I was confused. Right now I feel betrayed. He played with all my feelings. His arms slide away from me. What he says is true; I did want to forgive him. I wanted to let go of all my fear and hate. Refused to admit that…things have gotten better for me.
“I’m sorry you’re hurt but I’m not sorry for anything I did,” he says.
He walks away and slides his hand on my parent’s coffins.
“I don’t make excuses for my behavior anymore. I do what I do because I want to. I wanted to kill them; I wanted to see you cry about it. To run from me in the dark thinking you’re getting away. To have you touch the scar on your face and think about where it came from.”
I turn my eyes on him.
“I’m not sorry for any of it. I’m still in love with you and it’s because of everything that’s happened.”
Looking at my hands I see how red they are. I’m still gripping the journal. I stumble back when he comes close to me. His hand graces the pin he gave me.
“My offer to you is still the same,” he says. “Cause I know nothing has changed. In fact, I bet you’re happy knowing the truth.”
I’m still as he leans down to my face. Don’t kiss me. Please don’t. I don’t have the strength to push him away.
“And if you think I’m bad, what does that say about the man that made me do it.”
“Stop it.”
“He maliciously planned everything. For years he wanted them dead and he didn’t even know who you were. He wasn’t doing it for you.”
“Stop,” I say to him. “Stop trying to control what I think. You’re nothing but a monster. Of course your mother wouldn’t want to speak to you.”
He moves away. He looks hard at his fist and I move away from him slowly.
“You’re right,” he speaks. “You know, I thought you’d be disgusted with me but you haven’t taken your eyes off me. You still love me, don’t you?”
I’ve seen every side of Ayato-san now. Putting the masked man and him together I see the real him. He’s a more outspoken version of Kyoya-sama. Does the things Kyoya-sama can only speak of. Soon I’ll have to face him.
Kyoya-sama has shown his regret the whole time. He’s begged me for forgiveness and I never realized. I see the side of him he was trying to hide. He’s sweet, caring, and quiet but also deadly. I’m not….mad at him.
The door opens with a creak and he moves away.
“Why are you hiding?” Kyoya-sama says walking down the cement steps.
Now isn’t the time to be embarrassed. I’m supposed to be angry. I try to hide my reddened face and he snatches the journal from me. He looks at it then looks down at me. No groveling. He looks at me with no shame in his face. Not a “sorry” or anything.
“So you know,” he says coldly. “Does this change something? Is that why’re you’re late for our wedding?”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Ayato-san speaks up. “Of course she’s hurt.”
“She’s fine.”
What kind of man is he? He lifts my chin to him and I quiver.
“You’re fine, aren’t you?” he asks.
“What’s gotten into you?” I ask him. “Even if all the words in that book are true, you’ve shown me a different side. The Kyoya-sama I know-”
“You know nothing. Don’t you get that?”
“Kyoya,” Ayato-san says to stop him.
There’s no need to interfere. If he wants to say cruel words to me I’ll listen. I look into his eyes and see he’s not as tough as he’s pretending to be.
“You’re shaking,” I say to him. “You’re more scared than I am.”
He lets go of my chin and scoffs.
“Tell me why,” I say to him. “Why did you go through with it? My parents loved you. They said you would be a light for our country. My father stood up for you when people said a Han man could never fit in. My family, the ones you killed, had unwavering support for you-”
“Enough-”
“You’re here trying to manipulate the public to support you. To create this story that will make you lovable. You didn’t have to.”
“I said, enough-”
“If you would have opened up to me, you would have been given everything you ever wanted, without the bloodshed.”
I stare at his back; he refuses to turn around. I take a step towards him and tug on his jacket. He still keeps his face hidden.
“I wanted it this way. I’m not sorry for anything,” he says.
“Ayato-san said the same thing. I believe him; he’s not a liar. But I don’t believe you.”
He shakes my hand away and goes back to the entrance. I run after him and pull on his hand. He’s just going to avoid me again. Who knows how long he’ll stay away this time.
“Don’t go pushing me away cause you’re scared. You left that for me to find so we could face this. I’m upset…I’m scared, and angry. But…finally….you’re no longer a stranger to me.”
I release him and he steps away. He drops his journal and hides his face. I’m not afraid of him. Right now he’s the one afraid.
“Kyoya,” I call after him.
“Leave him.”
Ayato-san grabs my shoulder to keep me back. He steps up the stairs into Kyoya-sama’s shadow.
I look back at my parent’s statues.
“I don’t care what you’re thinking,” I say to them. “I can’t care anymore. You’re not here. You’re never gonna be here. So it’s up to me to make my own choices…even if you don’t like them.”
I stay in the crypt a while longer. The sun goes down a bit and I peek out. Most people got fed up and left. Neither one of us showed up. What a waste of money. No one notices me as I take a seat in the back row.
So many people prepared the venue for this day. I owe it to them to see it.
“I really like the ribbons.”
Someone sits next to me and I tense up.
“So both of you got cold feet,” Kantarou-sama says.
I keep my head down.
“Leave her alone,” Yumi-chan says.
She sits on my other side and pulls me into her chest.
“Are you okay?” she asks me.
“I’m fine.”
“Talk to me. What happened?”
“We weren’t ready to face each other,” I admit to them.
“What a waste of time?” he says sighing.
“You’re not helping. Go somewhere else,” Yumi-chan snaps at him.
“I’m trying to console her.”
“You’re terrible at it. Go talk to your brother.”
“He needs to be alone now. He had an expression on his face I’d never seen before.”
I look over at him. He refused to show it to me. Whatever face he made, it’s from the genuine Kyoya.
“I’m sorry for wasting your time,” I say to him.
“Save it. If you’re not ready that’s fine. I’d rather you waste millions of dollars than be unhappy. Try to steer clear of my father.”
Yumi-chan pulls me closer and rubs my shoulder. It’s nice to know she’s still my close friend. She came to me when I needed her.
“You wasted nobody’s time,” Yumi-chan says to me.
“Whatever happened between you two, everyone deserves a second chance. Right, Yumiko-san?”
She’s hesitant. She pushes me back in my seat and stomps away.
“You’re trying too hard,” I say to him.
“Just go find him.”
He shouldn’t be hard to find. I go back to the place and follow the faint smell of cigarettes. He really should stop with that. I have to help him. He’s not bad. Neither is Ayato-san. I can’t turn my back on them.
I slide the door the room we first met in. He’s alone sitting on the ledge. I’m sure he can feel my presence. Slowly I walk to him and sit beside him.
“I don’t deserve you,” he speaks.
“That’s not for you to decide. It’s my choice and I choose you.”
“How can you-”
“Be
cause I love you. And you love me too. You’re not a monster-”
“Yes, I am-”
“You’re not. You’re my husband. You have been since the day we both sat here. Our hearts were beating like crazy. I heard yours very clearly.”
I look up at him and he stares straight; a tear rolls down his face.
“I know you had regrets and guilt. That’s why you stayed away for so long. I know you tried to rationalize it as best you could. So many times you offered to give me whatever I wanted. I kept saying….I only wanted you. And that’s still true.”
He puts out his cigarette and looks down at me.
“You’re right. I am sorry. I regret everything.”
“Regret is a hard thing to live with,” I say.
“I’ve been trying. Masking it…distracting myself. I try really hard-”
“Just stop then. I smile when I think of the past. I remember when Yumi-chan opened up to me. Remember when mother hugged me after I passed my cooking test. And when father showed me pictures of his adolescence. I can only smile. ”
I cried on their coffins and asked for help. I felt them hugging me. They said, “everything will be okay. We’re not in pain, so why should you be.”
“I promise I will always make you smile. I’ll lead you out,” he speaks.
He takes hold of my hand and ring.
“I’ll hold you right next to me and I’ll lead you out. We’ll walk out of the darkness together.”
I nod to him and he hugs me close. My heart is still beating like crazy. His hands cradle my face and I lean forward and kiss him.
“It’s not too late,” he says smiling. “You still want to marry me today?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s what you want? You really want this? Cause after today I’m never gonna let you go.”
“I want you. So, yes, I want this. I’ll be Setsuna Niwa, your queen.”
My whole life I’ve been conditioned to be Kyoya-sama’s wife. I’m ready for it.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Setsuna
Chapter 2: Kyoya
Chapter 3: Setsuna
Chapter 4: Kyoya
Chapter 5: Kantarou
Chapter 6: Kira
Chapter 7: Setsuna
Chapter 8: Kyoya
Chapter 9: Setsuna
Chapter 10: Kantarou
Chapter 11: Yumiko
Chapter 12: Kira
Chapter 13: Kyoya
Chapter 14: Setsuna
Chapter 15: Kyoya
Chapter 16: Kantarou
Chapter 17: Yumiko
Chapter 18: Setsuna
Chapter 19: Kyoya
Chapter 20: Kantarou
Chapter 21: Setsuna
Chapter 22: Kantarou
Chapter 23: Setsuna
Chapter 24: Kyoya
Chapter 25: Setsuna
Chapter 26: Kyoya
Chapter 27: Kira
Chapter 28: Setsuna
Chapter 29: Kyoya
Chapter 30: Kantarou
Chapter 31: Kira
Chapter 32: Yumiko
Chapter 33: Setsuna
Chapter 34: Kyoya
Chapter 35: Yumiko
Chapter 36: Ayato
Chapter 37: Kyoya
Chapter 38: Setsuna
Chapter 39: Kira
Chapter 40: Kantarou
Chapter 41: Setsuna
Chapter 42: Kyoya
Chapter 43: Ayato
Chapter 44: Setsuna
Chapter 45: Ayato
Chapter 46: Setsuna
Chapter 47: Kyoya
Chapter 48: Setsuna
Chapter 49: Yumiko
Chapter 50: Kira
Chapter 51: Kyoya
Chapter 52: Setsuna
Chapter 53: Kantarou
Chapter 54: Setsuna
Chapter 55: Yumiko
Chapter 56: Kyoya
Chapter 57: Ayato
Chapter 58: Kyoya
Chapter 59: Kantarou
Chapter 60: Setsuna
Chapter 61: Ayato
Chapter 62: Setsuna
Chapter 63: Kyoya
Chapter 64: Setsuna
Chapter 65: Yumiko
Chapter 66: Setsuna
Chapter 67: Ayato
Chapter 68: Kyoya
Chapter 69: Kantarou
Chapter 70: Kira
Chapter 71: Kantarou
Chapter 72: Yumiko
Chapter 73: Kantarou
Chapter 74: Setsuna
Chapter 75: Kira
Chapter 76: Kyoya
Chapter 77: Kantarou
Chapter 78: Setsuna
Chapter 79: Kyoya
Chapter 80: Setsuna
Chapter 81: Ayato
Chapter 82: Setsuna
Chapter 83: Kyoya
Chapter 84: Yumiko
Chapter 85: Setsuna (Final)
The Last Princess Page 39