"Uh…" Taken a bit aback by the question, she gazed at him, unsure of how to answer.
Feeling her hesistance, Valerio waved his hand at her.
"Never mind. Don't answer-"
"No, no! It's fine. I do have an answer." She chuckled softly and stood up on her feet. "Can you sit up?" She asked.
A bit confused, Valerio arched his brow at her before slowly sitting up on the bed.
Everly sat down on the bed and grabbed his hand.
"Lie down," She said to him as she patted her laps.
Valerio's eyes fluttered, and a slight frown appeared on his forehead.
"What? Why?" He inquired, but instead of responding, Everly shook her head and pulled him down so his head rested on her thighs.
"You are in a sad mood. This will help you relax." She explained it to him.
Valerio flickered his lashes, and slowly, he relaxed his tensed body, not sure how he felt about such a gesture.
"So about what you asked me—" Everly began as she moved to untie his hair. "—Yes, I have been hurt before, by someone I loved a lot. He left me without any explanation. He never told me if I had done anything wrong to him or anything else. He just left me perplexed and in the dark." She clarified.
"How long has it been?" Valerio asked.
"A year. It has been a year now since he left." Everly replied with her fingers brushing through his hair.
"Do you still love him?" He pried further.
"Hmmm?…" Everly began to think with her head tilted to one side. "...In all honesty, I don't really know. I have not set my eyes on him for a year now, so I don't exactly know. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?" She chuckled softly, and a deep breath fled Valerio's nose.
"What about you? I know your heart is broken as well, so tell me what happened." She smiled at him.
"It's a long story, but I will cut it short." Valerio adjusted his position to have his face facing her.
His eyes gazed at her, and a deep sigh fled his nose.
"It's been a year as well, but... it was a woman that I really loved a lot. I gave her everything she could ever desire. I did all I could to make her happy, but... I guess it wasn't enough."
"She was my soulmate." He laughed pessimistically.
"Soulmate? How do you know she's your soulmate? Also, if she is, then why did she hurt you?" Everly inquired in deep curiosity.
"Slow down. Don't ask too many questions at once." He half smiled at her and proceeded to explain.
"It's a spark. It is felt when you meet your soulmate." He replied. "Power. The love of power made her leave me. I don't know if she loved me or not, but I do not think she did."
"In fact, I believe she only stayed with me for that long because she thought I would inherit such power, but she got disappointed when she realized that I wasn't the one who was going to be getting such power."
"It's amazing how blindly I loved her, ignoring the fact that she was using me. I felt it! I saw so many signs that repeatedly screamed to me that she didn't love me, but when I thought of leaving her, I realized I could not deal with the pain of losing her."
"I kept lying to myself, denying the signs before my eyes. And I only woke up when she finally betrayed me, causing me to lose my sight." He cackled softly in mockery of himself.
"I fell into a deep world of pain, sadness, and grief. I became so frustrated and pitiful. It was so bad that I worried for myself. So I decided to move on with my life regardless of how hard it would be, but... it isn't easy at all. I am still hurting. I am unable to heal, and it really hurts a lot." He explained.
Everly, who was sincerely sad and bewildered at the same time, tilted her head to one side.
"What did you mean by power? You are the richest man in the entire world. What more power could she desire?" She asked.
"Everly, there are more powers on this earth than the human ones you know. There are different worlds out there, each with greater strength, power, and life. The world is more than you know." Valerio spoke to her with a distant glint in his eyes.
"Then…do you know of any?" She inquired in deep curiosity, her hands gently caressing his hair.
"Yes, I do. But you won't understand. There are things in this life that you can't comprehend. You probably believe they don't exist." Valerio let out a long, deep breath, and Everly slowly nodded her head at him.
"I see. Well, it's quite awful. People are willing to hurt others for their own gain. The heart is really hard to mend." She shook her head in disappointment and looked down at Valerio, whose eyes were fixed on hers.
"Sir Avalanzo." She called him.
"Hmm?" Valerio answered.
"Do you know that you have really beautiful eyes?" She spoke to him and Valerio immediately cracked a half-smile.
"No… Most people say it's rather intimidating. You thought so too, no?" He arched his brow at her.
"Well, that's true, but it's really beautiful. They are really pretty, and they complement your beauty as well. You look unreal and godlike sometimes especially when you smile even if it's not a full smile. It's gorgeous" She flattered him, and Valerio kept silent, not sure what to say.
"Oh, I see...ahem! Thank you." He appreciated, and took a long, deep breath.
"I have one more question to ask you, Everly." He suddenly spoke after a few moments of silence.
"What is it?"