The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: 02/26- True Feelings
Aeliana stood still, her words hanging in the air between them like a fragile bridge across an ever-growing chasm. Lucian hadn’t turned to face her yet, and the silence between them stretched longer than she anticipated. Her heart ached with every passing second, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away. She had poured her soul into those words, and she needed him to understand just how deep her feelings for him ran.

“I love you, Lucian,” Aeliana said again, this time her voice steadier, more resolute. “I hope that, no matter how long it takes, we can be together again. Like we always were, before all the chaos and the expectations and the pain. I want to be with you. I want us back.”

Her chest tightened with the weight of her confession. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs, the intensity of her emotions bubbling to the surface. She had never been one to let herself be vulnerable like this, especially not to someone who had the power to break her so completely. But Lucian wasn’t just anyone. He was the man she had loved for years, the one who had been by her side through countless trials and joys alike. And though their bond had frayed, Aeliana was determined to rebuild it, piece by piece.

Still, Lucian didn’t turn to face her. It was as if he was struggling with a war inside himself, his emotions tearing him in different directions. Aeliana could almost feel the turmoil radiating from him, the battle between his own desires and the duties that weighed so heavily on him. The prince, the warrior, the man who had been forged in a life of responsibility. She knew it wasn’t easy for him to open up, especially to someone like her—someone who had once been the elf princess, bound by so many obligations.

She took a step closer, her footsteps soft on the earth beneath her. Her hands trembled slightly, and she clasped them together to steady herself. The proximity was almost too much, the tension in the air thickening as she moved toward him. She didn’t care about the consequences of her words anymore. She was tired of pretending that everything was fine, that she could simply walk away from what was still so precious to her.

“Lucian,” Aeliana said, her voice softer now, more intimate. “I know we’ve both made mistakes. I know I’ve hurt you. But please, I need you to know that my feelings for you haven’t changed. You mean everything to me. You always have. And I want to find a way for us to be together again. To find a balance, if we can.”

Finally, after a long pause, Lucian shifted ever so slightly. His shoulders straightened, and he let out a long, heavy breath, as though he had been holding it in for far too long. But still, he didn’t turn around, and Aeliana could see that he was weighing her words carefully, the internal conflict still clear on his face.

“I don’t know if I can, Aeliana,” Lucian said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I want to. I really do. But everything is so… tangled. I’m not the same person I was when we first met. We both aren’t.”

Aeliana’s heart sank at his words, but she refused to give up. She had never been one to back down from a challenge, and she wouldn’t start now. She had to make him see. She had to make him believe in them again.

“I don’t care if things have changed, Lucian,” she said urgently, her voice thick with emotion. “I know we’re not the same people we were, but I still believe in us. I believe that we can be together, despite everything. I love you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work. Please, don’t let us slip away.”

The silence stretched again, and Aeliana could feel her resolve beginning to waver. The uncertainty in Lucian’s stance made her doubt herself for a moment, but then she remembered—she couldn’t lose him. Not now, not after everything they had been through. She stepped forward, her breath catching as she finally closed the distance between them, gently placing a hand on his arm, her touch light but full of the weight of her emotions.

Lucian stiffened at her touch, but he didn’t pull away. That small sign of response gave Aeliana hope, a spark in the dark that told her he hadn’t completely shut her out. She didn’t know what would happen next, but she couldn’t let this moment slip away without putting everything on the line.

“I know it’s hard, Lucian,” she said, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. “I know we both have our duties and responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still find a way to be together. I’m not asking you to abandon everything, just to give us a chance. A chance to rebuild what we had.”

Lucian finally turned to face her, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow, longing, and something else—something softer that Aeliana wasn’t sure she could name. His gaze softened as he looked at her, and for a moment, everything else faded away. It was just the two of them, standing in the quiet of the world they had once shared. The wind carried the faintest scent of jasmine, the same scent that had always reminded Aeliana of him.

“I don’t know how to make this work,” Lucian admitted, his voice rough. “I don’t know if I can ever go back to what we were. But I want to try, Aeliana. I’m scared that I’ll fail you again, that I’ll hurt you again. But I want to find a way, if we can.”

Aeliana’s heart surged at his words. It wasn’t the final answer she had hoped for, but it was something—a beginning, a spark of hope. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she held them back. This was the moment she had been waiting for, the moment when Lucian had finally admitted that he still cared, that there was still a chance for them.

“Then we’ll take it one step at a time,” Aeliana whispered, her hand still resting on his arm, her fingers gently tracing the fabric of his cloak. “I’m not asking for perfection, Lucian. I’m asking for us to try, for us to be together. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it gets, we’ll figure it out together.”

Lucian stared at her for a long moment, as if weighing the truth of her words. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he nodded, his eyes softening just slightly. “One step at a time,” he echoed, his voice still strained but warmer than it had been in so long.

Aeliana smiled through her tears, her heart light for the first time in days. It wasn’t over, and it wasn’t perfect—but it was a start. And for the first time in a long while, Aeliana felt a glimmer of hope that, no matter how difficult the path ahead, she wasn’t walking it alone.

Lucian’s gaze shifted past Aeliana, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Mal, who had been silently observing their exchange from a distance. The weight of the moment seemed to settle on Lucian’s shoulders, and he hesitated, wrestling with his own emotions. He glanced back at Aeliana, his heart torn between the desire to protect her and the fear of failing her once again. His pride, his duty, and the overwhelming complexity of their situation weighed heavily on him. He had no clear answer, no solution that could satisfy the depth of her love and the reality of his own limitations.

Mal stepped forward, his posture calm and understanding, offering no judgment, just quiet support. He had known Lucian for years, and despite his distance from the prince’s personal life, there was an unspoken trust between them. His silent approval gave Lucian the final nudge he needed. The battle inside Lucian’s chest was fierce, but after a long, agonizing moment of silence, he finally spoke.

“Fine,” Lucian said, his voice quiet but firm, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Aeliana. “I’m willing to give this a chance. But I won’t guarantee anything, princess.” His words were blunt, and they carried a weight of finality that told Aeliana that while he was willing to try, his heart was still burdened with uncertainty.

Aeliana’s heart skipped a beat at his words. The small flicker of hope she had clung to brightened, but she knew this was no easy victory. She had hoped for more, for a promise, but she knew better than to ask for something Lucian wasn’t ready to give. His reluctance was clear, but so was his willingness to try. That, in itself, was something she could hold on to.

“I understand,” Aeliana whispered, her voice filled with a mix of gratitude and resignation. “I’m not asking you to promise anything, Lucian. Just… to try. Together.” Her hand reached out, her fingers brushing against his, a simple touch, but one that conveyed more than words could express. She knew this would be a long road, one with twists and turns and plenty of challenges, but for the first time in a long while, she felt the strength of their bond beginning to heal. It was fragile, yes, but it was still there, and she wouldn’t let go.