“Field, you… Why did you suddenly come looking for me today?”
Liyakade’s gaze was a bit evasive, not daring to meet Field’s eyes as directly as before.
Ever since that joyful night, Liyakade had found it difficult to face Alice and Field.
Whenever she saw them, or spoke to them, a sense of shame would involuntarily well up inside her.
“What’s wrong? I just missed you, so I came to see you. Is that not allowed?”
Field paid no mind to whether there were people in the corridor and firmly pinched Liyakade’s chin, forcing her gaze back.
“W-What are you doing… This is the corridor…”
“Pfft, what are you thinking?”
After lifting Liyakade’s chin, Field noticed that her little face was now bright red, and her eyes darted around like a startled rabbit.
Liyakade only felt her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably.
“I’m not going to do anything, just touching your face a little, how did it turn into this?”
After that night, Field had become clear about her feelings, and her behavior had changed as well.
If it were before, Field definitely wouldn’t have been so intimate with Liyakade in the corridor, but now, Field was becoming more assertive, even surpassing Alice in some ways.
“N-Nothing.”
Liyakade shook her small head, breaking free from Field’s jade-like hand, trying to calm her heartbeat.
“Hmph… Come on, I’ll take you to see that classroom.”
Field only smiled, then reached out her hand to Liyakade again, inviting her to the new office prepared for her.
“…Okay.”
Looking at Field’s doting smile and her slender, fair hand, Liyakade subconsciously placed her hand in Field’s palm.
“That’s more like it.”
Liyakade felt Field’s palm was a bit warm, while Field found Liyakade’s jade-like hand small and slightly cool, so she couldn’t help but squeeze it.
“Why are you pinching me again…”
Feeling Field squeeze gently, Liyakade complained in embarrassment.
“So soft, I like pinching it.”
“Why has Field become so direct now?!”
“Because I’ve already figured it out.”
“Figured out what?”
“Guess.”
Field held Liyakade’s soft, jade-like hand, pulling her towards the new Yorozuya.
Just like the play during the Cultural Festival, she had once hesitated to clearly express her feelings for Liyakade because of her own status.
But after everything at the Cultural Festival and the joy of that night, Field had become as decisive as the Prince in the play.
So what if she liked girls? So what if others couldn’t accept it, if she would be condemned or even stopped by her family?
Since she liked Liyakade, she should boldly express her feelings.
Moreover, Liyakade had also clarified that she liked girls, so Field still had a good chance to win her over.
Even if her own father the King of the Nation opposed her, even if there were various difficulties ahead, Field had decided to persevere and do her best to be with Liyakade.
She and Alice had both given Liyakade the chance to choose, just waiting for Liyakade herself to make a decision.
“Eh!!! Isn’t that Miss Liakade and Princess Field? They’re… They’re walking hand-in-hand, looking so close?”
It was still daytime, and there were naturally many students in the Academy.
Seeing the two walking hand-in-hand, the surrounding students couldn’t help but whisper.
“It’s normal for girls to be a bit close, right?”
“…If it’s ordinary girls, then yeah, but did you forget? Miss Liakade clearly said that day she likes girls.”
“Hiss…”
The student who had been doubtful just now took a sharp breath, finally reacting.
“That’s right, since we know Miss Liakade likes girls, and she’s walking so close, hand-in-hand… It’s not normal! Something’s off!”
Due to her Demon Race bloodline, Liyakade’s physical abilities and senses had gradually improved, so she could hear the surrounding students’ discussions even more clearly.
This was exactly what Liyakade had worried about before.
Once she told everyone on stage that she liked girls, any close action with Alice or Field would instantly become the subject of rumors.
Listening to the surrounding gossip, Liyakade’s small face flushed red again.
Field must have understood this too.
She probably didn’t even need to listen to guess what others were saying, yet she showed no fear, nor any intention to avoid suspicion, instead holding Liyakade’s delicate, boneless hand even tighter.
“Could it be… Princess Field also likes girls?!”
The students around continued to whisper.
“Right! Didn’t Miss Liakade not use the right to date someone for three months that day? Maybe she used it privately on Princess Field!?”
“It’s possible! So does Princess Field like boys or girls? If Princess Field is straight, then she’s too pitiful, being forced to date a girl.”
“No… I don’t think so. Look at Miss Liakade and Princess Field’s expressions, Miss Liakade looks shy, while Princess Field is smiling. I deduce… Miss Liakade is the one being pursued!”
However, everyone seemed to scoff at this classmate’s reasoning.
“Tsk, the micro-expression expert is here again. What can you see from a single look? I could say Princess Field is smiling out of anger.”
“Exactly, exactly. Even though Miss Liakade became this year’s Festival Flower, I still think Princess Field is better. Even if she really likes girls, it should be Miss Liakade chasing after Princess Field.”
“I was just reasoning for fun…”
“Pfft.”
Field, who had inadvertently heard the surrounding gossip, couldn’t help but laugh at their words.
Saying she was more outstanding, that wasn’t true at all.
She was clearly the one doing the chasing.
Hearing others speculate about her relationship with Liyakade, Field didn’t feel offended; rather, she felt a forbidden thrill of breaking taboos.
Because this was her true self.
She liked girls, liked Liyakade.
That was the truth.
In the future, she wanted to walk hand-in-hand with Liyakade openly in the Academy, doing everything other couples did.
So, let people say what they wanted.
Even if rumors reached the Royal Palace, even if her father heard, she was already prepared.
“Hehe… Truly depraved.”
Farther away, Eric watched gloomily as the two walked hand-in-hand under the sunlight.
During the Cultural Festival, not only had his bullying been exposed, but he had also been thrown out of the venue.
As a high-ranking noble, how could Eric endure such humiliation?
So what if she was a royal princess?
She was just the unimportant third princess.
Eric was determined to take revenge for this disgrace.
Now, the chance had come.
Although he had been expelled from the venue that day, Eric knew everything that happened.
He knew Liyakade liked girls, and he knew she had become the final Festival Flower.
Even so, none of the people present seemed particularly repulsed.
When Eric learned of this, he was disgusted.
Such forbidden thoughts, spoken so openly, even gaining support and becoming the Festival Flower.
Now, seeing Field and Liyakade so close, Eric decided to seize on this point and cause a stir.
“Just you wait… I will make sure you are utterly disgraced…”
Man, we lost some context with those missing chapters