Chapter 236 The Villain Lady Arrives 64
"Why... leave me alone?" Alice murmured softly, tears unconsciously sliding down and dripping onto the pages of the book, making it blurry.
She once thought she was strong enough to face the challenges and loneliness of the academy alone, but at this moment, the loneliness overwhelmed her like a tide.
At this moment, the third prince quietly walked into the library. He noticed Alice's lonely figure and couldn't help feeling a little pity in his heart.
The third prince, as one of the future heirs of the kingdom, also has a life full of competition and pressure, but he has never expressed his fragility and helplessness as bluntly as Alice.
"Alice, are you okay?" the third prince asked softly. He walked to Alice and handed her a handkerchief.
Alice looked up, her eyes slightly red, and she forced a smile: "Thank you, Third Prince. I just... miss Tariq a little."
The third prince sighed. He understood Alice's feelings. After all, he had experienced similar separations. He patted Alice's shoulder gently and said softly:
"I know that Taric is an excellent warrior and a trustworthy friend. But you also know that his mission is to explore the unknown and protect the weak. This is his choice and his honor."
Alice nodded, but the sadness in her eyes did not disappear:
"I just feel that my world has lost its color since he left. I can't find anyone here to confide in. It's like I'm isolated in another world."
The Third Prince was silent for a moment. He understood that what Alice needed was not only comfort, but also someone who could listen to her. So, he slowly spoke:
"Alice, if you want, I can be your friend, a friend with whom you can share joys and sorrows. Although I can't replace Tariq, I will do my best to make you no longer feel lonely."
Alice looked up and saw the sincere eyes of the Third Prince, and a warm feeling surged in her heart.
She had never thought that she would receive such warm comfort from a future king at such a moment. She nodded gently, tears falling again, but this time, they were tears of emotion.
As time went by, the relationship between Alice and the third prince gradually warmed up. They began to communicate frequently, talking about everything from the mysteries of magic to the trivialities of life.
The third prince opened up a whole new world for Alice in his own way, making her feel unprecedented care and warmth.
However, the good times did not last long. As the battle for the throne became increasingly fierce, the third prince had to devote more energy to the political struggle.
He began to attend various meetings frequently, deal with national affairs, and deal with various forces. Alice, on the other hand, also fell into a busy schedule due to her in-depth research on magic.
Although the two still meet occasionally, the closeness they once had seems to have faded away quietly.
By chance, Alice met the third prince in the corridor of the library. He was walking hurriedly, his face full of fatigue and anxiety.
Alice wanted to call him, but she found that she could not find a suitable reason or topic. She stood there, looking at the back of the third prince walking away, feeling lost and confused.
"Why... is the distance between us getting farther and farther?" Alice murmured to herself, tears blurring her vision again.
Alice's life on campus has been very unhappy recently. Since her relationship with the third prince gradually became distant, she found herself increasingly isolated and helpless in this huge academy.
Not only that, some classmates who were already dissatisfied with her began to take the opportunity to mock and despise her.
"Look, isn't that our 'Crown Princess'?" A sharp female voice sounded behind Alice, accompanied by a shrill laugh.
Alice's body froze. She knew who it was without turning around - Frankie, a noble girl with a high opinion of herself who had always been jealous of her.
Alice took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, ignored the taunts, and continued moving forward.
However, this is only the beginning. In the days that follow, Alice's books will inexplicably go missing, then be found in the most unlikely places;
Her magic experiment materials would be maliciously replaced by others, causing the experiments to fail; there was even one time when her bed was covered with thumbtacks, but fortunately she discovered them in time and avoided injury.
These bad pranks put Alice under great pressure, and she began to doubt whether she was really suited to staying in this academy.
Whenever it was late at night and everyone was asleep, she would hide in her bed and cry silently, missing Tariq who was far away, and also missing the days when she and the third prince could talk about anything.
One afternoon, Alice walked alone on the tree-lined path, trying to find a little peace.
Suddenly, a tall figure blocked her way. She looked up and saw that it was Gaston, the bully in the college who enjoyed playing pranks and bullying his classmates.
"Hey, isn't this our 'lonely little bird' Alice?" Gaston laughed sarcastically, "Why, the third prince doesn't want you anymore, so you become so miserable?"
Alice gritted her teeth and tried to bypass him and move forward. But Gaston obviously didn't intend to let her go. He grabbed Alice's wrist and said viciously:
"Want to leave? Not that easy! Who do you think you are? Without the Third Prince, you are nothing!"
At this moment, a familiar voice sounded in Alice's ears: "Let her go!" It was the third prince. He appeared beside them at some point and stared at Gaston with cold eyes.
Gaston was stunned for a moment, then he let go of Alice's wrist and smiled awkwardly: "Third Prince, I was just joking with her."
"This kind of joke is not funny." The third prince said coldly, "Alice is my friend, I don't want to see her being bullied again."
After saying that, he turned to look at Alice, a trace of concern flashing in his eyes: "Are you okay?"
Alice shook her head, the grievance in her heart surged up at this moment. She suddenly threw herself into the arms of the Third Prince, tears welling up in her eyes: "Why do they treat me like this? What did I do wrong?"
The Third Prince patted her back gently and comforted her, "You didn't do anything wrong, Alice. In this academy, some people just like to bully the weak to show how strong they are. But you have to believe that one day they will understand their mistakes."
Alice gradually calmed down under the comfort of the Third Prince. She raised her head and said firmly: "Thank you, I won't let them bully me anymore, I will become stronger."