For Your Failed Unrequited Love

The streets were noisy when they left the restaurant after a late lunch. People were rushing to go to the town’s square.

Naturally curious, the group headed to the square a well, and soon, they heard a majestic and powerful march. When they came to the large plaza, it was crowded with people waving their hands towards something.

“Wow! The Imperial Knights!” the short Colin stood on his tip-toe and shouted, looking over the shoulder of the person in front of him.

The knights were marching through the square with a modest gait. Their silver armor and red cloak shone brilliantly in the shouts of the people.

“Wow, that’s cool!” Colin voiced his admiration, his cheeks heated up with excitement.

Rosé who was standing next to him also spoke words of admiration. “What? Look at those muscles! It’s different from the boys at the academy, right?”

Colin and Rosé pushed forward through the crowd to see the Knights closer.

As the Knights approached, people’s cheers grew louder, and petals fell like snow in the sky.

Although many people had already gathered in the square, masses constantly appeared from somewhere to watch the march of the Imperial Knights.

Some squirmed in to see from the front, causing angry complaints from others here and there.

One of them moved between Felix and Lucy. As a result, a gap arose between the two, people who were looking for a chance to go forward began to constantly dig in between.

Soon, Lucy was pushed around and was about to stray away from Felix.

Felix quickly grabbed Lucy’s wrist and pulled her into his arms. “Stay close.”

Lucy, who looked anxious at his words, nodded.

Among the crowds, the tiny Lucy stood motionless like an acorn that had fallen into a crevice of a rock. Although Felix was protecting her in his arms, it was a difficult situation for her small body.

Colin and Rosé were moving quite far from Felix to the front.

“I can’t do this.” Felix wrapped his arms around her and walked through the people, leaving the precession.

Lucy, who had escaped the crowd safely, put her hand on her knees and took a deep breath. She was pale, probably from nervousness being in the middle of the crowd.

“Are you okay?”

Lucy nodded slightly at Felix’s worried question. Lucy, who soon realized that only two of them were left, looked around. “By the way, Colin and Rosé sunbae-nim.”

“It’s fine.” Felix immediately replied as if it was none of his business. “They will get out on their own. Let’s go together first. I hate places with a lot of people.”

Felix took a step forward. Lucy followed after briefly glancing at Colin and Rosé. The two hurried out of the noisy and frantic square.

***

Felix and Lucy came out of the square and walked along a nearby large boulevard. It was also crowded with people who came to see the festival, but it wasn’t as crazy as the parade area.

On both sides of the boulevard, numerous miscellaneous merchants were placing their items on the stand.

“Take a look at our stuff!”

“I’ll give it to you at half price only during the festival!”

There were people selling freshly squeezed fruit juice from home, people selling bracelets made of colorful threads, they were also selling chicks and puppies, and even strange magic tools that they did not know what for.

People passing by the stalls would often stop and buy things.

Felix, who was not interested in cheap items sold by miscellaneous merchants, kept walking, his eyes stayed at the road in front. Then he noticed that Lucy, who was walking next to him, glanced at a kiosk lined with jewelry made of cheap crystals.

“Do you want to see?” he stopped in front of her and asked.

“No, it’s not like that.” Lucy shook her hand, but Felix was already approaching the stands.

Although they were made of cheap crystals, the necklaces, bracelets, and rings were quite cute and well-made. Felix could feel Lucy’s gaze carefully looking down at them from the side, and he smiled happily without realizing it.

“It’s a constellation necklace.” the owner of the stand said, introducing the necklace. “Look inside the crystal carefully. There are constellations that symbolize each moon.”

As the owner had said, gold beads smaller than sesame seeds were in the shape of constellations in the crystal. Raising the necklace into the air, the constellation gleamed in the sunlight.

“What month was the lady born?” the owner suddenly asked Lucy.

“I was born in May.”

“What about you gentleman?”

“I was born in October.”

“Then it must be Eliakezari and the Holy Swordsman.”

After the owner looked through the necklace, he picked up two. In the crystal hanging from the end of the silver string, Eliakezari and Holy Swordsman respectively shone brilliantly.

“I think you two will get along well. It is also very popular as a necklace for lovers.”

“Lovers?” Felix’s eyes twinkled.

“Would you like to buy it?” The owner held out the necklace.

“I’ll buy both.”

The answer unexpectedly came out of Lucy’s mouth. Felix opened her eyes wide and looked at her.

…Why does Lucy Keenan want my constellation necklace?

His heart pounded for a while, but his mood subsided coldly.

Like a fool.

He laughed at himself, who had been excited for a while.

Adrian’s birthday is the same as mine.

Lucy packed the necklace she bought gently. A strange jealousy rose from Felix’s heart as he watched it.

“I didn’t buy it because it was a lover’s necklace… A friend I know is also a holy swordsman.” Lucy, who saw Felix’s crooked expression, said as if explaining. It was clear that both of her cheeks were red.

Even so, there was no reason for Felix to be mean to her. He knew very well that it was none of his business who Lucy gave the necklace to.

He began to take move again, pressing down on the childish emotions that rose from his heart.

He was walking without a word and stopped again when he passed a food stand. Lucy, who was following him, was glancing at all kinds of street food with sparkling eyes. Then she met Felix’s eyes, she immediately tuned her head, blushing. She seemed embarrassed after she was caught being secretly preoccupied with the food.

But she seemed to have no idea. That innocent face changed Felix’s mood at once.

The heavy emotions that tormented him disappeared, like snow melting under the warm sun, the moment she saw her face.

“I’m getting hungry again after walking.” He exclaimed, and bought whatever he could see— ice cream and cotton candy were some of them.

“Now, I bought too much, so you should eat too.” He handed over the food to Lucy, practically shoving it into her hands.

After a while, Felix smiled contentedly as he saw Lucy following, licking an ice cream like a child.

It was funny to see Lucy’s small words or actions change his mood, but there was nothing he could do about it. Today, everything seemed to be centered around Lucy.

The sun was beginning to set over the mountain as they walked along the main road. At dusk, the sky was tinged with a reddish hue.

When Felix and Lucy arrived in front of the academy in a carriage, the sun had completely set. It was dark everywhere.

The main gate of the academy was closed. It was natural since the fixed curfew had passed.

“What should we do? We will be penalized for breaking the curfew.” Lucy said, worry evident on her face.

If you return after curfew, you can tell the doorkeeper your name and ask Fred to open the door. But at the same time, a fairly large penalty will be given.

For Lucy Keenan, who was always at the top and was an exemplary student, it was quite a concern.

“Come here.” Felix took Lucy’s hand and turned at the corner of the wall. Soon, Felix stopped at a distance where Fred would not see.

“We can cross the wall from here.”

“What?”

Lucy opened her eyes wide, as she had never thought of doing that even in her dream. Felix already jumped over the wall even before she could feel embarrassed.

He carefully checked the other side. No one was there. The sun had set, engulfing them in darkness. It seemed like this would be enough not to be noticed.

He first threw his and Lucy’s luggage over the wall, then grabbed Lucy in a flash.

“Huck!”

Lucy staggered in surprise.

“Don’t struggle and sit on the wall.”

As she came to her senses and sat on the wall, Felix then jumped over the wall with light movements.

Felix got down on the soft grass and opened his arms toward Lucy. “Come on, I’ll catch you. Don’t be afraid.”

At that time, they heard someone approaching from afar. It was Fred’s footsteps.

“Come on!” At his urging, Lucy closed her eyes and jumped toward him. Felix hugged her and collapsed gently on the grass. “Let’s wait until old man Fred passes by.”

After rolling under the bushes, they hid themselves and waited for the sound of footsteps to move away.

Lucy was hunched over, anxious and holding her breath. Perhaps this was the first time she had jumped over a wall. Felix quietly burst into laughter as he took a guess.

Grasshoppers chirped nearby, filling the night with their sound. The cool autumn wind, which cannot be expressed in words, fluttered through their hair.

Lucy’s fine hair, which scattered out of the wind, gently tickled Felix’s cheek.

After contemplating for a while, he pulled a hat out of the shopping bag he had been carrying for half a day. It was the hat that Lucy was wearing at the boutique.

He put the hat on Lucy’s head. Lucy, who was staring at Fred’s feet, looked back at him in surprise.

“This is…”

“It’s your reward for making the allergy medicine. Don’t refuse and accept it.”

“But it’s too expensive,” Lucy said, remembering the price tag she saw at the boutique.

“It’s ridiculously cheap compared to the effort you put into making the medicine.”

Lucy fiddled with the hat without answering. He couldn’t see her expression well because it was dark.

“Then I will be grateful.” Finally, Lucy answered. Her face, dimly visible under the dim moonlight, smiled gently.

Felix’s heart began to pound at the sight. It was the first time she smiled at him. He felt happy and sad at the same time.