Third Person's POV

Delphine sat back after his soft words, words that struck her nerves so sharply her legs weakened and trembled beneath the table. She clenched her fists under the edge of the wood, forcing her gaze to stay locked on him while trying to keep her expression calm.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, her voice steady even as she fought to hide the slight quiver on her lips.

She knew this moment would come… but was she truly ready to face it?

After all this time… yet she still didn't have a single answer prepared?

Aether took a slow, controlled breath and lifted his eyes toward hers, holding her gaze with all the steadiness he could gather.

"About our relationship. I… know my actions hurt you and… caused you pain, I'm certain I can't fully comprehend. For that, I am deeply sorry," he said, bowing his head slightly, the apology sounding heavier than before.

Still, Delphine's face held its calm, distant expression.

Aether sighed inwardly, noticing her indifference, yet he pressed on as if afraid silence would swallow the rest of his courage.

"I wish we could move on together... I wish we could be together again! I… I need you, Delphine Frostblade. More than I have ever admitted."

Delphine stared at him for a few more seconds, unblinking, before parting her lips.

"Need me? Hmm… that's rich coming from a man who lied to me, manipulated me, and… cheated on me," she said, her glare sharp enough to cut him. "How dare you say that… Don't make me laugh!!"

Aether stared at her… he could see she was furious… he could feel her anger tearing through their connection. But beneath it, pulsing faintly, he sensed more—disappointment, fear, a deep hurt she was still trying to hide.

He really did lose her trust, didn't he?

Even after their first fight… he tried so desperately to be open with her. Even when she refused to respond, he told her everything, every plan, every danger… he included her with everyone, hoping she would see that he truly loved her and never wanted her to feel alone.

Yet…

'Once the trust is broken, it's hard to build back.'

Aether lowered his eyes. "What should we do then? Just forget and go our way…?" His voice dropped, the question trembling between despair and resignation.

Delphine shrugged. "If that's what you want…" she replied with a calm face, a calmness so empty it felt like she had already detached herself from everything that once mattered.

Aether bit his lip. "Del."

Her name sounded like a plea this time, a last attempt to reach the part of her that once smiled at him.

Delphine still stared at him blankly as she watched him tremble and lose composure. She spoke in a cold tone.

"Oh? I forgot to mention… Congratulations on your engagement."

Her fist tightened so hard her nails dug into her palm, and her legs trembled under the table as if she were trying to control herself from losing.

Aether weakly smiled as he lowered his eyes, muttering, "… I didn't have a choice—"

"Yes, you do and… please don't make me say it." Delphine clenched her fists again as the trembling spread through her body, her emotions finally slipping past the calm mask she fought so hard to hold.

Her strong expression slowly cracked before him.

As if... if he said anything more, she might lash out and say something she could never take back.

Aether stared at her, watching her breaking emotions, emotions she could barely hold back, trembling right beneath the surface.

For a second, he didn't say anything.

Then he finally exhaled, voice cracking with frustration and helplessness.

"Say it then… I wanted to hear it! Just say it out loud to make me realise what the fuck I had as a choice back then?!"

"A-Aether!" Delphine's jaw clenched as she tried to force her lips shut, the anger and fear surging through their connection so strongly she felt it ripple through her spine, threatening to drag out every buried emotion she had tried to bury.

"We are not doing this-"

Aether said with a cold tone, colder than before,

"Even now… you're trying to avoid talking to me. It was me who initiated this… I'm the one who wanted us to solve this matter.

I wanted us to talk this through… I gave you all the time you needed.

For what?

To avoid this again?

Oh?

Are you scared to face me?

Why? Shouldn't I be the one scared?

Is that why you're trying to keep running? How long do you think you can avoid it?

Did you think Dora would help you? That Dora will be your safe place?

A place to hide instead of facing your feelings? Really, Delphine?

How long do you think it's better not to talk to me? How long—"

"You know what? I will say this out loud and make it clear to your fucking mind!" Delphine said with a cold tone, clenching her fist so tightly her knuckles paled. Her eyes turned into a teary mist, her vision blurring from the tears, but she didn't lose herself. She anchored her shaking breath and spoke with a serious, grounded tone,

"Yes, I wanted to avoid this… Yes, I did!! Because I… I… didn't want to lose you." Her lips trembled openly now,

"I didn't want to make a decision that would hurt me and you… I didn't want to accept this reality… I… I couldn't do it… so I kept running… ran as fast as I could… away from this world.

To live in my fucking illusion… where I could have a happy life… not a life filled with deceit and lies.

A world where your arms didn't feel borrowed, where your words didn't feel like traps."

Her hands trembled as she clenched them on the table, nails digging into the wood.

"Look at me…"

Aether's eyes trembled as he saw her on the edge of breaking apart, on the verge of crying and collapsing, yet still forcing herself to hold on as if revealing her weakness to him would strip away the last piece of dignity she still held.

"I loved you… Aether. I truly did, and in return, what did I ask?" She leaned forward, her aqua hair falling over her face, sticking to the tears gathering along her cheeks.

"Money? Power? Jewels? Fame?… What did I ask when that boy had nothing to give me other than love… and I wanted to be there for him? And I was there for him.

Many times!!

Every time he needed me. I stood beside him when he had no one… when everyone else turned away.

Tell me… Aether!! What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve being the one who couldn't earn your trust?"

Aether's lips trembled, desperation rising in his chest. "I love—"

"Don't you say that word… DON'T!" she raised her index finger with a trembling hand, warning him with a broken voice.

"I-If that's true… if you truly loved me… then why did you lie to me?!

Why did you manipulate me!!

Every lie… every fucking manipulation… I believed every word of yours… I believed them truly until that day… y-you broke my heart.

Why was I the last one to know?

Why was I the least trusted to know your secrets?

Why?... J-Just why?" Her tone splintered at the end, her breath hitching as if the weight of every unanswered question crushed her chest.

Aether's eyes lowered, unable to withstand the truth in her voice, or... the pain he had carved into the woman who once looked at him as if he were her world.

Seeing him not answering, her face turned even more broken, her expression sinking into something fragile and defeated, as she muttered, "Not going to answer it? Haha…" Her laughter scraped the air like something dying, a broken sound echoing hollow and dead,

"Even though you said it wasn't your fault? Then who is it, Aether? Whose fault is it that I didn't deserve to know your truth?"

Aether parted his lips to say something, but… he didn't have anything to say. Not a single word formed.

He just lowered his head, staring at his foot… as if that tiny space on the floor was the only thing he could bear to face without falling apart.

Her words… made him empty.

Made him feel… completely and painfully aware of what he had done to her.

What he caused her… all because he wanted her to be by his side, no matter what truth he hid.

All because… he was scared.

But now… that fear had already carved open too many wounds.

That fear caused many things in his life—things he couldn't undo, things he refused to confront, things that had finally caught up to him.

Delphine looked at him, and he looked so small before her… so painfully small.

Not the powerful man others knew.

Not the figure people respected.

Just the same frightened boy she once comforted, the same boy who clung to her warmth like it was the only spark of safety in his life. She breathed out, the pain trembling through her voice,

"Even though you have everything now, power, money, fame… everything! Yet… all I can see is still… a man with nothing who couldn't give me anything!"

Something deep inside him snapped at those words... something he had been keeping in place for far too long.

Aether broke at those words, his shoulders shaking as he slowly lifted his head and…

Ba-dump!

His heart skipped a beat the moment he saw her tears rolling down from her eyes… slow, heavy, devastating tears. Tears she had fought, swallowed, buried, resisted—until she couldn't anymore.

She wasn't just hurt... She wasn't just betrayed... She... She was utterly and completely broken.

She smiled through that broken face, a trembling, desperate smile that hurt more than her anger ever did.

"I-I… I sometimes truly wished… sniff… You never told me the truth. B-Because losing you like this hurts far more than being fooled."

Drip…

A tear rolled down from his eye as he blankly stared at her. He wasn't looking at someone he merely hurt… he was looking at the woman who once gave him everything, now shattered because of him.

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