That Lady’s Stalker - Chapter 2
To my beloved, whom I miss.
Today, I heard news of you. Usually, I hear from you first, but not today.
All the young ladies in the salon were watching me closely. They’ve been doing that for days, but today felt different.
Their gazes… they were strange.
Maybe that’s why, even though every day since you left has been heavy on my heart, today feels particularly intense.
It feels as though I’m being swallowed by darkness, choking on it.
As Olivia gazed at the ink spreading round on the letter paper, she quickly lifted the pen tip she had pressed down hard. Her body slumped down.
Writing each letter felt like a struggle. After staring blankly into space for a moment, she moved her hand again.
I miss you, Asher.
My love. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you…
The round impressions left deep marks on the letter paper once more. Olivia wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Her trembling body refused to calm down.
Asher, my lover, I miss you desperately. That was all she could say to him. I miss you. I love you. Before long, the letter was filled with those two sentences. Olivia took out a new sheet of paper.
You surely remember the day we first faced each other.
That day felt like any other day to me. There were always people around.
Even at a victory banquet, where there should have been a main character.
* * *
“Today, you look beautiful as always.”
At this comment from a young noble, the surrounding people erupted in laughter, as if to say what a given compliment it was.
Olivia blushed with embarrassment but inwardly clicked her tongue.
‘The young noble is ug … no.’
As she mentally criticized the appearance of a man who looked like an ugly fish, she quickly corrected her thoughts. One slip of the tongue could mark her as an impolite woman, no matter how much she was the belle of the social scene. The gossip in society was always rampant.
“By the way, the Commander seems gloomy today.”
Just like now.
Asher Brescobaldi, the Commander-in-chief, was the key figure in leading the war against the Kingdom of Hyrin to victory. But despite being celebrated as a national hero, people still avoided him.
His black hair symbolized bad omens. It was only natural for everyone to fear him, born with the color of demons.
Even Olivia, who had no prejudices against black hair, thought of Asher as a gloomy man.
‘Is he really that bad….?’
Olivia tilted her head as she watched his retreating figure heading toward the terrace. It had been a while since she had seen his face, so her memory was fuzzy, but he wasn’t the kind of person who deserved scorn.
From just looking at his back, it seemed rather…
Olivia quickly turned her gaze straight ahead, nearly blushing. Though she couldn’t see his face, his back was that of an astonishing man. He was on a different level compared to the lanky fellows around her.
The uncomfortable dark uniform did nothing to hide his broad shoulders and long, toned legs. Instead, it seemed to accentuate them even more. His long hair, loosely tied back, flowed gracefully over his back like a well-groomed horse’s tail.
Having a preference for long hair, Olivia took a sip of champagne from the glass she was holding, trying to dampen the growing admiration. It was the first time she found herself captivated by someone’s back.
The fact that her ideal type was known for long hair had briefly sparked a trend among the young nobles to grow their hair out.
Most couldn’t stand the awkward length that barely touched their shoulders and ended up cutting it again, though a few managed to grow theirs long enough to fall past their shoulders. Unfortunately, they resembled awkward gorillas with long hair, which was a problem.
For that reason, besides Asher Brescobaldi, long hair was now a rarity in high society.
Olivia shook off her wandering thoughts and rejoined the conversation, which had somehow returned to the famous primadonna. She was doing her best to shine as the belle of the social scene today as well.
Olivia spotted Asher when she finally slipped away from the crowd and found herself in the garden. As she walked along a narrow path lined with oak trees, past a small fountain where people gathered, she entered a deep garden where the light from the banquet hall barely reached.
In the garden, beneath a large oak tree, sat a small bench that Olivia always sought out when visiting the palace banquet hall for a moment of respite.
However, that day, someone occupied the spot that was usually empty. The figure was so dark that it was hard to tell if it was a shadow or a person.
“Ah…”
It was Asher Brescobaldi, a man whose back perfectly matched her taste.
Asher seemed to sense Olivia’s presence as he turned his head toward her. Unlike the dull colors he wore, his face shone brightly in the moonlight.
With a smooth forehead, a strong, masculine nose, tightly pressed lips, and eyes that sparkled golden as they met hers, he was undeniably attractive.
Olivia’s gaze caught the tension in his jaw, as if he was clenching his teeth.
This was almost the first time she had looked directly at his face from such a close distance.
“The glory of the Empire… huh?”
Luna’s notes:
I hope you like my new addition! I was interested in the title but didn’t expect a wholesome love story instead. The scenes would feel jumpy and confusing at first, but they were actually of different timelines. So there will be 2; the present (the letters) and the flashbacks. Which will converge at the middle of the novel.
I hope this will help to understand the story better.
