𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙈𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙚 𝙂𝙤

This is the third date he's managed to cancel.

You know, for a fact, it's Neuvillette; there is no one else able to control the rain like he does. Every time you agree to go out with someone new, your ex-husband magically manages to find out. One of the Melusines always seems to be around you, too.

"I don't understand why you'd need to find a new man," Neuvillette says, tone dry. You divorced him because you didn't think he spent enough time with you, but he's always loved you.

"Because some of us want to move on in their lives," Elpida said as she crossed her arms on her chest, and she looked straight at him with anger. It was the 3 times he had done that, and she started to feel tired of it

"I wish that for you," Neuvillette says, not hiding the fact that he doesn't mean it. He knows you still love him. Why else would you be this upset about him canceling your date? "But why does it have to be so quickly? I understand our marriage didn't work out, but you're always welcome to return home."

"Because I don't want to return, we divorced for a reason, and you have to respect my decision," elpida said, as she trys not to yell and to control her emotions in a place

Neuvillette remains calm, even though he probably is seething inside from being lectured by his ex-wife. His heart still skips a beat every time she smiles, and this little game of hers is making his blood boil. Why couldn't she just admit she missed him back? "I'm perfectly happy respecting your decision."

"Yeah right, you don't, why are you sending the Melusines to follow me around?, why my date are canceled one after the other?, why can't you let me go and live my life?" She said as she stood up for the chair with anger

Neuvillette remains sitting, staring at her. He says nothing, but she can notice his fists clenched, so he's definitely pissed now. "You must be mistaken. I don't know how you're concluding those are my actions. The Melusines were instructed to watch all potential threats to Fontaine."

"I'm just protecting you."

"You aren't protecting me. You are controlling me. these two are two different things , Neuvillette,"she said as she put her hands on the table in front of them as she trys not to yell in his office

Neuvillette finally stands up from his seat and places his fists on the table, leaning on it while facing her. His eyes are fierce as lightning, as they have always been whenever you two would end up arguing.

His voice is stern. "I'm doing my job as the Chief Justice," he says. "And you cannot possibly expect me to not care that you, the woman I loved for so long, ends up in danger."

"We. Are. Divorced!, What can't you understand that?!, the words we spoke in front of the archon, it's over! Let me go and live my life," she said as she yelled a bit. She was starting to get tired of this, tired of him

She takes a breath in and out to control her anger "you should move on, like I'm trying to do, but you won't let me, what do you want me to do?, leave the nation?, I had hear Liyue harbor is a very beautiful nation I can go there and never see you again, or you want me to jump in the Primordial Sea?, so I can let my sin for marry you can be absolve?" Elpida said as she was looking straight at him

Neuvillette couldn't help but wince when she said the words: "primordial sea," knowing that it's an euphemism for suicide.

He looks away, taking a deep breath. After a while, he answers, "Neither of those things, of course. I just -" he pauses. How to say it? Would she even be willing to listen?

"I want you to return home to me."

"Not can't do, and I won't, because if I wanted to stay with you, I wouldn't have asked for a divorce in the first place, accept my decision and let me live my life," she said as she put both on her hands on her face as she trys to calm down

Neuvillette clenches his fists again, his nails digging into his palms. He can't believe her. So stubborn, so... annoying. The worst thing is that he finds her cute when she's all pouty like this. What's a man got to do to make her come back home?

He takes a step closer to her, so close their noses are almost touching.

He whispers in her ear. He can feel her warm breath. "I'm not accepting it."

"Don't come closer, and you should accept my decision. This is what you call justice?" She said as she stepped back away for him

"This isn't about justice; it's about us," he says under his breath, following her steps and getting close to her again. He's not going to give up easily-he has to make her understand how much he loves and needs her. If she'd just listen for once....

"Why did I come here in the first place? You won't even listen to me, I'm tired," she said as she stepped back and turned around to leave his office

He grabs her arm and pulls her back around to face him.

"I'm not just going to step aside and watch you make a mistake, Elpida-I refuse. You don't belong outside of the court, in these streets, without my protection. You need someone to take care of yourself, someone to keep you safe." He says with a voice full of emotion as he says, "Someone like me."

"I never ask for something to keep me safe!, All a ever asked it was to live a normal life,I had lost myself for who I am, everybody knew me as your wife and only, I couldn't be myself, even if I tried, there will always someone behind me told me not to, I didn't have the freedom like you had promised, and as we spoke about freedom, you were barely there, next to be, when I needed you the most, you always had work, I was left behind, as you stepped forward, please accept my wishes and move on, because I can't be your shadows again" she said as she push him away and walk towards the door to leave

Neuvillette grits his teeth tight. "You selfish little -"

He can't even let out the words. She's right, and he knows it. He wasn't there for her. He could never leave his position and be by her side. He couldn't give her what she asked for. What she deserved. It was his fault.

"-wait, Elpida. You can't leave like this!" he says, rushing to pull on her hand.

"Monsieur Neuvillette," she turned around to look at him a bow "même si nous divorçons maintenant, je t'aimais, je l'ai vraiment aimé," she said and she left his office as she closed the door behind her

(English translation, even if we are divorced now, i loved you, i really did,)

Neuvillete was speechless. She had said that she loved him in past tense. She had loved him. It had been obvious that things weren't the same for her ever since they had separated. But the idea of her not loving him anymore was heartbreaking.

As she left, Neuvillette sat down at his desk. He didn't know what to do. He just wanted to get her back. Was that too much to ask for?