Chapter 8. From Winter to Spring (4)

Dia let out a laugh of disbelief, while Huan poked at his salad with a troubled expression on his face, gripping his fork tightly.

“Well, that woman’s finished anyway.”

“Yeah, so stop feeling so down and look forward to the upcoming winter party.”

With that, Dia started feeding me the sandwich again—aggressively! Ack! Stop feeding me already! I shut my mouth tight and refused to eat any more. Dia was right though, the winter party was just around the corner, and it was time to start taking care of myself. It felt like just yesterday when Vivian looked at me awkwardly and said, “Um, my lady… perhaps you could consider watching your portions a little…”

Yeah… I had been eating a lot lately from the stress. And Kyle would be at the winter party too, so I had to start dieting now…

“Not eating the sandwich? Then how about some chocolate?”

Dia kept offering chocolate and sweet desserts, causing my pupils to quake with temptation. Ah, I want it so badly. But unlike Dia, who had a flawless figure, I wasn’t so lucky—so I chewed on some leafy greens instead.

Wow, this leaf is so delicious… It’s so good, I think it’s bringing tears to my eyes. Haha.

The Winter Party—held before the start of winter break—was an event where students gathered in the academy’s ballroom to dance, chat, and celebrate the end of the semester.

After the field trip, students had talked about nothing but Seria, but as the day of the party approached, they finally began smiling again, unable to hide their excitement as their conversations turned to party plans. After a noisy and lively week, the day of the party arrived quickly.

A party right after the field trip… His Highness the Crown Prince is going to collapse from overwork.

Well, he’s so perfect that I was sure he’d manage everything flawlessly again. I finished worrying about the Crown Prince in exactly three seconds and looked up to see Dia approaching to help pick out a dress for the party. Just in time, she must’ve chosen one—she came over smiling brightly.

“What do you think of red tones?”

“Um, well…”

I frowned slightly at the vivid red. Isn’t that a bit too flashy? As I tilted my head in doubt, Dia grinned confidently and said,

“I’d look good in anything.”

“That’s true.”

I had no choice but to agree—it was simply a fact. We were in Dia’s room. Before heading to the academy, I had rushed over to the Reios estate after getting an urgent call from her. I thought something serious had happened, but when I arrived, I found Dia buried under a mountain of dresses. As soon as she saw me, she hugged me tightly and said she’d called because she missed me.

Ah… she scared me for a second…

After a short tea break, we resumed trying to choose a dress—but we were still undecided.

“Let’s just go with this red one!”

In the end, Dia picked a bold red dress and began getting herself ready at a leisurely pace.

“There’s only three hours left until the party. Are you sure we can afford to take it this easy?”

“Hmm, it’s not that important of a party anyway, right?”

Just as Dia said, the winter party wasn’t a formal event. It was mainly for the students to enjoy themselves, and attendance was optional. Still, it was one of the most popular parties—almost everyone attended.

***

As it marked the end of the semester, many students took the opportunity to confess their feelings on this special night. I had only just seen the shocking results of a study claiming the number of couples dramatically increased after the winter party, and my jaw had practically dropped.

“Now then, it’s your turn to get dressed up!”

Having finished her own styling, Dia had a maid lead me to the mirror. Dragged over without resistance, I plopped down in the chair with a growing sense of dread. This feeling… it reminded me of when Vivian styled me before!

“Oh my, my lady! Your skin is so flawless!”

“Hoho, now just leave everything to us!”

The maids smiled as they braided my hair, changed me into a dress, and applied makeup. I felt like a doll for a moment, quietly accepting their touch. Just a little longer… If I endure just a little longer, I’ll be free from all these hands!

“Then, my ladies, have a wonderful time.”

After surviving the torturous styling session, Dia and I got into the carriage. With all the accessories and the heavy dress, my body felt stiff and uncomfortable. I was quietly grumbling to myself when I heard Dia’s voice and looked up.

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, bear with it. Kailon is coming today, right?”

Kyle. Just hearing his name made my heart race like it was broken. As I blushed furiously and stammered, Dia laughed brightly and teased me, saying I looked just like an apple. Ugh, this stupid blushing—it’s driving me crazy!

“To think you’d be the one getting a proposal from Kailon.”

Dia let out a small chuckle and stared out the window.

“I had a feeling, but I didn’t expect Kailon to act so quickly.”

She muttered like she was still in shock. Ever since I told her about the proposal, she’d been like this—constantly amazed. Hmm, was it really that surprising that Kyle proposed?

“I hope we arrive at the academy soon.”

I turned away from Dia and looked out the window. Hmm, so Kyle is really coming today? Just the thought of it made me nervous. My future husband is coming today… Oh my, husband?! Am I losing it?

Covering my face with both hands in embarrassment, I heard Dia ask, “What’s wrong?” but I couldn’t answer—I just curled up in shame. Waaaah, I swore I wouldn’t get ahead of myself, but I’ve already completely imagined the future!

In the rattling carriage, with my face burning up, I headed to the academy’s ballroom for the party.

“Looks like we arrived right on time.”

The ballroom wasn’t very lively yet. It seemed not all the academy students had arrived. Dia and I walked around the venue, picking at the various dishes that had been set out. I wanted to eat everything, but I held back—I didn’t want a repeat of my dress no longer fitting. Ugh, but I really wanted to eat.

Hmm? I sense a gloomy aura from somewhere!

Amid the elegant atmosphere and soft music playing throughout the ballroom, a faint shadow of melancholy lingered. Feeling something was off, I glanced around and spotted Alec slumped over a table.

Keeping my eyes on him, I asked Dia, “What’s up with him now?”

“He’s been like that ever since he heard the news about Seria—just completely down.”

“Oh dear…”

Lately, Alec was just plain pitiful, even beyond sympathy. His arm still wasn’t fully healed, wrapped in bandages. I really hoped he’d start recovering and leave this unlucky streak behind…

As I was watching Alec with a hint of pity, someone suddenly whoosh! appeared beside me and handed me a single rose.

“What’s this?”

Even from that dramatic entrance, I had a pretty good idea who it was. The academy’s strongest magician—Aren! I smiled brightly and accepted the rose he offered. A deep, rich fragrance lingered at the tip of my nose.

“We finally meet. Have you been well?”

“Aren! Are you done with your work?”

After being tied up with Mage Tower duties since the field trip, Aren had finally appeared at the party. I was genuinely happy to see his familiar face and greeted him cheerfully—when suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist. Wait, what?

“Then let’s have a little chat.”

“Hey! Wait!”

Dia’s angry face was the last thing I saw before the scenery suddenly changed. From the glamorous ballroom to a garden filled with the scent of greenery—I was caught off guard. Just when I thought I was getting used to this, teleportation still took me by surprise! Well, at least I didn’t get motion sick this time…

“Why did you suddenly bring me to the garden?”

After slipping out of Aren’s arm, I looked around. This garden held a lot of memories. It was here that I first realized Seria’s true nature, where I’d gone on walks with Aren, and where I’d had fun lunches with Kyle.

…Well, there were also some bad memories involving Gires, but those felt like a distant past now, so I didn’t really care anymore. Oh, right… Gires. I’d heard he was stripped of all his assets—not that he had much to begin with—and exiled from the Empire. That con artist—no, s*xual offender. Whatever he was, I was just glad I wouldn’t have to see that trash ever again. And Lady Rachel had broken up with him and was now living a much better life, so good for her.

“This place is always beautiful, isn’t it?”

Aren didn’t answer my question—he simply admired the garden scenery. Hmm… did you bring me here just to look at flowers with you? I stared blankly at Aren for a moment, then eventually nodded. Well, I had to admit—the garden, always full of blooming flowers, really was beautiful.

“You asked why I brought you here, right?”

Aren slowly opened his mouth. His voice was calm and serious, and I nodded in response.

“Well, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight… I thought I might as well confess.”

…Huh? Wait—what?

The words coming out of Aren’s serene voice didn’t match the content at all. I blinked in surprise and turned toward him. His hair shimmered under the moonlight, glowing beautifully.

Confess…?

I stared at Aren, flustered by his sudden words, while he simply looked back at me with a gentle smile. Surely he didn’t mean a confession like… a church confession, right? Even now, I couldn’t stop my silly thoughts. No, this isn’t the time—focus!

“What kind of… confession?”

“The kind you’re thinking of right now.”

Ah… I knew it.

I looked away awkwardly, flustered by Aren’s confident and straightforward attitude. This was… troublesome. The seriousness of the situation was overwhelming.

“Um, so… you mean… you… see me… as a woman…?”

I couldn’t quite bring myself to say the words and mumbled through them. It was hard to accept the fact that Aren saw me that way, and I didn’t know how to respond. So I tried to buy time by stalling—but Aren, firm as ever, made things crystal clear.

“Yes. I like you, Radel.”

“Oh my…”

My pupils shook violently, darting around in panic. Uuuuugh… I had always thought of Aren as just a friend. Sure, his radiant, beautiful face made me feel warm and happy at times—but that was just the fleeting emotion you get when looking at someone incredibly good-looking. That was all.

How do I even respond to Aren…?

I opened my mouth, trying to keep my voice steady.

“So… Aren, are you saying you want to date me?”

“No, I’m saying I want to marry you.”

Excuse me, sir?! First Kyle, now Aren—why does everyone want to skip straight to marriage without even dating first?! I was dying to know the reason. Was it to tie me down before I ran away? No way… That couldn’t be it. I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. Aren was too kind to think like that.

“Um, I… I don’t see you as someone I’d date…”

“I know… I already know.”

Aren lowered his lashes and spoke in a soft, wistful tone. He looked so pitiful in that moment that I almost patted him on the shoulder without thinking.

No, no! I snapped out of it and awkwardly pulled my hand back, hovering mid-air.

“I know Radel doesn’t see me as a romantic partner. And… I also know you’re thinking about someone else right now.”

I flinched.

So he already knew. He had known all along that I would never choose him.

Under the moonlight, as he confessed, I finally realized something—Aren’s smile felt just a little different.

“But even so, I still like you, Radel. So I’m never going to give up.”

Aren spoke with a faint smile. I had thought he’d given up, but it was clear he had no intention of doing so. His unwavering and bold attitude surprised me, though I tried to act like it didn’t.

“Um, so… I guess… I just got rejected?”

“…I’m sorry, Aren.”