Claire Talwen's Point Of View

I always thought of Lily Celeste as a very dignified girl.

At first she was just Augustus-sama's sister. I even thought she was quite cold as well, but the more I look, the more I am sure she is simply shy.

I know she compete with Gilbert-sama once in a while and has Magdalin-sama at her side, but other than that she doesn't seem to have any close friends. Despite how much she stands out in the crowd, I wonder how she can not make friends with everyone. Perhaps she's too intimidating to talk too, by the way her eyes sharpen coldly when she studies you... or maybe people are awestruck by her dignity and how she carries herself.

I... admit... I didn't look at her too closely before the kidnapping either...

I was supposed to protect her, but instead I ended up being protected by her. She'd stepped in front of me and in that instant the air around her had changed. The calm and beautiful lady was replaced by a fairy of ice. Her pale blue hair seemed to glitter with frost crystals as it swayed, and her beautiful eyes suddenly shimmered a beautiful gold among the blue.

Without hesitance, and without fear she charged in while I could only stand dumbstruck at the hesitance I had shown. I had considered going with them to protect her, but she didn't let me, and nor did she take my hand and guide me... and yet... I was drawn along with her towards the door.

All I could think of was to protect her as she rescued Soleil. He looked as though he burst to tears in shame at his weakness... and yet... my blood boiled and my heart felt singed with pain as a knife dug into her small and frail back. My body moved on its own from there... in anger... in desperation... but I never ended up killing anyone... Lily broke in and killed the man... and as she did... her eyes were cold... her skin had broken into a cold sweat in pain, he struggled against her blade... blood splattered and sprayed on her... but she never looked afraid.

She even found the key to the cuffs as if she expected it to be there.

After that I've been trying to talk to her, and then I began to realize something I never had before. She was incredibly elusive whenever I decided to approach her. She was fast and had a fast but elegant stride that was hard to keep up with.

From that point on she started moving around all over campus and disappear somewhere I could never find her... so I decided to ask Gilbert-sama about it... because... there was another reason I wanted to talk with her now... you see, ever since the kidnapping she... has been looking a bit paler... but not just that, she's begun to disappear and become even more distant than before. She's become unapproachable, even for Asher-kun.

Ah! Asher is my childhood friend, and we made a promise to stay by Augustus-sama's side when we grew up. Of course I was surprised to hear that he swore his loyalty to Lily-sama instead! I mean, Lily-sama is definitely amazing and cute, but to know that his loyalty to Augustus-sama was swayed after their first meeting... made me rather angry with him... but when I asked why he did it he just stared at me surprised and just smiled while messing up my hair! He never answered either. It's not fair!... Either way, he got close to Lily-sama.

I still doubt his motives. Lily-sama is more fragile than she acts, and that fragility is why I decided to help her. Right now she looks like she needs help, so I will do my best to do whatever I can do.

---*---

"Gilbert-sama," I start out softly during my daily extra lesson with Gilbert. After the kidnapping he started teaching me how to recognize poisons... I'm really bad at it too... he even jokingly told me to watch Lily-sama whenever she drinks something.

"Hai, Claire-chan?" He asks while mixing several plants on the table. I have no idea how he got the plants in here... so I am slowly beginning to understand why Lily reacted so weird with the cookies back when we started... if I had been told about this back when I just started here, then I probably wouldn't have accepted it... but the more I see, the more I realize that I need to know this and understand it. If not then I'll bring more people in danger.

"Do you know how I can find Lily-sama?"

Gilbert-sama tilted his head for a moment and his sunset red hair slides to the side along with him. He's supposedly pretty skilled with fire, though I've never seen it. His long eyelashes flutter for a moment.

"Mmmm~ You probably won't be able to Claire-chan." He grins at me widely with a bratty look...

"Why?" I purse my lips a little at his words. I admit, I am not that perceptive but I am not stupid.

Gilbert hesitates for a moment and gives me a brilliant grin that really brings our the feeling of a brilliant sunset.

"Because she's a crouching tiger." As far as I recall, a tiger is a huge feline found on another continent.

"...so because she's hiding?" Then it would be crouching, right?

Gil just smiles at me and puts a finger to his own lips. Gilbert-sama is a little bit of a bully at times. Perhaps that's why his uniform isn't modified at all. He's not as cute as he pretends to be.

"Mo~ fine. Then, do you know why Lily-sama is acting weird?"

He stares at me blankly for a moment.

"No idea."

Eeee?! Gilbert-sama doesn't know?

"She's been like this since we were kids, so you can probably ask Lionel. They used to get along so he might know." Gilbert-sama told me this with a nigh childish pout as well, but at least it gives me an idea.

---*---

I am a bit hesitant about asking Lionel-sama... it is not... not that meeting with him is... is bad... it's just... Lionel-sama uses... does such... uhm... embarrassing things at times...

I peek out into the room that connects to the bathhouse and find him as expected. As usual he's mostly undressed too... Lionel-sama please dress! You'll catch a cold!

I move back a bit and take a small breath.

Yosh.

As long as I don't do something silly, then he won't do anything... probably... and I'm not asking about Augustus either. Helena said it was an absolute no-go.

"L-Lionel-sama," I stutter out and pull my eyes away from his bare chest. I can't let them run down too far!

"Want to talk?" he asks casually while leaning his head backwards onto the back rest of the couch.

"I do, a bit," I reply and sit down on the couch next to him. Yosh, now, just keep my eyes on the painting over there instead of Lionel-sama's chest and things will be fine.

"Uhm, Gilbert-sama said you might know why Lily-sama is acting off."

He gave a huff at my words.

"Gil probably can't understand something like that..."

It sounded oddly like an insult... but he admitted to knowing!

"Then!"

I turned back to him and is met with the full view of his chiseled body.

Ahh! No no no no! Not that!

He begins to lean over me with those piercing emerald eyes.

"Leave her alone for the summer and don't bring it up with her."

Is what he said... all while looking like he was about to eat me.

"B-but! She looks unwell!"

Lionel suddenly grabs my wrist. He usually never actually touches me on his own... but the mood seems to turn. Gilbert warned me once about this, that this cold feeling meant I had to get away.

I quickly try to pull away, but Lionel pins me down this time.

"And what would you do, blink at her with those big eyes of yours?"

I bite my lip for a moment and try to think quickly for a way out.

"...That... if it can help Lily-sama, then yes!" I do realize the foolishness of my words, but I am quite under pressure here!

I glance down and hesitate to use the 'go for the crotch' attack Gilbert-sama taught me... but Lionel pulls back and gets off the couch.

"And here I thought your 'devotion' only belonged to 'Augustus'."

Lionel says Augustus-sama's name mockingly and sends me a cold stare... but he doesn't say anything else and just leaves...

---*---

When night came around the night after, I decided to try to approach Lily-sama in the dorm when she was heading for bed... and I finally got to talk with her. I had begun to think she was avoiding me specifically.

"Uhm, Lily-sama," I say softly while my voice drift off.

The scent of peppermint emanates from the room and Lily-sama looks different from usual. Her eyes are narrowed, and she is paler than usual. Her skin is slick with sweat though she must have bathed earlier... and her water fairy is brushing up against her skin as well in an attempt to cool her down.

"Did you want something, Claire?" She asks with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"You weren't looking good, so I wondered if you were feeling okay... after the kidnapping and all," I try softly. I realized I probably messed up while talking about the kidnapping and nearly clasp my hands to my mouth.

"I am fine," she responds with a raised eyebrow without any further reaction. Just leaves it at that.

"Eh? Really? But you..." I consider how to word it for a moment, but Lily-sama cuts me off.

"I merely do not sleep well in the heat. Is that all?"

Eh?

She answered me without a hint of emotion other than annoyance...

Lionel-sama why did you make me worry so much! Evil!

"Then, goodnight, Claire-chan."

Eh?

"Ah! G-Goodnight!"

Click.

And she left me standing there in the hallway awkwardly.

I feel like I can hear Lionel-sama's laughter in my head for falling for his taunting and his trickery.