For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 56

Aura and Ruan were having tea in the garden. It was a relaxed and ordinary scene, but their conversation was anything but.

They had agreed a few days ago to take advantage of the hunting festival to go to Sutra.

Documents related to the hunting festival were spread out on the table. Aura toyed with a fountain pen, looking over the papers.

“The hunting festival is in only three weeks. Everything needs to be perfect on that day.”

“We can get to Sutra somehow if we just manage to escape. I’ve already made arrangements along the way.”

Ruan had put a lot of effort into this, too. He had mapped out the route and bribed people along the way to help them. They would be the ones to erase all traces of the two.

“Good. Then the only thing left is which gate we should leave from…” Aura folded her arms and looked at the sky. A few birds were flying in the peaceful sky.

If only I had participated in a hunting festival before, I would know the atmosphere.

If it hadn’t been for the sudden misfortune, she would have participated. With Karl, of course, as her partner.

‘Then will you be my partner for the upcoming hunting festival?’

That memory popped up again, along with the memory of ‘that incident’ that happened right before that conversation.

“…Aura?” Ruan called out to her. Aura was startled.

“Oh, yeah… I’m sorry, Ruan.”

“You always seem to get lost in thought when we talk about the hunting festival. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Aura forced a smile.

She quickly turned the page. A map of Hunt Mountain appeared. The south and north entrances were the largest. The east entrance connected to another mountain, and the west entrance faced a plain.

“No matter which gate we leave from, it will eventually be found out. So to create a little confusion… let’s go through the west gate.”

“The west gate?”

“Yes. Even if it means taking a longer route to get to the north. Is that okay?”

“I’ve prepared for every possible route.”

As expected, Ruan is thorough.

“How’s life at the palace?” Aura asked Ruan.

“What could be bad about it? I get to be with you all day.”

“But you have to stay in the knights’ barracks.”

Ruan was a celebrity among the knights. The knight who had become a member of the Emperor’s Guard right after his knighthood and was then banished because of a scandal with the Empress. He was, of course, a target of subtle ridicule and curiosity.

“I’ll get a room near mine soon.”

“No, Aura.” Ruan took the back of Aura’s hand, as if to tell her not to. “That would make me stand out even more. Let them gossip all they want. It will die down soon. We’ll be leaving this place anyway.”

Aura looked at Ruan’s unusually long fingers. In truth, he didn’t have the audacity that suited a knight. But he had a firm will and wouldn’t be provoked.

“Okay. Then please bear with it a little longer.”

Ruan nodded but didn’t let go of her hand. A moment of awkwardness passed between them.

“Aura, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“…What is it?”

Just then, “Your Majesty the Empress, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived,” Minah announced urgently. Aura quickly pulled her hand away from Ruan’s. Ruan quietly looked at his empty hand.

“Ruan. Please step back.”

“…I don’t want to.”

For some reason, Ruan was being stubborn. Aura was taken aback, as he had never acted this way before.

Soon, Karl arrived. Only then did Ruan stand up and bow to him respectfully. Karl subtly looked at the teacups on the table.

“It seems you were having a good time.”

“What brings you here?”

“I needed to confirm something about the hunting festival.”

“Sit down. I was just looking at the documents for that. Emile, could you excuse us for a moment?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ruan finally left the table and stood a good distance away. Minah quickly cleared Ruan’s cup. Only then did Karl sit down.

Aura noticed the dark circles under Karl’s eyes. It was clear he hadn’t slept well since the masquerade ball. Still, Aura pretended not to notice and asked, “About the hunting festival? What is it?”

“About your partner. Who are you planning to go with?”

At the word ‘partner,’ Aura knew instinctively that Karl was going to bring up their old promise.

Aura braced herself. If she showed even the slightest crack, she knew she would get tangled up with Karl again.

Not the hunting festival. Never the hunting festival.

“I won’t be your partner, Karl.”

“Then you’ll go with your lover?” Karl asked calmly.

She could have just said yes. It would have made her actions at Hunt Mountain seem more natural.

“I don’t have to have a partner.”

“Do you mean you’ll go alone?”

“No matter who I go with, people will gossip. So on that day… “

“…”

“Why don’t all three of us go separately? Or… if you have another partner-“

“I don’t. And I never will.” Karl said flatly.

“Then you can go alone. It will be more comfortable.”

“…Thank you for understanding.”

“Just answer me this.”

“What?”

“Do you remember the promise we made?”

A moment of silence passed. Aura’s eyes trembled slightly. She gave a faint smile.

“What promise?”

“We promised three years ago to be partners for the hunting festival.”

“…I don’t remember every little thing that happened so long ago.” Aura opened the last page of the hunting festival documents and signed it. She then closed the papers and handed them to Karl. “My work here is done. You can take them.”

Karl stared at the documents. He slowly blinked and then let out a laugh. “I remember.”

“…”

“It was in the library that day. Around 3 p.m. You were wearing a pink dress. You had white lace sleeves and an ink stain on your left one. You had your hair tied up because you were studying.”

“…Karl.”

“Your shoes were green? Or maybe yellow? I’m sorry, I don’t remember that part well. Anyway, when I asked you the first question about the hunting festival, the sunlight was on your left arm. And when you gave your last answer… when you made the promise, the sunlight was on your right shoulder.”

“Stop it. I don’t want to hear any more.” Aura got up from her chair. But Karl grabbed her arm.

“And you were eating a vanilla candy that day. Why do you think I remember all of this?” Karl laughed sardonically and stood up.

Step, step.

The sound of his shoes on the grass stopped in front of Aura. Aura raised her head to look at him. Karl said, “That was the day we had our first kiss. We were sitting in front of the bookshelf.”

“…”

“And you’re saying you forgot that promise?”

“…Yes, I forgot.” Aura pushed Karl’s arm away and fled the garden.

She couldn’t be with Karl any longer. If she had stayed and listened, she felt like she would have ended up saying this.

‘I remember all of it, too. As clearly and vividly as you do. Even though you may never know it.’

During her days of suffering in the northern tower, she had wanted to forget her memories with Karl. If she remembered those sweet moments… she would cling to the hope that he would return. She hated herself for being so foolish and tried her best to forget.

…But it was no use. The memories of Karl kept coming back to life, as if she were cursed.

Meanwhile, Karl just stared at Aura as she walked away. Aura’s lover was already following her.

“…Damn it.” He threw the documents in his hand onto the table.

Clang!

The teacup that had been hit by the documents fell and shattered.

Aura’s shoulder flinched at the sound of something breaking behind her.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

Ruan called out to her. Only then did Aura stop. She was already almost at the main palace.

There were many maids nearby. Ruan spoke formally, mindful of them. “Are you alright?”

“…I’m okay. I’m sorry. I made you listen to some useless things.” Ruan had clearly heard Karl’s words. Words he would not have wanted to hear.

Ruan shook his head. “It’s alright. It happened a long time ago.”

“Still, I’m sorry. Anyway, let’s prepare well for the hunting festival. I’ll go to my room now. You don’t have to walk me.” Aura didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

Just as she was about to turn, Ruan spoke up.

“Did you… remember what I wanted to ask you earlier?”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

“Do you remember what I asked you at the party?” Ruan came a little closer and whispered. “If abandoning the palace… meant abandoning the Emperor, too?”

Of course, she remembered. It was the first question Ruan had asked her when she told him she was leaving.

Of all times, Karl had to show up, and I couldn’t answer.

“Yes, it means abandoning him,” Aura shrugged. “It’s funny to say ‘abandon.’ I never properly had him, to begin with.”

She gave another weary smile and headed toward the main palace. Ruan stood there, staring blankly at Aura’s back.

He was confident that he knew Aura’s true self better than anyone else in the world.

She was smart and handled most things with grace. But some things were different. She would take the long way, be cautious, and hesitate. She would be the last to know what others knew easily.

Aura was like that when it came to things she cherished and held dear. Just like… the way she was acting toward Karl now.

‘Then you’ll go with your lover?’

Aura didn’t say yes. Even though it was the best decision for their plan. It was as if she was hesitant to hurt Karl even more.

“…”

Ruan remembered the morning after the masquerade ball.

After the Emperor went into Aura’s room, Ruan couldn’t bring himself to leave. He was too worried about Aura being alone with an angry man.

And so, morning came. Ruan, who had been waiting in the hallway, saw it. The Emperor, in disheveled clothes, leaving her room. And that afternoon, Aura met with Ruan as if nothing had happened.

Ruan realized then that, no matter what, they were still a couple. And maybe…

Ruan, lost in thought, shook his head.

No. It can’t be… Even if it is… He clenched his fists. The conclusion is the same. She must leave the palace.

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