Hiding the Fact That We Are Dating From the Amnesiac Villain - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 2
* * *
In my past life.
I was watching a relationship advice broadcast.
[ Q. I think my boyfriend is a bit strange. He’s handsome, sweet, and perfect… … There’s a lot to hide.
A. What do you think he’s hiding?
Q. I recently found out that he lied to me about his job. He apologized so much that I ended up forgiving him, but I can’t help but suspect he might be using someone else’s identity. Am I being paranoid?
A. Break up with him immediately.]
Good heavens. Her boyfriend was committing identity fraud while dating her?
What a terrifying world we live in.
[Q. But my boyfriend is really good to me, and usually he…
A. Break up with him.]
‘Wait, why am I suddenly…?’
Thump, thump.
I lay sprawled at the bottom of the staircase, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
Memories from my past life flooded my mind without warning.
It was the day I had rushed to visit my siblings at the Academy.
The moment I tumbled down the stairs while carrying heavy luggage, the memories of my past life crashed into me along with the impact.
‘This can’t be real! I’ve been reincarnated into a novel?’
And not just any world—one where the protagonist undergoes infinite regression with every breath, and the hidden villain destroys the entire Empire I now live in with insane power!
‘This is madness!’
Someone save me!
Overwhelmed by the shock, I couldn’t even muster the strength to sit up, only staring blankly at the crumbling ceiling as dust fell around me.
Then a long shadow suddenly stretched across my vision.
“…Good heavens, Freena, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Seeing his face harden with concern, I fought to suppress the smile threatening to break free.
Stay calm. Compose yourself.
…But why does this man look so devastatingly handsome even when he’s worried?
The man’s name was Hugho.
We had only just begun dating.
He was undoubtedly the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on.
“Freena, do you think you can get up?”
“Mm… Hugho, I’m fine.”
“Your beautiful knees are scraped.”
I let out a small groan.
My entire body ached as if I’d been beaten, but the memories from my past life crashing down on my mind made my head spin far worse.
Hugho had already knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with concern as he examined my swollen ankle.
‘He seems genuinely distressed about my injuries…’
Would I ever find another man this tender in my life?
His worried gaze lingered long upon my ankle.
…But isn’t he examining it for too long?
Ah. He must be worried about it.
The moment I dismissed it as trivial, the large hand sweeping across my ankle began to exert increasingly heavy pressure.
As firm fingers wrapped around my slender ankle without any gap, I felt as though heavy shackles had been fastened around me, stealing my breath and filling me with a suffocating sensation.
“…Ah.”
When my swollen ankle was caught, I let out a startled gasp. At that, Hugho quickly withdrew the hand gripping my ankle.
‘After all, Hugho sometimes can’t control his strength.’
Even during dates, he would occasionally break the armrests of chairs or frequently perform tricks with his knife.
‘Hmm. He’s even broken our house door before.’
Of course, Hugho apologized and repaired it.
…Though the door frame seemed oddly warped after that, I decided not to dwell on it.
“Can you stand, Freena?”
The moment Hugho extended his hand, I hesitated.
…Should I really take this hand? Hugho doesn’t control his strength well.
“Let me help you.”
In that instant, a large palm firmly gripped my wrist and pulled me up.
‘Wait, but….’
As I was lifted by his overwhelming strength, my ankle throbbed dully. But the moment my gaze met those crimson eyes piercing through me, the pain I had just felt vanished completely.
A strange, inexplicable sensation bloomed in a corner of my heart.
Hair black as pitch and eyes red as rubies.
…Wasn’t the villain from the novel far too similar to Hugho’s face?
“Are you alright, Freena?”
“Ah, thank you for helping me up, Hugho.”
I hastily collected myself.
‘No way.’
Hugho being the villain from the novel.
That couldn’t possibly be true.
It was an absurd notion.
I shook my head and brushed away the faint sensation I had just felt.
‘If this place truly is from the novel….’
The moment the next thought followed, I found myself holding my breath without realizing it.
‘I, and… my siblings, we all die together.’
Upon grasping this horrifying truth, my head spun.
I had to escape.
If this truly was the world of the novel… before the villain turned the Empire into a sea of blood!
The day my memories of my past life returned, I made a firm resolve to take my precious siblings and seek asylum.
That was two years ago.
* * *
“Achoo!”
As I sneezed loudly, all eyes turned toward me.
This was Daisy Hall.
“Freena, did you catch a cold?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
My body had felt chilled since morning, and it seemed I’d finally succumbed to illness.
‘I wasted a whole week waiting for nothing….’
It had been nearly a week since I waited at Leyton Bridge, the place where we’d agreed to meet so I could tell Hugho we were done.
But he never came.
“Why do you keep waiting for a guy who ghosted you?”
“Wait, ghosted?”
When I protested in confusion, my coworker raised her eyebrows and continued.
“He left a year ago without a single word, and hasn’t shown up for a week? Plus, he won’t tell you where he lives, but he knows where you live and hasn’t even sent a letter? Go on, try to argue with that.”
Hmm. I couldn’t think of a rebuttal.
Was I really ghosted…?
“Apparently he found someone new?”
My coworkers in the kitchen, who had been peeling potatoes, erupted with indignation.
“Is he two-timing you?”
Huh?
“Looks like he’s stringing you along and ghosted you.”
“He hasn’t sent a single letter in a year—Freena, didn’t you ever suspect anything?”
To be honest, I didn’t suspect a thing.
More precisely, I had no reason to.
Hugho left right before I was going to tell him we should break up.
What did it matter if someone I was about to leave was seeing someone else? It would just be a bit unpleasant, that’s all.
‘I spent the whole year just thinking about how to tell him we were done….’
I never imagined Hugho would disappear like this without a word.
Come to think of it, a year had passed as my coworkers said, so it was only natural that Hugho’s feelings might have changed.
‘But….’
It was before Hugho left.
“This is something precious, Freena.”
“You have to return it when I come back. You must wait for me.”
Typically, knights give their beloved something precious before going to war.
Hugho wasn’t going to war, but he often undertook missions where his life was in danger.
That’s why I accepted the ring without ever telling Hugho we should break up.
Of course, I had refused at first.
“H-Hugho, this stone is so large. I think I’d be unable to compensate you if I lost it….”
“It’s fine if you lose it. I just need you to wait for me.”
With those words, Hugho pressed the ring into my hand.
‘…Why did I accept this!’
If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have suffered through a whole week waiting to return it.
Was he really ghosting me, not even coming to retrieve the ring?
But such an expensive ruby ring?
And that too….
‘This is the ring Hugho always wore.’
He seemed to have entrusted me with a truly precious ring.
I exhaled deeply.
I was still worried. What if something had happened to him and he couldn’t come….
So it’s only until today.
Waiting for Hugho.
* * *
Eight in the evening.
I stood once more on Leyton Bridge.
“Fresh fruit for sale! Very sweet!”
“Leyton Bridge souvenirs! Lovers who buy this charm will be happy for life….”
I gazed blankly at the street vendors.
I had come to Leyton Bridge after work, and quite some time had already passed waiting for him.
‘Just thirty more minutes.’
Normally, I would have left by now, but today I decided to wait a little longer.
Because today was the last day I would wait for Hugho!
After waiting for Hugho for a while longer.
Suddenly feeling parched, I decided to buy a drink from a nearby vendor.
“Seventy silver.”
“Pardon?”
“Seventy.”
As expected of a famous reunion spot! The prices were absolutely outrageous!
‘Usually it costs thirty silver!’
I paid seventy silver with tears welling up in my eyes.
Having squandered such a sum on nothing, I began to doubt what I was doing waiting for Hugho who wasn’t even coming.
‘Ugh.’
Was this high proof?
The moment I drank it, I felt intoxication rising.
‘I should drink moderately. I’m getting drunk.’
I looked at the clock tower standing tall on Leyton Bridge. The second hand of the clock was pointing downward.
Another thirty minutes had passed.
I should head back now.
‘I’ve parted ways with Hugho now.’
But the ring….
I was troubled, but there was no other way. Hugho hadn’t come!
…If it was truly important, wouldn’t he come looking for it later?
‘Anyway, I kept my promise.’
Just as I was about to turn away.
‘Huh?’
Black hair swept past her vision.
Freena stared at the man as though entranced.
A face beautiful as carved marble.
Those crimson eyes swept indifferently across Leyton Bridge.
…It was Hugho.
After waiting eight days and one more, Hugho had finally come.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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