Unrequited Love is Over, Fend for Yourselves (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 32
While Fernando went to wash up, Etienne leaned her exhausted body against a rock.
‘I must really be out of my mind.’
Back then, she’d been unbearably lonely—that’s why she’d entertained such an absurd thought. After all, he was the one she secretly loved. She’d only wished to see his face once more.
She hadn’t wanted to live desperately or cling foolishly to him. It was simply that the prison had been so cold that day, and she’d longed to see him just one last time.
It seemed that unfulfilled wish had lingered in her heart.
“Hmm….”
She’d been scolding herself for being pathetic, since the current situation was different from before….
“Should I leave since I came over to talk?”
At the sudden voice, Etienne lifted her head. The surroundings had already grown dim, and his face in the shadows was hard to see clearly.
Yet, thanks to the man’s bright hair, she instantly recognized who it was, even without seeing his face.
He bent his leg to match her eye level, making his features clearly visible.
“You’re just going to leave?”
“I came to comfort you because you looked upset, but if I’m bothering you, I’ll just go.”
Reinhart sat down beside Etienne, pressing his hips against the spot opposite hers. He sat right on the bare ground without laying anything beneath him.
Feeling a gaze from somewhere, she turned and, as expected, saw Alex watching the Crown Prince with a disapproving look.
“But now that I’m closer, I notice you’re laughing to yourself?”
“Was I laughing?”
Etienne flustered and touched her cheeks. She didn’t even feel her lips curling upward—how could he say she’d been laughing?
“Yeah. It was a little scary.”
Hearing Reinhart say that while even his shoulders shook, Etienne lowered the hand she’d been using to touch her face and smiled.
“I guess you’re right. I was laughing.”
“You’re still smiling weirdly—should I get you a mirror? You look really strange. Are you even in your right mind right now?”
Even with Reinhart’s rapid-fire questions, Etienne couldn’t stop smiling.
“I was just denying it because the situation’s different now.”
After all, she wasn’t twenty-one anymore, and this wasn’t the time when House of Claire was collapsing. Yet her mind kept drifting back to that day.
She wondered why she kept comparing being attacked by a wild boar to being locked in prison—they weren’t the same at all. But did she really need to insist they were different?
“But then I realized it’s fine—there’s no need to separate them. After all, what I truly wanted was the same.”
Both then and now, all she’d wanted was to hear kind words. Realizing Fernando had given her exactly that, the lingering disappointment from back then melted away like snow under the sun.
“So I guess that’s why I’m in a good mood.”
“I don’t fully understand what you’re saying, but it sounds complicated. Can I just interpret it however I want?”
“In whatever way His Highness the Crown Prince wishes?”
“Yes.”
Reinhart shifted slightly closer to Etienne. Their knees touched due to the shortened distance, causing Etienne to lower her head a little.
His knees sat high—probably because of his long legs. But how had they touched so easily? While she idly pondered this meaningless question, Reinhart spoke.
“Since you’ve fulfilled one wish, you should make another.”
“…What?”
“No?”
“Oh—no….”
Now that she thought about it, he was right. She’d been so happy just hearing Fernando’s kind words that she hadn’t considered what came next.
“You’re right. But I’m fine with my next wish.”
“Why? Nothing comes to mind right now?”
“No. There’s still something else I haven’t accomplished.”
She still needed to protect her family’s lives and secure the future of House Claire. She had to do everything in her power to ensure none of them met a meaningless end.
“Is that so? That’s a shame.”
At that moment, she heard regret in Reinhart’s voice. Tilting her head in curiosity, Etienne got a clearer view of his profile.
‘Right—I’ll have to do even better to keep this man alive too.’
As she thought this, Reinhart continued.
“I was about to ask you to make a wish that ties you to me.”
Etienne burst out laughing at Reinhart’s audacity. At the sudden sound of her laughter, Reinhart’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Staring at her with raised brows, he asked,
“What’s with that laugh? I was actually in a really bad mood just now.”
“Oh—I’m sorry if I upset you. I just thought His Highness the Crown Prince is more amusing the more I get to know you.”
Etienne quickly offered an apology. Reinhart narrowed his eyes as if questioning her sincerity, then nodded slowly.
“When I said I was in a bad mood, I really just meant I was surprised by how clear your laughter sounded—don’t take it the wrong way.”
“How does that even connect? It sounds like you’re forcing it.”
“No, I can’t explain it more precisely, but it’s the truth.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes. Let’s believe it.”
“…Fine, I’ll force myself to believe you.”
Through this lighthearted exchange, Etienne gradually returned to her usual self.
“Your Highness.”
Alex approached, apparently deciding enough time had passed for conversation.
“What is it?”
“We’re out of firewood.”
“Oh, right.”
Etienne leapt to her feet. Now that he mentioned it, she recalled going to gather firewood earlier, only for things to go awry.
[This is the timeline separator]The only one who’d had no trouble was Jo, yet he’d brought back nothing but soaked firewood, leaving them unable to start a fire. Eventually, they all agreed to stay inside the carriage, with only a few standing guard.
Alex took the coachman’s seat first, while the rest settled inside the carriage.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to sleep at all.”
When Sola voiced her complaint, a few sighed, but there was no alternative. If someone fell asleep outside and another wild boar appeared, it would be disastrous.
“If we’d just brought along some escort knights, none of this would’ve happened.”
Nick added his comment quietly—careful not to outright blame the Crown Prince, though the implication was clear.
Yet voicing such complaints changed nothing.
Etienne, curled up wearily in the farthest corner, was too exhausted to think of anything else.
‘Was traveling always this grueling?’
She’d considered herself well-traveled, but this journey felt entirely different. It had only been a day, yet so much had already gone wrong.
‘Well, I suppose it shouldn’t feel the same. We’ve never all crammed into one carriage like this before, nor had to gather firewood ourselves.’
She now understood that wet firewood was useless—but she realized she hadn’t actually tried gathering any herself.
The servants had always handled such tasks. Lost in thought, she leaned her head against the wall, her eyelids drooping halfway over her eyes.
She must have dozed off briefly. In the darkness, Etienne suddenly stirred awake. She couldn’t recall her last thought—her mind was blank.
Yet the surface she leaned against felt firm yet warm. Had the carriage wall grown warm? She wondered momentarily, but the sensation differed from wood—it felt more like leaning against a person….
Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she saw faint light seeping into the carriage—dawn must be breaking.
Noticing Sola asleep against someone opposite her, Etienne tried to sit up. After all, if she’d leaned on someone, she ought to move. But….
A large hand covered her eyes, plunging her back into darkness just as before.
“Sleep some more.”
A low voice, familiar yet not immediately recognizable, resonated in her ear.
“Sleep.”
The childish tone made Etienne smile. She should’ve protested—she wasn’t a child anymore—but her body was already sinking back into slumber.
She realized who it was only belatedly, but fell asleep too quickly to call his name.
[This is the timeline separator]Etienne woke to the carriage shaking. Half-lying down as she slept, she lifted her head and watched a blanket roll off from under it.
‘Whose blanket is this? I’ve never seen it before.’
As she picked it up and sat upright, she saw the others gradually coming into view.
Noticing Etienne’s bewildered expression, Sola kindly explained the situation.
“Early this morning, His Highness the Crown Prince’s counselor moved the carriage. Thanks to him, we’ve already descended the mountain and will soon leave the capital.”
“Oh….”
She tried to respond, but her voice caught in her throat. As she silently swallowed and rubbed her neck, a water bottle appeared before her eyes.
“Drink some water.”
It was Fernando. When had he come to sit beside her? Yesterday, when they’d all gathered in the carriage, Fernando had been with Hana—or rather, Hana had claimed the seat next to him.
“Tha….”
Her voice still hoarse, she couldn’t even manage a proper “thank you.” Without another word, Etienne took the water bottle.
After drinking, her throat felt moistened, and the last remnants of sleep vanished completely.
“Thank you.”
Hearing her clearer voice, Fernando took the bottle back with a casual shrug, as if it were nothing.
“We’ll head straight to an inn once we leave the capital and enter another territory. We’ll eat and rest there, so just hang in there a bit longer, even if you’re tired.”
Etienne nodded at his words. But then she noticed an unusual quietness around her. Thinking others might still be asleep, she scanned the carriage—only Bazon remained asleep; everyone else was awake.
The carriage now held only the children of noble houses, without Crown Prince Reinhart. Though merely a day had passed, their expressions looked unusually complex.
Nick and Sola, who’d constantly complained about the journey itself, likely still felt the same. But Hana’s expression was odd.
Perhaps shaken by yesterday’s ordeal, the girl who usually wore at least a small smile now wore a grave look.
Moreover, her gaze remained fixed unwaveringly on Fernando.
‘Is it because Fernando saved her?’
Hana had indeed been unusually talkative toward Fernando.
‘Not my concern.’
After all, she’d already known Hana was interested in him.
Yet when Hana’s gaze turned toward her, Etienne found she couldn’t simply ignore it. Their eyes met—Hana silently staring, Etienne wordlessly holding her gaze.
“Yesterday….”
Hana finally spoke.
“You tried to save me—I heard it from Lord Fernando.”
Etienne turned to Fernando. He’d been idly tilting the water bottle in his hands but looked up upon sensing her gaze.
His guileless expression confirmed Hana’s words—but something felt off.
‘Why?’
Unable to pinpoint what bothered her, Etienne kept watching Fernando a moment longer, until Hana spoke again.
“If not for you… I would’ve been badly hurt. Thank you, Etienne.”
Hearing Hana’s words, Etienne understood.
Hana had been grateful to Fernando—but he’d mentioned Etienne’s role. Now it seemed Fernando had rescued Hana only because Etienne had asked him to.
Or perhaps Fernando truly had acted out of that intention. And now, Hana resented it.
Despite her words of thanks, her subtle gaze toward Etienne clearly conveyed annoyance—as if Etienne were an unwelcome obstacle between her and Fernando.
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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