I Will End My 10-Year Unrequited Love - Chapter 9
The tea party was held in a serene garden. It was a simple yet neat and elegant gathering. The noble children sat around the tea table, exchanging trivial jokes, while the Empress smiled kindly.
It was a typical social gathering, much like any other, until Cyrone arrived.
“Welcome, Cyrone.”
The Empress, who had been sitting quietly, stood to greet him. Hearing the sound of unfamiliar footsteps, the eyes of the guests all turned in unison toward the source. Elia, who had been looking bored and indifferent, her face frozen in a stony expression, brightened as well.
“My goodness, it’s the Second Prince.”
“He must have come right after finishing his lessons.”
Through the garden paths, Cyrone appeared, walking with his platinum hair slightly disheveled, as if the mischievous late-summer breeze had tousled it.
His arrival was unexpected. The young ladies, who rarely saw the second prince in the social scene, couldn’t hide their pleased smiles.
“I’m late.”
Cyrone smiled warmly at his stepmother, Astana.
Though they were not connected by blood, mother and son appeared natural together with their actions not at all awkward, despite the obvious differences in their relationship.
“Please, sit down, Cyrone. It must have been tiring to come straight after your lessons.”
Cyrone sat beside the Empress. Over his shoulder, the green foliage poured into the room. As always, Cyrone looked stunningly beautiful. Elia had long since been mesmerized by his picture-perfect appearance.
“Your Highness, it’s so hard to see you.”
“How have you been? Do you still enjoy hunting?”
Several bold young ladies leaned in, subtly trying to engage him in conversation. But the wide-eyed Elia only gazed at Cyrone. She felt a flutter of excitement, but she didn’t overstep. She knew Cyrone would likely dislike it.
‘I wonder if he’s had the tea leaves I sent him.’
Instead, Elia’s gaze followed Cyrone’s every movement. When he brushed his hair, when he smiled softly, when he slightly furrowed his brow. Her cheeks turned a deep red.
“…”
Though conversations buzzed around her, Elia heard none of them. She was preoccupied, staring at Cyrone, her chin resting in her hand.
Cyrone’s eyes were beautifully crinkling at the corners and would occasionally meet the Empress’s gaze warmly, and glance at the young ladies who chattered at him.
‘If only he would look at me once.’
Elia didn’t expect much. She didn’t even wish for the kind, affectionate gaze he gave others. But now that they were sitting together, she only hoped to remain within his gaze, even for just a moment.
But Cyrone didn’t seem to care about Elia’s presence, which was loud and obvious to him. Their gazes never truly met. Elia’s eyes were always fixed on him, and Cyrone’s eyes always avoided hers, making it clear that his gaze never truly reached her.
Elia curled her lips slightly in gloom. She envied those who remained in the kindness of his gentle gaze. No matter how beautifully the flowers bloomed or how the greenery glowed, to Elia, the world was dark without him.
“So, how old are you this year, Miss Elia?”
Perhaps because the idle conversation was boring, the Empress turned her attention to Elia. As Elia quietly watched Cyrone, the sudden attention directed at her made her adjust her posture. Her lips curved upward softly. Finally, Cyrone’s gaze had landed on her.
“I turned sixteen this year.”
Cyrone looked at Elia with an expressionless gaze. His blue eyes were chillingly cold. But just as his gaze touched her, it quickly moved away. It was a dismissive gesture, as though he wasn’t particularly interested in the conversation.
‘…Sigh.’
As Cyrone’s gaze drifted away, Elia let out a small sigh in her mind. The Empress’s persistent questions and the attention of others felt burdensome.
“Sixteen, huh… That’s the age when you should start thinking about finding a suitable match. I know you don’t have an engagement yet.”
However, the Empress continued to focus on Elia. Her smile widened as if she was pleased with the topic.
“If you don’t have someone you’ve promised your future to, how about the one sitting right in front of you? He couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”
The Empress raised a handkerchief and smiled lightly. It was common for the noble ladies of the inner palace to play matchmaker for the young noblemen, but for Elia to receive such a suggestion was new.
“Eh…?”
Elia instinctively turned to look at the seat next to hers. A young man with deep black eyes seemed as taken aback as she was.
Elia narrowed her eyes and looked at the young man sitting in front of her. No matter how much her attention was on Cyrone, being in this small social world, she couldn’t fail to recognize the man in front of her.
Rias Damon, a handsome young man with a gentle demeanor and a warm smile. But Elia hadn’t even noticed that he was sitting in front of her until now.
“He’s the heir to the Damon family’s title, after all.”
“Yes, he’s a fine young man with a promising future.”
The others added their comments, supporting the Empress’s words.
