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Sorry 23


Chapter 23

    ***


    Over time, the frozen ground began to melt into life and produce beautiful seasons.


    Unsurprisingly, Euris and Chaint relied on each other even more after that day. Their bond was stronger than ever.


    True to Chaint's words, Euris wrote a few letters to Kylan over the course of the winter. But, contrary to her expectations, she received no response.



    ‘Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought?’



    She couldn't be bothered to think about him; she was already busy enough. It seemed foolish to spend time on a man who had once abandoned her.



    'He'll be leaving soon anyway.’



    Her wedding to Chaint was scheduled for the spring, and in preparation for it, she spent every spare moment she could researching Lepallon.


    The wedding day finally arrived.


    The wedding was to take place at the imperial palace in Tolas, the capital of the Alton Empire. The imperial family, of which Chaint was a high ranking member, gave their heartfelt blessing to his marriage.


    Chaint and Euris were married, the second time in their world. They were blessed by many people. Unlike in their past lives, the bride and groom were smiling.


    "Do you truly vow to be man and wife, to cherish, love, and serve one another until death do us part?"


    "Yes!"


    The voices of the man and the woman, vibrant and clear as never before, echoed through the space.


    "Now please give each other the kiss of love. I hereby solemnly declare before you that you are now holy matrimony."


    Amid thunderous cheers, their lips came together. With a bright, shattering smile, Chaint pulled Euris to him, and she smiled back at him.


    Their eyes closed and their lips met.


    Champagne popped everywhere, and above their heads, petals from roses picked that day fell like rain.


    Just like that day in the past, the crowd thundered their blessing. After kissing, the couple, now man and wife, thanked their guests.


    Unnoticed by anyone, a lonely shadow approached the entrance to the ceremony, his face expressionless, his eyes fixed on one place.


    His gaze landed on the bride, who was as dazzling as a flower. In Kylan's eyes, the two were undeniably well suited.


    ‘You're happy, Euris.’



    Kylan smiled faintly at the woman's beaming smile.



    It was in the waning days of winter that Euris began to reply.



    Almost simultaneously, word had spread that the eldest son of House Eridov and the only daughter of House Either were to be wed in a grand ceremony at the Imperial Palace.


    The news made Kylan feel miserable, and the letters he had been sending her seemed shabby.


    'What did I expect to hear from the woman who would now be another man's wife?’


    He tossed all the replies from Euris into the fireplace without reading them.


    'I knew that one day you would wear a white dress, and I would be there beside you.'


    He stayed there for a while, then went out into the hall. He felt that he was not in the right place, that the suit he had put on had outlived its usefulness.


    ‘All that matters is that you're happy.’


    He forced himself to say it before the sadness could creep in. He didn't want to feel bad, like he resented her.



    He still stood like a shadow at the entrance to the noisy hall. The wedding ceremony was over now. The people here would soon be moving out of the hall and into the ballroom.


    Soon enough, Euris would come out, and he would have to avoid her.


    'How embarrassing it must be to see her on such a happy day, since she pushed me away like that.’


    Kylan turned around quietly. In his arms was an invitation from the Countess of Either, expressing her sincere concern for him and assuring him that he was always welcome at Count Either’s.


    ‘They are good people.’


    The letter alone reminded him of his childhood, and it brought him great comfort. Kylan slowed his pace, wishing he could get away from here.


    ‘I'll never see them again.’



     "Kylan."


    He turned to leave, but a voice stopped him. It was the voice of the woman he'd been thinking about just moments ago, Countess of Either. He turned around and saw Frelona.


    She stood there, catching her breath as if she had just rushed out of the event.


    She was dressed in an elegant light yellow silk gown, the color of spring, like the bride of the wedding. Her chest was pinned with ornate jewelry.



    "Madam."


    "I thought it was you, so I came out in a hurry."


    "No need, I was just going to congratulate Euris from afar."



    The calmness in his voice made Frelona's heart sink, and the way Kylan's face had grown pale in the meantime worried her.



    "Thank you for coming, but I'm afraid Euris is not going to be able to......."



    "I should get going."



    "Uh, yeah."


    Kylan stepped in front of the apologetic Frelona, backed up with one hand, lifted his hand with the other, and bowed. It was a polite bow.



    "Thank you so much for everything, madam."



    He said it as if it were a final greeting. Frelona assumed the greeting was due to Euris’s marriage.



    "Don't be. Come visit us anytime. We always welcome you."


    Kylan smiled and stepped away instead of answering.


    "Take care."


    "...."



    He walked past Frelona and disappeared. She muttered to herself as she watched his receding back.


    "I hope you're happy, Kylan."



    ***


    ‘Is it all over now?’



    The bedroom in the Eridov mansion. Euris sat on the bed, staring out the window, lost in thought. It was late in the morning, and Chaint was working in his office.


    Their newlywed life was going well.


    None of her late letters had been answered, and the time in her last life when Kylan had begun to push her away had passed.


    She hadn't written to him since the wedding because her place of residence was no longer the Either’s, and she couldn't imagine him being hurt by the change of address.


    Euris wanted to know why Kylan had written to her in this life, but she made a conscious effort to push the questions away.


    ‘Because in this life, I've decided to focus on the people who love me.


    Still, the nagging feeling that she was missing something hovered around her like a ghost.


    The fountain beyond the window rose to the sky, then shattered in the early spring sun. The movement of the water repeated itself.


    Around them, the mansion's occupants chattered happily and tended to the flower beds. They were preparing to welcome spring.


    In the midst of this unusually peaceful scene, she suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.


    It reminded her of the landscape of Tolas, which was littered with collapsed and shattered rubble.



    She wondered if she should be enjoying this peace, or if she had a sense of foreboding that it would be shattered at any moment.


    Knock.


    A knock on the door made her turn around. It was her husband, leaning against the door, smiling sweetly at her.


    "Honey, are you up?"


    His question was answered with a smile, and he entered the bedroom. He sat down next to his wife, who was sitting at an angle at the foot of the bed, and looked at her lovingly.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    Chaint asked softly, gently taking the pale white hand of the woman who was once again his wife. Since their wedding, every moment together had felt like a gift to him.


    In his previous life, she had looked lonely and weary, as if just staying alive had been her reason for living.


    But now she had a sparkle of life in her eyes. Her love for him was palpable.


    It felt like countless blessings. It was almost unreal.


    He had craved and longed for the woman's love as much as he did, and that was why this moment was so precious to him.


    During their past life marriage, he had been able to read Euris’s mind by the look in her eyes. He had always watched Euris for the slightest change.


    So now, he could feel what his wife's eyes were saying.


    Kylan's letters, something different from the last life, and his reply that never came.


    Those things must be unsettling her.


    Chaint swallowed the bitter thought and kissed the back of Euris’s hand.


    ***


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Write a comment

Comments: 5
  • #1

    Ashe (Friday, 08 December 2023 10:40)

    I fell Kylan will come back for his questions and I hope Yuris and Chaint stay strong.

  • #2

    Ezsah_23 (Friday, 08 December 2023 11:57)

    i felt bad for Kylan here.. i mean, if we're not basing their past life�(sighs)..

  • #3

    Eve (Sunday, 10 December 2023 14:24)

    Kylan just get out already �

  • #4

    Dany (Sunday, 04 February 2024 23:11)

    Quiero que Kylan tenga sus recuerdos también, solo para que no siga siendo una victima y sepa por qué Euris hizo lo que hizo

  • #5

    Alexe (Wednesday, 24 April 2024 12:00)

    Man, I felt bad for Kylan.