Love at War | Aonung 🤍

🤍 Chapter 17 [M]

As the evening wore on, Luam contemplated whether to congratulate Lia and Aonung.

He didn't know what to feel. There was a part of him that was ecstatic for his friend, but there was also a part of him that felt broken.

Regardless, he was slowly hating himself for falling in love with her.

She was expecting a child. They were starting a family, and he almost came between them. Perhaps confessing to Lia was a mistake.

Guilt-ridden, he decided it was only right to congratulate them.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he sat on the shore, digging his feet into the sand. With a small pebble in hand, he threw it into the water.

The orange glow on the horizon gave him a sense of peace.

"Luam, is that you?"

The sound of a girl's voice caught his attention as he looked behind him.

"It is you!" Ezaa exclaimed, settling down beside him. "What's wrong? You look upset."

He shook his head. "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

"You looked a bit sad, so I thought maybe you'd like some company," she smiled, placing a warm hand on his forearm.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. You don't need to worry about me," he said, averting his gaze.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to hide it from me. This might sound somewhat awkward, but on the night of the ceremony, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Lia by the pier."

His eyes grew wide as he fixed his gaze back on her. "W-What?"

"Oh! But I didn't tell Aonung if that's what you're worried about." Her lips curved into a smile. "Your secret is safe with me. I know you must be heartbroken to hear about her pregnancy."

His brows creased together in confusion as he shook his head. "I'm not... Look, I appreciate you for not saying anything but I don't think that's any of your concerns."

"Luam, I just want to help you." Ezaa frowned as she tightened her grip on his arm. "You know that Aonung and I had a history together. I haven't told anyone about this, but I still have feelings for him."

The creases on his forehead twitched with curiosity. Her intentions were unclear to him.

"Hey, I know how much it hurts when they don't feel the same way. But if you really love Lia, I can help you win her. What do you say?" She searched his face with hope in her eyes.

There it was. Typical Ezaa. In the past, he had seen how she manipulated and played with Amife, Aonung's former betrothed. His mouth filled with bitterness as he shook his head.

"No, I'm not intending to do that, Ezaa," he said, removing his arm from her grasp.

Anger burned in her eyes as she glared at him. "Why not? You love Lia, and I love Aonung. If we work together, we can break them apart and have them all to ourselves."

Standing up, he wore a look of disgust on his face. A disappointed expression filled his eyes as he glanced down at her.

"You need to stop, Ezaa. Aonung and Lia both love each other dearly. Even though she doesn't have any feelings for me, I won't go around tearing up their marriage. They're already mated and she's pregnant with their first child. You need to wake up and stop being delusional," he spat, turning away from her.

Tired of everything, he refused to be used or manipulated by others for their gain. In addition, he had been friends with Aonung since he was a child. While he couldn't help his attraction toward Lia, he would never pursue her actively.