I am the Queen

"Eric is not here," Daniel said flat on Evangeline's face.

"Who said that I'm here for him? I'm just visiting you. Wanted to see how you're doing as any friend would," Evangeline countered.

Daniel's brows rose so high. "In all two years that we known each other, including the time that you were still my girlfriend, not once that you ever visited my house."

"Oh, you jest." Evangeline brushed him off. Her eyes then slipped past Daniel into the gap of his door. "So, are you going to let me in or not?"

Daniel sighed and opened his door.

Evangeline beamed and entered the house. The moment she did, she zoomed in every nook and cranny, searching for someone.

"I told you, Eric is not here," Daniel said as he followed Evangeline around the house.

"Oh, Teacher," Lilybella chimed the moment she laid eyes on Evangeline, snooping here and there.

"What brings you here, Teacher?"

Shifting her eyes left and right, Evangeline answered, "Just visiting." She then faced Lilybella and Daniel. "And seeing you two in good condition and as close as ever, I'll be on my way, then."

"The door is there if you're finished," Daniel said, gesturing in the direction of the main door.

Evangeline flipped her hair and marched towards the exit. When she passed both Daniel and Lilybella, she bit her nail. Eric never returned to their apartment two days ago. And when she got the information that he might be at Daniel's house, she didn't waste time and marched to the Richardson's estate.

But she couldn't find him anywhere! Where could he be?

"Teacher, wait!" Lilybella called and blocked Evangeline's way.

"I'm in a hurry," Evangeline dismissed, but Lilybella didn't budge from where she stood.

"Since you're here, let's chat for a bit."

"Huh?" Evangeline's brows arched so high as well as Daniel's.

Lilybella ignored Evangeline and Daniel's protest as she grabbed the former's hand. "Alright, it's decided! Let's go to the pavilion and have some tea!"

"You do know that this is my house, right? And I decide things here," Daniel said at the two disappearing women.

  ----

"Did you and Eric fight?"

Evangeline choked on her tea at Lilybella's question. How did she know? Eric must have stayed here.

"Did Eric tell you? Is he here?" Evangeline asked, tapping a napkin on her lips.

"Ehehehe. It's kind of obvious on your face. Well, it's only natural that couples fight. Lilybella and his highness fight all the time."

"You shouldn't be proud of that fact."

Lilybella flicked her forefinger from side to side as she shook her head. "No. No. No. It's a sign that every couple has gotten close.

Evangeline inhaled the aroma of her tea. "Eric and I just have a bit of misunderstanding. 'Tis all."

"If you don't mind, teacher. Won't you tell us the cause?"

Evangeline was quiet for a moment before she retold what happened. Not able to talk about her frustration arose her tension. She had to let out some steam.

"Oh. No wonder Eric was so angry," Lilybella said after Evangeline's short tale of what happened.

At the side, Daniel was just quietly sipping his tea, face epitome of boredom.

"Eric is just overly dramatic. It's not like he can't come with me to Paris," Evangeline said, flipping her hair.

Daniel brought down his cup and sighed. "The fact that you don't get why Eric was so angry makes me angry. It's not about whether or not Eric will come with you, it's the fact that you didn't tell him something important as you going abroad."

"I just acted on a whim. I'm not even serious about it," Evangeline defended.

Lilybella's head tilted to the side as her finger tapped her chin. "But teacher, you said a moment ago that you would go to Paris with Eric. Isn't that serious enough?"

Evangeline was taken aback. "Whose side are you on?"

Lilybella and Daniel looked at each other.

"Lilybella and his Highness are just looking at it from an outsider's perspective," Lilybella replied.

Evangeline's cheeks puffed, then she sighed. "Why is this so difficult?" She gave up and slumped on her chair.

Daniel shrugged. "Well . . . it's because you've been too spoiled by Eric until now. You thought it was okay not to tell him. You thought he would go along with your every whim. It's only natural that he would get upset. If anything, I'm amazed he hadn't lost his cool until now."

Evangeline couldn't retort and stared daggers at Daniel.

"If things go on like this," Daniel continued, "Eric will have enough and leave you. If you feel constricted with your relationship with him, maybe you're not cut to be with another."

. . .

. . .

Evangeline's lips trembled, eyes sharp at Daniel. "It's not like that at all."

"Now. Now." Lilybella alleviated the situation. "Lilybella thinks that when two people cherish each other, they tend to read so much into what the other say or do. If the other isn't considerate, they'll hurt each other. Lilybella thinks that's what makes relationships difficult."

Lilybella sipped her tea and continued, "Lilybella thinks that the real reason why you are hesitating and not telling him is because of your past. That's why it's hard for you to get close to anyone. You were once abandoned and betrayed by someone precious to you. And now, here comes another person who has that same presence to you. You feel that there is a possibility of you being abandoned and hurt again, so you try to defend it by not getting too close instinctively. But as your feelings deepened, your fear also increases."

Lilybella beamed and clapped her hands. "It's all up to you to overcome that fear. Why not focus on how much you love him more than the fear of him leaving you?"

Evangeline was speechless, "Lilybella . . ." Then her eyebrow rose. "Are you a psychologist now?"

Lilybella flashed a toothy grin. "Lilybella is actually a psychology graduate and is currently taking business management so Lilybella can be with his Highness."

"How old are you exactly?" Evangeline questioned.

"That's a secret," Lilybella giggled.

Evangeline smirked. "Oh . . . we all know what 'secret' means. It's a code word that you're in your thirties."

Lilybella shot to her feet and slammed her palms against the table in time that Daniel removed his cup, face unperturbed. He was used to it.

"Lilybella is just twenty-four!" she said, voice high and face teary. She's sensitive to her age because she was much older than Daniel.

Evangeline's lips rose in a smirk then she released another sigh. Lilybella was right. A part of her was afraid to get too close. She was relying on Eric too much. But by relying on him, she was also drawing a line. She could only ask for so much. She could only have this much. Eventually, she had to be prepared for betrayal. She learned it with her father, with her mother, with her friends. People will leave you.

But with Eric, she felt her barrier would break. She wanted to give him everything, and it was terrifying.

Daniel broke the silence and asked, "Are you really going abroad? To study fashion no less."

Evangeline straightened her back and answered in a nonchalant tone, "I'm not decided yet. But it's not fashion. I want to be a stylist. Been thinking about it since I'm going to be expelled anyway."

". . ."

". . ."

"You don't seem surprised that I'd be expelled," Evangeline said, looking at the blank reaction of the two.

Daniel replied in a deadpan voice, "Frankly, you should be expelled a long time ago."

"Shut up!"

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