For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 34

Aura obediently followed Karl off the terrace. In front of them were Josh, Theo, and Duke Taine. Josh, who had told Karl everything, quickly avoided Aura’s gaze.

Theo spoke to Karl. “Your Majesty, it’s time for your audience with Duke Taine in the reception hall.”

Karl turned to the Duke. “Wait for me a moment in the hall, Duke.”

“Ah… yes. Understood, Your Majesty.” Duke Taine replied, looking displeased.

Karl led Aura across the ballroom. The hall, now that the ball was ending, felt quiet and desolate.

Aura looked up at Karl’s back as he walked ahead, noticing the clenching of his jaw.

They arrived at the lounge. As soon as he closed the door, he demanded, “Tell me. What are you playing at, Aura?”

In place of an answer, Aura held out Elise’s note. Karl read it and instantly crumpled it up.

“Why do you have this?”

“I was going to give it to you as soon as you came off the terrace.”

“I asked you why you have this. Why did you intercept the note?”

His voice was low and cold as he pressured her. Aura simply watched him, saying nothing.

“If I’m going to side with a ducal family, Elise is a better choice than the Taine family, who were part of the Crown Prince’s faction. I needed to see Elise first.”

“…”

“You saw Elise, too. She’s a much more decent person than her uncle.”

A decent person.

At those words, Aura’s eyes flickered. Seeing her silence, Karl sneered.

“What’s your goal, really? Are you jealous? I know that’s not it. You don’t even like me.”

“…”

“If that’s not it, then why are you making things complicated? Is this part of your game to hurt people?”

“…”

“…I’m going crazy. Let’s just stop this.”

Karl waved his hand and started to leave the lounge. Aura grabbed his arm.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

“Don’t go to the audience.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

Just as Karl was about to pull his arm away, she said, “I didn’t dance with Ryan.”

At that, Karl turned back. She was looking at him without a hint of wavering.

“What does that have to do with me going to Duke Taine?”

“Because Elise will be there.”

“…”

“So, don’t go.”

Aura tightened her grip on his arm. Karl let out a hollow laugh and ran a hand over his face. Then, he glared at Aura.

“…You said it didn’t matter.”

“Maybe it did after all.”

Her playful response made him clench his teeth. If he were to ask her if she was being sincere, she’d likely nod yes, with the same face that had deceived him countless times before.

She obviously had another agenda. But in the end, Karl couldn’t help but ask, “If I don’t go? What will you do for me if I don’t go?”

“I’ll tell you I love you.”

“…What?”

“I’ll tell you I love you.”

He couldn’t take it anymore. Karl grabbed her shoulders tightly and looked down at her.

“…That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“Even if it’s a lie, you want to hear it, don’t you?”

“Hah! Unbelievable.”

She didn’t want him to meet Elise, but the words “I love you” were a lie.

Karl let go of Aura’s shoulders and easily shook off her hand.

“I won’t be swayed by such a cheap lie, Aura.”

He left the lounge right after.

Slam!

Karl, who had closed the door with all his might, walked quickly down the corridor. His destination was singular: the reception hall.

Every time Aura did something so unpredictable, he felt like he was going insane. He was so curious what went on in her head, as if she thought of people as mere playthings.

Step, step, step…

He replayed what had happened in the lounge as he walked.

Aura had told him not to go many times.

‘As if she even knows what those words mean to me.’

And her saying that it did matter after all—how manipulative was that?

‘She’s just trying to act jealous to complicate things.’

But once again, what angered him most was himself, for being dragged into Aura’s schemes.

‘What will you do for me if I don’t go? Why did I even ask such a pointless question?’

He stopped dead in his tracks. The reception hall was at the end of the corridor.

‘She’d tell me she loves me?’

He had heard a worse-than-useless phrase. It was the most unpleasant thing she had ever said to him, even more so than a sword to the gut.

Karl slowly walked toward the reception hall.

‘I’ll never fall for it this time, Aura.’

Aura returned to the Empress’s chambers.

“Your Majesty, would you like me to help you rest? I can start with your dress…”

Mina, who was about to help her, fell silent. Aura’s expression was terrible.

“Leave me, Mina.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. Call me if you need anything.”

Mina tactfully left the room. Aura put both hands on a table and lowered her head.

“Hah…”

‘Why did I say something like that…?’

‘I’ll tell you I love you.’

The words had just slipped out. No, everything that happened in the lounge was like that.

At first, she had intended to explain the situation and send Karl on his way. Elise seemed like a decent person, just as he had said. But when Karl tried to leave, she instinctively grabbed him.

Contradictory words tumbled out. She knew she was acting like a child, but she couldn’t stop.

Jealousy? Maybe. Elise had the things that Aura had lost. And she hated… that Karl knew that.

“Hah…”

Aura, her body drained of strength, slowly sank to the floor. She recalled the sight of Karl leaving the lounge. The sound of his footsteps disappearing without a moment’s hesitation.

Just then, there was a commotion outside the door. She thought she heard Mina’s surprised voice, and then the door was flung open.

Aura stared blankly at the person who entered, forgetting that she was sitting on the floor.

Karl strode purposefully toward Aura.

“!”

He grabbed her and lifted her up at once. She swayed slightly because of her high heels. Karl wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace.

He looked at Aura with a raging fire in his eyes. He seemed incredibly angry and yet frantic.

“Say it.”

“…What?”

“I came back for you. So say it. Even if it’s a lie.”

In that moment, a vivid scene unfolded in Aura’s mind.

His steps stopping in front of the reception hall. His constant glances back. The look on his face, as if he couldn’t understand himself. The sigh he let out as he bit his lip. And his final motion of turning back.

It was all so endearing. Those steps, that expression, that gesture.

Karl grabbed the back of her neck.

“Hurry.”

“I love you, Karl.”

“Say it one more time.”

Aura could tell him all night. She could say it as many times as he wanted with how she was feeling right now.

“It’s true. I will only love you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Karl’s lips came down on hers. He seemed intent on devouring her mouth. It hurt every time he gnawed at her lips with his teeth. The soft flesh of her tongue, pressed down by his, was painful. Still, Aura accepted the kiss completely.

She grew so short of breath that she felt she was suffocating. A hot energy filled her mouth.

“Hah…”

Unable to bear it any longer, Aura turned her head and gasped for air. Karl lifted her and carried her straight to the bed.

He looked at her as if to devour her and kissed her again. His hot hand moved down her leg, where it caught on her shoe.

“Why are you still wearing these ridiculous shoes and what were you doing?”

“Why are you so angry?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Karl pulled off one of her shoes and threw it off the bed. It fell to the floor with a dull thud.

“I thought I had finally escaped you when I left the lounge.”

He sat her up and hugged her tightly. He trailed his hand up the buttons of her dress. The touch that moved up her back sent chills down Aura’s body.

“And then I realized I was walking right back to you.”

“Haha…”

The truth was so close to her imagination that Aura burst out laughing.

“I guess you have every right to be angry.”

“Be quiet.”

He suddenly hugged Aura even tighter. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe. But she knew that even if she said something, he wouldn’t let go.

Karl started to unbutton her dress from the top. Tuk. Tuk.

“Damn these buttons. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to rip them off.”

“Since when?”

“Since the moment I fastened them myself.”

Karl gently bit the back of her neck. The sensation made Aura squirm.

“Even when we were dancing.”

Tuk. Tuk.

“Even in the lounge.”

Tuk. Tuk.

“Dammit.”

There were so many buttons, far too many. The small things kept slipping from his impatient fingers. A vein throbbed on the back of his hand.

“I’ll buy you a new dress.”

“What?”

Karl grabbed the dress at the sides and ripped it apart.

Tududuk… Tuduk.

The small pearl buttons scattered across the bed.

Aura’s eyes widened at the sudden emptiness on her back. Karl pushed her down without a moment’s hesitation. He looked at her lying among the pearls and began to unbutton his own shirt. His scarred torso was revealed to her.

His body was so visible. Aura finally realized how bright the room was.

“Karl, can you at least turn off the lights…”

“If I had the patience for that…”

Karl pulled down her dress with a single motion. Aura tried to cover herself, but Karl, who was stopping her, was faster.

“…I wouldn’t have come all this way.”

His hot hand moved up her thigh. Karl’s burning gaze seemed to tell her what was about to happen.

Aura tried to grab the sheets but instead threw her arms around his neck, as if to hang on. Karl paused and gently kissed her shoulder, as if to say that everything would be alright.

Aura, her breath already ragged, looked at him intently.

“Karl.”

“What?”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

“But, you know… I’ve been thinking…”

She hugged his neck a little tighter.

“I think I hate it more when you leave me alone.”

Karl looked at Aura without a word. He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her. Their two tongues intertwined gently. Aura felt the sweetness spread throughout her entire body.

Finally, Karl spoke.

“Alright. I’ll do everything you want, Aura.”

His hand, which had been resting on her thigh, started to move again.

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