it still made her feel lighter.
After a few moments of shared laughter, Lilia sighed. "I guess I'm not far from it after all."
"Not far from what?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lilia shrugged. "Nothing. Forget it."
Changing the topic, Lilia turned to Alisa, who had quietly been standing by the door. "Alisa, can you bring me something light for lunch? And I'll need paper and a pen too. Oh, and I'm going back to school next week, so please let my father know."
Alisa blinked in surprise at the instructions but nodded and immediately went to carry them out. She didn't need further prompting, and soon after, she returned to Lilia's room with the requested items.
"Did you tell your father?" Lilia asked.
Alisa paused, thinking. "Should I not have?"
"No, it's fine," Lilia reassured her. "I just... I should have said it myself."
Lilia appreciated Alisa's consideration, even though it wasn't necessary. Her thoughts were beginning to turn back to her next steps. It wasn't going to be easy, but she had to take action.
With the pen and paper in front of her, Lilia dismissed Alisa with a small smile before sitting down at the desk. She had a lot to think about.
I spread the paper out on the table. It was slightly larger than usual, blank paper.
– "Nice paper, isn't it? It's amazing that this is being distributed for free."
"It would be. This is the result of your mother's hard work. It was your mother who created the magic that makes paper."
As long as we have the right ingredients, we can produce large quantities of paper just by chanting and using a magic formation. This magic, created by Lilia's mother, Asha, was revolutionary. Until a few years ago, paper was a precious commodity. Thanks to her magic, even ordinary people can now easily access paper.
However, not everything about this development has been perfect. There have been some issues, like people losing their belongings on the streets, but for the most part, things have calmed down.
"So, what am I supposed to do?"
– "Well, I'm going to teach Lilia how to study. I'm not very good at magic or anything related, but if it's just studying, no one can beat you in this world."
It was a bold statement. To be honest, I could hardly believe all of it, but I was confident that I could do better than Lilia.
"Well, I hope so."
Sakura seemed pleased to leave the task to me.
Above all, she'd soon realize that what she said wasn't entirely wrong.
For a week, Lilia had been working hard again. This time, it wasn't just in my room; she would always come to the dining room for meals. Every meal, I'd get concerned looks from my parents or disdainful glares from my brother. But Lilia just ignored it all and continued with her studying.
Meals. Bedtime. And studying. Those were the key parts of our daily routine. The only exception was our early morning routine.
"Still no buds?"
"Because I just planted them."
Behind the mansion, two flower beds were carefully tended to—one by Lilia and the other by Alisa. Lilia stood by the flower beds, gazing at them as she watered them, never tiring of the sight. Alisa, on the other hand, always found it amusing how intense Lilia was about it.
"Dear Lilia, you won't make them grow faster by staring at them."
One day, Alisa began calling Lilia by name. It didn't bother me, so I didn't say anything.
"I know. Don't worry about it."
"Hehe…"
Alisa smiled, but Lilia's thoughts were a little different.
I just want to enjoy this moment a bit longer. At least until Sakura tells me…
– "Lilia. It's time to study. We still have a long way to go."
Sakura's voice broke my reverie and urged me to start studying. Lilia sighed softly and stood up, her movements slow and reluctant.
"Dear Lilia, are you still studying today?"
"Yeah, there's still so much to learn."
"Teach…?"
Alisa frowned in surprise, and Lilia quickly cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. She shook her head and hurried to her room to escape.
"Bring me something I can easily grab later."
As Lilia entered the mansion, she called over her shoulder, and Alisa thanked her with a smile.