Chapter 117
Chapter 117: Every Moment I Spent with You
Josephine, glancing at Elena, rose from his seat and casually spoke.
“Then I’ll stand guard outside.”
“Why, you can stay too.”
Thinking he might be leaving for her sake, she indicated he didn’t need to go.
But Josephine firmly shook his head and answered with a slight shrug.
“When the Grand Duke wakes up, he’ll surely faint if my face is the first thing he sees.”
“Well, I suppose you’re not entirely wrong.”
As Elena nodded slightly in response, Josephine merely made a playfully sulky expression.
After the guard closed the door and left, she sat in the chair beside the bed and quietly gazed at her fiancé.
Though the days seemed no different from usual, the few days since Lupeon wouldn’t wake had passed unbearably slowly.
Afraid he might never wake up, she forced back her tears.
Gently holding her still motionless fiancé’s hand, she spoke softly:
“I wish you would wake up soon.”
The days she had spent with Lupeon had become precious and brilliant memories for her.
At some point, Elena had begun including him in her visions of the future.
When eating delicious food, she naturally thought of him, and when taking in scenery like a masterpiece painting, she wanted to visit that place with him again.
She wanted to share everything with her fiancé, even these small things.
If there was anything that remained like lingering attachment, it was the words she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.
“I’m sorry I was too late, Simon.”
Perhaps it was too late for her promise to properly introduce herself when they met again.
Lupeon still remembered his tender memories with the girl called Rosie, just as Elena had always missed him.
So she wanted to convey her true feelings, even if belatedly, though Lupeon was asleep.
“Every moment I spent with you was always precious to me.”
Elena suddenly realized something she hadn’t noticed when she was young.
That her first love, which she thought had ended long ago, had actually been continuing all this time.
‘Actually, from much earlier, I…’
As he lay there, Elena was overwhelmed by emotions she felt anew.
“Simon, there’s something I want to tell you first when you wake up.”
Though she had resolved not to show sadness to Lupeon anymore, somehow it wasn’t easy.
Just like when she had become endlessly tearful before her childhood friend, tears seemed ready to stream down both cheeks at any moment.
“So please wake up now, Simon.”
Before the confession she couldn’t make until now, Elena showed a sorrowful smile.
Then she transmitted warmth to his hand as usual, and made a wish with her eyes tightly closed.
That Lupeon would surely wake up safely.
Some time passed, and perhaps her desperate yearning had summoned another illusion.
Something unbelievable happened. Lupeon’s hand trembled slightly.
Though it could have been her imagination, her heart pounded wildly at the slight hope she felt in that moment.
‘Could it be… really?’
Swallowing dryly, Elena carefully opened her closed eyes, and could see the form she had been longing for.
Unable to close her mouth, she blinked slowly as she looked at that man.
Seeing her reflection in his clear eyes, she could finally realize he had completely awakened.
“Lupeon, are you really awake?”
Though what she had wished for had happened, Elena felt as if she must be dreaming.
The moment she saw her fiancé, she felt tears about to pour forth, so she bit her lower lip.
She couldn’t burst into loud sobs in front of someone who had just woken up.
Just as she was digging her nails into her palm, trying to suppress her surging emotions.
The man staring at Elena cupped her face with his hand that he had raised with difficulty.
Momentarily startled by his sudden action, she saw longing flash briefly across his face, as if lost in thought.
Slowly caressing his fiancée’s face, Lupeon finally showed her a tender smile.
“I’m sorry for making you wait so long, Rosie.”
Elena’s golden eyes trembled uncontrollably at the man speaking in a voice that seemed half-submerged.
“How did you…!”
Lupeon withdrew his hand from her face and placed it on the blanket.
After holding the speechless woman in his gaze for a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I had somewhat noticed. You were similar to my friend.”
“Then since when did you know? That I was Rosie!”
To her urgent question, Lupeon calmly explained.
The last day he returned from hunting magical beasts, he had accidentally found the ribbon in Anasha’s room.
Now it seemed Lupeon had remembered the blue velvet ribbon he had given to Elena.
Of course, with the imperial family’s crest clearly visible on the back of the ribbon, he couldn’t have failed to recognize it.
Though Elena had suspected Anasha might someday reveal that ribbon to her brother, she never imagined he would discover it so directly.
Dismay crossed her face at his words that he had known her identity long before heading to the capital.
She worried he might have felt betrayed, but he didn’t seem angry.
Elena felt that perhaps now she should completely untangle the knot that had been twisted all this time.
Starting from the moment of their reunion.
Rolling her eyes around, she recalled when she first came to the North.
“Though we’re meeting for the first time, you’re handsome.”
‘Indeed… things started getting a bit tangled from then?’
Slightly furrowing her brow and scratching one cheek, Elena soon asked with an awkward smile:
“Um… shall we start over?”
“Start over? What do you mean?”
Elena, her cheeks slightly flushed, lowered her voice somewhat shyly.
“I mean from our reunion in the North!”
Lupeon chuckled at her answer before slowly nodding.
Elena cleared her throat and offered him her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you after so long. I’m Elena Rohenbach, and I was your friend Rosie.”
Now that she was actually revealing her identity to him herself, her fingertips trembled slightly.
Lupeon, carefully observing her state, gently took her hand and showed his characteristic languid smile.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Lupeon Simon Argenta.”
“…”
‘It really took a long time for this day to come.’
How many times had she imagined this situation of meeting again, not as Elena and Lupeon, but as Simon and Rosie?
Now that her connection with her friend was renewed, Elena showed a faint smile, her heart warming.
“And… I really missed you, Rosie.”
Her eyes widened at Lupeon’s words, almost unbelievable to hear.
Finally, her trembling gaze met her fiancé’s.
Lupeon’s clear eyes shone more beautifully than ever before.
His clumsy but sincere expression made Elena’s heart flutter.
Soon she showed a gentle, calm smile.
“The moments I spent with you were always precious to me.”
Having honestly revealed her identity to him, she felt somehow more at ease in her heart.
Nevertheless, the fact that she had deceived her fiancé until now remained unchanged, so Elena carefully apologized to him.
“Simon… I’m sorry for revealing my identity so late.”
She was careful, worried that revealing this might bring up unpleasant memories for Lupeon.
Of course, she didn’t expect him to fully understand her thoughts. She felt that was something she had to bear regardless.
The man quietly watching her raised his eyebrow slightly, then answered firmly:
“Regardless of who you are, I would have liked you as a person.”
Elena rolled her eyes at these somewhat easily misunderstood words, deciding not to read too much into them.
“I really liked you too! And still do.”
“…”
At this, Lupeon’s earlobes and nape began to turn exceedingly red.
