“I’d like to have this.”
“Yes, yes! Please, take it home!”
“What……?”
I wanted to know the price, but the old man wanted me to take it home. I can guess why. Is he really that afraid of me?
Lilia let out a small sigh and forced the coin into the old man’s hand.
“Oh……? No, no, no! You can’t do this!”
“Shut up. I’m going to destroy you.”
“……!”
The old man’s eyes widened and he exclaimed. Lilia said nothing more and left with the basket of strawberries in her hand.
Perhaps the incident at the fruit stall had gotten through to them, but the way they looked at Lilia was clearly hostile, unlike before. It was a bold move for someone who was so afraid of her, but the Lilia of before would have brushed aside such a look. She would not have even reacted to such a gaze.
But now Lilia entered a narrow alley between buildings and walked on. After walking for a while and making sure there was no one around, Lilia leaned against the wall.
‘I’ve made an effort to change.‘
At least, she thought she had done her best. But it still wasn’t enough.
‘When I’m here, I even feel as if all my efforts are being denied.’
S—Lilia, are you okay?
Lilia smiled helplessly at Sakura’s voice.
L–I’m fine, just a little tired, that’s all.
S–Are you sure?
L–Yeah. Shall we go?
Staying here any longer would only make Sakura worry. Lilia pulled herself up, trying to walk…
S–I know it’s not enough yet, you know.
Sakura’s words stopped her in her tracks.
L–What is it?
S–It’s not that Lilia’s not trying hard enough, it’s that there’s not enough time. It’s true that Lilia is trying her best to change but only a few people at the school can see that. There’s still a long way to go.
L–Yes…….That’s right. Thank you, Sakura.
Lilia gave a small nod and tried to move her feet to leave this time, but was quickly stopped again.
“Huh? Lilia-san? What are you doing?”
I opened my eyes and turned around. There was Ray, wondering why I was here. I’m the one who wants to ask what you are doing.
“I’m lost. Please help me.”
Lilia opened her mouth dumbly, and then sighed loudly.
“What are you doing, Ray?”
“I heard that Lilia was free during the vacation. I was going to go visit you, but I was interrupted by a lot of people. I finally got out, but I didn’t know where to go so I wandered around and here I am.”
Lilia nodded.
S–An idiot.
Lilia fully agreed with Sakura’s words while holding back her laughter. She wondered if a member of the royal family could act alone, even if it was with such a light heart. However, it was fortunate that they had met here.
“You want to go to the Aldis estate?”
“Yes. No?”
“That’s not for me to say. I’ll show you the way and you can follow me.”
When Lilia said that and started walking, Ray followed her, leaving a little distance between them.
I walked out into the street with Ray who was looking around curiously in tow. He should be a little more dignified since he was walking with me, but if he had never been in this neighborhood before, it was natural for him to feel curious.
Perhaps it was because of Ray’s presence, but the stares of the people around me had somehow changed to ones of confusion. I could still feel their gazes, but they were no longer so unpleasant.
“How long will it take from here?”
Ray asked, and Lilia took one look at Ray before answering.
“It’s a little far on foot but I have a carriage that can take you back. We’ll have to wait for my brother to finish shopping before going.”
“Oh, yes. What has he come to buy?”
“A sword.”
“A sword!”
Ray suddenly shouted out loud. I looked back at him, my cheeks twitching with a bad feeling. Ray’s eyes were dazzlingly bright.
“Miss Lilia! Let’s go!”
“Where?”
“To your brother! I want to see it too!”
Lilia could tell from that much that Ray was the same as her brother. ‘No way’, I thought, and took Ray’s hand. Ray froze in surprise, but I didn’t care.
S—Sword user…..
L–Huh. So he can use a sword. That’s a little surprising.
“Oh, uh, Lilia?”
“Oh…….Sorry.”
When she let go of Ray’s hand, he looked at his hand and Lilia alternately. She felt as if her face was red in her mind.
“I don’t know where my brother has gone, either. Let’s wait in the carriage quietly.”
“I understand.”
Lilia tilted her head at Ray’s panicked look, but since she didn’t know the reason, she didn’t care and walked toward the carriage.
“I’d like to have this.”
“Yes, yes! Please, take it home!”
“What……?”
I wanted to know the price, but the old man wanted me to take it home. I can guess why. Is he really that afraid of me?
Lilia let out a small sigh and forced the coin into the old man’s hand.
“Oh……? No, no, no! You can’t do this!”
“Shut up. I’m going to destroy you.”
“……!”
The old man’s eyes widened and he exclaimed. Lilia said nothing more and left with the basket of strawberries in her hand.
Perhaps the incident at the fruit stall had gotten through to them, but the way they looked at Lilia was clearly hostile, unlike before. It was a bold move for someone who was so afraid of her, but the Lilia of before would have brushed aside such a look. She would not have even reacted to such a gaze.
But now Lilia entered a narrow alley between buildings and walked on. After walking for a while and making sure there was no one around, Lilia leaned against the wall.
‘I’ve made an effort to change.‘
At least, she thought she had done her best. But it still wasn’t enough.
‘When I’m here, I even feel as if all my efforts are being denied.’
S—Lilia, are you okay?
Lilia smiled helplessly at Sakura’s voice.
L–I’m fine, just a little tired, that’s all.
S–Are you sure?
L–Yeah. Shall we go?
Staying here any longer would only make Sakura worry. Lilia pulled herself up, trying to walk…
S–I know it’s not enough yet, you know.
Sakura’s words stopped her in her tracks.
L–What is it?
S–It’s not that Lilia’s not trying hard enough, it’s that there’s not enough time. It’s true that Lilia is trying her best to change but only a few people at the school can see that. There’s still a long way to go.
L–Yes…….That’s right. Thank you, Sakura.
Lilia gave a small nod and tried to move her feet to leave this time, but was quickly stopped again.
“Huh? Lilia-san? What are you doing?”
I opened my eyes and turned around. There was Ray, wondering why I was here. I’m the one who wants to ask what you are doing.
“I’m lost. Please help me.”
Lilia opened her mouth dumbly, and then sighed loudly.
“What are you doing, Ray?”
“I heard that Lilia was free during the vacation. I was going to go visit you, but I was interrupted by a lot of people. I finally got out, but I didn’t know where to go so I wandered around and here I am.”
Lilia nodded.
S–An idiot.
Lilia fully agreed with Sakura’s words while holding back her laughter. She wondered if a member of the royal family could act alone, even if it was with such a light heart. However, it was fortunate that they had met here.
“You want to go to the Aldis estate?”
“Yes. No?”
“That’s not for me to say. I’ll show you the way and you can follow me.”
When Lilia said that and started walking, Ray followed her, leaving a little distance between them.
I walked out into the street with Ray who was looking around curiously in tow. He should be a little more dignified since he was walking with me, but if he had never been in this neighborhood before, it was natural for him to feel curious.
Perhaps it was because of Ray’s presence, but the stares of the people around me had somehow changed to ones of confusion. I could still feel their gazes, but they were no longer so unpleasant.
“How long will it take from here?”
Ray asked, and Lilia took one look at Ray before answering.
“It’s a little far on foot but I have a carriage that can take you back. We’ll have to wait for my brother to finish shopping before going.”
“Oh, yes. What has he come to buy?”
“A sword.”
“A sword!”
Ray suddenly shouted out loud. I looked back at him, my cheeks twitching with a bad feeling. Ray’s eyes were dazzlingly bright.
“Miss Lilia! Let’s go!”
“Where?”
“To your brother! I want to see it too!”
Lilia could tell from that much that Ray was the same as her brother. ‘No way’, I thought, and took Ray’s hand. Ray froze in surprise, but I didn’t care.
S—Sword user…..
L–Huh. So he can use a sword. That’s a little surprising.
“Oh, uh, Lilia?”
“Oh…….Sorry.”
When she let go of Ray’s hand, he looked at his hand and Lilia alternately. She felt as if her face was red in her mind.
“I don’t know where my brother has gone, either. Let’s wait in the carriage quietly.”
“I understand.”
Lilia tilted her head at Ray’s panicked look, but since she didn’t know the reason, she didn’t care and walked toward the carriage.
