Chapter 23

꒦︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊ଓ₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒦

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I Almost Killed The Male Lead Again?

(Hildea’s POV)

“Ah!”

The moment I turned my head at the urgent cry, the startled horse’s hooves were raised high above me.

I immediately closed my eyes, and screamed as loudly as I could.

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚ🌸ɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(Gabriel’s 3rd Person POV)

Gabriel’s heart, which hadn’t felt anything before, was now anxious enough to swallow the first emotion that he had ever known.

A tidal wave of emotions broke his patience and made him think about her all day long.

Gabriel was so surprised that he himself didn’t know how to control his obsession.

It was the same as when he engaged in a battle where the arrows were pouring down like rain, or when discussing a raid to assassinate the enemy commander.

Even when a sword flew and cut his side, or when he went back with a tired face and saw a flower on the side of the road that was blooming splendidly.

It would always remind him of Hildea, whom he missed terribly.

‘Who did she meet today?’

‘Does she ever think of me?’

‘Did she receive the flowerpot that I sent?’

Every time he sent out a letter, he would put a lot of thought into it, throwing away multiple drafts more often than the actual letter that he sent to her.

‘I’ve always wanted to send a lot of expensive and rare things to her, but I restrained myself because I was afraid that she would feel pressured by them.’

That was why he carefully thought about things that he thought Hildea would like and sent them to her regularly.

“Sir, do you really have to do that?”

“Say that to me one more time, and I’ll let you know what happens after.”

“Ha… No, Sir. I value my life, Sir.’

When he personally picked up the shovel and collected those herbs that could only be found at the edge of a cliff, the knights, who came along with him, looked at him as if he was a crazy person.

‘Just once.’

He buried his face in his hands and sighed.

‘Even just once, is fine.’

‘I want to hear Hildea call my name. I want to confess and ask her…’

‘Please call me Bree.’

(PR/N:First thing I thought was that he’s asking to be called cheese . They are both yummy¬‿¬ )

‘I want to become a meaningful person to her, not just another person passing by.’

Gabriel, who had eyes and ears in the Imperial Capital, was aware that he was known as a war hero or something like that.

And that there were rumors that his marriage with the young girls of the Hillington, which is not the same as before, will be broken eventually.

He chuckled.

‘Those fucking rumors, I just can’t believe it.’

If only he knew who spread those rumors, he would definitely twist that person’s neck.

‘Should I kill them all?’

Under that pretext, he heard that a lot of young noblemen offered unofficial engagement proposals for both the Hillington girls.

‘Especially to Hildea!’

Just thinking about it made his blood boil from range.

‘If they wanted to talk about marriage, they’d better offer it to Rosériel, but why are they including Hildea?’

After he gained the title of ‘War Hero’, his primary concern was knowing the opinion of only one person.

‘Did Hildea hear about it? Would that peak even just a bit of her interest? Or did she think that it was too childish?’

When he couldn’t get a hold of his emotions, he finally shared all his thoughts with one of his trusted adjutants, Dian, because he would have felt ashamed if he talked about it with other people.

Dian was intrigued at first, but later on, he looked like he was being strangled and begged for relief.

(T/N: Hahaha poor Dian, became Gabriel’s stress reliever)

‘Stop. Please sir, enough.’

Well it wasn’t that Dian was asked to not share the information with others. It was because once Gabriel started, he wouldn’t ever stop.

That was why Dian gave up first.

“You’re really crazy. Where did that majestic Duke of Belfius go?”

“You were the one who told me to have feelings. Then why are you blatantly changing your mind?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that! Why is it now my fault?”

It was definitely something to admit, since Dian, who was a longtime adjutant of Gabriel, saw how completely crazy he was with his emotions.

Soon after Gabriel heard the news about the debutante ball, he couldn’t stand it even for a second. That was why he conducted a full battalion attack on the enemy camp and killed every single knight who faced him.

And finally, after 12 years, he won.

“Can I go back now?”

He moved as if invisible to the human eye so much so that the Emperor added a word of concern that he was going too fast.

The moment he took up the flag of victory, he let go of all his reasoning. His leash was completely unrestrained.

“I can’t do it anymore.”

“What?”

“I can’t stand it any longer.”

‘Looking at Hildea through pictures only was not enough. I want to see her for myself and speak to her personally.’

“I’m going back.”

“Um, sir. What did you say just now? I think I heard it wrong?”

Gabriel wiped his hands, pretending not to notice Dian’s pale face.

The flag of victory was thrown away like garbage. Looking at the knights who accepted it haphazardly, he said coldly,

“I will go back first. Follow me if you’d like.”

After a chilly silence, Dian’s lips trembled as if convulsing.

“Now, I really didn’t hear what you just said, sir.”

“Have you dealt with what I asked for?”

“If it’s about that mansion, we sent someone to solve it, but why are you asking about that now?”

“Once you have all returned, you can gather there since I will not be going back to the estate.”

“My lord!”

Leaving behind the screaming sounds coming from Dian, Gabriel rode his horse onward. A happy smile appeared on his face as if he was deranged.

‘Damn battlefield.’

‘It’s all over now. I’m now free to do what I want.’

‘I’m coming back now, Hildea.’

Without drinking water or even sleeping, he ran like a crazy man and arrived in the Empire earlier than he expected.

He headed back to the mansion without greeting or reporting to the Emperor and moved without explaining himself, to the astonishment of the Duchy’s employees.

(Gabriel’s POV)

‘Since there’s only one thing going on in my head now.’

‘Hill.’

(T/N: Gabriel is a gem really, I love him more…)

‘How can I go to Hillington’s street?’

‘What if she still hates me, just like the last time?’

‘I’ve been so worried about it. But then, after much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that I only need to have a good appearance so that she would change her opinion of me.’

(PR/N: This isn’t a Disney movie hon. Looks can’t solve everything)

I ran to order a custom suit, since I couldn’t wait to have the servants order it. I specifically went to a place the butler recommended, because I wanted to show off a nice and gentlemanly look for Hildea.

“Hey, Get out of the way!!”

“Ahhh!”

I heard a loud voice from somewhere, telling me that it was an urgent situation.

As I looked towards the commotion, I could hear sharp neighing, and see a woman standing right in front of the horse.

“…….”

‘For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.’

A dazzling wave of silver hair flowed out from the hem of the hood, piercing my eyes.

‘Thud.’

My heart screamed at that moment.

‘There is no way that I wouldn’t recognize that woman.’

‘It’s the woman that I’ve longing for.’

‘Hill.’

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚ🌸ɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(Hildea’s POV)

In a brief moment, all kinds of thoughts ran through my mind.

‘Is this what they call (*) seeing your life flash before your eyes? Even if I didn’t want to see it.’

(TN: (*) We’ve all heard about our lives flashing before our eyes when we’re on the brink of death and new research has found it may be the last thing we think about before we die.)

“Ugh!”

But the moment I closed my eyes and shrank my body, someone’s big, solid arms wrapped around my waist.

And at the same time, my body was strongly pulled to the side.

‘Gasp…’

When I came back to my senses, I was leaning against someone’s broad chest and rolling on the ground.

“Hah…”

I repeatedly blinked my eyes because I was dumbfounded after what happened, and then I realized that someone was lying underneath me. My current self is too close to the other person.

‘Thank you, I need to say ‘Thank You.’

I tried to get up in a hurry. But as soon as my eyes met with the man who saved me,

“…….”

“…….”

For a few seconds, I stopped thinking.

Then, my senses stood on the edge like needles.

The man’s toned muscles supported me when we both rolled on the ground. My fingertips feel numb as if electricity had passed through them.

My eyes felt dizzy looking at the beautiful sight. His thick, messy, honey-colored hair was brightly shining.

His eyes had this strange charm that dazzled me, even though he was frowning as if worried.

However, neither the man’s beautiful face nor the embarrassing situation we were in made me freeze like a statue.

‘Ah.’

‘Those clear purple eyes.’

‘I know those eyes very well. I really do.’

‘He has changed a lot. However, it’s very unlikely that there’s another owner with such eyes.’

‘Thump, thump.’

It’s a pounding heart beat. I can’t tell if it’s mine or from the man beneath me, since my hand is on his broad chest. But one thing is clear.

‘It’s beating very loudly.’

“Did you get hurt?”

Thoe heavy voice sounded like it was coming from a cave.

The man who used to be a boy suddenly reappeared in front of my eyes after 12 years.

Like a fully-fledged young man, he asked me again in the same sweet tone which seemed to be lower than before.

“Are there any injuries?”

“…….”

‘When I didn’t answer him, was it a mistake to think that this man had become more worried?’

“Please don’t tell me that bloody word, ‘No’.”

‘Is it my misunderstanding that his caring beautiful eyes are not as cold as he used to be?’

“Are you hurt?”

‘Maybe it’s because I miss him too much?’

‘Then why did he suddenly change?’

When I thought of that, I felt like I had been stabbed by a needle.

“Oh, no. I didn’t get hurt.”

I quickly recovered. As if cold water was poured over me, I remembered who I was and who he was.

‘My sister’s fiance.’

“… It’s been a while, my lady.”

‘Gabriel.’

The man got up first and reached out to me.

He approached me without being rude and grabbed my waist, making sure that I could stand up, as naturally as flowing water.

“Yeah, that’s right. Long time no see.”

I tried to clear my throat hoping to sound natural, but I was surprised to hear my voice crack.

‘It must simply be because I’m shocked and disoriented at the same time.’

I bowed my head gracefully in a familiar gesture and greeted him.

“Thank you so much for saving me, Duke of Belfius.”

‘It’s him, Gabriel.’

‘He’s back.’

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚ🌸ɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(Hildea’s POV)

After our heart thumping reunion.

I don’t even remember the expression I had when I left him, because it was more important for me to get back to the mansion as soon as possible.

As soon as he came to his senses, he poured out his words like crazy.

(PR/N: Still rapping 12 years later…)

“Later, it didn’t occur to me that we would be seeing each other like this. I’m really grateful to see you again, but of course, I’ll officially see you at the mansion later.”

“Later…”

I dragged the last word he said, since I’m not sure what he means by that. After saying thank you, I immediately got into the carriage.

“Wait!”

It seemed like Gabriel was trying to say something to me, but my thoughts were all over the place. That was why I gave the coachman extra money and asked him to run at the fastest speed.

My heart is beating so fast. Only then did reality hit me.

‘Haha, it really is Gabriel.’

It seemed a bit ridiculous.

‘How did this happen?’

“How can we meet so easily? The capital is so big? And how can he save me in such a situation?”

My imaginary boy, the same person whom I had exchanged letters with, suddenly disappeared as if he never existed in the first place.

The only thing left in my mind is the man that I encountered earlier.

‘As expected of the male protagonist… He’s so handsome.’

If I were to compare humans to beasts, it would have been like seeing a lion in the jungle.

“No.”

I shook my head over and over.

‘As I expected , he definitely has someone who writes those letters for me on his behalf.’

‘There’s no way that such a man would make an effort to write those kinds of letters to me.’

Thinking like that made me feel so ashamed. I never would have thought that I’d be (*) drumming to my own beat and putting a lot of meaning in those letters.

(TN: (*) Drumming to my own beat means she’ll do it all on her own like her expectation towards those letters would never be reciprocated by Gabriel.)