I Pick The Villainess

She looked at me—her eyes bubbling with repressed emotion. Some panic, some regret, and some loss. This isn’t how I wanted us to meet. I imagined fleeting looks and shy greetings. Ghosted undertones of romance. Something to think of fondly as we grow old together. Not as a third party in her relationship. I would topple kingdoms in her honor. Compared to me, what does her offer her? Wondering eyes? Lukewarm romance?