"I think I have a crush on Harrison," Amanda said out of nowhere as soon as she sat and Harrison left the place. Alexandra was drinking a glass of juice when that happened and she spat it out when she heard what Amanda said. It surprised her and she wasn't even expecting that.
"P-Princess?!"
"A-Are you okay?"
The two people in front of her were startled by what happened and Alexandra let out a series of coughs before she wiped her mouth and cleared her throat. Amanda and Maribelle could only stare at her with worried expressions on their faces. She opened her mouth to speak, "Yes. I'm fine, I was just surprised," She reassured them as she placed down the glass of juice in front of her. What was that? Are my ears playing tricks with me? Did I hear it wrong? She asked herself multiple questions.
She let out a sigh before she spoke once again, turning her head at Amanda's direction. "Could you please repeat what you just said earlier?" Alexandra asked her in a gentle tone of voice though it was clear in her expression that she doesn't believe what she said as if her mind was refusing to process it.
Amanda hesitated and fidgeted with her hands, a light shade of pink tainting her cheeks as an embarrassed smile made its way to her lips. Maribelle and Alexandra stared at her, waiting for her response. Maribelle would also like to hear it one more time just to confirm it.
"Well, you see. I think I have developed a crush on him."
God, Alexandra screamed inside her head. Maribelle though was curious and interested, she leaned back on her chair while holding a fork with a slice of cake on it before she spoke, and there was a sly smirk on her face.
"How?"
"W-What do you mean by how?"
It was clear that Maribelle wanted to tease Amanda, her response and expression was cute. Alexandra was only silent, blinking multiple times, questioning everything. I mean, sure, Harrison is good-looking but he's a jerk. Amanda is way too innocent and gentle for him, what if she can't handle his personality? Wait, why am I somehow getting irritated?
"How did it happen? Why do you have a crush on him?"
"He's good-looking."
"That's all? How boring."
"H-He's also kind! He is also cool and amazing! I mean, his personality is sort of unique to me. His eyes are also beautiful, it's rare! I love how his eyes made a great contrast with the color of his hair and his pale skin. Aside from that, he looked like a gentle person."
Amanda said, she stammered and stuttered multiple times, looking at Maribelle who just grinned but it was a mischievous one. It was clear that she was enjoying this. It was clear that she wasn't used to this kind of discussion or topic and she was the one being questioned or targeted. She looked shy, the blush on her cheeks deepened and became a dark shade of red. She was playing with her hands.
If Alexandra was drinking her glass of juice while she listened to everything that she said, she would have either spat it out again or choked on it.
"H-He's kind? Gentle?" Alexandra finally spoke after a few minutes of being silent and asked her, unsure. Amanda turned to look at her, her eyes wide with pure wonder. Well, yeah, he's kind to her sometimes. Especially to what he did back then when they were stuck in that room along with the kids who were kidnapped, he lent her his coat and let him be her pillow because she was having a hard time sleeping.
The good-looking reason is acceptable as Alexandra also finds him handsome and beautiful even as a boy. Some girls aside from her in the academy also finds him handsome, that's what he said to her.
"Well, yes. I mean, he helped us escape and he handled the fighting and such. When he told me the plan, I was insisting that I will come with him to go after you but he said that I shouldn't because it might harm me. Aside from that, when he was fighting with those two men, he looked cool and amazing. Who wouldn't have a crush on him when they saw that? Especially the way that he punched the man!" Amanda said. She was making multiple hand gestures as she spoke and not fidgeting with her hands anymore.
I didn't saw him fight, not even once. He would always decline Chandler's invitation to a duel and he wasn't there at that time. Harrison always laidback and carefree around her, it doesn't even look like that he can put up a fight.
"And also, that time when you were being held by that man and he was threatening everyone that if they come closer, he will throw you off the sea. He looked cool when you were in his arms, I want to be held like that too! It was like, he was your knight in shining armor! But Prince Calixander immediately snatched you off in his arms but you were unconscious during that time so you didn't know. Hey, how old is he? He looked like he is around my age."
No, he's not a knight. He's a wizard. An annoying and mysterious, to be exact.
Probably an old one as he is taking on his child form to preserve his mana as it was recovering slowly. He must have used a lot of mana during that incident. Doesn't mana potions exist in this world at all?
Amanda continued talking, the shy expression on her face was now gone and she immediately became comfortable with talking about her crush on Harrison. She looked enthusiastic and her eyes were sparkling in joy. Maribelle only giggled and she looked interested. To think that, aside from talking about botany, plants, and flowers, this would also pique her interest. Well, she also talked about her crush on Arthur but it was cut short because Harrison arrived.
They are girls after all. It can't be helped that topics about love and crushes would interest them. Alexandra didn't even think that there would come a time where she would have this type of conversation with other people.
However, Harrison is off-limits.
She wanted to say that but she only bit her tongue and held back. She doesn't have any reason to say that, it's not like Harrison has anyone that he likes. Aside from that, it looked like she was trying to own him or something as they knew that they were close. It looked like she was being selfish. But she was feeling quite frustrated or irritated.
I wonder why.
"He said that he is a noble, right? Which bloodline does he come from? I only knew his first name. I bet it would be a powerful one because of his eyes but I never knew of a bloodline that has red eyes. Nevertheless, I still want to know!" Amanda was curious, like really curious about knowing everything about Harrison. Honestly, she doesn't know it either as he kept everything about him a secret. They were friends for 7 years already but she barely knows a thing about him while he knows almost everything about her.
"I don't know about that. His last name is 'Costella', he told me."
"Sounds like a fancy bloodline."
--
After her tea party with Amanda and Maribelle, she was back in her room. Their topics would escalate from one to another. Though the topic about crushes and good-looking people lasted longer than the others. Even her brothers and knights weren't spared from their admiration but somehow, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all while they were talking about it even though that was the first time that she has that kind of conversation.
She sat down on the couch and let out a sigh, picking up a random book placed on the table before she leaned back on her seat and opened it to read. Multiple words and long paragraphs greeted her sight but she wasn't able to focus and understand everything as she kept on recalling about their conversation. Crush?
How will you know if you have a crush on someone or if you have feelings for them?
If things such as a laptop and internet existed here, she could go and search for it but no, she only has books and she doubts that there are books that would tell you about that. Maribelle asked her earlier if she have a crush on someone and the first one that she thought of is—
"What are you thinking?"
--Harrison.
She let out a yelp because of shock when she heard a voice from behind her. "Gosh, it's just you. Why did you have to go and appear out of nowhere?" Alexandra said when she learned who the person was behind her. It was Harrison. It was as if he would always arrive on cue at times where she would think about him. He went around and walked towards the couch in front of her then he took a random book that was scattered on the table and laid down the couch, his head resting against the pillow.
Alexandra let out a sigh as she put down the book she was holding to look at him before she spoke.
"After a few weeks of not appearing and talking to me, you're right here inside my room."
"Well, I apologize for that. Something happened for the past few weeks and I just can't escape it. I was also dealing with the kidnappers who took you, you know?" He responded and opened the book. She only watched him do that, he flipped the pages continuously and he wasn't even reading the book.
"What did you do?"
"I beat them up."
"All of them?"
"No, only the one who took and hurt you."
"I don't know if I should thank you for that or not. I also want to do it because of what they did to my back, it still hurts."
"Even though it's fully healed already?"
"I can still imagine and feel the pain," Alexandra responded and let out a groan before she leaned back on the seat and slumped. She only stared and watched him as he stared at this one page of the book, his arms were all lifted and his hands were holding the book. It's amazing how his arms aren't getting sore from remaining in that position for minutes. He didn't say anything and just remained silent.
"Hey," She called out to her once again, grabbing his attention but he didn't give her a glance. "What?" He replied and flipped to the next page.
"How do you tell if you have a crush on someone or you like someone?"
"Why are you asking me that? Did somebody caught your eye?"
"No, probably. I was curious. My friends and I were talking about it earlier, one of them even have a crush on you," Ah, it just slipped off her tongue. I apologize, Amanda, she thought to herself.
"Really? It can't be helped, I'm good-looking," Harrison said in a nonchalant voice as if he was used to this kind of thing. Well, of course. He was pretty popular when he was still at the academy even the female seniors are somehow attracted to him. He just continued reading.
"She also said that you're kind and gentle, you also looked cool and amazing when you were fighting."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
It was pretty awkward. Harrison looked like he isn't interested and he was even pretty casual about it. A moment of silence surrounded them before Alexandra spoke once again.
"What if I told you that I also bare such feelings for you?"
This time, Harrison let go of the book that he was holding and it fell straight to his face. Finally, a reaction from him, she thought to herself and grinned. Harrison picked up the book that fell on his face before he looked at her, "What's with that?"
"I was just kidding, I only want to see your reaction."
"God, don't even tell that joke to others especially males."
He said and before Alexandra could response, he spoke once again.
"And tell that girl that I have somebody I like."
"Who?"
But he just grinned at her and didn't respond to her question. I feel my heart ache.