He Has Become More Dazzling

So, she finally made her move.

Greg, who was currently flipping the meat slices on the stone slab, paused for a fraction of a second, almost imperceptibly.

His back was to Lilith, and while his mind was racing to come up with a justification, his voice remained steady.

"Actually, saying I 'like' her isn't quite accurate."

He chose his words carefully, his hands never stopping their work.

"My feelings for Lady Vivian are more of... admiration and respect. I admire her ability, her self-discipline, and her sense of responsibility."

He paused, using wooden tongs to move the seared meat to a clean, broad leaf on the side.

"As for what I said that morning... my original intention was actually for both Princesses to face their true feelings for each other more honestly, without being separated by outside opinions or bound by unnecessary pride."

"Your intention was for both Princesses... to face their true feelings for each other more honestly?"

Lilith repeated the words unconsciously, her brow furrowing slightly, a hint of unnoticed grievance in her voice.

"But at the time, you clearly only said... that I—that the respected Princess Lilith admired Lady Vivian!"

Wow, she almost let it slip herself. Seriously, girl, you're still too young and way too easy to fool.

Greg grumbled silently to himself. He kept moving, removing the roasted mushrooms as well, and shrugged with a hint of helplessness.

"That's because before I could finish, one of the parties involved ran away on her own."

"Then what did you originally plan to say?" Lilith pressed immediately, her red eyes fixed intently on Greg's back.

Greg turned around and placed a "Dungeon Set" consisting of seared meat, roasted mushrooms, and a sunny-side-up egg onto a clean leaf. He handed it to Lilith and looked at her, calmly stating a possibility she had never considered—or perhaps, never dared to think of.

"I also intended to say that Lady Vivian, in fact... also admires Princess Lilith."

"That's impossible!"

Lilith blurted out, her voice rising in shock. The hand she used to take the leaf trembled slightly.

"Lady Vivian... how could she possibly admire... admire Princess Lilith?!"

She could not imagine her calm, powerful, and seemingly perfect sister ever admiring her.

"Why is it impossible?"

Greg countered. He picked up a portion for himself and sat on a rock beside her, beginning to list examples in a flat tone.

"Haven't you noticed? During the magic competitions organized by the academy recently, as long as Princess Lilith was participating, Lady Vivian would almost always be present, provided she didn't have urgent official business. Furthermore, she always sat in a spot where she could see Princess Lilith clearly without drawing too much attention."

"Also, on her desk in the Student Council room, there's a very thick Academy Yearbook. The page it's open to just happens to be the report on Princess Lilith entering Class A with the top score among the freshmen. Next to it are notes she made with a quill regarding Princess Lilith's magic casting techniques."

Greg took a bite of the meat, chewed, and watched Lilith's eyes widen as her cheeks grew redder. He concluded, "Perhaps she hasn't even consciously noticed these details herself, or she's unwilling to admit them, but in essence, isn't this very similar to Princess Lilith's own behavior? Only the form of expression is different."

"It... it's actually like that...?"

Lilith was completely stunned, forgetting to eat the food in her hands.

The fragments Greg listed were like scattered pearls being strung together by an invisible thread, pointing toward an answer she had never dared to hope for.

A massive wave of surprise—a mixture of disbelief and the joy of being seen and recognized by the person she cared about most—swept through her heart like a warm current. It made her cheeks burn intensely and her heart skip a beat.

Sister... has been paying attention to me all this time too?

She even... thinks I'm impressive?

She lowered her head, looking at the fragrant food in her hands. Her mind felt a bit dizzy, and a corner of her heart that had always been tense—even slightly plagued by an inferiority complex—seemed to be gently smoothed over.

Greg watched Lilith in this state.

Her head was slightly bowed, and her eyes, which usually sparkled with pride or liveliness, were now downcast. Her long eyelashes cast fine shadows under the firelight, and her fingers holding the food unconsciously brushed the edge of the leaf. She seemed enveloped in a soft, bright glow.

As Greg tasted his own mushrooms, he thought to himself: These sisters really are stubborn. They clearly care about each other and admire one another, yet they insist on waiting until things are irreparable before speaking their minds.

Looking at it this way, I suppose I've done a good deed, haven't I?

It took a good while before Lilith managed to calm herself from the massive emotional impact.

She looked up at Greg, who was quietly eating beside her, her gaze complicated.

At this point, she no longer wanted to ask why Greg had noticed details that even she hadn't clearly perceived.

Instead, she asked another, more central question.

"Why... why would you do something like this for them?"

Her voice was soft, filled with genuine confusion. "Even if their relationship improves, it... doesn't seem to offer you any benefit, does it?"

Greg had just finished the last bite of his food. He folded the clean leaf and set it aside, patted his hands, stood up, and walked to the campfire. He poked at the embers with a wooden stick to make the light brighter.

Then, he turned slightly and looked at the red-haired girl sitting at the boundary of light and shadow.

The firelight danced on his handsome profile, reflecting in those deep, calm amber eyes.

"I just..."

He paused, his tone flat yet carrying an indescribable sincerity.

"I just want to watch over two girls I recognize. That's all."

Having said his piece, he didn't elaborate further and turned to tidy up the stove.

"......."

Lilith silently lowered her head, looking at the meal in her hands that had grown slightly cool but was still enticingly fragrant.

She picked up a piece of meat and carefully put it in her mouth.

The meat was tender, cooked perfectly, and the savory aroma of spices and fat melted in her mouth. She should have been lost in the flavor.

However, at this moment, her tongue couldn't distinguish any specific taste.

This was because her mind had been completely occupied by another persistent thought.

Her heart began to pound violently again, even more rapidly and powerfully than when she had learned of her sister's feelings. It thrummed against her chest, creating a roar only she could hear.

The heat that had just subsided slightly surged back with even greater force, instantly flooding her cheeks, her ears, and even her neck, making the tips of her ears burn.

Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Greg's profile illuminated by the fire.

"He... has become more dazzling than the version in my memories, and..."

"More handsome, too."