https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1573-A-War-with-No-Victors-XXIII-/12528636/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1575-A-War-Without-Victors-Twenty-Five-/12529209/
Chapter 1574: A War with No Victors (Twenty-Four)
Chapter 1574: A War with No Victors (Twenty-Four)
Albert turned to look at Hermione, who was holding him tightly, and noticed the Granger couple waving and calling out to them. He gave them a slight nod before lowering his voice and saying to Hermione, "Let's find a different place to talk."
"Kiss me!"
Hermione looked up at Albert with intense fervor in her eyes.
Albert leaned down and gently kissed her on the cheek. After scanning their surroundings to ensure they were alone, he took Hermione's hand and, with a swish of his cloak, they disapparated.
The pair reappeared in the wilderness, a place where Albert and Hermione had briefly stopped to rest during their journey across Australia.
"Let's enter the suitcase first, shall we?" Albert asked. He had long anticipated that a day like this might come, but he never expected Hermione to be so bold as to take the initiative.
"Okay," Hermione mumbled, burying her face in his chest.
"Can you let go of me now?" Albert gently soothed, "Let's step into the suitcase and talk about this properly. I won't run away, I promise."
"I like you!" Hermione declared, still holding onto him tightly, her face flushed with emotion.
"I like you too, but..." Albert gently stroked her hair as he spoke in a soft voice, "...I think we should part ways."
"Why? Don't you like me?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening in shock and confusion as she looked up at Albert.
"I'm already married," Albert gently reminded her, "and I'm destined to only be a passing traveler in your life. I can't give you the future you desire. Because I care about you so much, I believe that the best choice is to let go before this hopeless relationship hurts both of us. In a person's life, there may be many relationships..."
"I don't want to hear this!" Hermione interrupted loudly.
"Alright then," Albert said, "let's go inside the suitcase and talk about something more practical. Let's discuss how we should handle this situation."
Albert sighed softly, preparing to have a detailed conversation with Hermione about this matter, helping her to clearly see the cruel reality and give up on this fruitless relationship as soon as possible.
"After all, things should be resolved, no matter what the outcome, shouldn't they?"
Hermione looked apprehensive, her intuition telling her that this conversation probably wouldn't lead to anything good. However, she was also aware that this was a hurdle she needed to overcome.
Fearing that Albert would slip away if she let go, Hermione continued to hold onto his hand tightly as he led her into the suitcase.
"I'm already married," Albert stated calmly, handing Hermione a strong cup of bitter tea as he reminded her of the cruel fact that she needed to face first.
"I love my wife dearly, and divorce is not an option for me. The laws in Britain only allow for monogamy, so no matter how much you may like me, you can never become my wife. The most you could hope for is to be a secret mistress, hidden from view. Do you know what a mistress is?"
Albert didn't hesitate to bring up the harsh realities, and as he did so, he struck a heavy blow to Hermione's beliefs, leaving her looking shaken.
"Our love will receive no blessings, and it must be hidden. It's unlikely that anything good will come of it. Can you accept that?" Albert pressed on, taking advantage of the moment.
To be honest, Albert felt like an idiot, but he believed it was necessary to dissuade Hermione.
He had never denied that he'd once harbored certain thoughts about the female lead of the Harry Potter series, but he felt it was wrong to drag her into this mess.
Especially now that he was married, Albert had come to view such matters with a more detached perspective.
"If you want to be my mistress, these issues are unavoidable," he added.
Sighing to himself, Albert looked at Hermione, who had curled up into a ball, her hands clamped over her ears as if her heart had been deeply wounded. He reached out and gently patted her head, continuing, "This is just one of the initial issues you need to confront. The life of a mistress is not an easy one, and you also have to consider the consequences of letting others know about this."
How do you think others will view you?
What about Harry and Ron? How will they see you?
After this is exposed, can you really bear the strange gazes of those around you?
Even if you can hide our relationship well and keep others from finding out, it will be difficult for you to have children of your own. Otherwise, how will you explain their existence, and this matter will also hinder your career at the Ministry of Magic."
"Don't say anymore."
Hermione's eyes were already moist with tears, and she felt that Albert was like a devil.
"I have my own family, and most of my time cannot be spent on you. Can you accept this kind of clandestine love?" Albert's words were like heavy weights, suffocating Hermione.
"I..."
"I'm not finished!" Albert interrupted. "Moreover, if we unfortunately part ways in the end, are you sure you can still find someone you like?"
"Do you like me?"
Hermione suddenly raised her head and looked at Albert, delivering the final blow.
"I've always liked you and considered you my sister, just like Nia. She really wants to go to Hogwarts." Albert took out a handkerchief to wipe away Hermione's tears.
"I want to hear the truth." Hermione stared intently into Albert's eyes.
"Yes, I did like you. You've always been a smart and lovely girl." Albert gently touched Hermione's head as she started to tear up again and said softly, "I thought that after I got married, you would accept reality and give up this fantasy, but apparently, I was wrong."
"I've always liked you, and I don't want to ruin your life because of it. There's a kind of love called letting go, and I truly want you to find your own happiness." Albert's heart was heavy, as he had never been good at persuading others and didn't consider himself an expert in love matters. He was worried that he would only make things worse.
Hermione wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and said in a choked voice, "You always find various reasons to convince others."
Albert couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling that he had probably succeeded in convincing Hermione.
However, before Albert could feel relieved for too long, he saw Hermione take out something from her pocket, put it into her mouth, and swallow it.
"What did you just eat?" He frowned and asked.
"Felix Felicis."
"Felix Felicis?" Albert was taken aback.
"I kept it on hand because I felt that I might need some luck." Hermione closed her eyes, letting the liquid luck help her make a final decision.
"Then you should..."
"I admit that what you said makes sense, but those issues are not a problem." After opening her eyes, Hermione swept away her suppressed emotions, as if all the matters Albert had just mentioned were insignificant.
"What!" Albert suddenly had a bad feeling.
"There is love between us, isn't there?
You like me, and I like you! Isn't that enough?"
Hermione seemed like a different person, boldly speaking her mind.
"Who says that love necessarily requires living together or getting married... You have your life, and I have mine."
Hermione's confident statements left Albert dumbfounded. He had thought that he could convince Hermione to let go of this relationship, but now it seemed that she was about to convince him instead.
So, this was love?
What was happening to the world?
Albert felt bewildered, suspecting that he must have gone crazy! A suffocating feeling suddenly overcame him, and when Albert came to his senses, he realized that Hermione had boldly seated herself on his lap at some point, her eyes burning with passion as she kissed him.
(End of Chapter)
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