Christmas Ball (III)

"There's no point in pretending to be stupid now. Anyone can see that Daisy or Hermione like you, really like you."

Stephanie's sudden question caught Sean off guard.

The Silver-haired Girl in front of you is all smiles, occasionally blinking her beautiful eyes, just like a beautiful young woman laughing and joking with her boyfriend—a sight you'd never normally see in Stephanie.

Sean hadn't expected that this question would come from Stephanie.

He tugged at his tightly tied bow tie, and said somewhat awkwardly, "This isn't the time to talk about this..."

Stephanie, however, was like a general pressing her advantage on the battlefield.

"Why can't I say this? Well, to be honest, boys your age are in the hormonal explosion phase. Whether it's School of Magic or Muggle school, boys this age have already experienced one or two relationships—you're not really trying to tell me you're still too young, are you?"

What's wrong with this girl today...?

Sean took a deep breath, trying to take the initiative. "Then why are you the one asking this question?"

The Silver-haired Girl tilted her head back, and instead of reacting as Sean had expected, she said without hesitation, "I thought it was obvious... I like you too, Sean."

Sean froze on the spot. The sudden confession completely disrupted his prepared techniques for changing the subject. Although he was the one being confessed to, the initiative between the two suddenly shifted to Stephanie.

Before he could speak, Stephanie moved closer and gently placed her hands on Sean's shoulders.

"Want to go on a date with me, Sean?"

The fierce, direct attack caught Sean off guard. He pretended to be calm, but he didn't notice that his tongue, which was licking his dry lips from time to time, had already betrayed his true feelings.

"This joke didn't mean much, and you don't seem to be the type of person Patricia would like to tease others," he said calmly.

Stephanie chuckled. "Do you want to bring another girl into this complicated circle? Or do you prefer a sexy and fiery girl like Patricia?"

"When did I say I liked that kind of... no, I'm talking about the two of us now..." Sean couldn't finish his sentence.

Stephanie's eyes Winky, and anyone could see the determination and seriousness within them.

"I think that when you realize you can't change the subject, you'll seriously tell me what my feelings for you really are, whether it's still under the influence of the memory manipulation from back then, or whether it's a mutual attraction between Sin..."

"This problem did indeed bother me for a while—so I spent some time going through all my memories."

Stephanie spoke casually, as if reviewing all her memories was as easy as watching a movie.

She continued, "From the time I can remember until now, I haven't missed a single part, especially those related to you. I've looked at them carefully several times, and finally I've come to a conclusion."

The Silver-haired Girl brought her face close, Sean could see her delicate skin and trembling eyelashes.

"Putting aside all those external influences, I really have fallen for you." She smiled. "So, shall we go on a date, Mr. Wallop?"

Sean awkwardly turned his face away slightly. "Stephanie, I think you might have misunderstood..."

Stephanie was much more assertive than usual today; she no longer seemed like the aloof, expressionless girl she once was.

"Why should there be pressure, Sean?" She blinked, puzzled. "Isn't pursuing someone you like a right that everyone should have?"

"I know, but I don't think our relationship is at that level yet..." Sean said with difficulty.

Stephanie, however, showed no sadness at being rejected; instead, she laughed even more heartily.

"But you didn't push me away."

Sean then noticed that Stephanie's hands, which were resting on his shoulders, were still gently stroking his hair, like a playful cat.

He awkwardly pushed the girl's hand away and straightened his clothes.

"I just forgot..."

Stephanie wasn't annoyed or impatient; after Sean pushed her away, she naturally moved a little closer.

"The body never lies, Mr. Wallop."

"But the body is also influenced by instinct," Sean countered.

"Isn't that perfect? Your instincts prove that at least your body is attracted to mine—it's a start I really like," Stephanie retorted without backing down.

Sean looked at the other person, then sighed and said with a headache, "This is nothing like you..."

The Silver-haired Girl replied with an air of nonchalance, "This certainly doesn't seem like me, but aren't I pursuing you right now?"

Sean stopped talking and irritably scratched his freshly styled hair.

However, Stephanie didn't give him much time to think; she seemed to have already prepared what she was going to say today.

"Let's put the date aside for now, and allow me to explain—" She waved her wand, and the falling snowflakes gradually subsided. "I don't want an answer, whether it's acceptance or rejection; I'm just telling you this."

Her smile was like the brightest star in the sky, "I like you, Sean."

Sean's lips twitched twice, but he only managed to utter a single, weak word. "I..."

"Now that you know this, we can begin our next conversation."

She summoned a huge cushion with her wand, then gathered her long gown around herself and sat down gracefully. She then patted the spot next to her, her face full of anticipation.

Sean sighed, but finally sat down.

Stephanie looked up at the angel in the chandelier and said in an ethereal voice, "Sean, you don't need to worry or be troubled by me. Whether it's my feelings for you or your true feelings for me, I don't care at all. Besides, I don't like my confession causing more trouble for the person I like."

She turned her head. "I really hope you can put me aside for now. As for today, consider it a little whim on my birthday, okay?"

The girl's changing attitude left Sean somewhat confused, but after seeing her serious expression, he nodded.

"Knew..."

Stephanie smiled slightly after getting the answer she wanted. She curled up and lay down, completely ignoring the wrinkled dress.

"Will this make it easier for us to talk?"

Sean followed her example and lay down on the mat, his tone tinged with complaint. "How can this be relaxing? There are so many more things to think about now, even though you said you didn't care..."

Stephanie finished his sentence: "But you'll still be thinking about how to handle our relationship in the future, right?"

Sean said helplessly, "You knew that, yet you said it could be put on hold for now. That's a very cunning tactic, Miss Ollivander."

A crisp laugh came from beside my ear, "Wasn't this the kind of bad woman you initially thought of me? Just consider it a reliving of memories."

"Then forget it."

Both of them stared at the ceiling, the light spots scattered by the flying House-elf gently blending into the ambiguous air, and the whole room suddenly fell silent.

After a long silence, Stephanie spoke up, "Sean, you just said you would think about how to handle our future relationship, right?"

"Hmm," Sean replied.

"What about Daisy and Hermione?"

Upon hearing this, Sean immediately felt a headache coming on. "Shouldn't we be maintaining a slightly ambiguous friendship right now? Why do we have to bring up this kind of question and ruin the atmosphere?"

Stephanie smiled. "If the two of them really enjoy this atmosphere, I'd be happy to, but—you're overlooking one thing."

"What?" Sean turned his head slightly and only saw the other person's delicate profile.

"You consider how our relationship will develop, but you haven't considered Daisy and Hermione," she said softly.

Sean fell silent.

"Originally, this is not a topic I should bring up. As a suitor, what I should do is constantly demonstrate my personal value, make you more attractive, and at the same time avoid some potential pitfalls in the relationship," Stephanie calmly explained. "However, the situation is special, and I think if you want to handle both of their relationships well, one thing is very important, and that is to start from an equal footing."

Sean frowned in confusion. Was he being unfair to someone?

"I treat everyone the same. If someone is good to me, I am good to them in return; if someone is not good to me, I am even worse to them. As for the differences in how I treat people, that is due to the closeness of the relationship, which is unavoidable in interpersonal communication," he said.

"You're so rational..." Stephanie chuckled softly. "But when it comes to matters of the heart, if we rely entirely on reason, what's the point of being emotional?"

Sean fell silent again; he felt he was at a loss for words today.

Stephanie, still staring at the ceiling, said, "Like I said before, you'll consider our future relationship, but Daisy and Hermione haven't. Even though you're closer to them, you're thinking of just brushing it off, either playing dumb or running away. Is that fair?"

Sean sighed.

Stephanie rolled over and looked at Sean with a gentle expression. "This is not your flaw, Sean. It is perhaps the most fascinating thing about you—your escapism stems from an uncertain future. On the surface, it is escapism, but in reality, it is a sense of responsibility. You always have a sense of responsibility in your heart."

"You're worried about Sin, aren't you? Pride resides within you, and I have Lust within me too. No matter what Sin takes in the future, for better or for worse, we're still in the same world—" Stephanie reached out and gently placed her hand on Sean's chest. "But Daisy and Hermione are different. Before the issue of Sin is resolved, you can't think about the longer-term future, you can't think about who you want to spend the rest of your life with. After all, you can't even see the road ahead for the rest of your life."

The girl's gentle voice made Sean slightly wary, and he forced a smile, "I am Sean Wallerup, people now call me a once-in-a-century genius in the Wizarding World, and I have two omnipotent old men above me..."

Stephanie pressed hard on Sean's chest, her voice filled with heartache. "Don't lie."

Sean was silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"Shouldn't you feel the same Sin as me?"

Stephanie nodded slightly.

"I see no solution, but the time for my Sin to be revealed is drawing ever closer. I can only place my hopes on others, whether it be Mr. Grindelwald or Professor Dumbledore, they are both trustworthy elders—but they are not me..."

Stephanie gently shifted her body and wrapped herself around her like a koala, without any lust or allure, only the comfort of a fellow traveler.

"Yes, I can feel it too."

Sean gently patted Stephanie's hand, then let out a long sigh, "The pressure is indeed immense, but I'm not the type to sit idly by. I will definitely do my best."

As he spoke, his eyes gradually filled with more confidence and determination.

"I don't believe in fate. If there is such a thing as fate, it must be woven by myself."

Stephanie stared blankly at the boy's resolute face, then smiled faintly, "Bad news, Mr. Wallop."

"Um?"

"I like you even more now..."

"Cough cough..."

"Well, speaking of which, it's not fair that you've been avoiding Hermione and Daisy because of this—you've probably been influenced by Mr. Grindelwald, always taking things upon yourself and subjectively considering other people's perspectives. But why don't you try asking what they think? Don't you think they'll avoid you like the plague after you tell them you're Sin?"

Sean instinctively replied, "Of course not."

"That's good. Some things don't have to be kept inside. From another perspective, if you tell them, will it have a negative impact on the whole thing? Probably not. They'll still wake up eventually. In fact, because more people are thinking about it, we might even find a new way out."

Stephanie wriggled slightly in his arms. "But at least they had a choice regarding how your relationship with them would be handled, didn't they?"

Stephanie's words made Sean fall into deep thought. It was, undeniably, a very constructive suggestion. If he were to voice it, his relationship with Hermione and Daisy might be able to escape its current ambiguous state. However...

The underlying problem remains...

Stephanie seemed to see through Sean's thoughts, and she moved away from Sean embrace.

"So there was this layer too. How greedy, Mr. Wallop ..."

Sean chuckled awkwardly, "That's not true..."

"Then why haven't you chosen a dance partner yet?"

"Forehead..."

Stephanie pursed her lips, spread her arms, and lay down. "I owed you something before, so I'll do you a favor at the ball..."

"Um?"