Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 557 - 556- Sylvie’s dilemma

"Haah..." Sylvie exhaled a long sigh as she sat alone in her room, her shoulders slowly sinking as the breath left her chest. The book open before her remained untouched. Her eyes had been on the same page for several minutes, yet not a single word had truly registered in her mind.

She didn’t feel like studying today. Her thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in something she could not simply ignore.

It was her father. Or more precisely, the letter he had sent her recently.

Her fingers slowly reached toward the folded parchment resting beside the book. She tapped it lightly, as if the paper itself carried weight.

That letter contained an invitation to return home after her exams.

Normally, she wouldn’t have overthought something like this. Letters from home were not unusual. But this time was different.

Recently, her mother and even her maid back home had been dropping subtle hints in their messages. The King had been searching for suitable grooms for her for quite some time now.

And it seemed... he had finally decided who would become her partner. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Sylvie leaned back slightly in her chair, her gaze drifting toward the ceiling.

She should have expected this.

She was the Princess of the kingdom, someone who, by noble standards, should have already been engaged years ago.

However, her father had never forced her. He allowed her to study, to live freely, to enjoy her youth. He waited patiently until she turned eighteen.

And now that time had passed.

Now the freedom he gave her was quietly reaching its end.

Soon, she would be urged to form a relationship with a man she had never even met.

Sylvie had always known this future was waiting for her. It had been there, lingering somewhere at the edge of her life.

But was she truly ready for it?

Her fingers slowly curled together in her lap.

No... not at all.

First of all, she didn’t want to get engaged to someone she didn’t know. The thought alone made her chest feel tight.

And secondly...

Her eyes lowered to the desk.

There was already someone in her heart.

Getting engaged to another man while harboring feelings for someone else would be unfair. Not just to that man... but to herself as well.

Yet her situation was far from simple.

Her lips pressed together as her thoughts turned heavier.

First, there was her relationship with the man she loved.

Almost a year ago, out of jealousy and insecurity, she had accused him of being a failure. The memory still burned whenever it surfaced in her mind. Although things had somewhat settled between them recently, she knew the damage she had caused could never completely disappear.

Some words left scars.

And she had delivered hers with cruel precision.

Second, Adrian could never see her as a potential love interest.

If he couldn’t accept Elana, who had been pursuing him for so long with unwavering devotion, then what chance did Sylvie have?

Her fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the desk.

Third... Adrian already had several partners. Women who were far more beautiful, talented, and confident than her.

Compared to them, Sylvie couldn’t help but feel painfully ordinary.

Why would he even look at someone average like her?

And lastly... even if she entertained that hair-thin possibility for just a moment, the impossible thought that Adrian might someday choose her...

Her father would never allow it.

The old grudges he held against Adrian were too deep, too bitter to simply vanish.

Sylvie slowly leaned forward, resting her forehead against her folded arms on the desk.

Her room remained quiet.

But inside her heart, everything felt tangled.

"I wish I could take advice on this from someone...but then again, my only friends are Allen and Olivia...and both would be a bad option to talk about this."

In the end, all she could do was to wait for a miracle to take place.

....

As Elana and Adrian stepped through the gates of the huge mansion, the heavy doors had barely settled behind them when three figures emerged from inside.

They stood near the entrance hall, each carrying a different expression.

Adrian’s gaze first landed on the tall man with silver hair almost identical to Elana’s. It was a face he had seen a few times in the past.

Duke Stronghart.

But what caught Adrian slightly off guard was the bright smile on the Duke’s face. Warm, welcoming even. Not exactly the kind of expression the man was known for.

The Duke walked toward them with steady steps, his posture straight yet relaxed.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman whose expression closely mirrored Elana’s. Cold. Composed. Her face remained unmoving even though her daughter had suddenly arrived after a long absence.

Her gaze quietly examined the two of them without a single visible shift in emotion.

And then there was the third person.

A black-haired young man standing slightly behind them.

Adrian’s eyes briefly studied him.

He had heard about this one from Elana during their journey.

Her adoptive younger brother.

Charles.

They approached the pair, and the first to speak was the eldest among them.

"What a pleasant surprise, Elana!"

Elana stepped forward and returned the embrace. Her arms wrapped around him briefly, and a faint smile tugged at her lips as she said, "Was it really a surprise, Father?"

Nolan stiffened slightly.

"I was wondering the same thing, dear," Natasha added calmly from the side.

Nolan cleared his throat and quickly shifted his attention toward Adrian. "Thank you for accompanying her, Professor Adrian, and welcome to my humble abode."

Adrian stepped forward and shook his hand. The Duke’s grip was firm, his smile still carefully maintained.

Meanwhile, Elana moved toward her mother.

The two women embraced gently, their movements far softer than the earlier greeting. Natasha rested a hand lightly on Elana’s back as she murmured, "I believe there must be an emergency for you to return right after the exams."

Elana let out a quiet sigh. "You aren’t wrong about that, but let’s not talk about it now."

She then turned toward the young man standing nearby.

His large eyes were shining with excitement.

Elana’s brows lifted slightly. "Hello, Charles."

"Big sister... I hope you are doing well." He bowed his head politely in greeting.

Elana blinked, momentarily confused. She had half expected him to exchange a hug since the distance between them has lessened over the years. But as always, Charles remained stiff and formal in her presence.

Natasha then turned her attention toward Adrian.

"This is the first time we are meeting, Professor," she said with a composed smile. "But I have heard quite a lot about you from both my husband and my daughter."

Adrian gave the lady a polite greeting and said, "I hope you heard good things."

Natasha hummed softly. "Only praises, so you can rest assured."

Adrian let out a faint chuckle before shifting his attention to the youngest among them.

For some reason, Adrian felt as though Charles had been glaring at him. The boy’s gaze was sharp, almost scrutinizing. However, after a subtle look from his mother, the young man straightened and gave a proper bow.

"Hello, my name is Charles Stronghart. Thank you for taking care of my sister."

Adrian briefly glanced at Elana before replying calmly, "Your elder sister is responsible enough that, as her teacher, I never had to worry about her."

Elana’s cheeks turned faintly red at those words, and she quickly looked away.

Her father cleared his throat lightly and gestured toward the mansion’s interior.

"Let us go inside first."

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A/N:- Story might have slow down a little. Don’t worry, once we enter the end game, boom, it’s all over.