For Your Failed Unrequited Love

Lucy’s arms quickly wrapped around Felix’s waist. Her shoulders trembled as she sobbed softly in his arms while burying her face in him.

Lucy didn’t let him go for a long time. Her grip on the hem of his clothing tightened over time, almost as if he wouldn’t let Felix go.

Felix gave Lucy a gentle pat on the back and swept her hair. Although he was determined to leave the mansion, he suddenly felt reluctant to do so when he saw Lucy standing in front of him.

“…are you really going?”

In her arms, Lucy’s voice was heard mumbling.

“Hmm,”

“Even if I stop you?”

“I’ll be right back.”

Lucy didn’t respond to his calm reply.

She struggled to control her tears as she continued to exhale one after another. Then, with her head down, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

After some time, Lucy, who seemed determined to never let go of Felix, finally relaxed her grip. She moved slowly away from Felix, her eyes still red.

“Lucy, I have to tell you something.”

Looking at Lucy in tears, Felix thought it was time to say it.

“I want you to…”

Her palm, however, touched his lips before he could finish speaking. With her hand over his mouth, Lucy said quietly.

“No matter what it is, if you want to say something, come back safely, and when you’re ready, tell me. I’ll be waiting.”

Soon the warmth of her warm hands fell from Felix’s mouth. Lucy looked up at Felix and said,

“Have a safe trip, don’t get hurt.”

“Yes,”

“Don’t get sick.”

“I won’t,”

It was really goodbye now.

Felix nodded to Colin, who was standing nearby, and then continued on his way.

He at last caught Lucy’s face in his gaze. He felt as though he could do anything without losing hope just by thinking of her face.

“Then,”

Felix gave her one final smile before grabbing the reins. The horse soon started to turn around and get ready to run.

He continued to spur, and the horse started galloping toward the front gate.

The faces of the people, the enormous mansion, and the one person whose presence had long ago broken his heart with longing, vanished from his sight with the sound of the wind.

He was still eager to see Lucy. He felt an urge to go back and stay with her even now. He did not, however, stop.

***

There have been numerous changes.

He looked back on the past few months. 

The situation of the Empire, which was only peaceful, and his relationship with his family that made him suffer. Everything has completely changed.

The most significant change occurred in Felix.

He himself was amazed. He was unaware of how someone could make him feel so happy.

He had no idea that someone could make him feel so bad or that he would push himself into the middle of a battlefield on someone else’s behalf.

He had never thought that he might risk everything for one person.

“I’ll be waiting.”

That there are people waiting for him.

That put Felix in a situation where he had no idea what would happen.

He drove the horse with a powerful heave of the ground, as if he were not moving away from Lucy but rather racing toward her.

“I’ll definitely come back,”

Furthermore, Felix murmured as if he was resolute in his resolve.

I’ll be back. I’ll be sure to…….

***

Even when there was war, nature remained honest. It returned with the arrival of spring.

The sun warmed the chilly, frozen ground.

On every barren branch, new growth sprouted, and birds that had flown off during the winter flew back in.

Perhaps due to the bright sunshine, the atmosphere of the capital, which had been in turmoil, began to recover gradually. It seemed to have contributed to the fact that the war situation in the East was not so bad.

Additionally, the arrival of spring brought Lucy’s long-awaited people. The two people she believed to be missing—her mother and grandmother—had at last made it to the nation’s capital without incident.

“Grandma!”

Lucy sobbed loudly as she held her grandmother’s neck.

She was relieved to be reunited with her family safely. It was all thanks to Felix for keeping his word.

Despite the fact that she was unable to see her father because he chose to remain in the East to care for the injured soldiers, Lucy was overjoyed to see her mother and grandmother.

A letter from Felix was presented to Lucy by her grandmother. It was a letter filled with only concern for Lucy’s well-being. The letter was worn out from Lucy’s constant reading of it all day.

Meanwhile, spring has passed quickly. The following summer was the same.

Autumn came in a flash.

It was a challenging time of year for her as many memories flooded her mind. Lucy prepared allergy medication and mailed it to Felix. His letter, stating that he had received it well, finally arrived after a lengthy wait. Lucy started to cry just from looking at the brief letter.

By the time she finished reading the letter and stopped crying, Autumn was over. Winter follows. Finally, spring returns.

The war appeared to be slowly coming to an end over the course of five seasons.

There are rumors that the Beros Empire and the Kingdom of Lausanne have settled their differences through negotiation and that the conflict has already been resolved. As if to prove it, the young men who had gone to the battlefield began to return one by one.

However, Felix was still not in sight.

The campus without him seemed desolate to Lucy.

“I can’t believe we’re graduating.”

After the winter break, spring is finally beginning to blow across campus.

Colin yelled as he walked along the promenade, “If you can’t go up to the podium tomorrow as well.”

He shouted frantically and abruptly raised his eyebrows.

“I’m going to punch Eric Roman in the face!”

As she saw him raise his tiny, insignificantly menacing fist in the air, Lucy burst out in an embarrassing laugh.

“I’m sure you will, and I’ll be happy if you’re not hit,” she said.

“What do you think I am? One punch will do him in!”

Colin kept bluffing.

Tomorrow was the commencement ceremony, about which he was so excited.

Lucy, who had risen to the top of the class until the last semester, was having more difficult days than ever. Because she hasn’t decided what she wants to do after graduating from the academy.

Lucy Keenan, who is graduating from Xenomium Academy this year, has received a ton of offers to enroll in various medical schools as a result of the widespread rumors that she wants to become a doctor that have already spread throughout the capital.

Furthermore, Lucy had been completely distracted by Mr. Archel, who had been bugging her to join the history society. Due to the teacher’s unpredictable appearance at any time or location, Lucy needed to be alert.

“Anyway, if he has a conscience, he’ll have to make his own decision; you’ve always been the best in the last year.”

After losing the top spot to Eric in one test, Lucy regained it in the following test, and she has kept it ever since. This led to the widespread assumption that Lucy would receive the highest grade and graduate.

However, because this was an academy that secretly discriminates against commoner students, Lucy’s place on the podium at the graduation ceremony was uncertain.

“There’s nothing new,”

Lucy dismissed the issue.

In fact, she didn’t give much thought to how the academy was treating her right now. She had been worried about just one person for the past year. Most things don’t even interest her anymore.

It was a wise decision for her not to waste any energy getting to the podium.

For she had concerns on the day of her graduation.

All of the seniors, including her, were dressed in their graduation gowns and making their way to the Great Hall. Along the way, there were a lot of enrolled students and visitors from families who came to the campus to watch the graduation ceremony.

Lucy looked around the crowd. His mother and grandmother, who reside in the mansion owned by the Berg family, were also arranged to attend today’s ceremony with Adrian’s assistance. With this many people, it was challenging to locate her family.

She immediately gave up, and Lucy moved forward.

They could already be inside.

She observed couples of male and female students walking around together as she continued to move silently.

I wish Felix was here, too.

His absence suddenly left Lucy feeling incredibly void.

“Lucy Keenan!”

The familiar, irate voice caused Lucy’s body to tense up.

She quickly lowered her shoulders as she peered around. Indeed, Mr. Arkel was searching for her in the area.

Ah! Really. 

She didn’t want to be inconvenienced today by him. She might be told to join the conference before the graduation ceremony if Mr. Arkel catches her now.

Lucy quickly walked away from the area.

She ran so quickly that she stepped on a middle-aged man’s foot. With a slight scowl on his face, the man wearing the knight’s armor turned to face Lucy.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“It’s all right.

Despite Lucy’s apology, he gave a stern response and moved quickly as if something urgent had occurred.

Lucy happened to hear the conversation going on in that direction between the man and his group.

“I brought him here to escort me; where the hell did he go?”

The person Lucy stepped on became enraged. Another man, who appeared to be his subordinate, then murmured while sporting a disapproving expression.

“Sigh……that wretch. I should have known when he said he’d wash his hair with oil last night. He must have gone to see his woman!”

“I’ll shave off that hair!”