i just want to eat dinner in peace｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

The sky had shifted into shades of deep blue and purple, stars faintly twinkling above as the cool evening air settled over the academy grounds. It was past evening—dinner time. I had swapped out my uniform for a more casual outfit: a soft blouse and comfortable trousers, hoping to blend into the background.

Beside me, however, was Tessa Vale, walking in stride as though she was a queen gracing the common folk with her presence. Her casual attire—a sleek black shirt tucked into well-fitted pants—somehow looked effortlessly regal.

"Why are you walking so close to me?" I asked, side-eyeing her while inching away in an attempt to create some space.

Tessa's expression remained perfectly serene, though her crimson eyes glimmered with mischief. "Why not? We're friends, aren't we?" she replied smoothly, her tone oozing amusement. Then, with a sly grin, she added, "We could walk hand-in-hand too, just like how we will when we're married."

I froze for a split second, my brain short-circuiting. Married?! Was this girl out of her mind? My instincts kicked in, and I quickly extended a hand to lightly shove her to the side.

"Stop saying weird things!" I exclaimed, my face heating up despite my best efforts to stay composed.

Tessa, clearly unfazed, stumbled only slightly before catching herself with a laugh. "Relax, Sera. I'm just teasing," she said, her voice tinged with mock innocence.

Not willing to engage further in her nonsense, I picked up my pace, practically speed-walking toward the cafeteria. The sooner I could put some food in my mouth, the less time I'd have to deal with her antics.

Behind me, Tessa called out, "You know, running away just makes it more fun!"

I groaned under my breath, poking at my dinner with my fork. Dinner was supposed to be a time to unwind—not endure yet another round of Tessa's relentless teasing. Seriously, was there anyone normal at this academy? At least the food was amazing; that was my only consolation.

"Sera~ Let me have a taste of your food," Tessa said, leaning far too close for comfort, her crimson eyes glinting with mischief.

I recoiled slightly, shielding my plate with my arms. "You have your own food. Matter of fact, we have the exact same meal. Don't even think about saying something cheesy like, 'because it's yours, it tastes better.'"

Tessa chuckled, her laugh as smooth as ever. "You caught me. Okay, I'll behave. You just seem so fun to tease. Your reactions are so… genuine."

That's because I am being genuine! I really, truly, deeply want you to stop invading my personal space and let me eat in peace.

"Just eat your own food already," I grumbled, my appetite waning under the weight of her unrelenting presence.

As I shoved a bite of food into my mouth, I glanced around the cafeteria. Thankfully, Camille, Diana, Claire, and the others were busy sitting with their respective groups. I couldn't even imagine the chaos if they all decided to crowd around me. If that day ever came, I'd probably have to resign myself to eating in my dorm room.

"Hello, Tessa. Hello, Sera," a gentle and familiar voice called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up to see Lillian Aurora standing by our table, her elegant figure framed by the warm light of the cafeteria. She held her tray gracefully, her soft pink hair cascading like a shimmering curtain over her shoulders. With a serene smile, she set her tray down and joined us.

Relief washed over me like a cool breeze on a hot day. Out of all the heroines, Lillian was the only one whose presence didn't immediately set off alarm bells in my head. She was normal—at least by my standards.

"Lillian," I greeted, sitting up straighter. "Good to see you."

"Likewise," she said, her voice as warm and soothing as ever. She glanced between Tessa and me, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I hope I'm not intruding. It's just that I noticed you two sitting here and thought I'd join."

"Not at all," Tessa said, her tone unusually polite, almost as if she were a different person. "You're always welcome, Princess Lillian."

Lillian chuckled softly, her cheeks dimpling with amusement at the title. "No need for such formality, Tessa. We're friends, after all."

"Huh?" I blinked, completely caught off guard. "The two of you are friends?"

Lillian nodded, her pastel pink hair shimmering under the warm cafeteria lights. "Yes, we've known each other for quite a while. Our families met for dinner some time ago—business matters and all that. We ended up spending a lot of time together and became friends."

I stared at Tessa, then at Lillian, trying to reconcile this new piece of information. "You should unfriend her," I muttered under my breath, fully aware that it wasn't exactly the most diplomatic thing to say.

"What was that?" Lillian tilted her head, her green eyes full of innocent curiosity.

"Nothing," I said quickly, plastering on an unconvincing smile. "I was just saying I wish I'd known some people before the academy started too. Would've made things… easier."

Lillian's expression softened, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on mine. "Don't worry, Sera. You have us now. We'll make sure your time here is as wonderful as it can be."

"Exactly," Tessa chimed in, flashing me one of her signature mischievous smirks. "We'll make the rest of your academy days unforgettable. The best you've ever experienced."

I couldn't help but sigh—again. At this rate, I was going to run out of oxygen. "That's… not exactly a good thing," I muttered, though I wasn't sure they even heard me.

Tessa leaned back in her seat, looking far too pleased with herself. "Cheer up, Sera. Life's more fun when you have friends like us around."

Friends, huh? Somehow, that word didn't sound as reassuring as it was supposed to. Between Tessa's teasing and Lillian's unrelenting kindness, I felt like I was being tugged into a vortex of social chaos.

"Fine," I relented, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Whatever. Just… don't make it too unbearable, okay?"

"Unbearable? Us?" Tessa grinned, her red eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, Sera, you wound me."

Lillian laughed, a light, melodic sound that somehow eased the tension in my chest. "I think this is going to be fun," she said, taking a bite of her dinner.

Fun, huh? Somehow, I doubted that was the right word for what lay ahead. But for now, I'd let it slide. Maybe—just maybe—they wouldn't completely ruin my life.

"What do you think of the academy so far, Sera?" Lillian asked, her soft, melodic voice breaking through the bustling background noise of the cafeteria.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at my tray before responding, "Uh, I guess it's been going well. Besides all the chaos that's happened to me on the first day, it's been… good, for now, at least." I punctuated my statement with a bite of my food, hoping the conversation would move on.

"Our Sera here is quite the attention grabber, you see," Tessa interjected with a teasing grin. "During lunch, I saw almost all the princesses flock to her table. You should've seen her reaction, Lillian! I'm pretty sure she was about to explode from all the attention."

"Don't remind me of that," I groaned, my hand instinctively flying to my face in a gesture of pure exasperation.

Lillian giggled lightly, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "The princesses, huh? They can be a handful sometimes, but I'm positive they're all good people deep down."

As if! I thought to myself, biting back a snarky comment. Sooner or later, they might turn on me, just like in the novel.

"I'll believe it when I see it," I muttered, before glancing at Lillian and adding, almost absentmindedly, "Out of all of them, I like you the best, Lillian."

The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how they might sound. Lillian blinked in surprise, her cheeks dusted with a faint blush. "Oh, really? Thank you, Sera. That means a lot to me."

Tessa leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, her red eyes narrowing with mock indignation. "That's not fair. What about me?"

"You're like a mosquito that just won't leave me alone," I shot back, deadpan.

Tessa gasped in mock offense, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. "A mosquito, huh? Fine then, since I'm a mosquito, I'm going to suck all your blood away!"

Before I could react, Tessa lunged playfully in my direction, her hands reaching out as if to grab me.

"Hey—what are you doing?!" I yelped, nearly toppling over as I clutched my tray for dear life.

Lillian, ever the voice of reason, intervened with an air of calm authority. "Now, now, Tessa, don't play around in the cafeteria. Finish your food first. We can figure out what to do afterward."

"Aww, spoiling all the fun, Lillian," Tessa whined, reluctantly settling back into her seat with a pout.

Meanwhile, I was still standing, tray in hand, trying to process what had just happened. Tessa's unpredictability was like sitting next to a panther—dangerous, thrilling, and utterly exhausting.

You know what? I'm done. Without a word, I moved to sit on the opposite side of the table, planting myself firmly next to Lillian.

Lillian raised an eyebrow, her expression caught somewhere between amused and curious. "Decided to switch seats?"

"Yeah," I muttered, glaring at Tessa from a safe distance. "Sitting next to her feels like tempting fate. At least here, I can eat in peace."

Tessa smirked, unbothered. "Oh, come on, Sera. Admit it—you'd miss me if I weren't around."

I groaned and stabbed a piece of food with my fork. (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)