The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: 02/25- Lucian’s Decision

Lucian stood before Aeliana, his features hardened, the weight of his decision visible in his eyes. The storm in the distance seemed to echo the turmoil within him. He had tried to avoid this moment, hoped it would resolve itself, but now the words had come, and he couldn’t hold them back any longer. His heart ached as he spoke, but there was a finality to his voice that cut through the tension between them.

“No, Princess,” Lucian said, his tone firm yet strained. “I can’t afford to be with you right now. I’m sorry. I have forgiven you, truly, but that doesn’t change the fact that we cannot be together. Not like this. Not anymore.”

..

Kael’s grip on Aeliana’s arm tightened, pulling her back just as she made a move to follow Lucian’s retreating form. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes, her chest rising and falling with the weight of her emotions. Kael knew that Aeliana had never been the type to give up on something she cared about, but this moment was different. It was as though the very foundation of her world was cracking, and he couldn’t stand to see her crumble.

“Aeliana, please,” Kael said, his voice low and full of concern. “I think we should leave. This… this is too much for you right now. You need time. We both need time. Let him go.”

Aeliana’s body trembled with the storm of emotions inside her, but she stood her ground. She tried to pull away from Kael’s grasp, but he held firm, unwilling to let her chase after Lucian any further. There was a silent understanding between them—he was trying to protect her from more pain. But Aeliana had always been headstrong, and her heart refused to let her be passive in this moment.

“No, Kael,” she said, her voice trembling but determined. “Let me talk to him. I need to. I can’t just let this be the end. I can’t just walk away from him, not like this.”

Kael’s eyes softened, but there was still concern in them. “Aeliana, don’t do something you’ll regret. He’s not in a place to hear you right now. I don’t want you to hurt yourself more.”

She shook her head, her heart racing. “I have to do this, Kael. Please, I know you want to protect me, but I have to speak to him. I can’t just let him go without trying.”

Kael hesitated, his grip loosening as he finally relented. He wanted to argue further, to stop her, but he saw the desperation in her eyes, and something inside him told him this was a moment she needed to face on her own. He stepped back, allowing her space to approach Lucian.

Aeliana took a deep breath, wiping the moisture from her eyes before she walked toward Lucian, who had stopped just a few paces away, his back to her. The wind howled around them, but in that moment, it felt as if the world had gone silent. She called out to him softly, her voice barely a whisper at first.

“Lucian,” Aeliana said, her voice trembling but steady. “Please, wait. I just… I need to talk to you. Please don’t walk away from me.”

Lucian paused but didn’t turn around. Aeliana’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if he would even acknowledge her. She could feel her pulse quickening, the uncertainty of the moment pressing heavily on her chest. But she couldn’t back down now—not when her heart was telling her to fight.

Just as Lucian remained still, Aeliana felt an unexpected ping from the system. She glanced at the glowing prompt in the corner of her vision:

[Lucian’s favorability has increased from -100 to -1. ]

Her brow furrowed slightly, a feeling of disbelief washing over her. Had something changed? Could it be? It wasn’t much—just a small flicker of improvement—but it was something. A sign that, maybe, just maybe, her efforts hadn’t been in vain.

She turned her attention back to Lucian, who still hadn’t turned to face her. But the brief surge in his favorability made her hope, however faintly, that her words were having some impact. Aeliana steadied herself, determined to push forward, no matter how hard this conversation might be.

“Lucian, I know I’ve hurt you,” she said, her voice more confident now, though the pain still echoed through her words. “But please understand—everything I’ve done, every choice I’ve made, was to protect you, to protect us. I never wanted to hurt you. I didn’t know how to balance everything, but I still want us. I still want you. Please… don’t give up on us yet.”

Her heart raced as she awaited his response, hoping that the smallest of openings would present itself. As she waited, the world around them seemed to grow even quieter, the only sound now the soft flutter of her cloak in the wind. Lucian still hadn’t spoken, and Aeliana felt a creeping sense of anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lucian’s shoulders slumped slightly. He didn’t turn to face her, but Aeliana could feel his struggle in the very air around them. He was torn, just as she was. She didn’t know if her words had done anything significant, but she could feel the crack in his resolve, and it was enough.

“I don’t know what to say, Aeliana,” Lucian’s voice finally came, quiet but tinged with pain. “Everything’s so complicated. I’ve tried to push you away, but I can’t seem to let you go, either.”

Aeliana’s breath hitched, a mixture of relief and frustration flooding her chest. She took a step closer to him, still careful not to crowd him, yet unable to stay distant.

“Lucian…” she whispered, feeling the weight of everything that had come before them and everything still hanging in the balance. She couldn’t stop now. She couldn’t give up. “Please, let me help. Let me show you how much I care.”

Aeliana felt the words like a blade, cutting through her chest. She had hoped, prayed even, that Lucian would find his way back to her, that they would overcome the rift between them. But here he was, standing before her, making it clear that the distance between them wasn’t something he could easily bridge. Her hands trembled as she clenched them at her sides, trying to hold herself together, but the pain in her chest was undeniable.

“I don’t understand, Lucian,” Aeliana whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “You say you’ve forgiven me, but then you push me away. After everything we’ve been through, you’re just going to walk away? I can’t accept that. I can’t let you go like this.”

Lucian’s gaze softened for a brief moment, but his resolve remained unyielding. “It’s not about forgiveness, Aeliana. It’s about what’s best for both of us. I love you, I always have, but our paths are no longer the same. I have responsibilities that I can’t ignore, and so do you. We can’t keep pretending that we can defy those duties just to be together. You’re the Oracle. I’m a prince. We both have our destinies, and right now, those destinies don’t align.”

The words hit her like a cold gust of wind. She had known the truth of it all along, but hearing him say it out loud was something different. It was a cruel reminder of everything she had already sacrificed for the greater good. Lucian’s words reflected the harsh reality she had tried to deny for so long. They were bound by duty, by obligations they could never escape, and that had always been the reason for their struggle. But even knowing that didn’t make it easier to let go.

“I know what you’re saying, Lucian,” Aeliana replied, her voice shaking as she fought to maintain her composure. “But I still love you. I can’t just erase that. We’ve shared so much, and despite everything, I still believe in us. Can’t we find a way to make it work? Can’t we fight for what we have?”

Lucian shook his head slowly, his expression pained. “Aeliana, I want to believe that too. I do. But I can’t keep living in this uncertainty. We’ve both made mistakes, and we’ve hurt each other in ways that can’t just be forgotten. I need time to figure out who I am without you, without this constant pull between us. I need to heal, and I need to focus on my duties. I’m not the man you need me to be right now, and that’s something I can’t change.”

The weight of his words settled heavily on Aeliana’s chest. She had known, deep down, that this moment was inevitable. Their love, so strong and so consuming, had always been clouded by their separate duties. The world had a way of tearing them apart, no matter how hard they tried to fight it. And now, as Lucian stood before her, the distance between them felt insurmountable.

“Do you really think I can just let go?” Aeliana asked, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re asking me to give up on everything we’ve built, everything we’ve fought for. How do you expect me to do that? To just walk away from the love of my life?”

Lucian’s eyes darkened with sorrow, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate. “Aeliana, I don’t want to hurt you. But I can’t be the man you need. Not right now. I need to fix myself first. I need to rebuild who I am before I can even consider being with you again. I need to be strong for my people, for my kingdom. You understand that, don’t you?”

She nodded, though it hurt to do so. “I understand, Lucian. But that doesn’t make it any easier. I still love you. I still want us, but I can’t change what you’ve decided. I can’t force you to stay.”

For a long moment, they stood in silence, the storm in the distance growing louder. Aeliana could feel the coldness creeping into her soul as Lucian turned away from her, his back stiff with resolve. He was leaving her behind, not just physically, but emotionally as well. And for the first time in their relationship, she felt truly alone.

“I’m sorry, Aeliana,” Lucian said quietly, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. “I truly am. But this is the only way. For both of us.”

Aeliana watched him disappear into the distance, her heart heavy with the weight of his departure. She had tried, she had hoped, but in the end, their love wasn’t enough to overcome the responsibilities they both carried. The pain in her chest seemed unbearable, but she knew that this was the price of love—sometimes it meant sacrificing everything, even when you didn’t want to.

She stood there, in the cold wind, staring after him. The storm was now upon them, the crackling energy of it filling the air with a tension she couldn’t shake. Everything was changing, and all she could do was watch as the person she loved walked away.