Chapter 50
“Now,”
Chloe raised her head.
“Are you saying that I did not respect you?”
“If not, then what else would you call it?”
Their eyes met. The kindness he showed in the hall became volatile, and his gaze was so fierce that it chilled. But this time, Chloe did do something wrong. So she meekly accepted it.
“I admit it. This time, I didn’t respect your words. I apologize.”
“I didn’t mean to get your apology. I’m just saying this because I want you to follow my will at least once.”
“Have I never followed your will?”
Chloe placed a hand on her chest, stunned. She raised her voice.
“If I hadn’t followed your will, would I have been locked up in the North all five years? Would I have stayed still, giving you all the power to decide the big things in the family? I have always followed your will!”
“Then why didn’t you follow my will until the end! The same thing won’t happen today!”
Eric’s shouts filled the carriage. Maybe louder than the engine’s ignition sound.
Chloe was startled, so she leaned back. Confusion spread across Eric’s face. He untied his tie and touched his forehead.
“Shit! I didn’t come to fight you.”
He mumbled.
“I was worried because it was snowing. You wouldn’t even have brought a proper umbrella. How absurd to hear that you even borrowed a carriage! I thought you would want to borrow a carriage from the royal family to go home, but considering Elizabeth’s usual temper, I knew she would never allow it. She must have tried to have you stay the night in the royal palace. In the third prince’s palace. Am I wrong?”
Eric got everything right, as if he had seen the situation firsthand. Chloe nodded her head, yet at the same time thoughts headed in a different direction.
She replayed the conversation she had with Eric that morning, and it turned out that Eric was extremely reluctant to have Chloe spend the night out. In addition to that, there was the third prince, William, that he terribly disliked. So maybe that’s why he came? Not because he was worried, but because he was worried about her getting embroiled in a scandal…….
“So you mean you came because you’re afraid I’m going to spend the night outside.”
“Wrong.”
But Eric replied sternly, as if sneering at Chloe’s thoughts.
“As I said before, no matter where you sleep, it’s not my area to interfere.”
He continued.
“I came here because I was worried about you. Because you’re a woman who would rather walk a ten-mile road alone than sleep in the third prince’s Palace. How long has it been since you were lying on a sick bed after feeling the cold wind?”
Chloe’s eyes widened.
She was truly amazed that Eric had predicted her behavior so accurately. She was also surprised once again by his genuine concern for her health. He was full of surprises……. That’s what this conversation was about.
“So, I came here for you. For you, I chatted with the disgusting wives. Don’t you recognize this kind of effort?”
Eric gritted his teeth. Presumably, he was very offended by the conversation he had with the wives earlier. Chloe pulled at her chin.
“I want to say thank you.”
“Don’t just say it,”
Eric said, staring intently at Chloe.
“Go back, wash in warm water, put on thick clothes, and go to bed right away. Will you be able to accommodate such a request?”
“…….”
Chloe couldn’t understand why Eric was acting like this. Why would he want to look like a sweet husband now? Was it part of what he said? No, he declared that he would no longer try. Then why?
Was he trying to make the divorce story disappear again?
She didn’t like it. Chloe didn’t want to go through any more pain hoping for Eric again. It had been futile and she didn’t want to be fooled by his false kindness anymore.
She didn’t like it even now. Chloe was an adamantly stubborn woman, and Eric didn’t change enough to break her will.
“I don’t want our divorce decision to be withdrawn.”
She stared intently into Eric’s eyes.
“I want you to refrain from spreading the idea that we won’t get a divorce like before.”
It was a surprisingly cold tone.
Eric never imagined he would hear Chloe say something like that. He had come this far because of his kindness!
But how can she say that? How can she ignore his kindness!
Eric felt suffocated for a moment, and his neck tensed.
“That was because I didn’t want us to be in people’s gossip.”
Eric added as if he was making excuses.
“We’re going to get a divorce anyway, but I didn’t want to tell people until then. Divorce is a big deal, and it can affect investors who want to invest in my business.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Chloe answered calmly, as if she understood now.
“I was afraid that you would say again that there was no divorce. Thank you for not doing that.”
Thank you? Thank you? Eric was so agitated that he was about to burst out laughing.
Anyway, five years. They have been living as a married couple for five years, but she was thankful for the divorce?
Eric felt terribly helpless, and at the same time, he could feel his anger rising.
Cruel woman. Bad Woman. A woman who thinks nothing of him!
Eric was angry, and he acted out part of it. He didn’t talk to Chloe until they returned to the mansion. And Chloe didn’t speak to him.
It seemed that the end of the relationship was in sight.
* * *
It was cold inside the house.
Chloe didn’t leave the room except for once a day, when she went for a walk, and Eric was locked in the lab and didn’t emerge from it.
But nevertheless, there was a subtle conflict between them, which contributed greatly to the quiet atmosphere of the mansion.
Daniel said it was like walking on thin ice; Andrea said she had no idea what was going on, and the remaining maids—the maid who leaked information to Abigail was fired—spent every day fearing when they would be kicked out of this place.
Meanwhile, a welcome visitor arrived. It was Theo Jassen, Eric’s friend.
He hadn’t been around since the Leon Gatsby incident. He was locked in his house and never went out. That booze-loving gambler!
Eric was well aware that this was Theo’s own way of apologizing. So, he warmly welcomed Theo’s visit. He, too, did not like to spend a long time in his home surrounded by such terrible silence.
“Friend! Long time no see! How have you been?”
Theo said as he stood in the hallway, wiping off the snow. Eric sat in front of the warm fireplace, crossed his legs and shook his head.
“Yes. How have you been? I just thought you’d have a little more time for self-reflection. I didn’t know it would be this brief.”
“I was about to turn crazy just by staying in the house for three weeks. What else? Are you going to go crazy and kill me?”
“If that is possible, I would like to do it. Is it possible?”
“You make mean jokes.”
Theo came closer to Eric with a complaint.
“Like you said, I thought I should self-reflect a little more. However, I had no choice but to leave after a period of self-reflection because I heard an interesting story. I came to you right away!”
“Interesting story?”
Eric’s eyebrows rose. Theo was excited and continued.
“Something big happened to Mrs. Leon?”
Eric frowned.
Eric didn’t know exactly what happened at the royal teatime or what kind of conversation was going on, but he did know one thing.
That Chloe was neurotic and sensitive due to the day’s events.
So he tried not to relive that day, but his friend, who came after a long time, was reminding him of that day again.
“I don’t want to talk much on that subject.”
“Is that really true? But it’s too interesting a story to pass up!”
Theo continued before Eric could say no once more.
“On that day, Mrs. Abigail Leon seemed prepared to attend. She must have said what her maid said. What was she so determined to do? Of course, she was prepared to nettle Chloe Aslan’s pride! Why did she make that face? Was that what she had been expecting since Gatsby Leon’s face was smashed? Oh, of course, I don’t communicate with Lord Gatsby Leon at all now. I’m telling you in case you misunderstood. I’m trash, but I’m not that kind of trash.”
He took a sip of the water Andrea had brought him and opened his mouth again.
“Anyway, it looks like she wanted to spread the word that you and your wife are not on good terms. That’s why she deliberately provoked Princess Elizabeth.”
“Do you know how that was introduced into the conversation, how it happened?”
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