For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 33

Duke Taine grew anxious. The emperor had left for the lounge after dancing with the empress.

‘With all those long-winded nobles, this won’t be over anytime soon,’ he thought.

Elise remained seated like a doll, a waste of the expensive dress she was wearing.

“When His Majesty appears, I’ll arrange something,” Duke Taine whispered to her. “You can ask him for a dance.”

He planned to discuss the matter of a concubine during a private audience anyway. His current goal was to make a good impression on everyone by showing how well Karl and Elise looked together.

Suddenly, Elise stood up from her seat.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Please let me dance,” she said.

“What nonsense. Do you think I brought you here to dance with just ‘anyone’?”

“I wonder,” Elise mused. “Does that gentleman also count as ‘just anyone’?”

She pointed toward where Josh was talking with Theo in a corner of the ballroom.

The emperor’s knight. He was clearly a close aide. With the emperor absent, he would be a very meaningful dance partner.

‘This girl? I thought she was naive. She has a clever side?’

“…Shall I go get the knight for you?”

“Yes, that’s a great idea, Uncle.”

“Very well. Wait here.”

Duke Taine approached Josh. It was common for the emperor’s closest knights to interact with high-ranking nobles. Josh greeted the Duke with a relaxed demeanor.

But a moment later…

“Pfft!”

Josh spat out the champagne in his mouth. His face turned pale as he looked at Elise.

‘Why are you doing this to me?’ he seemed to plead, shaking his head.

However, he couldn’t beat the determined Duke Taine. Josh glanced at Theo, as if begging for help, but his friend had already made a quick escape.

In the end, Josh, with a face like he was biting into a bitter gourd, walked over to Elise. Seeing his hand wet with champagne, Elise offered him a handkerchief.

“Th-thank you,” he stammered.

Josh wiped his hand, unable to make eye contact. Putting aside the fact that his dance partner was Elise, the truth was, Josh was the truly naive one.

He awkwardly began, “You… want to dance…”

“Yes. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to ask you for one.”

“Ah, yes. But I’m not a very good dancer…”

“That’s quite all right.”

“Oh… okay. Then let’s go.”

Josh offered his hand. Elise took it, and they stepped out onto the dance floor.

The unexpected pairing caused people to whisper. The sight was also enough to draw Aura’s attention.

‘…What’s going on with those two?’

Josh and Elise began to dance. Elise kept her eyes slightly lowered, moving her body with textbook precision. Josh, on the other hand, was completely flustered, glancing at her and then quickly averting his gaze repeatedly.

When the song ended, Elise stepped back immediately.

“Thank you for accepting my request for a dance, Sir Knight.”

“Ah, yes. It was my honor, Lady.”

Josh let out a sigh of relief. Just when he thought it was finally over…

“I’d like my handkerchief back, if you don’t mind.”

“Ah, yes.”

Josh quickly took the handkerchief from his pocket and held it out. The moment Elise took it, he flinched.

A small piece of paper had slipped into his hand.

As Josh left the ballroom, Theo immediately followed. With a look of pure amusement, he asked, “Are you okay, Josh? Your face was really weird. It kept turning red, then pale.”

“Shut up. Don’t follow me. I’m going to get some fresh air.”

He walked briskly and entered a side door meant for the knights. After walking for a while down the corridor and ensuring no one was watching, he pulled the note from his sleeve.

“Please deliver this to His Majesty the Emperor. I beg of you.“

Josh remembered what Karl had told him recently.

‘If Elise ever asks to see me separately… handle it carefully, without anyone knowing.’

So, this was it. Of course, he felt that Lady Elise had been a bit cruel to use an innocent person like him, but what could he do?

He could go outside the main palace through this corridor. Then he could sneak back in through a side door and go to the lounge.

‘That way, the Duke won’t spot me. I can give it to His Majesty as soon as he comes out.’

Just as Josh was about to walk again, a familiar voice called out, “Josh.”

His mouth fell open. He prayed it was just his imagination.

“Josh, turn around.”

He closed and then opened his eyes tightly. He forced a smile as he turned around.

Aura slowly approached him.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah… Your Majesty the Empress. The air inside felt a bit stuffy… I was going to get some fresh air.”

“Hmm. ‘Fresh air.'”

Josh regretted his choice of words. He was holding a secret letter from Elise to Karl. To the Empress, it could easily look like an affair.

Aura smiled faintly. “Was your dance with Lady Elise enjoyable?”

“Not at all. A dance is a dance, isn’t it?”

Josh avoided her gaze. Aura crossed her arms and looked at his tightly clenched fist.

“What are you holding in your hand?” she asked.

“Ugh…”

Josh let out a groan without realizing it. He quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late.

‘You idiot. Just hand the note over to her. What a fool.’

“Did Lady Elise ask you to deliver it? To His Majesty the Emperor?”

At this point, Josh gave up. He slowly nodded.

“…Yes.”

“May I see it?” Aura held out her hand.

“A-Are you serious? No, you can’t. It’s… it’s a note for His Majesty.”

“That’s right. But it was sent by a mere lady, a commoner without a title. I think I have every right to see it.”

She had a point. The Empress couldn’t stop the Emperor from having relationships, but she had a right to know about them.

Josh finally handed over the letter. Aura opened the note.

“…”

She folded the note and slipped it into her sleeve.

“A-Aren’t you giving it back?”

“I’ll deliver this to His Majesty myself. You’ve worked hard enough.”

Aura turned to leave. A flustered Josh quickly called out to her.

“Your… Your Majesty!”

“Yes? What is it?”

Aura turned around, her expression serene. Josh stared at her, dumbfounded, and finally managed to ask, “How did you know…?”

Elise had passed him the paper so discreetly. There was no way Aura could have seen it from her seat so far away.

Aura answered calmly, “I just figured that’s what I would do.”

The last terrace on the west side of the ballroom.

Elise stood alone in this secluded area. The cool night breeze blew, raising goosebumps on her arms.

She had told Duke Taine she was going to touch up her makeup, but the ball would soon be over, and he was sure to start looking for her.

Elise grew more and more anxious.

‘I’m running out of time…’

Just then, a rustling sound announced that the curtains behind her had been pulled back. Elise quickly turned around and gasped.

“…Your Majesty the Empress.”

Elise hastily curtsied. Aura smiled as she approached.

“Who are you waiting for?”

Elise didn’t answer. Aura didn’t wait for her to.

“‘I will be waiting on the last terrace on the west side of the ballroom. Please meet me before your audience with the Duke.’“

“…”

“That’s what you wrote, isn’t it?”

Elise looked up at Aura.

“So, tell me. What’s the reason you wanted to meet my husband so secretly?”

“…I had no such intentions as Your Majesty seems to think.”

“You’re quite talented. To be able to guess what I’m thinking.”

“My apologies. But this has nothing to do with the rumors circulating among the nobility.”

“Can you take responsibility for that statement?”

An ordinary lady would have burst into tears. To be caught by the Empress while trying to secretly meet with the Emperor was bad enough.

But Elise suppressed her trembling and told her story. “Please forgive me for the disrespect of summoning His Majesty in such a way. But I had to avoid my uncle, Duke Taine’s, notice. I… I attempted this in order to avoid becoming a concubine.”

“And how would meeting His Majesty change your situation?”

“I wanted to reveal my circumstances and ask for his help.”

Aura quietly looked into Elise’s green eyes. They were innocent yet courageous. The kind of eyes Aura herself had before she learned to resent the world.

Now that she knew Elise’s intentions, she could leave. She wasn’t in a position to meddle in the affairs of a ducal family.

But Aura couldn’t overlook her amateurishness.

“I’m not interested in why you called Karl here.”

Elise’s eyes widened slightly. Calling the Emperor by his first name carried a lot of weight.

“Whether you’re pleading to be made a concubine, or pleading not to be so you can regain your family title…”

“…”

“Through a method this careful, this secretive, this subtle, this private…”

Aura reached out a hand to Elise.

“…you wanted to ask for help without anyone knowing?”

Her fingertips brushed against Elise’s ear, tucking a strand of hair behind it.

“You’re too naive.”

“…Ah.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t ask for help. I’d make a deal. I’d bring something to the table that Karl couldn’t refuse.”

“!”

“Why? Are you afraid of losing what you already have? Then you won’t gain anything more than that.”

Elise’s eyes wavered for a moment before she looked directly at Aura.

“…Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress. I will remember that.”

Her attitude was both humble and sincere. She may not have the courage of a duchess, but she was certainly a lovely person. If she became someone’s ‘wife,’ she would probably be deeply loved.

‘There’s a reason so many people haven’t found fault with her,’ Aura thought.

Just then…

“Aura.”

The curtains on the terrace were pushed aside, and Karl appeared. He walked up to her, put a hand on her shoulder, and said with a blank expression, “The Empress needs to see me for a moment.”

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