Love
Lux’s Side
When she pulled back her hood, the face that Elina-san revealed was utterly captivating.
Her eyes were wide and framed by long lashes, her nose was small, and her lips had a natural sheen.
Her fair skin and delicate, small face gave her an elegant beauty that slightly resembled Felisiana-sama, but there was also a kind of innocent charm mixed in.
And her bright pink hair, tied into two bunches, looked as though it perfectly embodied her personality.
…But why is Elina-san wearing such a sorrowful expression?
And then, though it was so faint that I might have imagined it, just as I was wondering about that, I thought I heard her say “Goodbye.”
“…Well? Lux, what do you think of my face?”
I had my doubts, but this was a moment to be honest about what I felt.
“I think you’re very beautiful!”
“…!”
When I said that, for some reason, Elina-san’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…Elina-san?”
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
Even as she said that, Elina-san looked visibly flustered.
I remembered she had once said she thought she was cute, so I didn’t think a compliment would catch her off guard… but what’s going on?
Elizalina’s Side
Elizalina told Lux it was nothing, but her heart was far from being in a state where “nothing” would suffice.
She was used to being called attractive, and she had anticipated that Lux might say something along those lines. So it wasn’t his words that had rattled her… what shook her was that Lux’s compliment held no ulterior motive, only pure, shining eyes admiring something he found genuinely beautiful. That was what surprised her.
When a boy sees a pretty girl, isn’t it natural to feel at least a little desire? So why can Lux look at me with such clear eyes? Is it because he doesn’t really find me attractive? No. That’s not it. I can’t dismiss the light in his eyes just because of my own doubts… I know better than anyone that Lux would never lie.
A contradiction she had never experienced before.
Something she never saw coming.
No. If I were to get serious, even Lux would… Please, don’t make me hope! This is just a dream anyway!!
Screaming that in her heart, Elizalina forced a smile, looked up at Lux with pleading eyes, and said,
“Lux… do you think I’m cute?”
Each detail, from her expression and her tone to even the slightest movement, was crafted to enchant, forming an allure any boy would feel unconsciously.
If I really tried to make him fall, even Lux wouldn’t stand a chance… There’s no such thing as a prince.
That’s what she thought deep down, though she didn’t let it show at all… If Lux reacted differently in any way from how he had before, then he would be no different from the others, just another person who only sees the surface, and Elizalina could finally let go of the dream she’d had about him… but.
“Yes! I think you’re incredibly cute!”
“…!”
Hearing those words, Elizalina found her cheeks flushing before she even realized it.
W-Why!? Why am I the one blushing now!?
In that moment, Elizalina understood something… She had thought she was simply startled by the brilliance in Lux’s eyes. Instead, she had been drawn to that light.
Her heartbeat was louder than it had ever been before, and then Lux spoke to her again.
“Um… Elina-san, if I’m wrong, please don’t worry about it, but… why did you look so sad earlier?”
He’s worrying about me. Not my appearance, but the real me, the part inside…!
Thinking that she couldn’t let Lux worry about her any further, Elizalina quickly replied,
“It’s nothing! Really, you don’t have to worry!”
“Is that so…? Also, I thought I heard you say ‘Goodbye’ just now.”
“You don’t need to worry about that either! …I won’t say ‘Goodbye’ anymore.”