The Cursed King

Her smile looked so beautiful and, for a moment, Loriel was dumbfounded. He swallowed and smiled back.

He was a man of a few words and he rarely smiled, but today he felt like smiling all day.

"So... are you going in the same direction?" he asked her, trying to check his luck.

The woman lowered her head and then nodded. "Yes, I happen to be going to Central Park too."

"How nice! It must be fate," Loriel exclaimed. He didn't even bother to go back inside the cafe to get his book. "Do you want to go now?"

She looked at him and nodded shyly. "Yes. Let's ask people how to go there."

"Come on!" Loriel reached out his hand and she instinctively took it.

As soon as her hand touched his, the man's heart skipped several beats. He almost froze in place. This hand was so soft and feminine. He almost took it and kissed it like what he was supposed to do in the past to his lovely wife.

However, he had to hold back. He didn't want to scare her. One, he was not sure this woman was Elise. And second... if she was really Elise... that means she didn't remember him.

He must not make things awkward between them. If this woman was really Elise, Loriel must know what the hell happened that she was already here, long before the year 2100.

Did the wicked Time Master lie? What a jerk! He even lied in his last breath?

If he wasn't already dead, Loriel really wanted to kill him.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked. She saw Loriel's expression and was wondering why the man looked upset. "Did you forget something?"

Loriel quickly shook his head. "No, nothing. Let's go. Let me ask that guy for the direction."

He motioned her to walk toward a man who was rushing to get somewhere. He stopped the man and forced a smile. "Hello, are you from around here?"

The man twitched his brows and growled as a reply. "Yeah. What do you want?"

"Uhm, we are new in this city and would like to go to Central Park. Would you please let us know which way is it?" Loriel asked him.

The man stared at Loriel in disbelief. The former king could guess what the man had in mind. He must think Loriel and this girl were weirdos for still asking direction in this day and age.

Loriel quickly added, "I'm sorry, I forgot my device so I am kind of lost now."

Only then did the man seem to understand. He pointed to their right. "It's that way. You might want to take the subway since it's cheaper. The bus is more complicated because you have to switch. That's the entrance over there. Just find any train going to Central Park and you'll be good."

"Thank you," Loriel said. "Have a nice day!"

The man only nodded and turned around to continue his journey. Loriel turned to the woman and smiled sweetly. "See? It's so nice talking to people and ask for direction?"

She smiled back. "You are right."

"Let's go!"

He walked toward the direction that the man pointed at. Yes, they could take the subway and go together. He would try to talk more with this woman while they were on the way to Central Park to find out who she was.

"Oh, by the way..." When they arrived inside the station, Loriel suddenly remembered that he still had not asked her name. "My name is Loriel."

The woman batted her lashes adorably and was in a panic for a few seconds before she obviously made up a name on the spot. "I-I... you can call me Elise."

"Elise?" Loriel felt his cheeks heated. He was wondering if his ears played tricks on him.

Did she really say her name was Elise?

If she was really Elise, why didn't she recognize him?

Was this just pure coincidence?

"Yes, that's me." She looked at him with her rounded eyes and confirmed his name, "You are... Loriel?"

"Yes," the man replied with a hoarse voice. His heart had not felt this much warmth and affection in fifteen centuries. Loriel never knew hearing her voice calling his name like this would make him feel so happy. He felt like he was in seventh heaven. "Please, call me Loriel."

Elise nodded. "Okay."

She looked around them and tried to read the signs to see which train they should take. While Loriel was still standing in his place, pressing his hand to his chest.

He knew right then, this woman was really his Elise.

Nobody could make his heart flutter the way she did. He had been roaming the earth for so long and met all kinds of people, men or women, and none of them impressed him nor made him feel intrigued, let alone made his heart flutter.

But this woman.. just with one word, calling his name, he felt like he was on top of the world. It was really hard to explain.

"Do you know which train we should take?" She turned to Loriel and asked the man.

Loriel had no idea which train to take. He didn't take public transport. If he needed to go anywhere, he had his car or chauffeur to take him anywhere.

"I think... that way," he said, pointing in a direction. "We can ask more people if we are not sure."

"Okay," Elise just followed the man's steps as Loriel approached a woman who looked like a student and seemed friendly enough to answer their questions.

Fortunately, the woman was helpful and she pointed them in the right direction. Five minutes later, Loriel and Elise had been sitting comfortably on the train heading to Central Park West. Since it was the weekend afternoon, the train was not full like usual.

Loriel noticed from the corner of his eyes, Elise looked deep in thoughts. This made him wonder what she was thinking.

Oh, how badly he wanted to know what was going on in that beautiful head.

What did actually happen to her? Where did she live all this time? Judging from her slightly more mature appearance, she was no longer the 20-year-old woman he saw the last time. So, how old was she now?

Unfortunately, Loriel couldn't really tell. She could be 40 or even 50 but still looked like she was in her twenties...

That's how good-looking she was!

Loriel remembered Elise's grandmother was beautiful and still looked youthful even in her seventies. Elise could inherit her grandmother's gene and kept her youthful appearance.

So, it would be difficult to tell when exactly she arrived in this modern world. Unless Elise would tell him herself.

Loriel glanced at her hands that she clasped gracefully on her lap, and his heart felt ached.

What happened to you, my love?

What did they do to you?

He remembered earlier Elise seemed worried and she quickly made up a name on the spot when Loriel introduced himself. The man could tell from her expression that 'Elise' was not the name she used to go by.

So, maybe... she didn't want to tell Loriel her name for whatever reason and she made up something to introduce herself to him. However, since Elise was her birth name, her brain unconsciously gave that name to Loriel.

So, what was her name now? And what made her seem worried to give him her new name?

Gosh, now Loriel wished he was a mind reader. It would be nice to know everything just by reading her mind.

"Where are you from?" Finally, he decided to ask her. He intentionally tried hard to make his tone sound casual and nonchalant. He didn't want her to think he was pushy and a stalker. So, he must tread carefully.

"I am not from around here," Elise replied. "Sorry, I prefer not to say. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no, I don't mind," Loriel waved his hand and smiled reassuringly. "I am just wondering if you are in trouble or something. If you are, you can tell me. I will help you."

"Why did you think I am in trouble?" Elise's eyes widened. She pressed her lips in shock. Obviously, she didn't expect Loriel to see through her so easily.

Well, of course, he knew her so well. She was a bad liar.

"Just a wild guess," Loriel explained. "Or, maybe you can call it intuition. As I said, I like human connection, so oftentimes I could understand people easily."

Human connection, my foot. He disliked most humans.

But, how else could he avoid her suspicion? She would definitely think he was a stalker if he told her he could understand her well because he knew her.

Not only he knew her, but he also loved her to death. While she... she didn't even remember who he was.

Now it really felt like one-sided love on his part.

Was this how she felt when he ignored her back then? She must feel so hurt because he didn't love her, even though they were betrothed from birth and she loved him so much.

[My poor Elise.]

[I am sorry for letting you experience such pain when you first came to Summeria. I was an ass-hole] Loriel thought bitterly.

[I wish I could turn back time and make it up to you.]