# 23
-Knock.-
Angelica lowered the hands she had been covering her face with as if she had made a sudden decision.
Under her palms were soft grasses that were completely crushed by her trembling fist, as if she was clinging to them like a lifeline.
Then, with all her focus on her target, she bent her head towards Hugo's neck.
"finally…!"
She hadn't even touched it yet, and yet the celebratory sounds of trumpets began to ring in her mind.
All thoughts of conscience and remorse completely disappeared.
From the moment she agreed to marry Hugo, she knew she had turned into the most daring woman in this world.
“Hugo…”
The moment seemed to freeze. There was nothing left in the world but her and him.
Then, tilting her head closer, she placed her seal on his neck without hesitation…
Or almost did so.
“Mr. Randolph, have you read the newspaper today? It seems really true!”
She froze in place due to sounds coming from afar.
“How should I know?”
"Come on, don't pretend to be ignorant! You're from Unit One, you should know something!"
The voices got closer and closer, making Angelica feel as if time had stopped.
There were only a few millimeters between her lips and Hugo's neck. She was about to achieve her goal, but now, she froze completely.
“The lake? I heard them say the lake?!”
She straightened suddenly when she caught the word from their conversation.
"No! Don't come closer!"
The situation was too suspicious to ignore. If anyone saw her like this, there would be no doubt about her intentions!
Angelica's face turned pale from fear and embarrassment. However, she had a small chance to escape: Hugo's hand that was previously holding her was now loose.
"I have to run! I can't be caught red-handed!"
I spotted a small path leading in the other direction away from the lake. Without further thought, she quickly pulled her body from his side and hurriedly ran away.
But, in her confusion, she forgot something very important...
The small box containing Hugo's ointment.
She had not resealed it, nor did she realize that she had left it completely exposed. Worse still…
On the cover was engraved a motto belonging to the Empress herself!
It didn't take long for these small mistakes to grow into a massive problem that threatened to swallow them whole.
Five days later, and just one night before her wedding, disaster struck...
❈❈❈
Since that strange incident with Hugo, Angelica has been deliberately avoiding confronting him.
It was not just a spontaneous decision, but was driven by the burdens that had piled on her due to the sudden wedding preparations.
She had to learn imperial wedding etiquette in a short time, along with the dances of aristocratic society, and had to measure and adjust her formal clothes as well.
The afternoon, between two and three, was the only time she had to rest. But she was deliberately avoiding going out, because she knew Hugo slept during this time, and she didn't want to risk seeing him.
However, she couldn't help but think:
“You see... Did he know about it? Did he notice the mark on his neck? Or maybe one of the knights saw it and told him? What if he found out I was trying...”
Her mind couldn't stop imagining the worst scenarios. One night, she even dreamed that Hugo stormed into her suite angrily and announced the annulment of the marriage because of that incident!
She never imagined that days that were supposed to be filled with happiness could turn into a source of anxiety and turmoil like this.
“But… maybe it will all end today.”
Only one day left until the wedding. She was sitting under the shade of a small, decorative pavilion in the garden, trying to calm her nerves while enjoying the gentle sunshine.
She was not feeling nervous because of the wedding, but rather because of a private meeting she had with the Emperor that morning.
While they were talking about preparations and some official affairs, the Emperor suddenly asked an unexpected question:
“By the way, Miss Angelica...what's with the mark on Hugo's neck?”
“What?! What do you mean, Your Majesty? I… I don’t know anything about that, haha… Maybe you mean something else?”
“Really? Weird…it seemed like a deliberate mark.”
"Ah... maybe, maybe not, right? Maybe nothing... right?"
The Emperor gave her a meaningful look.
“He said it was a mosquito bite. But he forgot that mosquitoes don’t appear in this cold weather.”
He smiled wickedly and stared at her, making Angelica more and more nervous.
‘This man… he is truly the fearsome emperor he is said to be! '
His words were so clever and evasive that she felt like she was about to confess everything. If he didn't have something important to tell her, she might have broken down and spilled her secret.
“I have to be more careful from now on...”
As she thought of the Emperor's eyes shining with a suspicious brilliance, her shoulders trembled involuntarily.
“Angelica, are you cold?”
As she was entering the gazebo, Cyril met her and asked her anxiously.
Angelica looked at Cyril and shook her head lightly.
“No, I just have some things on my mind.”
“Since your wedding is tomorrow, you must be nervous, right?”
"… Yes, correct."
She was trembling now from anxiety, not from excitement.
She laughed in confusion and said, “Haha,” then suddenly her nose picked up the scent of roses, and she quickly examined Cyril.
Now that I noticed, I realized that her appearance was as if she had just emerged from the water. Her hair looked a little wet too. When she turned her gaze back slightly, she saw the bodyguard holding her sword.
‘She came back from fencing training. '
That was the idea that came to her mind. It was not surprising that she arrived later to tea time today than usual.
While Angelica was thinking of the person who came to mind when she heard the word “duel,” her lips moved hesitantly as if she was about to utter some words.
“How do you usually train for sparring? Do you have a specific opponent?”
“I'm fighting duels with Isabelle these days. It's really unfortunate.”
It seemed as if she was starting to think about looking for a new opponent to train with outside the palace. Cyril mumbled it as if she was talking to herself.
But her words made Angelica feel as if she was listening to something she shouldn't have heard, so she looked at the sky in shame. Then she made a small sound as if she was clearing her throat, before asking the real question she was hiding.
“So, aren’t you training with Mr. Hugo Bernstein?”
“Mr. Bernstein is very busy with his work. Since I became Empress, he refuses even when he has free time.”
“I see...”
Cyril muttered something dissatisfied, as if she did not understand why, while Angelica remained silent as if she knew exactly why.
‘He said that when he trains with you, he feels as if the world no longer contains only the two of you.’
This is what Hugo said in the novel
He mentioned that it was the first time he had felt such a sensation.
'So he wanted to feel this sensation for a longer time.'
It was a confession of love. He mentioned that Cyril was the only thing different that brightened his gray world.
“Did he decide to stop dueling with her after she became empress, in order to give up his feelings?”
Maybe that was the reason.
She felt some relief, but she couldn't prevent a strange feeling from creeping into her heart.
If they had trained together, she would have checked whether the bruise she left was still there or not.
“Why did she have to bite that particular area?!”
Even if he had worn his uniform, it would have been obvious, which would have meant a real disaster.
She began to think about whether she should be brave and meet him today.
“Your Majesty, Mr. Hugo Bernstein has come to see you.”
As if the maid realized what was on her mind, as she announced the arrival of Hugo Bernstein.
Cyril groaned softly and looked at Angelica with a curious look, but she quickly nodded in agreement.
“Get him in.”
No sooner had I let him in than Hugo Bernstein appeared.
-Soil, dust.-
Despite his size, his steps were barely audible.
But the strange thing was that his faint voice was clearly echoing in her ears. Angelica felt her heart beating strongly, and her head automatically dropped.
Just seeing him was much more difficult than she had imagined. Her heart palpitations were not the only problem, but also something that had happened between them recently, which made the situation even more awkward.
“Why did you come here?”
Cyril asked cheerfully, as she exchanged glances between Hugo and Angelica.
Meanwhile, Angelica stared at the ground, before bravely raising her head.
But then—
“I came to bring this back.”
He placed an empty ointment container on the table.
Angelica stopped mid-motion when she saw that familiar box.
‘It is the box from which you put the ointment on his hand! '
She stifled a sigh with difficulty, and felt a strange feeling creeping up her neck.
‘Could it be that he knows the truth and came to confront me?! '
What if he knew? Will this ruin the wedding?
Maybe Hugo wouldn't care, but...she wouldn't stand it.
'It's not enough that I confessed to a shameful past, now he might know about that inappropriate mark?! '
She was so ashamed that she could no longer look at his face.
Her features turned from pale to red, then to white, as she lowered her head further.
But then Hugo spoke:
“The ointment was effective.”
“…”
“But take extra care of your wounds, as you are vulnerable to injuries.”
Yes.
Angelica bit her lip hard. Why did she imagine that the words were directed at her?
Of course, when he saw the jar of ointment, he thought of Cyril and not of her.
'Why was I foolish enough to think that marrying him meant he was mine?'
"Wait! Hugo, have you been talking to Angelica?"
"What? Cyril, what are you talking about?"
Angelica decided to pretend not to know.
It would be better for Cyril to think that she was the one who applied the ointment rather than to think that Angelica did it.
“Angelica!”
Cyril looked angry as she called her, but Angelica smiled kindly and answered:
“I did nothing to Mr. Bernstein.”
“…”
“Why would I even do that?”
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