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HALF AN HOUR FOR LOVE — Childe x F!Reader
Chapter 32. End of the Earth
Your heart was beating fast in your chest – you looked just fine. The reflection in the mirror looked at you with the image of a beautiful young girl in an elegant purple silk dress. It flowed weightlessly over your curves, wrapping your body in a soft cloth and giving it a magical ephemerality. Velour flowers embroidered all over the hem of the dress sparkled with a scattering of diamonds, like drops of fresh dew. You had never worn such a beautiful dress before, and a feeling of delight spread through your chest. You were like a fairy-tale nymph who left the magical forest.
You made a few turns around yourself and smiled happily when the full skirt of the dress followed you made several smooth turns, sparkling with gemstones and rustling the hem of the fabric. The weather was beautiful outside – late spring made itself felt with the melodious trilling of birds and the smell of cherry blossoms and lilacs. You were genuinely excited about the evening ahead, because according to Ajax, this annual reception has always been one of the grandest events of the year. Your thoughts irresistibly returned to your lover and the words he said to you this morning.
"Let's talk after today's reception. I need to tell you something. It's very important."
The memory of Childe's eyebrows furrowing and his voice trembling, despite how hard he tried to look confident when talking to you, made you nervously tug at the hem of your dress and ask yourself questions. What did he want to talk to you about? And what could make him so nervous? You frowned, remembering how tightly his lips tightened, and anxiety filled your heart. You weren't going to put pressure on him and you didn't want him to worry anymore, so you nodded and promised that you would listen to him later in the evening after the two of you returned home.
The ginger man left you for a while, and you didn't bother him, preferring to wait for him to open up to you. It's never been your thing to get into other people's souls. You've always respected other people's desire to keep something personal deep within themselves and patiently waited for the moment when people finally decided to open up to you. You knew it was the right thing to do, and you respected other people's personal boundaries. And now you should have just waited, because if Ajax said he would tell you, then he would do it. True to your thoughts, you smiled at your reflection in the mirror once more when a familiar and beloved voice rang out behind you.
"Are you ready?" Tartaglia asked. You turned to him and noticed that he looked like his usual self. There was no trace of anxiety or worry on his face. Nothing. You knew that a man was very good at hiding his true emotions when the situation demanded it. And you didn't push. You just nodded and smiled at him when there was a hint of radiance in Childe's eyes at the sight of you in a beautiful new dress. "You look amazing."
"You too." Your cheeks were covered with a dust of blush as you looked at your lover, dressed in a classic gray tuxedo. A burgundy-red shirt peeked out from under his jacket, and his polished patent-leather shoes glittered in the bright lighting of your shared bedroom. Despite the fact that his ginger hair was in disarray as always, it seemed to you that this was his highlight – what made him him. "You look great too."
Ajax smiled at your compliment and extended his hand, inviting you to follow him. You put your hand in his, and the two of you hurried out of the apartment. It was getting close to the start of the reception – it was considered bad form to be late. Excitement was swirling in your heart because you're going to meet Childe's father today. You had never met him before, so a shadow of worry could be seen on your face.
You didn't know how you had to behave with this man – you were angry at him for all that Tartaglia had to go through all this time. But at the same time, you couldn't disrespect his father, because you knew that no matter what, deep down, Ajax continued to love him. He loved him in his childhood memories, so you decided for yourself that you would show respect for it.
The trip to the hotel where the reception was to take place was in calm and relaxed silence. The sun was nearing the horizon, turning the world golden pink and turning trees and buildings into majestic golden statues. The spring air filled your lungs, and you breathed easily and calmly. The ginger man tapped his finger on the leather steering wheel of the car to the beat of the music. You noticed that his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and there was tension in his blue eyes. You wanted to distract him from his unpleasant thoughts, but before you could say a word, Ajax spoke up.
"Listen, Y/n, I'm going to have to leave you alone for a while at the reception." The man tightened his grip on the steering wheel, fighting the storm that was raging inside his chest. "I have one thing that I need to do that requires no delay. I'll definitely find you later, okay?"
"Okay, I can handle it." You nodded with an understanding smile and put your hand on his shoulder, gently massaging him, trying to calm him down. And to your delight, Childe really relaxed. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
As you approached the hotel, looking out the window, you noticed a lot of expensive and beautiful cars that were also heading forward, towards the tall hotel building – a destination that seemed an impossible task to confuse. Therefore, it wasn't difficult to guess that the people in these cars were also invited to today's grand reception. A majestic cascade of floral arches greeted the two of you and other guests at the entrance to the hotel, and the majestic view around you took your breath away.
Ajax gallantly gave you his hand, and you accepted his help with a grateful smile as you left the car. A slightly cool, fresh breeze blew over the exposed areas of your skin, and you looked around, enjoying the beauty of the view. You and Tartaglia moved forward to the front doors, where all the other guests continued to flock. The alley leading to the entrance was illuminated by a multitude of bright lanterns and lights resembling stars in the night sky, and while looking at the beautiful sight, you turned your attention to your silent lover again.
Today he was unusually gloomy and serious, not teasing you at all, and you decided that it was related to the upcoming conversation that was to take place after the banquet. You couldn't help but worry about what he wanted to talk to you about and why this conversation continued to bother him so much? But, true to yourself, you didn't put pressure on him and put aside thoughts of the upcoming conversation until after the banquet. Passing through the main entrance, you found yourself in the huge lobby of the hotel – the golden light of a huge chandelier flooded the space with a delicate honey hue.
The polite hotel staff escorted the two of you and the other guests to the elevator, and you once again admired the warm welcome and the surroundings. You and Ajax were holding hands – despite the elevator's capacity, people continued to crowd, and it seemed impossible to take even one breath in this environment. But once the elevator was on the right floor, you could breathe a sigh of relief when the crowd left the elevator and you found yourself in a huge reception hall.
The golden light was reflected in the diamonds of the chandeliers hung throughout the hall. Shoes and heels clattered on the marble floor, neat and smartly dressed waiters and waitresses scurried past the many tables covered with a light tablecloth. Everything here seemed to exude elegance, grandeur and majesty. There were already a lot of people in the banquet hall, dressed in beautiful and expensive clothes – here they looked acceptable and in their place. The huge hall was filled with the sounds of classical music, the noise of small talk and the clink of champagne glasses, everyone here was waiting for the banquet to begin.
Before leaving you, Ajax brought your hand to his lips and gently kissed your knuckles. His blue eyes found yours – the soothing blue of his eyes promised you a quick reunion and asked you to wait a little. And you couldn't refuse him, you could never refuse. When the man left, you were on your own for an indefinite period of time. Straightening the folds of your voluptuous dress, you took a deep breath and stepped forward to meet the upcoming celebration.
As time passed, the banquet hall got hotter, and you felt a little stuffy. With a smile, you drew a parallel for yourself – it felt like you were in the middle of a royal celebration, and the only thing you needed was a fan to refresh yourself and banish the stuffiness. All kinds of treats pleased you with a pleasant taste, while you patiently waited for the return of Tartaglia. But after an hour and even an hour and a half, the man never returned, causing the anxiety inside you to grow with double force.
Occasionally, other invited guests would come up to you to exchange greetings and talk a bit. You smiled kindly, but the feeling of anxiety didn't leave your heart. You felt a little depressed since Ajax had been gone for a long time, but then your gaze caught on a familiar figure that was slowly and smoothly walking towards you.
With platinum-white long hair and a calculating squint of red eyes, you instantly recognized Ningguang, the headmistress of the Academy where Childe studied and where your brother will study. It's been a long time since you've seen her, but you were very happy to see a familiar face in this place where everyone seemed to know each other and there was no place for strangers. You and the white-haired woman exchanged greetings, and Ningguang stood next to you, taking a small sip of sparkling champagne.
"I've never liked these gatherings of moneybags and sycophants," The woman confessed, drawing your attention. You held your breath, waiting for her to say next. "I would prefer to do more important things now, but my position forces me to attend such events." You nodded understandingly, listening to the woman's frankness.
"Each of us has responsibilities that we cannot ignore." Ningguang smiled at your words, as if she was grateful for your understanding, and took another sip of champagne. You awkwardly crumpled the hem of your dress with your hands, you wanted to thank the woman once again for giving your brother a chance to study at the academy of his dreams. "Miss Ningguang, please accept my thanks again. You helped us a lot that time."
"Please, just call me Ningguang." The woman said and looked into the distance, as if remembering something. "Don't mention it. It has always been important for me to help young talents gain good knowledge and pave the way to their future." The woman smiled, and for some reason you saw hidden sadness in her smile. "And it's possible that in that desperate moment, I saw in your brother myself in my younger years."
Your eyes widened, and you asked in surprise, but with genuine interest, "What are you talking about?"
"From the outside, it may seem that I fit this high society and the environment in general." It was hard for you to disagree with her words, so you nodded, continuing to listen. "But it wasn't always like that. At that moment, I saw myself in your brother, because I myself had once been in his place."
You stifled a surprised gasp. The white-haired woman smiled as she continued to speak.
"I was born into an ordinary poor family, and my family predicted an ordinary quiet life for me, but I always wanted something more – to be a part of something special, to help others and do many good things for the benefit of society." Her melodious voice rang out against the background of the other guests' voices as waiters rushed past you with trays on which glasses full of champagne and wine clinked. "I had to work a lot during my school years, because I dreamed of entering the Academy, so I had to forget about the blossoming youth."
Your heart clenched treacherously when you nodded understandingly, because you were well aware of what the woman was talking about. The young years spent studying and working for a better life for your loved ones and yourself will forever remain memories in your past.
"I'm grateful that my family supported me, because thanks to their support and my efforts, now I'm where I wanted to be so much." A smile touched Ningguang's lips, as if the woman remembered something that was dear to her heart. "That's why I wanted your brother to be able to take the entrance exams so badly."
You took a sip of champagne – the bitter taste of alcohol burned your throat, but a moment later a pleasant aftertaste came, spreading warmth through your body.
"Hard work and commitment are just empty words for investors. They are attracted only by the money invested in the Academy, and they simply ignore talent and the desire for knowledge." The woman snorted, irritably flashing her ruby eyes, which showed discontent. "I've always despised people like that. They can never understand what it's like to be born without money."
You were inspired by the determination and perseverance of the woman who stood in front of you. People like her really did everything to make the world a better place. And you genuinely wanted to be like her.
"I'm pleased that you decided to open up to me, Ningguang." You smiled at the woman, and when she smiled back at you, the two of you clinked glasses of champagne and took a few leisurely sips.
"You're a good person, Y/n." The white-haired woman replied to you. "It feels good to share a part of myself with good people."
The unexpected compliment brought a blush to your cheeks, and you smiled gratefully. You were glad that Ningguang kept you company in such an unfamiliar place among strangers, and you felt calm and at ease next to her. Deciding to thank her again, you noticed that the woman suddenly looked around, as if trying to find someone, and then asked.
"Shouldn't Childe accompany you today?"
"Oh..." You hesitated, not knowing how to explain yourself to her. "He told me that he had urgent matter and asked me to wait. But it's been an hour and a half, and he hasn't returned."
Ningguang hummed thoughtfully.
"Maybe you've seen him?" You asked hopefully, but you could tell from the woman's thoughtful face that she hadn't met Ajax yet today. You honestly tried to drive away the anxiety and worry that swirled in your heart throughout the time that you were at the reception, but now it was practically impossible.
Was his absence related to what he wanted to talk to you about after the reception? Why was he gone for so long? The thoughts in your head continued to rapidly replace each other, and anxiety filled you from the inside, like wine filling a glass.
The white-haired woman shook her head negatively, but immediately tried to cheer you up and, putting her hand on your shoulder, spoke. "I'm sure he has good reasons for his absence. Childe wouldn't leave you alone for nothing. If he promised to come back, he will definitely come back. Trust me, I've known him for a very long time. He's a man of his word."
You smiled gratefully at the woman, and you sipped some champagne from the glass again. Your anxiety subsided for a while as you and Ningguang continued to have a pleasant conversation. But a few minutes later, other guests distracted her on some important issue. You smiled understandingly and nodded when the woman apologized and wished you a pleasant evening, and then disappeared after her companions in the crowd, leaving you alone.
The banquet hall continued its hectic life, as if not noticing and not giving importance to a woman standing alone on the sidelines – you were looking out the panoramic window, behind which dusk was gradually gathering. The sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, leaving behind a long bloody streak in the dark evening sky.
That's not how you imagined tonight. In your mind, Ajax never left your side for a second, and the two of you had a good time together, enjoying the banquet and a pleasant evening. You understood that you had no right to be angry with your lover, because everyone has their own matters, so you sincerely tried to suppress the unpleasant residue of his absence in your chest. As you pondered, you looked out the window reflecting the banquet hall, where small talk continued and life was in full swing.
A moment later, in the reflection of the window, your gaze caught on a familiar figure, and your eyes widened as you recognized another familiar person. A golden dress, shimmering in the light of the chandeliers, flowed over the body of a woman who was rapidly making her way through the crowd standing in her way. The blonde's face was focused on the goal she was striving to achieve, and her golden eyes continued to search for someone. Inspired by another unexpected meeting with a friend, you hurried to greet the woman.
"Lumine!" You let out a sigh of relief when you caught up with the blonde, attracting her attention.
The woman's eyes widened with worry when she noticed your presence – Lumine looked like she didn't expect to see you here at all, and your very presence at this banquet seemed somehow wrong. Her already frowning face became even more tense when you spoke again.
"I'm so glad to meet you! It's been a long time since we've seen each other.» You smiled happily, glad to meet the woman you considered your friend.
And you sincerely wanted to believe that she also considered you her friend. The two of you continued to meet under the most unexpected circumstances, and you regarded your meetings as a blessing from fate itself. Fate continued to favor your meetings, even though your meetings were rare and short. But you knew there was something to it.
You waited for her answer, but Lumine avoided looking you in the eye. Her golden eyes were constantly searching for someone, and she looked worried and nervous, as if something was bothering her. As if the very fact of your unexpected meeting caught her off guard and got on her nerves.
You asked worriedly, "Lumine, are you okay? You look very pale." You looked around for the nearest table with jugs of water. "Please, wait a moment, I'll get you some water."
"No need, I'm fine." The blonde replied sharply to you, and you were taken aback for a few seconds. Still in a worried state and continuing to avoid your gaze, the woman bit her lip, and then suddenly turned in the other direction and, without saying a word, hurried to leave you.
"Lumine, wait!..." You, worried about her state, hurried after her, but stopped in the middle when the woman in front of you suddenly froze in place. The two of you froze in the middle of the hall – it seemed like a lot of events, people, and voices were rushing past you, but at the same time, nothing and no one existed around you at that moment. You took deep breaths and waited, but you didn't understand what exactly.
The blonde slowly turned her head towards you, and the profile of her face was illuminated by the golden light of the chandeliers, reflecting diamonds in her honey-colored eyes. You were taken aback – her cold gaze pierced you to the very tips of your fingers, cutting into your body with sharp blocks of ice and filling your heart with a frosty crust. Lumine's voice was as icy as her gaze when she spoke again.
"I'm sorry, Y/n, but I have nothing to tell you."
Shocked to the core, you watched as the blonde turned away and immediately hurried away, as if she didn't want to be near you for a second longer. You were genuinely surprised and saddened by her words, not understanding what you had done to deserve such a cold attitude towards yourself. All those times you met Lumine before, the woman seemed very kind to you, despite her cliquishness. She looked grateful every time you talked to her, both at your first meeting in a cafe and at your meeting at a social reception at Tartaglia's house. What has changed now?
Deeply saddened and lost, you stood alone in the middle of a huge banquet hall, which continued to reject you more and more with every passing second, as if you were an alien object. To your growing tension, you realized how lonely you felt today. The residual bitter aftertaste of meeting Lumine was mixed with the anxiety of the upcoming conversation and the tension that accompanied you from the very moment your lover left you, leaving you alone.
You wrapped your arms around your shoulders in the hope of protecting yourself and feeling safe – you wanted to see Ajax so badly right now. And take refuge in his arms, so that this growing feeling of sadness in your chest will dissolve into his tender love.
"Father, please!" Ajax begged once again. His hoarse voice was drowned out by the hum of voices and the melody of classical music filling the banquet hall. His blue eyes were filled with despair and pleading. The gray-haired man next to him once again ignored his son, continuing a small talk with the guests. "I beg you, cancel the engagement! I know a way to increase our company's profits without merging it with Lumine's company! Listen to me!"
"Don't disgrace me, Ajax." The older man nevertheless turned to his son, his gray-blue eyes met in a menacing squint. At his father's words, a tiny hint of fear flashed in Tartaglia's blue eyes, but his gaze didn't lose its confidence and desire to reach his father at all. "We have already discussed this. You know very well that our company will only be saved by your marriage with Lumine."
"Father, but..." The ginger man objected, breathing in and out of the stuffy banquet hall air heavily. The guests in his father's circle whispered – there was mockery from some, contempt from others, but Tartaglia didn't care.
He felt absolutely disgusting – he had spent the entire evening trying to persuade his father to cancel his engagement to Lumine, but his father continued to ignore him, cutting short any arguments that a wedding wasn't the only option to save the company. Ajax wanted to convince his father to cancel the engagement, and then tell you about the whole situation tonight. But with every passing second of fruitless attempts to reach his father, it seemed impossible to him.
Childe was angry, annoyed, and exhausted as hell, and all he wanted so badly was to be next to you again. His heart ached painfully at the thought that you were still here somewhere, waiting for him alone. He promised to come back to you, and he really wanted to be with you so much right now, but he needed to convince his father that he was right. The image of you alone surrounded by strangers cut his heart like a knife. It was unbearable.
And as if the whole world was mocking him right now, a blonde walked slowly towards them. Her haunted golden eyes met his blue ones, filled with pleading and sadness. Their gaze fight lasted no more than a second, and both turned away in different directions, not even wanting to talk to each other. The tension reached critical levels when both the fiancée and fiancé found themselves in the same circle of assembled guests.
"Here comes my dear daughter-in-law!" The white-haired man greeted Lumine enthusiastically, who instantly smiled tensely, trying to look like a happy and joyful fiancée. With her permission, Tartaglia's father put his arm around the woman's shoulder and pulled her closer to his son. The guests in the circle whispered again, surprised by the words of the man. The older man smiled contentedly and spoke. "Well, I think this is the most perfect and appropriate moment."
The fiancée and fiancé tensed, waiting for the next words of the gray-haired man. Childe's father cleared his throat, and then tapped a small silver spoon on a crystal glass, attracting everyone's attention.
"Please, I ask for your attention!" He tapped his glass of sparkling champagne with a spoon once more, and a moment later, deafening silence covered the banquet hall – the hum of voices subsided, the musicians stopped playing their instruments. Everything froze, and everyone here was waiting for the man to continue speaking.
"What are you going to do?" The ginger man asked in a voice hoarse with worry, a disgusting tangle of anxiety beginning to rapidly grow in his stomach.
"It's no secret to all of you that my eldest son Ajax will soon inherit the position of CEO of the Zapolyarny Palace."
A loud, confident voice in the sudden silence of the banquet hall caught your attention. While searching for your lover, you wandered around the hall among the crowd with a glass of champagne and a heart aching with longing. You had a headache, and you really wanted to go home as soon as possible to finally take a break from the events of this exhausting evening. Your mood was irretrievably ruined, and it would seem that nothing could improve it, but a moment later you noticed a familiar ginger head next to the man who was speaking.
You instantly relaxed, and a joyful, tired smile touched your lips as your eyes caught on Childe's figure. He was standing next to a gray-haired man who looked vaguely familiar to you. You took a closer look – it was the man you crossed paths with on the stairs in the company when he dropped his handkerchief. Instantly, the most logical thought that had ever crossed your mind occurred to you. It was Ajax's father. Then at your first meeting you mistook him for an investor. How could you not notice such a clear similarity in their appearance?
But now this question didn't seem important to you at all, because the only thing you really wanted was to be next to Ajax, in his arms, and feel safe and at peace again. The older man kept talking as you pushed past the crowd to your lover. The excitement of your imminent reunion with the ginger man after a painful separation continued to squeeze your heart, but a happy smile shone on your lips as you looked at your lover.
"Ajax's becoming a CEO of the company was facilitated by another upcoming event, which I finally want to inform you all about with all my fatherly joy and pride!" Tartaglia's father raised his glass of champagne a little higher, and the crowd of guests continued to listen with anticipation to his words.
Tartaglia's eyes widened as he realized what his father was talking about right now.
"No, father, wait!..." Childe exclaimed, feeling his heart racing in his chest as fear slowly but surely spread through his body. His scream was drowned out in a moment of silence when the white-haired man finally spoke.
"Let me announce the engagement of my son Ajax and miss Lumine, the daughter of my dear business friends!"
The banquet hall was completely silent for a moment, and then…
The sound of shattering crystal filled the silence of the banquet hall – the glass shards scattered across the marble floor in front of your feet, attracting everyone's attention. Your gaze immediately met Tartaglia's gaze – Ajax's frightened, fear–filled eyes found your eyes – full at first of incomprehension and fright, and then gradually coming to realize the meaning of the spoken words. The ginger man's heart skipped a beat when your face reflected horridness and disbelief at what was happening.
"E-engagement?" You whispered, dumbfounded, when a second later the banquet hall was filled with noise and shouts of congratulations, the guests raised glasses of champagne in the air, honoring the fiancée and fiancé. At one point, it seemed to you that you had forgotten how to breathe – the air stopped entering your lungs, and it seemed to you that you were suffocating, like a drowning woman slowly sinking to the bottom. The dense water column continued to press on your lungs, preventing you from taking a life-saving breath of air.
The hum of enthusiastic voices hurt your ears unpleasantly, and you couldn't focus on one thing at all. In an instant, a multitude of thoughts filled your head as the world around you slowly but surely absorbed the inevitable chaos. What just happened? You pressed a trembling palm to your head, which continued to split from the incessant pain, while an unpleasant lump of a desperate scream rose in your throat, bursting from your chest. Ajax is going to marry Lumine? Is this some kind of bad joke?
A cold shiver ran through your body, and you turned your eyes to Lumine, who was standing next to the ginger man. She met your gaze without moving. Her golden eyes met your shocked gaze with cold, biting indifference – you put your palm to your mouth, trying to hold back a sob bursting out. The blonde's face contorted into a painful grimace, but with her head held high, she held your gaze, clutching Tartaglia's forearm. In search of answers to your questions, you looked at the ginger man again.
The two of you were separated by a couple of steps and a small crowd of guests, but it seemed to you that a huge chasm had just opened up between you two. His blue eyes continued to twinkle with fear, like pure-cut diamonds, in the soft light of the chandeliers, and for the first time you thought about how much just looking at those eyes hurt you. Ajax was looking into your eyes, and you saw your pain, misunderstanding, and broken heart reflected in his gaze. His face contorted into a grimace of fear and pain when the man took the first step towards you, but was stopped by the blonde.
"Ajax, stay put!" Lumine hissed, forcibly holding Childe by the forearm as he struggled. The ginger man ignored her, once again making an ineffectual attempt to approach you – a desperate growl escaped his lips.
Another sob rose in your throat – louder than it had been before – and you couldn't hold it back, thereby attracting the attention of the crowd around you. Attracted by the ambiguous scene, the guests began to whisper and look in your direction. You clenched your whole body, feeling as if the whole world was inexorably pressing down on you – shocked to the depths of your soul, you trembled violently. You stared ahead with lost eyes, completely oblivious to what was happening around you, while your heart was painfully squeezing in your chest.
Pain, despair, a feeling of betrayal filled you, like a glass of wine, threatening to splash over the edge. It hurt you – it felt like your heart had just been ripped out of your chest, leaving you with nothing, with a gaping void in your chest. And Ajax was the one who ripped your heart out of your chest.
The one you loved the most in the world and the one who promised to keep your heart safe and sound. The precious promises of eternal love that the two of you made to each other in your most intimate moments were trampled on by his lies like useless trash. The first big tear rolled down your face, breaking on the marble floor.
Ajax's heart skipped a beat as a tear ran down your pale cheek, and he growled even louder, "Let me go, Lumine!"
You flinched in fear, and your and Tartaglia's gazes met again. The ginger man made a new desperate attempt to escape from the grip of his fiancée, taking the first step towards you, only to see you step back like a frightened, wounded animal. The man's blue eyes widened in fear as you hugged yourself in an attempt to protect yourself, took a step back – and finally a real realization of what had just happened came to him.
"No... No, Y/n, please..." Ajax whispered in a trembling voice, feeling his bleeding heart squeezed with anxiety, self-loathing and fear of losing you. Fuck, he's losing you right now.
Big drops of tears immediately flowed down your face as you gradually realized that right now you were looking at the person who had just broken your heart. Your breathing was heavy, your head hurt, and you wanted to get out of this damn banquet hall as soon as possible, because it was all too much. You couldn't hold back anymore because the stream of feelings tearing your chest apart was inexorably threatening to burst out of your body. With the last of your strength, you made the first timid movement – your legs wouldn't obey, but you forced yourself to take the first step. And, turning around, you ran.
"No, Y/n, wait!" Ajax screamed in desperation, continuing to struggle out of Lumine's grip, who pressed against his back and grabbed him with both hands.
The long, fluffy hem of your dress made it difficult for you to move, and your eyes were covered with a veil of salty tears, but you continued to move no matter what. The heels of your shoes clattered loudly on the marble floor as you pushed through the crowd of guests – impressionable ladies exclaimed, someone sent curses after you, but you didn't care. The only thing that mattered was to leave this place as soon as possible.
Tartaglia's desperate voice could be heard behind you, the man kept calling your name, begging you to stop, breaking into a scream. But you didn't turn around and didn't stop. Tears continued to flow down your face as you reached the elevator and frantically pressed the elevator call button. Along with your wounded heart, your whole body ached, it seemed to you that it was filled with thick lead and was bleeding from the inside. It was still hard to breathe. It was vital for you to get some fresh air as soon as possible.
"Let me go now!" Tartaglia growled, and the blonde, scared by his ferocious growl, instantly loosened her grip. Breaking free from her grip, the ginger man looked around the banquet hall in desperation in search of your figure. Your whole body trembled as you stood by the far elevator, desperately pressing the elevator call button. Childe's lips trembled, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. The same thought kept repeating itself in his head.
Wait, I beg you. Give me a chance to explain myself.
Pushing aside the guests in his father's circle, the ginger man quickly headed towards you. Surprised and indignant exclamations escaped the lips of the high–ranking guests of the banquet when Tartaglia roughly pushed his way between them, seeing only one goal in front of him – you, crying and trembling, eager to leave the banquet hall as soon as possible. You were all that mattered to him.
"Ajax, stop immediately!" His father exclaimed angrily.
Ignoring his father's angry scream, Childe continued to push his way relentlessly through the crowd of guests – someone fawned over him, someone congratulated him on his upcoming wedding, someone was outraged by his lack of manners, and all this mixed up into a huge tangle of chaos in his head. Shut up, shut up, shut up, all of you.
The loud music cut right through his temples, reverberating with a dull pain in his head. A cry of despair rose to his throat – your name once again escaped from his trembling lips when your face, wet with tears and eyes looking at him, full of unbearable pain and disappointment, disappeared behind the closing elevator doors.
After leaving the walls of the hotel, you ran outside. Instantly, the cold night air blew over your body. It brought you to your senses, and immediately after that came an excruciating headache, mixed with a poisonous pain in your chest. Despite this, you continued to move forward, because staying in place was the same as just falling down and crumbling into small pieces, like the crystal of a glass that had fallen out of your hands scattered on the floor.
Suddenly, the icy wind crashed into your bare shoulders like shards, and you had to cover the exposed areas of your body with your hands in the hope of escaping the unusual May cold. There wasn't a single person around, you continued to rush forward along the alley, along the line of the path consecrated by a long line of spotlights. The silence of this place was interrupted by your ragged sobs, the noise of cars passing you on the roadway and the sounds of classical music that continued to be heard from the hotel windows.
The burning pain never stopped, tearing apart your broken heart. The lights of the lanterns illuminating the alley turned into blurred spots, like stars twinkling in the sky, while your vision was blurred by tears pouring from your eyes. It didn't stop rolling down your cheeks, forming rivulets, and you couldn't understand how your tears hadn't dried up yet. For the first time, the purple dress, so lush and layered, seemed to you like a heavy weight that inexorably pulled you to the bottom.
At some point, you stopped running, walking with a shallow step and breathing heavily in the cool air, which hurt your throat after a long run. Suddenly, a desperate scream cut through the silence surrounding you all this time.
"Y/n, please, wait!" You shuddered, hearing again the voice you loved so much, but right now its sound hurt you more than it gave you peace and serenity.
You slowly turned around and met Tartaglia's gaze, he was trembling with hopelessness and fear. He was standing in front of you, a couple of steps away, breathing deeply, afraid to take an extra step and scare you. His pale lips were pressed into a thin line, and a furious storm of emotions was raging in his blue eyes, ready to burst out in a violent waterfall. The two of you were breathing heavily as you two continued to stare into each other's eyes. Keeping distance from each other, like strangers.
"Please, let me explain everything..." Ajax's voice sounded hoarse as he held out his hand to you in the hope that you would let him hug you and comfort you.
You stayed where you were, not wanting to come closer to the man, thereby causing his hand to drop and his lips to tremble from his own helplessness. However, he stopped trying to get closer to you, but continued to look at you with a pleading look.
An endless number of questions were swarming through your head. You didn't understand. Has he been in a romantic relationship with Lumine all this time? Why did he deceive you? Has he ever truly loved you? Or were all your moments next to each other just lies? But you asked him a completely different question.
"H-how..." Your voice was trembling, causing unbearable pain to both of you: physically to you, emotionally to him. Taking a shaky breath, you continued talking. "How are you going to explain all of this?"
And, like a bolt from the blue, you suddenly realized when your eyes widened, and you looked into Tartaglia's face with horror. The man reflected each of your emotions when you finally asked.
"This is what you wanted to talk to me about after the banquet?!"
You closed your eyes, feeling new tears begin to flow down your face – its salty texture slowly but surely burning through your delicate skin, leaving bleeding wounds on it. Did he really know about the engagement from the very beginning, and today's announcement didn't come as a surprise to him? Then why… Why was he with you all this time?
Why did he give you warm hugs, gentle words, hot kisses, his attention and his love? Was it really love? The fetters of doubt twisted their knots deep in your bleeding heart, making you doubt every happy second you spent with Ajax. You covered your face, wet with tears, with your palms, wanting to hide from the whole world.
"No, listen to me, it wasn't supposed to be like this!" The ginger man exclaimed with despair.
Just looking at you sobbing made his heart break with unbearable pain and guilt. And he was well aware that it was his actions that led to all of this. It was his fault that big tears were streaming down your cheeks right now. Childe took a shaky breath and continued to speak.
"The only condition my father ever set for me to keep the company in my hands was to marry Lumine. It was entirely his initiative. I never wanted to marry Lumine! Please, believe me!" Tartaglia's voice was hoarse and trembled with pleading and despair, but he continued speaking, trying to tell you the whole truth. "I never loved her. You are the only woman I've ever truly loved!"
The ginger man buried his hands in his hair, continuing to breathe heavily. For the two of you, this moment seemed like a real torture, tearing your hearts into small pieces. You were torn apart by overwhelming pain and feelings of betrayal, and Childe was tormented by endless guilt and unrelenting self-loathing. Nevertheless, you continued to listen, and he continued to speak.
"I couldn't give up on this engagement because the well–being of my family – my mother and my brothers and sister – depended on it. I would give anything for them to be happy and never worry about anything. I didn't want them to be left with nothing," Ajax said brokenly, breathing heavily. His blue eyes twinkled in the light of the lanterns, begging you to believe him. "At the banquet today, I tried my best to persuade my father to cancel the engagement because I found another way to increase company's profits without having to merge my company with Lumine's company."
Tartaglia sighed heavily, looking up at the dark night sky where countless stars shone, as if begging the giants burning in the sky for help. He desperately wanted to touch you the way he had done just this morning, twirling you, laughing happily and dressed in a luxurious dress, in his arms. The world immediately split into two parts: before and after. With his heart bursting with guilt and a feeling of his own worthlessness, the man continued to speak.
"I wanted to explain myself to you tonight after I persuade my father to cancel the engagement. I would have told you everything, but I didn't know that my father wanted to announce the marriage publicly at today's banquet. I just didn't have enough time to persuade him to cancel the engagement."
You took a deep, shuddering breath when the man was speaking to you. The pain and resentment continued to gnaw at your heart with its sharp teeth, because you felt deceived, but the ginger man's words explained a lot. Despite this, there was still one point that seemed unclear to you. You looked into the man's blue eyes, trying to find the answer in it. With his heart pounding in his chest, Childe waited for you to speak. And you didn't keep him waiting.
"Then why..." You began slowly and hesitantly, noticing how the man flinched at the broken, painful sound of the words escaping your pale, plump lips. He continued to listen, holding his breath. "Why were you with me all this time? Why did you let me fall in love with you, when all this time you had a fiancée, whom you knew perfectly well you were marrying?"
Tartaglia's heart skipped a beat – he was most afraid of this question, but he knew that sooner or later it would come out of your mouth anyway. The most shameful part of his endless lies, for which he hated himself more than anything in the world. His bet with Ayato. The bet, the condition of which was successfully fulfilled on the very evening when the two of you confessed your love for each other. Realizing that there was no turning back for him and the only right choice was to tell you everything, Ajax looked into your eyes. He wasn't going to run away anymore.
"I made a bet." These words broke the short silence between the two of you. With the last of your strength, you looked into the man's eyes with incomprehension, demanding answers. With a trembling voice, the ginger man continued to speak. "To solve my problem with the company, my friend Ayato offered to make a bet with me as a token of his help, and I accepted. The condition was that I had to sleep with the girl who would be the first to leave the company building." A single tear rolled down Tartaglia's cheek when he looked into your eyes, and then said in a broken voice. "It was you."
For a moment, the world around the two of you ceased to exist. Only the two of you remained, and his fatal words, spoken in the silence of the night. The disgusting feeling of suffocating has returned to you again. With every word he said tonight, Ajax continued to break your fragile heart into pieces, plunging daggers into the flesh still trembling with the desire to live. But at that moment, a critical blow was struck, turning your heart into a handful of ashes burned in the fire of lies and betrayal.
"You used me?" You asked in shock as tears started to flow down your cheeks again. You sobbed, refusing to accept the fact that all of this was happening to you right now. You wanted so badly to disappear and never feel anything again, because it was so painful and unbearable that you wanted to scream loudly. Salty tears were also inexorably flowing down Ajax's face.
"I'm so sorry, back then this bet seemed like my only option..." The man answered you in a hoarse voice. "I didn't think that I'd end up loving you..."
The two crying people continued to stand in front of each other, falling apart as the world rushed by. All those moments when you and Childe were happy together flashed past you. Was it really all a lie, set up by a disgusting bet that you happened to be a part of? You felt used. Dirty. Your feelings were mercilessly trampled. You wanted to run away, hide, and never be around the person who used you like you were just a thing. At one point, life lost all meaning.
Continuing to cry, you put your palms to your chest, to the place where your tortured heart was burning with unbearable pain, and then you spoke in a broken voice, looking into the ginger man's blue eyes, "I gave you everything: my heart, my soul, my body. You were my first true love!" You cried, breaking your voice in a loud cry of sadness. You sobbed. "I thought that you would be my only love forever, but it seems I was wrong."
Your words violently tormented Ajax's heart, while burning tears flowed down his face, which became the finale of his own decisions. It was the end. The inevitable end that led to every one of his thoughtless actions, every word he said to hide from you the disgusting truth hiding behind the wall of lies he built.
The undisguised hatred reflected in your eyes became a punishing sword for him, inevitably and justly piercing his gut. Silent tears continued to flow down his face, begging for your forgiveness, and his heart continued to reach out to you endlessly desperately, wanting to warm up in your arms again. He would have done anything to fix everything he had done. Just please let him feel you next to him for just one more second. Just for a second. Trembling all over, Ajax held out his hand to you.
"Don't you ever dare touch me again." You whispered as you exhaled, looking into his eyes for the last time. These words echoed in the man's mind as a just punishment for everything he had done. With trembling legs, you slowly turned away from him and walked away, wanting to leave this place, this city, forever, so that all the pain you had to endure here would evaporate from your wounded heart forever.
Tartaglia watched you go with an empty ocean gaze, while non-stop tears continued to flow down his face. It sparkled like diamonds in the bright light of the lanterns, threatening to flood the entire Earth with a giant tsunami. A heavy, ragged breath escaped Ajax's lips before his desperate cry filled the silence around him. The birds sitting in the trees took to the sky with fright, leaving the ginger man all alone.
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