HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 27: Young love is a beautiful thing

Grandfather. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The endearment....

Apart from herself, there was only one who could freely address the Old master Kratos as grandfather.

"Axel..." she mumbled out, the name escaping her lips softly, as if it had a life of its own. It was a name that she could never forget in both her entire lives.

"Hm?" Perhaps her voice was quite audible that her fiancé hummed in response. Ayana slowly tilted her head, feeling her a thump against her chest from her heart. She looked up to see to the teenage boy standing by her side.

"What’s wrong, Ayana?" He met her gaze with familiar dark and cold eyes.

Eyes that stirred up her last memories before her death and return.

’....Axel.’ She blankly stared at the teenage boy with a similar resemblance to the ex-fiancé in her past life. Only that he was younger, with a youthful face and charm.

Her hazel eyes took in the greyish speckles in his dark eyes. A detail that she had noted in her past life on her deathbed and had almost forgotten in this life.

’It’s really you....’ Her eyes teared up and her gaze softened with unspeakable feelings and warmth.

Her savior.

The man who had saved her from the endless abyss and stayed with her until her final breath.

Axel Kratos.

Her ex-fiancé in her past life, and her fiancé in this life.

They have finally met once again.

’’Nothing, Axel.’’ Ayana whispered and lowered her gaze. She quickly wiped her tears. How embarrassing it was to have shown such a vulnerable side, especially in front of him—her savior. So much for her resolve to keep her composure.

"Just... a little happy to see my fiancé," she admitted softly, rubbing her eyes with fingers that trembled ever so slightly.

’Really happy to see you once more, my ex-fiancé.’ she whispered in her heart, a bittersweet smile curving on her lips.

’Even if you’re not the same Axel, you will always be a savior in this wretched heart of mine.’

’’Me too.’’ Ayana sensed a presence getting nearer to herself. Before reacting to his words, she felt the cool touch of his fingertips on her hand, gently guiding her fingers away from her eyes. Surprised, she looked up, her gaze locking with his as he leaned closer, his expression subtly softened by an unspoken tenderness.

"...Me too." Axel repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. ’’.....after a very long time, Ana.’’

His hand moved with a gentleness that contradicted the coldness in his gaze as he brushed the remaining tears from her eyes and cheeks, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

*Ahem!* * Ahem!*

A sudden cough broke through the quiet moment, and Ayana quickly snapped out of her stupor and pulled back, her cheeks flushing as she turned wide-eyed to see Old Master Kratos watching them with a twinkle of amusement in his aging eyes.

’’You youngsters, Although I am a lonely old man who can’t wait for another set of additions to the family, May I remind you that you’re still young teenagers?’’

’’...’’ Without a word, Axel immediately straightened up, clearing his throat, while Ayana glanced down, trying to compose herself.

"Well, young love is indeed a beautiful thing." Old master Kratos continued teasing the young pair. Though, anyone could tell that he was in a good mood to witness such sight.

’’Axel, why don’t you show Ayana around? I should have released her quite a long time ago.’’

’’Yes, grandfather.’’

With that, Old master Kratos waved the children off and watched as Ayana fell in a step behind his grandson. His lips curled up into a small grin.

’’Axel behaved out of his character.’’ He mused aloud, chuckling softly to himself. The way his usually stoic grandson had softened in Ayana’s presence hadn’t escaped his notice.

’’Indeed, young love is a beautiful thing.’’

****

’’Apologies for interrupting your time with grandfather.’’

’’No, No. I apologize for crying out of blue.’’ Ayana hurriedly apologized as her fiancé guided her to a room similar to the visitor’s lounge at the Kingston Mansion.

After taking their places on the sofa opposite each other, a moment of silence passed and none of the pair said a word. The atmosphere was awkward, with no one taking the lead of a conversation.

’....we really don’t know each other.’ Ayana had already lowered her gaze to the flower pattern of her summer dress. She really couldn’t help it. Axel’s eyes were too cold for to stare at and hold a conversation with.

Or perhaps she was staring at her ex-fiancé through him.

No wonder he was like that in her past life. His cold character had already developed as a teenager.

’Why did he behave like that, then?’ She suddenly wondered, recalling back to the strange behavior of her fiancé in the garden.

Axel had personally addressed her with her name and not title. Her ears had also caught the name ’Ana’ from him.

Was he referring to her with that name back then?

’’My sincere condolences for your loss, Young miss Kingston.’’

His sudden words pulled her from her thoughts, and she raised her gaze with a small smile. ’’Thank you, Young master Kratos.’’

Young miss Kingston and not Ayana.

Perhaps her fiancé was just acting out in front of the Old Master Kratos. Ayana couldn’t help but think in that direction.

’Come on, Ayana. You have a purpose for meeting him.’ She inwardly pushed herself to say a word. Once her lips parted to speak with him, another voice beat her into it.

’’You guys, come on! Why do the both of you have such boring and uptight attitudes?’’ Ayana turned her head and spotted the intruder in a checkered shirt and plain pants, storming towards them with a small pout.

Looking at the familiar face, much younger than the one in her memory, her eye instantly flashed with recognition.

’’I have been peeking since you both sat down. You guys are behaving like the boring adults when we aren’t one yet!’’ The unwelcomed person with warm brown hair and eyes scowled at them respectively with accusing eyes.

’’Axel, you’re supposed to take the lead. Girls don’t like to be bold.....’’

’’Young master Easmond.’’ Ayana boldly interrupted with a polite and welcoming smile. ’’It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ayana Kingston.’’

This was the true purpose of her visit to the Kratos family.

’’H-Huh?’’ The intruder known as Young master Easmond gaped at Ayana with his lips slightly ajar. He obviously didn’t expect the sudden familiarity from Ayana.

’’M-Me? You are speaking to me, not Axel? Wait, you know me?’’ He pointed at himself in disbelief.

’’Of course. Who wouldn’t know the closest friend of my fiancé, Young master Easmond?’’ Ayana replied politely. In her heart, she was elated that she didn’t have to request for an audience with the Easmond family’s young master.

’The rumors were definitely true....’ She chuckled inwardly, recalling some news she heard about her ex-fiancé and the Easmond family’s young master in her past life.

Wherever her fiancé was, one would always find the Young master Easmond. Many had suspected the pair to be passionate lovers. Her broken engagement had also worsened the rumors revolving around them.

Even she had foolishly suspected them.

’’Woah! I didn’t expect the arrogant Young miss of the Kingston family to recognize me. I guess no one can escape my handsome beauty and popularity.’’

’’...’’ Arrogant?

Ah, right. Before her return, she had always interacted with her classmates and acquaintances with an attitude of looking down on them.

’’At this rate, your fiancée might fall in love with me, Axel!’’

Ayana’s lips twitched as she observed the sixteen-year-old flaunting in an exaggerated gesture to her fiancé.

Was this the true character of the Young master Easmond? Ayana didn’t know, since she had never focused on other men in her past life.

’I wonder how they became friends....’

If the Young master Easmond’s true character was like this, it was strange seeing how her fiancé had tolerated him without qualms in her past life.

’’To be honest, I came to the Kratos family for another purpose, Young master Kratos.’’ Ayana shifted her gaze to her quiet fiancé and explained. ’’It was to request for a meeting with Young master Easmond, but it seemed unnecessary now.’’

’’A meeting with me?’’ Perhaps sensing the seriousness in her tone, the Young master Easmond let go of his mischievousness and settled beside her fiancé on the double sofa.

’’What do you need me for then?’’ His brows furrowed in confusion.

’’Your medical expertise, Young master Easmond. ’’ Ayana revealed calmly. ’’I need you to take a look at my first cousin, Noah Kingston.’’