AH, THAT ASIDE, WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE VISITED IN PERSON
BY THE RISING STARS OF HIGH SOCIETY.
THIS HISTORIC MANOR HAS HOSTED COUNTLESS ROYAL BANQUETS AND NOBLE SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
TO HOLD A WEDDING HERE IS TO GRACE THE VERY PAGES OF HISTORY!
THERE COULD BE NO MORE PERFECT SETTING FOR A WEDDING!
THAT IS WHAT HE SAYS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHARLES?
TO BE HONEST, I WAS FOND OF THIS PLACE FROM THE MOMENT I SAW THE GARDEN FOUNTAIN.
THEN I AM PLEASED WITH IT AS WELL.
AN EXQUISITE CHOICE!
I SHALL INFORM YOU OF THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND VENUE HIRE FEES AT A LATER DATE.
PLEASE CONTACT OUR ESTATE.
BE THAT AS IT MAY...
SEEING THE TWO OF YOU SIDE BY SIDE, YOU TRULY ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.
YOU LOOK SO WELL-SUITED TOGETHER, AS THOUGH YOU WERE MEANT TO BE FROM THE VERY START.
IN MY LINE OF WORK, I MEET MANY BRIDES AND GROOMS,
BUT YOU TWO ARE A PAIR IN PERFECT HARMONY, LIKE A TREE ROOTED IN THE EARTH.
WELL... THAT IS HOW WE CRAFTED OUR BACKSTORY, AFTER ALL.
YOU THINK SO AS WELL, DO YOU NOT?
CHARLES IS BOTH THE EARTH AND A TREE TO ME.
SUPPORTING ME STEADFASTLY, WHILE OFFERING ME A COMFORTING SHADE TO RELY UPON.
SO REALLY,
I CANNOT HELP BUT LOVE HER.
W-WHAT DID HE SAY...?
HE MUST HAVE LOST HIS MIND.
SAY WHAT HE WILL, TO BLURT OUT THAT HE... LOVES ME!
SAYING YOU LOVE SOMEONE CARRIES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WEIGHT THAN SAYING YOU LIKE THEM!
...THOUGH THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY SAID IT LOOKS UTTERLY NONCHALANT.
CHARLES! WHY HAVE YOU BEEN ACTING LIKE THIS LATELY?!
PRETENDING TO BE ENGAGED IS PURELY FOR THE MISSION!
CHARLES, ARE YOU FEELING UNWELL? PERHAPS BECAUSE WE WALKED AROUND SO MUCH TODAY.
SHALL WE FIND A CAFÉ AND SIT DOWN FOR A BIT?
WHILE WE CATCH OUR BREATH, LET US GO GET THE ESPRESSO AND SOUFFLÉ YOU LIKE SO MUCH.
HOW DID YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE?
I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU LIKE, CHARLES.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, CHARLES?
...HMM?
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?
ABOUT LOU...?
FIRST... GIVEN HOW EXCEPTIONAL HIS SKILLS ARE, HE IS SLATED FOR THE POSITION OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN GUARDIAN.
AND THOUGH HE IS THE HIGH PRIEST'S ADOPTED SON, THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE ON GOOD TERMS...
WELL... I KNOW ABOUT YOUR ABILITIES AND YOUR FAMILY BACKGROUND,
BUT I SUPPOSE I DON'T KNOW MUCH REGARDING YOUR 'TASTES'....
SEEING YOU EMBARRASSED IS QUITE ENDEARING,
SO I SHALL TELL YOU THIS ONCE AS A SPECIAL FAVOR.
MY FAVORITE COLORS ARE PINK AND PURPLE.
AS FOR FOOD, I PREFER VEGETABLE DISHES LIKE CAPONATA.
...HUH?
W-WAIT A MOMENT, THOSE WORDS JUST NOW... ISN'T HE DESCRIBING MY HAIR AND EYE COLORS?
HIS TASTE IN FOOD IS SIMILAR, TOO...
COULD THIS REALLY BE JUST A COINCIDENCE...?
LOU, LET ME ASK YOU ONE THING.
YES?
YOU.
HOW DO YOU REALLY VIEW ME?
LAST TIME, YOU SAID YOU HATED ME SO MUCH,
YET TODAY YOU TREAT ME SO WELL... I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND.
I LIKE YOU, CHARLES.
YET AT THE SAME TIME, I DISLIKE YOU.
Huh..?
WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? IS HE PLAYING WITH ME?
GOING FORWARD, I SHALL MAKE AN EFFORT SO THAT MY AFFECTION FOR YOU GROWS LARGER.
ALWAYS CONFUSING ME WITH SUCH AMBIGUOUS WORDS!
AND I HATE MYSELF FOR BEING SHAKEN BY WORDS LIKE THAT...!
A FEW DAYS LATER, A BACK ALLEY IN THE EMPIRE'S SLUMS.
I WAS SO BUSY WITH WEDDING PREPARATIONS AND OTHER MATTERS LATELY THAT I ENDED UP COMING LATER THAN EXPECTED.
TAVERN
AT THE 'CATACLE' HEADQUARTERS...
A SERIES OF TERRORIST INCIDENTS TARGETING NOBLE FAMILIES.
AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF MODIFIED AURA...
CATACLE WAS BEHIND ALL OF IT.
JUST WHAT ARE THEY PLOTTING?
IF I MEET THE COMMANDER, WILL I BE ABLE TO GET EVEN A STEP CLOSER TO THE TRUTH?
WHAT'S THIS? ISN'T THAT CHARLES?
WHAT IS SHE HERE FOR? RUINING OUR DRINKS...
SO THE RUMORS THAT SHE RETURNED TO THE EMPIRE WERE TRUE?
DOESN'T THAT MEAN HER INFILTRATION MISSION IN THE HOLY KINGDOM WAS A FAILURE?
...RIGHT, THIS IS HOW 'CHARLES' IS USUALLY EVALUATED HERE.
I RECEIVED SO MUCH UNDESERVED ATTENTION RECENTLY THAT I COMPLETELY FORGOT.
I WAS ORIGINALLY A THORN IN EVERYONE'S SIDE.
HAVING CAUSED THE LOSS OF CATACLE'S HEIR,
YET STILL RECEIVING DIRECT ORDERS FROM THE COMMANDER, IT CAN'T BE HELPED.
BY NOW, BEING CONDEMNED FEELS MORE FAMILIAR THAN RECEIVING PRAISE.
BECAUSE OF THAT, BACK WHEN I WAS IN CATACLE,
I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RELY ON THE FEW WHO SHOWED ME GOODWILL.
-ENTER.
FOR INSTANCE—
THE PERSON WHO GAVE ME A REASON TO LIVE,
AND EVEN EMBRACED MY IRREDEEMABLE SINS.
AH, CHARLES.
IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LAST SAW YOU IN PERSON.
THE COMMANDER, BAYLOR.
IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME, COMMANDER.
THAT IS WHY I MUST FIND OUT.
FOR WHAT REASON THE MAN I AM DEVOTING MY LIFE TO
IS BRINGING ABOUT THE RUIN OF OUR NATION.
Hiding My Identity From My Husband Chapter 21 follows Charles and Lou Vandes as they tour a wedding venue, play their roles as fake fiancés, and are shaken by Charles's unexpected love confession. They like the historic mansion and approve it, the attendant praises them as a match made in heaven, and Lou says she loves Charles as both land and tree. Afterwards Charles is left confused, Lou's tastes and contradictory words make him suspicious, and then he meets Commander Baylor at the Catacle headquarters.
