Princess Like Treatment
"What the hell is happening? Am I dreaming? Am I dead? This must be hell!" Maruti thought, her mind spinning in disbelief. Her surroundings didn't make sense, and Lortell's piercing gaze only made her feel more out of place.
Lortell looked at Maruti with narrowed eyes, her expression cold yet sharp. "So, you're Maruti? Her new friend?" she asked, her tone laced with something unreadable—annoyance, perhaps.
"Umm… yes?" Maruti replied hesitantly, her voice shaking. She had no idea what was going on and said the first thing that came to her mind without thinking.
Lortell's face twisted slightly, a flicker of annoyance and jealousy passing through her usually composed features. Her pale, slender fingers twitched, and she muttered under her breath, "Her childhood friend is here, so now she doesn't need any external friends."
Before Maruti could process those words, a glowing magic circle appeared beneath her feet, humming with energy.
"C-childhood frien–?" she managed to blurt out, her eyes widening in panic.
But before she could finish the sentence, swish! The magic circle activated, and in an instant, Maruti vanished, teleported somewhere far away within the academy.
She turned her attention back to Esdeath, her entire demeanor shifting. The cold edge disappeared, replaced with warmth and concern.
"Of course I was worried about you," Lortell said gently, offering a rare, soft smile. "Let's go eat something. You must be starving."
Esdeath blinked, still reeling from everything that had just happened. "W-worried?" she muttered under her breath, her cheeks heating up.
Then Lortell finally stood up straight, and Esdeath felt her breath catch in her throat.
When Lortell had hugged her earlier, she had bent down slightly, their faces close as though they were equals. But now that she stood at her full height, Esdeath realized how *tall* she really was.
Lortell towered over her with an elegant grace, her long legs and straight posture making her seem almost statuesque. Esdeath was considered an average height for a girl, but compared to Lortell, she barely reached her shoulders.
When they had first met, Esdeath had been too overwhelmed by her emotions—by Lortell's beauty, by the intensity of the moment—to notice such details. She had assumed Lortell's height was similar to Maruti's. But standing here now, it was impossible not to see the difference.
A strange mix of awe and embarrassment filled Esdeath. She didn't know whether to feel intimidated or flustered. "How can someone look this perfect?"
But love, they say, is blind. It doesn't care about who is tall and who is short. It doesn't care about anything but the connection between two hearts.
Esdeath smiled shyly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Y-yes, let's go!" she stammered, her voice softer than she intended.
Lortell's expression softened further, her calm mask slipping just a little as she gazed at Esdeath. Without any warning, she stepped forward, bent down, and effortlessly lifted Esdeath into her arms.
"Wha–? Huh??" Esdeath's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice a squeak of surprise. Before she could protest, she found herself cradled like a princess—Lortell's arms steady and strong as if carrying her weight was nothing.
Esdeath's already flushed face turned a deeper shade of crimson, her entire body going stiff. "W-what are you doing!?" she stammered, her voice cracking in embarrassment.
"What if you walk and get a stain?" Lortell replied smoothly, her tone calm and full of twisted logic. "I'll take you there myself."
But anyone who knew Lortell could tell this was an outright lie. The truth was far simpler—Lortell just wanted to touch Esdeath as much as possible. On the outside, Lortell's expression remained serene and dominating, but inside, her thoughts were in chaos.
"Oh my god… oh my god… I can feel her…"Lortell's fingers twitched against Esdeath's soft form, her self-control barely holding. ""I want to grab her butt—no, squeeze her—wait, no! Control, Lortell, control! You can't make the same mistake as ten years ago!"" she scolded herself internally, her face remaining the picture of calm.
Meanwhile, Esdeath could barely breathe, the heat rising in her cheeks spreading throughout her entire body. Her hands clung nervously to Lortell's shoulders as her heart raced.
Esdeath thought, stunned. "I-I think this might be the best day of my life!"
Trailing behind them was Lortell's ever-loyal head maid, Lorraine, who watched the scene unfold with a mix of disbelief and concern.
"Lady Mariette has truly lost it," Lorraine thought, her brow furrowing as she followed. "This poor girl must be overwhelmed by the situation… I have to find a way to help her!"
As Lortell walked through the academy halls, holding Esdeath in her arms with ease, students stopped in their tracks, their jaws practically hitting the floor.
Wide-eyed and stunned, they stared, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
"What the hell is happening?" one student whispered, his voice trembling.
"Is Lady Mariette carrying that girl… like a bride? Wait a minute,Is that esdeath crimson?"
"I can't believe my eyes…!"
"Who is she to Lady Mariette?"
The whispers grew louder, but neither Lortell nor Esdeath paid the slightest attention to them. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
Esdeath, on the other hand, tried to keep her head down, her face still burning with embarrassment. She could feel the curious eyes on her, but she didn't dare look around.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Esdeath, they reached the cafeteria.
Lortell gently set her down, her movements so careful it was almost tender. Esdeath wobbled slightly when her feet touched the ground, but she quickly steadied herself, avoiding Lortell's gaze.
The entire cafeteria had fallen silent. Every pair of eyes was glued to the two of them.
But Lortell didn't care. She dusted her hands off as if this was the most natural thing in the world, completely ignoring the crowd's baffled stares.
"Hehehe… after years of waiting, I finally held Esdeath in my arms," Lortell thought to herself, a satisfied grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "It's only a matter of time before I explore every inch of her body…"
Lortell casually sat down on a chair in the cafeteria, leaning back as if she owned the place—which, in a way, she did. Without hesitation, she crossed one leg over the other and patted her thigh before turning to Esdeath with a calm but commanding smile.
"Here. Sit on my thigh. I'll feed you with my own hands," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Esdeath blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "W-What? I… I can eat by myself!" she stammered, her voice shaky and flustered.
Lortell's sharp, narrowed gaze locked onto Esdeath, cutting her off immediately. "Tch… I said you don't need to do anything when I'm here," Lortell replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Before Esdeath could protest again, Lortell stood up, grabbed her gently but firmly, and pulled her onto her lap as though she were a doll.
"W-Wait! H-Hey!" Esdeath squirmed, her face blazing red, but Lortell was already seated again, holding her securely on her thigh.
"Hey! Bring me the most premium food here—right now. Hurry," Lortell commanded, her voice echoing through the stunned cafeteria.
The entire room froze. Whispers ran through the crowd as servers scrambled to fulfill Lortell's request. After all, no one dared disobey the mighty Lortell Mariette.
Within mere seconds, plates of the finest dishes—roasted meats, golden-buttered bread, rich stews—were set in front of them.
Lortell picked up her knife and spoon, cutting a perfect, tender piece of meat. Carefully, she brought it to Esdeath's lips, her expression calm but with a hint of possessiveness in her gaze.
Esdeath's eyes darted between the steaming meat and Lortell's face. She opened her mouth instinctively, unable to fight back, and let Lortell place the food inside.
The taste exploded in her mouth—juicy, seasoned to perfection—but she barely noticed it. She couldn't look away from Lortell.
"W-Why is this happening? Why am I letting her do this?" Esdeath thought, completely overwhelmed. Her face was now as red as a sunset, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
The room was dead silent except for the clink of utensils and whispers from the other students.
"Is this real?!" a boy muttered, almost shaking with envy.
"I wish I was her… I'd give up everything for that," another said with a sigh.
Esdeath, still sitting stiffly on Lortell's lap, tried to calm herself, but her mind was in chaos. "This is so embarrassing! Why am I letting her feed me? Where's my masculinity? I-I'm losing all my pride!" she screamed internally.
But then, something shifted. Gathering her courage, Esdeath grabbed a small piece of food herself and held it out toward Lortell. "I-I wanna feed you too!" she declared, her voice shaky but determined.
Lortell raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Is that so?" she said softly, leaning in.
Esdeath held the food closer, waiting nervously. Lortell took the bite, her lips brushing against Esdeath's fingers in the process. But she didn't stop there.
As Esdeath started to pull her hand back, Lortell leaned forward again and—without hesitation—began licking Esdeath's fingers, slow and deliberate.
Esdeath froze, her entire body stiffening as she stared down at Lortell, her mouth slightly agape.
"It was delicious," Lortell said in a sultry voice, her gaze locking onto Esdeath's.
The air between them thickened. It felt as though time itself had stopped. Their eyes met, and for a moment, it was like the world had disappeared. Esdeath's heart raced faster than ever.
Lortell's smile softened as she watched Esdeath, her own heart secretly racing, though her composure never wavered.
But then—
"Ahem… Ahem… My Lady," Lorraine's voice suddenly broke the silence, snapping them both back to reality. "I think… she can eat by herself now," the head maid said firmly, her expression somewhere between concern and exasperation.