Emotion
Siana’s Side
Siana watched Floria with quiet fury simmering beneath her calm exterior.
So, you’ve gotten close to Lux-kun over the past month, have you? Is that supposed to be some kind of cruel joke directed at me, who hasn’t even been able to see him? But… no. Including this woman in the list of security concerns for the Royal Exchange was the right decision.
Had Siana made the mistake of overlooking Floria entirely when planning the Royal Exchange event, her own strategy, to deepen her connection with Lux as Felisiana, might have faced a serious setback.
“…”
As she met Floria’s unwavering gaze, Siana thought quietly to herself.
Floria isn’t just someone who shares Lux’s bright, sunny disposition, she carries shadows, too.
When the situation demanded it, Floria wouldn’t hesitate to cast aside her principles, just like others who knew how to survive. In Siana’s eyes, that made her one of their kind.
No matter who it is, I won’t let anyone get in the way of my bond with Lux-kun. If I’m thinking about his happiness, then there’s no one else in this world more suited to be with him than me, because I’m the one who loves him most.
Floria’s Side
Floria studied Siana, and a single, unshakable certainty took hold in her heart.
Just as I suspected. The Third Princess-sama views Lux-sama as someone special… By labeling me as merely a friend of his, she’s trying to establish dominance. It’s uncharacteristic of Third Princess-sama, revealing an unusual degree of emotion.
Floria quietly pondered: if she were to tell Siana that she wished to become Lux’s fiancée, how would Siana react?
“…”
As she returned Siana’s unwavering gaze, Floria mused silently.
There’s something about her… that unmistakable aura people give off when they’re hiding their true feelings, something I’ve always found repellent. And I don’t want someone like that getting anywhere near Lux-sama.
Siana, when it comes down to it, would carry out even the darkest of deeds without flinching, truly, a paragon of royalty.
If you wish to exercise that talent in the name of your station, by all means, do so. But I will not allow someone like you to remain by the side of someone as pure as Lux-sama. I will protect the light that is Lux-sama.
Lux’s Side
…The two of them had been silent for a while, but it was Florence-san who finally broke it.
“Third Princess-sama, I wasn’t able to properly introduce myself earlier. Allow me to do so now. I am Floria Florence of the Ducal House.”
With a calm smile, Florence-san made her introduction. Felisiana-sama gave a composed nod in response and replied,
“I know who you are. Your house is known primarily for agriculture, construction, and textiles, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, I’m honored that someone of Third Princess-sama’s stature would be familiar with someone as insignificant as myself… Or is there perhaps a special reason you’ve taken notice of me?”
“And what, I wonder, would qualify as a ‘special reason’?”
When Florence-san heard that, she glanced at me briefly, then paused for a moment before shaking her head.
“No, that was an impertinent thing to say.”
“I see.”
A brief silence fell between us again before Florence-san turned to me.
“Lux-sama, we’ve been speaking with Felisiana-sama for quite some time. If we don’t give others a chance to converse with her, we may seem inconsiderate. Shall we move along?”
I still wanted to talk with Felisiana-sama… but no. I shouldn’t be selfish.
“You’re right… I understand.”
Violet’s Side
From the second floor, tucked discreetly at the back of the ballroom, Violet kept herself hidden beneath a black hood, out of sight from the other royal guests.
Her mission tonight had two parts: watch over Siana, and something else.
Observing Siana served a deeper purpose. It was necessary for fulfilling that second task.
“It’s hard to see clearly from here, but I’m quite sure that once we return to the estate, I’ll be treated to a very long tirade about Florence-sama,” she murmured.
Despite herself, Violet felt a flicker of satisfaction at witnessing Siana, who rarely let emotions show unless it involved Lux, displaying visible agitation.
“It should be about time…”
And just as Violet whispered those words, as if on cue, Siana cast a glance in her direction.
“Florence-sama is without question a formidable opponent… However, tonight, Ojou-sama will have Rodwell-sama to herself.”
Speaking to no one, Violet stepped forward and gave a subtle signal to the conductor standing before the musicians. The music shifted, an entirely different tune from what had played before filled the hall.
And with that change, the royals and students in the ballroom began to move, forming a perfect circle, as if guided by an unseen force.
This seamless coordination was no coincidence. Violet had arranged everything in advance, choosing the music, signaling the conductor, even instructing the royals on how to respond when it played.
Yes, her second mission was to create the perfect opportunity. A moment where Siana and Lux could be alone together in the midst of the Royal Exchange.
“This may be unfair in a formal setting like the Royal Exchange… but this is a precious chance for Ojou-sama. Please, do not interfere.”
As Floria was gently swept away from Lux’s side by the circular movement, Violet returned her gaze to Siana.
Floria’s Side
A few minutes earlier.
When Floria suggested to Lux that they move elsewhere and he nodded in agreement, Siana interrupted.
“There’s no need. It looks like everyone else is still mingling with other royals, so we can continue our conversation without issue.”
“Huh…?”
Lux was caught off guard by Siana’s response, but when he looked around, it was true, other students were still speaking with different royals. So he nodded slightly.
Floria, however, pressed on.
“That may not be entirely accurate. It’s possible that the others are simply holding back because they see us speaking with the Third Princess-sama and don’t want to intrude.”
“If you start worrying about things like that, you’ll never get anywhere with these exchanges.”
Floria had been trying to gently separate Lux from Siana, but of course, Siana had no intention of letting that happen.
Then, just for a moment, Siana’s eyes flicked toward something, or someone, not Lux, not Floria. At that exact instant, Floria, who stood just behind Lux, noticed someone approaching from the side. She instinctively stepped aside, but from the other side, too, someone was coming. Forced to avoid both, she had to step further away.
Lux’s back, once so close, began to drift away.
“Lux-sama… I… I want to—”
Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, Floria felt something she had never known before, an unfamiliar sense of urgency.
“This feeling is…”
Yes, she had always harbored feelings for Lux.
But that affection had been too calm, too composed to be called love. It lacked the fire. When she had spoken of wanting to marry him, it was with a steady fondness, but never passion.
Until now. Until this very moment. As Lux began to slip away, Floria realized that what she felt was no longer just affection.
She pressed a hand to her chest, and, staring after his retreating back, gave voice to the feeling blooming inside her.
“Lux-sama… it seems I’ve fallen in love with you. I’ve experienced emotions toward you I thought were love… but they were merely fondness. What I feel now, this emotion that wells up from deep within me, this wish to stay by your side, is so different from any dictionary definition. Its shape, its size… it’s mine alone. It may not reach you now, but… I pray that someday, this overflowing love finds its way to your heart.”
Her smile, though gentle and serene as always, now carried with it something new, something unmistakable. Love.