To You, Who Shines

Though Siffia was elated by the idea, she knew she had to cool herself off before she became too infatuated by the thought. Yes, perhaps Eris had reacted favorably to her pheromones, but that didn’t mean that she would be accepting of such a fact. Both of them had been present to hear how disdainfully the other ladies had talked about the love between two omegas at the last tea party. Although Eris’s heart might sway towards her, that didn’t mean that her mind would, or that she’d be willing to put up with the kinds of hardships that a love like this would bring.

She was someone of very high status, one who felt much responsibility to uphold her duty to her family.

Siffia was perfectly aware that Eris might choose to reject these unconventional feelings to protect her family’s honor.

Of course, she hoped it wouldn’t be the case, but it was looking more and more likely by the second. After all, hadn’t Eris suddenly distanced herself ever since that day? Wasn’t it completely likely that, after noticing her pheromones reacting, she’d decided to perhaps abandon her? If so, Siffia would have nothing to say about it, heartbroken or not. She would understand… or at the very least, she would make herself understand, if only for the sake of the one she cared for. Eris was regal, valiant, and strong… and Siffia would just have to find a way to emulate some of that strength.

-But, as if to spit in the face of her resolve, the Eris that finally came through the parlor room door was anything but those things.

“...Greetings, Lady Siffia.”

The quiet words, the averted gaze, the hesitant movements, and the awkward stance… Even the way that she sat as far as she could from her on the opposite couch; It all practically screamed discomfort. Had she not seen so much of Eris up to this point, she’d have at least found comfort in the stoic expression that still rested upon her face. However, knowing her as well as she now did, Siffia could easily spot the slight tilt to her eyebrows, and the uncertainty that now hid in her usually confident eyes. At least Eris was still sneaking occasional glances at her and not completely refusing to look her way, but…

Well, it would be a lie to say that Siffia wasn’t terribly shaken by such a reception. Still, she put on her bravest face, unwilling to simply let their relationship deteriorate in such a way.

“Ah, h-hello, Lady Eris! I’m sorry for coming unannounced like this, but I wanted to personally give you this-”

She reached inside of the silently waiting basket, pulling out two small cakes that laid carefully wrapped inside of it and placing them delicately onto the table. Originally she’d made one to thank her mother as well, but with how swiftly and mercilessly her mother had turned down her gift, she had decided to give both to Eris instead.

“-as a token of my sincere thankfulness for coming to see me when I was unwell… A-and also as an apology, for making you wait so long to see me, even though we’re both omegas!”

Siffia couldn’t help but bite her lip as she finished talking, looking up at Eris bashfully through her eyelashes. She immediately pulled away her now empty hands and clasped them nervously in her lap, noticing the way that Eris’s face contorted while she stared down upon the cakes. The way that Eris had seemingly frozen with a grave expression on her face brought a great deal of anxiety to Siffia. It seemed incredibly likely that her handmade sincerity might just be rejected yet again… along with Siffia as well, this time.

Eris’s eyes stayed deadly focused on the cakes for a long while, her hands not moving even the slightest bit to touch them, before her eyes finally cautiously waved their way towards her. It almost sounded as if she were choking on the words when she eventually spoke them.

“...Because we’re… both omegas...?”

“Ah, w-what?”

Siffia was surprised and confused by the unexpected question, but finding it better than the silence that they’d just been cloaked in, she eagerly nodded along in response.

“Oh, yes, because we’re both omegas! I might have kept you away so long out of embarrassment, but there should be no problem with two friendly omegas meeting in such a situation, should there? I’m… I’m sure such a thing would be acceptable in the eyes of others because of it!!!”

It was hard for Siffia to resist blushing by the end of her explanation, feeling as though she sounded too much like she was trying to make some kind of excuse.

Contrary to Siffia’s earnest blushing, Eris’s face only seemed to get more and more dour by the minute. Siffia couldn’t help but think that she must have replied incorrectly to Eris’s question, or that maybe her words or actions had somehow wronged Eris in some kind of unknown way. Her expression quickly dropped, matching Eris’s own, and her voice wiggled with uncertainty.

“Was… Was I wrong somehow…?”

But as if those words were some kind of a trigger, Eris’s expression suddenly changed. Her face quickly shifted to her usual stiff neutrality, and although still looking slightly upset, her eyes had seemingly blazed back to life with some new unknown resolve.

“No, you’re perfectly correct, Lady Siffia. It should indeed be alright-”

As if she’d never hesitated, Eris quickly pulled the almost forgotten cakes across the table, firmly placing them in front of herself as if declaring that they rightfully belonged to her.

“-because we are both omegas.”

***

Eris couldn’t shake the suffocating feeling that was now weighing down upon her.

For the first time in her life she’d told such a blatant lie, and to someone who she believed she might have feelings for, no less.

The sweetness of the cake in her mouth was completely untasteable, masked by the rancid distaste with herself that was steadily growing stronger by the second.

For the first time in her life she had been a coward, choosing a cowardly lie to cover up for her cowardly self. No matter how many excuses she could think up to justify her choice, Eris would never let herself be fooled by them. She knew perfectly well that she was choosing the easy way out.

And yet, for the life of her, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Siffia the truth.

If she told the truth, then Siffia might be embarrassed. If she told the truth, then Siffia might hate her. If she told the truth, then Siffia might never see her again-

And then what would Eris do with all these unresolved feelings…?

Her darkened eyes snuck their gaze across the table, scanning over the object of her affection and anxiety. The way that Siffia’s brightness lit up the room as she ate the second cake along with her simultaneously reassured Eris and filled her with angst.

Though cowardly, if it meant that she could have more time by Siffia’s side, she would willingly commit this small betrayal. Just for a little while, until she could verify what these feelings were... And then she would gladly rid herself of this murky feeling and tell Siffia the truth.

Eris couldn’t help but quietly sneer once more at her own distasteful thoughts. She was beginning to truly dislike how cowardly, deceitful, and stupid her feelings towards Siffia were causing her to act as of late.

“Um, Lady Eris…”

-And yet, when she heard Siffia’s soft and hesitant voice, and when she saw the deep pools that made up Siffia’s eyes peeking at her from behind her fluttering eyelashes, all such thoughts quickly flew from Eris’s mind.

“Yes, Lady Siffia? What is it?”

“W-Well… Is the cake perhaps not to your liking…?”

“Hmm...?”

Eris glanced down at the mentioned confection in confusion, belatedly realizing that she’d only eaten a single bite of the small cake before getting lost in her own thoughts.

“...Ah.”

“I-It’s okay. I did my best to make it, and I think it turned out alright enough, but I completely understand if it’s not quite up to snuff compared to what you usually eat. I mean, I’m not really that much of a baker usually, so-”

Hearing that the neglected cake had been personally crafted by Siffia herself only made the pit in Eris’s stomach feel even more grotesque. Not only had she lied to her, but now it seemed she was even rudely disregarding the symbol of Siffia’s appreciation.

Of course, Eris had to quickly clear up the misunderstanding.

“Ah, hmm, no Lady Siffia, the cake is absolutely fine. I was simply getting lost in my own thoughts. Truly, it’s perfectly delicious.”

As if to prove that she truly meant it, Eris hurriedly scooped up a bit of the cake onto her fork, her haste causing her to accidentally take a much larger piece than she had planned, and quickly stuffed it into her mouth. Unsurprisingly she regretted the gesture almost immediately as she tried to struggle through the massive amount of cake. It was all made worth it however when she nodded towards Siffia acknowledgingly while chewing, making Siffia’s face light up with joyful relief.

-That is, until an uninvited guest suddenly entered to ruin everything.