“What are you thinking about so hard? I said let’s go get lunch.”
“...Fine.”
When Ceres finally answered, a smile as pretty as a painting spread across Aria’s face.
In contrast, the displeasure that flashed across Princess Nailia’s face was impossible to miss, though she quickly smoothed it away. It seemed she was planning to join them for lunch as well.
“I’m so happy we’re eating together again after all this time! Aren’t you?”
Aria slipped her arm through Ceres’s as naturally as ever. Ceres looked at her briefly before heading toward the dining hall without a word.
“Hm?”
A little while later, Aria’s nonstop chatter abruptly trailed off. Wondering what had caught her attention, Ceres looked ahead and spotted a familiar figure approaching at an unhurried pace.
The person making his way toward them was none other than Alex, the Third Prince.
At first, she assumed he was coming over to greet his younger sister, Princess Nailia. Instead, he walked right past her without so much as a glance.
As far as Ceres knew, most people had learned he was a prince after the welcome banquet. He definitely wasn’t still pretending otherwise.
Frowning slightly, she glanced at Nailia and found herself even more puzzled.
Well, that’s hostile.
The look Nailia shot Alex was no joke. You’d think she was staring at the man who had murdered her parents.
Then again, being family doesn’t mean you have to get along.
Ceres immediately lost interest.
“Miss Ceres.”
Just as she started walking again, Alex’s gentle voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned around to find him already standing close by.
With a bright smile, he reached out his hand.
Should I snap it or leave it alone?
As she briefly weighed her options—
“There was something in your hair.”
Alex brushed a strand of hair back into place before stepping away.
People really are impossible to judge by appearances.
Who would look at that face and guess he was capable of beating someone so mercilessly?
“You seem to be on your way to lunch. What a shame. I’d have loved to join you.”
...What has gotten into him?
Why was he suddenly acting like they were friends? Weren’t they supposed to keep their distance?
“It’s easier to enjoy a meal when you’re eating with people you’re actually close to. Wouldn’t you rather join them than me, Lord Alex?”
Ceres lifted her hand and pointed down the corridor.
By pure coincidence, the group that had been frightened by Prince Alex before was standing at the far end of the hall.
Following her gesture, Alex turned to look. His expression stiffened slightly.
The moment they noticed him, the group practically jumped out of their skin and hurried away.
“Ha...”
So that’s her way of telling me not to pretend we’re close.
A short laugh escaped him.
As expected, she isn’t easy.
After being brushed off once again, Alex watched Ceres’s retreating figure for a while.
Go ahead and stare.
The back of her neck prickled under his gaze, but she pretended not to notice.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Every instinct she had was telling her that getting involved with that man would be exhausting.
Her instincts were never wrong before. Whenever she got a feeling like this, there was only one thing to do:
Stay as far away from the problem as possible.
“Ceres.”
Aria hurried after her and lowered her voice.
“Are you close with Lord Alex?”
“No.”
“You looked pretty close.”
“You should wear glasses.”
“Huh? Glasses?”
“I think your eyesight’s getting worse.”
Ignoring Aria’s bewildered stare, Ceres walked straight into the dining hall.
“......”
Nailia watched Ceres, a hint of surprise crossing her face.
She really has changed.
The first time Nailia saw her after she returned to the academy, she’d been genuinely taken aback. With nothing more than a pen, Ceres had effortlessly dealt with the boy who’d been bullying her.
The girl Nailia remembered would’ve never done something like that.
Back then, Ceres was always watching other people’s reactions, always mindful of her place. In front of anyone with status or influence, she could barely get a word out.
The only person she ever acted differently around was Aria. For whatever reason, Aria was the one person Ceres never hesitated to look down on or lash out at.
That was exactly why Nailia disliked her.
But...
The Ceres standing here now felt nothing like the girl Nailia remembered.
If anything, it was Alex’s reaction that caught her off guard. It took only a few words for the smile he always wore to disappear completely. For a second, Nailia found herself questioning whether she’d really seen it.
Others might not have noticed, but Nailia knew better. Despite the pleasant smile he always wore, Prince Alex wasn’t nearly as simple as he appeared. Behind that beautiful facade, he kept something hidden so carefully that no one ever managed to grasp what it was.
“Lady Nailia?”
Aria’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Nailia nodded and followed them inside.
***
“Ah, there’s a table over there!”
Even though lunch hour was nearly over, the dining hall was still crowded. Aria quickly claimed an empty table and waved them over.
“Ceres, sit down. I’ll bring you something you like.”
With that, she hurried off toward the food before Ceres could object.
“....?”
Someone pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. It was Nailia.
There were empty seats everywhere, including the one directly across from her. Yet Nailia chose the seat beside her.
“I don’t like you.”
Well, that explained it.
Judging by how quietly Nailia had said it, she’d wanted to make sure only Ceres heard.
“Good. The feeling’s mutual.”
One of Nailia’s brows twitched.
The old Ceres would’ve lowered her head and burst into tears after hearing something like that. Instead, this one looked amused.
“How much longer are you going to keep taking advantage of Aria? You know Lord Sens Birol likes her. If you’re really her friend, shouldn’t you stop getting in the way?”
Sens Birol. There was that name again.
Who was this guy?
“Aria never complains, but because of you, she’s had a much harder time than—”
Thunk.
Nailia’s eyes widened.
Without warning, Ceres lightly kicked the leg of her chair. Before she could even react, the chair slid backward with her still sitting on it.
“What are you—?”
Crash!
The words died in Nailia’s throat.
Food came pouring down onto the very spot where she’d been sitting only moments ago.
“Oh no! What do I do?”
It was Aria.
She stood while clutching her wrist, tears welling in her eyes. From the looks of it, she’d dropped the dishes while carrying them over.
“My wrist suddenly started hurting again... sniff...”
Holding her injured wrist, Aria blinked back tears, looking utterly pitiful.
“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry. I should’ve been more careful...”
“You should’ve.”
“...Huh?”
“That was your mistake.”
Aria’s tearful eyes wavered.
“I-I’ll go get more food!”
“Sit down.”
“No, really, I can—”
“I said sit down.”
Aria, who was about to rush off, froze at Ceres’s quiet voice.
Ceres rose from her seat. She gave Aria’s stiff shoulder a pat before heading over to get food herself.
Aria could only stare after her in a daze. Once again, she was struck by just how different Ceres was from before.
“......”
Meanwhile, Nailia kept looking back and forth between the splattered food and Ceres, lost in thought.
.
.
.
Chapter 26: Friends?
Well, isn’t that interesting?
Remembering what had happened in the dining hall earlier, Ceres felt the corners of her lips curl upward.
She’d definitely seen it. The moment Aria deliberately twisted her wrist and let the dishes slip from her hands. When she’d dropped them right where Nailia had been sitting.
“My wrist suddenly started hurting again... sniff...”
Then came the tears. If Nailia had still been sitting there when all that food came crashing down, Ceres could practically hear how the conversation would’ve gone.
“Lady Nailia, are you alright? This is all your fault, Lady Ceres!”
“You made an injured girl carry food? Seriously?”
“Do you even remember why Aria got hurt in the first place? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“Look at this mess! What are you going to do about it?”
Wouldn’t all the blame have landed on Ceres instead?
“G-Guys, please don’t say that. I wanted to do it myself. Lady Nailia, I’m sorry...”
“Aria, why are you apologizing? You’re not the one who did anything wrong!”
“Exactly!”
“You’re too nice for your own good. Ugh, it’s frustrating to watch!”
And just like that, Aria would’ve ended up looking like the kind, selfless one.
Well, well.
She was always at Ceres’s side, calling herself her friend and all. But...
This is starting to feel a little calculated.
Was she imagining things, or had the original owner of this body been used by Aria all along?
How intriguing.
The smile on Ceres’s face deepened.
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