The two appeared back in Elder Gutknecht's library. As soon as their feet touched the floor, Emilien angrily pushed (Y/N) away from him.
"You lied to me! Just to get back to that other man."
(Y/N) slightly grinned at his jealousy. She knew it was neither the place nor the time but she couldn't help it. He was jealous (and of Victor of all people).
So, even though it wasn't the right thing to say, she chuckled as she replied, "Even if that was the case, technically you would be the other man."
"No! You're married to me. He's the other man."
Her eyes widened when she realized he was starting to cry. Soon, fat tears streamed down his pale blue cheeks and she knew she had hurt him deeply.
She tried to comfort him but was halted when he loudly sobbed out, "And I thought-and I thought this was all going so well!"
She gasped as his eye popped out from how hard he was crying and it rolled over the wooden floorboards and over to her feet. Without a second thought, she picked it up and sweetly tried to give it back to him.
He sniffled as he looked over to her but didn't have the heart to even speak. He snatched the eye back, without any hint of gratitude.
"It's my eye, isn't it?" He asked in an insecure manner.
"No, of course not. I think your eye is lovely." And she meant it. After being around him so long she had gotten so used to his limbs popping off and even seemed to look past the blue skin and exposed bones. But it was also for that reason that she guiltily explained, "But, Emilien, we're just too different. I mean, you're dead."
"Then why did you recite those vows to me?"
"I wasn't reciting them to anyone. I was trying to help my brother because he's getting married."
"So, when you said those vows so sweetly, it meant nothing?"
"Well..." She didn't know how to answer and she shyly looked away as she said, "I was saying them as if the person I loved were in front of me."
"So, you don't love me!"
"I never said that!"
"Shouldn't you have thought about this before you asked me to marry you?"
"For heaven's sake, don't you understand? I never meant to marry you. It was a mistake."
She covered her mouth in horror, immediately regretting her words. To be fair, she only spoke the truth. Emilien had assumed a lot of things and he kidnapped her to be his bride, without ever checking if that's what she wanted.
But, on the other hand, she felt bad for him. She could understand his feelings better than anyone else. She could understand the pain of wondering if one would ever find true love.
However, all these thoughts didn't take back her hurtful words.
Emilien gasped at her revelation. He couldn't believe how cruel her words were. Though they were true, it only seemed to solidify the idea that he would truly never find the love he so desperately sought.
"Emilien, I- "
"No! Just..." He couldn't even finish his words as he left the library...without her.
She watched as he left, unable to do anything else, as her heart continued to ache.
"Was he such a terrible husband that you decided the best course of action was to run from him?" Elder Gutknecht asked, it wasn't in a rude or sarcastic manner, he was just genuinely curious.
She looked up at him as tears pooled in her eyes and softly replied, "No. In fact, I think he's an amazing husband."
"So why not love him?"
She couldn't answer that. Well...actually she didn't want to. She feared to answer that question for she already knew the answer.
Instead, she allowed the tears that brimmed in her eyes to slip down her cheeks as she gazed sorrowfully in the direction that Emilien left in.
"Should I go after him?" She asked, attempting to deflect from his previous question.
It seemed to work, or more likely he allowed her to deflect, as he stated, "I say we give him some space. Just to calm himself and think things through."
She nodded and agreed that, that was probably the best course of action. Though it did not stop the tears from flowing nor did it make her situation any easier to bear.
Luckily Elder Gutknecht tapped her shoulder, smiling softly up at her as he suggested, "You know, I saw how amazed you were by my book collection. So, I felt you were perfect in asking to help me organise it. Plus, it's a good way to explain to me the whole situation as well as to give you some time to think. Sort out how you feel about Emilien."
She smiled slightly at his words, nodding in agreement as she wiped away her tears. She was thankful for the elder skeleton being so kind and patient with her as well as for providing a well-needed distraction.
Though, as she grabbed one book off a nearby shelf and read its title, she already knew there was nothing for her to think about. She already knew how she felt about Emilien, despite their terrible first meeting and the craziness that followed afterwards. Though she denied the truth, there was no more sense in denying it now.
She loved Emilien.
...
Emilien stormed all the way back to the pub, seething in his jealousy and rage. He slumped down on a nearby lounge sofa, feeling the need to destroy something. It came in the form of a bouquet of flowers, that had been given to him by some lovely dead ladies as a congratulations on his marriage.
Now, he only saw it as a sign of mockery.
He started ripping the flowers as he sarcastically listed, "Roses for eternal love."
But, when he started ripping the other flowers that were in the bouquet, his anger faltered and a hint of sadness took over his tone.
"Lilies for sweetness. Baby's breath."
His anger completely left him and he threw the ruined bouquet away. As much as he hated (Y/N) now. As much as he wanted to yell at her and make her feel every bit of pain he felt, all he could do was place his face into his hands. He knew he could never do it. He loved her too much.
The black widow spider, from when (Y/N) ran away from Emilien through the town, slowly lowered herself next to the moping man and asked, "Why so blue?"
"Maybe she's right. Maybe we are too different."
"Maybe she should have her head examined."
Emilien sighed as he scratched around in his ear before pulling out the maggot. He smiled genuinely up at the man.
"I could do it."
"Perhaps she does belong with him. Mr Living. With his rosy cheeks and beating heart."
"Oh, those men are ten a penny." The spider dismissed. "You've got so much more. You've got... You've got... You've got a wonderful personality."
Emilien didn't seem to listen to her attempt to uplift him. Or maybe he just didn't believe her. Whatever the case, both spider and maggot knew they needed to do something.
🎵Maggot: "What does that wispy little brat have that you don't have double?"
🎵Spider: "He can't hold a candle to the beauty of your smile."
🎵Emilien: "How about a pulse?"
He was still mopey as he set the maggot down on the back of where he was sitting, right next to the spider. He did not want to hear what else they had to say, as he was still deep within his sorrow.
But it didn't stop them from trying to reach him.
🎵Maggot: "Overrated by a mile."
🎵Spider: "Overvalued."
🎵Maggot: "Overblown."
🎵Both: "If she only knew the you that we know."
Emilien sighed in annoyance. He turned away to try and give them the hint to stop and let him pity himself in peace but the spider quickly crawled over to his skeletal hand, propping up the finger that held the ring.
🎵Spider: "And that silly little creature isn't wearing her ring."
The maggot suddenly popped up next to her, to help emphasise her point.
🎵Maggot: "And I'm sure he can't play piano."
🎵Both: "Or dance."
🎵Maggot: "Or sing."
🎵Both: "No, he doesn't compare!"
🎵Emilien: "But he still breathes air!"
🎵Both: "Who cares?"
🎵Maggot: "Unimportant."
🎵Spider: "Overrated."
🎵Maggot: "Overblown."
🎵Both: "If only she could see how special you can be. If she only knew the you that we know."
Emilien sighed as he stood up and walked away from the buggy pair. What they were saying was probably all true. But all he could think of was (Y/N) and how she sounded so hateful towards the fact that he was dead.
🎵Emilien: "If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain. If you cut me with a knife, it's still the same. And I know his heart is beating. And I know that I am dead. Yet the pain here that I feel. Try and tell me it's not real. And it seems that I still have a tear to shed."
He walked over to a door and slumped down it. He was hurting, beyond what words could describe. And he should have hated (Y/N). He should have hated how she was making him feel. But, even now, his unbeating heart still pined only for her.
The spider once more lowered herself next to the heartbroken man. Only this time she had the maggot clinging to her legs, so both could be there to try and cheer him up.
🎵Maggot: "The sole redeeming feature, of that wretched creature, is that he's alive."
🎵Spider: "Overrated."
🎵Maggot: "Overblown."
🎵Spider: "Everybody knows that's just a temporary state, which is cured very quickly when we meet our fate."
🎵Maggot: "Who cares?"
🎵Spider: "Unimportant."
🎵Maggot: "Overrated."
🎵Spider: "Overblown."
🎵Both: "If only she could see how special you can be. If she only knew the you that we know."
Emilien finally had enough of the pair. He really did not need to hear any of this. In fact, it didn't really help at all. He simply pulled the spider down a bit before letting go. This caused her to spring back up towards the ceiling, with the maggot still clinging to her.
The corpse groom got off the floor and slowly made his way back over to sit on the lounge sofa, a deep frown upon his lips.
🎵Emilien: "If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain. In the ice or in the sun it's all the same."
He laid down on the lounge sofa, clutching painfully at his heart. He thought that when he was betrayed and killed, it would be the worse pain of his entire existence.
But, after finding and meeting (Y/N), seeing her pretty (E/C) eyes and (H/L) (H/C) hair, seeing her smile at him and listening to her plight with her life, he knew now that her betraying him hurt more.
🎵Emilien: "Yet I feel my heart is aching. Though it doesn't beat, it's breaking. And the pain here that I feel. Try and tell me it's not real."
Tears gathered in his eyes and he turned to lie on his side, closing his eyes to try and hold them back.
🎵Emilien: "I know that I am dead. Yet it seems that I still have some tears to shed."
But it didn't help, as a small tear escaped. It glided down his face and landed with a tiny splatter on the ground. The spider and the maggot stared down at it sadly before deciding to leave and give the poor, broken man some peace.