Chapter 80: The gift
The next morning I woke up completely trapped.
Again.
At this point I was starting to think it wasn’t an accident anymore (which it probably wasn’t).
One of Lillith’s arms was wrapped tightly around my chest while the other had somehow found its way around my neck.
One of her legs rested across my waist.
The other was tangled somewhere beneath the blankets.
Meanwhile I couldn’t move more than a few inches in any direction.
Everyq time I tried, her grip tightened.
I slowly turned my head Lillith was awake as usual.
And staring directly at me.
Still angry.
Or at least trying to be.
The problem was that after last night’s crying her expression looked less like a terrifying future duchess and more like a grumpy child that had been told to stop eating dirt.
The moment our eyes met she narrowed them.
I stared back.
She narrowed them harder.
I continued staring.
Eventually I sighed.
"Happy birthday."
The glare instantly weakened.
A tiny smile appeared.
Then she remembered she was supposed to be upset.
The smile vanished.
The glare returned.
Unfortunately it still wasn’t very convincing.
"Thank you."
I smiled slightly.
"Feeling better?"
"No."
"You’re lying."
"No."
"You are."
Lillith pouted.
Then buried her face into my chest for several seconds before looking back up.
"You made me cry."
"You opened the box."
"You made the box and that horrifying letter!"
I couldn’t really argue with that.
For a few moments neither of us said anything.
"You’re still going to the academy."
Immediately her expression became sober.
"No."
"Yes."
"It’s my birthday."
"I know."
"So I shouldn’t have to."
"That’s not how school works."
"It should."
"No."
"It would if I owned the academy."
"That’s exactly why you shouldn’t own the academy."
Lillith groaned dramatically.
Then rolled onto her back.
Then onto her stomach.
Then back onto me again.
Eventually she accepted defeat and climbed out of bed.
The entire time she kept glancing toward me suspiciously.
Clearly worried another letter might appear out of nowhere.
After getting dressed she pointed at me accusingly.
"If I see another letter today—"
"You said that yesterday."
"That didn’t count."
"It absolutely counts."
I laughed.
Lillith continued glaring.
Then after several moments she softened slightly.
"You’re sure I’ll like it?"
I nodded.
"I’m sure."
"Really sure?"
"Yes."
"Really really sure?"
"Lillith."
"What?"
"Just go to the academy."
She huffed loudly.
Then marched toward the door.
Only to immediately stop.
Turn around.
Walk back.
And hug me.
Hard.
Then she left.
Several Nightbane knights accompanied it as usual.
The moment Lillith climbed inside she practically hung halfway out the window.
"I’ll be waiting!"
"I know."
"You better still be here!"
"I will."
"Don’t leave!"
"I’m not leaving."
The carriage continued down the road.
Yet somehow she remained hanging out the window.
"YOU PROMISE?"
"I PROMISE."
Eventually the carriage disappeared around a corner.
The shouting finally stopped.
And silence returned.
I stood there for several moments.
Then slowly turned toward the wagons.
A smile spread across my face.
A few minutes later I climbed into one of them.
Near the back sat another wooden box that was identical to the first one.
This time is was the real one.
I carefully opened the lid.
The contents rested exactly where I’d left them.
For a moment I simply stared.
Then smiled.
"You’re definitely going to love this."
*******************************************
The entire day felt painfully slow.
I spent most of it staring out the classroom window.
Not that this was unusual.
But today I actually had a reason.
Every minute felt longer than the last.
Every lesson felt twice as long.
Every lecture sounded like even more meaningless noise.
Eventually Clara arrived and slipped into the seat beside me.
The moment she sat down she smiled.
"Happy birthday."
Before I could answer she reached into her bag.
Then carefully slid a small wrapped package across beneath the desk.
Far away from the teacher’s view.
Not that the teacher would’ve done anything.
Most teachers preferred pretending I didn’t exist.
It was easier.
I looked down.
Then back toward Clara.
"What’s this?"
"I remembered."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Last year you said you liked jam cake."
For a moment I simply stared at the package.
Then smiled softly.
"Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
Clara looked relieved.
Then her expression changed.
A dangerous expression.
The expression of somebody about to ask questions.
"So."
I immediately knew where this was heading.
"So?"
"What did Leon get you?"
My eye twitched.
Immediately.
Clara noticed.
"...That bad?"
I slowly looked toward her.
"His gift was a breakup letter."
Silence.
The classroom faded away.
The teacher faded away.
The world faded away.
Only Clara remained.
Staring.
Completely frozen.
"What?"
So I explained everything.
The letter.
The crying.
The prank.
The forehead flick.
The apology.
The hugging.
Everything.
By the end Clara looked horrified.
"He actually did that?"
"Yes."
"He thought that was funny?"
"Apparently."
"He took that way too far."
"I know."
For several moments Clara just sat there.
Trying to process the story.
Then she sighed.
"Leon is lucky you love him."
"Very."
Another pause followed.
Then I slowly placed both hands over my heart.
A warm feeling spread through my chest.
Because despite everything—
I trusted him.
More than anyone.
"I still have lots of faith in Leon’s actual gift."
Clara looked at me.
Then laughed softly.
"You’re hopeless."
"Probably."
She smiled.
"I’m sure it’ll be amazing."
For once—
I agreed completely.
The rest of the day dragged endlessly.
Classes.
Lunch.
More classes.
More waiting.
Every second felt like torture.
By the time the final lesson ended I practically sprinted to the carriage.
—————
The moment I spotted Leon waiting outside the residence—
I vaulted over the carriage window onto the street before taking up a starting position with both feet planted in the floor.
I infused mana into myself and leaped forward as air blasted behind me.
The knights immediately shouted.
The horses panicked.
Someone yelled my name.
I ignored all of them.
The world blurred.
In less than a second I crossed the entire courtyard.
CRASH.
The two of us went flying straight into a stable.
Hay exploded everywhere.
Leon landed first.
Unfortunately.
Which meant I landed on top of him.
The air completely left his lungs.
Meanwhile I looked down brightly.
"Gift."
Leon wheezed.
"Hello to you too."
"Gift."
"You almost killed me."
"Gift!"
Eventually he managed to stand.
Then walked toward one of the wagons.
A familiar wooden box rested inside.
My eyes widened immediately.
"Here it is."
I reached for it.
Then Leon grabbed my wrist.
"No."
My soul nearly left my body.
"What?!"
"Just a little longer."
"Leon."
"Trust me."
"Leon!"
"Trust me."
I narrowed my eyes.
Then after several moments reluctantly I surrendered.
"Fine."
The box got handed back to him.
Then I marched toward the residence.
A bath first.
Then the gift.
Finally.
Two agonizing hours later I stepped outside.
Leon stood waiting holding the box.
The night sky stretched endlessly above him.
Stars covered every inch of darkness.
Cold air drifted through the gardens.
For a moment—
Everything felt perfect.
I had chosen one of my favorite dresses.
A beautiful gothic dress made from layers of black fabric.
The skirt flowed all the way to my ankles.
Elegant silver embroidery traced twisting floral patterns along the edges.
The sleeves narrowed around my wrists before widening again near my hands.
Tiny purple gemstones had been sewn throughout the dress.
Whenever moonlight touched them they shimmered softly.
The fitted bodice hugged my figure while leaving my shoulders exposed.
My long black hair flowed freely down my back.
For once—
I’d actually spent time and effort getting ready.
And judging from the way Leon stared—
He noticed.
Several seconds passed.
Then he smiled.
"You’re prettier than anything I’ve ever seen."
Heat immediately rushed into my face.
I looked away.
Pretending not to hear him.
Unfortunately my smile betrayed me completely.
Eventually I pointed at the box.
"Gift."
Leon chuckled.
Then sighed.
"One last thing."
My eye twitched.
Immediately.
"Leon!"
"I need you to fly us somewhere."
"...Why?"
"Somewhere private."
The implication immediately hit me.
My face turned even hotter.
"Fine."
Ten minutes later we landed in a massive clearing deep inside the forest a distance away from the royal capital.
Stars filled the sky.
The trees surrounded us from every direction.
Nobody else existed.
Just us.
And the box.
I immediately pointed.
"Open it."
"If you make another excuse—"
"No excuses."
Leon smiled.
"This is it."
My heart immediately started racing.
Slowly he opened the lid.
Then carefully removed something metallic.
I blinked.
The object looked strange.
A dark metallic frame sat atop several supports.
Four big tubes roughly the rise of a arm pointed upward what where connected to several knobs.
Tiny polished parts connected sections together.
It looked precise.
Purposeful.
Like some complicated machine designed for a single task.
I crouched beside it.
Then poked it.
Nothing happened.
I looked back at Leon.
"Is this it?"
A hint of disappointment entered my voice.
Leon grinned.
"No."
Relief immediately washed through me.
Then he reached into the box again.
Moments later he pulled out four long paper-wrapped objects.
The wrapping came away.
I stared.
Beautiful.
Each one was painted differently.
Bright colors.
Carefully crafted.
Almost artistic.
Leon inserted them into the machine.
Then turned it toward the center of the clearing.
Afterward he walked back.
Taking both my hands in his.
My heart nearly stopped.
"Do you remember the first day we met?"
The biggest smile I’d worn all year immediately appeared.
"Of course."
How could I ever forget?
The fireplace.
The colored flames.
The first time Leon changed my world, and the first time that I decided he was mine.
Leon smiled.
Then slowly let go.
He walked toward the machine.
Pressed something.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A steady ticking sound began.
Then he moved away.
Far away.
Eventually he stood beneath the stars.
From my perspective he looked tiny.
Arms stretched outward dramatically.
Then he shouted.
"Magic rainbow!"
The words struck me like lightning.
Years vanished instantly.
I was a child again.
Standing beside a fireplace.
Watching impossible colors appear.
Then—
A streak of golden light shot upward behind Leon.
Like a shooting star.
Like a piece of lightning escaping into the heavens.
BOOM.
The sky exploded.
Brilliant yellow flooded the darkness.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Of glowing golden fragments spread outward.
The entire forest illuminated beneath their light.
Every tree.
Every leaf.
Every blade of grass.
For a moment it looked like the sun itself had returned.
And immediately—
The yellow flame.
The first color Leon had ever shown me.
Before it could fade—
Another streak screamed upward.
Then exploded.
Orange and Red fragments joined the yellow ones.
The heavens transformed into a burning sunset.
Colors rippled endlessly across the darkness.
Warm.
Brilliant.
Beautiful.
Again I remembered.
The second powder.
The second flame.
Then came the third.
Green.
Brilliant emerald green.
The explosion spread across the sky like roots growing through the stars.
For a moment it genuinely looked as though the entire forest had reached upward and lay roots in the sky.
Living green light stretched endlessly overhead.
And once again—
I remembered.
The green powder.
The green flame.
The green magic rainbow.
Then the final rocket launched.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
Until it almost vanished.
Then—
The world exploded.
Purple.
Endless purple.
Lilac.
Violet.
Amethyst.
Lavender.
The entire sky drowned beneath it.
Every star vanished.
Every shadow vanished.
Everything became purple.
My colour.
Mixed among the fading traces of yellow.
Orange.
Green.
The sky had become a masterpiece.
A memory.
Everything that started our story.
Tears slowly rolled down my face.
Not from sadness.
I felt nothing but pure happiness.
I turned.
Leon was already running toward me.
Without thinking I ran too.
Our hands met first.
Then our eyes.
The colorful fragments continued drifting from the heavens around us.
Like colored stars falling toward earth.
And for the first time in my life—
I couldn’t find the words.
Leon smiled.
"I love you, Lillith."
The world stopped.
Nothing else mattered.
Not the stars.
Not the fireworks.
Not the forest.
Just him.
Slowly we leaned closer.
Then closer.
Until our lips finally met beneath a sky painted with every color that had started our story all those years ago.
