For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 51

Aura just blinked and looked at him.

How many days has it been? Three? Four?

It was a wonder that they hadn’t run into each other in all that time. Aura had a feeling that he had been deliberately avoiding her. As if to show her that if he put his mind to it, he could easily keep this much distance between them. But now, he has suddenly closed that gap.

Isn’t that cheating?

Karl opened his mouth. “Three mornings ago, I was going to go to your room.” He was referring to the morning after they had made a promise to have breakfast together—the morning after Aura had cried.

Aura nodded, her face expressionless. The events of that day had long since been buried in a faraway corner of her mind.

“I was really going to go, but… I just couldn’t get my thoughts straight.”

“Huh?”

“…I was wrong that day.”

“…”

“Yes. You’re right. I was just taking out my frustrations, saying silly things about a consort. I hated that you brazenly snatched Elise from me.” He frowned and looked away.

Did it really take him three days to think of what to say?

After staring off into the distance for a while, Karl turned his head back to her. He looked as if he was grappling with an unsolvable problem.

“Smile, Aura.”

“…Huh?”

“Just smile for me once.”

“What’s the meaning of this? You just show up out of nowhere and say that.”

“This is driving me crazy, it really is.”

Karl slowly took his hands off the chair’s armrests. Aura’s body slowly drifted away from his. He looked at Aura with a complicated expression. Then he gently brushed his hand against her cheek.

“Go inside and sleep. Why are you sleeping out here?”

“Ah… I was in the middle of looking at some documents.”

Aura rustled through the papers. And then she realized there was something she needed to say to him.

“There’s a knight conferment ceremony tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I’ll attend. I think I need a new knight. I want to choose one.”

“You don’t even have a lady-in-waiting with you, and you want another knight?” Of course, Aura had knights assigned to her. They were female knights who protected her from a distance.

“Yes. I think one is not enough. Is that alright?”

“That’s…” Karl shrugged. “Do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

Aura got up, holding her documents. She left the garden without looking back.

The Next Day

In the Emperor’s office, Josh and Theo were huddled together. They were going over the final list of new knights.

The knights had been selected through several stages of testing, which covered swordsmanship, personality, and social skills.

The first-place candidate was a man named Emile. Theo tapped the application at the top of the pile.

“What do you think of this guy? You were there for the swordsmanship test, right?”

“Emile? He’s outstanding. His demeanor as a knight is also excellent. The only flaws are that his family is insignificant and his parents died early, but… well, I’m from an illegitimate background myself, so…”

“He’s a freelance mercenary, right? What’s his personality like?”

“He seemed quiet. He didn’t talk much. He didn’t even seem happy when he won.”

“I like him. Should we recommend him for the Emperor’s Guard?”

“The Emperor’s Guard?”

The Emperor’s Guard was distinctly different from the Imperial Guard. While the Imperial Guard was made up of all the knights in the Imperial family, the Emperor’s Guard was an elite unit. Josh, the Knight Commander, was part of it, as was Theo, the aide. He, too, was placed there to be used as a combatant in times of need.

The Emperor’s Guard only fought for the Emperor. Any interaction with other members of the royal family was implicitly forbidden. This was to guard against any potential rebellion.

Theo said, “Prit was kicked out of the knight order on his way to Ansena, and his spot is still open. I thought this guy would be a good fit.”

“He’s a good fit, but… there’s a problem.”

“Because of his low status? It’s a shame to lose such a talented person for a reason like that, especially since he’s the best.”

“No. It’s not that…”

“Then what is it?”

“He’s too pretty.”

“…What?”

“I guess you could say he’s too pretty for a man.”

“Hahaha!” Theo burst out laughing.

Josh frowned, annoyed. “Don’t laugh. You laugh at everything I say.”

“Because you say such funny things. What’s wrong with being good-looking?”

“I don’t know. It’ll cause a feeling of discomfort among us.”

“Why are you being so petty? Especially you, Sir Josh, who’s so popular.”

“What did you say, you punk?”

“What could possibly make you, the man who danced with the famously beautiful Lady Elise, so concerned about a new knight’s face?”

Josh’s mouth fell open. He was already the subject of a minor scandal with Elise.

“Hey, you, be careful what you say. Do you want to ruin an innocent lady’s chance at marriage?”

“That’s what you get for saying something so funny.”

“Ugh, seriously… and I call you my friend.”

Just then, the office door opened. The two of them immediately stood up.

“You’ve returned.”

“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”

“Yeah.” Karl sat down in his chair with a complicated expression. After a moment of focusing on his papers, Karl recalled his meeting with Aura in the garden.

He had avoided her for days. Since he heard she was working in the garden, he even intentionally avoided taking walks there.

He had no intention of making her anxious or trying to play mind games with her. That wouldn’t work on her anyway. He just wanted to clear his complicated mind.

And today, when he heard that Aura wasn’t at the tea table, he went to the garden on a whim. And just like that, Aura was sleeping, cozily wrapped in a rocking chair.

The peaceful sight was so absurd. She had made his mind so complicated, and here she was, sleeping soundly as if to taunt him.

He was about to leave without waking her, but in the end, Karl decided to. He had no idea what to say, it was just an impulse.

The sight of her rubbing her eyes in disbelief. The faint flicker of surprise and delight as she fully realized the situation. Seeing those things made apologies and excuses come to his mind. He was afraid she would truly think he was attracted to another woman.

Of course, Aura’s delight quickly disappeared. And as always, she kept her distance. As if doing so would make her safe from Karl.

Theo glanced at Karl and then approached. “Your Majesty, we have a promising candidate among the new knights to be knighted. I was thinking of appointing him to the Emperor’s Guard at the conferment ceremony.”

“Oh? Who is it?”

“A man named Emile. His family background is a bit weak, but he took first place in all the tests. His personality seems calm and well-rounded.”

“Hmm… impressive.”

“Also, according to Josh…” Theo glanced at Josh. “He’s a great beauty.”

Karl let out a slight laugh. “What does his face have to do with…”

…with anything? He was about to scold him, when he remembered.

‘I think I need a new knight. I want to choose one.’

“I’ll have a look at him at the conferment ceremony.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Karl was at a loss for words.

Now even this is starting to get on my nerves.

The Next Day

At the Imperial Palace training grounds, the knight conferment ceremony began. Karl and Aura sat side-by-side at the head of the seats.

Many nobles gathered to watch the ceremony. As only the most skilled young men could become Imperial Palace knights, the ceremony was a grand spectacle.

Aura waited for the ceremony with a mix of worry and anticipation. As far as she had found out, the man named Emile was a rural noble who had lost his parents early. It was a perfect match if Ruan had changed his identity.

Karl, next to her, said, “There are a total of 13 new knights.”

“Yeah, I saw it in the newspaper.”

“Everyone who made it this far is a great person. There’s not much of a difference no matter who you choose.”

Aura took a sip of her cold tea. We’ll see about that.

Soon, the ceremony began. The new knights started to enter the training grounds. Aura let out a sigh of relief when she saw the first person to appear.

…Ruan.

The fact that he was the first to enter meant he had taken first place in the tests. She wondered how hard he must have worked to reach this level, considering he was a mage. Aura thought it was very Ruan-like of him.

Meanwhile, Karl was also looking at Ruan.

He is as good-looking as they say. His features are a bit delicate, but there are plenty of slender knights.

The new knights were all in formation. Theo, who was in charge of the ceremony, announced in a loud voice, “The new knights, who will protect the Casa Empire, will now swear their allegiance to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”

The knights knelt on one knee and bowed. Their movements were powerful and disciplined.

“Karl. I… I’ve chosen the knight I want.”

“Who?”

“The one who came in first.”

Karl let out a short laugh. “You haven’t even seen his skills? On what basis?”

“He’s a first-place candidate, of course his skills are good. He came in first.”

“That’s difficult. He’s already been designated for the Emperor’s Guard.”

At the words ‘Emperor’s Guard,’ Aura’s eyes widened.

If Ruan joins the Emperor’s Guard, it will be difficult for me to even meet him. She had to stop that at all costs.

“You promised. You said I could choose a knight.”

“You can choose one of the other 12. You don’t need to choose him.”

“He’s the one I want. I don’t need the others.”

At Aura’s unyielding attitude, Karl just stared at her. He could give a skilled knight to his wife, but the words “he’s the one I want” bothered him. Not to mention, Emile’s handsome face.

“If you need a strong knight, I can send you another from the Emperor’s Guard.”

Aura grabbed Karl’s wrist. “I don’t want someone who has sworn allegiance to you. Give me him.”

Karl wrapped his hand around the back of Aura’s hand, which was gripping his wrist.

“No, Aura.”

“…Karl.”

“Josh.”

Josh, who was standing nearby, quickly approached.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I will personally confer Emile’s knighthood right now. Bring the sword of the Emperor’s Guard.”

“…Right now?”

“Yes.”

Josh quickly went and brought the sword.

Each of the new knights received a sword from the Imperial Guard. Ruan was the last one left.

As Karl was about to get up, Aura grabbed his forearm. “Karl, you will regret this.”

Karl gently removed her hand and placed it on the armrest.

“I won’t.”

Karl picked up the sword of the Emperor’s Guard and walked toward Ruan. Ruan slowly raised his head. The two men’s eyes met.

“Knight Emile, receive the sword of the Emperor’s Guard!” Theo announced. Ruan flinched at the words ‘Emperor’s Guard.’

A moment later, Ruan raised both hands. Karl placed the sword of the Emperor’s Guard in them.

Aura watched the scene silently.

Support For the One Who Hates Me