She readily accepted my suggestion to go out for a change of pace.
Thanks to that, we were now sitting at an outdoor table in a café on the edge of a bustling street, having a conversation.
“Oh my, so you’re from Levant too, El?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What a coincidence! To think you’re visiting around this time. It’s not even the beginning of the semester, so things must be a bit chaotic, but you must be really interested in Biblos Academy.”
“Haha…”
Though it’s a different kind of interest.
Diana, who had been speaking, suddenly furrowed her brows as if something had just dawned on her.
“But, it’s a bit unfortunate. By the time you’re ready to enroll, I’ll either be in my final semester or have already graduated. It’ll be hard for us to meet at school.”
“Oh, that’s… really a shame.”
I wasn’t actually going to enroll in Biblos Academy, but just hearing that made me feel disappointed, and I smacked my lips in sympathy.
Seeing me like that, Diana playfully winked.
“Then, should I repeat a year?”
“What are you talking about!”
She says the most outrageous things!
Before I knew it, I blurted out in shock, and Diana blinked rapidly as if startled by my outburst.
Realizing my reaction a little too late, I quickly covered my mouth.
Meanwhile, Diana smiled softly as if amused and added,
“I’m kidding, El. You don’t have to get so worked up.”
“Haha…”
As I awkwardly diverted my gaze, Diana, who had been smiling all along, let out a light sigh, her brows drooping again.
“But, to be honest, I might actually end up repeating a year.”
“What do you mean?”
I looked at her with a puzzled expression, forgetting all about avoiding eye contact.
There was a subtle hint of worry on her clear face, and she definitely wasn’t joking this time.
My Diana, failing a year? The genius who had never missed being at the top of her class? No way.
“Is it because of your graduation project?”
Recalling the scene I had glimpsed through the door earlier, I stared at her incredulously, and she scrunched her nose.
“Uh, no. It’s more to do with a class I’m taking right now.”
“A class?”
“Yeah, it’s a required course taught by a professor who’s notorious for being strict, even within the Biblos Academy’s arts department. The assignment is no joke.”
She scratched her cheek with a troubled look. I grew curious about what kind of assignment could make Diana say such a thing.
“The professor personally assigns each student a design theme, and the task is to create shoes with a limited budget. The theme I got is ‘sparkle and jewels.’”
“Sparkle and jewels…”
Just hearing it made me think it wouldn’t be feasible with a normal budget.
“How much is the budget?”
“300 bels.”
“…300 bels?”
I couldn’t believe my ears. 300 bels would barely cover the cost of ordering this afternoon tea set three times.
It was an impossible budget for buying jewels. My face filled with disbelief.
Diana burst out laughing.
“I can tell what you’re thinking just by looking at your face. Yeah, it’s such a difficult theme that I’ve been worried about it.”
No, what’s up with that professor giving a jewel-themed assignment with a limited budget? No matter how talented Diana is, isn’t this a bit too much?
As she recalled the assignment, Diana sighed again, resting her chin on her hand, clearly troubled. My face mirrored her concern.
“To express sparkle and jewels with just 300 bels…”
“Wait a second.”
Something suddenly flashed through my mind as I was deep in thought.
“Hey, Diana. What if you ground the jewels into fragments for decoration?”
Diana’s expression became puzzled at my question.
“Grind the jewels?”
“Yes, instead of setting entire, polished jewels, you could grind them down into smaller pieces and attach them to the surface. It would be much more affordable.”
Diana listened attentively, then her eyes widened in surprise.
“My goodness, I hadn’t thought of that at all. Using ground jewels would definitely reduce the budget!”
“Right?”
“Yes, since the price of jewels varies greatly depending on the cut, I could buy cheaper, flawed stones for decoration. El, you’re amazing!”
Diana reached across the table and clasped my hand tightly.
As her small, white hand wrapped around mine, I instinctively flinched. Did my favorite person just hold my hand tightly?
‘I’m not washing my hands today.’
I secretly took a deep breath to calm my racing heart, making sure Diana didn’t notice.
Meanwhile, Diana, who had been smiling brightly, fell into thought again, looking pensive.
“Hmm, but what kind of jewel would be good? My shoes are white, so anything too colorful might not look great… but diamonds are too expensive.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, withdrawing the hand that had clasped mine, as she muttered to herself,
“The only affordable gemstone that has an opaque white hue is moonstone.”
“Moonstone…”
“Unfortunately, it’s only found in the Levant Empire.”
A hint of regret crossed Diana’s face. Just as she said, moonstone was only produced in the Levant Empire and hadn’t been exported to other continents yet, making it difficult to obtain quickly.
I knew that too.
She tapped the table lightly with her fingers.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do. I’ve bought some time, so I’ll have to look for another gemstone.”
Diana, despite her disappointment, smiled brightly, saying she now had a clearer idea thanks to me.
She looked beautiful, even when she smiled. I, still looking at her with a sense of shared disappointment, blinked rapidly as another thought crossed my mind.
“Wait a second, that moonstone… where is it mined again?”
“The mine? Hmm, I think it’s in Count Olson’s territory. As far as I know, that’s the only place.”
I inhaled sharply at Diana’s reply. No wonder it felt familiar.
“…Diana, I think I might be able to get it.”
“What?”
Diana’s face filled with confusion as she looked at me. It was a look that said,
“How would you know that?”
After blurting it out, I suddenly realized what I had said and flinched.
“Uh, well. I mean… we won’t know until we try, right? The Countess of Olson might be more generous than we think.”
I quickly added with a forced laugh.
‘Of course, I’ll contact Countess Olson as soon as I get back to my lodging.’
Diana, who had been staring blankly at my harmless smile, suddenly burst into laughter.
“…You’re right, El. We won’t know until we try. Instead of assuming it won’t work and thinking of other options, I should just go for it!”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.”
I couldn’t be more grateful that Diana was so good at understanding what I meant, even when I said it poorly.
Across from me, Diana fell into deep thought, and then, as if a great idea struck her, she excitedly started talking about her shoe design.
Watching her, I couldn’t help but smile warmly.
‘She’s adorable.’
She was so lively and full of energy, like a cute little mochi come to life.
Resting my chin on my hand, I watched her with a quiet smile before speaking.
“Now that I think about it, you really shine when you’re working on something you love, Diana.”
Diana blinked rapidly.
“Me?”
“Yes, you really do shine. Especially your eyes.”
Her lake-like eyes sparkled as if touched by light on the water’s surface.
‘Truly, she’s just as amazing as I thought she’d be.’
The Diana I knew was a go-getter. She always challenged herself, was passionate, and even if she failed, she had the resilience to bounce back quickly.
Though in the author’s narrative, she was often overshadowed by the male protagonist, I always cheered for her.
‘But in the end, all those qualities were used to highlight Ian during their romance.’
It had always left a bitter taste in my mouth to see her brilliant traits used solely to serve the romance. I watched her for a moment before speaking again.
“I really think it’s amazing how passionate you are about what you love, Diana.”
“Is that really how I come across?”
“Yes, people’s eyes tend to sparkle when they’re doing something they love. Just like yours are right now.”
Diana pressed her lips together and then slightly lowered her head. A strange shadow passed over her face.
“Hmm, I might not be as amazing as you think, El. The truth is, I only enrolled in Biblos Academy because I wanted to run away.”
Her confession made me freeze for a moment. I had a feeling this was coming.
“Run away…?”
“Yes, back then, I thought it was the only option.”
A bitter smile played on Diana’s lips. Though I knew better than anyone why she had come to Biblos Academy, in this moment, I couldn’t help but ask.
I opened my mouth a few times before finally speaking.
“Run away… from what?”
She lifted her head and gazed at me for a moment before smiling with her eyes.
It was a strangely sad expression.
“From my own heart.”
♧♧♧
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