The day came to an end, and the cadets made their way back to their apartments.
As Ella was walking home, the words spoken by the silver-haired boy echoed constantly in her mind.
She couldn't fathom how Grace could betray her like that.
Even if they weren't talking these days, Ella still regarded Grace as a friend.
Yet, Grace had the audacity to suggest using Ella's elder sister's illness as a bargaining tool?
What kind of friend would stoop so low?!
Was Grace truly that desperate to gain favor with Kai? She was ready to betray her sister-like to come into his good book?
Shaking her head, Ella cleared her thoughts.
It didn't matter. If their friendship held so little value to Grace, then Ella would stop caring about it herself.
"Ella!"
Just as the brunette beauty immersed herself in these thoughts, a familiar voice called out to her from behind.
She swiftly turned her head to confirm the identity of the person calling her. And to no one's surprise, it was Grace.
Turning her head back, Ella quickened her pace, purposefully ignoring the persistent calls of her name from behind.
"Ella! Wait up!"
Finally, the blonde-haired girl caught up to Ella and firmly grasped her shoulder.
In response, Ella shrugged her shoulder forcefully and turned around, fixing a fierce gaze upon Grace.
Observing that intense expression, Grace furrowed her brow, slightly puzzled.
'Why is she so angry today?' Grace couldn't help but wonder.
"What do you want?" Ella snarled.
Taken aback by her tone, Grace responded, "You know what? I've been apologizing for over two months now. Why are you still so angry?"
"You know exactly why!" Ella snapped.
"Oh, come on, Ella! It's my choice! You can't dictate who I should associate myself with!" Grace snapped back.
"If that's how you see it, fine! I was only trying to watch out for you!" Ella retorted.
"Watch out for me by forcing me to comply with your every demand?!" Grace questioned.
Ella pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look at yourself! You're covered in wounds and bruises! Even if you try to cover it up with makeup, it's clear that Kai is hurting you! I don't understand why you can't just leave that group if you're being treated this way?! Is he blackmailing you? Is that what's happening?!"
Hearing Ella's remark, Grace clenched her fists and lowered her gaze. She knew that her friend was right.
Kai's temper was volatile.
It wasn't just Grace who suffered his blows; whenever he was angry, anyone within his sight became a target of his frustration.
A few weeks ago, when Kai interrogated Lucas to confirm whether he was the one Kai was looking for, Grace let her words flow more freely than she should have.
The result of that was a brutal beating from Kai.
The scars and bruises from that abuse still littered her body, still visible even though she tried to conceal them using make-up and long sleeve clothes.
However, despite it all, she couldn't bring herself to leave Kai's group.
She wanted a future where she wouldn't be forced to go into war— a future where she wouldn't have to fight.
Kai had promised her a position in the military that would secure that safe future.
Being by his side was to be her ticket to that life. She couldn't just throw away this ticket.
With a deep breath, Grace looked back at Ella, letting on a vulnerable smile.
"Ella," she called out her best friend's name. "I'm not being forced or blackmailed by anyone. I'm in the Young Elites because I choose to be. I don't want to leave. But that doesn't mean we have to stop talking. All I want is my best friend back. So can we please start talking again? Can you be my best friend again?"
Ella stared at Grace, her eyes devoid of any emotion, as she bluntly stated, "No."
"...Huh?" Grace frowned, bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"I mean what I said, no." Ella reiterated firmly.
"Are... Are you saying you don't want to be best friends with me anymore?" Grace looked at Ella in disbelief.
"No, Grace, I'm saying I don't want to be friends with you anymore," Ella met Grace's gaze with cold indifference.
"W-Why?! I've been apologizing every day! What have I done that you won't even talk to me?! Have I committed some grave sin?! Why are you treating me like this?! I even stayed and fought during the masquerade party incident! You know how much I hate fighting, but I fought because you were there! I stood by your side!" Grace snapped.
Ella remained silent, watching her intently.
Finally when Grace finished her outburst, the brunette spoke, her voice calm yet cutting, "I never asked you to do anything! I never asked you to fight alongside us. Besides, others fought as well. They risked their lives to protect the innocent, unlike you, who had her own selfish motives."
"I had selfish motives?! And what might those be? I was there because I wanted to fight alongside you! I was concerned about your safety!" Grace retorted.
"No," Ella shook her head, gritting her teeth. "You were there so in future you could remind me that you stayed behind for me! So you could make me feel indebted to you. I've figured you out now. I know what you did."
"...What nonsense?" Grace looked at Ella incredulously. "What are you talking about?!"
"I know what you told Alberto. Don't try to deny it, Grace. You have broken my trust," Ella said, her voice filled with conviction, as she began to walk away.
However, Grace grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "What are you saying?! Explain!"
Yanking her hand free from Grace's grip, Ella turned around and shouted, "You told him about my sister's situation! You said that if Kai could obtain the Petal of Ambrose Flower, I would definitely join his little group!"
"What—!" Grace tried to interject, confusion etched on her face, but Ella cut her off, not giving her a window to speak.
"You tried to use my sister as a bargaining chip?!" Ella slammed her hands against Grace's chest, pushing her backward.
"Ella! I don't understand–!"
Before Grace could continue speaking, Ella pushed her again. "You betrayed my trust like this?! Well, you should have known that even if Kai were to bring me the Petal, I would never accept it from him!"
"Ella, there's a misunderstanding! I don't understand what you're saying!" Grace tried to calm her friend down, but her efforts only further infuriated Ella.
"Lucas overheard your conversation with Alberto! There's no way he could have known about my sister if someone who knew about her situation hadn't told him!" Ella yelled. "And aside from me, you're the only person who knows about Ava!"
"L-Lucas?" Grace's eyes widened.
Ella had an elder sister named Ava. She is the heiress of the Bright family and on the path to becoming her father's successor.
Or at least she was until a few years ago.
After completing her military training at the Ethereal Military Academy, Ava was deployed to the northern border.
Her first mission was meant to be relatively safe, meant for rookie soldiers to handle with ease.
However, something went terribly wrong.
Ava and her team of twelve rookies, along with one supervisor, encountered a noble vampire.
The supervisor sacrificed himself after a brief struggle, giving the rookies a chance to escape from the noble vampire.
But after killing him, the noble vampire soon caught up to Ava's group.
In the face of certain death, Ava made the decision to confront the noble vampire head-on, giving everything she had in the fight.
During the intense battle, she pushed herself to the limits.
Fortunately, with some luck and her top-notch skills, she managed to defeat the noble vampire in the end.
However, the fight took a toll on her to the point where her mana core broke.
As a result of that, Ava's body experienced a phenomenon known as Mana Whiplash, sending her into a deep comatose state.
It had been around three years since that tragic incident, and the Bright family had managed to keep the news hidden from the public eye.
Only a select few noble families in the Eastern Continent are aware of the truth.
Although Grace was from a noble family in the Western Continent, she knew about this only because Ella had told her.
They had been friends since childhood.
They first met during one of the social gatherings attended by nobles when they were merely five years old.
After that day, they continued their friendship online and started meeting in person as they grew older.
By the time they turned fifteen, Grace would spend weeks at the Bright family's mansion.
She forged a close friendship with Ella and also became intimately acquainted with their family affairs.
She found the atmosphere at Ella's home much more pleasant compared to her own.
In Grace's household, conversations between her family members were basically nonexistent.
However, in Ella's home, the atmosphere was light and welcoming.
Over time, Grace started to view Ella's parents as her own and even began referring to Ava as "big sis."
So, when Ella told her about what happened to Ava, Grace was devastated.
Why would she ever suggest using Ava as a bargaining chip for Ella? She thought of her as her own big sister!
She didn't say anything like that to Alberto or anyone else! She didn't!
But then… How did Lucas come to know about it?
Yes, Lucas belonged to a ruling family, but even the Morningstars shouldn't be aware of this confidential information.
However, thinking over this situation had to wait. Grace needed to clarify this misunderstanding with Ella.
"Ella—!"
Grace tried to interject, but once again, Ella forcefully pushed her away, tears started to stream down her face.
"Don't ever talk to me!" Ella screamed, walking away with clenched teeth.
…No. Ella was not in a state to listen to reason right now. It was pointless to talk to her any further.
As Ella walked away, Grace stood there, her shoulders slumped, her mind racing to explore every possible scenario that could explain how Lucas obtained this information.
"...Fuck!" Grace muttered under her breath, bringing her hand to her face in frustration.
†
As I returned to my apartment, I couldn't help but hide the wide grin plastered on my face.
"Just as I thought," I mused out loud. "The plan worked."
On my way back, I overheard some people whispering about a "drama" unfolding between Grace and Ella.
I didn't catch all the details, but it was clear that the two girls were fighting about something.
This only meant that my plan was a success.
Now, during the upcoming King's Tournament, Grace would be left without a single ally by her side.
"Haaa~"
With a tired sigh, I fell onto my bed.
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for causing a rift in their friendship. But as I said before, I had no other choice.
Besides, if this is all it takes to tear them apart, then perhaps they weren't that close to begin with.
"Anyway!" I sighed again, sitting up straight and slipping out of my uniform.
Putting on slacks and an undershirt, I did a little stretching for a few seconds before finally musing out loud.
"I guess it's about time I should do something I've been putting off," I said, making my way to the cupboard.
Opening the doors and reaching for the lowest drawer, I retrieved a collection of journal diaries that I had stored away.
"Let's start reading them."
