(It feels so relaxing...)
Raiden i looked at the two heads resting on her lap, unable to suppress the thought.
Kiana was so cute, Elias was so handso—it was truly lucky to be their friend.
The girl's sleeping face was as pure and innocent as an angel's, completely different from when she was awake—quiet and elegant. She was as noble and beautiful as a princess from a fairy tale.
i couldn't help but feel a little inferior in comparison.
The boy's sleeping face, on the other hand, made i unable to look away. His features were as refined and flawless as a prince from a fairy tale, and his slightly furrowed brows made her wonder what he was worrying about. This stirred a sense of curiosity and concern in her.
The midday sunlight shone upon them, making their white hair glow as if each strand was radiating light.
Combined with their breathtakingly attractive faces—capable of outshining 99% of people in the world—i felt as if the entire scene had shifted into sothing surreal.
(Uh... this scene is almost divine. When these two are quiet, they're… this beautiful? Are there actually two angels resting on my lap?)
Taking a deep breath, i carefully placed her hands on their heads and gently stroked their soft white hair. A natural smile ford on her lips.
(I wish this mont could last forever...)
At this instant, ti seed to slow down, and i's thoughts began to drift.
As she absentmindedly stroked the two fluffy white-haired beings on her lap, she pondered about them.
(Co to think of it, both Elias and Kiana give off a sense of mystery...)
(They know a lot about , but I know so little about them...)
(Where exactly does Kiana co from? She's so mysterious, and sotis she suddenly appears with injuries...)
(Elias is also quite enigmatic. Is he from Shenzhou? And lately, he seems to be busy with things I don't know about...)
At that mont, Raiden i suddenly realized—she didn't really know much about them at all.
She knew they were kind, brave, lively, and carefree, unconcerned with others' opinions. But beyond that, she had no idea about their past or their secrets.
And...
As i quietly gazed at the two resting on her lap, she suddenly noticed how similar they looked—the sa white hair, the sa cheerful nature, and the sa air of mystery.
(Elias and Kiana... they look so compatible together...)
Before Kiana appeared, Elias' gentleness had felt like sothing that belonged exclusively to i.
But after Kiana arrived, i realized that Elias was not a prince ant for her alone.
In fact, the way Elias treated Kiana… it seed even more indulgent than the way he treated her.
(No, no! What am I even thinking? Elias was never mine to begin with. Thinking this way is far too arrogant. We're just pretending to be a couple, nothing more...)
(I'm just passively receiving his protection, so I shouldn't be greedy for more.)
(This is already good enough. Right now is already good enough. For the first ti, I've made real friends. For the first ti, I have people I truly care about. I should cherish these two precious joys.)
i shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off all those stray thoughts. But just as she was attempting to adjust her mindset—
[Raiden i, is that really what you think?]
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed in her mind.
[Do you really not want to have Elias all to yourself? Do you truly not wish for him to be yours alone, your own prince? Ah… but of course. You're just a weak, pathetic crybaby. Raiden i, you're incapable of doing anything.]
It was a voice identical to her own, yet its tone was so condescending, so cold and indifferent—like that of an arrogant queen.
[Hmph!]
i gasped in shock.
She thought it was so kind of prank and imdiately turned her head, scanning her surroundings. But that queen-like voice rely let out a soft scoff before disappearing without a trace.
"D-Did I just hallucinate? How strange..."
She let out a small breath of relief, but when her gaze fell back on Elias' sleeping face, a faint sense of guilt inexplicably surfaced in her heart.
And at that mont—
Creak~~
The iron door leading to the rooftop groaned as it was pushed open.
i instinctively sensed an unfamiliar presence.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, keeping her voice low enough to avoid waking Elias and Kiana.
Even though she had a sowhat gentle and passive personality, she was still a practitioner of the Raiden family's traditional swordsmanship—Hokushin Ittō-ryū—and had already mastered it to the level of full proficiency.
Her senses were far sharper than those of ordinary people.
"!!!"
Realizing they had been discovered, a group of girls hesitantly stepped out from the stairwell.
Their faces were grim, and when their eyes landed on Elias and Kiana—both resting on i's lap—fear flickered across their expressions.
But despite their apprehension, their mouths remained just as sharp.
"Hah! The daughter of a fraudster. How long do you plan to keep showing your face at this school?"
"Don't think that just because you've found two people to back you up, it'll change anything about your situation."
"Sure, it looks like you three are getting along well, but who knows? Maybe they're just using you for sothing. Otherwise, why would anyone bother playing 'friends' with soone like Raiden i—"
"AHHH!!"
Before the girl could finish her sentence—
A baseball bat and a brick ca flying straight toward them.
The sudden attack sent the group of girls screaming in panic.
"You bastards! Bullying i again?!"
"We warned you before, didn't we? Looks like the last lesson wasn't harsh enough."
"Elias… Kiana…"
Raiden i looked at the two who had suddenly woken up, filled with surprise and relief.
Co to think of it—where exactly had they been hiding that bat and brick?
But seeing them both so furious on her behalf, i was deeply moved. Her gaze toward them softened even further.
[Hmph… What a crybaby.]
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