I Got Married to a Yandere Queen
Chapter 76 - 75 - Fragile Wings

Chapter 76: Chapter 75 - Fragile Wings

Deep down... Mira had already known.

She had known since the very first time she met Lord Valderacht. From the way he gently brushed her hair and called her a "clever child" every time she answered a question.

She had known... from every gesture, every small kindness, from the warm clothes they gave her without asking, and the hopeful look in their eyes when they invited her to dine with them.

That family wanted to adopt her.

And she... she should have been happy. But—

She didn’t know what to say.

She didn’t want to leave Riven. Her brother. The only family she had, the only home she’d ever known in a world that had once been so cruel.

So, Mira stayed quiet. She kept everything tucked away inside her small chest, pretending to be oblivious, pretending not to understand.

But Riven...

Riven chose to speak up today.

After a gentle explanation, after that serious gaze had pierced through her heart, Mira still hadn’t responded. She just sat there, lips trembling, eyes vacant. But before she could gather the words, Riven spoke again.

His voice was calmer than before, yet filled with an undeniable resolve.

"Mira... if you live with them, you’ll have good food every day. You won’t have to worry where we’ll sleep at night. You won’t have to clutch an empty stomach because we don’t have enough coin for bread. No more cold nights with torn blankets..."

Riven looked her straight in the eye, and his next words sounded more like a prayer than a statement.

"I... don’t want you to live like that anymore. I won’t let you suffer... just because of a piece of metal."

That was the breaking point.

Mira lowered her head.

Her small fists clenched. Her lips quivered. But no words came. Not a single sentence could contain the whirlwind of emotions inside her.

Her tears began to fall, uninvited.

Slowly. Then all at once.

She wept.

Silently.

The tears flowed freely, because she didn’t know whether to accept or reject it. She didn’t know if wanting to stay by her brother’s side made her selfish, or if passing up such a noble opportunity made her foolish.

Riven held her. Firmly. Warmly.

He didn’t ask for an answer. He didn’t pressure her.

Mira kept sobbing in Riven’s embrace, her tiny frame so light yet so full of emotions she couldn’t put into words. Her small arms clung tightly to her brother’s back, as if letting go for even a second would change everything.

"I don’t want to be separated from you..." she whispered softly, her voice barely audible—choked by the trembling sobs in her chest.

Riven closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding back the storm raging inside him. Mira’s embrace was so tight, so warm—just like the first day he held her as a baby in his trembling, dirty hands, afraid he might hurt her.

"Riven..."

That name, once spoken through infant cries... now spoken by a young girl who had grown into someone bright and strong. But to Riven... she was still that same little girl. Still little Mira who used to hide behind his back when afraid, who clutched his shirt when the night was too dark, who laughed at nothing more than a slice of bread and a glass of clean water.

And now, she was crying again.

Not because of hunger. Not because of fear.

But because she was afraid of losing him.

Riven lowered his head, his voice quiet yet steady. "I know, Mira... I don’t want to be apart either..."

He exhaled, trying to stay strong even as his heart threatened to crumble.

"But I also know... I have nothing to give you. I can’t promise you a safe home. Or good meals every day. Let alone a future..."

"I don’t care!" Mira suddenly cried through her sobs. "I don’t need any of that if it means being away from you!"

Riven fell silent.

He knew... she was sincere.

He knew... Mira wasn’t saying it to soften his heart. She truly would rather live in hardship with him than live in comfort without him.

And that made it all the more painful.

He gently stroked her hair. "Opportunities like this don’t come twice, Mira..."

Mira bit her lip, confused, torn, lost between two equally painful paths. She didn’t want to go—but she also knew... there was truth in her brother’s words.

"What... should I do, Brother?" she asked, voice small. "Should I go? Do you want me to... leave you?"

Riven slowly raised his face. He looked into his sister’s tear-filled eyes—eyes he had always protected, eyes he always wanted to see shine with happiness.

"This is your life, Mira. I can’t make all your choices for you anymore. You’re old enough now to know what you want. If you want to stay here... I’ll accept that. But if you want to take this chance and go with the Valderachts..."

He paused. The pain pressed hard against his chest.

"...Then I’ll let you. Because I know, sooner or later... you’ll have your own life. The world out there will pull you away from me. And I have to learn... to let go."

Riven gripped her hand more tightly.

"And honestly, Mira... it’s not an easy decision. It never has been."

In his heart, Riven screamed—because that truth hurt more than any wound.

’One day, I will have to part with her.’

’Not because I want to... but because she must grow.’

’Because she deserves more than just the scraps of my broken past.’

Mira stared at her brother’s face—his smile... a bitter one, unable to hide the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"...So... do you really want me to leave now...?"

The question came out hoarse, nearly broken, as if every word was a blade being pulled from Mira’s chest. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks wet, and she clung tighter to Riven—as if afraid that if she didn’t hold on, he would disappear from her life.

Riven didn’t answer right away. He closed his eyes, letting silence surround them, trying to calm the emotional storm raging inside him.

Then, in a low and honest voice, he whispered by her ear:

"No... I don’t want you to go. I never will."

His arms tightened around her, his body trembling slightly. "If I could... I’d keep you here. With me. Always. Like before. Back when we only had each other."

Mira wept again, her hands clutching tightly at his back.

"But..."

Riven took a deep breath, steadying himself as his chest burned from within.

"...In the end, you’ll have your own life, Mira. You’ll grow... and choose your own path. And when that day comes... I know I can’t stand in the way."

He lowered his head, burying his face in her hair. "Because I love you. And because I want you to be happy. Even if it means you must go far away from me."

Mira didn’t speak. Her breathing was heavy, unsteady. Her brother’s voice was too honest. Too painful.

After a long moment, she gently pulled back, looking up at him with tear-soaked eyes still filled with confusion and hesitation.

"...Then," she whispered softly, "...let me... not answer yet."

That voice was quiet, yet filled with a real decision—a wish to postpone, not to escape. Because even in her tears, Mira understood: she needed time. She needed to think. Because whatever she chose... would change everything.

Riven met her gaze and slowly nodded. His lips curled into a faint, bitter, but genuine smile.

"All right. That’s enough."

He gently stroked her head, letting her lean against his shoulder once more.

And in the quiet stillness of the afternoon, the two siblings sat together—still holding each other, not yet ready to say goodbye, but no longer pretending that the world wasn’t changing.

For today, they were still together.

And that... was enough.