Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 56. The Wine and The Couple II

"Then I hope you don't mind if I let out my heart and hear my useless talk regarding the rebels, " Rose continued. Her eyes were fixed on the Luminus City, yet her mind was not there. It was clear from the look in her eyes.

"Go ahead..." Angel knew Ivetta's betrayal hurt her heart. But she tried to stay strong and showed her best act, showing that she was happy and had no problem with it. Still, she had to get it out. But the thing was she didn't have anyone in Euphorion, she only had him...

She gazed up at the starry sky. The melancholic feeling covered her heart.
"Have you heard of my relationship with Lady Ivetta? How much I trusted her... How close we were..."

"I've heard it..." said Angel.

"Five years ago... After my uncle and I managed to take care of the rebellion... I told her everything. How I met you, how I fell in love with you... How I wanted to see you again. But who knows... That simple story gave her a way to get close to Prince Ilex…” Her eyes filled with tears. A faint bitter smile on her lips.
"It was the same when I told her about my father's plan... What I wanted was... her safety. I just wanted her to avoid the battlefield. I wanted her to survive... Instead, she used that information to kill my father..." The pain stabbed her heart and it was unbearable for her. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She was royalty and she must not lose her calmness.

She turned to Angel.
"It's the same with that poison... I told her a long time ago when she just lost her father... Just to calm her down. Just to tell her that the Heart's family is not weak. We have the power to destroy behind the screen. But... What did she do? She gave that information to Prince Ilex and made our family fall into a grave sin..." She shook her head from side to side.
"I don't understand... Why did she betray me? I did a lot for her, risked my life to help her, why did she betray me?" Unconsciously, tears fell from her eyes. This was too much for her. She couldn't understand why her desire to protect someone she cared about cost her beloved one. Not only that, it almost cost her kingdom as well.

Angel's hand came close to her face and wiped her tears with his thumb gently. Although he already knew half of it, her story reminded her of how he desperately tried to protect his kingdom. Which was eventually paid off with a painful slander and a ruthless execution. They even didn't give him a proper burial.
"Not everyone deserves your loyalty, Rose. Neither does mine..."

He took his glass and looked at his wine in a daze.
"Some people are that rotten, that selfish. They think more about their interests, following their fears and their egos rather than seeing what's happening and the truth in front of their eyes. It all happened to the nobles and ordinary people. And it would get worse if it happened to a royalty…” Then he took a sip on his wine.

Her words reminded him of his story, no... Not only that, but also to the scars that she saw this morning. Although she hadn't made sure that he was a Reinheart or not... But she knew the torture was real. The pain was real. Not a single criminal deserved to experience this. If--- If he wasn't the real Angelus Raizel, at least, King Gervis of Asteria could lighten his sentence by executing him honourably considering his services and what he had done for Asteria. Not like this... He wasn't even given a chance to prove his innocence...

"To be honest... I never thought I'd be in the same boat with you..." Rose realized they were like two wolves licking each other's wounds or maybe... Actually, the wounds were still bleeding but they covered it. Since that was what all royalty do... Cover their wounds and pretend to be strong. The strongest pillar of their kingdom who must not fall shed tears or lose control over their emotions no matter how much hurt they were.

Angel turned to her and smiled bitterly. His hand raised his glass, asking her for a toast.
"There is nothing more bitter than betrayal."

"I couldn't agree more with you..." She raised her glass and bumped it to his before they drank it. It was the toast that celebrated either their pain or because they had found someone who could understand them.

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