For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 36

Ruan was bewildered. He wondered if this princess wasn’t just kind, but also a complete fool.

Aura held out her hand to Ruan as if to tell him to come out. He lightly swatted her hand away.

“I’m not coming out. I’m just going to swim a little.”

“That’s amazing. I can’t swim.”

‘She couldn’t. I was in serious danger.’

Ruan tried his best to hide his relief. Instead, he showed off his swimming skills as if to brag. He enjoyed the feel of the water against his body after so long.

“…What a foolish girl. I’m never going to be your friend.”

No matter how much he thought about it, he was far superior to the princess. All this girl had to her name was her pure blood. And maybe a pretty face.

But at some point, Ruan felt a sharp, twisting pain in his leg.

‘Oh… a cramp…’

“Ah!”

In his panic, Ruan thrashed about. Aura jumped up from the water’s edge.

“Ruan?!”

“A cramp…! Help… urgh!”

Ruan was helplessly submerged. Water rushed into his nose and mouth. His breathing grew painfully difficult, and his consciousness began to fade.

Someone grabbed Ruan underwater. When he finally opened his eyes, Aura was there, as if by some miracle.

She was struggling, holding him tightly. Even though she was choking and in pain, she was stubbornly looking toward the surface, as if she would never give up.

A moment later, Ruan woke up on the edge of the lake. The servants were soaked. They had come looking for the two of them and had pulled them out.

His father embraced Ruan.

“Ruan! Ruan! Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine. What about the Princess…”

“She swallowed a lot of water. She just barely regained consciousness.”

Ruan watched Aura being carried back in a servant’s arms. He could see her thin arms dangling from the blankets wrapped around her.

Ruan glanced at his father. He had pushed the princess into the water. He deserved a slap and more. But his father looked at him with a proud expression.

“Well done.”

“…Pardon?”

“I heard you tried to save the Princess when she fell into the water.”

“What? Who said that?”

“The Princess told me. I’m so proud of you.”

His father hugged Ruan tightly. Ruan was stunned.

“Ruan, I always say this, but our family has served the Zenia royal family for generations. When you take my place, you must protect the Princess. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“…Yes, Father.”

It was something he had heard hundreds of times, and it was a response he had given hundreds of times as well. But his answer at that moment was different. Ruan finally felt he understood why he was born into the Meyer family.

“I’ll protect her.”

Ruan stood in front of the vigilante headquarters. The tented building was filled with the silhouettes of people. They were all hoping to become a low-ranking Imperial Knight. And of all of them, only one would go to the Imperial Palace.

He clenched the small gold button in his hand.

“Hah…”

Ruan took a deep breath and went inside the tent.

Aura ran up the stairs. She flung open the warehouse door and went to the window. She put one leg over the window ledge. The dark and deep darkness below beckoned her.

“Aura!”

She heard Ruan’s voice behind her. Aura quickly tried to throw herself into the darkness. But then, someone grabbed her waist from behind.

“Aura, no. Don’t go.”

Long, white fingers. They were definitely Ruan’s hands.

“…”

Aura blinked. She felt as though she had been dreaming of Ruan.

She stirred and sat up.

“!”

An indescribable muscular ache surged through her. It felt as though she had gone to the very end of sensation with Karl last night. She had tried to escape a few times, and each time, Karl had held her and finished what he had started.

“Hah…”

Aura covered her face. Shame and regret washed over her simultaneously. Yesterday… she had been too emotional.

‘What did I even want?’

Was it because of her complex feelings for Elise? Her desire to complicate things for Karl? Or was it just physical desire? No matter the reason, it was a reckless choice.

Aura looked at the empty space beside her. At least Karl had left early. That was a small comfort.

She struggled to move her aching body and got out of bed. She went to open the window, but the curtains were half-drawn. From there, she could see the northern tower.

‘Now that I think about it, he drew the curtains last time he was here, too.’

Was he aware of the northern tower? Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

Aura fully opened the window and turned around. It was then that she saw something unfamiliar on the bedside table.

A porcelain dish full of pearl buttons and a neatly folded dress. The sight of it made Aura’s face flush.

She could almost feel his large hands holding her dress. The sensation of the dress being torn. The sound of the buttons clattering. All of it came rushing back to her.

She imagined him. His fingertips picking up each button beside her as she slept. His lips sighing as he folded the torn dress. And his back as he drew the curtains.

Aura quickly put the dress and buttons into a drawer. If she looked at them any longer, she was afraid she’d give in to the sweetness. She’d accept her place as Karl’s wife and give up on Pin. She’d wait for the kind of pleasure she had experienced last night, every single day.

‘It’s because of the buttons… the buttons…’

Then, she suddenly remembered the dream she had that morning.

‘Aura, no. Don’t go.’

Ruan’s desperate voice, as if he knew what was on her mind. Recalling it, Aura steeled her resolve.

Ruan and others who had lost their magic were suffering. They were waiting for her, the princess, to break the seal on Pin. If she gave up, they had no hope.

‘To rely on Karl. Of all people, Karl.’

She finally understood why she had dreamed of Ruan. He must have been trying to steady her wavering resolve. ‘Wait just a little longer, I’ll be in the palace soon.’

Aura stared at the drawer in the bedside table.

‘I have to throw everything away. The buttons, the dress, everything.’

Suddenly, a breeze blew in through the open window. It was a gentle spring breeze that made her hair sway pleasantly. It felt as though the conflict that had tormented her was being washed away.

Knock, knock.

A knock was followed by Mina entering with a simple breakfast. Mina placed it on the table.

“Did you sleep well, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Nothing out of the ordinary?”

Aura sat down at the table. Just as she was about to take a sip of coffee, Mina took a letter out of her pocket and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“Grand Duke Ryan entrusted me with this as he was leaving last night.”

“…The Grand Duke?”

He must have entrusted it to Mina specifically to avoid Karl’s notice. If he had given it to any other servant, they would have told Karl immediately.

Aura took the letter and opened it.

“Pin is with me. Come to Sutra Castle.“

Aura folded the letter and handed it back to Mina.

“Mina. Burn it immediately.”

“Oh… yes, Your Majesty.”

Mina quickly lit a candle. As she held the paper to the flame, it went up in a blaze. Aura stared at the firelight.

She had thought Pin was with Karl. More specifically, that the Crown Prince had it. But what if the Crown Prince had given it to Ryan? Hadn’t the two of them been close friends?

‘But even so… Karl would never let me go to Sutra Castle.’

She tapped the table with her fingertips.

‘I should… re-examine Karl’s space soon.’

Karl was in his bedroom, fastening his sleeve cuffs one by one. His hair was still wet from his bath.

His complexion in the mirror was clear. His sleep rhythm was definitely returning to normal. He still had a little trouble without Aura there, but he no longer had nightmares like before.

‘It’s a contradiction. On the one hand, I feel like I’m being eaten away.’

It felt as though he, not Aura, was the one trapped in an invisible prison. It had been no different last night.

‘I love you, Karl.’

That lie had broken something inside of him yet again. He wondered if, just a little more, she could grasp and manipulate his very heart.

On the other hand, he thought to himself that a person couldn’t tell such a lie without an immense amount of hatred.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t hate it.’

Karl adjusted his tie and went to his office. Josh and Theo, who had been waiting for him, rose from the sofa.

“Good morning, Your Majesty.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Sit down.”

The three of them sat around the sofa. The two of them didn’t ask about Karl’s whereabouts last night. They could tell just by looking at his complexion.

“What about Duke Taine?”

Theo replied, “He expressed his disappointment and left.”

“He seems to be quite angry.”

The Duke’s expression of disappointment was not something to be taken lightly. But Karl had no regrets. He was only thinking about his next move.

Theo added subtly, “Actually, Lady Elise was with him.”

“I told you not to bring her.”

Karl frowned. He then seemed to make up his mind and began to speak.

“Theo, send a letter to the ducal family. Tell them not to enter the palace until I summon them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

‘Elise probably called me separately to discuss the ducal title. It’s actually a good thing. If Elise has the will to act, there’s no need for me to side with Taine.’

“And Theo, find a way to contact Elise discreetly.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

He was still worried about Aura’s reaction, but there was nothing he could do. He would just have to explain it to her later.

Josh spoke up.

“Your Majesty, about the new sword you ordered. We’re about to make the scabbard. Is there any particular jewel you’d like to have set in it?”

“No. Just have whatever you think looks good put in it.”

“You shouldn’t trust Josh’s aesthetic sense, Your Majesty.”

Josh wasn’t having it and told Karl, “Your Majesty, Theo is being very arrogant toward me these days. I’ve been in the knight order for two months longer than he has.”

Karl chuckled and waved a hand.

“You two can handle your own fights. As I said, the scabbard will be handled by Josh—”

He paused.

“Is the jewel for the scabbard made outside the palace?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then… have the jeweler come by for a moment. Tell him I have a special order.”

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