Hard To Love #1 | yyyeodang

16

right now, i'm shameless

HUGO's POV :

"Why're you here? Everyone's been looking for you."

"Just needed a break from all the royal duties." I replied to her, when in reality, I wasn't here to take break from royal duties.

I was here to take a break from her.

I have no idea on what changed, but, today, she made my heart race wildly like no one ever did.

I controlled myself in there somehow, otherwise, I might've done something I would've regretted. And she would've probably hated me for that, too.

But the Universe loves fucking up in the most magnificent ways possible. I was trying to stop thinking about her, and here she was. She sat right beside me on the bench. We were in silence for a few moments until she spoke, "Thank you, Hugo."

"For what?" I said without looking at her.

"For what happened today." She replied softly.

It came to my mind instantly.

The grave.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me who it was?" I asked cautiously.

She inhaled a deep breath and spoke, "My biological father."

So I was right.

"I'm sorry." I spoke genuinely. It must've been hard for her.

"It's okay. It's been years now anyway." She spoke lightly but the pain in her voice didn't go unnoticed by me.

She opened her mouth and closed it, as if she wanted to say something but decided against it.

"You can tell me if you want." I placed my cold hand on her warm one.

Her hands are soft.

"He . . . He went onto a sailing mission to Nirvana a month before my birthday. He said he'd be back exactly on my birthday, with gifts." She smiled fondly, but her fond smile soon turned into a sad one. "But he didn't return. Ten years ago, on this day it was reported to us that . . the ship drowned and he got lost in the sea. We didn't even get his body. S-so we . . . took some of his belongings and buried them here in the graveyard." She stopped and looked at me.

"But, it's okay. I'm over it now. It's just that I get pretty emotional sometimes." She forced a small smile at me and I couldn't help but hug her.

She seemed surprised, but slowly hugged me back.

"You're so brave to face this, Sofia. You really are." I said.

She tightened the hug and I rubbed small circles on her back in return.

She moved away after a few moments and I tried ignoring the small pang I felt in my heart.

You aren't sad over losing her touch. You're just tipsy.

I reminded myself, while she spoke, "Do you have any place in this castle where no one enters?"