Love Quest (Last part)

[Oh… I didn't know you were Romeo reincarnated.]

"It wasn't me, I swear," Matthew thought, trying to reason with the voice in his head. But before he could continue his mental argument with the system, something unexpected happened.

Sofia closed the remaining distance between them, her hands sliding to the back of Elliott's neck. She pulled him down toward her, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that left Matthew's mind reeling.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Matthew's thoughts raced. What the hell is happening? Yet, despite his inner panic, his body reacted instinctively, responding as if this was all completely natural—like he truly was Elliott.

The system's voice chimed in, [Congratulations, Romeo. You've officially completed The Love Quest.]

"Wait…" Matthew said again, gently pushing Sofia's body back, his hands trembling slightly. "Let's…ah…talk first. You know, like…actual talking."

[What are you doing? This is your chance! Go for it! Wait…what do you mean, 'It wasn't me'?] the system chimed in, its tone teetering between disbelief and frustration.

"Talk?" Sofia echoed, her brows knitting together in confusion. She tilted her head, clearly troubled. "We already did the talking." Her voice softened, but the teasing edge was still there as she stepped closer, her green eyes locked onto him.

Matthew panicked, lifting his hands in front of him like a man surrendering to an army. "Wait…just wait a second," he stammered, his pulse racing. He tried to calm the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind while also keeping Sofia from closing the distance again.

Sofia stopped, crossing her arms with an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine. What is it you want to talk about, Elliott?" she asked, her tone carrying a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

"Okay…so…" Matthew started, but the words caught in his throat. All the adrenaline from the moment had drained, leaving him stranded in awkward silence.

"So? What's wrong with you?" Sofia snapped, her excitement from earlier replaced with visible frustration. Anger now lit her expression as she crossed her arms tightly. "You finally make a move, and then you chicken out? Since when do you chicken out?"

"It's not that," Matthew countered, waving his hands defensively, though his own nerves were clearly getting the best of him. He could feel Elliott's natural confidence slipping further away. "It's just…you know…Ace likes you. You know that."

Sofia blinked, her anger shifting into something more guarded. "Ace?" she repeated, her voice softer now, though her expression remained stern. "What does that have to do with anything? He's never said a word to me about it, Elliott. And you, of all people, bringing him up now? Why?"

Matthew hesitated, unsure of what to say. He could practically feel the system mocking him in his silence.

Matthew's mind raced as Sofia's words hung in the air. He knew she wasn't ignorant—she knew Ace had a crush on her. Worse yet, in the original story, she had manipulated that crush, steering Ace into joining the Northern Earl. It wasn't just for vengeance; she'd done it to push him over the edge, setting in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the fall of Michael the Brave—the Eastern Earl, their Earl.

This world was governed by its four great Earls, each ruling a cardinal direction. The Eastern Earl was the most formidable, and his downfall would throw the entire balance of power into chaos. Ace's involvement had been pivotal to that destruction in the story, and Matthew now stood on the precipice of making decisions that could either follow or break that narrative.

Matthew stared at Sofia, trying to suppress his rising panic. Was she already playing that game, weaving her web to set everything in motion?

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Matthew said, his voice uneasy. "I just can't—not to Ace."

"So I don't get a say in this?" she snapped, her voice trembling with frustration. She looked almost ready to punch him. "I don't like Ace; I like you."

"Too bad, I don't—not in the slightest," Matthew said, the words slipping out smoothly, coldly. "For a moment, just a tiny moment, I wanted to do with you what I've done to every other woman I've met: fuck you and leave you." His tone was devoid of remorse. "But I can't do that to Ace. To you, I'd do it with pleasure," he continued, ignoring the way her expression crumbled, tears welling in her eyes. Without another word, he pushed past her and left. He acted as if he didn't care that he'd made her cry. In that moment, Matthew felt like pure human garbage.

…

[Dude, that was… rough. Maybe you could've handled it more delicately. After all, the girl loves—loved—you.]

"Now you're speaking ," Matthew retorted to the system. "And she doesn't love me. She loved Elliott. Besides, I really don't give a fuck about them. They're just novel characters," Matthew declared. "From your shitty novel."

"And what's with that reward? Insight of the Deceived?" Matthew pressed, his tone sharp and demanding.

[You'll see.]

"Hey!" a voice called from the house, breaking the moment. It was Ace, waving enthusiastically at Matthew. "Finished chopping? Come on, Mom made dinner!" he continued, his grin wide and welcoming.

Matthew sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Great, dinner with a family of novel characters," he muttered under his breath before forcing a smile and heading toward the house.