𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - 𝐏𝐭. 𝟏

Yandere Aristocrat X Reborn!Reader

The silence was deafening. Eyes, so many pairs of eyes were on you yet you only focused on one person.

There he sat before you, hair as bright as the burning sun, impeccable, dewy skin, immaculately dressed. His beautiful lilac eyes burned into your soul as he stared at you with a cryptic look, giving away none of his thoughts.

But you were aware. You were very aware of what Orien Ciro truly felt; you knew his mind was already forming machinations that would end with your death.

How did you know that? Why, you experienced this very scene before. You were a love-struck naïve fool, madly in love with his perfect image, deluded by his persona, your rose-tinted glasses preventing you from seeing the red flags.

You were one of the two daughters of your accomplished businessman of a father. Being a giant in the shipping industry meant that many men were constantly asking for your hands in marriage. The name, the fame, the fortune! It all came down to saying "Yes". Your father, shrewd as he was, was also protective, immediately rejecting all proposals that came at yours and your sister's way.

He was one of those men. It was obvious he liked your younger sister, and you couldn't blame him. She was beautiful, unlike you, who could pass off as "cute" if you tried hard enough. She was always smiling, good with people, immediately charming anyone she met, while you were the opposite. It hurt your face to smile so constantly, you were shy and awkward around people you weren't comfortable with, more introverted, preferring the companionship of your bosom friend or your pet cat.

Truly, you should have paid more attention the first time, and not get so blindsided by what you thought was "love".

In the end, your father had rejected his proposal for Irin's hand, saying she was too young and you had still not been married off yet. Some years had passed, and Irin blossomed into the beautiful swan she was destined to be and finally got engaged to a shipping magnate after the man persistently courted her for over two years.

You were still not engaged. It had honestly hurt you a little to see your sister already start her journey as a woman even though she was younger than you by a few years.

Then, like a miracle, he returned. And this time he wanted your hand! You were so ecstatic! Over the moon at having a handsome aristocrat like him paying attention to you. He felt so untouchable, like an indifferent, beautiful idol, high on a pedestal, yet here you were now, being proposed by the man himself!

And so you fell, head-long into a romance that wasn't even a romance at all. You had ignored the fierce competition that existed between your husband and your brother-in-law, both business magnates, one who expanded on his forefathers' empire and one who created a fortune from nothing. You didn't know when it had started, but it was well underway by the time both men made their proposals.

If one took their time to think about it, the truth was right there. Your husband married you because he couldn't get your sister. It was as simple as that.

You could still recall it clear as day.

You had sat on the sofa, casually remarking that Irin was finally getting a divorce from her philandering husband. For a moment, Orien had stilled, back straight as he stared out of your apartment window, eyes focused on the ghostly shape of the mountains far away.

"Are you sure?"

You didn't think much of it back then, carrying on with your mostly one-sided conversation. By the end, an almost invisible smile had graced his beautiful face and even if you didn't know what caused it, you felt happy. His smiles were rare.

For the next few days, Orien looked as if new life had been breathed into him. It was evident from his demeanor, his eyes, he was truly a revitalized man. You welcomed the change, even though you loved all of his sides.

Then... you died.

More correctly, murdered. By your very own husband. Your beloved Orien. In your final moments, as tears streamed down your face, you looked up at him, first in disbelief, then in betrayal and heartbreak as he strangled the life out of you.

He never did love you, did he?

~

You took in a shuddering breath, hands shaking as you looked down at your marriage registry.

The expensive fountain pen laid on the table, waiting for you to sign away your name, and transform into a married woman. Orien's so-called lucky wife.

The ticking of a clock in the distant was amplified, as everyone stared at you with bated breath, waiting to witness the merging of two of history's biggest business names.

You closed your eyes for a second, taking in a deep, calming breath. You knew what would follow. You had to do it, anyway.

Silently, you stood up, the golden fabric of your expensive dress rustling with your movement.

"I'm sorry. I cannot do this."

With those words, you left the large room with fast steps, everyone else too stunned to stop you. As you climbed up the ornate, spiral staircase, heading toward your bedroom, you finally heard some muffled sounds of surprise reaching your ears.

The aftermath was disastrous, nothing too surprising. Your enraged father almost slapped you in humiliation, some "friends" revealed the entire affair to the press, who lapped it up like thirsty dogs on a hot day, gossip in high society abounded with exaggerated versions of your story, tales as far-flung as you choosing your "secret lover" over one of the most sought-after men, the eligible bachelor Orien Ciro himself.

Your father demanded reasons for your complete out of the left-field action and you had stubbornly refused to say anything more than that you had a change of heart, that you weren't really as smitten as you had first seemed.

He had somehow placated the Ciro family for the slight, putting off the engagement at your request. You felt bad for him, but you knew that if you had gone forward with it, it would have left your father with an even larger wound.