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HALF AN HOUR FOR LOVE β Childe x F!Reader
Chapter 33. Colors
Ajax's childhood was filled with all kinds of bright colors β a happy family, loving parents and his newborn brother Anthon, many friends, in whose company he spent all his young years filled with happiness, games and children's fun. A secure life that promised him a successful future and a good life without hardships and adversities that, as it seemed to him at that moment, couldn't touch him. And the ginger boy, still very young and naive, took it all for granted. Like something that would never change, because there was simply no reason for any changes to disrupt his regular life.
Right up to the moment when his parents had their first big fight. At that moment, Ajax was very upset, but he didn't attach much importance to this quarrel between his parents. People who love each other sometimes quarrel, which is normal, because people are different beings by nature, and sometimes a clash of different views is simply inevitable. This is exactly the conclusion the boy came to after his parents reconciled, and the whole situation was intelligently discussed and safely forgotten, like a terrible dream. His father always praised him for his quick wit, and then the boy's heart was filled with inexplicable pride that, even being so young, he already understood the complex things of the adult world.
In the melodramas that his mother watched in the evenings, the spouses and lovers also often quarreled, but then, of course, they passionately and desperately reconciled. Although all this was more likely just a feature of the genre. Therefore, Ajax simply drew a parallel once again to reassure himself again in the hope that this is only one time and that it will never happen again. Nevertheless, the ginger boy immediately made an unspoken agreement with himself β when he gets a wife, he will not quarrel with her for anything in the world! At that moment, Ajax's cheeks burned with such thoughts, and for the first time he really thought about it. What is the name of the love of his life? What was his future wife doing right now?
These thoughts weren't something that filled his mind on a constant basis, and as soon as everything was fine again, they disappeared from his head altogether, waiting for him somewhere in the future, in adulthood, which loomed somewhere far ahead. Ajax's life went on as usual β his blue eyes shone with bright colors, filled with brilliant light β a happy family, his parents, younger brother Anthon and a little newborn sister Tonia. Teenage life with friends was filled with fun, hanging out and unrestrained enjoyment of youth. Everything in his life was really amazing, and any guy his age could envy his life.
Ajax continued to think in this way until his father and mother quarreled again. This time, five years after their first quarrel, the second quarrel was hotter and more serious. Hugging Anthon, who was crying softly and scared, Ajax listened to the voices in his parents' bedroom, sincerely wanting to find out what had caused the quarrels between his parents, who had once loved each other so much. The raised voices of his parents interrupted each other, shouted over each other, and continued to mention the company his father owned, some stocks, and the fact that incomes were rapidly beginning to fall.
His father continued to insist that he needed to devote more time to work, not wanting to miss out on precious profits, and his mother urged her husband to devote time to his family. Her anguished voice continued to sound pleading and moaning about how tired she was of seeing her husband so stressed, tired, mired in a job that no longer brought the same pleasure as before. Ajax greedily absorbed every word as sticky fear slowly but surely took its place in his heart. Holding his crying little brother close, he didn't know what to do next.
He absolutely didn't want to listen to his parents' awkward apologies the next day, to see their strained insincere smiles, because Ajax understood that his parents knew that he had heard everything perfectly last night. And he absolutely didn't want to understand and accept the fact that his parents' quarrels were no longer an isolated incident, and the good future that had awaited him since childhood was gradually becoming hidden behind the dim fog of fading light in his eyes.
The days flew by, giving way to months and years, bringing light back to his eyes β Ajax's world, although it had lost several of its precious colors, continued to sparkle with colors. His parents, who were trying to keep their family and relationships together, decided to have another child in the hope that baby Teucer would help preserve and revive the love in their hearts with renewed vigor. Studying at the Academy wasn't too difficult or boring, but the rebellious period required adventures with friends and adventurism. His lovely brothers and sister continued to delight him every day, and these moments helped him forget about the fact that the fracture in his family continued to crack, despite all the efforts that were being made to maintain this fragile balance.
Ajax, the eldest son and future young heir of the company, did his best to protect his younger brothers and sister from the world in which their parents continued to drift apart. He tried to keep their childhood pure, full of joy and happiness, and more than anything in the world he didn't want their childhood world to be destroyed by harsh reality. Ajax continued to maintain this fragile balance with the most tremulous feelings, not wanting Anthon, Tonia and Teucer to experience the same grief as he did in his youth. He guarded the crystal castle of their childish nature with all care and tenderness, not allowing anything or anyone to destroy this precious peace.
In the evenings, when his mother turned on the tv to once again forget herself watching melodramas, he would stealthily watch her from afar. As a teenager, he no longer kept her company while watching melodramas, but he was glad that his sister Tonia had picked up this habit. Ajax watched as his mother hugged her daughter lovingly, but her gaze was empty, as if she wasn't here now β not at home, but somewhere very far away, where her heart wasn't torn apart by pain. He watched as salty tears flowed down her face, while Tonia enthusiastically watched the development of events in the melodrama.
His mother allowed herself to cry, thinking that no one would witness her tears, but here he was, Ajax, his heart bursting with despair, looking at his crying mother and feeling an unpleasant lump of suppressed sobs rising in his throat. When his mom watched her favorite melodramas, she allowed herself to smile to distract herself from the hardships of heartless reality, and the realization that she was crying even when she was doing what was supposed to bring her happiness tore his heart apart. It was at that moment that he realized that nothing would ever be the same again.
He never knew what exactly would become the peak of the split, what event would become the point of no return, after overcoming which his ordinary life would change forever. These thoughts haunted him, gnawing into his daily life, depriving him of joy and peace, tormenting him with gloomy images in his dreams. But Ajax could have sworn that the reality was much scarier than what he was always worried about. His heart skipped a beat when he burst into his parents' bedroom, hearing his mother's painful cry, and saw salty tears streaming down her face as she pressed her hand to her cheek burning from the slap. He reacted instantly.
"Stop it, father!" Ajax was instantly in front of his father, blocking out his crying mother.
His blue eyes, once shining with light, now extinguished, widened in horror as he looked at his father's face, distorted with rage. He had never seen his father lose his temper in such a way, and the realization of his own weakness, the inability to protect his mother and siblings, was firmly ingrained in his skull without the possibility of ever disappearing from there. Ajax's heart was beating wildly in his chest as he steadfastly, not daring to make a single move to retreat, waited for his father's next punch. His mother was crying behind him, begging him to calm down and hide, assuring him that she would figure it all out on her own.
"Ajax, honey, please! Let me handle this!" The woman was crying uncontrollably, holding her son by the shoulders, but the ginger boy continued to stand his ground, desperately trying to protect his mother, spreading his arms to the sides and blocking the way to his father. His face was distorted with fear, but his gaze was unwavering.
And then his father stepped back, giving his son only a cold squint of gray-blue eyes. For the first time, the boy felt uncomfortable next to his father β all the happy moments from family dinners to joint ice fishing near the lake house flashed before his eyes. At one point, it all became just an illusion, which seemed to have been imagined by him in a feverish delirium. His father didn't say a word and left the bedroom, leaving his son and his mother alone. The exhausted woman sank to the floor, pressing her hands to her face and crying uncontrollably. Ajax knelt down next to her.
"Mom, I'm so sorry..." His voice trembled as he snuggled closer to his mother, hugging her tightly with his strong arms. The woman hugged her son back and smiled softly, trying to pretend that everything was fine. But the boy knew that this was absolutely far from the truth. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you. I should have come a little earlier..."
"It's okay, darling. It's not your fault..." Her words were gentle and soft, and this fact crushed his heart even more. He swallowed deeply and clenched his jaw until his teeth hurt.
At that moment, Ajax felt a burning anger turning into a burning rage β his heart was breaking for his mother, who had to go through all this horror. And the worst part was that he couldn't do anything but witness another argument between his parents. The boy didn't know which feeling prevailed in him at that moment more strongly β the feeling of his own helplessness or anger at the fact that he was so weak. It's possible that it's both in equal measure. His heart was filled with pain and despair, but at the same time, it gradually began to be filled with determination. And at that moment, he promised himself that he would become stronger. In order not to let anyone or anything hurt his family even more in the future.
He had very few options to become really strong, and he decided that he needed to start at least with physical strength. To be prepared for any possible outcome. It was with such thoughts that he stood in front of Skirk, the coach at the Academy where he studied. After listening to his request, she gave him a somewhat indifferent look with her pink eyes, but didn't object, promising that she would teach him everything she knows herself. Perhaps she was attracted by the lack of sparkle in his eyes β absolutely identical to what she had herself, perhaps it was something else β a desire to help, Ajax didn't know and didn't think about it for a long time. He was just grateful to Skirk for agreeing to help him. Her training was harsh, but it made Ajax stronger.
From that moment on, his life turned into a waking nightmare β the constant quarrels of his parents, which in one way or another affected not only him, but also his brothers and sister. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shield them from the harsh reality, the fragile facade of which he had managed to maintain some time ago. He wanted to run away, hide, and never hear another cruel word from his father's mouth, or hear his mother cry. His younger siblings snuggled closer to him in the darkness of his room, trying to hide from the horrors of reality in his arms, but each of them understood that this was simply impossible.
The dark oceans of Ajax's eyes had completely swallowed up the light that had once shone in his bright blue eyes β now his world was completely grey. It seemed like nothing could ever bring back the sparkle in his eyes, because with each passing day it seemed to him that he was sinking even deeper into the depths of despair. The colors disappeared from his world, leaving the canvas completely gray and faded.
But no matter what, time went on, he matured and graduated from the Academy, receiving a good education β it seemed to him that it could save his family. He would have been able to help his father increase the company's profits to finally end this hellish cycle of suffering in his family. It seemed like the perfect plan to him. Exactly until his father announced to him that he had made a deal with Lumine's parents. A deal that will increase the total profits of both companies. A deal, the condition of which was his marriage to Lumine.
He argued a lot with his father that day. Ajax was depressed, upset and angry. More than anything, he couldn't stand it when others determined his life, his future fate. He always knew that he was the master of his life, and it was up to him to decide who would become his wife. Only his heart could know who he really loved. He never considered his childhood friend as his love or wife. And the worst part was that Lumine wasn't against this wedding at all. Ajax didn't want to hurt her, but he also really didn't want to marry someone he didn't love. And then something happened that destroyed their friendship forever.
His father's constant lecturing, the preparations for the wedding, and the whims of Lumine, who enjoyed his father's favor and never listened to him. The lawyers who promised to help him and his mother with the division of property in a divorce that had become an obvious end, which was led by the constant quarrels of his parents, the trials between his mother and father, the worries of his younger siblings β all this mixed into a huge tangle of stress and anxiety that became an integral part of his life. It was all just unbearably hard, and at one point Ajax thought that he couldn't take it anymore.
Late in the evening, in the darkness of his office, he opened a bottle of brandy and drank himself into oblivion, ending up unconscious until midday and missing an important meeting with investors. Halfheartedly listening to his father's angry expatiation, who personally came to tell him off that same day, Ajax discovered to his surprise that alcohol had eased his anxiety and stress for a while. And listening to his father's angry speech right now, the ginger man felt nothing but a strange calmness and apathy. For the first time in a long time. And he liked it.
From that moment on, alcohol, partying, and one-night stands became a familiar routine for Ajax, which saved him from constant stress and frustration. It helped to calm down for a while β another stress, add to it a bottle of brandy and a pretty model from the modeling agency of Signora on his lap, who fell for a couple of kind words, his handsome face and a decent amount in his account, and all this equation eventually equals a brief haze of relief in his head. It all seemed to the ginger man the only way out, the only way to bring the colors back into his life.
Ajax diligently poured tons of paint on the gray canvas of his life, sincerely hoping that it would save him. These vicious paints mixed with each other, changing colors and shades, flowed down the canvas, smearing and shimmering, but never really absorbed into the canvas. It gave him temporary relief, but it never made him truly happy. And this fact was more eloquent than any words. It didn't save him, it dragged him even deeper into the depths of despair. And at that time, it seemed to the ginger man that there would never be an end to it.
And you ended up being the love of his life. It seemed absurdly funny to Ajax β when you two first met, in his eyes you looked like a damn annoying, self-confident, cocky woman, and he could tell that you irritated him. But at the same time, your nature made you so attractive to him. Despite his high position and status, you weren't afraid to be rude to him, you weren't afraid to tell him the truth and everything that you think about him. That honesty, that energy, that passion, that's what he liked about you. And this is what he was drawn to, what he wanted to understand and experience. The ginger man was wondering how far the two of you could go.
You were a new constant in his life, unlike the others. And with you, he experienced a lot of new and unknown emotions and feelings for him. He liked the fact that in some ways you were like him. Relentless, bold, stubborn, passionate, strong-willed, ardent. From the initial mutual irritation caused by your and his stubborn and brash natures, the two of you quickly developed into an exciting friendship. And to his surprise, he discovered that you were a good friend. Despite your bold and stubborn nature, you were the epitome of tenderness with people close to you. Just like him.
You were gentle, understanding, empathetic, tender and kind. Just by being with him, your presence enveloped Ajax in warmth and comfort, and for the first time in a long time, he truly felt serene, calm, and rested. It wasn't like the feeling he had when he was trying to deal with his worries with alcohol and one-night stands. No. This feeling was similar to the one he felt as a child. Calmness, joy, satisfaction, comfort, happiness β everything he felt when everything was still okay. You were the one who awakened all these feelings in him from a long, long sleep.
And it became an addiction for him, because the ginger man wanted more. He was reaching out to you like a moth flying towards the bright light of a lantern. Your smile was a guiding star for him, shining in the dark, dark sky of his reality. He kept looking at you, and you kept leading him forward. And with each passing day, Ajax felt how the depths of despair that had been dragging him down into its depths all this time before meeting you had finally let him go, and he could finally swim to the surface. Thanks to you. Every moment he spent with you was like something precious to him, something he treasured deep in his heart.
You skillfully painted with bright colors on his gray canvas, leaving neat, beautiful patterns with a thin brush where the old crooked and rough strokes had been. Ajax was amazed at how easily you managed to cover up all his previous unsuccessful attempts to paint his gray canvas. You continued to create β and you did it beautifully. You were a skilled artist, and the ginger man knew even then that no one but you could ever change his gray canvas. Neither he nor anyone else. Only you. And your ultimate masterpiece was him β Ajax, whose life was once again filled with bright colors.
You were the one who brought colors back into his life.
And, realizing this fact, he fell in love with you. He fell in love with you passionately, reverently and irrevocably. He fell in love with your smile, your enthusiasm, your energy, your emotions, your every word, your presence next to him, the way you made him feel. You were the woman Ajax saw his future with. You were the one he wanted to spend his life with, to share every second with you β whether it was happy or sad β it didn't matter, he was willing to go through any obstacle on the way, just to have you by his side. He wanted to grow old with you, he wanted the two of you and your children to go ice fishing together one day. It was everything he had ever dreamed of.
Seeing your smile, hearing your laugh, hugging you, kissing you, whispering words of love to you were all the things he wanted more than anything in the world. The idyll in your relationship, the mutual understanding, the tender love for each other, the way you got along with his family, the way he got along with your family β all this was like a sign from above, as if heaven itself made it clear to him that you were his destiny. That he's on the right track. That's all that mattered to him, and he could really give himself up to that feeling. If it weren't for one but. His wedding to Lumine and the damn bet with Ayato.
How much Ajax wished he could go back in time and fix everything he had done with his own hands. If he had a single chance, he would do anything to never agree to this damn bet. He would have found another way to help his family. The ginger man was a fighter by nature, he could have done it. But why did this realization come to him so late... His heart ached with pain every time he saw your sincere smile. You didn't deserve to be deceived. He hated himself for being such a coward. Ajax promised himself to become strong, but in the end he remained a pathetic weakling. He was a weakling who so mercilessly wounded the person dearest to him. You.
The pain reflected in your beautiful eyes, the tears flowing down your rosy cheeks, your body trembling with sobs that day β all this tore his heart apart. You were standing in front of him β so fragile, trembling, crying, broken, wounded, β at that moment you looked as if all the happiness that ever existed in your heart had left you forever. His confession about the dirty bet crackled in the air like electrified wires, and the silence was interrupted by your and his heart-rending sobs. And he knew he had no right to cry right now. After all, it was all his fault. But despite this, tears continued to flow down his face.
Ajax was ready to fall on his knees in front of you and beg for your forgiveness. But even if he had fallen to his knees in front of you, he knew perfectly well that he didn't deserve your forgiveness. Not after what happened. His heart continued to reach out to you inexorably even when you looked at him for the last time. The sharp look in your eyes, filled with hatred, disappointment and pain, hurt him more than the sharpest knife. It was hard to breathe, he wanted to scream out loud when you slowly but surely continued to walk forward, not allowing yourself to stop and turn around. You were fair about that, leaving him alone in the way he fully deserved.
That evening, after the reception, he returned to his apartment. His heart was filled with a tiny hope of seeing you in your shared apartment, but it logically turned out to be empty. It seemed that Ajax couldn't be in any more pain, but the pain continued to intensify, exceeding all possible limits and not leaving him alone for a second. The echo of your presence was still there, because he could still smell your perfume. His soul was torn apart as he walked slowly, like a ghost, through his apartment, and the look of his empty blue eyes continued to cling to every corner that held your shared memories.
Happy but now painful memories filled his head like the frames of a movie recorded on old tape. The ginger man remembered how the two of you sat on the couch in the living room and watched a romantic comedy β your melodic laughter continued to sound in his head as he looked at this now empty couch. The next frame was of the two of you cooked dinner β you both messed up a bit with the pie, but that didn't stop you two from enjoying the delicious food and the happy time you spent with each other. These memories were painful, but he wanted to remember. After all, it was all he had left.
Slowly, Ajax turned his gaze to the balcony, to where you were standing just recently in his red shirt in the dawn rays of the sun with a cup of coffee in your hands, watching how Snezhnaya greets its new day. Your hair, flowing down your back, was swaying slightly in the fresh breeze, and your relaxed posture indicated that you felt comfortable and safe. And watching you from the sidelines, he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have you. At that moment, his soul was fluttering with love. And when you turned to him, smiling happily and holding out your hand, invited him into your arms, he was happy. In a way he had never been happy before.
Tears began to flow down his face again as the memory dissipated, and your morning image slowly disappeared into the darkness of the night. And no matter how much the ginger man clung to each of the memories, it still didn't help him cope with the pain that tore his heart. It was unbearable, but fair, so he endured it no matter what. It was the only thing he could do right now to make up for his guilt to you. Therefore, he was willing to endure.
Time moved inexorably forward, leaving sad events behind, but even after a week the pain didn't go away β it only continued to increase with each passing day that Ajax had to spend without you. The open wound on his heart continued to bleed, staining his canvas with red and burgundy colors. With tears in his eyes and a heart breaking with pain, the ginger man helplessly watched as the red, dripping lines of paint flowed down the canvas of his life, slowly but surely covering up the beautiful masterpiece of his happy life that you had painted. It turned his canvas into the same mess it was before he met you. And maybe it got worse.
But despite this, his life went on β slowly, languidly and meaninglessly. Ajax continued to fulfill all his obligations, but he didn't feel alive. He was just a shell of his former self. Everything around him was not standing still, because no one cared about his personal drama, and people continued to expect him to fulfill his obligations. And the ginger man continued to live up to other people's expectations, abandoning his attempts to resist other people's instructions and decisions, because it no longer made sense. Nothing made sense anymore without you by his side.
He missed you β so much. He kept telling himself he fully deserved all this torment, but it was driving him crazy. Ajax didn't know what was happening to you right now, didn't know how you were doing. His heart ached so much and desperately yearned for you. And one day, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Yoimiya, please!" The ginger man shouted. His voice, loud and anguished, filled the courtyard of his company. He looked tired, exhausted, confused, broken, and lost. There was a shadow of sadness under his eyes, and the oceans of his eyes were completely empty and lifeless. Ei and Yoimiya stopped mid-stride, not turning around.
His anguished, pleading cry attracted the attention of the people around him, but he didn't care at all what others might think of him. He heard whispers and surprised exclamations from his subordinates, but he didn't give a fuck. He didn't give a fuck about his reputation, his father's reputation. The only thing he wanted was to know that you were okay.
"Please tell me she is okay..." Ajax whispered, his voice broken and trembling. "I beg you..."
The courtyard fell into a deafening silence for a moment β the unwitting witnesses of his drama were waiting for the continuation. He felt absolutely awful β every second without an answer seemed like torture, but he continued to humbly wait for the girl to answer him. The blonde slowly turned and looked him in the eyes. The amount of contempt in her gaze was justified, and Ajax understood it. A contemptuous glance was the only thing she gave him before turning away and leaving him alone.
The sky above his head shook with the roar of thunder, and the first drops of pouring rain watered the ground. He remained standing in the middle of the company's empty courtyard, alone under the harsh, cold drops of rain, fully accepting his punishment. The ginger man knew that everything would turn out this way, but he still didn't back down. He didn't talk to his father earlier when he really should have, didn't call off the engagement, and didn't tell Ayato to go to hell with his disgusting bet. Ajax was a selfish man who never deserved you. A broken sob escaped his lips.
Who's gonna love him like you?
And so he stood before the altar, dressed in a neat black suit, listening to the priest recite the wedding vows in a monotone, solemn voice. The ballroom of the Goth Grand Hotel was filled with a solemn silence, broken only by the faint sound of a wedding march. Beside him stood Lumine, wearing a beautiful white wedding dress β the woman who would soon officially become his wife. She held a beautiful bouquet of roses and gazed distantly into the void in front of her. Behind them, the hum of the invited guests faded β everyone was watching the ceremony with bated breath.
His parents, once again playing the role of a happy family, and his siblings sat in the front row. His father and mother smiled forced smiles, not entirely sincere, because they couldn't bear to be in each other's company for too long. Anthon, Tonia and Teucer, dressed in formal suits, didn't look happy, but were forced to behave quietly. Next to his family were Lumine's parents and her twin brother, Aether, who continued to pierce Ajax's back with his golden eyes with sincere hatred.
The ginger man fully understood and accepted Aether's hatred for him because he deserved it. His self-loathing could rival Aether's hatred for him. After all, it was all his fault.
"I ask the bride and groom to say their vows." The priest said solemnly, speaking to Tartaglia and Lumine.
The bride and groom, who had been standing in complete silence, seemed to have woken up from a dream β they looked as if they weren't here, but somewhere in a completely different place. And only the priest's voice brought them back to the cruel and hateful reality. The blonde remained strangely motionless, so Childe decided to take the initiative. His slightly trembling hand reached for the velvet box and he took out a gold wedding ring with a diamond.
The man slowly turned to the blonde and held out his hand to her, waiting for her to put her hand in his. Lumine looked unexpectedly awkward and lost, there was no happy smile on her lips, and there was no love light in her golden eyes anymore. However, she slowly put her hand into the man's, not entirely sure what she was doing right now. Everything around seemed like a surreal dream β these clothes, this ring, these guests, these vows, this wedding, after all.
"I, Ajax, take you, Lumine, to be my wife." Ajax's voice was loud, but it carried no emotion. The memorized words of the wedding vows fell from his lips clearly, but it carried no real meaning β there was no sincerity, fidelity or happiness in it. All these words seemed to him only a mockery and a cruelty of fate towards him. The ginger man put the ring on Lumine's finger. "I promise to be true to you in good times and in badβ¦"
Ajax's life was ruined, so nothing mattered anymore. Whether he married Lumine or not β he didn't care. You would never return to his life, no matter how much he wanted you to. And without you, nothing else mattered. The small wristband you gave him remained on his wrist, the last, only reminder of you, and he didn't dare take it off, wanting to preserve his love for you no matter what.
Childe, still holding Lumine's hand, stared at the wedding ring on her finger for a long time, as if trying to figure out if this was really his current reality.
"I ask the bride to say her vows." The priest unobtrusively reminded when the silence between the bride and groom stretched out for several long seconds.
Lumine shuddered, as if awakening from a long sleep, and slowly turned to the box with the second wedding ring. The woman in front him looked weightless and pale, like a ghost β her movements were hesitant, as if she were internally resisting every move, yet she continued to do it because others expected it of her. Ajax continued to watch her unhurried actions indifferently, as if his future fate wasn't being decided right now.
The bride took the wedding ring with trembling hands and turned to the ginger man, who immediately extended his hand to her, causing her to be taken aback for a moment. Lumine looked into his eyes, which reflected nothing, and her very being shuddered with horror. Could she have imagined that Ajax would ever offer her his hand? It felt wrong. It wasn't her, and it wasn't him. It wasn't for them. They weren't here by choice. It had never been right, it was a mistake.
The woman slowly took his hand in her hand and began to carefully place the ring on his finger, her voice breaking as she spoke her vows. This moment was completely different from the moment during the wedding rehearsal, when she had been genuinely happy as she spoke her vows. Now Lumine knew it was wrong. "I, Lumine, take you, Ajax, to be my husband."
Her voice was trembling treacherously, and for some reason the golden ring didn't want to move forward at all. The ginger man in front of her continued to wait patiently, and seemed completely oblivious to the hurricane of emotions and tension that was raging in the woman in front of him. Uncertainty about the correctness of her actions, a sense of her own helplessness, longing, sadness and despair β all this was reflected in the blonde's eyes and hampered her movements. The guests, unsure of what was going on, were whispering among themselves. It seemed to Lumine like a torture that couldn't end. Therefore, the only one who could end this torture right now was her.
"No." She said unexpectedly, still not quite placing the ring on Ajax's finger. The ballroom instantly fell silent β the guests' voices faded, and everyone turned their attention to the bride and groom, awaiting the continuation of the exciting scene. Somewhere in the front row, their parents exchanged confused glances. The ginger man continued to stare at the woman in front of him, but his expression took on a puzzled expression for a few moments. He waited for her next words, and she didn't keep him waiting.
Lumine looked into his eyes and with a sudden confidence that appeared in her heart, she said in a loud, confident voice. "I'm not going to be your wife."
Childe's blue eyes widened in shock as her words hung in the air, enveloping the ballroom in a tense silence. With an unprecedented sense of relief, Lumine dropped the bouquet from her hands, and it fell to the floor with a dull rustle right under their feet. A moment later, the blonde turned around and, without saying another word, headed towards the front exit. Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she held up the hem of her white dress and ran between the rows of invited guests, who were frozen in silent shock and confusion.
The wedding ring fell off his finger, never fully attached to it. It hit the marble floor with a small clink, rolled away somewhere to the side, remaining forgotten and no longer needed. Ajax, shocked and speechless, stood alone at the altar. When the front door finally slammed shut behind Lumine with a thud, the hotel ballroom was completely silent.
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