For You, Who Hates Me - Chapter 5

Aura groggily rose from her bed. It was already dawn outside.

Karl slept soundly next to her, entirely unprotected.

The blue dawn light made his face appear pallid. He almost resembled the boy he once was.

Suddenly, she remembered what had happened before.

“Karl, could it be… do you still like me?”

“What if I did? What happens then?”

Aura whispered to Karl.

“…Everything changes.”

She planned to vanish like a mirage when he believed he had her. She wished to transform the hope he had just had in this bed into pure hatred. She intended to disappear forever, leaving him with that type of wound.

‘Now you expect me to become Empress?’

Aura whispered to Karl once more.

“No. I will not give you what you want.”

She gazed outside the window. Heavy snow was falling.

‘…Unlucky.’

Aura gingerly swung her legs from the bed.

“!”

Her lower body was in intense discomfort. She looked resentfully at Karl, sleeping soundly despite everything he had done.

“Whew…”

She took a big breath, rose, and donned a robe. It was a thin nightgown, but that was all she possessed. This was her one chance.

She reached below the sofa. Her hand found the cold scalpel.

Aura focused her sight on the scalpel’s sparkling blade.

‘Were you going to kill someone with that? No. You could never do it, Aura.’

‘You are right, Karl.’

She knew even as she stabbed him with the dagger. Someone like Karl would not die from simply that.

‘But I am ready to die.’

Aura grabbed the scalpel tightly and exited the room. Outside, one of Karl’s trusted knights stood guard.

“Your Highness, is something wrong?”

“What is your name?”

“Josh Garnett.”

“Alright, Josh.”

Aura abruptly applied the scalpel to her neck.

“Y-Your Highness?”

“Lower your voice. If you say another word, I’ll stab myself.”

A small stream of blood ran down her throat. Josh’s cheeks grew pale from shock.

“If I die because of you, Karl will be very pleased.”

Josh closed his mouth as if he were about to cry. He lifted his hands as a sign of submission.

“Get a horse. Now.”

“Where can I suddenly find—”

“Shut up.”

Aura pushed the scalpel farther into her throat. It seems that the blood would gush out at any minute. Josh soon nodded.

“Take me to where the horses are. Use a road where no one can see us.”

Josh reluctantly escorted Aura to the knights’ private staircase.

They got to the stables without anyone noticing. The fact that it was dawn was helpful.

Josh got out a horse. Aura nodded for him to bring her to the palace’s back gate. The snow crunched beneath their feet with each stride.

“Open the gate.”

“Your Highness…”

“Now.”

There was no way out of this situation. Josh sighed deeply and spoke to the sentry. After a brief conversation, the sentry stepped aside, allowing Josh to unlock the gate himself.

Creak—

The palace gates flung wide open. Aura peered blankly at the world beyond.

Passing over that gate provided freedom from Karl. She’d never return.

“The horse.”

Josh handed her the reins. Three golden buttons on his sleeve shone in the light. Aura abruptly ripped them off.

“…! Your Highness?”

“I’ll borrow these, Josh.”

Josh was completely perplexed. Extortion on top of the threats? What type of Crown Princess was this?

Aura mounted the horse and exited through the gate.

“Close it.”

Josh obediently closed the gate.

“Stay there until I’m out of sight.”

He nodded. Aura spurred the horse and rode away.

She vanished in the thick blizzard. Josh immediately turned and went back to the castle at full speed.

Moments after, he stormed into the crown princess’s room. Karl was still sleeping.

Josh was shocked.

‘He didn’t realize she was leaving? How could he sleep so soundly?’

But there wasn’t time to be surprised.

“Your Majesty.”

Karl’s eyes widened at Josh’s voice. He sat up in the empty spot beside him.

“Where’s Aura?”

“She has left the palace.”

“…Damn it.”

Karl rubbed his forehead. His black eyes glinted maliciously between his long, thick fingers.

“Capture her. She must be going to Ansenna.”

“Yes, right away.”

Josh rushed out. Karl sat silently for a moment.

His back stung. He reached around to feel his back.

Long, thin scratches. Karl laughed sharply as he realized their origin.

“Hah.”

He now understood. Why did she spend the night with him? Why had she trembled beneath him without telling him to stop?

An overwhelming sensation of futility and rage. She worked so hard to give him this. She threw herself into it, stupidly.

And her attempt had been… extremely successful. It was beautiful and amazing. His insides were filled with wrath.

“Since you can’t leave me, you intend to discard me.”

It was as if he could hear Aura speak.

‘Karl, can you stop now, at this point?’

Karl asked himself the same question.

The answer remained the same.

‘No.’

Just because he had been abandoned once did not imply he would stay here.

His guys would find her soon enough. When she returned, he would ensure she knew exactly what she had done to provoke him.

Karl began to get out of bed but halted to gaze at the thick snowfall outside the window.

“Hah… of all times.”

Karl dressed, frowning, and opened the wardrobe to reveal two fur cloaks. He then went out.

He went to the stables, where the knights had just mounted their horses.

“Your Majesty?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Your Majesty, it’s dangerous to leave the palace now.”

His chief aide, Theo, tried to stop him. 

Karl had only been on the throne for a few days, so leaving the palace was risky.

 “Then you stay behind and take charge.” “

W-what?” 

Karl ignored Theo’s protests and mounted his horse, riding out of the stables. 

The knights soon pursued him. 

As they exited the royal grounds, the snow became thicker and blurred their vision. 

Karl turned to face Josh. 

“What was the princess wearing?” 

“Just regular indoor clothes.” 

“…We need to hurry.” 

Karl spurred his horse towards Ansenna. 

*** 

By the morning, the snow had stopped. 

Aura’s clothes were saturated from riding in the snow all night. 

Nonetheless, she continued riding across the plains. 

Ansenna wasn’t far away. 

“Haa…” 

She paused briefly, blowing on her hands to warm them. 

Her hands were chapped, frozen, and numb from the cold.

Karl must have realized what was going on by this point. He would probably guess she was on her way to Ansenna.

‘I still need to check on the Xenians. Even if I have to leave right after.’

Caring for her people was her royal duty. Perhaps it was the last of her princess pride.

She was relieved that Karl was unlikely to follow her personally. The Emperor would not leave the palace during such a chaotic period.

Perhaps Karl would just give up on her. He might regard a woman who launched herself at him to inflict wounds as nothing more than a bother, deserving nothing more than a sneer.

“…”

She felt a touch of sadness, but then shook her head. There was no time for such sentiments.

Soon after, she landed in Ansenna.

A massive slum stretched out before her. The Xenians were crowded around fires, with no appropriate shelters. Some tried to earn a living with homemade stalls, but these were shabby stands.

Something felt odd.

‘There is no evidence of the mages.’

Xenia had the continent’s most powerful wizards. Magic was bound to exist wherever Xenians lived.

In that moment,

“Please, forgive me!”

“Hand it over!”

A man was crouched and clutching a loaf of bread. Men in blue cloaks attempted to grab it from him.

‘Those men in cloaks… they resemble vigilantes.’

He clung desperately.

“My child is quite unwell. If he doesn’t eat anything today, he will die!”

“I apologize, but there will be no order if we make exceptions for everyone. Let go!”

Finally, the vigilante grabbed the bread and handed it to the baker.

“Sob… sob…”

The man collapsed in tears. The vigilantes walked away, regretting their actions.

The man staggered into the alley. He grabbed a discarded glass bottle and smashed it against the wall.

Crash!

The bottle shattered, creating jagged edges.

“Well, if I’m going to die anyway…”

He dried his eyes and turned to see Aura covering the alley’s entrance.

“Wh-what? Move out of my way. Do you want to die?”

The man brandished the broken bottle. Aura did not even blink.

She tossed a gold button to the ground.

“Have some shame.”

The man’s eyes expanded with disbelief. Gold. That could sustain his entire family for a month.

“Feed your child. And there are other starving youngsters surrounding you. Do not forget today’s shame.”

“Sob… sob…”

The man slumped, clutching the gold button and weeping.

Aura’s heart sunk at the awful scene.

Before Xenia’s decline, he would have been a normal father. Three years of enslavement had destroyed everyone.

I need to meet with the vigilante commander. That will be the most straightforward approach to grasp the situation.

Aura came from the alley, looking around. When she noticed the men in blue cloaks in the distance, she swiftly caught up with them.

“Excuse me.”

The vigilantes turned around.

A lady in noble clothing rides a well-fed horse. However, she appeared to be underweight and ill. They looked at her with distrust.

“Who are you?”

“I wish to speak with your leader.”

“Hah! Why should we take you to him? Get lost.”

The vigilante reacted angrily, still on edge from the previous episode.

Aura hesitated. She hadn’t said these words in a long time, so it felt weird.

“I am Princess Aura of the Xenia royal family.”

Their faces were instantly filled with shock and reverence. They eventually recognized the princess.

“P-Princess!”

“Princess…!”

They started to kneel, but Aura swiftly placed a finger to her lips.

“Stand up.”

She did not want to cause a scene, and the imperial army could arrive at any time.

“Take me to your leader, quickly.”

***