The banquet was over.
Aside from a minor disturbance that occurred during the event, what everyone talked about most was the Empire’s Second Princess competing with the Kohen family’s heiress over a girl with no notable background.
Even on their way home in their carriages, the nobles kept bringing up the matter.
Many carriages passing by the one bearing the Kohen Family Crest would lift their curtains, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl with dark green hair, curious about what charm she truly possessed.
Lillian rested one hand against the window frame and, upon noticing this, sighed helplessly and pulled the curtain shut.
She felt as though she could no longer think clearly.
Too many things had happened.
And the impact of those things was quite serious.
Unconsciously, Lillian bit the tip of her right thumb, her legs trembling involuntarily.
Her heels tapped on the carriage floor, producing a rhythmic clicking sound.
“What’s wrong?”
Elenora noticed Lillian’s movements and asked.
“Nothing…”
Lillian exhaled and looked at Elenora.
Elenora quickly turned her head away.
“Why did you make me apologize earlier…”
“Hm?”
“What do you mean why?” Lillian thought she had already made it clear at the time.
“Ophelia, she… she—kissed you forcefully…” Elenora stammered, her voice growing smaller as she spoke.
“You’re not bothered by it?”
Not bothered?
Elenora was caught off guard by Lillian’s question.
From a social standpoint, she did care quite a bit.
Ophelia’s kiss had pushed her from a nobody to a famous figure in the capital.
The reputations of all three—Ophelia, Elenora, and Lillian—had been affected to varying degrees.
As for the emotional aspect, Lillian began to analyze.
She was certain Ophelia’s feelings toward her were definitely not some kind of affection or liking.
Everything had started because Ophelia realized Lillian knew her Secret.
She cried upon realizing that the “she” Lillian spoke of was different from herself.
Why?
Lillian thought for a moment and came to a conclusion—identification.
Ophelia was still stuck in that stubborn chuunibyou phase.
This world was terrible.
She was lonely.
Loneliness was unbearable for a chuunibyou girl going through puberty.
But then Lillian appeared.
Lillian claimed to know everything about “Ophelia.”
That held a fatal attraction for Ophelia.
Lillian was the cure for her loneliness.
So she did everything she could to get close to Lillian.
This was Lillian’s initial understanding of Ophelia based on in-game intelligence and her own observations.
Trying to get close wasn’t a big deal.
Friendship, cooperation, gifts, invitations—all of these were acceptable to Lillian.
But she had overlooked one thing.
Ophelia was the Empire’s Second Princess.
From childhood until now, there was basically nothing she couldn’t have or do.
What Lillian saw as “getting close” was “always being close to Lillian” for Ophelia—in other words, possession.
As long as Lillian stayed by her side, she wouldn’t feel lonely.
However, Lillian’s contract with the Kohen estate left Ophelia no way to interfere.
So Ophelia came up with a plan.
At her own birthday banquet, she kissed Lillian.
It was a mark—a declaration—that Lillian belonged to Ophelia.
Lillian had to admit she had underestimated Ophelia’s decisiveness.
“I do care,” Lillian answered softly, a little helpless. “After all, that kiss changed many things forever. For you, for me, and for her.”
Yes.
There was no going back.
Neither Lillian, nor Ophelia, nor the Kohen estate could return to how things were.
From that kiss, from Ophelia’s intervention in front of the Crown Prince on Elenora’s behalf, everything had changed irrevocably.
Elenora was stunned; she hadn’t expected Lillian to respond this way.
She thought Lillian would be embarrassed or happy.
In her past life, Lillian had a good relationship with Ophelia, or rather, with every member of the Hero’s Party.
So close that Elenora envied it.
They had adventured together, risking their lives for one another.
As if they could sacrifice everything for each other.
But Lillian’s reaction was calm, as if analyzing something unrelated to herself.
“Did you… you didn’t…” Elenora asked cautiously, a hint of hope in her voice.
“I didn’t what?” Lillian replied.
“Nothing…” Elenora sighed in relief, her tense shoulders relaxing.
Fortunately, Lillian hadn’t developed any other feelings for Ophelia because of that kiss.
That was enough.
“Then why did you comfort her? Weren’t you bothered by her actions?”
There was a faint undertone of grievance and confusion in Elenora’s voice.
Lillian understood what Elenora meant.
“Master, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Even though Ophelia was wrong to kiss me, she did help you, right?”
Elenora nodded.
“So if one day, you helped Ophelia and she hit you in return, would you be angry?”
Elenora nodded again.
“Then what if I not only didn’t help you but also took Ophelia’s side because you did something wrong before? How would you feel?”
Elenora fell silent.
Kids really are troublesome.
They can’t even handle a simple role reversal?
“A kiss is a kiss, and attacking her is something else. You can’t lump those two together.”
Thinking this, Lillian sighed.
If Ophelia hadn’t helped Elenora, Lillian could have taken that chance to make Ophelia give up on her…
No, wait—
Lillian recalled that scene again—the dimly lit room, the purple-haired girl standing stubbornly, her sapphire eyes brimming with tears, looking at her so wronged and fragile, as if she might shatter.
She couldn’t do it.
She wasn’t heartless after all.
Ophelia’s extreme actions were born of loneliness, but unlike her surface appearance of cunning and scheming, Ophelia was a pure soul.
She would do whatever she could to express her kindness and goodwill.
Besides being a declaration, that kiss was, in Ophelia’s eyes, truly a Gift to Lillian.
The favor of a princess was not something just anyone could possess—especially not through a kiss.
As the Second Princess, Ophelia must have weighed the pros and cons of such an act, but she did it anyway.
Is this why she’s one of the game’s heroines? Even in her Hakilia form, she still shows a glimpse of her future charm.
And then there’s Lillian’s damned sense of responsibility.
If she could simply ignore Ophelia’s efforts without guilt, without worrying about whether not comforting Ophelia would hurt her feelings, she wouldn’t be so troubled now.