IRM | Chapter 010

Chapter 10

‘How does he look? Isn’t he exactly as I imagined, like the Northern Duke’s image?’

From another perspective, Angelica was busy observing his face, oblivious to his trembling body.

‘It’s like rubies are embedded in his eyes.’

Amid all this fog, his red eyes grew clearer with every moment.

‘They must shine even more up close.’

She thought that might be the reason everyone avoids looking into his eyes.

‘Ah, what about his hair? It seems to have a bluish tint.’

Is this color due to the night sky? She wished she could observe it closely once her vision fully returned.

While Angelica was organizing what she needed to do in the future, her gaze fell on the sword hanging at his waist.

“Wow, it’s a real sword!”

She wasn’t joking; it was the size of her legs combined. She remembered when Hugo told her to draw the sword if something happened.

“If I had drawn it, I would have scattered at least.”

Oh, even if angry, I shouldn’t approach this sword.

Angelica shuddered. Then it suddenly occurred to her that he might have come out tonight for sword training.

“What? Wait, stop!”

That means he had enough free time for sword practice.

‘But why didn’t he come looking for me for three whole days?’

I was waiting for him all the time!

“Hugo…”

Her sparkling eyes, which had been fixed on the sword, now turned glaring. She suddenly lifted her head and brought her face close to his again.

“Angelica, you’re too close—”

“How long did I wait for you? How could you not come even once? Were you trying not to see me?”

“…”

“Or did you hear what those knights said?!”

Why isn’t he answering?

Her hands gripped his cheeks tightly.

Normally, his face should look comically squished from her pressing his cheeks, but Hugo remained unchanged.

In this moment, even his aura as a “sword master” didn’t falter. She moved her lips slightly in anger, and at that instant, he felt he should loosen the strength he had placed on his arm around her waist.

With his sudden retreat, her body relaxed, and his face moved slightly away.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Aren’t those strange words?”

Her heart grew more anxious because of his odd apology.

Just three days ago, they were together, talking about such things. So perhaps Hugo had heard everything about the knight they were discussing earlier.

As sadness began to show on her face instead of annoyance, Hugo shook his head.

“I was just busy. The papers were stacked so high I couldn’t enter my room.”

“Ah, if that’s the reason, I’m glad.”

At least, it didn’t seem like he heard what was said in the dining hall today.

“That’s good.”

Angelica breathed a sigh of relief while gently shifting the conversation.

“But who asks a tired person to handle all that work?”

“I don’t know.”

Hugo wanted to say “the Emperor,” but he held back.

He didn’t want to defend Kain, but he felt like he was trying to tell her something like a child.

But Angelica had discerned from his words that there was something deeper to the matter.

‘Hmm, doesn’t the Emperor have assistants? How can he give work to someone so busy?’

Upon discovering the reason for his absence over the past few days, it reignited her feelings of worry.

She started moving her feet as if fuming. She looked like a small animal challenging a larger creature.

She thought: What made me this angry about the Emperor?

Hugo couldn’t suppress his laugh, a deep smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

The headache pounding his head vanished completely. He didn’t realize he was smiling in that moment while holding her hands.

“Before you get angry, look at your state. Since when did those blisters appear on your fingers?”

“Ah!”

When his rough finger touched hers, she felt the pain she had forgotten.

As if tears gathered in her eyes, Angelica pouted.

“I was trying to grab the soup bowl, but I missed and dipped my finger in the soup… Ah, it hurts!”

He didn’t know how tough his body was. While she trembled, he had removed his hand from her wrist and gently held her hand.

“Treatment.”

“Isabel treated me… but…”

“Then, she treated you only once.”

“Ah, I have nothing to say.”

Her thought was that Isabel might be tired, so she left her without help.

“Really, it’s fine.”

“If you leave it like this, it might get worse.”

“What? Should I cut off my hand right now?”

The idea that ignorance is bliss grew stronger in her mind.

While saying she was fine, she pulled him toward her.

“Hugo, please, treat it quickly!”

“Alright.”

Did he laugh? She felt like she heard a light chuckle, even if blurry.

But why is he smiling while I’m still in pain?

‘Hmm, still, I feel at ease seeing him smile.’

She smiled inwardly because of her changing feelings.

❈❈❈

With half-leading movements, she guided him while also being drawn to him, crossing the ship’s deck together.

They finally reached Hugo’s room.

Wait, is it okay to enter a man’s room like this?

As her injured hand brushed his again, she advanced forward without realizing.

She sat on the bed while observing the room around her.

She expected it to be spacious like her room, but it was smaller than anticipated.

‘Can this large body fit in this space?’

The bed was also smaller than hers.

She could stretch her arms fully on her bed, while this one barely allowed her to extend her wrist.

If he lay on this bed, his arms and legs would hang off.

Thinking about it, she felt a bit of pity, then smiled involuntarily.

She brought her hand to her mouth to hide her smile, and at that moment, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.

“I need to treat you.”

“Ah, alright.”

He wasn’t the man who force-fed her at the beginning, shoving the spoon down her throat harshly.

Now, he handled it with extreme care, to the point his hand barely felt the medicine, and his actions were filled with respect.

‘No, not respect, but…’

She tried to find a better word but failed, feeling the one she thought of didn’t suit him.

Nevertheless, strange feelings transferred from his hands to her heart.

She felt the tension suddenly vanish.

While Hugo focused on her hand, his gaze met hers.

His clear eyes were framed by a faint red hue. Though she had seen him several times, the feeling was always new. Hugo raised his eyelid and asked:

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Me?”

She thought she hid her smile well, but apparently not. She squinted her eyes slightly.

His massive body, filling the gap between the bed and chair while treating her hand, looked so endearing that it made her feel a kind of embarrassment.

“Would this be improper?”

She paused, finding no suitable answer, and shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe because I feel comfortable with you, Hugo.”

Then she added with a voice full of laughter:

“But Hugo, you didn’t show up for three days.”

“That…”

Hugo tried to apologize again, but his lips moved without sound.

But in that moment:

“Shouldn’t you stop that?”

Angelica gripped his hand, busy with treatment, tightly.

“I have no one but you!”