87 A Rising Romance

Jealousy.

She was jealous of how he has a loyal bodyguard who would protect him no matter the cost.

She was jealous of how his bodyguard is also his closest friend.

She was jealous of how, without even saying a word, he has people swarming over him like bees to honey.

She was jealous of how daring he is.

She was jealous of how he could smile so naturally in front of everyone.

She was jealous of how freely he can practice his hobbies—it's not like he was banned from drawing by his father even though General Rochester disapproves.

She was jealous of how much his family cares for him.

Even though he said that his father had almost hit him and that his sister is trying to break apart his friendships, at least they had done it for his own good.

His father hit him because he cheated on an exam, did art behind his back, and said he didn't want to be part of his family.

His sister is trying to break apart his friendship with his bodyguard because the bodyguard could spell great danger to his family and himself.

Meanwhile… My father… Ha. Elizabeth didn't want to think about her only family member.

But anyway, it was a nice change to meet someone so different from the shrewd phonies and the hypocrites that she met so frequently in her life.

So obviously, she would be very reluctant to let go of this person!

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Elizabeth grabbed Carlos' hand and led him back to the classroom. "The bell is going to ring soon, let's go back now."

Having achieved his goal (to confirm their friendship), Carlos nodded, before blushing.

Elizabeth is holding my hand! He pursed his lips and tried to calm down. But he felt dizzy.

I-Is this how love blooms between two people? D-Does Elizabeth have feelings for me?

Are we going to date now?

But wait. Isn't this going to fast?! Didn't we just become friends?

And there's another point. We are both only 13! Too young! No good!

Feeling something was wrong, Elizabeth looked back and furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong? Why do you look so red? Fever?"

Eh? Is holding hands normal in society? Seeing her nonchalant expression, Carlos didn't know how to react. He felt a cold bucket of water pour down on his head, and he cooled down.

But just then, his face flared up again.

If it's normal, then why did I get so flustered! Stop embarrassing yourself, Carlos! The boy berated himself, hoping Elizabeth didn't find any crucial anomalies with him.

"N-N-No! I'm perfectly fine! Let's head back to the classroom!" He squeezed the girl's palm, hoping that his hands weren't sweating, and took the lead in walking towards the classroom.

Bewildered, Elizabeth looked at the boy's narrow shoulders in front of her. She then looked at their tightly clasped hands.

This… Huh?!

The reason she held the boy's hand was to make him feel a sense of security. She felt bad for teasing him, and to make him feel more safe/ comfortable, she decided to hold his hand. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? It was something she learned from various private lessons on psychology.

But… Elizabeth had seen Carlos' complexion turn red, like he had a fever or something! As a result, she had thought, maybe he didn't like holding hands? I mean, he was fine before, and holding hands were the only extra thing they were doing.

But before she could let go of his hand, the boy grasped her hand and held it even tighter.

And all of the sudden, he was taking the lead!

Looking at Carlos' cheeks that still had a tint of red, Elizabeth felt the corners of her lips rise. She felt the urge to tease the boy again.

It was strange, as she had never felt this way before. She had always been able to control herself and her emotions. It was the first time that she felt like she couldn't control herself.

The girl bit her lip. It was scary, once you think about it. She is someone who wield control over herself since she was five. Once she lost control over herself, she felt like she had lost everything she ever accomplished for herself.

Why did she feel this way around Carlos?

Ah… It was because of her envy and his nature that made her feel more relaxed around him. That is probably it.

But… It didn't feel comfortable.

She didn't like this feeling.

The feeling of her heart beating so loudly and so fast that she couldn't think straight.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried her best to rein back her emotions. She needed to be a spectator, not a player, in this game called life.

After calming herself after a minute of deep breathing, she realized that Carlos had stopped in front of a particular door and was looking at her in worry.

Heh. I looked at him in worry before. It's now HIS turn to look at me with concern.

Just then, the bell rang. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! It signaled the start of the next period.

We can't delay any longer, the girl straightened her back.

"I'm fine." She smiled. "Let's go in."

The boy nodded and touched a touch screen pad on the left side of the door.

Without a sound, the door slid open.