Flower of Steel

ong all these people! It must have been my mistake.
This delusion was almost like an illness now.

***

And that ended the party.
I felt numb by the time I returned home.
Then I wondered, ‘What happened today?’

So, I danced with the Crown Prince, and he announced the end of his engagement.
I also became friends with Rian, the only son of the Chancellor, and he attacked Hillain, one of Elise’s close followers.

“So many things happened today,” commented Lumi.
I agree with her.
It was difficult to believe that all of this happened in just one day.
Then, Lumi added, “But I feel great because of what happened to that girl from Schuteiner’s.”

Yes, it did feel good at that moment when the Crown Prince announced that he was ending his engagement with Elise.
But I honestly didn’t want that much to happen.
I did hope she would become as unfortunate as I was, but this didn’t feel that great either.
Maybe she might direct her misfortune towards me now.

This is why being paranoid is a scary thing.
I’m now free from being bullied, and I have trusty allies at my side.
Still, I’m being wary of her bullying.

“Sister?”

I was surprised by my name being suddenly called and turned to Lumi.
She looked at me with concern in her green eyes and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I just had a lot to reflect on,” I replied as I nodded to her.

“Yeah, I suppose so.
There were a lot of things that happened that revolved around you today.
But you really did look good with Prince Droinel,” said Lumi.

“It’s not like that.
Rian and I are just-”

“LOOK! He allowed you to not just call him by name but by his second name.
It’s proof that he’s in love with you!”

Then it came to me.
He revealed his second name, which was only given to the master of the duke’s family, his wife, and his successor.
Why did he do that? Hmph…