“Sardines”
A slave of barbarian origin brought by Cornelia.
Normally, he would not have cared about Cornelia's slave, Sardin.
But today I was in a bad mood, and it bothered me that he was messing with Cornelia like an idiot.
“Entering without knocking is rude.”
The cold voice was so angry that it made my hamstrings tremble.
A normal human would have been frightened, but the brown-haired young man did not blink at all.
“I apologize”
Even with the meek apology, Eric did not soften his expression and asked, “What happened to you to commit such impudence?”
“I have come to congratulate my lady on the news of her pregnancy. I am sorry if my rudeness offended you.”
Eric's brow narrowed.
He was sure that the staff who had heard about the pregnancy had their mouths shut, but it was clear that Cornelia had made a separate statement to him about the pregnancy.
'congratulations? This slave...'
The presence of a trifle has no effect whether it exists or not.
He was a slave who would normally be ignored, but strangely enough, it bothered him today.
So much so that I want to get rid of him right in front of my eyes right now.
Eric immediately grabbed the slave's collar roughly.
“She doesn't need your congratulations. Get out of my sight now...”
Then he heard a tense voice,
“What's the fuss about?”
Recognizing the sound of Cornelia's voice breaking the silence and the fact that she was awake, Eric withdrew his hand.
As soon as she stood up, he spoke in a low voice.
“The slave seems to lack manners.”
Cornelia ordered, Sardine quickly hearing these words.
“Kneel now, Sardine.”
As soon as the words ended, Sardin fell to his knees.
Cornelia looked at her slave uninspired.
“What are you doing? Apologize to my husband.”
Sardin hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and opened his mouth.
“I'm sorry, Your Excellency the Duke.”
Despite his obvious apology, Cornelia shook her head.
“Tell me what I did wrong”
“You insulted his happiness by entering this room without knocking.”
“Why did you come to my room?”
“I was going to congratulate the lady on her pregnancy.”
“Yes, so will you knock in the future?”
"Yes."
Cornelia looked at Eric and asked him,
“Isn't that enough? He apologized and promised not to do it again.”
It was as Cornelia said. In fact, it wasn't even something worth complaining about in the first place.
However, seeing Cornelia defending a slave made him angry again.
However, the reason why he couldn't take the blame was...
He himself knows that this is just nonsense.
In the end, Eric spoke coldly.
“From now on, it would be better to teach the slave properly.”
After leaving the room, Eric clenched his fists tightly.
Gripping his teeth until his lower jaw swelled, he headed for the office.
Cornelia's arrogant slave was also annoying, but there was something that needed to be dealt with first.
As soon as he entered the office, Eric secretly called out to Haight,
The person he trusts most among his assistants and informants.
“Come and find out who Damian is.”
* * *
When Eric left the room, I let out the sob I'd been holding in and opened my mouth.
“A foolish person, who gets particularly angry over something trivial.”
I was cursing violently, but honestly, I've been nervous inside for a while.
Because Sardin could have died with a single word or gesture from Eric.
'I'm sure he expressed his anger at Sardine over the affair.'
I looked at Sardine with an apologetic heart because I felt I had caused a spark.
“Ma’am, are you okay?”
I smiled to see him approaching me, still on his knees, examining me.
'You're really considerate.'
Sardin, a handsome young man with dark brown hair and gray eyes, was a gladiator slave whom I found when I was in the arena, when no knight had chosen me.
It was impressive to see him stubbornly resist while being hurt by bigger men than him when she was young.
No, the most impressive thing is that gray-brown hair.
A modest burberry color, the same hair as the child who gave me flowers.
So I paid a lot of money and took it away.
And I told him to protect me.
And after that day, the scarred boy started following me all the time.
Even after I grew up as a broken young woman, he followed me all the time.
Looking at Sardin like that, I thought he was following my orders because he had been sold to me and because of the comfortable life he had by my side.
But when I think about it, Sardine was never against me or betrayed me.
Instead, he ultimately risked his life to save me.
Unlike my husband who lied to me.
Eric's words had always been indifferent, but when the angry rebel spirit pierced the sky, his words were still clear.
I thought then that the person I still loved didn't hate me so much, and this thought made me feel an indescribable feeling.
'After all, these words were meant to deceive me, right?'
When I first learned of Eric's betrayal, the sky collapsed and I didn't have the confidence to live.
However, the moment I saw my baby's crying face,
All I could think about was protecting this child somehow.
So I wanted to thank him for being with me and I felt sorry for him.
You won't be safe either… after all, I died with the child.
After looking at Sardin with bitter eyes for a while, I opened my mouth.
"If the Duke doesn't look happy, say you're sorry and go away. What are you putting up with so foolishly?"
At my words, Sardin fell to his knees again and laid his head on the ground.
“Sorry about me...”
Damn, that's because I'm usually creepy.
I should have said good things to others before.
I didn't mean to be sarcastic...it came out as forceful as her usual way of speaking.
I shook my head and slowly corrected myself so as not to speak aggressively to Sardine.
“I didn't mean to blame you. It's just because I'm afraid he'll be angry with you.”
Then Sardin stared at me with a surprised face.
'Well, he should be surprised'
If it were me originally, I would definitely have dared to stab Sardin or something, and blame him for abusing Eric.
Eric was the sun to me, and it was because I could not bear Sardin, who was no more than a useful tool, to disobey him.
'But I won't do that, you saved my life and my child's life.'
After thinking about it for a while, I looked at Sardin, who was still on his knees, and said frankly.
“What are you doing? Are you going to continue kneeling foolishly?”
As I watched him get up for a while, I remembered the blanket covering my body.
“Come to think of it, did you cover me with the blanket?”
“Blanket…excuse me?”
“Yes, I woke up on the couch and I was covered?”
Was he embarrassed because she seemed condescending?
Sardine said with a smile rather than emphasis,
“Congratulations on your pregnancy. I will pray that the baby grows up healthy.”
Although it was the wrong answer, it was the first congratulation I heard after I revealed I was pregnant. So I didn't feel bad.
'He's a compassionate person, I'll let him go when I'm sure we're safe.'
I decided so in my heart, but a harsh voice different from my inner thoughts came out of my mouth.
“Yes? If you are going to pray, pray hard.”
* * *
The next day, I woke up later than usual.
“Eric...”
As usual, I looked to the side and saw the bedding that had not been changed since I first slept.
'It seems he didn't come yesterday.'
Only when I woke up like this did I notice his absence,
Because I fell asleep earlier than usual.
I laughed out loud at this fact.
'In the past, I used to wait all night without sleep until Eric came...'
At that time, I could not sleep in the large bed that only me used.
I was afraid he might meet another woman, or he might get hurt or have an accident, and he would never come back like that.
I was always trembling with anxiety while waiting for him, which did not come until late, and then I fell asleep as if I had fainted.
Even when I carried a child in my womb.
'I was a stupid and bad mother'
Before I went back in time, I loved that he was often by my side after I became pregnant and treated me with care.
I thought it was love and struggled to find happiness.
But now that I thought about it, it became clearer than before.
He hid the fact of my pregnancy completely until my belly popped, and he never formally asked me what I wanted to eat with our baby.
'Let's eat what we want to eat...'
Thinking about what happened in the past, my mood gradually calmed down.
I sighed and shook my head.
'I can buy and eat as much as possible. “Sooner or later, I will ask for a seamstress to make maternity and children’s clothes.”
The reason I don't hesitate to spend such money while facing a divorce is because I own personal property.
Although the Emperor did not care about me, my father was not stingy with material things.
Thanks to that, I got a good dowry when I got married.
Except for the money in the bank, there was a fairly large land, and there were as many as three palaces.
In any case, most of them were wasted in repairing Franz's accidents and besides, the villa was burned down during the rebellion.
As I thought about the disturbing future that was yet to come, I felt hungry.
'There's no use worrying about this now, should I eat first?'
My husband and mother-in-law should have finished their meals by now, so I should eat whatever I want.