His and Her Past: Lilit Tistina
In the past, when she was still a young lady of the ducal house, she couldn't contain her lively nature and frequently snuck out of the mansion.
Whenever she did, she would meet a boy named Marc Visus and play with him.
Lilit liked Marc.
He accepted her mischievous, tomboyish pranks without hesitation and always showed her a good-natured smile.
Moreover, she was delighted that he listened intently to every single word she said, never letting anything slip by.
Whenever she had to endure the grating nagging of her suffocating, old-fashioned family, going to him to vent was the sole joy of her life.
Perhaps it was because they had known each other for several years now.
Lilit realized that she viewed Marc as a man and was in love with him.
Just looking into Marc's eyes brought a smile to her face.
She loved hearing Marc's voice.
She looked forward to the time they spent together.
And just holding Marc's hand made her happy.
And Lilit thought:
So this is what it means to like someone, to love someone.
To be happy just by looking at them.
I hope this love never changes.
Lilit had once thought that way.
Years passed, and after growing older and entering the academy,
she soon came to despise the very love she harbored.
Her relationship with Marc failed to progress beyond that of mere friends.
Meanwhile, the number of other women around Marc steadily grew.
Sometimes, he even smiled brighter around them than he did with her.
The thought that she, who had spent over ten years by his side, might remain just one of the many common friends in his life...
Suddenly, that creeping anxiety began to squirm in her mind.
She refused to let that happen. Lilit Tistina wanted to remain in his life as the one woman he loved,
and eventually, as his lover and partner.
Even so, it was difficult for her to easily confess her feelings.
It wasn't that she lacked confidence in her appearance or personality.
But what if...
What if, by some terrible chance, he rejected her feelings?
What if she had to hear him say with his own mouth that they should just stay friends?
Just imagining it made her head spin and her breathing heavy.
She hated the idea of remaining just friends with Marc.
But even more than that, she feared having her love rejected by him.
As she trapped herself in this conflict, her love suffocating her,
a man named Rofel Teufel entered her life.
The eldest son of an insignificant frontier count, a man whose academy grades hovered strictly in the middle rank.
And yet, this man, who possessed nothing but a handsome face and a well-built body,
ended up turning her entire life upside down.
It was a little over a year after they had entered the academy.
Today, as usual, Lilit and Rofel were sharing light banter in the gymnasium.
"...So that's what they said in the magic department. It was so funny, haha."
"...So, Lilit, did something happen with Marc today?"
"W-what do you mean, with Marc? Nothing happened at all."
"Liar."
"...It's true."
"You know what? You haven't said a single word about Marc today."
"Why is the girl who usually can't keep his name out of her mouth suddenly so quiet?"
"...It's nothing."
"If it's nothing, then spit it out."
Lilit hesitated, fidgeting before she spoke.
"...Do you know Seraphina Serion?"
"Of course I do. She's the rising star of the knight department, the girl everyone's already expecting to be the next Sword Saint, right?"
"...That Seraphina Serion... when I went to see Marc today, she was sparring with him. And they were both smiling at each other..."
"Mhm~ I see, I see. And?"
Rofel asked, narrowing his eyes with a smirk.
Lilit looked slightly annoyed by his reaction, but she continued anyway.
"I waited until their spar was over, and then I handed Marc a drink like I always do and talked to him. You know, asking how his day was, if it was tough, that kind of thing."
"But that bitch...! Do you know what Seraphina Serion said?"
"What did she say?"
"She looked at Marc and said, 'They seem to visit you daily. Is that person your servant?' What? A servant? A servant?!"
"Calling someone who has been by Marc's side ten years longer than her a servant? Ha! Unbelievable, seriously!"
"Pfft, haha!"
"Ugh! That Seraphina Serion...! Just because she has big breasts, she thinks she's all that? Just because her hips are wide, her face is pretty, and she has a bright future...!"
"Well, that pretty much is everything, isn't it?"
"Shut up!"
"Haha... So, what did you do?"
"...I just smiled."
Lilit's face suddenly darkened.
"I just... yeah. I didn't want to get angry and make Marc feel uncomfortable, so I just played along, smiled, and let it go..."
"Marc did correct her and introduced me as his friend, not a servant, but..."
"But honestly... what hurt more than Seraphina calling me a servant was..."
"That Marc just called you a 'friend'?"
"...Yeah. Just a friend. He said I was a close friend... But after all the years we've spent together, would it have killed him to add 'my precious childhood friend' or 'we've been together for ten years'?"
"Would it really have hurt him to say something like that?!"
"Lilit..."
"It's not just today...! Whenever I'm walking with Marc, people around us ask if we're dating."
"And every single time, Marc... Marc vehemently denies it. He says we're not like that, that we're just friends..."
Drip, drip.
Transparent tears began to spill from her golden eyes.
"Every time I hear that, I... I get so anxious. I love him this much, but... to Marc... am I... am I nothing?"
"Just a close friend? What if we graduate from the academy and still remain just close friends?"
"It's already been a year since we entered the academy, and I've known Marc for eleven years now...!"
She wept as if venting years of pent-up sorrow, yet she couldn't stop talking.
"But confessing is even harder...! If it's Marc, we could probably still be friends even if I get rejected...!"
"But... the thought of actually being rejected by Marc is just too terrifying..."
"...So every time... every single time Marc calls me just a friend...!"
"Even though my heart hurts, even though I hate it and want to deny it...!"
"In the end... I just smile and agree. Like a fool..."
"Lilit..."
"I'm such an idiot... Before, I was definitely satisfied just by liking him... but not anymore..."
"Without realizing it, I've started selfishly wanting my feelings to be returned... How shameless is that?!"
"And the worst part is... I don't even hate Marc for it. In fact, it's the opposite..."
"The more painful it gets, the more I realize just how much I love him..."
She continued to pour out her grievances for a long time, weeping as if releasing all the resentment she had bottled up inside.
Rofel listened to Lilit's words intently, never letting a single detail slip past him.
"...I'm sorry, Rofel. This was so sudden, wasn't it?"
"Sigh... What is wrong with me?"
"I ended up dumping such a heavy story on you."
"I don't know why I'm getting so emotional today..."
"...Lilit."
Rofel placed a hand on Lilit's shoulder and gently tilted her head up.
"...Huh?"
"...To be honest, I've been drawn to you ever since we entered the academy."
"My eyes kept drifting toward you without me even realizing it."
"It felt like I had finally met someone I had been longing to see for a very long time."
Ignoring Lilit's flustered reaction, Rofel continued.
"Because of that, I also noticed that you liked Marc Visus from the knight department."
"I wondered why you were constantly running back and forth to the knight department every day, and it turned out it was all to see Marc Visus."
"No matter how much you like someone, going to see them every single day isn't easy. I thought it was amazing."
"Maybe that's why... I really loved seeing you look so in love."
"You would give up your own time for Marc, and sometimes you would step aside for others."
"For some reason, it felt strangely familiar, like something I had seen somewhere before."
"But seeing you like this now... it only leaves me with one thought."
Rofel took Lilit's hands into his own.
"There's only one way to do this."
His face, which had charmed so many other noble ladies, drew closer to Lilit.
Even though she loved Marc, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Rofel's expression was solemn, as if he had made a grand resolve.
Lilit's hands remained firmly clasped in Rofel's.
"Wait... Are you..."
"Yes, that's right."
"No, no! I'm sorry, but I l-like Marc...!"
"Let's confess! To Marc!"
"......What?"
"Did you actually listen to a single word I just said?"
Lilit glared at him with her swollen eyes.
"I heard every word. That's exactly why I'm saying this."
"...I told you. What if I confess for nothing and get rejected...?"
Lilit shuddered, as if imagining that very moment.
"But you can't keep going on like this forever."
"You already know this, but the number of girls showing interest in Marc lately has skyrocketed!"
"Not to mention Seraphina Serion whom you brought up today, but even Isabella Kshatri from our magic department has been looking at Marc with a strange gaze."
"And that's not all. It's still just a rumor, but even the Princess herself, Tiara Altarion, publicly stated that a student named Marc Visus left a deep impression on her!"
"If you keep staying just friends like this, other women might beat you to the punch before you know it."
"Surely you don't want Marc to have some other woman by his side instead of you?"
"Absolutely not!"
Lilit shrieked, her face turning pale.
"B-but even so, to confess so hastily..."
"Sigh... If you just sit still, it's only a matter of time before someone else—whether it's the Princess or the future Sword Saint—snatches Marc away."
"If you're going to regret it either way, wouldn't it be better to at least try something before you regret it?"
"I... I suppose you're right..."
Lilit lowered her head again, lost in thought.
She shifted slightly, her mind racing as she weighed her options.
"Alright... I've decided."
Finally, she lifted her face and declared her resolve.
"I'll do it. I'll confess to him!"