02
To my first love who doesn't remember me
Choi Seung-cheol. I'd longed to hear from him, to see him, for so long. Seeing him again, it felt like I'd gone back to the day I first saw him. My heart was pounding like crazy. Do you remember me?
''Hey, nice to meet you.''
When I answered with a smile, Seungcheol's face suddenly crumpled, as if he was offended by me. At that moment, my heart sank.
He doesn't remember me.
''Archangel...''
He flinched, then quickly turned his head away. His actions made me feel like tears were about to well up in my eyes. My nose turned red, and I sniffled without realizing it.
''Do you remember me?''
I slowly raised my head and looked at him, but the inaudible reply and his distant gaze answered my question.
''Let's go back now.''
I watched Seungcheol's back as he turned his back on me and went outside, and tears fell down my face.
My savior, my first love, doesn't remember me. Instead, he hates me.
After that sham wedding, I boarded the carriage with him alone. There was silence between us, and then I cautiously spoke.
"I... Your Majesty..."
Seungcheol, who was sitting across from me with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, carefully opened his eyes.
"Yes, go ahead."
I hesitated for a moment and then sighed.
"Your Majesty."
Then he spoke to me.
“Please live like a dead rat.”
"what...?"
“I’m asking you not to think about being treated as an Archduchess. I will adopt the child when the time is right, so you don’t have to take on any of the duties of an Archduchess. No, don’t do anything.”
He said that to me and stopped the carriage. As the carriage slowly came to a stop, Seungcheol said with a hollow laugh.
“Her Royal Highness will be very dissatisfied with going to the barbarian’s house with this barbarian, so I will get off and go separately.”
I hastily grabbed his hand. He was mistaken. Like everyone else, he thought I was the Emperor's beloved daughter. I wanted to correct this misunderstanding. And I thought I could.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
He gave me a look of displeasure. He no longer showed any negative feelings toward me, such as disgust or hatred.
Still, I forced a smile and said,
"Seungcheol, I missed you..."
''...yes?''
''It's me...''
Then, before I could even finish speaking, he shook my hand away and said,
“Don’t ever smile at me with that face again. It’s unpleasant.”
Then I got out of the carriage. Tears flowed uncontrollably. I covered my mouth and cried as quietly as I could, afraid that my cries might reach him, that he might hear me.
"It's okay... It's okay... I can fix it... I will fix it..."
It's something I can do if I work hard. I want to approach her slowly and gradually, build trust, and then tell her everything. That Rose is dead and Iris is alive.
And I want to whisper in his arms, to him. He's the only person I can lean on, when I can't lean on anyone else. He's the one who means the most to me, and what he means to me.