I Will End My 10-Year Unrequited Love - Chapter 5
Red hair… At the mention of it, Elia smiled bitterly. Her heart pounded loudly, foolishly, as if it had a mind of its own.
Unfortunately, Camille’s hair color was strikingly similar to Elia’s. Even though Elia knew that the vow wasn’t meant for her, her heart stubbornly continued to beat for him, and she resented it.
“…”
As the ceremony neared its end, Elia smiled and clapped along with everyone else. Despite the whispers surrounding her, she had remained nothing more than an ordinary guest.
However, Cyrone had already noticed that something was different about Elia.
She had been deliberately avoiding his gaze. The more Elia averted her eyes, the more it began to bother him. Just as this frustration built up, the ceremony concluded, and the banquet began.
The attention of the guests scattered, and the room became chaotic. Seizing the opportunity, Elia stood up. Her expression remained calm as ever, but her steps were quick, and frantic.
Elia slipped away through the crowd.
How much time had passed? After walking through the forest path for some time, she finally reached the lake. It was only then that Elia collapsed, leaning against a wall.
“Ha…”
There was no greater torment.
Elia finally released the emotions she had been holding back. Her face crumpled in distress. Her heart ached as though it was being crushed. Her reflection blurred on the calm surface of the lake.
It was better to look at her distorted, ugly face, twisted with jealousy, than to see the face she had been desperately trying to hide.
She was nearly driven to madness with envy at Camille’s beautifully flowing red hair. She wanted to cut off every last strand of her own hair in frustration.
The memory of Cyrone’s soft smile as he looked at Camille made her crazy. That was the gaze, the love, that Elia could never have, no matter how hard she tried.
“Why? Why…!”
As jealousy surged within her, Elia picked up a stone and threw it into the lake. Thud, thud, thud. The stone sank with a dull sound, and Elia gazed at it resentfully.
It was then that she heard a voice.
“Aren’t you a bit old for water games?”
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Elia turned her head. When she recognized who it was, her expression slowly stiffened.
Cyrone. Of all days, of all moments, this was the last face she wanted to see.
For some time, Cyrone was leaning against a wooden post with his arms crossed. His gaze shifted from the lake to Elia.
“How did you end up here?”
Even though the ceremony was over and the banquet had started, Cyrone was still the center of attention. The guests must have been searching for him, so why had he come all the way here?
Elia stared at him with wide, surprised eyes.
Standing in the sunlight, Cyrone was as beautiful as ever. After making the promise of love, his appearance was even more dazzling, and Elia found it difficult even to look at him.
“I see you don’t look pleased to see me anymore.”
‘Every time you looked at me, you smiled with the most intoxicating eyes in the world. You’ve always loved me, right? Elia?’
Cyrone’s eyes, which relentlessly pursued Elia, seemed to say that. He had never loved her, had never wanted her love, but every now and then, he would give her that desperate look.
Elia couldn’t bear it. Her heart was still racing, even in moments like this. The thought that she would lose sleep over him made her feel ashamed.
“They’ll be looking for you. Your fiance will be waiting, so you should go back quickly…”
As Elia tried to deflect the conversation, Cyrone’s eyes held a strange intensity. His footsteps grew closer, sounding heavy on the grass.
Before long, Cyrone was right in front of her. Elia tried to step back to avoid him, but the lake was directly behind her.
“…What about you?”
Cyrone’s gaze softened lazily as he watched her. His too-red lips slowly parted.
“You waited for me too.”
His eyes seemed to ask, Why pretend you didn’t? His gaze was like an accusation. You, who waited for me more than anyone else, why pretend otherwise?
With a low laugh, Cyrone pressed his lips to the fragile skin of Elia’s neck. A hot breath enveloped her body, and her senses spun. Her entire body shivered, dazed by the sudden sensation.
“Say you waited for me, Elia.”
Elia bit her lip tightly. She had fought so hard to suppress her feelings, to keep them hidden, and yet here she was, facing the reality of being exposed. She could not let Cyrone know the truth of her feelings.
“Elia, Elia Reiffers.”
Cyrone whispered her name as his lips brushed the edge of her shoulder.
“What did you think of while you saw my engagement ceremony?”
He asked the question, but it was clear he was asking himself too. If he had forgotten the memories of his youth, if he had forgiven the Reiffers name, wouldn’t so much of today have been different?
“I bet you thought about standing next to me. How arrogant.”
Cyrone’s lips gently nipped at Elia’s earlobe. It sent a tingling sensation through her that nearly made her legs give way.
“Please… don’t, Your Highness.”
Her voice trembled with desperation. Soon, people would come looking for Cyrone. She couldn’t let them see her trembling, flushed with shame.
“Don’t?”
“Ha… Your Highness, please.”
