Villainess Loves

Part 20

In what I would say was the perfect timing, Mary opens the door and brings in a cart filled with tea and snacks. Prince Orion stands up and helps Mary set the table.

"Thanks," I say as I take the cup Mary hands me. I take a sip, the warm, slightly sweet taste makes me feel a little better. She looks at me a little suspiciously.

"My lady, are you feeling tired? Do you want to go have some rest? I'm sure Prince Orion is willing to postpone your discussion another time." She says as she places a plate filled with cookies and small pastries in front of us. Prince Orion pauses his actions and looks at me.

"You don't look that good Annelise. We can talk again tomorrow if you're not feeling well." He bumps his hand on his chest.

"I'm not busy these days since Caelum came back so we can hang out more!" He smiles in reassurance. I think about it, taking a bite from a cookie. The sweetness makes me feel a little better, but I think it would be good for me to take some time and figure out these feelings. I know the plot of this novel, and it's one of my favorites, but at the same time, I've been living as Annelise so I feel the same feelings she must have felt in the novel. These conflicting feelings of being both Kim Yuna and Annelise Thornweather are confusing and I don't want to go down a path of negativity.

I stand up and bow to Prince Orion.

"I apologize for ending our meeting. I am feeling a little under the weather so I shall take up your offer." I say to him.

"Oh, no, it's alright! You should get some rest and feel better! We can talk about this tomorrow!" He waves his hands flustered, standing up as well.

"Prince Orion, do you want your tea and snacks or may I take them?" Mary asks, reaching to pick up his plate. He grabs his cup and plate from her encroaching hands.

"Yes, I want them! Sorry, Mary! You can't have them!" Prince Orion declares and bolts out of the room.

"Get better Annelise!!! I'll see you tomorrow!" His voice echoes along the castle's long hallways. I smile at his carefreeness. Prince Orion has always been a little bit of an airhead. His handsomeness and general bubbliness makes him an attractive catch for a lot of ladies. The main female lead, Bella, compliments him by being strong-willed and free-spirited. They are a good couple. 

In the novel, after their relationship is revealed and accepted, they become the foreign ambassadors of Elden, traveling the world and creating long-lasting friendships with many important people and groups. Their help, along with the overall talents of Prince Caelum makes Prince Caelum's reign one of the more successful reigns of Elden.

Mary leans in and looks at my face again.

"My lady, what happened? I thought you were just going to talk with Prince Orion about agreeing to break off the engagement." She asks.

"We were, I just, well." I sigh and lean back against the couch, feeling the softness of the cushion enveloping me.

"You know that I used to like Prince Orion, yeah?" I look up at the ceiling, the fancy elaborate chandelier hangs somewhat dangerously above us, its jewels sparkling in the sunlight.

Mary sits down next to me, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Yes, before your head injury, you were madly in love with Prince Orion. You would find any and all excuses to go and see him, only to be rejected because of his busy schedule." She lists off.

"Yeah, well, there's no way I would continue to be in love when I know that he's interested in someone else, and even meets up in secret with that person!" I grumbled.

"Mary, Prince Orion literally just admitted to everything! He's in love with another person AND he's been hanging around with her for the last month or so! Not to mention that he wasn't going to tell me the news till Prince Caelum's welcoming ball! Why would he reveal his affairs at a highly publicized event with so many influential figures attending?? Does he desire my downfall or something??" I grab my hair in frustration. My lustrous platinum blond locks that were perfectly arranged by Mary are now in a complete mess because of my mussing.

"If Prince Orion was that smart, he would have escaped his three long year training a long time ago. I think he probably thought First Prince Caelum's welcoming ball would be an easy way to inform everyone of his relationship." Mary laughs.

"He's such a stupid idiot!" I smack my head in frustration. Mary rubs my forehead which is now quite red from my smacking.

"But my lady, these things you should have already known, so what exactly is making you feel bad?" Mary asks. I sigh. Mary knows me too well.

"...We've been engaged for over four years. Yeah, we haven't hanged out much in the one year I had with him when he returned from his training after the incident. But I thought that we had something, anything.... But he seems so unbothered by it and is instead so supportive of breaking it off.....Was the time we spent insignificant? I don't know what to feel." I turn and hug Mary, who wraps her arms around me. Tears well up in my eyes as I realized how deeply I felt for Prince Orion and his lack of feelings towards me. I knew he was interested in someone else when my memories returned, but the shock of him actually saying those words, and with such honesty, makes my heart hurt a little. He never officially rejected me, but I'm not dense enough to not notice his disinterest and rejection of our engagement.

"Oh, my lady. It's going to be alright." Mary comforts me as I start to cry in her arms.