After the red-haired boy, Wolfe, fell asleep after our sparring match, it was proven impossible to wake him up again.
He slept through the rest of the class until the bell rang and it was time for us to retreat to our dorms.
Before heading back, Ace and I stopped by a nearby restaurant.
The food, without a doubt, was absolutely delicious.
It was no wonder that Greenwood Academy was the only top-notch school suitable for nobility and royalty.
When my plates were completely cleared of food, I slouched in my chair and have a small sigh of relaxation.
"I can't tell whether going to school has been good or not. I mean...our classes are terrible...and I've done nothing other than getting in trouble. But...the food is just godly," I murmured as drooled for another dish.
Ace didn't say anything as he watched me with a soft smile on his face.
"...What is it?" I asked him, confused why he wasn't saying anything.
"...You always look the happiest when you are eating a meal, Cordelia," Ace responded after a moment of silence.
"Hmm...I don't think I look that different when I eat..." I muttered with confusion.
"Trust me, Cordelia. I've never seen you more happy than when you are eating," Ace said with a laugh.
Hmm...
Something must be wrong with me.
I wonder why lately I feel as if though my heart is fluttering whenever Ace laughs.
Was I sick?
Maybe I was cursed...
I should probably go to my doctor to get a check-up.
"Are you okay, Cordelia? You look a little unwell," Ace murmured as his expression slowly changed into that of worry.
"Nah, I'm fine. I just think I'm becoming sick from all of the rain," I replied with an awkward smile.
"Then, let's head back as soon as possible so that you can get some rest," Ace said as he stood up sharply from his seat and held his hand out to help me stand up from my own seat.
"Hmm? No, we can't leave yet...You didn't even finish your food. Won't you be hungry later?" I asked him as I looked up at him in surprise.
"...Oh...I'll be fine. I'm not that hungry anymore anyway. So, let's hurry back before your health gets worse, okay?" Ace asked me once more.
I struggled to tell whether he was being honest or not.
After a brief pause, I sighed to myself.
It would be inconsiderate of me to brush off his kindness, so I accepted.
He supported me as I stood and we began to slowly walk back to our dorm rooms with our own umbrellas over our heads.
With a side glance, I looked upwards at Ace's emerald green eyes.
His eyes were the mark of a king...a royal one who led nations under the will of the gods.
The natural assumption of a regular person was that Ace was one of the few chosen ones.
Even now...I think to myself that it wouldn't be weird at all if Ace were actually a royal in disguise.
Actually, it felt even more wrong to say that he wasn't a royal based on appearances alone.
But when I imagined the kind Ace becoming burdened with endless floods of work and corruption of politics...I realized how fortunate it was that Ace was not a part of that life.
Because Ace wasn't a royal.
He told me so in the past.
"Cordelia, we should be back in around fifte-"
"Your eyes are beautiful, Ace. I love them so much," I said with a content smile as I continued to walk.
"..." Ace didn't say anything as he stopped walking.
"Hmm? Why did you stop walking?" I asked with concern as I stopped walking too.
Suddenly, Ace slouched to the ground as if he lost all feeling in his legs.
"What's wrong, Ace??" I asked with increasing worry as I looked around to see if there was any adult or teacher that could aide me in giving Ace help.
"...That's not fair..." Ace mumbled as I noticed his flushed face.
His ears were red and his lips were pursed in embarrassment.
"Huh? What's not fair???" I asked loudly.
Was Ace feeling a little ill as well?
Ace suddenly turned his head upwards at me with a small pouting expression on his face.
"...I'm not telling you," he said childishly.
...
...Cute.
"Aww...Ace, I didn't know you were such a baby," I said as a slight tease as I booped him on the nose.
"..." Ace didn't say anything as he stared at me straight in the eyes.
What was it now?
"I think your eyes are beautiful...I love them as well..." Ace said with extremely obvious embarrassment and awkwardness.
I wanted to say something in reply but my throat tightened and I choked up.
"H-Huh? That was random..." I said as I also began to blush.
My heart was pounding really hard for some reason.
Ugh...I might really be sick...
My heart has been really jumpy lately, which is supposed to be a sign of premature death.
I'll go to visit the infirmary tomorrow.
For the next few moments, both Ace and I were walking in complete awkward silence as we continued on our way back.
"Haha...I wonder why your eyes are so green though..." I awkwardly chuckled as I tried to start up another conversation.
"I don't know much about it either...Even if I knew why my eyes were green before...I can't remember the reason anymore..." Ace replied slowly.
"Oh...I see," I murmured.
I probably brought up something I shouldn't have...
"No, it's fine. I really don't mind it anymore," Ace said quickly when he realized I felt bad.
"...Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yeah," Ace nodded with a smile.
I see...
Ace doesn't even care about his amnesia anymore.
I feel like an idiot for always making a big deal about it.
"If that's the case then, we can just say that the color of your eyes is one of the seven great wonders of the world since it's a mystery!" I said energetically.
"What are the 'seven great wonders of the world?'" Ace asked with a bit of confusion.
"Oh...Uh...I forgot the seven wonders of the world don't exist here. Hahaha...my bad..." I muttered.
"Hmm...if my eyes are one of the great wonders, then the two black holes in your body are also a wonder..." Ace said with a teasing smile.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Well...there's one peculiar black hole here," Ace said as he pointed to my stomach.
"And where's the other one?" I asked.
"...Around here," Ace said as he gave me a pat on the head.
"Huh? Where?" I asked as I removed his hand off of my head.
"..." Ace stayed silent.
"Where?" I asked.
"...I'll just keep it a secret then," Ace sighed.
"Huh? Okay then..." I replied.
What was he talking about...?
All of a sudden, someone uninvited decided to interrupt our conversation.
"Oh...I didn't know you two were lovebirds," Wolfe said from behind us.
I turned around to see the red-haired boy standing with a slouch as he stood in a relaxing position.
Ugh.
I turned my head away immediately and pretended that I didn't see him.
Wolfe was someone in the game who killed the original Cordelia.
Under regular circumstances, I would have tried acting nice to him in hopes that he wouldn't kill me.
But at this point, after meeting so many other male leads, I basically gave up.
Instead of getting involved with Wolfe and having to deal with another male lead...I'll just ignore his existence and hope that he forgets about me.
"Let's go," I said to Ace as I grabbed his hand and continued to walk.
But for some reason...Wolfe continued to follow us from behind.
I could feel myself becoming a bit angrier.
"...Why are you following us?" I asked.
"Hmm?" Wolfe questioned.
"...Do you need to go somewhere?" I asked him.
"Oh...uh...No?" Wolfe replied with a shake of his head.
"Then...why are you following us...?!" I asked a little louder.
"...Was I not supposed to? You said 'let's go' earlier," Wolfe asked with the cock of his head.
"......" I stayed silent.
Ah...yes...this was the true power of an airhead.
I took a look at Wolfe.
Now that I think about it, Wolfe was walking in the rain without an umbrella.
He was completely drenched and he didn't even seem to notice.
"Don't you have an umbrella...?" I asked him.
"Yeah," Wolfe replied.
"...Then why don't you use it?" I asked.
"Holding an umbrella isn't fun. My arms get tired...and if I fall asleep while holding one, the edge will poke my eye," he responded.
...I didn't even attempt to formulate a response to his answer.
How is it possible that he falls asleep so easily that he literally has to take safety precautions in order to make sure he doesn't get into any accidents?
"...I see," I said as if I actually understood his struggles.
"Besides, I like rain. There's no horrible burning hot sun and the smell of the air becomes fresh and clear," Wolfe said.
"...Right...okay..." I nodded.
He certainly didn't seem like a bad kid...he was just...special.
...Maybe I was wrong about him?
"Do you like sleep too?" Wolfe asked.
"Yes, I do. But I like food even more," I told him.
All of a sudden, he scrunched up his nose with a bit of disgust.
"I don't like food," he said almost instantly.
I froze immediately.
Blasphemy.
No...
...No...
People who hate food...no...they don't exist.
They don't exist.
Food is justice.
Food is love.
Food is life.
So...there's no way he hated food right?
"Haha...that's a funny joke," I said.
"No, I'm being serious. Food sucks," he replied.
Something snapped within me.
I am never ever going to get along with Wolfe.
HOW CAN YOU HATE FOOD?!?!?!
DID HE WANT TO DIE?!?!?!
BECAUSE I'D BE TOTALLY WILLING TO KILL HIM FOR FREE!!!!
"Y-You aren't a...p-picky eater...right?!" I asked
"I guess you could call me that..." he said with a nod.
"No...No...How could you?! Y-You food heathen!!!" I yelled loudly.
I-I always knew p-picky eaters existed...b-but...I never t-thought I'd see one m-myself...
"It's too tiring to explain..." Wolfe sighed.
"...No...it's too tiring to explain because you can't explain. Shut up and don't talk to me again," I growled as I walked away.
"Are you okay, Cordelia?" Ace asked as he walked behind me.
"Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life," I repeated to myself over-and-over again.
.
.
A While Later
.
.
When we got back to the dorms, Ace told me to get some rest.
I told him to do the same.
Afterward, I crashed into my bed and waited for sleep to come.
But before I could get myself comfortable, I could hear the door to the room open.
I sat up to see who it was, even though I already knew that my only roommate was Lilly.
"Oh...Cordelia...I'm sorry. Did I wake you up from your sleep?" Lilly asked in a quiet voice.
"Nah. It's fine. I barely even laid down," I said as I watched Lilly walk into the room and take off her school bag to place it on the ground near her desk.
"Thank goodness then. If it's fine for you, I'd like to start studying. Would you...be open to...um...studying with me...?" Lilly asked shyly.
"Huh? Oh. Sure," I nodded as I took out my homework for the day.
Wow.
Lilly sure doesn't procrastinate.
To be honest, everything I've been learning so far has been absolutely elementary.
I thought school would be difficult, but after all the tutoring I did under Sir Maddy, everything we did was easy.
I don't think I'll ever need to study for this whole school year.
But...that doesn't mean I won't have to complete the excessive amount of worksheets that our teachers have given us.
I sighed.
School...sucks...
I grabbed my feather pen, opened one of my textbooks, grabbed a piece of paper, and immediately started doing my homework.
For a while, there was complete silence as both Lilly and I did our work.
I moved my feather pen as quickly as I could to solve each question.
The quicker I can write, the quicker I can finish my homework, right?
After some time, I finished everything and gave a small sigh of relief.
Lilly was still working in front of me silently, so I just sat still for her to finish.
I certainly didn't want to interrupt her.
Although...
I stared at Lilly.
This girl...was a spy that was sent to me?
At first glance, Lilly was just a regular girl.
Her skin was slightly tanned and her arms and legs were a little too thin, which were characteristics of commoners in this world.
Her magic skills were extraordinary and the aura she exuded was so charming that it attracted the eyes of others unconsciously.
But...she had none of the characteristics of a spy.
I guess that's why she is one.
"Ah...I'm done with my work now too," Lilly said as she stretched her arms.
"Yay! I'm going to go take a nap...and then I'll go get dinner later," I said as I stood up and walked over to my bed.
"You sure love your food, Cordelia," Lilly giggled.
"Of course. Join the food cult with me, Lilly. We'd have a great time together...Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life. Food is justice. Food is love. Food is life," I chanted with a dark look on my face.
Ugh...I can't help but think about Wolfe whenever I think about food now.
How dare he hate food.
I must eliminate him...
"Well, then. I'll be taking a stroll in the rain, Cordelia. I heard the ponds in the school park have a special charm to them whenever it rains. I'd like to go see them," Lilly said as she put on a pair of rainboots.
"...You sure like taking walks, Lilly..." I said slowly.
It was terribly suspicious, but either way, I couldn't stop her.
"I absolutely love walks, Cordelia. I hope you'll come with me next time," Lilly smiled as she reached for her umbrella.
"Well then, have fun!" I said as cheerfully as I could as I saw her leave the room.
The moment she left, I sat quietly on my bed without moving and closed my eyes.
I could sense Lilly walking away as she left the building.
There was no possibility of her coming back for a while.
Good.
I got off of my bed immediately, grabbed my own rainboots, and erased my presence as much as I could.
As soon as I opened the door of my room, I could hear someone.
"Cordelia...Where are you going?" Ace asked me.
I turned my head quickly.
Ace was leaning on the wall right next to my door.
He didn't seem to be very amused.
"H-How did you know I was leaving?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"...Why are you leaving?" Ace asked.
"Why are you even here?" I asked in a louder voice.
"..." Ace didn't say anything.
"There has to be a reason that you're standing outside my door, Ace. If you don't tell me, I'll just assume that you were stalking me in my slee-" I was about to say before Ace silenced me.
"No...I wasn't doing anything like that, Cordelia. I was planning on...doing something...but as I was walking by your room, I realized you were in the middle of erasing your presence and were about to sneak out," Ace sighed.
"...What were you 'planning on doing' earlier?" I asked with suspicion in my voice.
"...Do you promise to not think lower of me if I tell you?" Ace asked me quietly as he suddenly had a guilty look on his face.
"I'd never be able to think lower of you. No matter what you were planning, I'm sure you had a reason," I said slowly.
Oh no...
Did Ace kill someone and was sneaking out to hide the body?!
No...I doubt it.
That doesn't sound like something he'd do.
"Well...I was...planning on...trailing your roommate, Lilly," Ace said as he confessed what he was thinking.
Suddenly something in my mind clicked.
Ace probably has a crush on Lilly!
Was that what he was trying to say???
Dang.
I knew that Lilly was the heroine of this world, but I didn't know that she'd even be able to capture the hearts of someone that was not a capture target.
"And just as soon as I was about to go and follow her, I noticed that you were erasing your presence and decided to stay back and wonder what you were planning," Ace said.
"No. You don't need to explain anymore. I understand everything you said perfectly," I nodded.
"Really?" Ace asked me.
"Yep. I think you should totally go after her [and ask her out]," I said with a thumbs up.
"Oh...I'm so glad you don't think I'm an awful person...[for trailing your friend]," Ace sighed.
"No! I would never think that you are an awful person! Yeah...following someone without them knowing isn't normally the traditional way to do things [to ask her out], but I'll support you all the way [if you get together]," I replied.
"Yes...I just thought that Lilly was a bit different [and suspicious]. Whenever I see her, I get this feeling of uneasiness in my chest [since I think that she might hurt you]," Ace continued.
Was Ace...feeling lovesick for Lilly?!
No way...
"It's a scary feeling [fear] that I don't like...I just feel like I constantly feel something weird [bad] in my heart whenever I see her. So, I just wanted to follow her and see what it was all about...[to make sure she isn't a bad person]," Ace finished.
"It's completely fine to feel that way [love]. Just follow what your heart is saying and go do it," I said with a nod.
"...Do you still trust me, Cordelia...?" Ace asked me quietly.
"Why wouldn't I?" I told him with a smile.
"Thank you...Would you like to come with me [to tail Lilly]?" Ace asked.
"Huh? No way! You should go on your own and then tell me what happens later [after you confess]! I wouldn't want to get in your way [and make things awkward]...!" I replied loudly.
"...Huh? Oh...okay then...I'll be off. I promise I'll tell you what will happen later [after I check on what she's doing]," Ace smiled at me as he patted me on the head before leaving.
I walked back into my room and bellyflopped onto my bed.
I guess I won't be able to follow Lilly anymore like I was planning...
...
So...Ace fell in love with Lilly...
What will he do when he realizes Lilly is a spy against us?
I'm sure he'd be heartbroken.
...
But, what if he never finds out and he starts dating Lilly or something?
They would be such a cute couple!
...
He always gives the warmest smiles after all.
And he is incredibly strong and smart.
And his eyes always look straight into yours whenever you talk to him.
And his hugs are always gentle and comforting.
And he's even incredibly reliable!
...
But the best part is when he pats you on the head.
It's impossible not to feel warm and fluffy on the inside when he gently brushes through your hair.
...
I'm sure Lilly would be very happy if she ended up with Ace.
...
He'll only have eyes for her after all...
...
He would give her everything and more.
...
She'd be the special one for him.
...
Hmm...
...
Why does my chest hurt so much...?
-----------------------------------------------------
A/N: Cordelia seems to be very close to realizing something. Will she ever figure it out?
Who knows?
Anyway, the story is progressing along at a good rate I think~ I've been having a lot of fun writing everything!
Also, thank-you everyone for 20,000 votes!!!!!
I keep hitting milestones, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me make it this far~
Your guys' support always makes my day, so I really just want to say a million thank-you's to you all!
Stay safe~
Okie byeee!
Word Count: 3180