"Sam..." *I'm sorry.* Sophie silently whispered as she watched his fading back. Maybe Odile was the one truly meant for him after all. After all, they were of the same kind — two people who never cared about races and just followed their hearts.
"Sophie... don't be sad," Sirae gently hugged her from behind and whispered into her ear. "I believe Sam will find his own happiness someday too. One day, he'll be as happy as I am now." He knew how sweet love could be — but also how painful it was when it wasn't returned. Without a response, love could become both a blessing and a curse.
Outside the palace, a small figure was desperately chasing after someone ahead.
"Big brother, wait for me! I can't keep up!" Odile gasped for breath, her legs feeling like they were made of lead. Still, she pushed forward, chasing a shadow that refused to stop.
"Wait for me! Don't make this so hard on me! You still have me, even without Sophie! Why won't you give me a chance? Big brother… please, wait for me!" Her heart heavy, she dragged her tired body forward, tears blurring her vision. "Don't cry! If I cry, I won't be able to see him anymore!"
But the tears kept coming, no matter how wide she opened her eyes, the figure in front kept disappearing into the blur.
*Thud.*
Heartbroken and exhausted, Odile fell to the ground, clumsy and helpless. The proud warrior who once stood tall as a dual master of magic and martial arts, the favored child of the gods — now nothing more than a fragile girl who had just lost the man she loved. A girl who had only just begun to understand what love felt like before it slipped away.
"Waaahhh!" Ignoring the whispers of the crowd around her, ignoring her noble status, ignoring how messy and broken she looked, Odile threw herself onto the ground and cried like a lost child — loud, unashamed, and full of pain.
"What's wrong with this girl? She's grown up and still crying on the street like that?" A middle-aged woman stared at Odile with curiosity.
"She must be mentally off," another passerby suggested, tapping his temple.
"Poor thing. So beautiful, yet clearly broken," the woman said with pity — though she didn't move an inch to help.
"Maybe she missed seeing the wedding carriage and got upset?" A young girl muttered under her breath. She'd been disappointed too, but she wouldn't dare cry like that in public. Not like this — not lying face down in the dirt!
The murmurs and gossip around her didn't reach Odile at all. Right now, not even the sky falling would stop her tears. Let alone some nosy strangers whispering nonsense.
"Don't cry."
A soft voice broke through the noise. A handkerchief appeared in front of her.
Sam's face was red. These humans really loved to stare, didn't they? As an elf, he couldn't stand seeing someone cry like this — not when they were hurting so deeply.
Despite everything, he hadn't walked away. He came back.
He just hadn't expected that in such a short time, Odile would already be surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers. Everyone was pointing, none of them helping.
Pushing through the group, Sam crouched beside Odile and tried to comfort her — though he had no idea what to do next. What if she kept crying?
"My ankle is sprained," she sniffled, lifting her tear-streaked face.
"...What?" Sam blinked. He'd lived over a thousand years, but women still baffled him. Could a small injury really hurt this much? Because by that standard, he should've cried himself to death long ago.
"Okay. I'll carry you," he said, turning his back toward her.
"Okay," she hiccupped, slowly climbing onto his back.
Suddenly realizing everyone was staring at them again, Odile snapped, "What are you looking at?! Never seen a beautiful girl cry before? Got nothing better to do than gawk?! Why don't you all go earn some real money instead of standing here judging others? Look at your palace — it's practically falling apart!"
Sam, always the shy one, quickly used his elven speed to escape the crowd, rushing out of the city like the wind.
*Women...* Sam thought. One minute a weeping little rabbit, the next a growling tiger.
---
Back at the palace...
Sirae was happy — because he found the love of his life and finally got to marry her. Sophie was happy — because she had finally stepped out of her own emotional cage and stopped worrying about anything other than love. Sam was happy — because the woman he loved was happy, and that brought him joy, even if it came with pain. And Odile was happy too — because even if Sam didn't love her yet, she could still stay by his side.
In the royal guest room, Sophie watched Sirae quietly talk to Brook. When Brook left, both men wore strange smiles.
"What were you talking about?" Sophie asked curiously. Something told her it had something to do with her.
"Brook saw Sam and Odile on the street. According to him, Sam carried Odile away. Maybe soon *they* will have good news too. So, you don't need to feel guilty anymore." Sirae leaned down and gave her a light kiss.
"Thank you," Sophie hugged him tightly, overwhelmed with emotion. No words could express how grateful she felt.
"Feeling better now?" Sirae playfully tapped her nose.
She nodded softly, listening to his heartbeat — like the most beautiful music in the world.
"Then may I invite my lovely wife to dinner?" Between the ceremony and the parade, they barely ate anything all day.
"Mm-hmm." Holding hands, they walked outside. Tonight was their wedding night — maybe a candlelit dinner was just what they needed.
---
Elsewhere, hidden in the shadows…
"Why are we hiding here, Chief?" Baazia whispered to the mysterious leader. Weren't they supposed to attend Lady Sophie's wedding? It was already evening — surely the ceremony was long over.
"Shh…" Elder Hall raised a finger to his lips, listening closely.
"Chief, I'm starving!" Stan whined, rubbing his stomach.
"Do you think I'm not hungry either? Just hold on!" Bradley grumbled. He had been enjoying a fine meal in the palace before the old man dragged him here without explanation.
"Chief, I—"
"Shut up!" Leon blurted, only to be cut off by two sharp voices.
Bradley and Stan exchanged glances. Huh. They actually agreed on something.
Leon sulked silently, holding his stomach. Ever since he accidentally insulted that cursed Red-Headed Eagle King, things had gone downhill fast. Just when he started to recover, the chief yanked him here without warning.
"I'm sure the Chief has a reason," Raphael Bechi waved his hands dramatically. "We'll understand soon enough."
"Hmph. You're smarter than the rest, Raphael," Hall gave him a nod and checked his watch. *It should be time soon…*
From his pocket, he pulled out a small bottle filled with swirling pink liquid. With this special formula, he was confident that soon enough, there would be a new addition to the royal family.
*I wonder how many kids Sophie will have… and whether Sirae can even handle it!*
Just then, a quiet *creak* echoed through the air. A pair of tiny feet appeared in the doorway.
"Charles, why do we have to hide here?" Agatha tugged on Charles' hand.
"Uncle Todd said if we hide here, Mommy will be very happy! Right,小白 (Xiao Bai)?" Charles turned to his shoulder companion.
*Xiao Bai* lazily mumbled, half-asleep. Once the bonded beast of Kalina, now he practically followed Charles everywhere. Maybe soon, people would start calling him Charles' familiar instead. Honestly, where *was* Sophie anyway?
"So let's hide quick!" Agatha tugged again. Maybe Mommy just wanted to play hide-and-seek?
"AHHH!" Several startled cries rang out at once.
---
**Will the hidden guests ruin the newlyweds' night? What's in that mysterious pink potion? And will Sam and Odile ever find true happiness together?**