(I can't break free…)
i struggled several tis, but her efforts were in vain. Her expression darkened, but she was no longer the crybaby who used to break down when bullied a month ago.
"I don't know what you're trying to achieve, but this is aningless. Even if you've kidnapped , there's no ransom to gain."
"…Raiden i, what are you reaching for? Your phone?" The girl smirked as she tossed i's phone to the ground.
Though she wasn't exactly a professional kidnapper, Cocolia's subordinates were more than familiar with these shady tactics.
i, who had been trying to secretly call for help, bit her lip in frustration as her plan failed.
"You're not still expecting Elias and Kiana to co to your rescue, are you? Haha, don't bother. They'll never find you. Besides… you two are just pretending to be a couple, aren't you?"
"!!!"
Fueled by her twisted jealousy toward i, this girl had been watching her the most closely, which led to her realizing that i and Elias' relationship was nothing more than an act.
"That look on your face tells I hit the mark. But… that's not all, is it? If I had to guess, Elias might not actually like you, but our dear Raiden i has fallen for him, hasn't she?"
"Hahaha, this is hilarious! How does it feel? The all-powerful Raiden i, experiencing the pain of unrequited love for the first ti?"
"You don't actually think you're special, do you? Think about it—besides you, there's another person Elias treats just as well."
"That's your other companion, Kiana Kaslana. You like Elias, but what if the one he truly likes is actually your friend?"
The girl cackled, relishing the chaos she was trying to stir. She wasn't just making things up—after all, Elias' concern for i could be explained by sympathy over her tragic circumstances.
But the way he treated Kiana with such natural affection, an almost innate fondness, made it seem—at least to outsiders—that he was truly drawn to her.
Hearing those words, i clenched her fists.
Seeing her reaction, the girl's smile widened. She wanted to drive a wedge between them. No one knew better than her how fragile friendship could be.
A small seed of doubt, a hint of jealousy—that was all it took to shatter bonds completely. However…
"…I already know that," i admitted.
The unexpected response left the girl montarily stunned.
"What?"
"Elias and Kiana are both people who shine like the sun. I was only ever admired because of my privileged upbringing. Without that, I'm just an ordinary girl like anyone else."
Because she was so close to them, i understood better than anyone.
Elias and Kiana were both extraordinary individuals. Compared to them, the "current" Raiden i seed so plain and ordinary.
"I… might really like Elias. And maybe, just as you said, he doesn't actually care for in that way—maybe he's just being kind out of sympathy. Maybe he actually likes Kiana."
i took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering and devoid of negativity.
"But I won't give up!"
For the first ti in her life, i felt such strong emotions toward soone. As Elias' face surfaced in her mind, she realized—perhaps it would be more impossible not to fall for him.
That boy had been the warm light shining into i's heart during her darkest monts—her fated prince who had appeared when she needed him most.
"I might fail, I might be rejected, but I won't give up. I am no longer the crybaby Raiden i who lets others bully her. Kiana and Elias have taught sothing truly important."
"Complaining about this world won't change anything, but if it's for the sake of those important to , I will stand strong against everything! I will never betray the bond I share with them!"
i spoke with firm determination.
She had ti—plenty of ti. Maybe Elias didn't have those kinds of feelings for her now, but i believed that as the days passed, she would have her chance.
Besides, hadn't she read sowhere that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach? In that regard, she was already well on her way.
"Y-You! What are you even saying? Friendship? That doesn't exist in this world!"
"…"
"Damn it! Don't look at like that!"
Her torntor trembled with rage, gnashing her teeth as she glared at i. But what truly set her off was i's gaze—one filled with pity and sympathy, as if i were looking at soone who had never known a real friend.
Raiden i was no longer wealthy. She could no longer stand above others with an air of superiority.
Now, she was nothing more than the daughter of a convicted fraudster—so what right did she have to look down on her?
"I get it now! I finally understand why those two pretend to be your friends! They must be trying to build up favor while you're weak, hoping that if your father ever gets released and your family regains power, they'll be able to benefit!"
She suddenly started shouting.
"That has to be it! That's the only explanation! Why else would anyone want to be friends with you? Hahaha, those two are smarter than I thought—I should have thought of that myself!"
"All they have to do is act kind to the pathetic Raiden i, make you feel grateful, and in the future, they can ask for whatever they want. You'll hand it over without a second thought!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, i's entire deanor changed.
A mont ago, she had been strong but still gentle. Now, she stood without hesitation.
Ignoring the guns pointed at her, unable to free her bound hands, she simply threw herself forward—straight at the girl before her.
"Aahhh!!"
"Ugh, y-you're insane!"
No one had expected i to act so recklessly. The usually composed and elegant girl had just headbutted her captor.
The girl clutched her nose in agony, certain that her nose bridge had been broken. The pain was unbearable.
anwhile, i's eyes burned with fury, crackling with what almost looked like violet electricity.
"Say whatever you want about . Bully , insult —I'm used to it. But I will never allow you to slander those two!"
Elias and Kiana.
They were the two guiding lights of her life, the friends she loved and cherished the most.
i could endure any insult directed at herself, but she would never allow anyone to speak ill of them.
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