"Sometimes, the brightest flame isn't necessarily meant to burn others. Perhaps... it is merely silently chasing the shadow of another light, longing to stand side by side with it, even if only to illuminate a similar path."
Greg cleared his throat, breaking the stiff atmosphere on the tree-lined path with a slightly low and gentle tone.
These words sounded somewhat profound and completely out of character for him, instantly catching the attention of everyone present, including Lilith.
The noisy chatter died down, and curious gazes focused on him, wondering what this guy was trying to express with that speech.
Feeling that he had successfully captured everyone's attention, Greg's gaze fell calmly on Lilith, whose face was still unpleasant. He stopped beating around the bush and cut straight to the core.
"Princess Lilith, in reality... you deeply admire your sister, Princess Vivian, don't you?"
...
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell into a brief silence, followed by an even louder wave of doubt.
"Huh? What is he saying?"
"Princess Lilith admires Princess Vivian? How is that possible?"
"Aren't the personalities of the two princesses completely opposite? One is calm and rigorous, the other is proud and dazzling..."
"Exactly. And Princess Lilith has such high talent, why would she admire someone else? Even if it's Princess Vivian, it's impossible, right?"
"I suspect Greg Sass's brain has finally short-circuited. He's just spouting nonsense to change the subject."
Absurdity and disbelief were written on almost everyone's faces.
In their eyes, how could Lilith Kahn, a once-in-a-century magic genius, admire an older sister who, while excellent, was supposedly inferior to her in talent?
It was something they simply could not comprehend.
Lilith, whose secret feelings had been directly exposed, reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her fur instantly standing on end.
Her exquisite and beautiful face turned bright red, the color spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
As if she had heard something absolutely impossible, she shook her head violently, her voice rising with agitation and shame, carrying obvious panic.
"W-What kind of nonsense are you talking about! W-Who admires my sister! I don't! I absolutely don't!"
She tried to cover her guilt with a louder voice and a more determined denial, but her flickering eyes and beet-red ears betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
Greg had long anticipated Lilith's reaction and remained completely unmoved.
He took a step forward, his gaze still locked on Lilith, his tone steady yet carrying a certainty born of knowing every detail.
"Is that so? Then why is it that... whenever there's an event at the academy auditorium and Princess Vivian is the student representative giving a speech, you always arrive early? Why do you sit alone in the third row on the left side, by the aisle—a corner where you can clearly see the podium but aren't easily noticed by those on stage? And why is it that throughout the entire speech, you lean forward slightly, and that recording magic crystal in your hand glows with a faint light from start to finish, showing more focus than any student in a lecture?"
"And why, after successfully casting Flame Burst during the entrance exam and drawing gasps of admiration and applause from those around you, was your first reaction not joy or relief? Instead, you immediately turned to look toward the Student Council building, frowned slightly, and whispered to the instructor beside you: 'Professor, with my current control and power... how does it compare to my sister's level when she was in the same grade?'"
"Furthermore, every time you go to the newspaper section of the academy library, you always make a point to circle around to the shelves holding the bound volumes of old Academy Daily News issues. You seemingly casually pull out the issues that report on Princess Vivian receiving major honors, completing high-difficulty missions, or publishing professional papers. Although you only flip through them quickly, you do it so often that even the work-study students responsible for organizing the newspapers have noticed."
"Enough!!!"
Before Greg could finish, he was interrupted by Lilith's sharp cry of embarrassment and urgency.
She stared with her beautiful red eyes, which were filled with extreme shock, panic, and the shame of being completely seen through.
She pointed at Greg, her finger trembling slightly.
"Y-Y-You... how could you know all this?!"
These things, while not top-secret, were small matters that shouldn't have attracted any particular attention from others!
And how did he know them so clearly?
After clearing your personal story line several times, I not only know these things, but I even know your favorite... cough, position as well.
Of course, Greg would never say those words out loud.
Meeting Lilith's shocked gaze, a complex and unreadable smile appeared on his face—a smile that seemed to hold a trace of understanding, a hint of a sigh, and a bit of... depth.
"Because..."
He deliberately slowed his speech, making his voice sound deeper and more magnetic, as he gazed intently at Lilith.
"I have always been... watching you, Lilith."
These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples once again.
The surrounding students showed even more surprised and curious expressions, their gazes darting back and forth between Greg and Lilith.
"W-Watching me?!"
Lilith's face turned even redder, as if it were about to drip blood. She shook her head forcefully, trying to dispel the inexplicable palpitations and confusion in her heart.
"W-What are you talking about! What do you mean you've always been watching me?! And... and those things you just said... they don't... they don't directly prove I admire my sister at all! That... that's just... just..."
She tried hard to find a reasonable explanation, but her brain was a mess of shock and shame, leaving her stuttering and incoherent.
"No."
Greg shook his head, interrupting her futile defense.
His expression became exceptionally serious, even carrying a hint of empathetic loneliness.
"You can't lie to me, Lilith."
He paused, then dropped a bombshell that no one could have anticipated.
"Because... I, too, have always admired Princess Vivian."
...
!!!
This time, the silence that followed was even more absolute than before, as if even the sound of the wind and the distant birds had vanished.
Everyone's expressions shifted from curiosity and doubt to incredulous shock, as if they had heard some unbelievable fairy tale.
"He... what did he say? Greg Sass... admires President Vivian?!"
"The same Greg Sass who once looked down on the engagement and was even dumped by the royal family because of it?!"
"But if he admires Princess Vivian, why did he agree to break the engagement back then? And in the two years since entering the academy, he has clearly avoided her like the plague, never having any positive interaction! What kind of admiration is that?!"
The immense sense of absurdity and cognitive dissonance caused everyone's brains to temporarily stop functioning.
But looking at Greg's affectionate and lonely expression, for a moment, they couldn't tell if he was joking or if he had truly gone mad.
Even Lilith, who had been dying of shame and anger, was so stunned by these words that she temporarily forgot her own predicament and looked at Greg in astonishment.
However, just as the discussion about these successive bombshells was about to heat up again, it was as if an invisible hand had suddenly seized everyone by the throat.
All the chatter, gasps, and questioning stopped abruptly in less than a second, as if a mute button had been pressed.
Only the rustling of leaves in the wind remained, sounding sharply clear.
Greg was currently immersed in his carefully crafted persona of a devoted lover and his empathetic emotions, focusing entirely on his upcoming performance, and did not notice the eerie silence around him.
He was even somewhat proudly calculating in his mind.
Anyway, Vivian isn't here, so she didn't see it with her own eyes.
When this gets back to her, I'll just stubbornly deny it or claim someone is spreading rumors. After all, with my reputation being so foul, it's possible for people to say anything about me.
As long as there's no hard evidence, what can a stickler for rules like her do to me?
With this optimistic "nothing left to lose" attitude, Greg took a deep breath. The look of loneliness on his face deepened as he slowly shook his head and continued his monologue in an even lower voice.
"It... can't be helped, can it?"
"Princess Vivian... she is so... strong, so beautiful, like the never-melting snow upon an aloof peak. Calm, self-disciplined, always knowing what she must do and where she must go. She carries the expectations of the kingdom and the responsibilities of the academy, yet she has never shown a hint of cowardice or hesitation in front of others."
He looked at Lilith sincerely, his tone carrying a strong sense of resonance.
"But it is precisely because of that that I understand you, Lilith."
"Stop lying to yourself. You and I... are actually the same."
"In our own ways, we are both uncontrollably... admiring that dazzling Princess Vivian. We long to get close to that light, yet we fear being burned by it; we want her recognition, yet we feel cowardly because of our own inadequacies. This feeling... I understand it very well."
Greg pressed on, his words earnest, playing the role of a fellow secret admirer to perfection.
Faced with Greg's relentless pressure, Lilith felt her final psychological defense line was about to collapse.
Finally, she stole a glance behind Greg, then looked back at him. As if giving up in despair, she gathered all her strength and shouted toward Greg.
"I-I don't! I'm not like a dummy like you who admires my sister! T-This is just him talking to himself!!!"
Then, unable to endure staying there for even another second, she spun around, wiped her eyes haphazardly with her arm, and fled toward the dormitory area at a breakneck speed, not even planning to attend class.
...
Watching Lilith's retreating figure as she fled in panic, Greg stood in place, the affectionate and lonely expression on his face quickly fading, replaced by his usual laziness.
"Sigh, that girl... she really is a textbook tsundere."
"I did intend to get a little revenge on her, but was the effect a bit too much? I didn't actually make her cry, did I?"
He silently critiqued and reflected in his mind.
But soon, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.
Wait...
That last sentence of hers... didn't sound like it was specifically directed at me.
And... why is it so quiet around here?
Greg finally pulled himself out of his performance, belatedly realizing the abnormality of his surroundings.
He slowly turned his head and scanned the area behind him.
The once-chattering crowd had, at some point, vanished completely, like a receding tide.
The tree-lined path was empty, with only the occasional fallen leaf swirling in the wind.
And in front of that empty backdrop, about ten paces away, stood a young girl.
Her lake-blue hair was tied into a meticulous ponytail, her ice-blue eyes were as calm as still water, and her exquisite face held no expression. She was simply... quietly looking at him.
Vivian Kahn.
She stood there, her posture straight, like a perfect ice sculpture.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on her, but it did nothing to melt the chill radiating from her—a chill enough to freeze the very air.
Greg's eyelids twitched violently and uncontrollably several times.
Oh... crap!
How could it be such a coincidence?! When did she get here?! How much did she hear?!
A chill rushed from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.
He opened his mouth, feeling his throat go dry. He forced a smile that looked more painful than crying and tried to salvage the situation with a parched voice.
"Uh... that... let me explain... it's not what you just heard... this is actually... really a misunderstanding... do you believe me?"
His defense sounded weak and hollow; even he didn't find it convincing.
Vivian listened quietly until he finished, her ice-blue eyes still showing no ripples, as if she were watching a clumsy monologue that had nothing to do with her.
She didn't speak.
There was no questioning, no scolding, not even a frown or a cold glare.
She simply... gave Greg one last calm look, then turned and walked away.
Her blue ponytail swayed gently behind her, her back as straight as a pine tree. she didn't look back, nor did she have any intention of staying, though her walking speed seemed slightly faster than usual.
...
Greg stood in place, watching the blue silhouette gradually distance itself and finally disappear at the far end of the road.
A draft blew through, swirling the fallen leaves on the ground with a rustling sound that only emphasized the surrounding desolation.
The awkward smile on his face crumbled bit by bit, finally turning into complete numbness and a loss of the will to live.
After standing dazed for a few seconds, it was as if all his strength had suddenly been drained. He staggered back a step, leaning against the thick trunk of a plane tree, and then slowly slid down, sitting on the cold stone path.
He powerlessly raised his head, his gaze hollow as he looked at the high, distant autumn sky, fragmented by the branches and leaves of the plane tree. His lips quirked as he sighed.
"Heh... hehe..."
"See..."
"Now... a world where no one gets hurt... has been achieved."
Rate on N.U.
