Chapter 19

Chapter 19

That’s why Eric wasn’t so interested in things like birthdays. Even if someone wanted to celebrate them, he tended to just give formal greetings.

The same went for Chloe’s birthday. Being with her on such a day was nothing but annoying for him.

But this year was different. He would need to celebrate her birthday.

Because he didn’t want to divorce Chloe.

Why?

The answer was simple.

Divorce was not an option.

But again, why?

’Do you love me?’

It’s not because of feelings like love. Eric did not love her. No, in the first place, he didn’t know what love was.

What was love? Was it the affection between parents and children? Then Eric wouldn’t know that.

Was it the bashfulness that men and women felt towards one another? Then Eric also did not know that.

He didn’t know what love was. To be exact, he didn’t know what emotions were. Therefore, he couldn’t tell what kind of feelings he had or in which direction they were heading.

Perhaps the reason why he refused to divorce Chloe was truly because he wanted to prevent his marriage with the Fourth Princess. In fact, this reasoning came to his mind only after Chloe had said it, but that seemed to be the only plausible thing. If the Fourth Princes would marry another man, then the divorce with Chloe…

Eric’s forehead wrinkled again.

No. He had no intention to divorce.

Eric didn’t want Chloe to leave. It’s not because of a trivial emotion like love. This was because he couldn’t possibly let go of what was already in his hands.

If anything like divorce was going to happen between them, Chloe would have to persuade him first. That’s what he thought.

Leaving his lab, he took out a pocket watch. The time now was half past nine. It was enough time to dress up and stop by a shop, then he’d meet Chloe after.

While thinking this, he went on his way. However, he encountered Daniel, who had been looking for him.

“Your Excellency!”

As soon as Daniel saw Eric, he rejoiced and clasped his hands together.

“Oh my god, you’re finally here! Thank goodness. You don’t know how fast I was running to get here!”

He pulled Eric in a hurry.

“What’s going on?”

“Someone from Jiren Guild came!”

Jiren was the guild that was holding the largest commercial district in the eastern region, however, Eric had yet to secure a deal with them because they had been snobbing him.

But someone from that place came here? Eric’s eyes grew wide.

“They came here to buy the prosthetic leg you’ve made! No, wait, this isn’t the time. Hurry up and change your clothes and come out to meet them! Wash up first!”

Daniel pushed Eric back. Eric looked stunned for a moment, but he soon rushed to his feet, his expression truly like a successful businessman.

And so he had forgotten about Chloe completely.

“Huu…”

The moon had already risen high up the sky.

After his meeting with Jiren guild’s representative, Eric loosened his tie and sat back on the sofa as though he was burying himself there. As a button was loosened, a long scar could be seen on his chest.

Eric tilted his head back. He was the only one in the room.

It was a success.

From now on, he would start trading with Jiren Guild. This was an enormous achievement.

He’d only been able to reach customers in the west, but now that he could expand to the east, he’d be able to gain wealth from the entire continent.

He grinned as he thought about this bright future.

Today was a great day for a toast. He took out the 53-year-old Valentino that he’d been saving.

At that moment.

—Knock, knock.

He heard a knock on the door. He said that no one should come in, so who could this be? Buttoning his loose shirt up once more, Eric answered with a sharp voice.

“Excuse me, Your Excellency.”

It was Andrea, the lady-in-waiting that he had placed beside his wife. Eric raised his head, erasing his earlier delighted expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Andrea hesitated, then she carefully spoke.

“The Madam hasn’t returned yet, sir.”

“What?”

Eric jolted to his feet. Now that he thought about it, he had an appointment with Chloe… that he had forgotten. He completely, utterly forgot.

“Sh*t!”

Eric hurriedly took out his pocket watch to look at the time. It was already nearing midnight.

His gaze went out the window.

It was snowing heavily.

Snow had piled up in the town square. It was not piled up to the knees like it was back at the house, perhaps because there were sweepers here. But it was still high enough that it was freezing.

Eric hurriedly looked around. Everything was a blur because there was not a single lamp lit in the square.

As his vision adapted to the darkness, he could gradually see clearer. A flowerbed. An empty bench. A towering clock tower—and standing in front of it… was Chloe.

“You foolish woman!”

Running to Chloe’s side, Eric clutched her shoulder hard.

Looking at her, she was so deathly pale. Her blue lips were quivering, and it looked like her skin was already chapping.

She was out here in this cold weather for twelve hours. It was natural.

Eric was livid seeing Chloe like this—it was like she was a living corpse.

This stupid girl!

“If I didn’t come, then you should have known that I wouldn’t in the end! Why are you still waiting until this hour?!”

Eric shouted while wiping the snowflakes over Chloe’s eyelashes.

He was angry.

He was so angry he felt like it was driving him crazy.

He didn’t know why he was so mad, but he was so livid that he just wanted to scream.

This foolish, absurd, useless woman! Why was she making him angry even on a day like this?!

“…You’d come.”

And then, Chloe’s lips slowly opened.

“Because you said you’d come.”

Eric stopped breathing.

He stared down at Chloe in a daze, forgetting how to breathe.

“And you did.”

Chloe smiled. She was so happy that Eric was here. This was such a new feeling.

And this only made Eric even more angry.

He did not know why.

“God damn it!”

Eric was running towards the locomotive through the raging snow. In his arms was Chloe, who had collapsed.

Chloe’s body was scorching like a ball of fire. Even though she was wearing a thick fur coat, he could still feel how excessively warm she was!

Foolish woman. Stupid woman. F*cking hopelessly kind woman!

He cursed Chloe endlessly, but he knew it himself. The fact that she had gotten this way was all because of him.

He could have delayed the meeting.

He could have kept his promise

No, he forgot about it in the first place…

He knew it was all his fault, but he didn’t want to admit it—he didn’t want to accept that the root of all this was because of his flimsy understanding of what a ‘promise’ was.

If he admitted it, then it felt like he had lost. He didn’t know who or what he was losing against, but he didn’t want to feel any hopeless defeat.

And so he blamed Chloe.

If she had used her head even a smidge, then she should have had the sense to return to the mansion…

Why was Chloe so stupid?

Eric grimaced, embracing Chloe roughly as she breathed faintly.

“Burn more fuel! Run at the fastest speed!”

Eric shouted as he arrived at where the locomotive was parked.

The coachman didn’t know what happened, but he soon followed the order. The silence drawn by the snowfall was interrupted by the frantic sound of the engine and the horses.

It didn’t take long until they returned home.

“Your Excellency? Where have you… Madam?”

Daniel ran down as soon as he saw, from out the window, the locomotive arriving, only to see this surprising sight.

“Don’t you have eyes? Go and call the doctor right this instant! The best one in the capital!”

“Ah, y-yes!”

Daniel hurried out the mansion’s doors. Eric entered and immediately ran up the stairs two steps at a time, which shook off some snow from Chloe’s clothes.

Oh my goodness! Andrea covered her mouth, surprised to see them.

“Bring warm water and medicine for her fever. No—no, not that. First, bring dry towels and clothes for her to change into.”

“I’ll prepare them right away.”

Andrea immediately brought dry towels and a nightgown, then she hurriedly changed Chloe’s clothes.

Eric crossed his arms and let out a low sigh. Nervousness was spreading on his face. F*ck. Why wasn’t the doctor coming? Eric looked out the window and chewed his lips.

Then, he turned his head and looked towards Chloe. He knew that he shouldn’t look at her while she was changing, so he was about to turn away again in a hurry, but… He looked back at Chloe in surprise.

He saw how she looked like a corpse.

He saw how she was so thin that it was like she had no flesh.

He saw how natural it would be to think that she might not even be breathing anymore.

…Why did she look like that?

“Does she not eat?”

Eric spoke out unconsciously.

“Pardon?”

Andrea replied.

“My wife… Does she not eat?”

Eric looked towards Chloe, who was now wearing a nightgown that was as white as snow.

“Ah… No, sir. The Madam rarely eats. She only drinks black tea once in a while.”

“Huu…”

Eric sighed heavily and touched his forehead. Then, he walked to the window and opened it. Then, he took out a cigar from his inner pocket and lit a small fire.

The stifling feeling he had was met with cigar smoke in his chest. But no matter how much he took in the smoke and exhaled, it wouldn’t go away—and this frustrated him.

“Your Excellency! The doctor is here!”

By the time he had already smoked two cigars, Daniel shouted as he half-dragged a balding man towards him. Eric put out the cigar against the window frame and blew out the smoke.

“Why are you so late?!”

He was annoyed, frustrated—but Chloe’s examination must come first. He looked at the doctor.

“She was out while it was snowing all day long. Her body was cold as ice. Her fever’s high.”

“Goodness… Please allow me to examine her first.”