# 18
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“Why did you stay still?”
On the way home, this was Eric's response to Chloe after thinking it over.
“What I mean is, why did you allow yourf to be ridiculed in this way?”
He seemed to have overheard the conversation she had with the Countess and her group earlier.
Chloe stared at Eric as he spoke again.
“I don’t want to see my wife neglected.”
“They were not wrong.”
This was Chloe's immediate response.
I'm tired of silence. In any case, she didn't need to go through the issue of divorce again. She spoke in a very sarcastic tone.
“I am a noble and elegant Marchioness, and at the same time, I am a cold woman whom my husband does not like.”
"renal".
“You always talk like that. But did I say something wrong?”
Eric closed his mouth. Was that the smell of alcohol wafting off Chloe? He frowned hard.
“Eric.”
Chloe clasped her hands together. The locomotive rocked, but Chloe remained composed.
She never hesitated.
“Did the Fourth Princess ask you to marry her?”
Eric's eyes widened, then slowly closed them. Behind his gaze were fears and worries accumulating.
He pressed his fingertips to his forehead, frustrated, and sighed deeply.
“It's none of your business.”
"yes it is."
Chloe thought this should be pointed out.
She felt again that the little hope she had been clinging to might not have been completely dissipated. She felt very frustrated again.
“Eric.”
Chloe spoke in a voice that seemed to fade, but was nonetheless strong, like steady candlelight holding up against a gust of wind.
“Is this why you refuse to divorce me?”
"What?"
“So that you don’t marry the Fourth Princess?”
Eric was in a daze. That's right, the word "astonishment" is more appropriate.
Was he refusing to divorce so as not to marry the fourth princess? he? Eric Aslan?
He could refuse marriage as much as he wanted.
The reason why Prince Harris left his own plots was because Eric was planning for his future. But it seems like Khloe has misunderstood the matter.
His pride was shattered.
So he wanted to say this—
I am a great enough person to ignore the prince's orders. I am a man who is completely in control of the king. I have a firm grip on the entire kingdom.
He wanted to scream everything so loudly that Chloe's ears would tire from those words.
But even if he did, Chloe wouldn't believe any of it. To her, he is just someone who bought a title to become a Marquis, someone who will never be able to erase his commoner origins.
That's why these words came out choppy. He didn't want to tell her the truth.
“If so, what will you do?”
Eric stared at Chloe's flawless, snow-white face.
Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, but quickly looked up.
“Then...”
Chloe thought about it.
So far, her husband has pumped four million pounds into the duchy for her.
Whether he had any feelings for her or not, it was an undeniable fact that she owed Eric a lot of money.
Chloe didn't want anything in return. I just received all that money.
“Then I won’t be able to insist on a divorce.”
Therefore, Chloe had to reverse her decision midway.
She had never done anything to him, but at least she knew enough to insist on what she should do and what she should not do.
But this does not mean that she has given up on divorce completely.
“I understand that the Fourth Princess is receiving a lot of marriage proposals. The royal family is also trying hard for her marriage.”
"This is correct."
Chloe leaned back.
“If the princess wishes to marry someone else, please divorce me.”
Eric's facial expression was stiff.
He loosened his tie, took a small instrument and a cigar from his coat pocket, put the cigar between his lips and turned the wheel of the instrument.
Cheek. He made a small fire and lit a cigar.
“Why do you want to divorce me?”
The fragrant smell of cigars wafted through the locomotive, accompanied by thick smoke.
Chloe breathed slowly.
His cigar always smelled like this.
At first, it smelled soft and sweet like coffee, but over time, it became bitter and sour.
Just like the miserable love she had for him.
When she first married Eric, she thought they would fall in love together. Calm and steady love.
But what was the result? All that remains is a love that smells like old rotting fish.
She raised her chin, searching for traces of her lost love.
“Why do you want to stay married to me?”
Eric's eyes twitched.
Yes. Why? Why was he trying to save his marriage to Chloe? He asked himf too, but he couldn't find an answer. Therefore he remained silent.
“Answer my question first. I don’t understand you, wife.”
Eric asked in a tone full of betrayal and resentment.
“Is there something I didn't do for you?”
At his question, Chloe laughed. She couldn't help but laugh. She continued to laugh for a long time, although Eric's gaze continued to harden.
In fact, it was really ridiculous.
Because what he said was completely true and completely wrong at the same time.
“Dear, for me...”
Chloe smiled, but it remained a bitter smile.
“I wanted love.”
Her blue eyes are like the sea.
A sea overflowing with waves of feelings.
“But you don't love me.”
And when I heard those words again,
Eric couldn't answer.
Because he didn't really love her.
Honestly, he didn't know what love was.
* * *
cough!
As soon as Chloe returned to her room, she coughed up blood.
Her coughing fit lasted a long time as she endured it all at the dinner party.
Cough, cough! Dark red blood flowed between her teeth.
Chloe crawled on her elbows like a dog on the floor.
“Ah ha…”
Chloe's shoulders trembled as she breathed heavily. Tears fell from her tightly closed eyes. It hurts. It hurts so bad. It hurts so bad.
She wanted to tell Eric: I'm sick. Please look at me even for a moment, please love me even just a little.
But she couldn't say that. She shouldn't be ing for love like this, and her fragile pride wouldn't let her.
“I have work tomorrow morning.”
Those were Eric's last words to her that night. Tomorrow is her birthday.
Then I'll see you at noon in the city square.
As she continued to cough, Chloe raised her head.
Chloe wanted to ask: Why do you keep me hoping when you don't even love me? However, she couldn't ask that question either. What she feared most were Eric's words of rejection.
“Let's get a divorce first.”
This is correct. She was afraid that her husband would reject her.
She was too afraid to hear, in his voice, from his lips, that he didn't love her.
What kind of person was she really? What kind of fool was she?
Chloe rose from the ground, her weak body unbalanced.
Haven't lost hope yet.
She hopes her husband will love her.
* * *
Eric didn't have a good memory.
As is the case with inventors, he tended to focus on the work only once he started it. If there is no important work, or if no one is coming, he does not leave his laboratory alone, even for days on end without drinking a sip of water.
There were times when he had nothing but instruments with him.
He almost forgot that today was Chloe's birthday. Fortunately, it wasn't until it was too late.
He looked up and looked at the clock. There was still some time left until noon, so he thought he could focus on his task a little more.
But his work made no progress. Knock! He dropped the pliers from his hand and fiddled with his hair.
“Fuck.”
After cursing, he wet his lower lip with his tongue.
Where did that elegant look he always had when he was with Chloe go? By now, he was almost soaked in lubricant. He frowned and removed his glasses with an ash-black hand.
“How am I supposed to add fur?”
In his hands was the dog-like machine that Chloe saw. Eric retrieved the pliers he had thrown away and tightened a gear.
This was his birthday gift to Chloe. She seems to love dogs. Isn't that why she said it was cute when she first saw it? It was obvious that she would love it if he gave it to her. Okay. If he gave it to her, then...
“Wow.”
Eric threw the pliers again.
Would she even like the idea?
Do you mean Chloe “Rolf”?
He didn't know if she would prefer more expensive jewelry – dresses and accessories.
Maybe she doesn't like this metal thing. Maybe she said “nice” just to save face.
“Hoo…”
Eric sighed and put the robot back in its place. In the end, he thought he should go out and buy Chloe a gift instead.
It was annoying, but he had to do it. Because it was her birthday.
As he stood like that, he suddenly realized that they hadn't celebrated Chloe's birthday in the past five years.
He clenched his hands tightly and furrowed his brow.
For him, his birthday was just an ordinary day. Didn't he even know his date of birth? He was an unknown person who slept on the streets without knowing his date of birth. This is Eric.