| Author: Tensei Mikami | Original Source: Syosetu | Word Count: 2269 characters |
| Translator: Jiro | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
“I love you. I love you. I can’t help it. I love you.”
Eleanor raised her voice. She pressed her face against the pillow and wailed like a baby without a care in the world1.
A hot sensation overcame Eleanor. It soon became a burning flame that scorched the inside of her body. Her love for Seletina was more than she could bear. Excessive feelings eventually became poison.
Eleanor was aware and afraid of it.
“I love you. I love you. I love you.”
Just like a boiling lava, Eleanor’s feelings for Seletina did not cool. Eleanor had planned to bottle them up. She’d wanted to act like a reasonable adult. However, she couldn’t. She hadn’t been able to do it. She neither wanted to bottle up her feelings nor tarnish them.
“Awhaaaaa! Bwaaaa! Uwhaaaaaaaa!!!”
Eleanor looked out the window to see a single carriage leaving the royal castle. Her vision blurred and she burst into tears once more. Nevertheless, her tear-filled jade eyes did not let go of the carriage for even a moment.
After all, her loved one was on it2.
“I’m sorry.”
Eleanor muttered, falling down to her knees.
“I’m a weak woman. I said horrible things to you3. I won’t ask you to forgive me. But please, find it in yourself to be kind to me.”
The carriage became smaller and smaller, turning into a speck.
In the end Eleanor had not been able to put an end to her feelings. She didn’t feel like putting an end to them. That is why she’d decided to make it so that Seletina hated her.
Which is why Eleanor was currently apologizing to Seletina. Because she’d pushed her own weakness onto her. By making Seletina hate her, Eleanor had been able to put some distance between them.
This, however, had been a very selfish decision, which had undoubtedly hurt Seletina. Instead of putting an end to her feelings, Eleanor had pushed the responsibility over to Seletina.
But she had done it because she thought she would have suffocated otherwise.
Eleanor had been so enchanted by Seletina’s kindness, that she knew there was no going back. She knew just how greedily she would continue chasing after that golden girl.
Yet, even so, Eleanor knew that this was wrong.
As a princess, Eleanor had a duty to fulfill. She had to pass on the royal bloodline and do her duty for the prosperity of the kingdom.
All Seletina, Elias and Dios would eventually marry and fulfill their duties. When Eleanor thought of that future, she was able to convince herself that it was better to keep these feelings a secret.
As Eleanor decided that, tears streamed down her face. Her pillow was long since covered in tears and snot, becoming a total mess. Her face was in no better shape as well.
This is fine. Eleanor thought. Now, for just this moment I will let myself cry. I cannot tell anyone about these feelings. So I might as well cry it out for now.
She cried, and cried, until all of the strength left her body.
A girl’s first love was full of surprises. It was energetic, reckless, and unstoppable, yet dreamy, sparkling, akin to the great explosion of the universe’s creation. It was a shock filled with a spark that reached everyone equally.
The dreamer Eleanor’s first love was none other than Seletina. She was an irrepressibly lovely woman who respected chivalry, possessed beauty, grace, and had a heart made out of kindness.
Eleanor neither regretted nor felt ashamed of falling in love with her.
She would keep her thoughts, sparkling like the brightest star, deep in her hearts, safely tucked away in the deepest jewelry box.
Cherishing it for a long, long time.
Until the day she would be able to take those feelings out of the jewelry box and present them on the top of her hand with a smile on her face.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The two girl’s paths inevitably diverged at this point. However, due to their love for their country, their destinies would cross again and overlap in the future4.
Daughter of Duke Balged, Seletina ul Gold Aldelight.
And the first princess of the Kingdom of Elugor, Eleanor Hazes Elugor Dina Pricia.
At this moment, no one could have known that these two individuals would become the heroes who would pave the way for this era5.
Translator’s Note:
The start of the chapter might get a bit confusing since there is a bit of a timeskip from the previous chapter. The end of the previous chapter (Chapter 84), namely its last line is actually a throwback to the very first line of chapter 25.
