Veiled Intentions - The Unseen Stakes

Liora sat in silence, staring at Vio’s gentle smile, her eyes still clouded with doubt.

“I…” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

“I’m not sure if I can… What if Amaya truly ends up hating me…?”

Vio let out a quiet sigh.

Liora hadn’t changed one bit. Even if she always wore that stoic, indifferent mask—even if her words were sharp and brutally honest—she always cared. Always thought of others, often without realizing it herself.

Of course, no matter how much someone changed, they never truly lost who they used to be.

Still holding Liora’s head gently in her hands, Vio replied with complete confidence:

“Then let her say it to your face—not to the version in your head.”

Liora blinked.

Vio’s words struck deeper than she expected.

How foolish… Liora thought bitterly.

I wish for the truth…

And yet, I chose to hide the truth from someone who deserves it…

How hypocritical can I be?

A long silence passed.

Then, slowly, Liora exhaled.

Her shoulders sank, as if a weight had been lifted from them. She looked down and noticed her clenched fists resting on her lap. Her expression hadn’t changed much, but there was something softer about her now—something less clouded.

Her usual gloom had lightened, just a little.

“Excuse me…”

A girl’s voice cut through the tender atmosphere that had formed between Liora and Vio.

It was soft—barely above a whisper—but clear enough to draw attention.

Both Liora and Vio instinctively turned toward the source of the voice.

“Oh!” she gasped quietly, her hand flying to cover her mouth. Even so, her expression remained oddly flat.

“Sorry… Am I interrupting?” she tilted her head slightly to the left, a guiltless smile playing on her lips.

“Who are you?” Liora asked sharply, her tone guarded. Her eyes narrowed, fixed intently on the girl before her.

The girl didn’t flinch at all in the face of Liora’s clear hostility. Instead, she glanced briefly at Vio, as if giving her a subtle signal.

Vio let out a quiet sigh, stepped forward, and placed herself between Liora and the unfamiliar girl. She tapped her chin lightly, as if in thought.

“Now then, where should I even begin…”

She paused, and then, as if she had just solved the world’s most difficult puzzle, snapped her fingers and smiled.

“Alright, Lia. Allow me to introduce the one who just ruined the mood…”

“This lady here is Lisa Solaris. An acquaintance from the upper circles—” she added with a faint, teasing tone, “We’ve crossed paths at a few parties. Not the best at reading the room, unfortunately.”

“That’s something I picked up from a school friend,” Lisa replied, clearly catching the jab but brushing it off with ease.

“I’m surprised a top-tier school like Justina would allow students like that,” Vio countered playfully, locking eyes with Lisa.

Lisa simply shrugged, as if sharing that same disbelief.

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“The world is wide, you know? I mean, who would’ve thought the famously self-centered princess from the South would choose to run a hobby shop instead of vacationing on the moon.”

She returned Vio’s gaze without a hint of hesitation.

“And yet… here we are.”

“Solaris…” Liora murmured under her breath. “You don’t mean that Solaris, do you?”

Solaris—Solaris Corporation, to be exact—was a household name. A conglomerate with influence spanning across technology, energy, AI systems, even entertainment. Anyone even remotely connected to the modern world had heard of them.

“Yes, that Solaris. What other Solaris do you think exists?” Lisa cut in, clearly annoyed by the reaction to her family name.

“I came here to watch Noa’s duel live, but I happened to notice you two.”

She tilted her head slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Honestly, I never knew Lady Violetta could make a face like that.”

Lisa let out a soft laugh, clearly enjoying the moment.

“As an apology, how about I treat you both to lunch?”

Lisa offered the invitation without the slightest hesitation, her voice light but unwavering.

“I know a good place for a proper heart-to-heart.”

Her eyes lingered briefly on Liora, clearly noticing the tension still etched on her face.

Liora seemed to hesitate, weighing her options in silence. Eventually, she turned to look at Vio—tossing the responsibility onto her instead.

Vio sighed softly and shot her a look that clearly said, “Don’t come crying to me later.”

“That sounds lovely. We’ll follow your lead, Lady Lisa,” Vio replied, choosing the most sensible option. After all, only an idiot would decline lunch with the sole heiress of Solaris.

“Thank you. Please, this way.”

Lisa turned and began to walk, leading the two toward the lunch spot she had in mind.

Liora could only hope it wasn’t one of those fancy restaurants with strict etiquette. Places like that left her full—not from the food, but from the exhausting number of rules.

The VIP room of the café was hidden behind a frosted sliding glass door, accessible only to staff and security. Inside, the world felt hushed—soft jazz flowed gently from concealed speakers, and warm yellow lighting bathed the room in a calming glow. The walls were paneled in dark wood, and a round table stood in the center, surrounded by cushioned armchairs. There wasn’t another soul in sight. It was the kind of place designed to make even the tensest conversations feel just a little less sharp.

Liora sat with her arms crossed, leaning back in her seat. Vio, on the other hand, looked entirely at ease, legs crossed, sipping tea from a small porcelain cup. Lisa sat with perfect posture, her every movement graceful, a cup of rose tea untouched in front of her.

Though this was meant to be lunch, none of them had ordered any food. A heavy silence hung in the air—tense, as if they were all waiting for someone to make the first move.

“What do you really want?”

Liora finally broke the silence, her eyes fixed on Lisa. She had realized that staying quiet wouldn’t get her anywhere. Lisa had brought them to a secluded place like this—just for lunch? It felt far too deliberate.

A small, knowing smirk formed on Lisa’s lips. Like a predator who’d just lured her prey exactly where she wanted.

“Desire Battle…” Lisa said softly.

But it was enough.

Liora shot up from her seat, her glare like a knife aimed at Lisa—as if she’d just mentioned something unforgivable. Like she’d murdered someone Liora cared about.

“Wait, Lia!”

Vio quickly stood and caught Liora by the wrist, alarmed by her sudden reaction. She didn’t want things to spiral out of control, so she stayed on guard.

“Lady Lisa… Desire Battle—what is that?”

Vio turned her gaze to Lisa, who remained composed and elegant. Whatever this was, Vio knew it was important—she needed to understand the situation.

“I thought you knew, Vio,” Lisa said slowly, raising her cup to her lips.

“Considering how deeply your friend’s already involved…”

She sipped the tea with perfect elegance, her words as smooth as the porcelain cup.

“Lia, what are you hiding?”

Vio turned back to Liora, hoping she would finally explain what was going on.

Liora shook her head slowly.

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

“I can’t drag you into something I started of my own will.”

Her voice was firm, her expression resolute. Whatever Vio said now, Liora had already made up her mind.

Vio sighed quietly and clicked her tongue.

There was no point in pushing her when she had that look on her face.

"How about this?"

Lisa, clearly amused by Vio’s growing confusion, placed a deck box on the table with a deliberate motion.

"Why don’t we play a game of Guide Rise, Lady Violetta?" she offered with a pleasant smile.

"If you win, I’ll tell you everything—what your dear friend here has been trying so hard to hide from you."

"You swear? You’re not trying to trick me, are you?" Vio cut in flatly, skeptical.

"What would I gain from deceiving you?"

Lisa gave a graceful shrug, then continued smoothly:

"If you win, I’ll answer every question that’s been weighing on your heart."

She opened the deck box and began shuffling her cards with practiced ease.

"But if you lose..."

"Would you allow me to speak with Miss Liora privately, just the two of us?"

Lisa raised her head and met Vio’s gaze directly.

"Deal!"

Vio sat down in the chair across from her, pulling out her own deck box from beneath her coat with confidence.