The report of the negotiation to Lionel's father was shortened down to confirming that there is an alliance between Headal and Crinia, and that Semor is likely a part of it. Everything else was written off as a private conversation between the Crinia princess and myself, as she had wanted to meet me. Helena being traded was simplified to 'bringing to friends together'. Knowing Lionel, it may be the truth... or he may just be trying to keep his ignorant father at bay.

With that part over Lionel had us go to the guest room where I had woken up earlier. My armor was still there, and it seems like it's been assigned for me for the rest of the time here, judging by the maid standing cautiously in the hallway, waiting for any calls for her to do something. Either way, Lionel shut the door behind us once he had gotten a bucket of cold water and a rag.

I pulled out the chair Helena had been sitting in yesterday, and Lionel pulled another from the nearby barred window. I did note a somewhat irritated frown curling up on his lips, but this was nothing new. Besides, at this point the entire 'negotiation' was probably driving him mad as well.

I slip down onto the chair I pulled out and note Lionel putting his chair down quite too close to mine before he sits down and almost casually puts the rag into the water. Our knees are practically touching, that is how close we are. Yet, Lionel continues without a care for manners and simply wrings out the rag... before putting it against my forehead.

It feels cold... and yet... far from cold enough. Like the heat of Lionel's hand heats up the damp rag too fast. For a moment my head feels a bit lighter, but yet the nagging irritation of the rag getting warm crawls through my body.

"Lily."

Lionel calls my name with a surprisingly calm voice. His eyes gleam with bits of worry and... what I assume is irritation... but not in an all bad way... I think. He actually gives a bit of an awkward smile too. I guess the conversation took out more than him than I expected. His composure is all gone.

"You do have guts of steel, but you're all out of it," Lionel adds with a hint of worried amusement. I, of course disagree. I am doing fine.

"There is no problem. Now, you want to ask questions, right? Go ahead, I will answer those I can," I half snap back at him. The rag is now warm. It's useless.

As if Lionel knew my inner thoughts, he moved his hand and the rag and put it down into the bucket. He gets up and... steps up next to me with this blanked out look before slipping an arm around my back, and one under my knees... then lifts me off the chair for no reason whatsoever.

"What are you doing?" I snap at him and try to roll out of his grip. Irritatingly he's got a good hold on me.

"I am having you rest, as I had warned earlier. Furthermore, we already reached the conclusion that I would win, so you might as well give in," he responds calmly and starts walking towards the bed...

"I am fine, Lionel. Even if I was not, I could walk on my own," I sneer up at him and give his shoulder holding my legs a light punch to make him drop me. Doesn't work.

"Just now, you were not just letting my hand be against your forehead, you also pressed against it. The plan was for you to hold it yourself you know," he adds with a raised eyebrow.

While I contemplate that, he puts me down on the bed gently and then pulls a chair closer to the bed with the bucket and rag. He makes another cold rag to put on my forehead and watches me for a moment.

"How many reincarnated people do you know of?" He finally changes the subject onto the path of the 'negotiation' while the cool rag cools down my head. I kind of want to put it over my eyes, but with the current situation I feel like I shouldn't.

"At least two, but I suspect up to five people. Helena, Prince Jacques' fiancé Jesmaine, Crinia's Princess Catarina, and Semor's Prince Landon, and then of course myself."

Lionel takes this in for a moment and then nods.

"Why those people?" He asks with hints of suspicion in his voice. Judging by his distant look, he may be trying to figure out what they have in common.

Not the path I expected him to take, but not a bad choice. I thought he'd go directly to the 'game' part.

"Helena called me out and exposed herself on her own. While it was somewhat amusing and gave me a lot of information, it was also quite annoying. I suspect Jesmaine because she was hostile towards me for no reason, and made friends with Helena and Claire, though they had nothing in common. It is not confirmed, but I would say it is quite likely... Catarina called herself out just now, so there is no doubt there. Finally, the reason I suspect Landon is because he, just like Catarina, tried to interfere with Alstair and Claire's relationship via their exchange students. That and Catarina's statement 'us'. It is not certain in any way, but I would say it is probable. It may explain why Semor tried to kidnap Claire and leave Soleil and I behind the way they did, and why the guards seemed prepared for Soleil to charge out, and hid the keys to the cuffs though they should not have had a reason to."

I rethink everything I just said and nod a bit inside. Landon is the most shaky one, but it would make more puzzle pieces fall into place. The entire event of the kidnapping is fishy, even more so when you consider that it was a story event, and Landon might have known of it. He could easily have made the changes to the plan by knowing Soleil would charge out. Lionel seems like he's trying to soak everything in. As he asks his next question he points out a question I myself have wondered for a while.

"If they tried to kidnap Claire, then why did they go out of their way to kidnap Soleil?"

Sadly I only have a wild guess for this question, but I think it is a good one.

"Perhaps to follow the story line as close as possible, or to use gim as a 'be good and give in' tool against Claire, which did happen. By choosing Soleil, they would know what would happen. I think it was unplanned that I was with them." I suggest as an answer. I don't know the real answer, and they may just have wanted to kill Soleil slowly in the slums... but it seems unlikely. It may just have been a coincidence... Lionel looks lost in thought and hints of confusion for a while before he proceeds with the next question.

"What is the original story line? Cut down to large events. I am a bit at a loss of what is happening."

Here's the first real snag.

"...their 'game' appears to be slightly different from the book I read. They mention things called 'capture targets' which are the male characters Claire ends up charming. From the hints I've gotten, Claire would likely choose one or more of you to charm, and depending on who she chooses, they call that a route. For me, the only 'route' I know is the one where she charmed all of you."

I take a moment to let that sink in and let him understand that I do not know as much as them. Though, not that the original story line helps much anymore seeing that so many influential people have been switched out. Lionel is grimacing with disgust though, and visibly shudders. He parts his lips as though he's going to swear, but shuts up and just looks uncomfortable instead. Certainly, being a part of Claire's lovely charmed playthings is an uncomfortable thought.

"You can continue."

"Claire's mother died in a bandit raid, where the bandits were setting up for the Zocrian army to attack Castle Celeste. She awakened her powers there and was taken away. They didn't really write what happened clearly after that for a while, just that Castle Celeste was lost to the Zocrian army at one point. The loss of Castle Celeste happened the day after though. Either way, Claire lost her mother because Lily was being stubborn, and thus there was probably a grudge there."

This grudge was never mentioned in the story, but I am quite certain it was there. After all, someone as 'kind' as Claire would never have accepted an execution of someone that had bullied her.

"Claire grows up with the Baron, and still identifies as a commoner as she enters the academy. Once there she meets one 'dreamy guy' after another, all of which have a grudge against Lily Celeste. Even Lily's brother, who she had pushed down the stairs when they were small. Claire is kind and understanding, so she wriggles into their hearts and heals their traumas in series of small events where the kidnapping is one of them, and her meeting you after the baths is another. Since the crown prince begins to fall for Claire, Lily gets angry and bullies Claire. Lily then gets executed for bullying Claire. Then everyone go off and happily punish the surrounding lands for all their evil and with that they live happily ever after..."

Everything considered, not much really happens in the story before the end. Now, Lionel looks even more revolted than before, and his brows are furrowed into a grouchy and irritated expression while his fists clench up... then anger makes it way into that and his eyes sharpen as though he wanted to murder someone right there and then...

"And my brothers were dead..." he growls out . Not while looking at me, but rather at his lap. He's probably thinking of Catarina's words. I forgot to mention that part, but there is so much else in the story that just begs for attention. Though, Lionel really does love his brothers. I have no doubt that he would have gone mad at losing them, just as Catarina described. Lionel gets incredibly irritated from watching people he knows be in pain, me included, so seeing his beloved brothers and mother killed would likely break him for a long time.

"The details about that was not added to the story I read. I was quite surprised to find out you actually had brothers, since Reynold was not a part of the story at all though he should have been. I only had a suspicion that it would happen at one point. That it was stopped was more of a coincidence than anything else."

Lionel looks at me with a conflicted expression at my words, likely troubled that it came down to that... To a coincidence. His lips press into a line as he gets lost in the thoughts, then finally nods hesitantly.

"And in the story I was a sadist?"

How odd... I feel like fate just decided to take a bit of revenge on me... Right, I did end up yelling at Catarina that it was foolish to make him a sadist... I'm sure my uncomfortable reaction shows, because I see Lionel's eyes narrow at me. I've practically already given him the answer, and he is not happy with it.

"Yes," I answer with a certain amount of hesitance because of said irritation in his eyes.

"That certainly does explain a lot about why you've been looking at me the way you have for the last eight years," he says out in a falsely sweet voice at me with a hint of a smile on his otherwise irritated expression. I, of course, fly into defensive mode at his tone and indication.

"You were making it quite hard to look at you differently with the way you treated Claire."

I lash out with a snap. Part force of habit I'm sure, but he has not behaved in a way that would make one think anything else than that. Lionel's fake smile fades in an instant and turns into a scowl while lowering his eyes. As I note his jaw tighten, and his lip grow stiff, I know I hit a weak spot. In all honesty I didn't think he felt anything about it, nothing even close to the guilty look he is showing me where his shoulders slump a bit in his armor.

"Claire entered the academy infatuated with you, it was as though she was convinced any man she liked would choose her despite any difference in status or odd behavior... Then the first time she saw me out of the bath she was eating me up with her eyes. Claire's legs were squirming, and her eyes were the same as when my mother sees father return from the baths... or when his mistresses did. She was more than just admiring though. I can deal with that... but it was odd and uncomfortable to have someone visibly imagine doing it with you as they stare at you when you do not know them and they should have a crush on someone else. I did decide to bully her. If she jumped me, then I would be keeping her away from you and she would not deserve being near you, and... or hopefully make sure it didn't happen again, and it did work... for a while, and she did pass the test... until next morning." He sighs after this as the guilt gets heavier, but so does his momentary anger with Claire as I note his lower lids tense up and his jaw push forward.

"If nothing else she was overwhelmed and thankfully seemed to give up on you. Of course, when she couldn't have you, she started fawning over other men immediately... and even did so in a meaningless encounter with Alstair... She started to chase you around as Lily as well, and you didn't tell her off nor chased her away. If anything, you let her do as she pleased though you disliked it, which was abnormal for you and worrying. When she bounced back to cozy up to me, I had enough of her and ended up taking my anger out on her every time she came by saying things like 'you don't have to try so hard' or 'I want to know more about you'... even after I had refused her harshly a few times she just kept coming. Chasing her off sexually worked better and she'd leave instantly and stay away for a while. If you scolded her she seemed to take it as though something was wrong with you."

He subconsciously begins to rub his arm at this point, at the hints of anger disappears as he continues, and he watches me with sincerity, though still with lingering regret.

"I am aware that I only got worse with time at that point... not just when it came to matters with her, but also with you. Even when she started getting better from the grooming of you and Gilbert I still took my anger out on her. I am aware of my mistakes, and I apologize for any discomfort the matter with Claire brought. It will not happen again. Ever. Getting out of there, and clearing the frustration I had between us cleared up my mind, though of course I cannot take back my actions, or avoid the repercussions."

This session of questions was supposed to be about me, but the subject appeared to have changed a bit... Though, I don't intend on going easy on him just because he regrets his actions now.

"Even if you regret it, and even if Claire shoves her nose into other people's business when she is not a part of it, your behavior was still unacceptable. It makes you as impure as her, if not worse."

I admit I was not being kind, but they were the words he deserved for his behavior and multiple breaches of etiquette... and he swallowed it and lowered his head.

"I agree. I've not acted as is to be expected of my rank. I will repent and reflect." He looks at me sincerely. He looks bitter, but guilty and as though he's honestly regretting his actions. Though he's looking at me, he's probably still thinking back on his actions and how he could have acted differently... Still, somehow I'm left annoyed, even as he refreshes the now lukewarm rag.

"Why did you sell off Helena?"

At my question he just looks calm. Still stiff lipped, but responds without hesitance.

"Those two were like peas in a pod, more so than they were with Claire. I gambled on the probability that Jesmaine had been bothering Jacques about Helena as much as Helena had bothered me. Since Helena appeared to hold value for him, I wanted something in return for giving her up, not that she had value to me. Having you safe was important. It was worth making a bet over."

He finishes calmly and then goes back into thinking mode, preparing for the next question. Probably to bring the talk about Claire out of his mind.