Aldrian was stunned when he saw Angelica’s eyes water as her tears threatened to fall. Her beautiful golden eyes glimred from the wetness. Her face still carried a flush from her shyness, but her eyes showed deep embarrassnt and even a wronged gaze, which made him feel guilty. Had he gone too far this ti?
"Angelica, I’m sorry—"
"I like you. I just can’t hold this feeling that keeps growing each ti I et you. I can’t help but keep drowning in it." She cut off his words, leaving him silent.
"Initially, I thought all of this was only my admiration for you. I thought it was the result of the huge gratitude I felt toward you, the feeling of owing you a huge favor," Angelica continued, her voice shaking.
"However, I know now that this feeling is more than rely admiration, and in the end I learned that this is being romantically attracted to you. Every ti you show your affection to Sylphia and Baek Jimin, I can’t help but feel envious. I feel like I also want to have the sa treatnt as them."
"I also want to be close to you as I like. I also want to show my affection to you. I want to touch you just like they touch you, hug you just like they hug you. I want to be loved just like them." At this point, her tears finally fell. Pain now filled her gaze.
"I know that I have to do sothing if I want to be like them, and that’s why I tried slowly so I could slip into your heart. Even though I didn’t know if I could do that, or if I would succeed and not end up becoming an embarrassnt, I still wanted to try it. I was afraid I would regret it if I didn’t try." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I thought I could take my ti to enter your heart, but the appearance of Queen Revania truly shook . Her showing interest in you with her own way and charm triggered , I just... I just..." As if realizing what she had just said, she stopped her words and stood up.
"I’m sorry, excuse ..." she said before running toward the entrance of the tent, intending to leave.
However, before she could leave the tent, a hand suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her body into an embrace. Her face pressed against Aldrian’s chest, allowing her to inhale his scent clearly. Her eyes widened in shock as he held her, his hand resting softly on her head.
Aldrian’s expression turned warr as he hugged her and stroked her head.
Angelica’s eyes trembled as she stayed still in his embrace.
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I wasn’t sensitive enough and made you cry. I’m sorry," Aldrian said.
Angelica’s eyes trembled, and she instinctively tried to refute him.
"No, you are not at fault! Why would—"
"If I were sensible enough, I wouldn’t have pushed you to answer my question earlier and made you cry like this. I’m sorry." Aldrian cut off her words, making her fall silent.
"I feel really guilty. I knew how you felt, yet I still asked that question. Maybe it’s because I’m used to teasing the ones close to , so I didn’t consider your reaction. Once again, I’m truly sorry," he added as he continued to hold her warmly.
"At this mont, I really feel terrible for making you like this, but I would like you to hear what I want to say after this. Do you want to hear it?"
Hearing that, Angelica couldn’t help but feel calr and nodded. She unconsciously returned his hug in search of comfort. Aldrian let her hold him, and they remained in each other’s arms for a while. No words were spoken, only a warm atmosphere surrounding the two figures giving each other warm in their embrace.
After Aldrian thought Angelica had already cald down, he released his hug. He grasped one of her hands and gently guided her back to her seat. He also sat down, and while still holding her hand, he asked with a warm smile,
"Much calr?"
Angelica, still wiping her tears, nodded and finally took a deep breath. Her eyes were still wet, but as if she had gained courage after her outburst, she looked directly at Aldrian. After pouring out everything she felt, she thought there was nothing left to lose. She wanted to know Aldrian’s opinion and what he wanted to say after this.
"Angelica, there are a few things I have to tell you regarding this matter," Aldrian said with a slightly serious expression. His gaze focused on her, and her gaze was just as firmly fixed on him.
"First, I know about your feelings for , and I am open to any future relationship between us." Angelica’s heart trembled, but she kept her expression focused on Aldrian.
"To be honest, if I ever added another woman into my harem, that would be you, Angelica. Why, if you asked ? Well, I just feel that way. I feel that if there is a woman who could enter my heart just like Sylphia and Baek Jimin, it would be you." Aldrian then smiled again.
"You don’t have to feel threatened by the appearance of other won like Queen Revania. If you think she has more qualities than you because she is stronger, and that it would make enamored with her, then you are still underestimating , Angelica."
"I don’t open my heart easily to other won. Because if I did, then I would already have tens or even hundreds in my harem, since there are many beautiful won stronger than you." His words stung in her heart, but they were the truth—a truth that instead made her feel lucky.
It was because she felt special. Aldrian, who t many won from outside the empire every day, won who had far higher qualities than her, still said that she had a place in his heart.
"The only feeling I have toward those many won at most is admiration for their beauty, which is normal. And that’s also because I like beautiful things—and that’s it," he said with a slightly joking tone, which finally made her show a small smile.
"So you know how special you are compared to others, right? So please don’t cry, and keep your confidence. Don’t let the appearance of other won make you feel threatened or inferior. You are one of the closest figures to after all the ti we’ve spent together, and once again, my heart is open to you."
"That part of my heart will slowly be filled with your space, just like Sylphia and Baek Jimin. The only thing left is ti. Give ti so I can develop my love for you, so that everything I do for you in the future won’t co from pity, but from my love for you." Aldrian said as he tightened his grasp on her hand.
Angelica kept her gaze locked on him. She looked at the seriousness in everything he had just said, and after a few monts, she suddenly lowered her head again. A blush appeared on her beautiful face, as if she realized what she had done and also what she had just heard from Aldrian.
Aldrian, seeing her return to her usual self, smiled warmly before letting out a sigh.
"If only I had been more firm toward Queen Revania, this could have been prevented."
"No, you are not wrong. Please don’t bla yourself because of my action. As a woman, Queen Revania has her own feelings, and she was simply showing her effort to attract you. It’s my fault for not being able to control my feelings, and I know there are many things to consider regarding Queen Revania," Angelica replied as she looked into his eyes and touched the hand that was holding her other hand.
"Please don’t do anything that makes the situation between you and Queen Revania turn awkward. You can act normally in front of her."
Aldrian looked at her hand and couldn’t help but show a teasing smile before looking at her face.
"Now this is much better. You’re getting more confident and daring."
Angelica, hearing that, blushed even more, and she couldn’t help wanting to run out of the tent. However, Aldrian tightened his grasp, preventing her from getting away.
Once again, he found Angelica like this adorable, which made him want to tease her even more.
After Angelica cald down and no longer tried to escape from him, he finally released her hand.
"I suddenly feel curious. Angelica, tell , since when did you start becoming romantically attracted to ?" he asked.
"Uhhmm, well, I think it was not long after I stayed in your palace? I don’t know, but every ti I saw your interaction with Sylphia or Jimin, I felt sothing stir inside my heart," she answered as she slightly lowered her head in shyness.
"But maybe my interest in you already happened even before I stayed in the palace, and that’s why when I saw your interactions with Sylphia and Jimin, I felt envious," she added with an unsure tone.
Aldrian nodded in understanding and smiled warmly.
"I see. With your outburst just now, it truly showed every feeling you stored all this ti. Even I wouldn’t be surprised if you were dreaming about in your sleep." He said it teasingly, which made her face turn as red as a tomato.
But then she rembered sothing and glanced at him slightly.
"Well... actually, one of the reasons I acted bolder toward you these past few days is because I suddenly got a vision from the heavens, and... Uuhhh, I don’t know, it was much different from the usual visions the heavens give . It was more like...more like a dream of soone? I don’t really know how to explain it."
Hearing that, Aldrian couldn’t help but let his teasing smile fade.
A strange dream?
’Is it just like what I thought?’ he wondered.
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