Aengus and Aria arrived in a beautiful garden, the air thick with the sweet fragrance of flowers. Their petals shimmered under the moonlight, casting a serene glow across the scene. The atmosphere was peaceful, and it seemed like the perfect place to reveal the truths they had been holding inside.
They sat together on a bench, facing the full moon that hung high in the sky. Its soft light washed over them, helping to calm their minds as they prepared to share their secrets.
Aengus turned his gaze from the moon to Aria. He took her hand, feeling its softness mixed with the strength of a female warrior. Her emerald green eyes, sparkling with the moon's reflection, met his, full of patience and understanding, waiting for him to speak.
A deep breath escaped him as he gathered the courage to finally let the truth unfold.
"Aria, I am engaged to another woman!" he revealed apologetically.
"Hah, what?"
"E-Engaged to another woman? You must be joking, right?"
Aria's grip on his hand tightened, not expecting this at all.
But seeing him serious, her pretty eyes unknowingly filled with tears, blurring her vision.
She had a traditional mindset, just like her family, believing in monogamy. Her father and uncle had all been with a single partner. She believed two people were enough for a healthy relationship, providing each other with support and spending time together.
But her beliefs and expectations were crashing down with just one sentence from him.
Despite this, she forced herself to stay calm and listen to what he had to say, but her tears wouldn't stop, as though her heart was being squeezed.
Aengus winced as he saw Aria's reaction. Her bright, lively eyes, always filled with warmth and strength, were now clouded with tears. Her grip on his hand tightened to the point of sweaty, but he didn't pull away.
He knew this moment would come, but it hurt more than he had anticipated.
He explained how Bella's love and constant sacrifices for their unified ideals had gradually reached him, despite him rejecting her time and again.
"At first, I rejected her advances, focusing only on our common goal. But her unwavering dedication eventually reached my heart. In the end, We vowed to be married, not for love, but because of the path we chose to walk together," he said solemnly.
He also revealed to Aria the nature of his special skill, one that made him extraordinarily powerful, allowing him to grow his own army—the Army of Liberation—and rise to the position of Supreme Leader. Their purpose: restore order in Mythraldor where everyone could live in harmony.
He hadn't told the name of the skill, but the explanation about it made her awed to no end.
Bella knew it, so it was equally important to let Aria know as well.
"I wanted to build a force capable of freeing the oppressed and creating a new world. That's why Bella and I are bound together... but it's not something I did out of love. It's part of the larger vision for the revenge against Beelzebub for the friends and families he had killed."
Aria listened in stunned silence, the weight of his words pressing on her heart as she processed everything he had revealed.
"So, you're saying there's no emotional attachment from your side, right? Doesn't that mean she seduced you?" Aria's voice quivered with frustration.
Aengus chuckled, unsure how to respond to such an accusation.
Aria's brows furrowed in anger. "Well, what can you expect from a succubus? Enchantress, seductress, bloodsucker!" she spat, clenching her fists in frustration. She couldn't fully blame him, knowing he had gone through a lot, and besides, they hadn't solidified their relationship back then. But her anger shifted toward Bella, thinking of her as a manipulative vixen.
"Well, it's not completely true, Aria," Aengus sighed.
"She's truly a good person. And while there's no deep love involved, I can't break the promise I made to her. Until my last breath, I'll keep my word. I love both of you equally. Please, forgive me for being selfish. I can't choose between the two of you."
He gently squeezed her hand. "You both are my responsibilities, my life. I promise to take care of you both, and I believe once you meet her, you'll understand. I am sure you will like her too."
Aria remained silent, her heart torn between anger and the love she felt for him.
Now, what should she choose?