Lilliana's Change of Heart
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Setting Lilliana's favorability toward Elise de Bellaph to -200.
ERROR OCCURRED
Lilliana opened her eyes in a lavish platinum-lit chamber within the academy, utterly bewildered. The confusion didn't stem from the room being worlds apart from the commoner infirmary she frequented, nor from the faint unfamiliar sensation stirring inside her body.
"Lady... "
Amid the haze, the first image that surfaced was Elise de Bellaph's face—the lady she'd despised fiercely for the month since enrolling. The one she'd tormented relentlessly.
To the academy's eyes, it must have looked like the lady was unilaterally bullying her, since they'd only witnessed her as the victim. No, it surely did look that way. But the truth was the opposite.
It was all situations she'd orchestrated deliberately. Spilling hot water on the lady's shoes on purpose, insulting her secrets just loud enough for her alone to hear, deliberately...
Flirting with, with the crown prince, her fiancée, doing such cheap, sleazy things...
Not rubbing up against him or physical contact of that vulgar sort, but the kind of maneuvers her village sisters called "fox tricks." Things she'd never do again if given the chance.
Of course, she still hated the lady. Hated her, but...
"Ha... "
The more she thought of the lady, the more emotions clashed within her.
"Lilliana! You're awake!"
"Ah... "
Adrian, the crown prince who'd been by her side, reacted instantly as her eyes fluttered open.
Their meeting was bizarre too. She'd helped a disguised prince in trouble at a rundown eatery on the empire's outskirts—somewhere she'd never have gone otherwise—unable to pay his bill. From there, their secret liaison deepened until she'd outright stolen the lady's spot as his social ball partner.
Things the innocent country girl she was before enrolling could never have imagined.
"How's your body? More importantly, your body—black magic is an unrecorded spell, so who knows what ill effects it might have."
She'd just been hit by the lady's magic, passed out, and woken up.
"Ah, yes... I'm fine, really. Thank you for your concern."
Rather, her foggy mind from the past month was clearing. More like an alien energy now settled in her body was sweeping away the mist.
"What happened to Lady Elise?"
At her question, he grimaced as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"...That woman's in the Underground Prison on charges of using black magic. Since your mind recovered faster than expected, it's time to schedule the trial."
Her heart plummeted at his addendum: using black magic meant execution was inevitable.
"Adrian, where is the Underground Prison?"
"What?"
"I want to see the lady."
"...You're serious?"
The prince sighed deeply, clearly reluctant.
"To be frank, I don't want you meeting that woman again."
A natural reaction. After all, she'd been attacked right in front of him.
"Still, I want to talk to her one more time... "
Though she'd been attacked first, she wanted to apologize for the past month of provocations. If she hadn't kept baiting her, the lady wouldn't have resorted to violence.
He pondered her words, then smiled.
"You're too kind for your own good, Lilliana. Very well, I'll authorize a visit with my authority."
A day ago, she'd have hugged him in gratitude. But...
"Thank you so much, Your Highness."
She bowed her head instead.
...She didn't feel like it anymore.
Finally free from the infirmary, Lilliana stepped out—despite the prince's stern order not to until fully recovered. Her earnest pleas had won permission to at least leave the room.
"Hoo... ha... "
The academy's remote corner exuded eerie chill despite the sun not yet set. Trembling, she pushed open the prison door with one hand. In the basket on her other arm: recovery potions, mana potions, and bread she'd snuck from the infirmary—just in case. Meant for her, no doubt, courtesy of the prince, but she was already better...
Deep breath. She gripped the handle firmly.
-Creaaaaak...
The door emitted a sinister screech as it slowly swung open.
"Kyaa!"
Someone inside startled her into a shriek.
"...I'm the guard stationed here. His Highness ordered me to escort Lady Lilliana to Lady Elise de Bellaph's cell."
Her face burned with embarrassment at the misunderstanding.
"Ah, y-yes, of course. Please, take care of me... "
"Yes. This way."
-Splash, splash.
Stifling silence. She followed cautiously by the dim lantern light.
...On closer look, the floor wasn't water—it was blood.
Terrified, she looked up; staring eyes from the cells beyond flashed into view then vanished. Closing her eyes brought giggles, rattling bars, distant screams filling the void.
This place is too scary...
Her heart pounded harder. But thinking of the lady trapped here steeled her resolve. She pressed on, depths unmeasurable, until the guard halted abruptly.
Where the bloody path ended stood a narrow door barely fitting one person.
"My orders end here. I'll head back up."
"Uh, then... can I go inside alone...?"
"...Tch. The interior's a special prison ringed by natural magic barriers—even a grand mage couldn't escape."
"Ah, yes, then thank you—"
Before she finished, the guard spun away.
"—so much... "
Her voice echoed hollowly.
...This was fitting treatment. Even a guard had a noble background as some minor house's youngest. Worlds apart from a commoner like her.
"... "
Depression crept in. The academy professed no discrimination, but it lurked subtly. From infirmaries to dorms, everything segregated nobles and commoners.
Suddenly, she recalled their exchange just before the social ball attack.
"That's why trash like you without a holy order or title gets scorned. All you know is whoring your body around."
Clicking her tongue, the lady snapped open a fan embroidered thickly with the ducal bird crest in gold. Her ample bosom jiggled with the motion.
"How gracious of Your Ladyship from the rare Bellaph house—one of only three in the empire—to stoop to notice a lowly commoner like me. But are you alright, milady?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your fiancé, Crown Prince Adrian."
"What did you say?"
"Rumors say your relationship's rocky lately... And choosing me as his ball partner over you, his fiancée—can I take that as proof?"
Fury ignited the lady's haughty face.
"You... insolent commoner... "
"How pathetic must one be to lose her fiancé to such an insolent commoner? Oh, not you, of course, milady~?"
"You insolent... "
Black magic gathered slowly in the lady's hand.
"Oh? An attack? Think your pathetic spells can even hurt me, let alone kill? Wanna try? Pfft."
"Die!!!!"
A mana bullet shot from her outstretched hand. Hit by the spell, she nobly fainted.
No matter how she reflected, her provocations outweighed the lady's black magic sin. Post-recovery, she couldn't fathom where that confidence came from.
If it surged now...
"Hup!"
She slapped her cheeks to snap out of it. No time for gloom on this rude errand to see the lady.
She flung open the small door vigorously.
Expecting only the lady inside, there was another person. One was the lady, the other...
Someone familiar...
The other spotted her and spoke.
"Ha, whoever you are, perfect timing! No jailbreak—just open this barred door. There's a wench I need to deal with right now."
The lady shot back.
"Fine. You're dying soon anyway—let's make it proper. Once that door opens... Huh? Lil... Lady Lilliana? Huh? Why's the quest... Huh? Cleared?"
"Lilliana...? Lilliana? You wicked bitch...! Framing me? Never trust pink-haired sluts...!"
"What? Wicked bitch? Got a rag in your mouth or something—shut that trap!"
"Rag, you say? You really wanna die. Outside, Leoness would've torn your limbs off—such a pity!"
The chaotic scene before her nearly made Lilliana faint again.