11 The meaning of your pink heart

Ever since she was young, the world had always appeared peculiar in front of Alice. Amidst the ordinary, there was an undeniable air of strangeness that surrounded her, as if she could glimpse behind the curtains of reality.

"Alice, you're special,"

"I'm special?"

"Yes."

Throughout her youth, Alice couldn't shake off the nagging wonderment about the disparity between people's outward appearances and the complex emotions brewing within them. Behind the masks of happiness and contentment, there seemed to be an abyss of deeper hues, hidden from plain sight.

"What's so special about me, your majesty?"

"Hmm~ Your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, your face? Practically everything about you is special, Alice, even your soul," the white lady responded with an ethereal grace.

Unable to contain her amusement at such lofty praise, Alice burst into laughter. "Hihihi~, you're just saying that because you like me, your majesty."

The lady in white smiled tenderly, her pale countenance glowing with affection. "That is true…."

"How many colors can you see inside of me, Alice?"

"One, two… five, six! There are six colors inside of you, your majesty," Alice declared proudly.

"Fufu… you're getting good at counting. Did Cheshire teach you well?" the lady inquired, nodding approvingly at Alice's burgeoning skills.

She reminisced about the days when Alice could only discern a few colors within her, and now, witnessing her ability to perceive the full spectrum, she felt reassured.

Alice would be able to navigate the complexities of the world on her own, without the constant guidance and protection she once thought indispensable.

"Ah no, it was Mr. Rabbit who taught me numbers, and Mr. Hatter taught me letters," Alice chimed in, her voice carrying a note of innocence.

"I-I see…," the lady responded softly, a flicker of sadness crossing her features.

However, she quickly dismissed the somber thought, unwilling to dampen the mood.

These fleeting moments of joy with Alice were precious, and she refused to let frustration over an annoying cat mar them.

Gently running her fingers through Alice's hair as she hummed a soothing melody, the lady spoke tenderly, "Alice…"

"Nn?" Alice murmured in response, her attention captured by the gentle touch.

"When the time comes, I want you to always remember… Only red and white are the truths in this world."

Confusion clouded Alice's young features. "What are you talking about, your majesty? Does that mean blue and yellow are not true colors?"

"Hmm~ no… but only red and white are the truths you need to trust," the lady explained cryptically.

"I don't get it," Alice confessed, her brow furrowing in perplexity.

"You'll understand when you're older," the lady reassured her, her tone imbued with a hint of melancholy. Yet, she couldn't help but notice the sadness in Alice's eyes, the reluctance to embrace the passage of time.

"But I don't want to get old…," Alice admitted softly, the prospect of leaving this enchanting realm looming before her like an inevitable specter.

Moved by Alice's poignant words, the white queen gathered her into a comforting embrace. "I'm sure there will come a time when you'll understand everything Alice. But for now, let's have fun, shall we?"

Reluctantly, Alice nodded, allowing herself to be enveloped in the warmth of the moment.

….

"Her Majesty said that only red and white are the truths I needed to trust… does that mean I can trust you, Junior?"

Alice mumbled softly to herself; her gaze fixed on the slumbering young man before her.

Ever since her accidental use of intermediate magic against him, she had been plagued by guilt and uncertainty.

Hastily, she had escorted him to the infirmary, where the nurse and academy doctor had swiftly attended to him, alleviating most of his injuries.

Yet, he remained unconscious, a tangible reminder of her mistake.

Despite the healing, she couldn't shake off the weight of responsibility for causing harm with her magic.

"I made a blunder when I used that magic against him…" she admitted to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke materialized nearby, catching Alice's attention.

From within emerged a pair of puffy, bright blue eyes, gradually forming into the familiar grin of a cat.

"Alice~ I heard some interesting news. Is it true you almost killed a first-year? You should've invited me when you're going to do something fun… Oh, is this him?"

Cheshire's voice rang out, filled with mischievous curiosity, as his eyes settled on the sleeping man.

The grin on Cheshire's face widened as he observed the unconscious figure before him, his head tilting sideways in amusement.

"Cheshire… where exactly did you go, stupid cat?" Alice grumbled; frustration evident in her tone as she addressed the enigmatic feline.

"Hmm? Why are you trying to change the subject all of a sudden?" Cheshire retorted, his voice filled with playful curiosity. "More importantly, is this really him? Wow~ wow~~ wow~! You scored big time, Alice. He looks quite handsome. Did you have fun making him beg for his life?"

"What? No~! I just accidentally hit him with intermediate magic during the practical tests," Alice protested, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And do you think I'm the type to torture my opponents?"

"Well, you torture me all the time," Cheshire remarked with a mischievous grin.

"This and that are different~! Just like how you and everyone I've faced so far is different. You're special," Alice retorted, trying to deflect Cheshire's teasing.

"Hmm~ as much as that sounded good, I can tell there's a unique sarcasm in the air," Cheshire observed, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he floated above the sleeping young man, scrutinizing him from every angle.

"What's his name, Alice?"

"Riley, Riley Hell,"

"Hell? I haven't heard of a noble family with that particular last name. Is he a country bumpkin, perhaps?" Cheshire speculated; his interest piqued by the unfamiliar surname.

"I don't know," Alice admitted, her brows furrowing in thought as she pondered over Riley's mysterious background.

Honestly, there were too many things she didn't know about him, which left her feeling unsettled, despite his seemingly trustworthy aura.

As he possessed the colors that the White Queen mentioned she could trust, Alice couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt creeping in.

"Cheshire, you said your memory is perfect, right?" Alice queried, hoping to glean some insight from her feline companion.

"Yes,".

"Have we ever met this guy before during our adventures?"

"Hmm~ no, although we did encounter a couple of beautiful blonde men along the way, I don't think we've ever met someone of this caliber," Cheshire responded, his tone contemplative.

"I-I see…,"

Suddenly, Cheshire drew closer to Alice's face, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"By the way, Master, why are you here?" he inquired, his tone teasing.

"Huh? Why, of course, to take him here since he was injured," Alice explained, her voice tinged with confusion.

"Hm~ but you could've just asked the teachers for that. There's no need for you to move… I heard you also needed to help out in the other evaluation tests for the mage department students, yet you've spent and wasted your time here~ suspicious~" Cheshire remarked, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Alice intently. "Not to mention he's a knight department student…"

"T-that's just because I felt responsible for him. I almost killed him, you know? Isn't this just basic courtesy?" Alice defended herself, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And besides, what's wrong with me staying here?"

"There's nothing wrong, really. But you could've just left after taking him here or even taken just a few 5-15 minutes at most to check on him and go back to the gym, and yet here you are, sitting over here as if waiting for the man to wake up. You're even staring at him for no reason~" Cheshire pointed out, his tone laced with amusement.

"Is there something special about this man~?" Cheshire prodded further, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"N-nothing," Alice stammered, her heart racing as she tried to conceal her true feelings, she truly didn't want this mischievous cat to know what exactly was going on.

"You're lying," Cheshire declared bluntly, his face inching closer to hers.

"Why would I lie?" Alice retorted, her voice tinged with frustration.

Cheshire's face hovered inches from hers, his playful demeanor intensifying. "Reallyyyyy~~~?"

"Yes…" Alice murmured, her resolve crumbling under Cheshire's persistent questioning.

"Alice… don't tell me, did you finally develop a crush? Oh my, no wonder you're here ehehehehe~. Did a man finally break that crystal heart of yours? So you like the handsome type, eh? I can't blame you for that~" Cheshire teased, his laughter echoing in the room.

"H-huh, what are you talking about, stupid cat? I don't like him…! As a matter of fact, he's the one who likes me!!!" Alice exclaimed, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment as she pointed at the unconscious Riley.

Her outburst echoed in the room, and in a split second of realization, she covered her mouth, hoping to contain the words she couldn't take back.

But it was too late; the mischievous gleam in Cheshire's eyes told her that her secret was out, and she braced herself for the inevitable teasing and mockery that would follow.

"Pft hehehe~ I see, so that's the case, but why try to hide it? It's not like I haven't seen a bunch of men fawning over you. Is this one special?" Cheshire chuckled, his amusement evident.

Although reluctant, Alice finally gave in, sighing heavily. There was no use in hiding things when this cat got curious.

"H-he has it…"

"Has, what?" Cheshire leaned in, his curiosity piqued.

"The truth I can trust," Alice admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cheshire's eyes widened in surprise at her revelation. "Does that mean you've found it? What colors can you see inside him?"

"Pink… A big and unfiltered color of intense pink," Alice confessed, her gaze dropping to the ground.

"Wow, isn't he perfect then? The perfect mixture of red and white," Cheshire remarked. "This man is in love with you Alice~!"

"H-huh? Why do you suddenly jump to that conclusion"

"Do you really need me to spell out the meaning of pink inside a person?"

"…."

Alice averted her gaze, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration wash over her.

Even if what Cheshire said was true, what could she do about this situation in the first place? Could a person she had just randomly met really evoke such intense emotions?

"You finally found him, and yet you almost killed him. What were you thinking, Alice?" Cheshire's voice cut through the silence; his tone tinged with concern.

"Like I told you, it was just an accident. In the first place, how can you just say this man likes me? Does a person even exude so much emotion of love despite only meeting the person once?" Alice countered; her voice laced with skepticism.

Cheshire regarded her with a knowing look, his eyes filled with wisdom beyond his feline form.

"Love is a mysterious thing, Alice. It can strike like lightning, unexpected and intense. Sometimes, even a single encounter can spark a flame that burns bright"

"You, just made that up"

"Ahh~ seriously… the queen said to only trust your truth you know?"

"I know but…"

Ever since she met him, she had been curious about how peculiar he could be.

Their first encounter was aboard the floating ship, where he outright ignored her.

Although she hadn't sensed the truth inside him then, his actions weren't something someone in love with another would do.

But despite his cold demeanor, there was something strange and unsettling about him. Throughout the flight, he did his best to avoid her, yet exuding an intense pinkness that almost completely engulfed the room.

Even back when he appeared so cold while dispatching those three terrorists, when their eyes met, the only thing she saw inside of him was the vast expanse of pinkness that threatened to consume her whole.

And now, that pinkness seemed to spread out in waves, enveloping an entire area whenever she was near him.

And yet, none of it showed on his face or in his actions.

Even at the gym, every time they crossed paths, the aura he exuded was always filled with that uncontrollable energy of pinkness.

Alice couldn't help but wonder if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Honestly, she herself was finding it increasingly difficult to act normal whenever she was near him.

'If he's truly in love with me, why are his actions the opposite of what's inside of him?'

Alice pondered silently, her mind swirling with confusion, and is love really the meaning of her truth…?

It might just be some other emotion she confused him with.

"How did the accident happen in the first place?" Cheshire's voice broke through her thoughts, his curiosity evident.

"Well, I thought he was strong…"

With eyes wide open, Cheshire looked at her skeptically. "Are you serious?"

"…. Yes"

"Can you even see this guy?" Cheshire pressed further, his disbelief palpable.

"Yes," Alice replied firmly, though doubt lingered in her mind.

Even at a glance, one could tell that he was weak, but back at the ship, the strength he exuded was clearly wasn't something a weak person could spread.

The aura, the gaze, and even the presence all of it concludes that he was a master.... yet the results that happened just a while ago was the total opposite of it.

Sizzle...! Sizzle...!

Suddenly, a sizzling spark crackled in the air as a small fiery portal opened near them, making Cheshire's already wide eyes become wider in surprise.

From within emerged a diminutive figure dressed in a magician's outfit, he was so small that he could fit in one's palm easily.

"Sir Oz?" Alice greeted, recognizing the newcomer.

"Hello, Alice. Is Cheshire here?" the small man inquired.

"Ye—," Alice began, but her voice was cut off abruptly as she realized Cheshire had vanished into thin air.

"Cheshire?" she called out, scanning the surroundings in confusion.

"Haha, he ran away again," Oz chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Is something wrong, Sir Oz?" Alice inquired, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Nothing much. It's just that your, summon has a certain debt he has yet to pay," Oz explained. "Oh yeah, Alice, Dorothy was looking for you so please visit the student council office, bye, bye!"

After bowing his head with his hat off, Oz disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind small firework-like explosions where he vanished to.

"…."

Left alone in the room, Alice sighed heavily, feeling a weight of uncertainty pressing down on her shoulders.

Despite the strange occurrences and revelations, nothing much had transpired in the end. With a resigned shrug, she rose to her feet, preparing to leave the infirmary behind.

Before departing, she cast one last subtle glance at Riley, the sleeping figure on the bed.

"Do you really love me, Junior?" she murmured softly, her words barely audible in the quiet room.

'But why though?'

'You don't know me, I don't know you, yet why are you so infatuated with me?'

In the end the young maiden couldn't understand the meaning behind the colors that she saw.

….

Waking up was a nightmare.

As my eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by a pair of big, blue sparkly round eyes looming inches from my face.

"Hiii~~~" came a cheery voice, sending a shiver down my spine.

'Sweet mother of God… WTF?'

Prompting myself back up, I squinted at the wide-grinned cat that stood before me.

"Cheshire?" I couldn't help but grumble in surprise.

"Oya~ya? You know me?" Cheshire's voice was laced with amusement as he cocked his head to the side, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Shit…!

'I fucked up again…'