Ti passed, and as morning gave way to evening, the imperial capital remained as lively as
ever.
A vast and bustling city, filled with endless wonders-one could spend months exploring its streets and still not uncover every hidden gem within its grand architecture.
From extravagant markets brimming with exotic wares to lavish theaters showcasing breathtaking performances, the capital offered an endless array of entertainnt and indulgence.
And yet, despite the city's countless attractions, two of its most stunning inhabitants had chosen to remain seated in a small yet elegant café, locked in an unexpected battle of endurance.
Rose and Snow sat across from each other, their gazes flickering between one another and the towering desserts before them-two gigantic parfaits, adorned with layers of fruit, whipped cream, and an absurd amount of sweetness.
They each took a bite, their expressions subtly tensing as the overwhelming chill of the frozen treat spread through their mouths and down their throats.
A slight shiver ran down Snow's spine, while Rose's fingers twitched as she tightened her grip on her spoon.
A bead of sweat ford on Snow's temple, though she quickly masked it with an air of nonchalance. "Giving up?" she asked, tilting her head with an almost smug smile.
"Huh?" Rose scoffed, her golden eyes narrowing. "I'd like to ask you that-your face is turning paler than ever."
Neither of them had planned for this to escalate into a full-blown competition.
Yet sohow, sowhere between the first few bites, their casual outing had evolved into an unspoken duel—a test of willpower, of pride, of sheer stubbornness.
And now, having co this far, there was no backing down.
Rose jabbed her spoon into the parfait with renewed determination. Snow, not one to be outdone, mirrored her movent.
The café staff watched in silent amusent, whispering among themselves about the two ethereal beauties waging war against their desserts.
A few other custors stole glances, so chuckling at the absurdity of the situation.
But Rose and Snow paid them no mind.
This wasn't about logic.
It was about victory.
'For how long is she going to last?'
Snow wondered, suppressing the growing nausea in her stomach.
'I'm an ice mage myself, but even I'm having trouble keeping up...'
The sheer amount of frozen desserts they had consud since this morning was absurd-any normal person would have tapped out long ago.
Yet Rose, with her golden eyes gleaming in quiet determination, remained completely unfazed.
If anything, she seed more composed as ti went on, her posture elegant, her spoon gliding smoothly through yet another spoonful of parfait.
Snow narrowed her eyes.
'Is she cheating sohow?'
It didn't make sense. Rose should be just as bloated and sickly as she was by now.
The overwhelming sweetness, combined with the ridiculous quantity they had consud, should have made both of them surrender.
And yet, there she was-calm, collected, still eating
anwhile, Rose subtly studied Snow from across the table, ensuring that her ever-stoic poker face remained intact.
'She should break soon enough...'
Both of them were well aware that what they were doing was childish.
Stupid, even. But there was no turning back-not after the bet they had made.
"Whoever wins gets to have Riley for an entire day."
"Deal!"
It had been decided in a reckless mont of competitive pride, but neither could bring themselves to take it back.
Logically, they knew how ridiculous it was. It wasn't as if they could simply claim Riley's ti without his say in the matter.
But logic had no place in the hearts of young maidens vying for an unspoken position in his life.
If there was even one way to get a step ahead-one fleeting day to establish their presence in his heart-then it was sothing worth securing.
Even if it ant waging war with absurd amounts of sugar and ice.
They both knew the true purpose of this supposed "date." It was ant to be a way for them
to understand each other better-sothing Riley himself had requested.
And yet, neither could help but view it as sothing more.
A battle.
A quiet war waged between two young maidens, each prying for a place in Riley's heart. Establishing dominance, no matter how subtle, was essential.
Neither of them could afford to back down.
But that didn't an they weren't trying to genuinely understand each other, they actually tried to talk it out from the start....
Establishing rules to follow and establishing one's position in Riley's life though in one way or another their conversations always lead to unexpected verbal conflict.
The fact was, they weren't complete strangers.
Far from it.
They had worked together in the student council from ti to ti, and as classmates, they had shared more than a few conversations-albeit brief and impersonal.
Rose and Snow had never been close, but there was no outright animosity between them
either.
Well... at least not until Riley ca into the picture.
For Rose, Riley was her only source of light-the one person who had illuminated her world when she had been drowning in the shadows of her monotonous world.
The re thought of Snow taking that light away for herself was sothing she could not
allow.
For Snow, she had long accepted that Riley was bound to attract a harem in the end.
That much was inevitable. But just because she accepted it didn't an she would yield her
place.
She had no intention of relinquishing the position of first wife to anyone else.
And if the woman sitting across from her had any ideas about taking that role, then this
needed to be settled-right here, right now.
But as she took a bite of her already half eaten parfait....
-Grumble~~
Snow's stomach gave up.
....
I had just returned from the massive dungeon raids with Flam, my body slightly aching
from the relentless battles we had fought and constant use of my skills.
Yet, the sight that greeted upon my return was nothing short of surprising.
'Had my plan worked or not?'
"What were you two doing...?" I asked, my gaze shifting between Rose and Snow.
Rose looked at with a hint of triumph in her eyes, but it was clear that she wasn't completely alright. Her expression, though victorious, was slightly strained.
And when I glanced behind her, Snow was in a similar state-her normally pristine composure cracked ever so slightly.
But instead of answering , Snow simply eyed Rose with a sharp look of irritation. Her blue eyes shimred, and for a brief mont, frost flickered around her figure as if she was ready to say sothing-only for her to silently suppress it, exhaling in resignation.
"Snow-"
Night had already fallen, and I had been expecting to at least have dinner with her. But before
I could even ask, she cut off.
"Take good care of her for now, Riley."
"Huh?"
"Bye then."
With one final glance, she left.
There was sothing in her eyes—a silent ssage.
But I didn't get it.
Had I done sothing wrong again?
Before I could process any of it-
Rustle!
A sudden warmth pressed against my right side.
I looked down, only to see Rose clinging tightly to .
At so point, she had stealthily snuck to my side, entwining her arm with mine in a firm yet
almost possessive manner.
Her golden eyes glead as she whispered, her voice soft but undeniably firm-
"Starting today until this exact mont in ti tomorrow... you're mine, Riley."
"Huh?"
...
Rose and I walked side by side along the grand halls of the imperial castle, our hands intertwined, fingers gently interlocking as we took slow, unhurried steps together.
The moonlight stread through the arched windows, casting a soft, ethereal glow upon us, illuminating the polished marble floors beneath our feet.
As we walked, Rose spoke, recounting the events of the day in her usual calm and composed
manner.
Her voice carried a hint of amusent, though I could tell she was still trying to piece together everything that had transpired.
Honestly, the way she explained it all was so absurdly predictable that I couldn't even be
surprised. If I had to guess how their day together would have gone, this was exactly the
outco I would have expected.
I sighed internally.
Right now, I was starving.
But eating could co later.
Rose had already admitted she was too full to join for a al, yet she still insisted on
eating with .
Since taking a walk from the castle toward the city would take so ti, I figured it was a
good opportunity for her to let her overstuffed stomach settle.
"So you and Snow made a bet?" I finally asked, glancing at her.
"Yes," Rose admitted without hesitation.
"With my ti being part of it...?" She hesitated, then softly replied, "...Yes."
I stared at her for a mont before letting out a small sigh.
These two... they really just decide everything on their own, huh?
I wasn't even mad-just mildly exasperated. I've been spoiling them a bit too much...
User Comments
0 comments from readers