Chapter 351: Recollection
“That’s a strange way to ask.”
“I think so myself… and while I understand in my head that it’s been several years since I last sat facing you like this, Second Princess… somehow, something about that fact catches on me, it doesn’t quite sit right.”
If there were a third party here, they would probably feel they couldn’t make sense of Florence’s words.
After all, saying she understands it’s been several years since they last met, yet that same fact doesn’t sit right with her, could be taken as a contradiction.
However…
“I get it. Actually, I feel the same way.”
“…The Second Princess as well?”
“Yeah.”
A shocking reply, delivered by Elizalina.
If it were just her, that would be one thing, but for Elizalina to feel something similar as well…
It’s far too difficult to dismiss as mere coincidence.
“What is this, I wonder… I’m sure the last time I met you was when I visited the Duke of Florence’s residence a few years ago… it should be, but it doesn’t feel like that at all.”
“…Me too.”
Then, for a short while, silence settled over the room.
Elizalina was the one who broke it, speaking in her usual tone.
“There’s no point talking about something we can’t remember, and now that I know we both like Lux, there’s something I want to ask you, Florence… what do you like about Lux?”
“Everything.”
Florence answered instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.
Hearing that reply, Elizalina nodded two, three times.
“Yeah, if you’re planning to compete with Felisiana and me over Lux, then at the very least you need to be able to answer that much without hesitation.”
“…Qualifications, you mean?”
“That’s right. If you want to spend your life with Lux, you’ll need a lot of qualifications… there’s no other boy like him anywhere in this world.”
“I share the view that there is no other man like Lux-sama anywhere in this world, but what do you consider to be the qualifications of someone who should stand by his side, Second Princess?”
Up until now, she had discussed that matter thoroughly with Felisiana countless times.
So she understands Felisiana’s values to the utmost degree, but she has no idea how Elizalina thinks about this.
And so, wanting to learn more about Elizalina, she asked that question.
Elizalina opened her mouth and said,
“First, more than anything, the absolute prerequisite is loving Lux more than anything else, and being able to make Lux happy.”
“…That’s true.”
Among the nobility, there are quite a few who lack one or the other.
Naturally, neither Florence nor Elizalina would want Lux to live without either of those two things.
“Then, with those two as the foundation, the next important thing is being able to do anything for Lux.”
“…Anything, you say?”
“Just as it sounds. If Lux says he wants you to stay with him, you stay with him no matter what, and if Lux says he wants to be fed, you feed him… well, Lux is kind, so he wouldn’t ask for things like that unless he really needed to… so what’s really important is what lies beyond what Lux asks for.”
She paused with a small “Hmm.”
“Things a kind Lux wouldn’t be able to ask for, doing anything for his happiness… even if that means taking someone’s life.”
“…!? Taking someone’s… life… what are you saying!?”
At that, Florence raised her voice in shock, but Elizalina responded in a calm tone.
“Hm? What do you mean, what? I meant exactly what I said.”
“Do you truly believe that such an emotional approach, one that does not respect Lux-sama’s feelings, would be permitted for someone who stands by his side?”
“Emotional? What’s wrong with tha—”
Just as she was about to say it,
Elizalina looked at Florence, her eyes widening. Then, as if something amused her, she began to laugh softly.
And, with the corners of her lips raised,
“I see… so the girl who interfered with my processing, that girl was you, Florence.”
“…What in the world are you talking about…”
As she was about to say it, the word “processing” made Florence recall certain words from a certain person…
“It’ll be over really quickly, you know? I just… came to process the three male students in that building.”
Recalling those words, Florence’s eyes widened.
Fixing her gaze on the Elizalina before her, she murmured in astonishment.
“You couldn’t be…”
“You remember now? That’s right, I was wearing a pink hood back then… well then, it’s been a few months, Florence.”