The conversation didn't even register in my mind. Thoughts stopped altogether, leaving me stunned.
– Lilia! Hold on!
At the sound of Sakura's voice, my head began to spin just a little. Simultaneously, the prince's words replayed in my mind. What did he just say?
And in that moment, my heart turned cold.
– Sakura, I'm fine.
– But…
– I'm fine. Heh, my head's just a little cold. How could I have ever liked a man like this?
It's true that the engagement was arranged by our families. But still, I had liked the prince. It was love at first sight, or at least I thought it was. That's why Tina didn't want me to get involved, and I harassed her about it.
Even so, I guess I didn't care about myself or anything when it came to him. Sure, Tina had once said she didn't know who she was when she first saw me, but this prince had seen me countless times, even as a child, when I wasn't wearing makeup. And yet, he hadn't even noticed me.
Lilia sighed inwardly. To him, she wasn't enough to even notice. That realization alone was enough.
And then, Lilia laughed softly.
"Hih…"
A short, involuntary sound escaped from those around her. The crowd's curious gaze shifted, some even covering their mouths in shock. Even Tina and Alisa, who caught the smile, couldn't help but blush slightly.
Lilia slowly stood up, her eyes locking with the prince's as she spoke.
"Long time no see, Your Highness."
"Hmm? That voice... No way, Liliane?!"
The prince's shocked exclamation made Lilia's grin widen. She couldn't believe he still didn't recognize her.
"You… what are you doing here? Are you causing trouble for Tina again?"
"That's not true," Lilia replied with a calm smile. "I was just having a little chat with Tina. Peacefully."
Can you believe it?
The voice of the prince was dripping with disgust, his contempt so obvious that he didn't even try to hide it. Really, why would I have ever liked a man like this?
"Oh, nothing. I'm not trying to convince His Highness. Not until you state the facts, that is. Or are you trying to paint me as the villain for not doing anything? Is that your game? Yeah, I see exactly what you're trying to do."
Tina and Alisa looked pale, but not in the same way. The prince, on the other hand, was blushing furiously.
"You... That's highly disrespectful."
"Oh? This is the school grounds. No offense of disrespect here. Or what is it, Your Highness? Should I take you outside and make you apologize? I'm so scared."
The prince's face twisted with rage, his anger so apparent it was almost comical. Lilia watched him, her laughter growing louder as she mocked him openly.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I'm not going to harass Tina."
"I can't believe..."
"Because…" Lilia paused for a moment, looking at him with a smirk. "I'm not interested in you anymore."
The prince, his mind struggling to keep up with her words, opened his mouth clumsily, but no sound came out. Lilia's quiet laugh echoed as the tension grew. Everyone around them took a few steps back, unsure how to handle the situation.
"Goodbye, Mr. Tina. I'm heading to the classroom now."
Tina, shaking from the sudden outburst, immediately nodded and forced a smile. "Yes, thank you, Master Lilia."
Lilia turned to Alisa. "Alisa, clean my room. After that, you're free to do as you like."
"I'll do it, Master Lilia," Alisa responded, bowing with respect.
Lilia nodded, pleased, before turning back to the prince.
"Good day, Your Highness. Don't ever speak to me again."
She gave him one last full smile, before walking away, leaving the prince frozen in place, speechless.
She exited the dormitory and made her way to the school building. After a short walk, she found an empty classroom. She entered and locked the door behind her. Without a word, she collapsed into a chair, exhausted.
"…Hah."
My eyes overflowed with tears. Even as he tried to comfort me, the tears continued to fall, soaking Lilia's face and clothes. I couldn't even hold back my voice, and my soft sobs leaked out uncontrollably.
– Lilia...
The voice in my mind was gentle, full of care for Lilia. But I couldn't respond to it.
My first love had been a prince, and I believed that he loved me more than anyone else. We were even engaged, but it turned out that it was only Lilia's desire, a fleeting fantasy. The prince hadn't even been interested in Lilia in the beginning.
– Lilia, you're a good girl. Please, stop crying. Do you know why?
Even if he said that, I couldn't stop. If I had the power to control it, I wouldn't be crying in the first place.
I kept crying for a while, and then I realized something.
– … Hiku...
Sakura's voice, a whimper.
– Why are you... crying?
– Because… Because it breaks my heart, thinking of how Lilia must feel…
I shouldn't be burdening her with this, I thought. In the end, it was Sakura's words, but they felt distant, like they didn't truly understand what I was going through.
And then, Sakura continued.
– I want to be there for Lilia... but I can't do anything...
"… Eh?"
Lilia's eyes fluttered open, as if surprised by the thought. I hadn't expected her to be thinking about that. Why did I mock myself immediately? Sakura was always concerned for Lilia. Perhaps that's why this whole situation hurt so much—it felt like it was all about me, too.
– Lilia, I'm sorry... I can't do anything. I'm so sorry...
– You don't have to apologize... You don't need to worry about it...
Sakura's whimpering and Lilia's soft words overlapped. Sakura was somewhere within Lilia, but Lilia was alone in the classroom, quietly crying.