"Am I... Actually, special to you?" She asked, tilting her head at her with eyes that surprisingly screamed insecurity and vulnerability.
This shocked Lillian. Was Marionette... Actually feeling insecure about herself?
"O-of course, you are...!" Lillian scolded, placing her hand against the side of the Assassin's face and asking, "Why do you ask such an obvious thing...?"
Marionette stared at her before quickly looking away. Her face split between doubt and belief in the girl's words.
She was special to Lillian, right? The only person that Lillian had ever done things such as leaving marks and playful pecks on, right?
The girl hadn't had any past lovers as she had researched... So, why does she doubt her words so much?
The thought of the same sentence, with the words "Kissing" and "Lillian" from someone other than her, still remained in her mind. The Rabbit couldn't have possibly done that with the Student Council President, right?
But how could that explain Lillian's constant visits to the Library? Even if it was for studying... Why was Beatrice needed there and not her?
She knew the two were childhood friends, but... Were they really that... Close? They had been separated for years, right? With the way they acted with one another, they hadn't been in contact during those periods.
Their bond with one another couldn't possibly be as strong as before they became separated. This meant they shouldn't have progressed further than her and Lillian, who had barely even reached that step... Right?
Marionette's face twitched, contorting as she thought more about this. She placed a hand over the lower half of her face, pressing her lips against her palm.
It's not fair... She should be the one who belongs beside Lillian, not Beatrice. Their bond was far stronger than what she could hope to achieve with the girl.
That... Was a fact... Right?
Marionette couldn't help but begin fidgeting as her newfound insecurities arose. However, her shaking soon stopped once she felt Lillian's fingers wrap around her hand, pulling it off her face.
She turned her eyes back towards the woman, finding her face to be eye-level with her.
Lillian, having boosted her height by stretching herself up a bit using her magic, stared at her tenderly.
"Ah... I see... You're jealous, right?"
Marionette stared at her silently, becoming silent at her words. Her eyes darted around uncontrollably as she thought of a way to deflect her words.
But... She couldn't.
Lillian watched as Marionette pulled away, moving towards the opposite wall and leaning her back against it with her eyes facing down, hiding her face.
"I... Am..." The Assassin stated, raising her left hand and placing it on her right shoulder, rubbing it to comfort herself from her embarrassing confession.
"I'm jealous..." She muttered, breathing in a sharp breath, "I'm always jealous, Lillian..." She spoke in a strained voice, biting the bottom of her lip.
Lillian blinked at her, her eyes widening in surprise before softening in confusion. "Jealous? Are you..."
Once she returned to her original height, she took a step towards her.
"Are you... Perhaps jealous of me?"
She watched as Marionette shook her head and said:
"No... Rather..." Lillian watched as the Assassin raised her right hand towards her face, hiding it even more from the girl. "... I'm jealous of the attention you give to others..."
"Attention...? Others? What for...?" Lillian repeated and asked, reaching the woman. She raised her hands towards her cheek, patting it.
She then wrapped her fingers around the hand that covered the Assassin's face and slowly pulled it off, finding Marionette's eyes to be a lot more red and... Wet?
Was she...
"Marionette..."
Drip...
The Assassin stared at her with wet eyes as she turned away, immediately wiping the liquid around her eyes in a hurried manner—a far cry from how she usually acts.
"N-no... I am not. Such a thing never happens to me." She stated rapidly, quickly wiping her eyes. But the more she wiped, the more she thought about Lillian, the more tears flowed out.
It was... Vexing for her... It was Frustrating for her.
Expressing herself was one thing, but crying and showing weakness was another... How could someone from such a strict family like hers possibly be able to feel such...
... How could the Heir to said family be crying like this...?
Her mind was then brought back into reality once she heard the Rabbit's voice.
"Mari... Please do not cover your face..." Lillian whispered, becoming eye-level with the woman as she tugged at her arm, "Do you want to see me get upset?"
Marionette quietly listened to her words. She truly didn't want Lillian to get upset, but... She didn't want her to see her face either...
She didn't want the girl, whom she liked so much, to see her in such a pathetic state... Especially when the girl spoke and saw her so highly...
She felt something press against her forehead, most likely Lillian's forehead...
She then felt her face tilted up, most likely due to Lillian's hands...
She then felt something press itself against her lips, most likely—
Her thoughts then paused.
What... Could be pressing against her lips right now?
It was soft but at the same time moist. It was sweet and addictive. And... It moved against her lips as though it were... Alive.
Chu...
She felt it leave her lips. For a split second, she wanted to chase after it, but she remained stuck on the wall behind her. Eventually, she pulled her forearm away from her eyes.
With tear-filled eyes, she stared as Lillian gave her a warm smile. She looked into the girl's beautiful blue eyes that seemed to light up her day before glancing down at something that caught her eyes...
She stared at Lillian's mouth and watched as the girl licked her lips at her in a playful and signalling manner. For a brief moment... She was left confused.
But that was until...
"How was it? Did you enjoy our kiss?"