The person in front of him was not the Jasmine he was used to seeing, the one who acted indifferent.
And he did not know how to react to that. The sight of her godly beauty, drenched in tears, stirred something within him.
As far as he could see, this wasn't a political fiancée putting on a mask. This was someone who… cared.
He pulled out his handkerchief and offered it to her to wipe the tears from her face.
"Jasmine…" he began cautiously, "I thought… You didn't care whether I lived or died. You stopped visiting. You didn't even write."
She inhaled shakily, then she wiped her cheeks and composed herself with great effort. Kyle put a hand over hers, as if to reassure her, if only a little bit.
Her hand is cold.
Her sobbing slowed, though her eyes remained glassy from the waterworks.
"I wanted to," she said, her voice was lower now. "So many times, I tried to come, to write. But I wasn't allowed."
Kyle tilted his head in confusion. "Not allowed?" He could guess what she meant, but he wanted to hear it straight.
She nodded. "After my core awakened and the elders realized I had talent, everything changed. My cultivation became their obsession.
My father, Count Azure, he… he started viewing our engagement as a mistake.
It wasn't as bad before, but then the offers started to come in. My father started being aggressive, until eventually, he said I should stop coming here."
Kael remained silent.
Jasmine continued, "He said… said that I was too good for a... That I should be with someone who could grow with me, support me. Someone strong. Someone worthy."
Her lips trembled for a moment before she steeled them back in place. "He regretted making the promise to your father. He said it was political folly. But…"
She looked at Kyle then, eyes searching his.
"But your father is the Marquess. He is stronger. Higher in rank. So he couldn't annul the agreement himself without causing insult or stirring conflict. So he forbade me from visiting to avoid 'unnecessary' attachment.'"
Kyle closed his eyes for a second, then gave a slow nod.
It all made sense. The politics. The silence. The cold distance. It was all out of her control.
He looked at her again. There was no hatred in her gaze. Only a deep, quiet pain… and guilt. Regardless of how he had expected things to play out, Kyle decided to listen to her.
"…I understand," he said at last. "I can't blame you for listening to your family."
She nodded slowly, clutching the sleeves of her robe. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes once more.
Kyle glanced toward the koi pond, then back at her. He took his time, thinking. 'How do I approach this?'
After a few moments of quiet deliberation, Kyle suddenly spoke.
"If you want to," he said gently, "I'll speak to my father. We can cancel the arrangement." It was not a difficult choice to make for him.
Jasmine blinked, startled.
"I won't hold you to a promise made by your father," he continued. "Especially not if it's become a chain for you. You deserve the freedom to choose. And I… well, I've got no right to tie down someone like you."
His tone was light, almost teasing, but the sincerity in his words was clear. But the way he spoke those words so casually struck a chord in Jasmine's heart.
Hearing Kyle speak like he did not care like that, it hurt her. She did not like to admit it, but she hated this feeling.
The times they had spent together flashed before her. Times she had once thought of as a waste of time.
Conversations together. The times they sat together in silence. The meals they shared. And the embarrassing moments as well.
Jasmine looked down at the marble tiles beneath her feet, silent.
The wind picked up, scattering petals from the nearby trees. The koi splashed once in the pond, unnoticed.
The freedom to choose, huh? When was the last time I ever got to do something like that? It has always been about what my family wants. She thought.
"…I don't know what I want," Jasmine said quietly.
Kyle's brow furrowed.
"I came here thinking I did," she went on."Thinking, I'd just ask for a clean end. But now, standing here, talking to you, I feel differently… You're not like the person I remember."
Kyle smirked. "More handsome, charming, or perhaps like your type?"
She huffed, managing a tiny laugh through the wetness in her eyes. "Not just that. Your eyes, the fog around them, it's not there anymore."
Kyle shrugged. "I can't say I have changed much, but a little self-improvement once in a while wouldn't hurt."
She looked at him again, longer this time. "No, I think there's more to it. There's something different about you, you look... Stronger. Calmer, confident."
Kyle held her gaze, smiling. "Maybe nearly dying gave me perspective."
They both chuckled softly, and for a moment, the tension lifted.
But the question still hung in the air between them.
What comes next?
Jasmine had not made her choice yet. But Kyle could see the gears turning in her head. Even if he had given her a choice, he held no real weight to actually hold her down to her choice.
After all, Jasmine's future was practically not in her own hands. Her father decided her fate. And whether she chose to be with him or not, if he decided otherwise, there was nothing he or she could do about it.
Jamsmine knew that, Kyle knew that, but they went with this route anyway. The first step to all great things starts with reassuring yourself.
After all, how are you supposed to get what you wish for if you yourself do not believe? And the more you fear something happening, the more likely it is to occur.
Jasmine did not speak for a while. The silence between them lingered, not heavy, but fragile, like the pause before a flower blooms.
Her fingers toyed with the edge of her cup, her lips were pressed in a thin line as her gaze drifted to the koi pond.
Kyle waited, watching her with quiet patience. He found it hard to refrain from staring at her gorgeous face and figure.
His gaze was not lecherous, though; it was more like appreciating her beauty than being lustful.