The Alchemists

"Rose... please, forgive me. I was such a fool and I didn't know what's good for me," Leon pleaded with Rose. His voice was hoarse and he couldn't help it when tears started falling from the corners of his eyes. The man looked so miserable. "I was too insecure and I kept chasing acknowledgment from my father..."

Rose was frozen in her spot. She never expected that Leon would come to see her at the airport like this... and begged for forgiveness. 

She had wanted this to happen for a long time, and after two years, she thought it would never happen.

"Rose..."  Rune got out of the car and touched Rose's arm. He looked at her dotingly and asked, "Are you okay? Do you want to talk to him?" 

Please say no, he wished internally.

As a gentleman, Rune would offer the woman a chance to settle her problem with her ex-boyfriend, but as a man in love, he would wish that she didn't give her ex a time of day.

Didn't Leon get his chance to apologize for two years straight? What did he do with his time? Enough was enough and now Rose should just kick him to the curb. He made his bed and he should lay on it.

Rose didn't reply. She was too shocked to say anything. She could only look at Leon with disbelief.

"I don't love Anne. I thought I could love her if I put my mind into it. I convinced myself that I was doing the right thing... for my family, for my kingdom..." Leon stepped slowly, closer to Rose, and finally stopped right in front of her.

He looked at Rose deeply. "I know she is childish and petty, but I thought it was because she is young. But when I found out what she did to you... I couldn't take it anymore. I realized... I cannot live with someone who intentionally hurt you. So, I made a decision to leave." 

"Oh, Leon...." Rose pressed her lips in shock and tears started forming in her eyes. She whispered, "Why are you doing this? Please don't do this..."

"For once, I want to be honest with myself, Rose..." Leon looked so guilty and ashamed, and the sight truly broke Rose's heart. "I have only loved you. Yesterday, all I could think about was the fact that the only times I've ever felt truly happy... were when I was with you."

His tears started dripping uncontrollably. "I have got everything I wanted in life. So I thought I was supposed to be happy, right? But why am I feeling the most miserable that I have ever been? I hate my life. I hate the royal family... and I hate the woman I married. All I could think about is you, and how I have ruined the only chance I ever had to be happy. I am such an idiot..." 

Leon continued his words. "As soon as I found out that you are leaving... I realized that I must not let you go without telling you how sorry I am for what happened. I am sorry for what I did to you and for all the pain that I have caused you. Rose... I am truly sorry..."

He looked at Rose sincerely and repeated his words since the girl didn't respond to his apologies. "Rose... will you forgive me? I have made all the reporters who write those gossips about you apologize and I will make Sarah and Lisa apologize too. But I realize, the person who owes you the biggest apology is me. I have hurt you the most, and I cannot even begin to describe how awfully sorry I am for what happened..."

Rose furrowed her brows when she heard Leon's explanation. She looked at Rune and Leon alternately. "You did.. what? So, you're the one who made the news sites post the public apologies?"

Leon nodded. "Yeah. That's the least that I could do. I didn't know they had been writing so many awful gossips about you. I was too busy to notice such things. I only found out after the wedding... I am sorry I didn't do it sooner. I am sorry, I failed to protect you."

"Oh..." Rose turned to Rune with a conflicted expression. She had thought it was all Rune's doing and thanked the man for it when actually Leon was the one who did it.

Rune suddenly felt cornered. He didn't refute it when Rose thanked him for the public apologies because even though he didn't directly order it, he was the reason why Leon forced the journalists to apologize.

But now, this made him look like a liar who took credit over someone else's work.

Shit. He could do so much more than that. But he didn't want to use excessive force when he already threatened Leon to do something for Rose.

"Rose, I hope you know that he only did it after I told him to," Rune said to Rose. "If he was truly sincere, he wouldn't wait to do it until he knew you have finally moved on and forgotten about him." 

"Rose, you are the closest person to me in this universe. I have lost you once, due to my own foolishness... I don't want to lose you again," Leon spoke.

He added, "I didn't do it because I was jealous that you have found a new man. No, I did it... and I am doing this.. to show you that I really love you. I always have. And I realized that wealth and power mean nothing... when you are not by my side."

'It's too little too late, buddy,' was what Rune wanted to say while rolling his eyes. However, he managed to hold back and showed a flat expression.

He looked at Rose and rubbed her arm gently. "Rose, it's time to go." 

To his surprise, Rose pulled her arm loose.

"Rose..?" Rune couldn't hide the shock in his voice. His cool disappeared and was replaced by a disappointed expression.

Why did Rose brush off his hand? 

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I wrote 1500 words already and I think I can add more to make it two chapters (1k words each). You can expect another chapter later today - Asian time, so maybe next morning US timezone.

Also, I'm down with flu. Sorry for the very slow updates for this book. It almost ends. We are getting there very, very soon.