Sunlight fell across white hair and emerald-green locks.
In front of several women from Loki Familia, Riveria and Bell were debating the subject of Ais.
The others all frowned, listening in confusion.
"What exactly is Riveria-sama talking about?" Line asked curiously.
The difference in age and status sounded as though it referred to Ais, yet somehow seemed to point toward someone else.
Line listened carefully to every word, but she was still completely lost.
"Who knows? Maybe Ais-san has some secret," Anakitty said, swaying her tail.
Because she knew too little, she took all of Riveria's questions as mysteries surrounding Ais's background.
Even the sharp-minded Anakitty failed to grasp Bell's confession, let alone Elfy.
"I knew it! I knew the White Rabbit Boy liked Ais-san! The second I get back to my room, I'm telling Lefiya!"
Elfy's eyes burned with the excitement of someone watching a show.
Among the girls, only one remained silent.
Alicia was a gentle, kind-hearted woman.
At the same time, she was also one of the Elf Princess (Riveria)'s most devoted followers.
As the argument before her drew to a close, Alicia clearly saw Riveria's goddess-surpassing beauty become stained with an unfamiliar shade of crimson.
Alicia had never seen that expression on her before.
The noble Elf Princess maintained her elegant bearing even when bathing together with the women of her familia.
What on earth was going on?
Weren't Riveria-sama and Bell Cranel talking about Ais-san?
Why would Her Highness make that kind of face?
That bashfulness, so unique to a young girl, seemed to say that the affection the boy had confessed was not directed at Ais, but had instead softly knocked on Riveria's heart.
Strange...
This conversation absolutely could not be allowed to continue!
Alicia tossed her golden hair and quickly stepped forward.
"Bell Cranel! Ais-san would never—"
Alicia's voice cut off abruptly.
She had meant to say that a girl as strong and pure as Ais would never possibly return the boy's feelings, but on second thought, saying that to a boy brimming with passion would be far too cruel.
Was Riveria blushing because the topic of love was too direct, or because she was especially concerned for that naturally airheaded blonde girl?
Alicia did not know the answer. She had only rushed out on instinct, her thoughts in complete disarray.
She had once given the boy the Sacred Tree fruit that symbolized love, and Alicia had never been able to forget it.
Her worship of Riveria, the renewed fondness she felt for the boy, the strange turn of events, and the discussion about Ais all piled together, driving Alicia to blurt out something outrageous.
"Bell Cranel, you like blonde girls anyway, right? Then forget about everyone else. Why not me?!"
"..."
"Huh?"
"Alicia-san is so bold~"
"What are you talking about, nya..."
Alicia's blunt declaration shocked the girls. Even the normally composed Anakitty unconsciously slipped into the Cat People's verbal tic.
Before Bell could answer, Alicia realized just what a terrible mistake she had made.
Her face flushed bright red, and she frantically waved her wand. "What I just said was nonsense! Please don't take it to heart! No, wait, if you don't care at all, that would trouble me too!"
"I understand, Alicia-san. Please put the wand down first..."
Bell dodged the chaotic swings of her wand while trying to calm the rampaging blonde elf.
She must have noticed the change in Riveria and panicked for a moment.
Bell recalled the blush on the Elf Princess's face and found it rather adorable.
Unlike their romantic encounters in the Dungeon, this was a shyness that surfaced when faced with earnest affection.
To everyone else, the topic was Ais, but Riveria and Bell both knew that the person they were truly speaking about was Riveria herself.
The boy's words could already be called a face-to-face confession.
Bell was not in a hurry to demand an answer, which was why he had borrowed this chance to express his true feelings.
Unlike a private confession, Riveria could take his words at face value. [Bell Cranel likes Ais, not Riveria].
It was a confession only the two of them, both clever enough to understand it, could grasp.
The benefit of this situation was that Bell had laid his heart bare without placing Riveria in a difficult position. If she did not want to accept this relationship, yet also did not want to give a temporary answer, all she had to do was feign ignorance.
If, like an ordinary couple, the boy had confessed in some deserted place, then no matter how Riveria answered, it would have troubled her.
She could not deny the feelings in her heart and reject him.
Nor could she ignore reality and accept his confession.
As for withholding her answer, that would be stringing along the boy's passion, which would stain Riveria's nobility.
That was precisely why the boy had chosen such an indirect method.
The endpoint of this path of love was pure passion, but the road itself wound around Riveria's circumstances with endless care.
"W-what exactly is going on?"
"Do your best, Alicia-san! Use those overflowing breasts of yours and take him down in one shot!"
"Elfy... she finally calmed down. Don't stir things up again..."
The wand swung through the air, and the girls' laughter echoed around them.
"..."
Riveria stared blankly at the white-haired boy, her heart trembling in a way she had never felt before.
Because she was clever enough, she could read Bell's confession for what it was.
The boy's words also showed his trust in Riveria. He knew she would understand everything.
Her heart pounded wildly, like a startled fawn, and her cheeks grew hotter and hotter, as if a hot spring were bubbling up beneath them.
Riveria knew Bell was not asking for an immediate answer. Even so, the wave surging in her heart seemed ready to drown out all reason and spill impatiently from her lips.
If she had met him when she fled the Royal Forest, she surely could have abandoned everything and eloped with him to the ends of the earth...
But not now.
Just as Riveria had said while using Ais as a cover, if she and the boy were to be together, they would have to face many practical problems.
Even if the two of them were prepared for that, it would still cause trouble for the people around them.
Elf royalty.
That was the core issue, and because of it, their romance, which had not even begun, was already so full of twists and turns.
If only she were just an ordinary Elf...
I need to find a way to deal with my royal status...
Riveria tightened her grip on her wand. The willful princess inside her heart seemed to be wrapped in the budding sprouts of love, restless and ready to move.
Hadn't she been just as selfish and reckless when she escaped the forest?
Why not simply freeze every Elf who came looking for trouble?
Or perhaps developing a secret romance would not be so bad?
Hiss...
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