Across literary history, the term "unrequited" has served as a powerful descriptor of emotions that remain uncultivated or unattained. In many works, it underscores the pain and irony of deep devotion that is never reciprocated—ranging from the mysterious, almost fated longings in Sappho's verse [1] and Hardy's lament over ill-starred love [2], to the societal and personal dilemmas depicted in Harriet Jacobs's narrative [3] and Nesta Helen Webster’s exploration of fervent loyalty [4]. Lewis Carroll and Rousseau extend its use to articulate an idealized, often philosophical vision of affection, where genuine feeling thrives despite its one-sidedness [5, 6]. Even beyond personal love, the term is applied metaphorically to illustrate broader themes of neglect or undervalued service, as seen in the critical take in Chekhov’s accounts and the proverb-like observation in Emerson's essays [7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. Thus, "unrequited" has evolved into a multifaceted term that captures the bittersweet complexity of human relationships and societal expectations.