# 7
‘Oh…’
Her mind was almost dizzy due to her rapid heartbeat that made even breathing difficult.
This way, not only will Hugo find out about her, but she'll also be labeled a weirdo.
'This just can't happen!'
Angelica closed her eyes tightly and began to repeat the national anthem internally several times.
By the time she reached the fourth verse, the violent winds that were hitting her body gradually began to subside.
-Knock.-
This was followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. It seemed that the person had finally set foot on the deck, and it had also stabilized after being rocked here and there.
“We've arrived, Angelica.”
Hugo moved closer to her until his voice touched her ear.
“…!”
As the wind that was blocking the sounds disappeared, she felt his deep voice reverberate through her entire body, as if she was inside a cave.
She shivered as a result, and her temperature increased until she felt a shiver run down her spine.
“N-yes!”
Without being able to control her reaction, she quickly withdrew from his arms, stammering as she spoke.
She had hoped to stay away from him for a while, to understand her confused feelings, but even this wish did not come true.
“Ah, S-Commander!”
A strange man's voice came from a close distance, making her jump like a cat and hide behind his back.
As for Hugo Bernstein, the speaker did not pay the slightest attention, and remained focused only on Angelica.
Even though he promised not to leave her, she held on to him even stronger than before.
At that moment, mysterious feelings spread through his heart.
He had become so accustomed to holding it that it felt self-evident, but his throat burned in an unfamiliar way.
When she pulled back from him, he felt an emptiness in his hands, and he almost unconsciously hugged her again.
If someone had not intervened, he would have brought her into his arms again without hesitation.
“Qa-Commander…?”
He didn't have time to think about these feelings, as he heard the voice again.
Then, he finally looked away from her red ears that appeared between her hair as the light wind blew, and turned to the man.
“Let's get moving.”
"Yes."
Came the reply from another person, while he looked indifferently at the people gathered on the deck.
All the faces were familiar to him except the man who spoke first.
But that did not mean that they were friendly towards him.
“Is that Miss Ratlay?”
His voice was shaking, as if he was standing in front of a predatory beast.
Even the knights who had lived with him for one to three years seemed nervous.
“Yes. Isabel Cotton, you will be responsible for escorting Angelica to the empire.”
“A-Angel...ah, right!”
The only female knight in the place, who was standing far away with a distracted expression, nodded quickly.
Then she regained consciousness and walked towards Angelica.
At that moment, Angelica had calmed down considerably.
When she heard Isabel's footsteps approaching, she quickly grabbed the hem of Hugo's sleeve.
She felt familiar gazes on her face, and she automatically frowned.
'I wanted to get away for a bit, but not like this!'
“Hugo, can't I stay with you?”
Even if the person accompanying her was a woman, she couldn't leave everything to someone she had never met before.
“I feel comfortable when I'm with you...”
After she said that, she felt that her words were like a pampering, so she was confused, but she didn't want to follow someone else.
In the midst of this, she heard voices gasping as if people were going to faint, but she didn't care.
As a last effort, she gently shook his sleeve, then slid her hand down until she grasped his fingers.
As usual, he showed no reaction.
But his long silence made her think he agreed.
“That means you don't mind, right?”
But, contrary to her expectations, he said in a steady tone:
“From now on, we are safe, so there is no longer any need for you to stay by my side. In fact, my absence may be more comfortable for you.”
For the first time, his voice sounded firm.
Then, before she knew what was happening, the knight, Isabelle Cotton, reached where they were standing, and carefully grabbed Angelica's wrist.
"R-That's right, miss! This place is completely different from the forest. I swear on my honor as a knight that I will do everything in my power to protect you!"
She didn't know why, but the knight's voice sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than to persuade her.
Angelica furrowed her eyebrows, then exhaled quietly.
Deep down, she wanted to decline the offer, saying that she didn't find it annoying at all, but she wasn't the type who was good at turning people down.
“Well, I'll depend on you, Mrs. Cotton.”
“Please call me Isabel, miss.”
“And you, call me Angelica too.”
Finally, she let go of Hugo's sleeve.
However, she couldn't stop herself from staring at him, her eyes half closed, as if she was trying to read his feelings.
Then, with a slight smile, he gently placed his hand on her head.
“I'll be sure to visit you often, Angelica.”
"consent!"
For some reason, this promise made her feel overjoyed.
‘In this strange world, there is no one else I feel comfortable with but him.’
However, in the next moment, they heard sudden shock sounds.
"What!"
“Commander… Smile…!”
“Is this… a nightmare?”
As usual, the reaction of the soldiers surrounding him was not normal at all.
"What is this?"
As Angelica walked across the deck, she kept wondering what the whole mess was about.
Moments later, as the conversations gradually died down, another man's voice was heard speaking to Hugo.
"Ah, S-sir! I'm Hans Oren, newly assigned to the Empire's 1st Division!"
"Good."
Hugo gave him a short answer, devoid of any courtesy or expression.
Even Angelica, who had heard this response repeatedly, suddenly felt a difference in his tone.
“I don't know why, but...it seems like something has changed.”
❈❈❈
“Liar!”
Angelica muttered with a frown as she stuck her fork into the piece of meat in front of her, as if she was stabbing someone.
The third day had passed since she boarded the ship, and yet Hugo did not appear despite his repeated promises to visit her.
Even when she asked the knights, she only got vague answers like “maybe he’s busy.”
'Either he's busy or he's not, why is this blurry?'
It was clear that they didn't know exactly what he was doing.
At first, she thought they were being reserved with her, but she soon realized that they simply didn't dare talk to him.
'Why are they afraid of Hugo?'
They had worked with him for years, while she had not needed even a single day to become close to him.
“And when exactly will he come?”
She was starting to feel like he might never come, especially since the ship was arriving in the Empire tomorrow.
'What if I never see him again?'
She stuck her fork firmly into the meat and whispered:
“Just try…”
"Princess? Is something bothering you?"
She raised her head, looking at the knight who sat in front of her, then muttered:
“Nothing.”
Then, someone asked her directly:
“By the way, what is the nature of your relationship with the leader?”
She answered with her purest truth:
“I am the kidnapper, and he is the kidnapper.”
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