n

n

n

nIn the classroom,

n

"Focus, Anette.

" the crown prince hit the head of Anette with his pencil lightly as they were deskmates. Everyone stared at her as she was the only woman in the academy.

n

"I already learned all of this.

" she went on and slept on the table with her head tilted to the window staring at Jellal and his brothers.

n

"Those scums are really annoying.

" the crown prince stared in the same direction and said in an angry tone.

n

"Why am I in a different class from Jellal??

"

n

"His status is too low, that's why.

"

n

"I asked you to enroll me in the same class as him...*sigh, you're really a disappointment.

"

n

"You could get your head cut off saying like that.

"

n

"Pfft...I'm not scared of something like that.

"

nRing ring

nShe jumped out of the window from the second floor as the bell rang, Jellal was startled by her and rushed to her immediately ignoring his brothers.

n

"Yah, what's with you?? Pfft, pathetic!!

" she glared her eyes at the older brothers of Jellal and smirked at them.

n

"What did you say??

" the oldest one walked toward her and his deadly aura was everywhere making the field stuffy and gloomy.

n

"This is his first day, what're you doing?? Giving him a tour??

"

n

"It's none of your business, woman.

"

n

"Come on, Jellal. Let's go to your class.

" she ignored Jellal's brother and was going to grab Jellal's hand to go with her.

n

"Where do you think you--

" the oldest one grabbed her wrist from grabbing Jellal's hand, she turned back at him looking right into his red eyes. Even his hand was trembling by the sight of her.

nThud!!!

nShe got on the blacklist of the academy on the first day of school not because she hit the heir of the dukedom, but because she hit the royal prince.

n

"Christopher, what're you doing??!!

" Christopher almost got his hand broken if it wasn't for the light magic that could heal him back up. He got up and brushed the dirt off his uniform and smiled brightly at Jellal's brothers.

n

"Let's just get along...Shall. We??

" his face was all serious, the brothers spat on the ground and left that place.

n

"You too, Anette. Don't--

" she already left with Jellal.

nThe only person he could see in front of him was a guy eating his lunch watching all the drama happening in front of him.

n

"Greeting, your royal highness. Em, they left a moment ago.

"

n

"You must be sir Brady, right??

"

n

"You really remember me, your royal highness??

"

n

"Of course, how can I forget such an interesting person as you?

"

n

"It's my honor, your royal highness.

"

n

n

"Jellal, you should just stand up for yourself.

"

n

"...it's gonna be troublesome and I don't want to go to class anyway.

"

n

"Your brothers are really annoying, if I was you I would have already knocked all of them down.

" Anette talked to herself while Jellal kept looking at her and smiled watching her complaining.

nHe felt reassured when she was there with him.

nIt was fun and cute for the first five minutes but Anette kept going on and on for an hour.

n

"...your brother...you should hit them back next time--

"

n

"Anette...

"

n

"Hm??

"

n

"Focus on me, okay??

" he pushed her against the wall staring into his eyes and grabbed her hand gently on the wall.

n

"Jellal...what are you...

"

n

"I don't like it when you're talking about other people, just focus on me for now.

"

n

"I didn't get to tell you this last time, so I'm going to tell you now...

" her heart beat so fast thinking that he was going to confess to her but he...

n

"I heard you used to have red hair, but why did you dye it pink?

" her eyes became cold when that guy said that. Even though she was going to accept the confession right away but that guy was so dense.

n'Damn it, I miss my opportunity again.' Jellal was a coward about expressing his feeling, he changed the topic instead.

n

"I just want to dye my hair pink like my friend.

"

n

"You have friends??

"

n

"Of course, I have. What do you think of me the whole time??

"

n

"But you seemed like a loner...I thought that was why you came to me.

"

n

"...I'm hungry now, I'm not going to talk with you.

" she pushed his arm from her way and turned back to the academy building.

n

"Anette!!

"

n

"Hm??

"

n

"Your pink hair is...pretty.

"

n

"I was going to dye it black.

"

n

"Eh?? But pink hair suits you better!!

"

n

"No, it's annoying to dye the root.

"

n

"Then I become the hairdresser to dye your root every day.

"

n

"My hair will be destroyed if it ever came to that.

" she giggled as they walked beside each other.

n

"How about I try rainbow hair next??

"

n

"That would be awesome.

"

n

"I will look like a clown if I do that.

"

n

"Pfft, you already look like a clown though.

"

n

"You look like a clown, not me.

"

nSix years later,

n

"Phew...today, I'm going to confess to him. I broke the promise with my father...he will be furious...but at least, he didn't come here.

" Anette was depressed on her graduation day, not a single development between her and Jellal happened all over the years.

n

"What're you thinking so hard of?

"

n

"Your highness, you came!!

" she was smiling brightly when she saw the second prince coming to congratulate her at the academy.

n

"Well, I came here to get my big brother's award. He is busy with the state affair.

"

n

"Stop lying, you're just here to escape from your father.

"

n

"Eh??? Brother???

" the crown prince, no it was more like the emperor was right behind them as they were talking about him. The emperor got married to the saintess of the church and his power improved so much in the recent year making Anette all jealous.

nEven the second prince got engaged with the daughter of the marquess, everyone in her academy all got engaged at a young age while she, the one who was desperately finding true love was single till these days.

n

"I think I'll come back to my empire next week.

"

n

"So you're gonna give up??

"

n

"I kept getting letters from my family, I left them for so long...so...

"

n

"Hm?? Wasn't that Jellal and Brady??

" she pointed at the white-haired guy and the pink-haired guy whispering to each other so close to each other under the cherry blossom tree.

n

"Christopher, does Jellal love man??

" she was shedding cold sweat when seeing those two together, she cried a little.

n

"Don't just assume things...

"

n

"No, no, no...I remembered him saying he loves pink hair.

"

nBoth of the guys looked indifferent since they knew the whole time how much Jellal loved her, the second prince waved them goodbye didn't want to involve in drama.

nThe emperor crossed his arm smirking and giggled watching the drama.

n

"Hey, Christopher...

" her tone changed when she was alone with the emperor.

n

"What?

"

n

"About the second prince's fiance, Catherine, was it?? You also knew, didn't you??

"

n

"What can I do about it? As long as my little brother loves her, none of it matters.

"

n

"Someone needs to keep an eye on her, she's a greedy...

"

n

"I know, I won't let my brother fall into her scheme.

"

n

"Well, as long as you know. It's good.

"

n

"I heard Brady just became a marquess, didn't he?

"

n

"I heard about it too. He was an impressive guy, I was lucky to have him as a friend--

" she stopped midway when she saw Jellal giving Brady the bouquet of flowers. She hid behind the emperor's back couldn't handle the pain.

n

"I knew it!!!! I knew it...what should I do, Christopher?? Should I bless them??

"

nThe emperor really enjoyed watching her being stupid misunderstanding everything one-sidedly, he chuckled and patted her head.

nShe was disgusted when he did it like that.

nMeanwhile,Jellal was not much of a difference.

n

"Today, I will ask her to marry me!!

"

n

"Go for it, my best. Friend!!!

"

n

"Ah, you look stupid with that flower. Let me get that for you.

" Jellal took the flower off Brady's hair.

n

"Will you give her flowers too?? I think a man should give a woman a bouquet of flowers when they proposed to them!!!

"

nJellal cast the death roses magic and a bouquet of flowers appeared out of thin air.

n

"What do you think??

"

n

"Nah, it's red.

"

n

"But isn't red romantic??

"

n

"Think deep, Jellal. What's her favorite color?? Think deep.

"

n

"Urgh...why is it so difficult?? Wait, you never propose to anyone too.

" Jellal knocked his head after realizing he was suggesting him to do this and that when he never proposed to anyone either.

n

"By the way, don't you think Anette really has a lot of male friends??

"

n

"Haha...haa...I'm already used to it. You're also her friend.

" Jellal was pouting.

n

"I remember she beat me to the ground, broke two of my ribs when we first met each other...such a good memory...

"

n

"That's good??

"

n

"I just like her personality, I think she's dense sometimes...and stupid...and a little bold...and...crazy...and heartless...and...

"

n

"That's enough, I will be asking her to be my wife.

"

n

"Good luck to you, I wish you all the best.

"

n

nSigh...

nAnette ended up walking to her dorm without having a talk with Jellal. She didn't realize Jellal was throwing roses to create the letter Love in the backyard as she closed the curtain.

nA letter was on the table when she walked into her room.

n'His majesty is sick, your highness. Please come back immediately.'

nThe glass she was holding to drink water, without taking a sip of water, the glass dropped on the floor on her feet. There were cut on her feet as she was scared of losing her father.

nShe used the back of the dorm, the route she used to escape the academy all the time, she ran and ran leaving Jellal waiting in the rain as she rushed back to her father who was sick.

nAnette fell to the ground as she hit a woman on the street.

n

"Sister Anette, why are you in such a hurry??

" the woman with silky white hair laying down to her knee in a red dress was staring at her with her red eyes similar to Jellal worrying about Anette who was pale.

n

"Jessica, I'm sorry I can't talk with you right now and please tell your brother I won't be back again.

"

n

"What?? But he--

" Anette took the carriage and left to the guild tower to use the teleportation magic spell from there although it will cost a fortune to use it.

nRain pouring down, Jellal kept waiting for Anette looking at her room's window with a bouquet of purple roses just like the color of her eyes. His suit in white which he wore for her was already soaked, he stared at her room seeing the curtain was opened and no matter how many times he shouted for her...there wasn't any response coming back.

n

"Brother!!!

" Jessica rushed to her brother holding the umbrella, the lightning was everywhere that day, her voice couldn't reach him until she grabbed his hand to wake him up from his miserable state.

n

"Sister Anette isn't here. She told me she won't be back here!!

"

n

"What??? I just saw her--no, where did she go??

"

n

"To the magic tower.

"

n

"Thank Jessica, brother owed you a lot.

" Jellal dropped the rose and put the ring's box inside his pocket running to the magic tower in the rain.

n

"I hope they will meet each other...

"

n

"Hey, you there!!! What're you doing?? What's all the mess???

" the cleaner was mad seeing the rose everywhere in the backyard.

n

"I--

"

n

"Clean it up.

"

n

"Yes...

" she took the broom from the cleaner and sweep all the mess of her brother under the rain.

n

"My lady, what are you doing??

" her knight finally caught up to her in the rain rushing to her as soon as he spotted her white hair.

n

"Claude!!! I'm cleaning this up.

"

n

"Are you an idiot?? Let's wait until the sky is clear. You're gonna catch a cold.

"

n

"Hehe~

"

n

"You should take care of yourself, your body is weak.

"

n

"Alright, alright. I really don't know if you're my knight or my mother now...haha...

" the knight took off his jacket and put it on Jessica and then held the umbrella for her as they walked their way to the shelter.

n

"Claude, I'm glad you're my knight. Achoo!!!

"

n

"Seriously...you're like a baby. Come on, let me wipe your snort.

"

n

"Ah, that's gross.

"

n

"Don't worry.

"

n

"Let me do it myself, I'm already an adult, you know. I'm just a little small.

"

n

"You're still a child in my eyes.

" Claude ruffled Jessica's white hair teasing her.

n'I will die the next day or next week...I'm not a child, Claude...' she thought at the moment when she heard Claude saying that. Because she wasn't born with a perfect body.

nTo be continued....!

n