Uriel found herself standing in front of the door walking mechanically towards Leo. She tried to turn her head but despite looking relaxed, her neck was stiff, as if it was made of plaster. Everything looked as it was before, the difference is the look in the eyes of those around her, devoid of life despite moving normally. Everything around her was just as noisy as things were before the loop, yet every step she made echoed in her head as the prince awaited earnestly looking at her direction waving and smiling childishly and only after a few steps, Leo held her hand and dragged her as her body naturally follows.
*****
The cafeteria is as bustling as ever and in the middle of it all Uriel and Leo are sitting face to face with one another. Everything went about as if there's no such thing as a mechanism that makes them move like puppets and the person sitting in front of her is grinning from ear to ear. As Uriel was about to eat after talking to Leo for some time, she felt the urge to go to the rest room, thus, excusing herself from the latter. After finishing her business, she stopped for some moment before going back to the table.
' Should I just go to Lady Charlotte's table even just to greet her? ' she pondered while looking at the said table.
' I mean, it would be nice if I could talk to her about things I never get to talk about with prince Leo ' she continued
' ... But if I were to go there .. what would happen to the prince ' as she thought of it, she looked at Leo sitting all alone in their table.
Leo is indeed always the center of attention as he is the prince however, Uriel can't help but notice how in this crowded room, someone such as him looks so alone. ' Not that he looks lonely, it's just that wouldn't it be nice if he could casually talk to people his age, get rowdy with the other nobles sons? ' she thought. She can't help but compare him to the kids she grew up with.
With ladies competing for his attention and young masters competing for a political position by his side, it is hard to get rowdy and fool around, but Uriel would never want to acknowledge that. She believes that every child should be a child. That no one should be forced to act like an adult.
Uriel decided that she's been standing there for so long and so she decided to go back. As she was about to, a hand touched her shoulder and a playful voice whispered in her ear.
" What're you standing there for? ". Simeon and Terrence sere standing behind her. They then proceed to push her towards their table.
When they arrived, Leo's face lit up so much so that even Simeon teased him about how the former probably missed him. It was one of the rare moments when Leo looses his composure, a disgruntled face that he wouldn't want Uriel to see as he would only either look dazed or "lovestruck" when he's with her, although she knows this is because whatever it is that's controlling them is making him look and feel that way towards her. Still, Uriel sees that the four of them hanging out together isn't so bad. Of course, the watchful eyes of the other students are uncomfortable for her but it's not like they are physically hurting them, Uriel thought to herself.
Among the three, she noticed that Terrence doesn't interact with the two, he only pay attention to her and Uriel took this as him being not as comfortable with the other two as he is with her. Although she knows that this is because of "the set-up", she still doesn't want anyone to be left out so she started asking questions about him followed by silence. Hoping that Simeon or Leo would back it up, she looks at both of them hinting them to say something to which both responded to. Simeon wrapped his arm around Terrence' shoulder and Leo following up with talking about what Terrence is known for; herbology. This perked up both Uriel and Terrrence' ears.
" My, I didn't know you were great at herbology young master, I want to learn more about it but I'll probably need so much time and many books with so much to learn about " Uriel said with wide eyes.
Terrence was visibly excited to talk about the subject as he talked and talked more about it, he looked like a child brimming with excitement answering Leo's follow up questions and Simeon sneaking food in his mouth hinting Uriel to change the topic to which Uriel respond to mischievously as if she was pretending not to see him. They looked like a normal circle of friends and Uriel's hope for a peaceful life was coming back only to be dragged down to when they weren't talking idly like this.
A shiver went up Uriel's spine once again. The noisy yet peaceful atmosphere in their table stopped. As if the talk earlier hadn't happened, Uriel is back once again standing at the corner with Simeon and Terrence at her back telling her to go with them to their table. Unlike before this loop, the three of the men weren't even looking at each other. Only focusing on Uriel, looking dead fighting over what they claimed to be theirs. The watchful eyes were now accompanied by murmurs and a voice stood out from the crowd.
" If you're going to play as such a coy beauty fought over by best men, don't do it here, it makes us loose our appetite " said the voice.
Ashamed, she asked if she could excuse herself to which they didn't have chance to respond to.
The next morning, another noble's daughter is thrown out of a family.