For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 38

“…An outing? With you?”

“Yeah. I…” Karl chose his words carefully. “I told you I’d get you a new dress when I… tore yours.”

“Ah.” Aura averted her eyes as the memory of that night came rushing back. But she quickly composed herself.

“Just consider it settled.”

“Then the condition isn’t met.”

“…Is an outing really the condition to build a reservoir?”

Karl nodded. Aura sighed softly and spoke in a resigned tone.

“Fine. Let’s go on an outing.”

Only after hearing her words did he step away from the door.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

And just like that, he had decided the time for their outing all on his own.

Aura left the room, finally feeling a sense of relief. She didn’t think he had noticed that she was snooping around.

‘Karl didn’t mention Pin because he has no intention of making a deal with me. He wants to keep it hidden. And even though Ryan says he has it…’

Aura stared at Karl’s office.

‘Knowing Karl’s personality, if he knew about such an item, he would have it under his control no matter what. So, Pin has to be with Karl.’

The problem was how to get to Pin. She had almost gotten herself into trouble trying to snoop in his library. She needed someone to properly infiltrate the place.

‘I can’t do it alone. Ruan needs to come quickly. As soon as possible.’

Lost in thought, Aura disappeared down the palace corridor.

The next day, a carriage carrying the Emperor and Empress left the palace. With a simple carriage and a minimal number of servants and knights, they looked like an ordinary noble couple.

Aura looked out the window with a bored expression.

Sitting across from her, Karl was watching her closely. Her straight posture, the slight tension in her shoulders, her hands folded neatly in her lap. His gaze finally settled on her fingernails.

“Your nails have grown back.”

“Oh.” Aura unconsciously looked at her own nails. She had recently cut off the ones that had been damaged in the northern tower. Now, smooth new nails were at her fingertips.

“Nails grow back.”

Karl started to say something, but he closed his mouth. Instead, he asked, “What do you like?”

“What?”

“We’ll do whatever you want. Or buy whatever you want.”

Aura blinked slowly.

“Then I’d like to go back.”

Karl let out a hollow laugh and looked out the window. “Unfortunately, that’s not an option.”

“In that case, let’s go get the dress you mentioned. Do you have an appointment with a salon?”

“Yeah. Oh, before that, we’re going to eat.”

“What? You didn’t mention that.”

“You won’t pick a dress quickly. We should eat something first.”

“I’ll pick one quickly. It wouldn’t bother me if you just went and chose one yourself.”

“Aura. I’ve already booked the entire shop. If we don’t go, it’ll be a huge loss for them, and they’ll bad-mouth the royal family.”

It was a ridiculous thing to say. But it was also something that showed he knew Aura well. She wasn’t afraid of the royal family being bad-mouthed, but she couldn’t stand to cause a shop a huge loss.

“You’re so inconsiderate. Why did you even ask me what I wanted to do?”

“I’m sorry.”

For a moment, Aura thought she had misheard him. Was Karl actually apologizing?

“I’m sorry for being so inconsiderate. It’s the first time I’ve been out like this, too.”

‘What’s wrong with him? Did something happen?’

“…Okay,” she said, deciding to let it go. It was a bit ridiculous to get upset about a dinner reservation, anyway.

Soon, the carriage arrived at a restaurant. Aura got out and looked around. The bustling street was full of life. Had it been because she had barely been outside the palace since she got married? She felt a little excited.

“Let’s go in.”

Karl opened the restaurant door for her. Aura stopped in her tracks.

‘Oh, it was right here. I thought we’d get to walk more.’

Aura looked at the street with a tinge of disappointment before stepping inside.

The huge restaurant was completely empty. The waiting staff stood in a line, bowing. The manager of the restaurant, who was suddenly greeting the Emperor and Empress, was incredibly nervous.

Karl asked the manager, “Did you keep our visit a secret?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I’ve only left the head chef and the sous chef in the kitchen. Please, this way.”

They were led to a large table by the window. Wine was already set on the table. Karl poured some into Aura’s glass.

“I don’t know much about wine. I told them to get the most expensive one, so it should be decent.”

Aura silently drank her wine. A hint of fresh grape scent lingered on the bitter aftertaste. A faint smile appeared on her face.

Aura rested her chin on her hand and stared out the window. The street was still lively.

“Aura?”

Karl called her name softly. Aura subconsciously muttered, “This is nice.”

“What?”

Karl, who hadn’t heard her properly, asked again.

“I said it’s nice. Being outside like this.”

Aura smiled at him. At that moment, Karl’s hand, which was reaching for his wine glass, slipped. He quickly caught the glass before it fell off the table. Aura asked, “Are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

He avoided her gaze and filled his glass to the brim. And then he drank it all in one gulp.

Soon, the staff brought out the food. There were so many kinds that they would have been full just by tasting a bit of each one. The chefs in the distance looked on nervously. Aura said, “This tastes good.”

“That’s a relief.”

He looked at Aura as if he had something to say. When she looked at him as if to ask what was wrong, he spoke.

“The royal family is going to get involved in the issue of the succession to the Taine ducal title.”

“Oh? How?”

“I’m going to have a talk with Elise. One way or another. It might be a lot more discreet than you think.”

“Ah.”

“I just wanted to tell you about it beforehand.”

“I…”

She was about to say it didn’t matter. She had already decided not to be swayed by Karl. She didn’t particularly want to stop them from meeting, either. Besides, if it was about the ducal title, Aura was a little concerned for Elise.

‘Come to think of it, he got angry when I said it didn’t matter last time.’

Aura chose her words again.

“I’m fine with it. Do as you wish.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

They started eating again.

A while later, Aura put down her fork. She wasn’t a big eater, so she hadn’t touched some of the plates. Aura looked at the plates piled high with food and thought, ‘He’s going to say something again.’

As expected, Karl looked at Aura’s plate and asked, “Are you done?”

“Yeah. I can’t eat anymore. Even though it’s really good.”

“Okay, then.”

Aura wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at Karl. He looked bewildered by her stare.

“What are you looking at?”

“What’s wrong with you? I thought you were going to say something.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because you hate it when I’m too thin.”

“When did I ever-!”

Karl raised his voice, then held it back.

“…When did I ever say I hated you being thin?”

“You told me to get my finger to fit a ring. And that being thin was better than starving to death. You said those things.”

He had no words. It was all true, everything he had said. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have his own reasons.

“A ring that doesn’t even fit on my pinky finger is loose on you… Dammit, that just doesn’t make sense.”

“…”

“I wasn’t saying it because I hated it. I was worried. I wanted you to become healthy again, like you used to be.”

After an apology, now she was hearing that he was worried about her. Aura didn’t know how to react.

On one hand, she also thought, ‘If my wounds could be healed by just a few words, that would be so nice.’

Aura wiped her mouth with her napkin and said, “Didn’t you say we were going to look at dresses?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The two of them left the restaurant. The salon was in the next block, and Aura was once again disappointed. But she didn’t show it and entered the salon.

Choosing a dress was anticlimactic. At first, Karl stood awkwardly in a corner. The salon was too bright, too sparkly, and everyone was a woman.

Aura chose three dresses just by looking at the catalog. Unable to watch any longer, Karl dragged her around the salon. He almost forced her to choose two more dresses.

After ordering five dresses, the shopping was over. The sun had set, and the street was dark.

“Are we going back now?” Aura asked.

“We have one more place to go.”

“Where to this time?”

“Let’s just walk for a bit. It’s a ways away.”

“…What about the carriage?”

“It’ll follow us. Besides, you wanted to walk. I could tell.”

Aura could only blink. She couldn’t even pretend she hadn’t been caught.

‘Am I that easy to read?’

And for him to notice what was on her mind… It was surprising. But aside from that, it was a definite problem that this outing was starting to feel more and more like a date.

“Fine, let’s go. But don’t talk to me.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I want to walk down the street at night, but I don’t want to talk to you.”

She was being blunt. So blunt that Karl couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ha… Hahahaha… Haha…”

“Karl. Why are you laughing?”

“Hahahaha… Seriously, Aura…”

What was so funny about her wanting to keep her distance? Tears came to Karl’s eyes.

‘I’ve never seen him laugh like that before.’

The face he made when he was a child was there. Though he had never laughed so brightly back then.

“I’ll never be able to win against you. Come on, let’s go. I won’t say a word.”

Karl held out his arm. Aura took it.

The two of them began to walk. People were busy, children were running around, and merchants were yelling loudly. The scene, which she rarely saw in the palace, brought a faint smile to Aura’s face.

Karl looked down at Aura discreetly. And then he pulled her arm a little closer to him.

A moment later, the two of them stopped in front of a shop.

It was a jewelry workshop.

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