"…Oh, hey. I know that ceili—ow! What was that?!" A sudden, throbbing pain struck Lieren on the head. Looking down, he saw a simple book — the same projectile that had been thrown at him just a moment ago.
A young beauty stood in front of him.
He scratched the back of his head as he got up, then said tentatively:
"H—hey fellow teen. How have you been?"
She raised her brow.
"What?"
Lieren blinked, lingered, and muttered in a low voice:
"Umm… uh… what…"
He cleared his throat.
"Ahem! What is your name again… young miss?"
There was dubious expression on the young heiress face as she lingered for a minute and sighed, looking back exasperatedly. She shrugged and introduced herself finally.
"…Alice. You can just call me Alice, if you want… ah! But you have to call me Lady Alice or Your Excellence when other people are around. Except those you already know, of course. But, please, when it's just the two of us… don't bother with honorifics. It kind of bothers me."
There was a brief pause as Lieren shifted awkwardly in his bed and watched the young girl — Alice sit down beside him with nascent grace and poise. He stared at her deadpan and plainly said:
"Oh, that's fine. I wasn't planning on giving you honorifics in the first place. It's like you said, it just sounds weird. Especially since we're practically the same age."
He smiled brightly.
"No worries here!"
Alice, on the other hand, looked as if she had just seen roadkill. She hurriedly said, suddenly panicked for some reason:
"Wait, wait, wait. Wait! I know that I was the one who requested you not to… but can you please do? Just when other people are around! The… the ball is due the day after tomorrow, and it would really trouble me specifically if you do that." There was a panicked look on her face as she stammered to warn him. She seemed to be very serious about this.
The boy in question, on the other hand, smiled mischievously.
Alice immediately paled, before he even started speaking.
"You don't say…"
Then, something she said made him change gears, though he had not dismissed the chance to tease the pale heiress.
"Wait, a ball? What's that about? Some kind of fancy event or something? I don't think now is the right time for that, considering the competition and all."
As he finished, a shadow fell over her pale face, and disappeared immediately afterwards.
'Hmm… Curious.'
Cold and resolute clarity befell her all of a sudden, draining away all lackadaisical and carefree tone from her velvety voice.
"The ball is, well, for the competition in question, after all. It's only natural for high society folk to hold one, especially considering how important this… event is. Many high-ranking individuals from different families are no doubt going to show, especially those with close relation to the family… as well as those hoping to earn favor and zeal from the main family. It's the perfect opportunity."
A tense and sullen atmosphere suddenly befell the room and enveloped it. Narrowing his eyes, Lieren added:
"…And I'm guessing the other contestants are there, as well. Isn't that right, Alice?"
She curtly nodded, her fists clenched and gripping her sundress.
"Yes. That's right. They are all from multiple branches of the family, both close and distant. Battle-hardened and trained beyond human limits. More than a few have been waiting for this moment ever since… ever since Mama's death. To be honest, I've been doubting whether we can really do this."
Lieren leaned his back on the feather-filled pillows and closed his eyes, feeling a cold sensation overcome him suddenly.
"How so?"
Though he couldn't see her face, Lieren could hear — practically feel the hesitation in her voice.
"I know I said so, and I really did mean it at the time, but the more I see you risk your life for somebody you barely even know, somebody far less important to you, the more I feel like you can't do this. My instincts say so, and they've hardly ever been wrong. If ever."
A seed of frustration bore fruit inside of Lieren, and he scowled and glared at the young heiress.
"Then why did you choose me?"
"…!!" Alice eyes opened wide, and her vibrant blue eyes glistened under the receding afternoon sunlight. There was litany of emotions etched on her pale face.
Shock, frustration, anger, hope, envy, confusion, confliction, and even more mundane emotions like happiness and… fun?
He could not decipher her complicated set of expressions whatsoever. But then again, he didn't need to.
He needed only do one thing.
Collecting herself, she muttered in a weak, soft voice:
"It's because I…"
He frowned.
"What did you say?"
She repeated:
"I said I…"
He shouted angrily:
"Say it louder! Darn it!"
"…!!"
Opening her eyes wide and glaring at the black-haired boy, the pale heiress gritted her teeth, rose up, and gripped her sundress so much as to form creases on the intricate pattern of it. Taking a deep, deep breath, she shouted with all her might and bravado, from the deepest recesses of her soul:
"IT'S BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YOU OKAY?!"
Eyeing him menacingly, she gritted her teeth and flushed like a tomato. He had to admit, it was pretty darn cute.
"I.. I saw it in a vision, way back when. I saw you win, holding your head high, with my hand in yours and the biggest smile I have ever since, well, ever."
Piercing him with a freezing glare, Alice Exousia let go of the sundress and bit her lip — not enough to hurt her, but enough to make it painful — and let fresh tears roll down her face.
"You were also… dying, your body battered and bruised, drowning in blood. Everything else was died crimson. And I knew for certain that you had been the cause of it. Ever since that day, I've sought you out every moment that I can. Years passed until I finally found you, and when I did…"
She trailed off, and Lieren didn't press her for anymore details. That was probably when he had fought, and killed, the diametric Mistcaster. The sight must have been truly horrifying. Combined with her morbid vision, and it was harder not to think of the bloody visage as anything but terrifying.
Still, she had chosen him regardless. As far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. And ever will be.
Giving her a carefree shrug, Lieren said evenly:
"Oh, is that all? It's no trouble then."
Alice blinked repeatedly, a dubious expression on her ghostly-pale face.
"…Huh?"
Lieren explained grandly, raising his bandaged arms extravagantly.
"Visions, historically, have never been quite the most accurate way to discern somebody's fate, anyways. They're vague, hazy, and most of all indirect. It never tells the diviner what exactly it is that they're seeing. At least not until it happens. Who knows. Maybe you didn't even see what you think saw, not that I'm undermining your power or anything."
Then, he paused, blinked, and looked at her with a genuine smile.
"What I'm saying is that, if we're going to win this, then I need you to trust me. Rather, continue believing in me! Just like you've been doing all this time."
Scratching the back of his head, he remembered his days in the orphanage, and sighed lightheartedly. All those young boys and girls, mingling about and going about their day without a care in the world. It was such a happy, wonderful time.
Grinning, he continued:
"…Guys are pretty stupid, you see. Just a little bit of praise here and a compliment there is enough to make them do the most nonsensical nonsense there is like it it's nothing."
Then, he stopped, suddenly lost for words, and scratched the back of his head.
"Uh… what was I talking about again?"
Wiping her tears, a nascent smile split Alice's face. It was… something else. Her smile that is. It was as if an angel had come from the heavens and blessed the world with its saving grace.
Giggling like a fool, she said with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen:
"Is that so? Well then, I guess I have no other choice… Do your best, Lieren! Give them hell!"