Wife of The Demon Prince
Chapter 308: Because I love you

Chapter 308: Because I love you

With long strides Henry went after Eadlin as she ran towards the Boxton mansion garden.

"Your highness." He called after her however Eadlin didn’t stop, she seemed to want to put a lot of distance between them.

She ran into the garden, stopping by a large tree, she seemed unable to hold back her sobs as she slid downwards against the tree cupping her face in her palms and wept silently.

Henry stopped walking for some time watching her from the distance of where he stood.

After some time, he approached her, his steps now much slowed, he stood before her hearing the silent sounds of her weeping, however he didn’t say a word, or rather, didn’t know what to say.

"Why..." She suddenly muttered, her voice sounding sorrowfully soft yet muffled behind her palms, "...he should hate me, despise me for what my mother did, why did he have you protect me..."

Hearing her muffled words, Henry came to realize that she probably must have heard what he said to David hence came to know that she was under his protection due to Hamon’s instructions.

Henry continued to remain silent watching her, however his rigid expression had slightly melted into a complicated one.

Eadlin sniffed seizing her sobs, she gazed up at him with eyes red rimmed, her dark brown orbs glistening with the residue of her sorrowful tears, "Please, take me away from here, I don’t deserve my brother’s help and protection, nor do I deserve yours, you’ve done enough for me, it’s time for me to leave."

She had been so ashamed to face Hamon again, after coming to discover everything her mother did to Hamon, she was unable to bring herself to harbor the thought of seeing him again, she thought he would hate her for her mother’s deeds, it turned out he had always had the desire to protect her.

Recalling how nice and dotting Hamon had always been with her further filled her heart with pain and even more guilt.

Henry squatted before her sitting on his heels, "You deserve more than you give yourself credit for your highness, a whole lot more."

His words were soft and the look in his eyes somewhat gentle as he said those words. For some reason, Eadlin found herself momentarily lost in his stare.

He had such lovely blue eyes, she thought internally.

For some reason, she recalled the first time she set her eyes on him, she had been smitten by his looks and rigid aura. And though she didn’t fully admit it, deep inside she had wished that if she could ever choose who she would end up with, then it should no doubt be him. In her silent moments of loneliness whenever she was locked up in her chambers, she would dream about moments with him that she knew might never happen.

In her heart he had been a secret fantasy she knew she couldn’t get, she had thought that during the time she was a princess, not to mention at this moment that she had become nothing.

A pained defeat surfaced in her eyes and she lowered them to look down at the drying leaves on the floor.

"Please, stop being so kind to me." She muttered softly as more tears streamed down her face.

"What?" Henry asked with a frown not hearing what she said since she had spoken under her breath.

However, she didn’t reply to him and just got on her feet to leave.

Henry could still see the pained look in her eyes, for some reason, he felt reluctant to let her leave like that, so he grabbed hold of her hand before she could walk away.

However, she quickly snatched her hand out of his hold, as she yelled, "Why are you being so kind to me? Why are you always standing up for me, helping me, protecting me? Why are you making it difficult for my heart to ignore you?!"

Henry was bewildered at her sudden burst of emotion, and her words were something he couldn’t understand.

"I’ve been persistent to stay away from you, to ignore the feelings I have for you and just leave but you just keep showing up!" Her tears streamed down her cheeks but she quickly wiped it off,"You keep appearing in front of me reminding my heart to beat for you, yearn for you even if I’m trying everything I can to forget you."

"And I can’t understand why you don’t realize that I love you," she paused her words, slightly heaving at her own heavy outbursts, as the sudden realization of her own words that she’d let out at the moment dawned on her. However, they were words that couldn’t be taken back.

Henry’s face showed shocked astonishment, he frowned searching her eyes as if to find the credibility of the words he’d heard or if he’d actually heard them from her at all.

Eadlin sighed deeply, looking painfully frustrated, "And you have no idea how pained I feel for the man I love to try matching me up with other men, everytime you do that it makes me realize how much my existence means nothing to you, it makes me realize that my affections are just one sided." She momentarily closed her eyes sighing in exasperation.

"I know that these feelings are worthless, nor can they be acted upon, which is why I cannot continue to stay with you any longer, so please, help me get over my affections for you by letting me go."

Henry was rendered completely speechless by her unexpected confession, he opened his mouth as if to say something but no words came out, he had on a complicated expression on his face.

Eadlin no longer stayed to hear him say anything, nor did she wait to see his reaction, she turned around and ran out of the garden.

Henry was left to remain standing inside the garden. The fall leaves on the trees raining down like a heavenly shower upon him. His eyes still fixated at the spot Eadlin had just run out from.

She... She had feelings for him?

Eadlin had feelings for him?

He didn’t realize how much time had passed by, but he remained standing in the garden his mind running a thousand miles in a single moment. Her words repeatedly ringing in his ears.

’...And you have no idea how pained I feel for the man I love to try matching me up with other men...’

He had been looking out for her, trying to get her the assurance of a stable life by getting her married to a respectable nobleman, little did he know his actions were breaking her heart.

’...please, help me get over my affections for you by letting me go.’

As everything replayed in his head, Henry found himself at a loss.