The days that followed were a blur for Lila. She had never felt more out of place in her life. The mansion was beautiful, yes, but it was nothing more than a cage. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself that she was only here for Kael's sake, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
She hadn't spoken to him since that conversation in the grand hall. Kael had kept his distance, and Lila couldn't blame him. She had made her feelings clear, and there was no going back now. Yet, every time she passed him in the hallway or saw him at the dinner table, her heart tugged in a way she couldn't explain. She had moved on from their past, but his presence still affected her more than she cared to admit.
The Princess, on the other hand, made it a point to avoid her. At first, Lila had tried to start a conversation, to get to know her a little better, but the cold reception she received was enough to stop her attempts. There was a tension between them, a silent understanding that neither of them was truly welcome in this house. Lila, for all her independence, couldn't help but feel like an intruder in a place where she no longer belonged.
One afternoon, as she wandered the gardens of the estate, lost in thought, Kael appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He was standing by the stone fountain, his back to her, gazing at the water with an unreadable expression. Lila stopped in her tracks, not sure whether to approach him or leave him be.
"Kael," she called softly.
He turned at the sound of her name, his face softening when he saw her. But there was a sadness in his eyes that made Lila's chest tighten.
"Lila," he said quietly, almost as if he hadn't expected her to come closer. "I didn't think you'd want to talk to me again."
Lila looked at him for a long moment, her heart torn between what she felt and what she knew she should do. She had already made up her mind. She wasn't here for him. She wasn't here to fix things. But seeing him now, standing before her like this, made her question everything.
"I don't know what you expect from me, Kael," Lila finally said, her voice steady. "You can't just walk in here after all this time and expect me to fall back into your life like nothing happened."
Kael nodded, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I know," he said quietly. "I don't expect you to. I just... I needed to see you again. I needed to make sure you were okay."
Lila blinked, taken aback by his words. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice stronger than she felt. "I've moved on. I'm building my own life now, and I'm happy. I don't need you in it."
There was a pause before Kael spoke again, his voice full of regret. "I wish I had seen that sooner. I wish I had known how much I was hurting you."
Lila felt a lump form in her throat, but she pushed it down. "It doesn't matter now, Kael. What's done is done. We can't go back to how things were."
He looked at her then, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite place. Was it guilt? Sadness? Or perhaps just the realization that what they had was gone, that there was no way to fix the broken pieces?
"I'm sorry," Kael said quietly. "I've hurt you more than anyone should. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I wanted to tell you that I never wanted to cause you pain. I just... I just didn't know how to love you the right way."
Lila took a step back, trying to distance herself from the emotions his words were stirring up inside her. "I don't need an apology, Kael. I need to move forward, and I can't do that if I keep looking back at the past."
There was a long silence between them, both of them standing there, unsure of what to say or do next. Finally, Kael broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll leave you alone, Lila. I just... I needed you to know how sorry I am."
Lila nodded, her eyes avoiding his. "I know," she said softly. "But you need to let me go. We both need to let each other go."
Kael nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of her words had finally hit him. "I understand," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I just wanted to say goodbye properly."
Lila didn't know what to say to that. Goodbye. The word hung in the air between them, and Lila realized that she wasn't ready for it, not yet. She had left him behind once, and now, with him standing there, offering her nothing but regret, she felt like she was being forced to do it all over again.
But she couldn't stay in the past forever. And maybe, just maybe, saying goodbye was the only way to move forward.
"I guess this is it then," Lila said, her voice steady but her heart breaking with every word. "Goodbye, Kael."
Kael didn't speak again. Instead, he turned away and walked toward the mansion, his figure slowly disappearing into the distance. Lila stood there for a long time, watching him go, before she finally allowed herself to turn and walk in the opposite direction, toward the gardens where the flowers bloomed.