My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story Episode 4

“We love our son. Truly, deeply love him, but whenever I think of him, all I feel is pity.”
“Ah….”
“That’s why I was so surprised when you said Aemerus was cute. You discovered a side of him that we, his own parents, failed to see. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
Harry nodded without hesitation.
It was truly so.
Aemerus still couldn’t believe that I loved him, and his anxiety was both pitiful and endearing to me.
Sheryl laughed with relief at my confident answer.
“Could I find a better woman to be my son’s wife? I don’t think so.”
“I agree.”
Harry agreed with a playful smile.
“Then shall we go surprise Aemerus? Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
The two of them burst into laughter like mischievous girls plotting a prank, then emerged from the Dress Room.
The men waiting in the Living Room rose from their seats at the sound of footsteps.
Aemerus, in particular, who had been suffering from separation anxiety like a dog isolated from its master the moment he parted from Harry, moved swiftly.
“Hello?”
Harry gazed at Aemerus with a smile.
His reaction was what I was most curious about.
“….”
Aemerus stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.
It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Harry in a dress.
But a wedding dress was different from everything he’d seen before.
How could one describe Harry in her pure white gown?
The summer sun at its zenith.
A rose blooming in the fields.
A lark singing in June.
The arrival of an angel.
The embodiment of a fairy.
Even all the beautiful praise in the world fell short of her.
So many compliments flooded his mind that perhaps a traffic jam had formed.
Not a single word escaped his lips.
Seeing him standing there like a fool with his mouth agape and an enchanted gaze, Harry giggled.
‘Come to think of it, didn’t he react the same way when I wore that homecoming dress back then?’
His consistent reaction kept making me laugh.
Then James gave his son a push on the back.
‘Do something.’
Fortunately, his message was received without issue.
Snapping back to his senses, Aemerus approached Harry and knelt down on one knee.
“Harry.”
Harry shyly placed her hand in his outstretched palm.
His lips trembled as they brushed against the back of her hand in a kiss.
As his trembling transmitted directly to her, Harry’s heartbeat quickened in response.
“You’re going to be the most beautiful bride in the world.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful.”
With those words, Aemerus straightened and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’ll sell all my stocks if I have to—your wedding dress will be from Elisab, no matter what.”
“What? Then what are we supposed to eat from now on?”
At his earnest declaration, Harry burst into laughter.
While the two couldn’t tear their eyes from each other, Sheryl approached her husband and linked her arm through his.
“Seeing that wedding dress brings back the day we got married.”
“I was really beautiful back then.”
“You’re beautiful now too.”
James whispered softly, pressing a kiss to his wife’s hair.
“Let’s look into wedding venues for the kids in advance. The good ones have reservations booked years in advance.”
“Of course.”
Since they were going to get married anyway, there was no point in delaying.
Sheryl gazed at the love-struck couple with a contented expression.

***

With the Price Welfare Foundation’s results presentation approaching, Harry found herself increasingly occupied.
‘I’m not even the one giving the presentation, so why…?’
Such thoughts occasionally stirred up a sense of injustice within her.
But she couldn’t possibly stand before all those people completely unprepared and defenseless.
Through Sheryl, Harry learned the faces and names of people connected to James, as well as table manners, conversational etiquette, and ballroom dancing.
The small consolation was that Aemerus had volunteered to be her practice partner.
Had she learned alone, it would have been terribly lonely.
After consecutive intensive training sessions, a day off finally arrived.
Harry dressed in comfortable clothes and headed to her regular cafe.
“Lili.”
Jessie, who had arrived first and was already seated, raised his hand.
“I ordered yours too. Iced latte, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Jessie knew exactly what Harry ordered at the cafe as the weather grew warmer.
The two of them had spent so much time together that they could recite each other’s preferences and habits by heart.
Only after their ordered coffee arrived did the awkward silence between them break.
“How have you been?”
Jessie was the first to break the silence.
“Good. I’ve been well. How about you?”
“I’ve been good too.”
Jessie, who had been exchanging these formulaic words, touched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly.
Then, as if trying to dispel the uncomfortable atmosphere, he made an effort to brighten his voice.
“Actually, I have some good news, and I wanted to tell you first.”
“What is it?”
“I got cast in a drama.”
Harry’s eyes widened, then filled with joy.
“That’s wonderful! Congratulations, Jessie!”
The awkwardness that had lingered between them vanished without a trace.
Harry leaned forward toward him, asking this and that.
“What drama is it? What role did you get?”
“It’s a high school drama, and I’m playing an obnoxious quarterback. It’s a typical role—I harass the female lead before falling in love with her.”
“My goodness, you’re perfect for that role!”
At her words, Jessie’s eyebrows twitched.
“I mean, that doesn’t mean you’re actually an obnoxious guy like that…”
“I know. I was just joking.”
Jessie, who had been chuckling, leaned back against his chair.
‘She wasn’t like this before.’
Her cautious demeanor toward him, as if he were some kind of time bomb, only made him feel more distant.
But there was nothing to be done about it.
It was all his own doing.
Jessie stirred his coffee aimlessly with a straw as he spoke.
“It’s thanks to you, Lili.”
“Huh?”
“You suggested I try acting.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“The director who cast me saw my performance during prom. The kids recorded it and posted it all over social media.”
“Right. I saw that video too.”
Harry had hoped to watch that performance in person, but she hadn’t been there.
Jessie took a sip of coffee and smiled bitterly.
“According to the director, he saw potential in me. Though honestly, I’m still not sure about it myself….”
“I believe in you, Jessie. Sometimes, the way others see me is more accurate than how I see myself.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You truly have talent.”
Harry spoke with conviction, her eyes full of faith in him.
Those eyes he loved so dearly, now belonging to another man, spoke with cruel certainty.
“Even if this drama doesn’t do well, another good opportunity will definitely come along.”
Jessie chuckled softly, understanding what she was trying to say.
“I won’t go back to escort work just because the drama fails. So don’t worry too much.”
“Okay….”
An awkward silence fell between them once more.
The two sipped their coffee without speaking.
Only the sound of ice cubes clinking against the glass passed between them.
It was Jessie who broke the silence this time.
“Is Aemerus treating you well?”
“Yes.”
Harry answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Of course, once I go to university, I won’t be able to see him as often as I do now. But I’m willing to accept that.”
Harry, who had been speaking happily, belatedly noticed Jessie’s expression.
She seemed to blame herself for saying something unnecessary in front of him.
‘There’s no going back to how things were.’
I felt as though I had crossed a river that could never be recrossed.
Desperate to hold onto Harry as she drifted further away, Jessie maintained his smile with stubborn determination.
“As long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me.”
“Jessie….”
“Just as you’re glad for my happiness, I sincerely wish for yours. That’s all.”
Perhaps—yes, perhaps she might have become his girlfriend.
But he had missed his chance, and now she belonged to another man.
That was truly all there was to it.
Beneath the table, Jessie clenched his fist tightly.
After all his bravado about being fine, he couldn’t let tears show now.
“I know I’ve already messed things up. But… can we still be friends?”
“Don’t say such foolish things, Jessie.”
Harry sprang to her feet.
I thought she would leave in anger, but she didn’t.
“You’re my friend and my family. No matter how foolish a mistake you make, that doesn’t change.”
Jessie was startled as Harry embraced him, but soon closed his eyes.
The tears he’d been holding back spilled out without her knowing.
Though the embrace was brief, the mere fact that she had forgiven him was enough for him.
“So, I can keep in touch with you, right?”
“Of course. Contact me anytime. When something joyful happens like today, or when you’re going through hardship—no matter what!”
“I will.”
Her words, spoken with concern that he might fall into the wrong path again, drew a quiet laugh from him.
“I’ve finished my coffee, so I should get going.”
“Should I give you a ride?”
“No, it’s fine. I can go on my own.”
I couldn’t bring myself to insist when she answered so confidently.
It was as we returned our cups and stepped outside together.
“Aemerus?”
I came face to face with a tall man leaning against a streetlamp in front of the Cafe.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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