Liliana froze.
"Ahem!" She nearly choked on her milk tea, coughing a few times as a blush crept up her face. "Aiden, you can't be serious."
Aiden smiled at her. "But I am, Liliana. I'm completely serious."
Silence fell between them. Liliana's expression grew solemn. She slowly set down her teacup, and after a moment of consideration, turned to face him. "Aiden, you know that to me, you've always just been my friend."
A flicker of what seemed like regret crossed his eyes. "I knew you would say that," he replied, his gentle voice tinged with resignation.
The answer had always been obvious. If something was impossible in the past, the passage of time wouldn't change that. If there was ever a chance, it wouldn't have taken this long, would it? The only exception was for lovers who were kept apart by fate, and that was clearly not their situation.
Liliana lowered her gaze, her fingers curling slightly. Her voice was soft with apology. "Aiden... I've always respected you, and I'm so grateful for you." But you were just my friend. The feelings were different.
Behind his glasses, Aiden's eyes seemed to dim, but a faint, wistful smile returned to his lips. "It's alright, Liliana. Just stay as you are. I never wanted to cause you any trouble."
Even in this moment, Aiden maintained his graceful, gentlemanly composure. He finished his tea in a slow, deliberate manner and then rose to his feet, his eyes soft. "Liliana, it's getting late. I should be going."
"When do you plan to head home?" she asked.



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