Love triangle

The last thing Rosa ever wanted was to cause anyone pain, but try as she might, there was no way to avoid hurting Kain.

She had never been blind to Kain's infatuation, the longing glances and embraces tinged with romantic tenderness. Rosa acted as though she never noticed, unsure of how to let him down gently and unwilling to confront the matter head-on, fearful of crushing his heart.

There was nothing wrong with Kain, certainly: even during the awkward years of puberty, he was one of the handsomest young men in Baron with his long blond hair, strong physique, and intense eyes. The older he became, the more he seemed to possess the valor of a true dragoon. Several of Rosa's female companions swooned over him and competed for his favor.

But there was only one girl he desired and she was in love with Cecil Harvey.

The knowledge of that filled Rosa with an awful sense of guilt, as though not returning that love made her some kind of monster. But she knew she could never reciprocate those feelings; Kain was like a brother to her, and no one ever dreams of their brother caressing them like a lover or whispering of romance to them. If only she could split herself in two, create a version of herself like her in all things save for those unreciprocated feelings toward Kain, and make both of her dearest friends happy…

Once on a walk in the late afternoon, Kain had asked Rosa what drew her so to Cecil in comparison to "any other man" in Baron. She had no answer. What she and Cecil shared was a strange connection, a deep affection neither of them could explain.

Kain nodded, his expression stoic though Rosa noticed the hurt in his eyes.

"I understand, Rosa…"

The moment Rosa had returned home, she wept for hours. Deep down, she knew it foolish to blame herself for Kain's unrequited feelings. Matters of the heart were utterly out of human control. She had done her best to let him know that even if she did not want to be his sweetheart, she would still want to remain his close friend. But that haunting sense of guilt was persistent, and all the rationality in the world could not banish it from her thoughts.

In a love triangle, there just isn't any way to make everyone happy…