(It feels so relaxing...)
Raiden Mei looked at the two heads resting on her lap, unable to suppress the thought.
Kiana was so cute, Elias was so handsome—it was truly lucky to be their friend.
The girl's sleeping face was as pure and innocent as an angel's, completely different from when she was awake—quiet and elegant. She was as noble and beautiful as a princess from a fairy tale.
Mei couldn't help but feel a little inferior in comparison.
The boy's sleeping face, on the other hand, made Mei unable to look away. His features were as refined and flawless as a prince from a fairy tale, and his slightly furrowed brows made her wonder what he was worrying about. This stirred a sense of curiosity and concern in her.
The midday sunlight shone upon them, making their white hair glow as if each strand was radiating light.
Combined with their breathtakingly attractive faces—capable of outshining 99% of people in the world—Mei felt as if the entire scene had shifted into something surreal.
(Uh... this scene is almost divine. When these two are quiet, they're… this beautiful? Are there actually two angels resting on my lap?)
Taking a deep breath, Mei carefully placed her hands on their heads and gently stroked their soft white hair. A natural smile formed on her lips.
(I wish this moment could last forever...)
At this instant, time seemed to slow down, and Mei's thoughts began to drift.
As she absentmindedly stroked the two fluffy white-haired beings on her lap, she pondered about them.
(Come to think of it, both Elias and Kiana give off a sense of mystery...)
(They know a lot about me, but I know so little about them...)
(Where exactly does Kiana come from? She's so mysterious, and sometimes she suddenly appears with injuries...)
(Elias is also quite enigmatic. Is he from Shenzhou? And lately, he seems to be busy with things I don't know about...)
At that moment, Raiden Mei suddenly realized—she didn't really know much about them at all.
She knew they were kind, brave, lively, and carefree, unconcerned with others' opinions. But beyond that, she had no idea about their past or their secrets.
And...
As Mei quietly gazed at the two resting on her lap, she suddenly noticed how similar they looked—the same white hair, the same cheerful nature, and the same air of mystery.
(Elias and Kiana... they look so compatible together...)
Before Kiana appeared, Elias' gentleness had felt like something that belonged exclusively to Mei.
But after Kiana arrived, Mei realized that Elias was not a prince meant for her alone.
In fact, the way Elias treated Kiana… it seemed even more indulgent than the way he treated her.
(No, no! What am I even thinking? Elias was never mine to begin with. Thinking this way is far too arrogant. We're just pretending to be a couple, nothing more...)
(I'm just passively receiving his protection, so I shouldn't be greedy for more.)
(This is already good enough. Right now is already good enough. For the first time, I've made real friends. For the first time, I have people I truly care about. I should cherish these two precious joys.)
Mei shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off all those stray thoughts. But just as she was attempting to adjust her mindset—
[Raiden Mei, is that really what you think?]
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed in her mind.
[Do you really not want to have Elias all to yourself? Do you truly not wish for him to be yours alone, your own prince? Ah… but of course. You're just a weak, pathetic crybaby. Raiden Mei, you're incapable of doing anything.]
It was a voice identical to her own, yet its tone was so condescending, so cold and indifferent—like that of an arrogant queen.
[Hmph!]
Mei gasped in shock.
She thought it was some kind of prank and immediately turned her head, scanning her surroundings. But that queen-like voice merely let out a soft scoff before disappearing without a trace.
"D-Did I just hallucinate? How strange..."
She let out a small breath of relief, but when her gaze fell back on Elias' sleeping face, a faint sense of guilt inexplicably surfaced in her heart.
And at that moment—
Creak~~
The iron door leading to the rooftop groaned as it was pushed open.
Mei instinctively sensed an unfamiliar presence.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, keeping her voice low enough to avoid waking Elias and Kiana.
Even though she had a somewhat gentle and passive personality, she was still a practitioner of the Raiden family's traditional swordsmanship—Hokushin Ittō-ryū—and had already mastered it to the level of full proficiency.
Her senses were far sharper than those of ordinary people.
"!!!"
Realizing they had been discovered, a group of girls hesitantly stepped out from the stairwell.
Their faces were grim, and when their eyes landed on Elias and Kiana—both resting on Mei's lap—fear flickered across their expressions.
But despite their apprehension, their mouths remained just as sharp.
"Hah! The daughter of a fraudster. How long do you plan to keep showing your face at this school?"
"Don't think that just because you've found two people to back you up, it'll change anything about your situation."
"Sure, it looks like you three are getting along well, but who knows? Maybe they're just using you for something. Otherwise, why would anyone bother playing 'friends' with someone like Raiden Mei—"
"AHHH!!"
Before the girl could finish her sentence—
A baseball bat and a brick came flying straight toward them.
The sudden attack sent the group of girls screaming in panic.
"You bastards! Bullying Mei again?!"
"We warned you before, didn't we? Looks like the last lesson wasn't harsh enough."
"Elias… Kiana…"
Raiden Mei looked at the two who had suddenly woken up, filled with surprise and relief.
Come to think of it—where exactly had they been hiding that bat and brick?
But seeing them both so furious on her behalf, Mei was deeply moved. Her gaze toward them softened even further.
[Hmph… What a crybaby.]