He truly believed he knew what was coming.

—That no matter how much that black horse meddled with the couple, in the end, he’d ultimately be humiliated by their true love, and his daftness would be the end of him.

“What…?”

So, just what in the world was going on?

The annual winter dance.

The scene that unfolded before his eyes was anything but that happy ending Harrison had envisioned for the dishonest prince and the oblivious fairy princess all those years ago.

“I’m not Lithia Album, I’m Lithia Wales.”

Where was the fairy princess who’d look at the prince full of yearning?

 The man who was supposed to be her stalker was embracing her shoulders, but instead of shaking him off, she stood dignified before of the prince. Her eyes were filled with determination.

…I can no longer tell who the black horse is supposed to be.

“W-what are you saying!? W-why would Lithia—!?”

“We registered our marriage the other day, and now I’m married. I can’t possibly accept your proposal.”

“—No, that’s not it! Why did you get married!?”

Harrison was as shocked as Andrew was.

What is the meaning of this? Didn’t Lithia love Andrew?

Wasn’t that why her gaze was always so forlorn? She would wistfully stare at him because she thought he didn’t reciprocate her love, that instead he despised her.

In the first place, every girl her age should be in love with the prince.

“Lithia, why didn’t you wait for me…? You’ve almost completed the princess education…! As for me, I’ve even laid the groundwork…! Not to mention, this man is going to be banished to the farthest region of the country…!”

Hearing Andrew’s heartrending cry, Harrison gasped.

Unbelievable…

In other words, the fairy princess, unable to withstand the thought of being hated by the man she loved any longer, accepted another man’s courtship out of desperation.

Even though the prince, who continued to love her for all those years, had finally become honest too…! It was simply too much…!

At that time, Harrison should’ve rebuked that daft man, even if it meant prying him away from her side!

Now how were the two supposed to come together…?

“Why would I wait? Especially when Geo is scheduled to depart for Selvi before noon the next day? In order to follow him, I had to marry him.”

Lithia’s unrelenting words drowned Harrison’s lamentation.

After all, no matter how he looked at it, she didn’t appear heartbroken in the slightest.

“Huh? Wha…?”

Something’s not adding up…

Looking around, the other students were also whispering to each other, realizing that something was off.

Prince Andrew’s preparations should’ve been perfect. Unable to be honest with Lithia, in order to make her his wife, he convinced the king, deceived his fiancée candidates, cooperated with the teachers, and even fended off other men.

Yet, why did his plan collapse at the last moment?

“No matter how hard you worked, it’s meaningless if she doesn’t want it.”

No way—!

As much as he wanted to deny Geo’s words, Harrison couldn’t find anything to say.

Not after everything that had unfolded.

“Y-you have to be kidding me… He’s the prince, so there’s no way that she—”

She hadn’t fallen out of love or anything. From Lithia’s attitude, Harrison couldn’t see even a sliver of affection towards Prince Andrew.

…If anything, the gaze she gave her husband, who held her shoulders, was so loving, at a glance he knew she trusted Geo with her life.

…He had to wonder if the sorrowful, tear-filled eyes she’d been casting at the prince were simply because she was intimidated by his foulness.

“…Harrison.”

“W-what?”

Someone tapped the dazed Harrison on the shoulder.

He was none other than Harrison’s friend. He had also been watching over the love story between the prince and the fairy princess for many years.

“I know I have no right, but don’t say anything unnecessary anymore. She has made herself clear.”

Come to think of it, one day, his friend suddenly stopped taking the prince’s side.

“Actually, I’ve always thought that it was strange, but I was too afraid to say anything.”

“What!?”

His friend started acting odd when Lithia was forced to take the practical skill exam during the wind magic class.

The problem was, she couldn’t use wind magic. However, the teacher refused to assist her, leaving her at a loss. The female students who disliked her laughed, while Harrison and the others only grinned meaningfully. After all, wind magic was Andrew’s specialty. They guessed that the prince wanted to study magic together with Lithia from the get go.

However, his friend didn’t share the same view. After failing his exams in the past and being in danger of repeating a year, he was traumatized.

At that time, Harrison used to admonish his friend to not say uncouth things, but…

“Even back then, instead of His Highness, she relied on that transfer student. You get what I’m saying, right?”

Harrison was starting to see his point.

At that time, he concluded that Lithia was too shy to ask Prince Andrew for help and that the commoner decided to butt in.

However, if Lithia went to Geo Wales out of her own accord, without even considering Andrew Lafizard…

“Maybe we’ve been projecting our narrative onto them. Regardless of his being a prince, he really did her nasty. I mean, try putting yourself in her shoes. How’d you feel if someone you dislike relentlessly pursues you?”

“T-that’s…”

He truly thought that he was more tactful than anyone else.

He truly thought he’d be the first to grasp the meaning hidden between the lines.

But was he?

If anything, didn’t he join with her abuser, look down on her benefactor simply because he was a commoner, and try to drive a wedge between them?

“…Then, I owe them an apology.”

“No, don’t. Just stop disturbing them.”

Harrison hung his head at his friend’s words.

“I see, then, at least…”

When he raised his head, he beheld Geo and Lithia holding each other’s hands firmly on the other side of the crowd.

No matter what he thought, it wouldn’t atone for his sins.

Nevertheless—

He couldn’t help but wish that their future, one that would be leaving for the far East, would be peaceful and happy.

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