Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Eric could feel his mind dizzy at Chloe’s resolute words.

It shouldn’t be like this… he couldn’t go back this time, leaving her behind again. Eric had the idea that he had to get hold of Chloe somehow because he couldn’t bear a life without her anymore, and the thought of going back this far alone made him devastated.

He didn’t want to go back with this sadness and devastation and regret it anymore, so he held onto her once more.

“Chloe. Please think again.”

He reached out to Chloe and grabbed her arm.

“Please come with me.”

“No, Eric.”

However, she was still adamant. Chloe shook her head and shook his arm.

“I can’t go back.”

At this moment, Chloe noticed that one side of her chest was beginning to ache. This was clearly a sign of the start of another coughing blood episode. She couldn’t be seen coughing up blood in front of Eric, so she spoke again in a somewhat trembling voice.

“Can you please go back now? I’ve been outside for a long time today, so it’s a little tiring.”

“Chloe…”

“Please go back.”

She soon wrapped her body and turned her head away. At the same time, Eric decided he couldn’t convince her any longer, so he had no choice but to back off.

“I will come again.”

He said as he got up from the bed.

“My answer will remain the same.”

“Still.”

He stared at her profile.

“I will come again.”

Even though Chloe didn’t answer, Eric judged that he had some success just by not stubbornly refusing. He took her hand and kissed lightly on the back of her hand. It was ridiculous to greet her like this when he couldn’t even stand properly on two legs, someone with bad feet, but it didn’t matter.

He eventually turned around and left, while Chloe watched the door close and sat down on the floor.

Cough!

She coughed up what had been held back and curled herself up. As the blood dripped in a patter, like the blood that flowed from Eric’s leg earlier… it was bright red blood.

Cough, cough!

Eric would still be outside, so she shouldn’t be this loud.

Although she wanted to stop coughing, she couldn’t. The aura of death was constantly flowing. Chloe fumbled her hand and opened the drawer because she had to get the medicine bottle. However, what was caught in her instead of a bottle was paper.

‘This…’

She read the writing on the paper, trying to hold on to her fading mind.

Short words, but words that contain many things.

When Chloe saw this, she burst into laughter. Blood trickled down her teeth and her coughing didn’t stop, her chest aching, but she laughed.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

‘If this is the case…’

Why did he do that?

Chloe laughed again, recalling the past, and the present Eric who made it possible for her to understand the past. Nevertheless she made up her mind, feeling the miserable reality of not being able to meet him again.

​​ 

Whoo.

Eric sighed and put the nipper down.

Returning to his mansion, he went straight to his lab, removed the broken prosthetic leg, and replaced it with a new prosthetic leg. Every time he did this, the shame that came to him was indescribable. Still, since he couldn’t live with his crippled leg, he had no choice but to replace his prosthetic leg.

Eric sighed again. As he traced the unsightly side of himself that he showed Chloe today, he couldn’t stand the shame!

“Damn it!”

He hit his forehead with his fist and closed his eyes tightly.

In fact, he wanted to beg her more and hold onto her. But today he revealed himself… he fell in front of Chloe, causing his prosthetic leg to be exposed and dirty blood dripping. Because of that, he was so ashamed that he couldn’t stay by her side any longer.

No matter how calm he pretended to be, he couldn’t even keep his heart calm.

Every time Eric saw Chloe’s face, he wanted to dig a hole and hide himself, and as a result, he returned without any result. He was desperate.

If only his legs were intact. If he hadn’t fallen in front of Chloe. If only he hadn’t shown her his prosthetic leg! If he had, he would have tried to convince her a little more and he would have managed to change her mind somehow…!

Ah, Eric buried his face in his hands in frustration. It was a really damned upsetting situation.

“Today’s events may have made me understand you, and you have come to understand me to some extent. It made us get to know ourselves better.”

He agreed with Chloe’s words a hundred times.

In the first place, he came to understand her a little more during the period of his separation from Chloe. It seemed that she experienced the same. What happened that day made her understand him, and it entertained the hopes that maybe the end would be good.

But then Eric could feel his hopes crumbling.

“But, that’s it… we have already come a long way.”

…A long way.

He wasn’t sure exactly what she was talking about.

He was vaguely guessing that it means the road they had walked together, in other words, the past five years. Then, it made sense for her to say that they had come a long way.

During their five years of existence, he had worn her out and made it difficult.

However, it was difficult for him to understand when the path she was talking about was the path of their relationship. Relationships can be improved at any time, because he thought that even if there are hardships and adversity right now, he can choose a slightly better path.

This was probably the biggest difference between Chloe and him… he thought so

No matter what, Eric had to bring her. He had to put her in his arms and take care of her. He had to somehow keep her alive…

Eric promised again, and he made up his mind to go see her again sooner or later.

At that time…

“Excuse me, Your Excellency.”

The door to the lab opened and Daniel appeared. Eric raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

“What is it?”

“Well, that.”

Daniel hesitantly replied.

“The Second Prince came to visit.”

Eric’s face crumpled.

“What is with that punk again? And at such a late hour?”

“Maybe it is because of the strike that is taking place at the factory. It seemed that he was terrified that he might not be able to recover his investment.”

“How annoying. What kind of investment does he make with such a tiny gut?!”

The workers at Eric’s current factory were on strike. They demanded a guarantee of minimum welfare or something.

He thought that such workers were being too over their heads. Going out into the streets, they’d find plenty of people begging about what they’d do for a single pound, though the workers were taking hundreds of pounds and claiming some other rights.

Workers were greedy, not being grateful for what they had.

So, Eric did not listen to the workers. He had no intention of negotiating with them, and because of that, the strike was getting longer, and the factory operations were suspended. Although investors were anxious about this, it was the first time that the Second Prince, Haras, came directly.

Eric clicked his tongue briefly and ran his hair through it.

“It’s okay. Tell him to wait, I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes.”

Daniel nodded and left. No, he was about to leave. As he was about to open the door, he suddenly turned and looked at Eric.

“Are you okay?”

He was the one who knew that he had been to Chloe and even returned with a bloody leg, that was why he would ask.

Eric laughed briefly.

He was sympathized with by all. He lamented why his life had changed this way, but at the same time, he decided that it shouldn’t be like this anymore. He soon answered with a twitch in his eyes.

“Nothing to worry about.”

Eric lifted his chin, straightening his untied tie.

“…Because everything is fine.”

In fact, nothing was okay, but he had to be okay… because that was the only way he could keep this damn pride.

​​ 

“Your Highness, you’re here!”

Eric greeted the Second Prince with a soft voice like never before. Haras hesitated for a moment, then shook his hand with a smile on his lips.

“Long time no see. How are you?”

“Thanks to you, I was doing well. Sorry for the long wait. I was having something in development recently.”

Something in development? Haras’ eyes sparkled.

A pioneer of the times, Eric’s inventions have never failed. Of course, they were currently in trouble because of the strike at the factory, but this was probably a dying fire anyway. Haras quickly took an interest in the things he was making.

“What fun things are you making this time?”

Eric smiled and sat down on the sofa, laughing inwardly at Haras, who said something with clearly ulterior motives.

“It is a portable stove.”

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