As If I've Never Loved (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Fairmont House, situated on the sloping land of Longfield, was nothing short of a magnificent mansion.
Beyond its imposing grandeur, the sight at sunset—of countless angelic stone carvings across its facade and gilded window frames sparkling in the fading light—was so breathtakingly beautiful it seemed a fragment of heaven had been transplanted to earth.
Unlike the buildings in the capital, constantly under renovation due to fickle fashion, this ancient estate possessed an unmistakably aristocratic charm.
It was a stubborn, noble dignity—seemingly old-fashioned yet lofty—refusing to yield to the passage of time.
It was the following year after they had become friends that the Bailey Sisters learned the boy from the lost carriage they’d chanced upon was staying at this very mansion.
Though it would be a lie to say they weren’t astonished, the sisters quickly brightened their eyes and pleaded to be invited to the estate.
To children who still treasured something as trivial as pigeon feathers, matters of social standing or propriety were still far beyond their concern.
Thus, the moment they first stepped into this majestic place remained vividly etched in the sisters’ memories.
Few could remain unmoved before the vast garden stretching endlessly ahead, lined with statues sculpted by master hands, ornate fountains, and even an artificial waterfall.
Yet, the mansion was profoundly quiet.
This was because Earl Huntington alone resided there, despite the estate’s sprawling grounds.
Though the household staff was sizable—fitting for a residence of such scale—they all resembled shadows, having taken on their master’s temperament.
The only guest ever received at Fairmont House was the Earl’s grandson, who arrived each summer.
But as he always stayed quietly, the servants often forgot a guest was even present.
Thus, today marked the first time in a long while that the servants of Fairmont House had received a guest who truly felt like one.
Though they were hardly refined visitors, the vitality and excitement they brought warmed the mansion, which had grown cold even beneath the summer sun.
Yet, once the brief meal ended and the guests departed, the faint warmth lingering in the air vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the familiar, icy stillness.
It was nothing of consequence.
The aging Earl spent most of his days in his study.
Though the room—adorned with chandeliers hanging from its lofty ceiling—was unusually ornate for a study, the Earl stubbornly insisted on using it as such.
One entire wall of the study opened onto a vast arched window as tall as the ceiling itself, and outside, the vibrant season was in full bloom yet again today.
The old man stood fully immersed in the late spring afternoon light pouring generously through the wide window.
Yet, in stark contrast to the lively scenery beyond the glass, a heavy silence enveloped the study.
The occasional rustle of turning book pages was the room’s only sound.
No words had passed between the Earl and his grandson after the guests had left.
Both men remained lost in their own thoughts, as was always the case.
It was precisely for this reason that the Earl’s sudden question sounded especially puzzling.
“Was there something you didn’t like?”
The deep gaze fixed upon the page in his hand slowly lifted upward.
His previously calm brow now bore the faintest crease.
“Yes?”
“You were making that face.”
Ansel stiffened, uncharacteristically so. It wasn’t just that conversation with his grandfather was rare—this kind of exchange was utterly unfamiliar.
Small talk of this sort was entirely new.
“…No.”
“Wasn’t it you who said it didn’t matter whether they were of noble birth or not?”
“Grandfather, I…”
Ansel paused briefly at the tone of faint mockery in the Earl’s voice.
He wondered if perhaps his grandfather was testing him.
The Earl continued in his usual composed, low voice.
“It is my own marriage proposal—why wouldn’t I be pleased with it?”
“There might be reasons. If it was your father who suggested it, for instance.”
But Earl Huntington showed no sign of backing down. In fact, he even mentioned Viscount Monmouth—never a good omen.
“Announcing out of the blue that the wedding will be in three months—who on earth came up with that idea? Do you even understand that marriage is a bond between families?”
“…”
The old man in the wheelchair kept his eyes fixed steadily on the window.
Behind him, the grandson’s clear eyes narrowed slightly.
Though they spent every summer together, his grandfather remained an enigma—yet a few truths about him were undeniable.
One such truth was this: the Earl’s silence always meant consent.
This was an unwritten rule, as good as law within Fairmont House.
For the master’s quietude was peace itself; the moment he broke his silence, the estate’s tranquility shattered.
That very morning, Ansel had visited the Bailey household to secure their blessing for his marriage, then came straight to Fairmont House to inform his grandfather. The old Earl had listened in solemn silence.
If that was so, why this sudden change of heart?
Was he displeased that they’d shared a meal with commoners? If so, he shouldn’t have invited the Baileys in the first place.
Though dressed merely in a shirt—without even a cravat, let alone formal attire—Ansel felt a sudden tightness around his neck.
Debating with his formidable grandfather, who though not as severe as his own father, was never easy—especially in such a lengthy conversation.
“Of course it was my own idea, Grandfather.”
Pushing aside his thoughts, Ansel straightened his broad shoulders and spoke in a quiet but firm voice.
“The earliest feasible date was chosen to allow enough time to prepare everything necessary…”
“So eager, were you?”
“…”
Ansel fell silent.
He had sensed the restrained anger in the Earl’s voice—and simultaneously, a sudden clarity struck him.
His grandfather’s earlier silence hadn’t been approval of the marriage…
‘It was merely a minimal courtesy toward Viscount Monmouth.’
Therefore, the Earl was now strongly urging his only grandson to call off the marriage himself.
Though now retired and living in seclusion due to frail health, Earl Huntington was a battle-hardened veteran who had spent his entire life as a soldier.
This meant he was well-versed in forceful methods.
Crossing him would bring no good.
“Answer me, Ansel. Was this sudden marriage truly your own wish?”
“It was.”
Ansel snapped the book shut with a loud thud. The old man’s thick eyebrows twitched.
“Indulgent. Is it because this is your last summer here that nothing matters anymore?”
“That’s not it at all. After the wedding, I intend to move here permanently.”
“…There’s no military garrison nearby.”
“I never intended to commission as an officer in the first place. I’m inexperienced in many ways—not like you, Grandfather.”
“…”
Though Fairmont House stood far from the capital, news that his only grandson was the crown jewel of the Royal Military Academy had long since reached the Earl.
And it wasn’t just the academy—Ansel had distinguished himself in military studies at both private school and university.
Given he was the son and grandson of soldiers, this was only natural.
Even if such achievements had once been merely for the sake of family honor, they had now become inseparable from who he truly was.
“From now on, I’ll visit you regardless of the season, Grandfather.”
This was a marriage worth abandoning what could be considered his entire life.
“It’s your right not to become a soldier—the world has changed. But I simply can’t understand why you’d willingly leave the capital, where you’ve lived your whole life.”
“A harmonious family—like the Baileys. Though I never had one myself, it is precisely for that reason I wish to preserve such a bond.”
His grown grandson stood on the threshold of graduating from the academy—the final gate placed before him.
Only a bright and boundless future lay ahead now, as radiant as the scenery outside this very window.
Ansel had yet to experience such disillusionment with capital society as to willingly forsake it with his own feet.
So to hear him declare he’d leave the capital—his very roots—and settle in the barren town of Mayberry, all for a reason so sentimental it bordered on ridiculous, was deeply vexing.
“If you’re not trying to play at being a retired officer, then cease this wordplay.”
The Earl’s lips twisted involuntarily.
“You never spared a glance at all those marriage proposals. What sudden whim has possessed you to willingly tarnish your own reputation?”
“It’s no whim.”
“…”
“I’ve… for a very long time…”
“Are you saying you’ve loved her? The eldest daughter?”
At that question, the Earl finally turned his head. The emotion in the gaze that met Ansel’s was immeasurably weighty.
“Yes.”
In the profound silence, Ansel slowly closed and then reopened his eyes.
His pale lips parted.
“I know whom you see when you look at me.”
His unwavering, straight gaze—how could it not remind the Earl of another? They were identical, uncannily so.
Even that quietly intense look, deliberately buried beneath layers of dust in memory, was startlingly alike—enough to resurrect the past in an instant.
Amidst this strange sensation, as if time itself had reversed, the old Earl found himself utterly speechless.
Then, Helen’s child spoke.
“Let’s go now. You’ve stayed in there too long.”
“…”
“On the day Mother passed, I too lost the person most precious to me that day. I understand grief that can never be filled. But Father was not the one who caused her death.”
A heavy silence fell. The old man offered no reply, his gaze turning once more toward the window.
The late spring afternoon remained dazzlingly green, painfully radiant.
Thus, the conversation ended.
Ansel quietly rose to leave the study.
He had no wish to disturb his grandfather’s renewed contemplation.
“Mother…”
So it was out of an uncharacteristic impulse that he added one last remark as he passed through the doorway.
“…I’m certain she was happy until her very last moment.”
The Earl did not turn. That was no surprise.
Ansel left the study without hesitation. The crisp sound of his footsteps faded away.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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Chapter Comments (1)
Inline Comments (53)
Archibald’s face, when she looked down at him, was faintly flushed for some reas
He likes her! I had my dubts, but not now.
Let’s see how the story develops.
“And I’d prefer it if we didn’t see each other after the wedding.”
What a fucking asshole Ansel is!! 😬🤣 How could Eloise have feelings for him?
Since childhood, Bianca had never hesitated to openly declare what she wanted.
That’s ok… But she’s soooo annoying and desperate 😒🤨
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Where is the 100 and 101 chapters 💔💔💔😭😭😭 why it is not here