HBDM 03

Chapter 03

‘It’s Hugo! That’s Hugo, right?!’

Even after a whole year, Prina recognized him instantly.

It seemed a figure carved as perfectly as a sculpture could never truly be forgotten.

“Hu—”

Hugo.

Prina immediately tried to call his name.

But Hugo walked right past her without even glancing her way.

‘…Huh?’

With a bewildered expression, Prina watched the man leave Layton Bridge.

…Did Hugo not see me?

‘No, but where on earth is Hugo going?!’

Layton Bridge is here!

‘Ah, maybe!’

Was the reason Hugo hadn’t appeared at the meeting place for over a week because he got lost?

Good heavens. Hugo has no sense of direction?!

…But is it okay for a knight to be bad with directions?

“H-Hugo!”

Prina hurriedly shouted.

Not that way! I’m over here!

But Hugo didn’t turn around.

‘He must not be able to hear me!’

With all the surrounding noise mixing together, her voice apparently couldn’t reach him.

Prina hurried after Hugo to stop him.

Pushing through the crowd with all her strength, she barely managed to grab the hem of his clothes.

“Hah, Hugo…”

Finally, she caught him.

But because she had run desperately to avoid losing him, her breath was now caught in her throat.

“Huff, huff…”

I-I think I’m dying.

Was it because his legs were so long?

With her terrible stamina, keeping up with his long strides had been no easy feat.

“Hugo… that’s not the right direction…”

The moment she lifted her head—

It lasted only an instant, but a strange sense of wrongness sent chills across her entire body.

Those blood-red eyes silently looked down at Prina.

The atmosphere was completely different from the Hugo who used to smile warmly at her with curved eyes.

The man before her was terrifyingly cold.

‘…Is it because we haven’t seen each other in so long?’

Prina nervously spoke to Hugo, who simply stood there staring down at her.

“Why… are you here? Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting here this whole time?”

The thought made her mind go blank. Still, perhaps it was fortunate they had met.

‘Now I can finally return Hugo’s ring…’

Along with the wave of relief came guilt at having to tell him they should break up after reuniting for the first time in so long.

But she couldn’t drag this out anymore.

It would also be unfair to Hugo, who still met her without suspecting anything.

Prina already felt guilty enough for dragging things out for the past year.

So let’s end this now.

But then…

Her gaze belatedly fell to the part of Hugo’s clothes she was clutching desperately.

That’s strange…

Why are Hugo’s clothes so flashy?

The buttons and decorations gleamed gold, looking like something nobles would wear.

‘Is that real gold?’

For a moment she wondered, but soon shook the thought away.

No way.

Even if Hugo was a well-off commoner, he wasn’t rich enough to decorate his clothes with gold.

“Hugo, anyway, I’m glad you returned safely. Actually, there’s something I absolutely need to tell you—”

At that moment, a suffocating sensation seized her throat.

It truly felt as if someone were choking her.

“Ah, Hu-Hugo…”

“My apologies. I had no intention of frightening you.”

His voice sounded vaguely regretful.

The next instant, she could breathe again.

‘…Was that killing intent?’

The thing mana users were said to possess…

Prina was confused. Why would Hugo use something like that on her?

“I dislike being touched, so I reacted without thinking.”

His tone was undoubtedly a gentle apology.

But the crimson eyes staring down at her remained just as cold as when she first met them moments ago.

“…Ah.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

She had only let out a confused syllable, yet Hugo seemed to have accepted it as an answer.

Or rather, it looked like he didn’t particularly care either way.

‘Was Hugo… always like this?’

No.

He had been warm and kind.

But the man before her was beyond merely cold. It felt as though a vicious chill was swallowing her whole body.

“I-I’m fine…”

Right. Hugo may simply have been startled by someone suddenly grabbing him. After all, it had been a year.

She comforted herself with that thought.

Then—

“By the way, Lady.”

…Lady?

The already unfamiliar Hugo addressed her with an even stranger title.

“Do I know you?”

“…What?”

Prina blinked blankly, unable to process his words.

“I believe this is my first time seeing you, though your face feels strangely familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

What kind of question is that?

“H-Hugo… are you joking?”

Couples sometimes played pranks like this when reuniting after a long time apart, didn’t they?

Covering their lover’s eyes and saying things like, “Guess who?”

“A joke?”

The corners of Hugo’s lips tilted upward.

“Ah. Did it seem like I was joking?”

“Y-you’re not?”

No.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of playfulness in those blood-red eyes.

It was terrifying.

Overwhelmed by the sharp atmosphere, Prina swallowed hard.

“Why would I joke with a lady?”

But if this wasn’t a joke, then why was he suddenly pretending not to know her?!

A freezing winter wind seemed to crawl down the back of her neck, and her body instinctively stiffened.

“Then…”

“We are strangers meeting for the first time today.”

…Strangers? Us?

They had dated for two years. Well, they had spent half that time apart, but still.

“I’m the one confused by this situation. A lady I’ve never met is clinging to me.”

“…”

“Do you know me?”

“H-Hugo, why do you keep pretending not to know me?”

“I suppose that isn’t the case after all.”

Prina couldn’t follow the conversation at all.

Could this… somehow be his way of breaking up with her?

If that was why he hadn’t shown up at the meeting place all this time, and why he was deliberately acting strange now—

Prina considered it briefly, then shook her head.

No. Hugo wasn’t that kind of person.

Then maybe…

Was this someone else?

‘Did I really mistake him for another person?’

Wondering if she had clung to the wrong man, Prina cautiously examined his face.

Hair like the night sky, ruby-red eyes, even the beauty mark placed like the finishing touch of a masterpiece…

‘It’s definitely Hugo!’

Even his unreal beauty—it was Hugo from a mile away.

“What a waste of time. I hadn’t planned for this.”

The one who had waited for a week was her, so why was Hugo talking about wasting time…?

Regardless, Hugo’s gaze shifted toward the clock tower.

As if he had another appointment.

Prina instinctively realized it.

He had not come to Layton Bridge to meet her.

Then…?

“I should get going now. It was pleasant meeting you, Lady.”

“W-wait…!”

Prina hurriedly grabbed the man trying to leave.

‘Could he have been injured during his mission?’

It sounded absurd, but at this point it genuinely felt as though he had lost his memory.

“Lady.”

At that moment Hugo called to her.

His lips curved into a polite smile, but his eyes did not smile at all.

Again, it felt as though a chilling wind brushed down her spine, but Prina forced herself to stay calm.

She didn’t know why Hugo was acting like this, but there was something she absolutely had to tell him.

Steadying her chaotic emotions, she grasped the ring inside her pocket.

‘At least… let me return the ring.’

After all, the reason she had kept waiting for someone who never came was to return it.

It seemed better to deal with everything else afterward.

“H-Hugo, I-I don’t know why you’re acting like this, but I’ve b-been waiting here for you all this time. Because…”

Because I wanted to return the ring we promised each other.

Damn it.

Maybe because she was so flustered, Prina stuttered. It was a habit she had struggled with for years like a chronic illness.

Still, she stubbornly tried to tell him to at least take the ring back.

Then—

Clunk.

A bottle rolled across the ground.

‘Oh, this…’

It was the alcohol she had spent the enormous sum of seventy silver on, mistakenly thinking it was a drink.

Hugo’s gaze also landed on it.

“Ah.”

A smile appeared on the man’s lips.

But it was cold.

“It seems you’re drunk.”

…Drunk? Me?

And subtly, there was contempt mixed into his smile.

“N-no, I was just thirsty. And I only had a few sips…”

She truly felt wronged. Because of whom did she end up drinking in the first place, only to be treated like a drunk now?

“I only drank it because I got thirsty while waiting for you…”

Afraid Hugo might misunderstand, she hurriedly explained, but his expression only grew colder.

As though he believed she was lying.

The strange one here was Hugo, yet somehow he kept making her seem like the strange one!

Wait, Hugo!

As the man turned away without hesitation, Prina quickly grabbed his clothes again.

Fine, just take the ring already!

Thud.

Once more, his hand pushed her away.

“If you continue grabbing me like this, it will become troublesome.”

Prina blankly stared at the hand that had been brushed aside again.

“I don’t know what I might do.”

“…What?”

“If you had met a worse noble, that hand would no longer be attached.”

‘Is he saying he’d cut off my hand if I grabbed him again?’

…But you’re not a noble.

“I’m saying this out of concern.”

His gentle voice quietly warned her.

It felt as though her spine snapped rigid.

“Well then, Lady. Please get home safely.”

Leaving behind a faint smile, he turned away.

Even though she knew she needed to return the ring, Prina could no longer stop Hugo.

Hugo felt far too unfamiliar.

The Hugo she reunited with after one year had returned as a completely different person.

‘…What on earth is going on?’