Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband-Chapter 120: Part of life

"You're wrong," he said, his voice steady but firm. "From the moment I came back from the future, I felt nothing for Allea. But now… things are different. Still, my feelings for you were never a lie."

Velriona furrowed her brows slightly, a flicker of doubt passing through her eyes. Neonidas could see the turmoil within her—anger, disappointment, and perhaps… a sliver of buried hope.

"You never even told me you loved me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You're only here for Allea, aren't you?"

Neonidas moved closer, finally taking a seat on a small stool in front of her. He clasped his hands together, studying her face. Seeing her so devoid of her usual strength stirred something unfamiliar within him—an odd, painful sensation.

"I'm here," he said simply. "That means more than you think."

Velriona pressed her lips together. She knew what kind of storm raged inside her, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to face it. Neonidas reached out and gently took her hand in his. It was cold.

"You need to eat," he repeated, his voice softer this time.

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry."

Neonidas studied her pale face, her trembling lips. Her voice was firm, but there was a fragile quality to it—like a weary warrior just before surrendering their last shield.

His gaze briefly flickered to the tray of food before returning to Velriona's eyes. "I thought you and Allea talked everything through… that she accepted you—no, that she accepted us. So why are you still this upset? Your daughter accepted you, Velriona. She allowed you to stay by my side for us to love each other."

Velriona lowered her head at his words. Her fingers, still clutching the blanket, trembled slightly. Even in the dim light, the deep sorrow etched into her expression was undeniable.

"You don't understand how hard this is," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Allea accepting us… did you think that would make everything okay?"

Neonidas straightened slightly, his gaze unwavering. He could feel her pain. But he couldn't let her destroy herself like this.

"Of course, it doesn't fix everything," he said calmly. "But it's a start. Allea's forgiveness is a chance for us to leave the past behind, Velriona."

For the first time, Velriona truly looked at him. Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, as if she were caught between faith and fear.

"And what about me?" she asked softly. "Can I forgive myself?"

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Her question shifted the air in the room. Neonidas hesitated for a brief moment, fully grasping the depth of her pain. This wasn't just about Allea's forgiveness. It was about Velriona facing her own past, her own choices, and her own regrets.

He reached out, gently enclosing her cold fingers in his. He squeezed them slightly, as if to reassure her.

"You don't have to forgive yourself," he said, his voice gentle but resolute. "But you can give yourself a chance. Starving yourself won't change the past, Velriona. We can't undo what's happened, but we can shape what comes next."

Velriona took a deep breath. Her eyes flickered to their joined hands before returning to his. Something was shifting.

"I don't know," she admitted. But this time, her voice wasn't entirely hopeless. There was a glimmer of something else.

Neonidas gave a faint smile. "Then you don't need to know. Just take one bite, and then you can keep thinking."

He saw the hesitation in her eyes. It wasn't full acceptance, but at least a crack had formed in the walls she had built around herself. Moving slowly, he took a piece of bread from the tray. Holding it between his fingers, he gently took one of Velriona's hands in his own. It was still cold.

"I won't let you push me away," he said, his voice firm yet soft. "You are an empress, Velriona. But right now, you're just someone who is exhausted and hurt. Even the strongest people need to rest and lean on others sometimes."

Velriona tried to avert her gaze, but Neonidas squeezed her hand slightly, keeping her attention on him. He lifted the small piece of bread toward her.

"For me," he whispered.

Velriona stared at the bread, then at the sincerity in his eyes. She didn't want to give in so easily, but her body betrayed her—her stomach ached from the emptiness.

With hesitation, she parted her lips. Neonidas gently placed the bread between them, his gaze never wavering. As she took the first bite, he watched her carefully.

Seeing Velriona, usually so strong, reduced to such fragility, stirred something inside him—an unexplainable, protective instinct.

As Velriona chewed, she closed her eyes for a moment. The taste registered in her senses, and she realized she was hungry—so hungry that she had forgotten even the feeling of it.

Neonidas took a spoonful of soup from the tray. The silver spoon reflected the dim light of the room as the warm liquid shimmered faintly. Velriona watched him, but hesitation still lingered in her eyes.

"I'm not your child," she said with a faint touch of sarcasm, though her voice carried an undertone of weary surrender.

Neonidas offered a small smile. "I know. But right now, you need this."

Then he brought the spoon to her lips. Velriona resisted at first, but as she felt the warmth of the steam brushing against her face, something within her began to unravel. She locked eyes with Neonidas—there was no triumph in his gaze, no superiority. He was simply a man who wanted the woman before him to be well.

Slowly, as if moving in slow motion, she leaned forward slightly and took the soup into her mouth. As the warmth spread down her throat, she felt it radiate through her body. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly alive.

Neonidas offered another spoonful. Velriona took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, then parted her lips once more—this time with less hesitation.

After a few bites, the silence in the room shifted. It was no longer cold or distant, but rather something almost peaceful. Neonidas, still holding her hand, observed her closely. The odd but strangely normal bond between them settled into the moment. The quiet no longer carried discomfort—it was a shared stillness, a mutual understanding.

Velriona met his gaze without turning away. There was the faintest hint of color returning to her pale face, though the deep exhaustion in her eyes had yet to fade.

Neonidas continued feeding her for a while longer. At first, Velriona took each bite reluctantly, but it seemed she had come to accept that her body was on the verge of breaking down from neglect. Slowly, she reached out on her own, taking the spoon from him and feeding herself. Neonidas understood how significant even this small action was.

"That's it," he said with a soft yet genuine smile. "I'm not trying to control you, Velriona. But even the strongest people need to let someone else be strong for them sometimes."

"Thank you, Neo. All I ask from you is to love my daughter and cherish her."

Neonidas paused for a brief moment at her words. There was something about the weariness in her voice that made the turmoil within him even more evident. She needed to understand—he wasn't here just for Allea.

"You know I cherish Allea," he said, gently squeezing her hand. "But I'm not here only for her, Velriona. I'm here for you too."

Velriona averted her gaze. She wasn't sure if those words comforted her or carved a deeper wound. After a moment of silence, she spoke in a low voice, almost as if afraid of the answer.

"And what about me?" she asked. "What do I mean to you, Neonidas?"

This time, Neonidas truly paused to think. What was Velriona to him? The time they had spent together, the moments they had shared, the emotions tangled within all this chaos… This wasn't just a game. She wasn't just some woman he had used and discarded.

Velriona was strong, determined, and intelligent. Yet the woman before him now had lowered all her defenses—she was vulnerable, exposed.

"You're not just Allea's mother to me," he said, his voice deep and resolute. "You are a part of my life, Velriona. My feelings for you were never a lie, and they haven't changed now."

Velriona stared at him. There was an undeniable sincerity in his eyes. No hint of deception, no attempt at evasion.

She took a deep breath, but it felt like even the air filling her lungs wasn't enough. His words felt like a blade slipping through the cracks of her armor, cutting her from within. The honesty in his gaze was too real to be an illusion. And yet, she needed to protect herself.

She was in love with Neonidas. There was no point in denying it. But that love had been both her poison and her cure.

Once, she had believed her heart was strong and unshakable, yet he had shattered it effortlessly.

Now, could she gather those broken pieces and build something new?

For Velriona, it was certainly worth trying.