What Did She Just Say!?

"Hehe, if I sneak out after curfew in this disguise, they won't catch me again."

The disguised Lilith dodged the patrolling teachers as she quietly made her way toward the Academy Dungeon.

Her goal was clear.

She wanted to tell Greg, who had underestimated her, that she had beaten Victoria in today's class placement assessment.

She had no idea how he had guessed in advance that her opponent would be Victoria, or why he thought she would lose because of a feint.

In any case, now it was nothing but a jo-

"..."

But at that thought, Lilith couldn't quite laugh either. If Greg hadn't mentioned it during their conversation, she might really have fallen for the trick and lost the match.

"But!"

Lilith shook her head hard, as though trying to shake off that nagging discomfort. Pride shone once more in her ruby-red eyes.

"No matter what, I was the one who won! The victor was me, Lilith Kahn!"

Exactly. That was what mattered.

Since the final victory belonged to her, Greg's so-called prediction had fallen apart all on its own.

Through her own judgment and strength, she had defied the outcome he had expected!

That was why she had been so eager to set off for the Dungeon late at night.

She wanted to see the surprise on that annoying man's face as soon as possible.

When the teacher strolling on patrol nearby turned away from her, Lilith immediately darted out from behind the statue where she had been hiding, ready to dash across the last stretch of open ground.

But she had barely taken her first step-

"Ah!"

A figure sprang without warning from the shadows ahead and to her side, crashing straight into her!

Both of them grunted and staggered backward.

Lilith landed on her backside on the cold paving stones, a sharp pain shooting through her bottom.

Rubbing her aching forehead, she looked up angrily at the reckless fool-

The next moment, she froze.

By the dim yellow glow of a distant streetlamp, she made out a face that looked just as startled as hers.

His blond hair was slightly tousled from the collision, his amber eyes looked especially deep in the poor light, and his handsome face bore the same astonishment as her own.

Greg Sass.

What was he doing here?

While she was still staring in surprise, Greg spoke first. "Lily, why are you out here at this hour?"

"Well, obviously, because I wanted to..."

Lilith's voice cut off halfway through.

She had suddenly realized that if she finished with "come see you," it would sound far too easy to misunderstand!

She was the Kingdom's esteemed second princess, and this was a man she had once thoroughly disdained.

She absolutely couldn't let him get any strange ideas!

But... apart from my real purpose, what decent excuse could I give for being near the Academy Dungeon entrance in the middle of the night?

Seeing the girl suddenly fall speechless, her gaze wavering and her cheeks apparently turning pink, Greg felt his earlier suspicion grow stronger.

That hesitant reaction after having a secret exposed... he knew it all too well.

In his previous life, the overachievers who stayed in the library all night, put in extra sessions at the gym, and quietly worked while everyone else had fun usually wore that same expression when an acquaintance happened to catch them.

Still, he wasn't the one she was trying to outwork, so Greg had no intention of exposing her or prying.

He even offered her an easy way out, his tone understanding and reassuring.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're sneaking into the Dungeon at night for extra practice."

Who would go to the Dungeon for extra practice this late!?

Although Lilith grumbled inwardly, Greg had indeed given her an excuse, so she played along.

"That's right, I was going to the Dungeon for extra practice! Definitely not... not to see you or anything! So, so don't get the wrong idea!"

"Yes, yes, I know. I understand," Greg replied calmly.

He got up first, then naturally held out a hand to Lilith, who was still sitting on the ground.

"I wasn't paying attention and bumped into you. Sorry."

His hand remained outstretched before her.

His fingers were long, his knuckles well defined, and his palm had a healthy color beneath the streetlamp.

But Lilith stared at that hand, stunned.

Apart from her father and a handful of close royal elders, she had hardly ever had direct physical contact with any man.

Court etiquette had taught her to keep her distance, and her status as a princess made her instinctively avoid such contact.

Now, faced with Greg's kindly offered hand, she felt a sudden rush of panic. Her heart inexplicably beat faster, and her hand hovered in the air, unsure whether to reach out or pull back.

"Hey, you're not actually angry, are you?"

When she still didn't move, Greg assumed she was still angry and began withdrawing his hand.

"Wh-who's angry!? I'm not angry!"

As though his words had spurred her on, Lilith all but snatched Greg's retreating hand.

The instant their fingertips touched, she felt his warmth.

Lilith's face flushed bright red.

She could clearly feel the warmth and strength of his palm, and the steady support as he pulled her up.

Of course, Greg had no way of knowing that Lilith's flushed face and racing heart came from the overwhelming shock of Her Highness taking a man's hand of her own accord for the first time in her life.

To him, Lily Carlo was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, someone who should already have been used to such ordinary contact in social situations.

Her scarlet face was probably just the result of embarrassment and agitation at being caught secretly trying to get ahead, which had sent her blood pressure up.

Greg couldn't help commenting inwardly.

She's so upset I caught her secretly putting in extra work that her blood pressure's through the roof, and she still says she isn't angry.

Women. They just won't admit it.

"Since you're all right, I'll be going."

After pulling Lilith to her feet, Greg let go of her hand.

He really did have important business to attend to, and no time to waste here.

"Ah... mm..."

Still a little dazed, Lilith answered instinctively.

Only when she saw Greg actually turn to leave did she abruptly come to her senses-

Wait!

Why did I sneak out in the middle of the night?

Wasn't it to tell him the result and savor the look on his face when he learned his prediction had failed?

How could I just let him leave!?

"Wait!"

In her haste, she stepped forward and grabbed the sleeve that swung out as Greg turned.

"Is there something else?" Greg looked back, a questioning look in his amber eyes.

"It's, it's just-!"

Lilith opened her mouth, only to find the words stuck in her throat.

It should be so simple!

All I have to say is, "I beat Victoria. Your prediction was wrong," and then laugh at him to my heart's content!

Isn't this exactly what I planned?

But...

Why did saying it suddenly feel like... eagerly reporting my results to him, then waiting expectantly for his approval or praise?

That realization instantly stirred Lilith's pride again.

What a joke! I'm the winner! I'm here to announce the result and take him down a peg!

I'm not here to beg for praise!

Looking at the girl clutching his sleeve, her face red and her eyes darting about as she stammered without managing a complete sentence, Greg sighed helplessly.

"All right, all right. You really don't need to worry."

He softened his voice, as though soothing a sulking child. "I promise I won't tell anyone you're sneaking into the Dungeon for extra practice. If there's nothing else, I really have to go. I've got something urgent to do too."

He patiently waited another two seconds. When Lilith merely kept hold of his sleeve with her head lowered, saying nothing, he gently but firmly pulled his sleeve free and turned away again.

This time, his steps didn't falter.

But before he had taken three steps, an urgent shout suddenly rang out behind him.

"Princess Lilith beat Victoria with Flame Explosion in the class placement assessment! Her Highness is much stronger than you expected!"

Greg stopped and looked back in surprise, only to see the girl who had shouted those words bolt past him from behind like a startled rabbit. Then... without looking back, she raced toward the girls' dormitories, in the exact opposite direction from the Dungeon entrance.

"???"

Watching her slender figure swiftly disappear into the night and the shadows of the buildings, Greg scratched his head in bewilderment.

He shook his head, assuming she had been so flustered at having her secret exposed that she had even gone the wrong way.

He put it out of his mind and prepared to get on with his own business.

But the instant he took another step, the words Lilith had just shouted exploded in his mind like a spell activating after a delay.

"Hold on!"

Greg abruptly stopped in his tracks, his whole body freezing as his pupils contracted slightly.

"She said Lilith... used Flame Explosion... to beat Victoria!?"