The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: 02/27- Daydream
Lucian exhaled slowly, his mind drifting back to a time before everything had become so complicated—before the arguments, before the heartbreak. He could still remember the warmth of the sun against his skin as he strolled through the bustling market streets, the scent of fresh bread and roasted spices lingering in the air. Merchants called out their wares, children weaved between the stalls, and laughter filled the space between hurried footsteps. It had been a peaceful day, one of the rare ones where he allowed himself a moment of respite from his duties.

He hadn’t expected to see her there.

Aeliana had stood by a fruit vendor’s stall, her long silver hair catching the sunlight in a way that made it shimmer like threads of moonlight. She was dressed simply, her usual regal air softened by the loose cloak draped over her shoulders. She looked so at ease, so different from the composed, duty-bound elf she had to be in the presence of the Light Council. Here, she was just Aeliana, an elf exploring the market like anyone else. He had stopped in his tracks, watching her from a distance, admiring the way she tilted her head curiously at the vendor’s offerings, the way her lips curled in a soft smile as she exchanged words with the elderly merchant.

He hadn’t realized how much he had missed seeing her like that. Free. Happy.

Then, in a heartbeat, everything had changed.

A flash of movement in the distance caught his eye—a carriage moving too fast, its driver struggling to regain control. Lucian’s instincts flared as he traced the trajectory of the runaway vehicle, and his stomach twisted in horror when he saw where it was headed.

Straight toward Aeliana.

She hadn’t noticed. She had been too focused on the merchant’s words, too lost in the moment to realize the impending danger barreling toward her.

Lucian had moved without thinking.

The world had blurred around him as he pushed through the crowd, his only thought to reach her before it was too late. The shouts of bystanders barely registered in his ears. All that mattered was closing the distance, getting to her before—

His arms had wrapped around her just in time.

The impact had sent them both tumbling to the ground, his body shielding hers as the carriage thundered past, barely missing them by inches. The sound of splintering wood and panicked shouts filled the air, but Lucian’s focus had remained on Aeliana beneath him, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of what had almost happened settled heavily between them.

Then, her hands had clutched at his sleeves, her violet eyes wide with shock as she stared up at him. “Lucian?” Her voice had been breathless, disoriented, but in that moment, he had only been able to think about how close he had come to losing her.

“What were you thinking?” he had snapped, his voice harsher than intended. His heart had still been pounding in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had been scared—terrified even—and the intensity of that fear had bled into his words. “You weren’t even paying attention! You could have been killed.”

Aeliana had blinked, still processing what had just happened, and then her expression had softened. “I… I didn’t see it,” she had admitted, her voice quieter. “Thank you, Lucian.”

That gratitude, that trust in her voice, had disarmed him completely.

He had wanted to be angry, had wanted to scold her for her carelessness, but looking at her then—so vulnerable, so shaken—he had only felt the overwhelming need to protect her. To keep her safe, no matter the cost.

That moment had lingered with him, even now, as he stood before her once again, their relationship fractured but not broken. He had almost lost her that day, and now, in a different way, he was close to losing her again.

Lucian’s hands clenched at his sides as he brought himself back to the present. He could still feel the warmth of her touch from earlier, the way she had reached out to him despite everything.

Could they go back?

Could they find their way to something whole again?

He didn’t know.

But he knew one thing—he wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet.

The world had slowed to a crawl.

Lucian had always been a man of discipline, trained to keep his emotions in check, but in that moment, as he stared at Aeliana, he felt utterly and completely undone. The noise of the bustling market, the murmurs of onlookers after the near accident—all of it faded into the background. His world narrowed down to her and only her.

The way her silver hair fell around her face, the way her violet eyes—wide with shock and relief—searched his, as if grounding herself in his presence. He had seen those eyes countless times before, but never had they struck him so deeply, never had they made his heart stutter so violently in his chest.

Aeliana was speaking, her lips moving, but the words took a moment to register in his mind.

“I’ll wait for you, Lucian.”

He hadn’t known what to say back then. He had only been able to stare, to take in the quiet determination in her voice, the way she had said it as if it were an undeniable truth. As if no matter the circumstances, no matter the distance that had grown between them, she would always be there—waiting.

And now, standing before her again after everything that had transpired, that memory resurfaced so vividly that it nearly made him laugh.

A chuckle slipped past his lips before he could stop it. It was quiet, barely more than a breath, but Aeliana caught it.

Her brow furrowed slightly. “What’s so funny?” she asked, tilting her head, confusion laced in her tone.

Lucian shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to shake off the feelings creeping up on him. “It’s nothing,” he said, though the smile lingering on his lips betrayed him. “I just… remembered something.”

Aeliana watched him warily, as if unsure whether to press further. But then, as if realizing that whatever it was had softened something in him, she let it go.

Lucian, however, couldn’t let it go.

The way she had said those words back then—I’ll wait for you—had been a promise, one he hadn’t fully understood at the time. He had been too caught up in his own thoughts, his own fears of what it meant to love someone like her.

But now, with the weight of time and mistakes pressing down on them, it hit him differently.

Had she really been waiting for him all this time?

Even after everything?

He wasn’t sure what to do with that realization.

The way his heart reacted to her presence, the way his body instinctively moved to shield her when danger was near—it all pointed to something undeniable. He had tried so hard to be logical about this, to think with his head instead of his heart, but logic had no place in moments like these.

His mind flashed back to every time she had looked at him with that unwavering faith, every time she had reached for him even when he had pulled away.

And damn it all, he wanted to reach back.

But there was still so much between them.

He had forgiven her, but forgiveness didn’t mean things could simply go back to how they were.

Yet, as he stood there, watching her fidget slightly under his gaze, he realized something else—despite everything, he still wanted her near.

Maybe he wasn’t ready to love her the way she deserved.

Maybe he was still too wounded, too hesitant to give her the part of himself that had been fractured by their past.

But the idea of pushing her away completely?

It didn’t sit right with him.

Lucian exhaled slowly, his gaze softening just a fraction. “You’re stubborn,” he muttered.

Aeliana blinked at the sudden statement. “Excuse me?”

He smirked, shaking his head. “You heard me.”

Aeliana crossed her arms, a hint of her usual fire returning. “I don’t see how that’s relevant to anything right now.”

Lucian’s smirk widened for a brief moment before fading into something more thoughtful. He knew he was stalling, knew that he was still dancing around the truth of what he felt. But for now, this—this teasing, this familiar push and pull between them—felt easier.

“Come on, Princess,” he finally said, his voice carrying a teasing lilt despite the weight in his chest. “Let’s get out of here before you cause another scene.”

Aeliana huffed but followed as he turned away, and for the first time in a long while, Lucian felt something shift inside him.

Something dangerously close to hope. But it did him no harm if he were to daydream about the good moments they had together, it was simply a bliss to remember that he was once that happy.