The End of First Love - Chapter 45

“Tonight was supposed to be the celebration of William’s wedding, but things have turned out this way. Of course, tomorrow’s ceremony has been cancelled. However, please enjoy the evening party as it is.”

With His Majesty’s words, the royal family exited the venue, prompting a great commotion throughout the hall.

“Elizabeth, let’s go home. If we stay any longer, those gossip-loving nobles won’t let you leave.”

Cradled in Heinz’s arms, Elizabeth hurriedly left the venue, all the while the sighs of countless young ladies and noblewomen followed them.

“Haha, I never thought you’d say you wanted to come here, Elizabeth.”

“Really? Isn’t it just human nature to want to replace bad memories with good ones?”

The view before Elizabeth’s eyes was the same as the one she saw that night.

From the blue-tiled balcony, she looked out at the countless stars floating in the pitch-black night. So beautiful was the sea of stars, indistinguishable from the city lights, that Elizabeth let out a gasp of wonder, just as she had before.

“Heinz… will you grant me my dream?”

“Your dream, Elizabeth?”

“Yes. That night at the theater… After being pushed away by you, I ran to this balcony. Just like the villainess in the play, I was betrayed by the one I loved, fell into despair, and nearly gave in to hopelessness. What welcomed and accepted me back then was this view—and that melody.”

A melody, drifting from somewhere, gently nudged her forward.

(If that music hadn’t played then… my fate would have changed.)

“It was the song you and I danced to for the first time. If it hadn’t played… I wouldn’t have found the strength to keep going. That solo dance gave me courage. Without it, I’d still be wallowing at home, unable to change.”

Now she understood: it was precisely because of that despair that she took her first step forward. Still, the lingering bitterness buried deep in her heart hadn’t vanished.

She knew logically—it was because Heinz had pushed her away that she was able to find her strength. But her heart hadn’t yet accepted it.

That’s why she brought Heinz here—to this place—to continue the dream that went unfulfilled that night.

Elizabeth turned to Heinz and gently extended her hand.

“Will you dance with me?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

Their hands met, and just like that night, they began to dance.

A dance for the two of them alone.

They moved through the same steps as that first dance. She hadn’t known such a simple act could make her heart soar. It was because of the night she danced alone that Heinz’s presence felt so precious now.

As she followed her heart and leaned her cheek against his chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat sent a tremble through her soul.

“Hey, Heinz…”

“What is it, Elizabeth?”

She had always wondered.

Heinz had schemed for years, carefully planning the downfall of William. He could have done it all without Elizabeth’s help. He could have persuaded Rebecca and exposed William himself.

So why had he insisted on making Elizabeth the central figure in William’s downfall?

He had once said to her:

“Elizabeth, the disgrace you’ve been burdened with means nothing unless you clear it with your own hands. Only you can break the curse William has placed on your heart.”

But it felt like there was something more behind those words.

“Why did you push me away that night, Heinz?”

“Hmm… I suppose I wanted to bring an end to the curse that was our first love. I was also under William’s spell, you see. When you chose me—even after I pushed you away—it finally freed me.”

“You tested me so easily. You really are a cruel man…”

“You’re right. I think I’m a terrible man. But I won’t apologize. I’ve spent so long thinking only of you.”

She remembered the day at the Schwein estate when they first became intimate.

The words she’d said then—“You’re not in my heart”—still haunted her. She recalled Heinz’s heartbroken smile, and her chest ached with guilt.

Even after learning Heinz was her first love, Elizabeth had denied his place in her heart. She now understood the despair Heinz must have felt then—believing your feelings were mutual, only to be pushed away.

No matter how much you love someone, you may never become special to them.

Just as Elizabeth could never become special to William, Heinz had also failed to become special to Elizabeth.

Even if you give your all for someone, you may never be the one they choose. The longer that continues, the more twisted your love becomes.

(I’m the one who twisted Heinz…)

That truth tasted like sweet poison, slowly consuming her heart.

“Have you really been freed from your curse, Heinz?”

“Yes. Because now, I’m finally special to you.”

“I see…”

A gentle night breeze, just like that night, brushed Elizabeth’s cheek and made her silver hair sway.

(A future bound to Heinz…)

She couldn’t deny that it felt comforting.

Elizabeth smiled faintly at the future that crossed her mind.

“Hey, Heinz… what do you think happened to the villainess in the play?”

“The villainess from that night’s performance? Let’s see… Once she was condemned and left the stage, no one really cared what became of her. As long as the two leads found their happy ending, the audience was satisfied. Even if that ending was an illusion, even if the villainess’s true story had a dramatic reversal, no one would bother to wonder. That’s how theater works. But reality is different. The story goes on… So, what became of the duke’s daughter, condemned as a villainess?”

“Hehe… She cleared her name with her own hands and returned to the stage—with the one who loved her most at her side.”

“That’s your answer, then?”

“Yes. Heinz… Thank you for understanding and loving me more than anyone else. And now, I can finally say it… I love you too, from the bottom of my heart—my first love.”

Their lips met naturally, deeply intertwining.

Ahead of them lay a future that could bring fear, despair, or even a fate that would cast them from the spotlight once again, just like the villainess in the play.

But now, she felt ready. No matter what came, she could face it head-on. That night she danced alone would always remind her—remind her that her despair was the very fuel that gave her strength.

“You wouldn’t give up here, would you?”

With the sound of a fanfare, the music came to an end, and their feet stopped naturally. Applause and cheers echoed in the distance, as if celebrating the two of them.

The countless stars and golden moonlight gently shone upon the pair as the final melody of the play echoed far off—blessing the two who had emerged victorious.