Chapter14
His consciousness grew faint. In the blur, he thought he saw Eveline’s silhouette.
He reached for her, but the image vanished in an instant, swallowed by darkness.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips–then everything went black.
Two hours later, at the hospital
The moment Eveline received the message from the rescue team, she rushed to the hospital.
Someone had tagged her in the team’s group chat, saying they’d found Adrian while carrying out a mission
near a cave.
At first, she thought they must have mistaken someone else for him. But when the photo came through–it
really was Adrian, unconscious and pale.
It didn’t take much to figure out what he’d been trying to do.
She had just spoken to the doctor. Fortunately, nothing serious. He was only suffering from exposure and
exhaustion. The coma, most likely, was a combination of fatigue and alcohol.
Eveline stood at the edge of the room, watching the man on the bed, and let out a quiet sigh.
If this had happened weeks ago…
No.
He would never have risked anything for her weeks ago.
A dry laugh escaped her lips.
“Eveline… is that you?”
Adrian’s hoarse voice broke the silence. She stepped inside and poured him a glass of water.
He sipped it slowly, the warmth of the liquid pulling him fully back into reality.
Seeing Eveline beside him, he assumed without question that she had been the one to save him. Guilt and relief flooded him at once.
He was lucky to be alive–and yet all he felt was the weight of his mistakes.
If only he had chosen her sooner.
Chapter14
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隠された皇帝~ (日本語吹替版)
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If only he had understood what she meant to him before it was too late.
After a moment, he looked up at her and murmured, “Eveline, thank you. For saving me again.”
“Again?”
Eveline nearly laughed.
The faint flicker of emotion she had felt when she saw him in the hospital vanished instantly.
“This time,” she said calmly, “it wasn’t me.”
“My leg… can’t handle rescue missions anymore.”
A sharp pang of shame struck Adrian’s chest–but he still didn’t catch the meaning behind her words.
He tried again. “But that time before–three years ago-”
“I didn’t save you then, either.”
Her voice cut him off, cold and flat. The disappointment in her eyes pierced deeper than any insult could.
He blinked in confusion, still not understanding.
She gave a humorless smile. “Need me to remind you?”
“Three years ago, you never climbed that mountain.”
Adrian’s heart stopped.
She had been awake that night.
She had heard everything–his conversation with Maria, the lies.
Panic overtook him. He opened his mouth to explain, but nothing came out.
Because she was right. Whatever words he might say now would only sound hollow. Even he no longer believed in his own justifications.
He had lied so often, so easily, that the truth had become unrecognizable.
He was the one who had ruined it all.
After a long silence, he finally whispered, “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did it.”
“But I swear… I’ll never lie to you again. Eveline, please. Just give me one more chance.” Chapter14
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隠された皇帝~帰郷の寝 (日本語吹替版)
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Let’s leave it at that.
Those were the words she had told herself when she decided to let him go.
And now, they echoed once more in her mind.
She nodded slightly. “Apology accepted.”
“The past is the past. From now on, we’re even.”
They weren’t meant to be. That much was clear now.
There was no point in dragging it out.
But Adrian couldn’t accept it.
He shot upright and grabbed her hand, desperation in his eyes.
“No… I don’t want to be even.”
“I was wrong again and again–but I’ll make it right. Just give me the chance, please-”
“Enough.”
Her voice was calm, almost eerily so. Unflinching. Detached.
And with a hint of warning.
“Adrian, I’ll only say this once.”
“I’m your uncle’s wife.”
“I’m taking care of you today as your aunt. Please respect that. And…”
“Given the situation, I’ll arrange for a nurse to look after you. Take care of yourself.”
She left without turning back, ignoring the sound of his voice breaking behind her.
This time, she didn’t cry.
But the moment the door closed, tears slid silently down Adrian’s cheeks.
As if fate itself had decided that every tear she had once shed for him–he would now shed in return.
Chapter14
