Ira

‘I don’t need Ellie’s help. I haven’t really been using her at this party in the first place.’

While Elysia in front of her was giving her a searching look, Lillia sighed and rubbed her temple. Her patience was reaching its limits, to the point that even she was having trouble maintaining her composure.

‘I can’t see her as anything but a tool. All she had to do was look like a cousin and not be a burden, and she can barely even do that.’

She could feel a strange pressure in her chest as she thought that, but she refused to acknowledge it. Lillia had to do this on her own, and she had to come to a true perfect solution. Lillia knew that her grandmother wanted her to leave and cut ties, so how could she just do that? How else would she satisfy her bitterness?

‘Maybe I can push James Buchanan into breaking ties from his side somehow? No, that would just end the Buchanan Design Company…. Then perhaps I can manipulate the Fosters somehow? No, they would definitely burn the Buchanans down as insurance if I somehow convinced them this was unprofitable. Then what? Dammit. Maybe-’

While Lillia was examining the possibilities, Elysia interrupted her.

“Lillia, what is your problem?”

“… What are you talking about?”

“No matter how I look at this, I can only assume you are fully aware of what your grandmother wants. Why are you trying to self-sabotage?”

Lillia’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second.

“… I’m not trying to self-sabotage in the slightest, Elysia.”

“You-”

“No, you’re done for now. Stay here and let me handle this.”

Before Elysia could say anything, Lillia left.

‘Why did Grandmother want me to bring someone? Even if I went through with what she wanted, they would be pointless. Does she just not trust me to be able to do something that simple on my own?’

Frustration was beginning to boil into anger. Her pre-existing resentment towards her grandmother was beginning to turn into outright hatred and her pre-existing liking of Elysia into resentment. She began to march towards James, who she had just spotted rejoining the party.

===

I still didn’t understand Lillia’s problem. It likely had something to do with Ella, given her apparent resistance to following along with her grandmother’s designs, but beyond that any detail would be conjecture. Regardless, I knew the end destination of any she might make: Darren Foster. No matter what, her solution would have to involve persuading him in some manner. She – and the Bellons at large – didn’t have the leverage or position to fight against the Fosters. Consequently, if she was dead set on maintaining ties to the Buchanans, she would have to try to get Darren Foster. Of course, that raised a question: how was she going to do that? To be honest, it didn’t really matter; I needed to stop her before it even got to that point.

Ugh… it feels like the world is spinning.

===

Before she could make another move, a familiar white-haired girl tapped Lillia on the shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

In response to Elysia stopping her, Lillia was showing a frigid attitude.

“I’m getting an answer to my question.”

“What my problem is?”

Elysia’s silence acted as an affirmation. Lillia’s expression, of course, remained cold.

“Elysia, this is none of your business. Just stand back and trust me to handle this. You’ll still be paid.”

At that, Elysia began to glare at Lillia – an expressiveness that Lillia had never seen before on her.

“What in the Lord’s name do you mean?! Of course this is my business. It has been my business since you made me spend months preparing for it.”

Elysia’s voice, normally monotone, was beginning to show hints of irritation. Lillia, despite keeping her face still, was beginning to break out into sweat.

‘What the hell is this? It feels like I’m being stared down by a T-rex. Adam wasn’t kidding….’

Elysia continued, unbothered by Lillia’s unnerved reaction.

“We both know-”

Elysia paused for a moment, glancing around at the slowly sobering guests. She restarted, lowering her voice.

“We both know you can’t convince Darren Foster. You don’t have any pieces, Lily.”

“You don’t know what ‘pieces’ I have. I am fully confident. As I keep saying: you just need to trust me.”

Lillia’s face, beginning to show hints of emotion at Elysia calling her “Lily”, prompted Elysia to finally sigh and completely cool off her expression.

“Lily, you told me to trust you. I do trust you, but you’re asking for blind faith. At least explain what you have in mind to me.”

Lillia, now frowning, began to lower her head.

“Why, Elysia? I can do this. You Mods seem to all think you’re so much better than the rest of us – you seem to think that the rest of us need to be dragged around by you like livestock. Why can’t you just let me do this on my own?!”

Lillia’s voice had grown to a shout by the end of her words. The guests around were throwing glances at the pair. Much to both women’s displeasure, a clearly not-sobering guest who had just left the ballroom began to approach them. His blazer was long gone, and his shirt was completely dishevelled. Bruising was evident along his cheek.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“…”

“…”

Both Elysia and Lillia remained silent, realising that their argument had attracted too much attention. Ella, watching on silently, raised an eyebrow in interest. Lillia, whispering, blamed Elysia.

“This is your fault.”

Elysia, swallowing the exhale yearning for release from within her, replied to the man.

“We’re fine, we just realised that we forgot to check the train schedule to get home.”

Lillia opened her mouth slightly to refute Elysia, before also exhaling and closing it, realising that she would only be making things worse by bringing their argument to other people.

“Well, why don’t you two come to the ballroom to cool off? We’re going to be serving again soon, you know?”

Both women’s eyes narrowed as they realised what that meant. Suddenly, Lillia’s watch began to buzz. Glancing at Elysia, she sighed, a faint smile forming on her lips.

“Sorry, I have to take this.”

Both women left the Cube once again. Now alone and a considerable distance from the entrance, they stared each other down in a grassy field.

===

“Again: you will still be paid. Please, just let me handle this. Trust me.”

I smiled. I suppose I will never know exactly how it looked, but at the very least, it was a smile that truly felt genuine to me.

“I do trust you. That’s why I want you to trust me.”

This was my decision from the start, Lilli- no, Lily. At this point, I’ve already done too much in front of Ella. Apologies are easier than permission, I suppose. I offered my hand out for a handshake.

“Lily, I’m not out to get you. I want to support you.”

In that moment, the night sky, normally devoid of stars thanks to star pollution, seemed to illuminate Lily’s amber eyes as she widened them in shock. And then, they shimmered as they began to gather water.

“You… you know I see you as a tool, right?”

“Don’t bother lying to me when you can’t even manage your expression.”

Lily paused once more, clenching her fist.

“… I don’t think I can do this. I can’t see any way out.”

“Then let me help.”

“But this is my problem! I wanted to solve it! I wanted to prove my worth to Grandmother! I don’t want to rely on you! I-”

She couldn’t keep speaking. Her words were interspersed with sobs. For my part, tired of waiting for her to complete our handshake, I grabbed her hand. At last, she hesitantly shook my hand. I could feel trembling through my palm. Is she cold? This night is unusually chilly. No… I suppose I learned what to do here from Adam. I let go of her hand and hugged her. In that moment, the warmth I experienced erased any considerations I had of the night’s chill.

“Aren’t… you after our money, Ellie?”

“I was.”

I had to honestly admit that much. But….

“Elysia, above all you must be kind.”

It wasn’t my only concern. I could at last recognise an emotion that I had first felt with Sarah. Furthermore, that strange feeling that something was off was growing stronger.

“But that doesn’t matter. I value you far more than this contract. I value you as a friend, Lily.”

Lily flinched at the word “friend”. Nevertheless, I continued.

“Compared to anything I’ve heard of Ella Bellon, you shine far more brightly to me, Lily.”

She began to take deep breaths. And, trembles slowly ceasing, she looked up to me. Her teary eyes reflecting the light of the moon reminded me of staring back into that accursed Everything… but, at the same time, I could feel the tenderness coming from them that was absent in that void.

“I’ll… trust you, Ellie.”

“Thank you, Lily.”

I don’t know what precisely happened with your grandmother, but I will still support you, Lily. It feels more worthwhile than struggling endlessly. So, I’ll be your best friend until the… no, until my end.