The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: 02/19- It’s a misunderstanding!

Aeliana’s voice trembled as she spoke, her hands clenched at her sides as she tried to find the words to mend what had shattered between them.

“Lucian, it was an accident,” she pleaded, her voice barely audible over the storm. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Lucian stood motionless, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each ragged breath he took. He didn’t turn to look at her, didn’t acknowledge the desperation in her voice. His silver hair was soaked, clinging to his face, his hands still balled into fists as though he was barely restraining himself.

“An accident,” he finally repeated, his voice bitter, tasting the words as if they were poison. He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “That’s all you have to say?”

Aeliana’s throat constricted, her heart pounding against her ribs. “Yes, because it was—Silvion was manipulating me! He’s always been cunning, you know that! I was vulnerable, and I let my guard down for just a second, but it wasn’t real! He assaulted me, Lucian!”

Lucian’s gaze finally snapped to hers, and for the first time, she wished he hadn’t looked at her at all. His eyes, usually filled with warmth and fire, were now void of any softness. Cold. Distant.

“You let your guard down,” he echoed, his voice deceptively calm. “With him.”

Aeliana took a step forward, her hand outstretched. “Lucian, please. You know what I feel for you is real. I would never—”

“Don’t,” Lucian cut her off sharply. His jaw tightened as he took a step back, out of her reach. “Don’t say you’d never hurt me, because you already have. It doesn’t matter if he forced himself on you first, Aeliana. The fact remains that it happened.”

Aeliana flinched as if he had struck her. “I should have stopped him sooner, I know that. But it wasn’t a betrayal. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Lucian let out a humorless chuckle. “And yet, you did.” His voice was edged with something dangerous, something raw. “And now you’re standing here, in the middle of this storm, asking me to believe it didn’t mean anything.”

“It didn’t!” Aeliana cried, her eyes burning with frustration and desperation. “It was a mistake, Lucian! A terrible, horrifying moment that I regret more than anything!”

Lucian shook his head, running a hand through his drenched hair. His fingers trembled, but whether it was from the cold or the sheer force of his emotions, Aeliana couldn’t tell.

“You don’t get it,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. His gaze locked onto hers, and for the first time, she saw the depth of his pain—the betrayal, the heartbreak, the sheer devastation of it all. “I would have given you everything, Aeliana. Everything. And now… I don’t even know who you are to me anymore.”

Aeliana felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. “Lucian…”

“I need to breathe,” he muttered, stepping back again. “I need to think.”

The storm raged on around them, the wind howling, as if echoing the torment between them.

Kael, who had remained silent for most of the exchange, finally stepped forward. His face was drawn with worry, his usual playful demeanor long gone. “Lucian,” he said cautiously, “you need to rest. You just recovered from the poisoning—”

Lucian shot him a sharp glare. “Don’t,” he snapped. “Don’t act like I’m fragile right now. This has nothing to do with that damn poisoning, and you know it.”

Kael pressed his lips together but didn’t argue. He merely gave Aeliana a glance that seemed to say, Fix this before it’s too late.

Aeliana wanted to. She needed to.

But Lucian wasn’t ready to hear it.

As if to confirm that, he turned his back on her once again, his silhouette blurred by the rain.

Aeliana felt her breath hitch, her chest tightening unbearably. “Lucian, please, don’t walk away from me like this.”

But Lucian didn’t stop. He didn’t turn back.

Kael sighed, rubbing the back of his head before looking at Aeliana. “Give him time,” he muttered. “Right now, he’s not hearing anything past the hurt.”

Aeliana wiped at her face, though she wasn’t sure if it was the rain or her tears anymore. “I just… I just wanted him to know the truth.”

Kael gave her a small, sad smile. “The truth hurts, Aeliana. And sometimes, even when it’s the truth, it’s not enough.”

Aeliana swallowed hard as she watched Lucian disappear into the storm. And for the first time, she wondered if he would ever come back.

Aeliana took a desperate step forward, her voice strained with emotion. “Wait, Lucian—please, don’t do this!”

But Lucian didn’t stop. He barely even turned his head. The storm raged around them, the wind pulling at his soaked cloak as if urging him to leave faster. His fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders tense with restraint. His jaw tightened, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hollow, almost distant.

“I can’t be with you right now,” Lucian said, his words barely audible over the rolling thunder.

Aeliana felt something in her chest crack, the weight of his rejection suffocating. “Lucian, you don’t mean that,” she said, trying to take another step forward, but a firm grip on her wrist stopped her.

“Let him go, Aeliana,” Kael’s voice was steady, yet there was a sadness in it. He held her back, his fingers tightening as if he could already feel her breaking apart.

Aeliana turned to him, desperation in her eyes. “Kael, please, I—he can’t walk away like this! He—”

Kael shook his head. “He needs to walk away.”

Aeliana’s breath hitched, and she turned back to Lucian, whose back was now almost fully to her. The storm had darkened the sky, and with every step he took away from her, it felt like the world was closing in.

“You don’t have to forgive me right now,” she pleaded, ignoring the tears she could no longer stop. “Just—don’t do this! Don’t leave me like this!”

Lucian finally stopped, the rain pelting against his skin, his breath coming out in heavy, ragged gasps. His fingers flexed and curled as if he was trying to grasp onto something unseen. But when he finally spoke again, his words cut like a blade.

“I’m not leaving you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m leaving the person I thought you were.”

Aeliana flinched as if he had physically struck her.

And then, without another word, he stepped forward, disappearing into the storm.

She tried to chase after him, but Kael pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her to keep her from running.

“Let me go!” she sobbed, struggling against him.

Kael held firm, gritting his teeth. “No.”

Aeliana trembled, her fists pounding against his chest weakly as she cried. “Kael, please…”

Kael exhaled sharply, resting his chin against the top of her head. “You have to let him process this, Aeliana. If you chase him now, you’ll only make it worse.”

Aeliana hated that he was right. Hated that no matter what she said, no matter how much she explained, it wouldn’t undo the damage.

The rain poured harder, soaking through their clothes, but Aeliana could barely feel it.

She could only feel the absence of Lucian.

After what felt like forever, her sobs quieted, though the ache in her chest remained unbearable. Kael finally loosened his grip, and Aeliana slumped forward, her body too exhausted from the emotional weight crushing her.

Kael sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Come on. We need to get you somewhere warm before you catch a fever.”

Aeliana nodded numbly, though she barely processed his words.

As Kael guided her back toward shelter, she cast one last look over her shoulder, her heart silently calling out for the man who had vanished into the storm.

But Lucian was gone.

And she wasn’t sure if he would ever come back.

Aeliana clutched the soaked fabric of her dress, her breath ragged as she let Kael pull her away. But her mind refused to accept it—she couldn’t afford to lose Lucian. Not like this. Not over something she never meant to happen. The image of his retreating back was burned into her vision, and the sound of his voice, laced with hurt and finality, echoed in her ears. I’m not leaving you. I’m leaving the person I thought you were. The weight of those words made her stomach twist painfully.

No… this isn’t how our story is supposed to go. She had always imagined standing beside Lucian through everything—through war, through peace, through whatever challenges fate threw at them. But now, he was walking away, slipping through her fingers like rainwater. Her hands curled into fists as her breathing hitched. How could she let this happen? How could she let him believe she had betrayed him?

She turned sharply to Kael, her voice hoarse but determined. “I have to go after him.”

Kael tightened his grip on her arm, his brows furrowed. “Aeliana, stop. He needs space.” His voice was firm, but there was sympathy in his eyes. “If you chase him now, he’ll just push you further away. You need to let him—”

“I can’t,” she interrupted, shaking her head violently. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing while he walks away thinking I don’t love him. I can’t afford to lose him, Kael!” Her voice cracked, and for a moment, her strength faltered. Her knees nearly buckled, but she forced herself to stay upright. “I have to fix this,” she whispered, more to herself than to Kael. “I will fix this.”