Entanglements of the Heart

Fiora noticed me staring at Sivir's back and came over to ask, "You seem to get along quite well with that girl?"

"It's nothing, just friends. 🍓☯ 🍧🐊"

"If that's the case, then I hope you two keep some distance. Many misunderstandings arise from a lack of clarity."

"Sivir knows about my relationship with Riven, and I've Mingxin many times. She just likes to joke around; she was like that the first time we met. Maybe she'll stop bothering me once the novelty wears off."

"I hope so. Where did Riven go? I never imagined you two would separate."

"She... she feels that being together will hinder each other's progress..." I briefly recounted Shurima's experience to Fiora.

"Sigh, you'd better watch yourselves. I can't help you with this."

"Don't talk to me yet, I also have something I want to ask you."

"Is it about Jergente?" Fiora had already guessed what I was thinking.

"Yes, are you serious? You made this decision without even telling your family."

"Of course I'm serious. He's a powerful person with a fire burning inside him that fascinates me."

"But..." I recalled Garen's expression at the time, and I didn't know whether I should say it or not.

Fiora looked at me questioningly. "But what?"

I think Garen likes you!

"Pfft... Haha, what are you talking about? That blockhead only has Demacia in his heart; Jarvan is probably his lover."

"I'm not joking. When you told me about your Jergente, Garen looked a little sad. I think the reason he came to Ionia this time is also because of you!"

"Can't a good friend be sad? We've been friends since childhood. He used to come to the Laurent Family to play all the time when we were kids, and I used to beat him up all the time!"

Fiora recalled the past, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she were very happy.

Yes, isn't that how it is when we think back on our childhood memories? Besides, we're still together.

"Were you very strong when you were little? Boys shouldn't be able to beat girls, right?"

"What makes you think boys are so tough? After I beat him up and he cried, he went to Quinn to complain about it a lot."

Speaking of Quinn, Fiora looked sad. She once told me that the three of them were very close when they were young.

Just then, Garen noticed us. "What are you guys talking about? You seemed pretty happy just now, why are you suddenly so sad?"

Fiora forced another smile as she saw him approach, "We were talking about our childhood. You used to get beaten up by me all the time, you were so weak!"

"It's not that I'm weak, it's that you were too strong when you were little, okay? Everyone knows that you, Fiora, could wield a sword before you could even walk!"

"What's even funnier is that Yasuo said you like me, hahaha..."

"This isn't funny, Yasuo is telling the truth." Garen suddenly became serious, silencing Fiora's laughter.

"Ha, you've learned to joke around too. Is it because you heard I'm engaged that you're so nonchalant about joking?"

"You caught me, haha!"

The two of them burst into laughter again, but I felt conflicted. Who was pretending to be stupid?

Did Fiora genuinely not understand, or did she use a joke as an excuse to refuse? Did Garen choose to give up, or was it genuine friendship from the beginning?

I suddenly got a little angry. Since we're old friends, we should speak our minds more openly, instead of hurting each other like this!

"Fiora, you..."

"Enough, Yasuo! Stop talking!"

Before I could vent my anger, Fiora punctured my air sac. Although her voice wasn't loud, her eyes were already issuing me an ultimatum.

Garen quickly tried to smooth things over. "Don't do that, Fiora. Yasuo is just concerned about you, or rather, about me. You're hurting his feelings."

"Alright, then let's not play dumb, I'll tell you the truth..." Fiora said seriously, unusually revealing her innermost thoughts:

She's a swordsmanship fanatic, but before that, she's also a woman who longs for love and craves care.

This intense longing arose after Leivo's death in battle. At that time, she considered Garen, not out of love, but because they were a good match.

Marriage would mean losing the name Laurent Family and becoming Crownguard or something else. Her strong sense of honor made her unwilling to indulge in this, so she competed for the headship of the Laurent Family as a woman and vowed never to marry in order to sever her own desires.

Later, I appeared before her as Zhao Xin, which greatly shook her resolve, but Fiora was ultimately driven by a sense of honor and rejected me.

At the same time, she learned a very important piece of information from me: Quinn likes Garen!

She didn't tell anyone about this; the deceased was gone, and she didn't want to cause Garen any more pain. But because of this, she felt guilty towards Quinn every time she saw Garen.

After Sylas's rebellion, Demacia was in dire need of rebuilding. After Jarvan left, domestic affairs were handled by Fiora and Garen.

At that time, Fiora realized Garen's feelings, but she already knew Quinn's feelings and could not accept him, so she kept avoiding him.

Only recently, when Garen's behavior became increasingly obvious, did she reveal her engagement to Jergente, hoping to discourage him.

In the past, Garen wouldn't have been too insistent on such personal matters, except for matters Dauntless Vanguard Legion. This time, however, he suddenly seemed like a different person, even chasing after me all the way to Ionia.

After saying all that, Fiora made her final statement. "I don't know why you're so persistent this time, but because of Quinn, I can't accept you."

"Your strength and unconventionality are what make you so captivating. Since you can't overcome this hurdle in your heart, I won't force you. However, you're wrong about one thing: I came to Ionia not to follow you, but at my aunt's behest."

"Lady Tiana?"

"Yes, she wants to pass the position of family head to me. Before that, she wants me to travel around for a few years, broaden my horizons, and incidentally... find the girl I love."

"I see. Lady Tiana must have realized you were too slow-witted, so she broadened your horizons. Well then, good luck."

"Stop teasing me, Fiora. If I still haven't found the one I love by the end of this war, I'll still continue to pursue you. As for that guy named Jergente, I will defeat him!"

"If you can beat him, I'll consider it."

In the end, the two finally talked things out, but it seems impossible for Garen to defeat Jergente. Huo Su told me personally that Jergente even stronger than her.

With Garen's current strength, unless he can master Martial Arts to the highest level like Jax, he will not be able to defeat the People of Furnace Village.