The man reached into his pocket and tightly gripped the only thing inside — a small vial of potion. It was a life-risking gift, one that once held all his hopes and dreams. Now, it felt unbearably hot in his hand, as if it were burning his soul.
"Big brother, what's wrong?" The girl noticed his pale face and pulled at his sleeve. Could his injuries be acting up again?
"I'm fine," he said, gently pushing her hand away and turning his head to hide his unease. "Let's go. Aren't you worried about missing the best view?" Without waiting for her, he walked out first.
"Big brother seems… different today," she muttered, eyes darkening with suspicion.
On the flower carriage, Sophie waved happily at the crowd lining the street. This must be how Xiao Yanzi felt in *My Fair Princess* when she first rode through the city as a noble. Did状元 (zhuangyuan) graduates wave like this too? As a princess-in-law, she must be even more important!
She glanced sideways at Sirae, who was also smiling. Her heart swelled with happiness — finally, she was his bride. Nothing could separate them now.
"Looking at me like that, huh? Think I'm handsome?" Sirae kept waving with a smile, but his lips betrayed him with a tiny twitch.
"Sirae, you're so full of yourself!" Sophie laughed sweetly.
"Look! The princess just smiled at me so sweetly and waved! Oh—" A tall, muscular warrior stared at Sophie, then dropped backward in pure joy — knocking down a whole row of people behind him.
"Aww…" Sophie ducked slightly, sticking her tongue out. Oops, didn't mean to cause trouble.
"You..." Sirae, watching every move Sophie made, quietly took her other hand and gently stroked it.
All of this played out before a man and a woman in the crowd — their reactions completely opposite.
"How lucky Sophie is! When will I ever get to ride in a flower carriage like that with the one I love?" The girl clasped her hands in front of her chest, eyes glittering with envy. She stole a quiet glance at the man beside her.
"With you, even without a carriage or blessings, I'd still be the happiest. But will I ever get my chance?" Her own bright eyes dimmed. Would that day ever come?
As the carriage moved farther away, the man suddenly pushed forward.
"Big brother, where are you going?" She turned around, startled. Why would he do something so out of character? He usually hated being close to others.
"Sophie..." Unable to help himself, the man shouted as the carriage was about to disappear from sight.
"Does big brother know Sophie too? If Sophie is the person he's been searching for... won't he be heartbroken?" Pushing through the crowd, the girl followed him closely, her gaze landing on Sophie, who had just turned her head.
"Sam..." Sophie froze. She thought she had buried him deep in her memories. Shouldn't he still be in the elven village? What was he doing here?
"Stop!" Seeing Sophie react strangely, Sirae quickly ordered the driver to halt. Following her eyes, he saw an unusually handsome elf standing among the crowd.
"Come here..." Gently pulling Sophie's hand, Sirae lifted her off the carriage and walked toward the elf.
The closer she got, the heavier her heart became. Sam had lost weight since she left — and there was a deep scar on his left cheek! What kind of force could leave a mark on an elf?
The only thing unchanged was the way he looked at her — a look she could never return. After all this time, did he still not forget her? Then why was he here?
"Sirae, put me down," she whispered softly. Still holding his hand, she gave it a firm squeeze. His presence grounded her.
Reaching Sam, Sophie finally noticed someone else.
"Odile? You're here too?" Shocked, she couldn't believe Sam and Odile were together. They were such opposites!
"Sophie! How could you not invite us to your wedding? Of course I came myself!" Odile pouted.
"Hehe, I knew you'd come eventually, though I didn't expect it to be this soon." Sophie looked between Odile and Sam, feeling somewhat reassured. She could see that Odile wasn't the clueless girl she used to be. Just… Sam…
"Sam, how have you been?" She fixed her eyes on him, her nose beginning to sting.
"Fine. And you?" His hands trembled slightly.
"Same! Oh, I got married! This is my husband, Sirae!" Leaning against Sirae's shoulder, Sophie smiled warmly. She couldn't let Sam hold onto any illusions anymore. Breaking the dream was the only way to begin a new one.
"Sam, nice to meet you," Sirae bowed politely but clearly sensed Sophie's tension. "Since we've met, why don't you join us for tea? Not really a place for serious talk here." With a warm smile, Sirae quickly arranged a magical carriage behind the flower carriage.
Everyone had lost interest in the rest of the parade after that. The wedding procession ended early, and they returned to the lively palace.
Once everyone else left, the luxurious guest room was filled with heavy silence. Four people sat, all wanting to speak, yet unsure where to begin.
"Sam, you're from the Elven clan, right?" Sirae finally broke the silence.
"Yes," Sam replied, eyes drifting back to Sophie. He no longer knew what he was doing or why he was here. All his goals had vanished, leaving him floating in emptiness.
"Oh, I met Sam in the Elf Village too! Actually, I met his daughter Mary first, then Sam. Without him, Charles might still be a baby now. You know, elves give birth in a completely different way than humans..." Sophie chattered nervously, describing her discoveries in the elf village and her adventure on Snow Cloud Mountain. Maybe talking nonstop would calm her heart?
I love Sirae now, and I always will. So, Sam… all I can say is sorry. Even if I live thousands of years, it won't change anything. If only I had realized earlier, maybe there wouldn't be a Sophie like this today. I might still be living happily with Charles and Xiaobai in the elf village.
But there's no "undo" button in life, no second chances. Since I gave up on my feelings for Sam, there's no way we'll ever be together again. Even if Sirae hadn't existed, someone else would have come along — but that someone definitely wouldn't be Sam.
"Sophie, congratulations. I hope you stay this happy forever." Sam smiled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the little vial he had touched countless times.
"This may no longer matter to you, but it exists because of you — so it belongs to you. This is the first gift I've ever given you, and maybe the last." He stepped forward, gently took Sophie's hand, and placed the vial in her palm. Perhaps this would be their last touch.
"What is this?" Confused, Sophie looked from the vial to Sam.
"It's based on ancient elf records — a Life Elixir that grants eternal youth. Technically, it just extends life by thousands of years while keeping you at your peak age. If a human drinks it, they could live as long as elves — or even longer." Sam forced a bitter smile. Every drop in this bottle was bought with his blood and sacrifice. Every wish he ever had was poured into it. Now, it was exactly where it belonged.
"Sam…"
Holding the potion and seeing the scars on Sam's thin face, Sophie understood everything. This was a gift far too heavy for her to accept — but she couldn't refuse it either. That would hurt Sam even more.
"Haha… I've been gone too long! Mary must miss me already. Time to go back — otherwise Jessica might get angry, and poor Mary will end up paying the price!"
With one last look at Sophie, Sam closed a door deep in his heart — a door that would never open again. Because its original owner was no longer there.
"Sirae," Sam stood before him and locked eyes with the composed prince, "Take good care of Sophie. She deserves your love, your life. I wish you both happiness. May the gods bless you."
Then, without looking back, without hesitation — Sam walked away, resolute and free.
"Big brother…" Odile watched him go with worry, shot Sophie and Sirae a quick apologetic glance, then ran after him.
---
**Will Sophie ever use the Life Elixir? What secrets does Sam truly carry? And what happens when past promises finally catch up with her?**