Chapter 29: My Enemy

"Wuwuwu! Lillie-chan, you must get justice for me!"

After three hours of searching and waiting for Ethan's reply, Haruka finally found them. 

That hateful man had made her miss the fireworks from a prime viewing spot! By the time she got back, the best places were already taken.

She had wanted to spend quality time with her best friend, but no—she just had to invite him. If she had known Ethan would be such an ungrateful third wheel, she would have left him behind!

Hmph. If she weren't so kind and generous…

Ethan, meanwhile, was thoroughly unimpressed. Tch. She found them too soon. He hadn't gotten enough time alone with Lillie.

Lillie, as always, remained unfazed and calmly comforted the twenty-four-year-old woman acting like a four-year-old.

"It's getting late. Time to head back," Lillie said.

Haruka whined in protest, utterly dissatisfied with how the day had turned out. Not only had she missed the fireworks, but she had also paid for their drinks!

She had never wanted to strangle someone so badly before. Specifically, her best friend's future husband.

Perhaps Lillie would thank her later if she removed that obstacle.

"Fufufu~"

Ethan suddenly shivered. I feel evil intent…

When they arrived back at Haruka's mansion, Lillie went straight to her room to change.

Her feet were killing her. She couldn't remember the last time she had walked so much, and the wooden sandals certainly hadn't helped.

She entered the bathroom, turned on the warm water, and filled the bathtub. The scent of rose oil filled the air as she poured some into the water. Then, reaching for the fresh roses in a vase nearby, she plucked the petals and scattered them into the bath.

Slipping out of her robe, she sank into the fragrant warmth, sighing in relief as the tension in her muscles—especially her aching legs—began to ease.

Resting her head against the tub's edge, her eyelids grew heavy. Before she knew it, she had dozed off.

And then—

A memory. A bad one.

The day she first met Ethan Li.

She had to admit—he was breathtaking. Even now, she could recall it clearly: the first time she greeted him, how distant his gaze always seemed during class discussions, the way he carried himself. He looked like he belonged in a painting, something carefully sculpted by the gods.

Ethan Li was the second boy she had ever spoken to.

The first was Wei Fang—the friend she once believed knew her better than anyone else. The friend she thought she could trust.

She had been wrong.

After that incident, she shut everyone out. She made no friends, kept her distance, and built walls so high no one could climb over them. It was why they called her the Ice Goddess.

She was beautiful like a goddess—but as cold as ice.

The school's muse. Their untouchable queen.

And then Ethan appeared.

Something happened that had never happened before.

Her heart jumped.

Lillie was not ignorant of emotions. She understood them well, thanks to her mother.

"If your heart skips a beat, it doesn't mean you're sick," her mother had once told her. "It means you're in love."

Lillie had been thrilled.

For the first time in her life, she felt the thing her mother had always spoken of. The thing.

Love.

If her mother had never mentioned it, her logical, practical mind might have assumed she was dying.

But was it really love? She had to test it.

Every time class ended, she made sure to leave first so she could catch a glimpse of Ethan. He was always alone—just like her. Aloof, indifferent. He ignored the giggling girls. He brushed off the jocks who wanted him on their team. Even the Student Council, who practically begged him to join as the perfect role model, couldn't sway him.

He had everything—top grades, unmatched athletic ability, a flawless reputation.

Just like her.

But then—

That day.

She had been walking through the quiet school corridors when she overheard a voice.

A voice that sent a chill down her spine.

"…my reason? Come on, you don't need to know… Urgh, fine. There's this girl I need to beat… Yeah, she's always on top of everything. Good at everything. I just need to surpass her."

Lillie's breath caught in her throat.

No… it couldn't be.

"Her name's Lillie Bai."

A deafening silence filled her ears.

Her heart—once so full—shattered into a million pieces.

So that was it.

He didn't admire her. He didn't see her as a friend.

He saw her as a rival. A challenge. An obstacle.

And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Ethan Li didn't just want to surpass her.

He humiliated her.

He challenged her in every competition, every debate, every sport—relentlessly. He never lost, but he never truly won either. If she came in first, he was right behind her. If he took the lead, she was right on his heels.

But he made sure everyone knew that he was coming for her spot. That she wasn't untouchable. That he was her equal, if not her superior.

She remembered the smirks, the arrogant glances he threw her way after every match, as if to say, You're not so special, Bai.

The rumors only made it worse.

"Ethan Li's aiming for the top spot!"

"Wow, he's really giving Lillie Bai a run for her money!"

"Do you think he'll finally dethrone the Ice Goddess?"

She didn't care about titles, but she cared about what people implied.

That she was only at the top because she hadn't been challenged before.

That she was afraid of losing to him.

That he was the only one capable of defeating her.

He turned her into a spectacle.

He turned her into a goal.

He made her feel small.

And she hated him for it.

Fine.

Let's see you try, Ethan Li.

From this day forward—

You are my enemy.