# 25
Is this what is commonly called a game of fate?
Hyperion Gervais. That name that echoed in Hugo's mind immediately made his fingertips grow cold.
Gervais
. There is her first love in ten years... Who is Yatra? I don't really know, whether you might be able to meet him or no..>
Those words that the Emperor had said earlier came back to echo in his head.
When the Emperor pressed him, asking if this was really what he wanted, Hugo chose to remain silent rather than answer.
But it didn't stop there.
In the end, he decided to make a selfish compromise and keep her by his side.
However...this decision turned out to be the worst it could be for him.
If only he had refused from the beginning. If he had given up his usual greed as he always did, Angelica would have found happiness.
Perhaps she had miraculously met and married her first love, and lived a peaceful life under the rising sun.
But with his own hands, he dragged her into the depths of darkness.
“….”
The coldness that started from his fingertips spread through his arms until it engulfed his entire body.
He felt like his heart, throat, and mind had completely frozen, and he couldn't even breathe normally.
The only thing that remained lodged in his frozen consciousness was a simple decision: he had to free Angelica.
Now that he realizes this, he has to rush to Cain and cancel the marriage.
If he made it as if nothing had happened, Angelica might be able to live a happy life with her first love...
Suddenly, all his thoughts stopped.
"tomorrow."
He started repeating the word absentmindedly, forgetting what he had just decided.
He did not expect that such an ordinary word would shake his being like this.
“Could it be...?”
Is it possible that Angelica doesn't know that this man is the prince from the Gervais Empire?
No, Hugo shook his head at the thought. If that were the case, Cain would have noticed something strange and started asking questions that would reveal the truth.
Moreover, the fact that he was a prince was not even a secret.
But why, despite knowing this, did Angelica tell him, “I’ll see you tomorrow”?
It is as if she knows the identity of her first love, but she still intends to marry him.
It was just a ridiculous assumption.
However…
"Hugo? Is something bothering you?"
“...No, nothing.”
But the hope that he thought had disappeared came back to grow inside him, overwhelming him again.
Hugo Bernstein changed his direction and moved away from the Imperial Office, heading outside the palace.
"tomorrow."
Since Angelica had promised to meet him tomorrow, he would be patient until then.
Whatever happens next...
Whether it's marriage...or elopement.
Despite everything, his feelings for her are still pure, without any taint.
If you beg him at any point, he will do his best to make your wish come true.
He was determined to do so.
❈❈❈
There was very little time left for Angelica and Hugo to digest the facts they had realized and set things straight.
In the blink of an eye, the wedding day arrived.
Hugo stood on the red carpet at the ceremony, after spending the previous night without sleeping for several reasons.
Despite his elegant appearance in a luxurious formal suit, he did not appear to be as happy as a groom should be.
Rather, he looked like someone who had come to spoil the wedding, with stern features and no smile, which sparked the imagination of those present.
Because of that, whispers rose among the ranks of the nobles who filled the hall.
If the emperor, who was watching the ceremony from a high place, had not coughed, the sounds might have risen to drown out the soft music that was playing in the background.
Hugo Bernstein strode across the red carpet to the cardinal who would officiate at the wedding.
Although the hall was spacious, it seemed as if Hugo's presence alone filled it completely.
“And now, let the bride come forward.”
While the audience was busy staring at Hugo's height and bulk, the bride finally appeared.
-Tick, tick.-
Even though her shoes were low-heeled, his voice was strong enough to penetrate the music and spread throughout the hall.
The attention of those present quickly turned from Hugo to the bride.
"Yes…!"
Surprised gasps erupted from the audience, as if the silence would have been even stranger than those sounds.
It was an astonishment quite different from that which had accompanied Hugo's appearance.
Hugo swallowed hard as he tried to restrain his desire to turn around to see the bride.
He had to adhere to imperial protocol, which stipulated that the groom should not look at his bride until she approached him.
There were only a few seconds left, barely a minute, and yet it seemed like an eternity to him.
When he felt that his clenched hand began to tremble,
The bride's steps stopped.
Finally, I got to him.
Hugo turned around automatically.
The first thing his eyes fell on was her bright white dress, a symbol of the bride.
She had been accustomed to wearing dresses that covered her neck and wrists, but today she chose a dress that boldly exposed her shoulders.
Although many in the empire were white, no one was as white.
It seemed as if he had never seen the light of day in his entire life.
He thought back to that distant moment when he first saw her by the lake.
“Ah…”
He held his breath with difficulty.
He felt as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of his body, leaving it empty of every drop of blood.
However, his mind was in a state of excitement and confusion, and his tongue was dry.
He let his grip loosen and extended his hand, taking her delicate hand.
“….”
“….”
At that moment, Hugo feels like he's staring straight into her eyes from behind the veil, even though he's fully aware that this is just a ridiculous illusion.
You can't be looking at him that way, can you?
However, while the marriage ceremony goes as planned, Hugo continues to resist any expectations that may creep into his heart. He did not forget that Angelica might ask him at any moment to release her and end this marriage.
Even when he responded to the cardinal's sacred marriage vows, when he exchanged the wedding ring with her and gently placed it around her finger, his mind remained alert and careful.
Finally, it was the turn for the final step of the ceremony:
“Finally, the kiss of the covenant between the groom and the bride.”
Hugo slowly lifted the veil covering Angelica's face, giving her the kiss that would officially announce the consummation of their marriage.
When his lips met hers, soft and warm, a strong feeling swept over him, like a complete dissolution of his mind and all his senses.
Her cheeks were hot under his palms as he carefully rested his hands on her face, as if she were a fragile being afraid of breaking her.
But even in that moment, Hugo managed to hold on to the shred of sanity he had promised himself. He decided to do everything he could to give her the freedom she might want.
‘I won't hold you back, Angelica. I'll give you everything you want... even if it means letting you go. '
But, he didn't realize that there was something else he hadn't prepared for, something that was waiting for him after the party ended... their first wedding night.
❈❈❈
Weddings in the Selene Empire were somewhat different from what was usual in the rest of the kingdoms. Instead of the bride and groom receiving guests together, the ceremony was split into two parts; Where the groom receives the men, and the bride receives the women.
After many hours of receiving guests and listening to Cain and some other nobles talk, Hugo was finally able to get away from them. He finished all his royal duties and took a quick shower, only to find that it was close to midnight.
You may have fallen asleep by now.
He thought about it as he stood in front of the door of their shared suite, where Angelica was supposed to be inside, sleeping peacefully.
But as soon as he opened the door, his expectations were completely dashed.
“Oh…?”
“Angelica?”
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a half-empty bottle of wine and staring at him with wide, surprised eyes.
She looked different. That confused and joyful look on her features made his heart beat faster, as if time had taken him back to the first days he knew her.
“Hugo!”
Before he could say anything, she jumped up and ran towards him, then threw herself into his arms without hesitation.
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