Chapter 41
When Cairn glanced down, he saw Lilien with her eyes tightly shut. Her breaths came fast and shallow, and her trembling hands were plainly visible. Every time his fingers grazed the ends of her hair, her hazel eyelashes quivered.
His gaze slowly traveled over her face, lingering on her pink lips. Perhaps sensing his intense stare, her petal-like lips parted.
“Is, is it still not done?”
The fresh, sweet scent of daffodils lingered at the tip of his nose. As Cairn swallowed hard, his throat bobbed visibly.
“Cairn?”
“…All done.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Lilien stepped back, putting some distance between them. She darted nervous glances his way and managed a quiet thank you.
“Thanks… If it weren’t for you, I would’ve gotten dirt all over my dress.”
“Still so careless, aren’t you?”
Lilien started to retort like usual, but then remembered their fight and simply apologized instead.
“Sorry.”
She opened her mouth wanting to say more, but after a brief hesitation, she kept silent. The night breeze was sharp, carrying the faint scent of winter grass, and every rustle sounded unusually loud.
Cairn watched her for a long moment as she avoided his eyes. When he followed her lowered gaze, he noticed the blue medal pinned to his chest.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I just needed some fresh air.”
“With whom?”
Lilien was never good at lying, so she often chose silence when faced with uncomfortable questions—just like now.
Fixing a stray strand of hair, she awkwardly tried to change the subject.
“Cairn, are you still mad? I even brought you that peach pie—did you try it yet? I bought it from that famous place.”
Normally, Cairn would have played along, giving her the response she wanted. But tonight, he didn’t feel like pretending.
“What’s going on between you two?”
“With who?”
“Victor Regid.”
As Cairn brought up the awkward topic again, a look of dismay briefly crossed Lilien’s face.
“That’s…”
She dropped her gaze again, her blue eyes half-hidden, and he could sense her stubborn unwillingness to talk about it.
Why? Because I’m not your family? Do I not even have the right to ask? He swallowed the sharp words burning on his tongue, watching her hesitate, feeling as if a thorny vine was scraping his throat.
“Lilien!”
Just then, someone else called her name, and a flicker of relief flashed across her face.
“Cairn, I know it’s late, but congratulations again. Christian’s calling me, so I should go. By the way, that uniform really suits you.”
Awkwardly lifting her dress to curtsy, she hesitated, searching for the right words.
“Um, Cairn, I know it’s a strange thing to ask, but… I hope you’ll let this go soon. I don’t want us to keep… I mean…”
She chose her words more carefully than ever, worried he might see right through her.
“We don’t know how much time we have left together. I just want things to be okay between us for now.”
She didn’t say “as friends,” but Cairn heard the unspoken words. The very line she was drawing only stoked his impulsiveness.
“Is that so? Well, that’s too bad—because I’m not over it yet.”
He caught her wrist as she tried to slip away, but his grip was loose enough for her to run if she wanted. Still, she stayed, waiting to see what he would do.
“Ah… still not?”
“You said you’d do anything I asked, right?”
“Yes, I did.”
She nodded firmly. Testing her, Cairn stepped in closer.
His eyes—dark and deep as the night sky—shone with intensity, and his grip tightened around her wrist.
“Then kiss me.”
“…What?”
Cairn leaned in, lowering himself to her level, and her eyes went wide, lips parting in surprise.
“Lilien! Are you out here?”
Christian’s voice was coming closer. Sensing her panic, Cairn pressed her for a response.
“Come on.”
After a moment’s hesitation, flustered and nervous, Lilien quickly brushed her lips against his.
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