I am the Queen

Royall Hill, Daniel Richardson's House

Lilybella bounced on her feet as she rubbed her hands together. She swept the table full of foods, humming to herself for a job well done. Every fiber of her being was vibrating with anticipation to eat breakfast together with Daniel. Skipping in her steps, she went to Daniel's location.

In the fitness room, Daniel was sweating like crazy in the running mill. When Lilybella barge in, his eyes drifted to her for a moment before he looked away without a care.

Lilybella skid to a stop. Her heart went overdrive, and cold sweat tickled her palms. Her heart was accelerating as her eyes were captivated by what she saw. Sweat shone on his muscles that rippled across every part of his body. He obviously workout every day. He was really a man of any girl's dream.

He then turned, eyes caught hers. Watching her with those dusty blue eyes ignited butterflies in her stomach, and a frisson of excitement sets her heart racing almost too fast. She didn't even notice the layer of saliva on the side of her mouth.

Daniel shivered. His expression was tout as he paused what he was doing. There was a slight tremor in his voice as he asked, "What?"

Lilybella lowered her head and tucked an invisible hair behind her ear as she slurred in a tone that was unbearable in Daniel's ears.

"Uhm . . . breakfast is ready."

Daniel sighed as his eyes met the ceiling of his gym. He snatched his towel and wiped dry his sweat as he sauntered to his room, ignoring Lilybella's constant glances at him.

----

"Your Highness! Is it true that the academy will have a summer camp at the end of class?" Lilybella started, eyes glued on the brochure in her hand.

As much as Daniel wanted to concentrate eating his breakfast in silence, he knew he couldn't ignore Lilybella's existence forever. But since he was annoyed at her, he chose to ridicule her instead.

"You just came from a long holiday, and now all you think about is another one? You should pass the exams first before you talk about taking another vacation."

Like always, Lilybella just bounced back with a smile and an overload of optimism. "I can't help it! In Lilybella's school in Burberry, there's only a holiday vacation. There's never been a seasonal break."

She put down the school's brochure on the table, face radiating with excitement. "When I get back, I'll encourage these kinds of events. Camping and adventuring with your fellow school mates boost comraderies and solidarity while doing something meaningful and fun!"

Daniel's lips hooked up in a disdainful smile. "It's just an excuse for you to stop studying."

Lilybella giggled. "Ehehehe. Studying is stressful, and everyone needs a break. Like a five days break and one-day class."

"And what about the remaining day?" Daniel asked, not really interested in the answer.

Lilybella grinned, crooked teeth on display. "Of course! That's for sleeping."

She then sighed, a dopy smile on her face. "How nice that would be?"

Daniel forced the food down his throat when he almost spat it out from hearing Lilybella's ridiculous idea. He then looked at her like he never saw a woman before. "If everybody thinks like you, then the world is doomed."

"No, your Highness," Lilybella countered, "less stress and more fun? The world would be a happier place!"

Daniel shook his head a little and tapped a napkin on his lips before he stood to his feet. "That's how lazy people think."

He then went away. Talking to her would only deplete his brain cells. Best to just ignore her.

"Ah! Wait, your Highness! Where are you going?"

"Stress people need to go to school."

----

In Unmei Academy school grounds, Lilybella was running all over the place with lunch boxes in hand. The moment the school's bell rang for lunch, Daniel, Evangeline, and Eric disappeared before she could even put her things inside her bag.

Now, she was running around to look for Daniel, out of breath, and out of fuel with a grumbling stomach. Then she stopped on her feet when she caught something on a narrow path flanked by two buildings. Four girls huddle together, and judging on how one of them was holding the other by the collar, she guests that they were not friends.

Lilybella's eyes rounded, and she stormed in their direction.

----

"Bitch! Why did you write about my boyfriend without my permission?" Sharon shouted at Satele.

Satele was about to take her lunch when her seniors, led by Sharon Dale, ambushed her and took her on the disserted part of the school ground.

Satele leveled her eyeglasses, face unperturbed as she answered in a tone neither loud nor soft, "Mr. Writhe won the best player in the national tennis competition. So, of course, our newspaper club would interview him for the sports column."

"Shut up!" Sharon snarled and grabbed Satele by the collar. Her lips warped in a crooked smile as she stared at Satele in the eyes. "Don't get smart with me. You're not even the writer of the sport's column. So what do you know about sports?"

Sharon then poked Satele on the head. "You're a gossip mongrel. That's what you are. Writing false stories for fame."

Satele slapped Sharon's hand and glared back. "Don't blame me for your lack of confidence in yourself and your boyfriend."

She then pushed Sharon away and fixed her clothes. "I'm not interested in your boyfriend, neither I am interested in being the victim of your insecurities."

Satele was about to leave, but Sharon grabbed her arm, and a ragging hand zoomed on Satele's face, shutting her stunned.

"Bitch! How dare you talk back!"

SLAP!

Satele closed her eyes, but the pain never came. Her eyes flung open, and her pupils rounded. There was another girl who just appeared between her and Sharon. She was short and a little rounded. She was holding her red cheek while her big eyes were brimming with tears.

"D-don't fight . . . ," she said, voice choking.

Everyone was surprised before Sharon's face warped in annoyance. "Who are you?! This is none of your business! Get out!"

"W-women shouldn't fight each other, especially schoolmates," the girl said, stubbornness in her voice. But all Satele noticed was the quivering of her limbs.

Sharon sneered. "So you also want your ass kick?!"

Sharon was about to push the interloper when one of her friends stopped her.

"Sharon, that's the foreign exchange student. She's a daughter of a duke in Everland," Sharon's friend whispered.

Sharon's hard face loosened before she portrayed false bravery. "Hmp! Consider yourself lucky."

She then shot Satele a glare before she stormed away with her entourage.

. . .

. . .

Satele sighed and was about to leave when the short girl faced her and held her by the shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Are you hurt?"

The concern in her voice and the worry in her eyes rendered Satele speechless, and she nodded her head.

The girl withdrew her hands and sighed. "That's good. Lilybella made it just in time."

Satele blinked. She didn't know how to react except asked the obvious question, "Rather, are you okay? You've just been slapped, you know."

The girl's eyes rounded, and her hand shot to her red cheek. "Oh, so that's why it stings a little. Ehehehe."

There were a lot of words jumbled inside Satele's head that she couldn't make out a sentence. In the end, she just shook her head a little. She knew the girl. The foreign exchange student, Lilybella Waltz.

If this were any other day, her phone would already be in her hand, interviewing her nonstop. But since the fight with Asher, she was in a bad mood like she was itching for a fight.

"Thank you. But next time, I appreciate it if you don't interfere. I don't like owing others," Satele said and left. But her feet hadn't moved a meter when Lilybella's voice stopped her.

"But Lilybella didn't do it because she wants to collect favors. Lilybella just don't want to see women fight each other, especially her fellow schoolmates."

Satele stifled a laugh as her eyes rolled in the sky. She faced Lilybella and smiled, which was more like a sneer.

"Spare me the public act, your highness. I am in no mood. So bore someone else with your act of kindness. If you'll excuse me."

Satele bowed and went on her way, but Lilybella barged her path. Satele stepped back when Lilybella zoomed on her face, starring into her eyes with her big sparkling ones.

"Wow! You have teacher's eyes," Lilybella said after seconds before she pulled back and introduced herself. "Hi, my name is Lilybella Waltz. May she know yours?"

Satele frowned when her sarcasm was just brush off by her optimism. But she still answered in a grumpy tone, "Satele Risova."

"Miss Satele, you have a pretty face, but your creased forehead and down curved lips make you look old."

"Huh?" Satele's eyebrow rose. Did she just insult her?

Satele opened her mouth to retort but was bested by Lilybella.

"It seems like you need a friend."

". . ."

"Huh?" Satele was at a loss now. Her brain couldn't handle the way the girl was thinking.

Her face crumpled with confusion, but Lilybella just grabbed her hand and exclaimed, "Let's be friends! That's right! Lilybella will introduce you to her other friends!"

All the words Satele wanted to say were cramped in her mouth, didn't know which one to let out first. Lilybella just pulled her hand and dragged her along to who knows where.