Chapter 63
Chloe was at the beach.
While Sophia strongly recommended bathing in the sea, it seemed like it would be too much to soak in the water, so she just went out for a walk.
Roar, splash!
White waves came crashing in.
The seawater, which had approached her feet, hurriedly returned to its place. And came again, splash!
As the waves came and went constantly, Chloe stared blankly at the water as it approached and receded from her. Seeing the sea for the first time, she couldn’t stop herself from the enormous pressure brought by the wonderful nature.
What emotion was this? For some reason, she felt as if she could feel at ease just by looking at it, and she even felt as if her tired inner self was being healed.
Sitting down on the sandy beach, she didn’t mind that her dress got dirty.
While the sea breeze blew, the salty wind caressed Chloe’s cheek softly. With each breath she took, she felt the ocean enter her lungs, and it caused waves in her lungs.
Roar, crash!
With each inhalation and exhalation, it seemed like a wave was blowing in her chest as well. It was much more beautiful than she had imagined, even more beautiful than the scenery of the sea she had vaguely drawn in her head.
How could the water be so clear? And how can it be so blue?
Chloe brought her legs together and rested her cheek on her lap.
In fact, the sea was a place that Eric and she had always wanted to visit. Since he was a person who was always busy with work, it could be nice if he could ventilate even a little while looking at the sea. Since she had never seen the sea herself, there was the sense of being together with him in the sea for the first time.
However, this wish was no longer possible. Her relationship with him was irrevocably over.
‘…How is Eric now?’
Looking back at it, he must have been angry about her departure. After all, he was the kind of person who wanted to hold her in his grasp and who would never allow her to leave.
Chloe didn’t want him to have regrets, to repent his mistakes, or to reflect on what he said in the past. Desiring such feelings was greed, and greed was vaguely wanting something you couldn’t have. At this moment, Chloe wanted only one thing…
She wanted him to forget about her.
Nonetheless, even though she sincerely thought so, the thought of it made her heart tingle and ache. What did it feel like to disappear from his life, to disappear from his side and heart?
It hurt. Yes. Her heart hurt so much more than her body hurt right now.
However, despite this, she still wanted him to forget her.
After all, she would die and disappear, so it was better to be forgotten while alive than to be forgotten in death. Only then, in his heart, would she forever be a living being… she would become a person who would not die…
Cough!
Chloe curled up, feeling a seething chest pain.
Lately, she has had frequent pains and coughs. Since when? When did she start to get sick like this?
Perhaps it was after she fully realized that she couldn’t get love out of him as there was no more hope in her relationship with Eric. Ah, she always lived in his shadow. She got sick because of it, she got healed because of it, and she died because of it again…
She was so sick and tired of this life.
Now that life had no more happiness, joy, or desire, she wondered if she could just die now.
Chloe glanced out over the distant sea and tried to compose her thoughts.
No, no.
She had too much pain in the past to end her life on her own now. She didn’t want to commit suicide even if the pain was too much. In addition, she didn’t have the courage to do that. Chloe lacked both the weakness and courage as others.
Dying inevitably and dying by choice were completely different stories. She just wished she had died sooner so she could get out of this horrible life.
Without courage, she only wished and hoped.
Eric was having a busy day. He hadn’t been able to do anything for days so he had to pull himself up and get to work. Because of that, he came into the lab and focused on the delayed development.
Daniel, who kept pace with him, glanced at Eric.
Today’s Eric, no, these days’ Eric was really strange. He seemed to have been like that since the Madam left.
From then on, Eric was moving like a machine with a missing part. He had no trouble moving though the process of him moving was not so smooth. In other words, he was not centered and looked like he would break down at any moment…
Daniel was worried. He had already noticed Eric’s feelings for Madam.
He also understood better than anyone else how much Madam’s departure had shocked Eric and hurt him. That was why he wanted to comfort him, but Eric himself didn’t want to admit that he’d been hurt, didn’t face his heart while kept looking only at the outer part of his heart.
He could have looked into himself a little more…
Daniel assisted Eric with a sorry heart.
“Bring cog number 2.”
As Eric uttered, Daniel hurriedly delivered the goods to him, and Eric raised his glasses and tightened the nippers.
At that time…
“Be careful!”
Daniel hurriedly tugged Eric’s arm.
Whiiir.
There was a sound, and the belt moved mercilessly. His hand could have been sucked in!
Eric held his breath as he stared blankly at the belt.
“Are you all right, Your Excellency?”
Even at the question, he squeezed and opened his hand, which was about to be cut off just now.
“How can someone who never makes mistakes like this… Your Excellency, shouldn’t you rest?”
Instead of answering, Eric threw off his glove and lit a cigarette. Whoo, he inhaled deeply, narrowing his brows.
He knew, too.
He knew he was not in a position to work right now. In addition to his lack of concentration, there was his nervousness, and even his hands were shaking. Still, he had to work… he would have to work to get rid of all these damn thoughts that filled his head!
Eric didn’t know why he was doing this. Why he was so nervous and choking, why his chest hurt so badly, why he was so dazed and unable to grasp anything… He had no idea!
All he knew was that he had to work to get out of this situation.
“It’s okay. I can take a little break and then work again.”
“But…”
Daniel stood in front of Eric.
“Not now.”
“Move.”
“Your Excellency doesn’t look like your usual self right now!”
When Daniel shouted, Eric finally put out the cigarette in the ashtray and turned his head to look at him.
“I am different from usual?”
“Yes.”
Daniel said while observing the anxiety, nervousness, and inferiority that spread across Eric’s face as he went on.
“Your Excellency is in danger now, so go back and rest. This is my earnest advice as your aide.”
Eric drew in a breath.
“I am not weird.”
He muttered.
“I’m the same as usual. I’m different!”
However, while he was talking, emotions came up. Eric rubbed his forehead and tilted his head back.
“Damn it! I’m going crazy.”
He knew very well why Daniel was talking to him like that and why he was looking at him with such concerned eyes. It all started after Chloe left. From the time she disappeared, everyone in his mansion, including Daniel, was looking at him that way, so he was choked.
“I’m going up right now.”
He said, slicing the air with his clenched fist. Daniel let out a sigh of relief after hearing that and nodded his head.
“Yes. Please go up and rest.”
Eric passed him without answering.
He knew that his behavior was childish. He knew…
Nonetheless, he had no choice but to do this. He couldn’t restrain or suppress anything anymore. He had restrained and suppressed his accumulated emotions even now. It felt like it would explode if he applied a little more force, whatever it was.
After leaving the annex and returning to the main building, Eric strode up the stairs, leaving behind Andrea, who smiled bitterly upon seeing him.
He brought in handmaids and maids, so the number of people increased in the house where it was just Daniel and him. Still, somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the house was empty.
Why? Why did he feel this way?
As he couldn’t figure out the answer, he was just frustrated. Eric went upstairs and tried to go straight to his room, although something caught his eye. It was Chloe’s room, the door to the room where she stayed.
It reminded him of the past days when he knocked on that door countless times.
Chloe, are you in, are you feeling very unwell, come see me, I want to talk to you…
As he recalled those past days, he suddenly felt a sense of resentment. He did his best… he was going to take care of her the best he could!
…But, why did she leave him?
Eric stared blankly at Chloe’s door—the place where Chloe had stayed—and then slowly turned his foot towards it.
And he slowly turned the doorknob.
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