After leaving his meeting with Saiki behind, Clint returned with a distracted mind. He could not remember the thoughts that occupied him on his return.
“…”
From the time he met her until he left her until nightfall, the turmoil inside him did not subside. Even though it was late at night, he couldn't sleep, so he sat quietly and lost himself in his thoughts. Clint remained motionless for a long time, staring into the dark abyss.
Even though there was no one around, Saiki's image involuntarily flashed in front of him. He couldn't get rid of the image of Saiki he met earlier in the day.
'Why?'
This question crossed his mind countless times, but he couldn't find an answer.
'Why?'
All that came back were echoes of the formless question.
She seemed a little more refined than when they lived together, but her facial expression and features seemed livelier. Clint was well aware of the situation in Alister Territory, having gathered information over the years through tracking.
There was no better environment than the Duke's.
But why does it look better now?
Was it because the baby was with her?
"damn it."
Anger rushed through his body until it reached the ends of his hair.
After she left him, he kept thinking about their married life over and over again. Even when he examined their married life with Saiki over and over again, he couldn't find a reason.
Why did you leave him? Why did he suffer from an insatiable thirst for years?
He never imposed emotional turmoil on her, nor did he demand her duties as a duchess.
Is it permissible to leave a woman alone?
“Still...don't you feel lonely alone?”
Alexandro had said things jokingly about leaving the Duchess alone when Clint would often empty the Duke's possessions.
Clint thought there was a line that shouldn't be crossed, since their relationship was based on a contract.
This rule applied to him, and in his eyes, to Saiki as well. So, while it might seem like he was neglecting her, this was actually a form of caring on his part.
But if she feels alone in that regard… it's her fault.
“Did you run away because of loneliness?”
He uttered these words almost unconsciously.
If he was asked if she had abandoned him, he couldn't confirm that either.
He undoubtedly gave her the best, good living conditions, and noble status.
“Wasn't that enough?”
He provided her with an excellent environment and placed her in a position of honor. Was that not enough?
Did she run away out of grief just because she lost her child?
He had vaguely guessed that she had run away because of her grief over the loss of the child. But when he saw her with another child, the question he had been thinking about for years came back with a question mark.
“Ha…”
Clint couldn't organize his thoughts.
Just thinking about her made his mind a mess.
thump!
Frustrated, he hit the desk loudly.
However, his anger did not subside. This was the first time he felt emotions pooling in this way.
He had learned from a young age not to show his emotions. Since his childhood, he had been repeatedly told that people of his status should not be affected by emotions.
'In front of Saiki, I could barely suppress all my emotions, but now I can't control them anymore.'
If, by chance, she meets another man out of loneliness...
Her reason for running away seemed logical.
It's been four years since Saeki left...
The child appears to be approximately three years old.
Right after he lost his child, he realized that she must have gotten pregnant with this child.
“How is this possible!”
This time, he felt the betrayal filling him up to his throat.
How could this happen?
He felt like his head was spinning.
Uncontrollable anger was consuming his entire body.
When he thought of Psyche living with another man in a place where he had no presence, a searing pain invaded him.
“How could she leave me...?”
Psyche, who does not live with him but with another man.
Psyche gives birth to another man's child.
Saiki smiles at someone else. He had never imagined such a thing.
He soon realized that the emotion that tormented him most was betrayal.
“Betrayal...”
Clint had never had a reason to feel such emotions in his entire life.
For the first time, he felt a desperate sense of defeat against a man he didn't even know.
Even though he had never fought or faced a sword before, he felt as if someone was pressing his heart tightly with his hands.
It was a feeling as if someone was pressing his heart with his hands.
This feeling was new to him since he was born.
He thought he had control over everything, not only himself but even others.
But when it came to Saiki, nothing was going his way.
Even if he pretends to be dead, people who can act as if they are dead are scattered throughout the world…
The only person who didn't act as he wanted was Saeki.
He felt like he was going crazy.
He couldn't sleep.
When he closed his eyes, the previous scene seemed to repeat itself in his mind as if it were a carefully choreographed scene.
"or…?"
"My mom?"
The sight of the child calling Psyche “Mother” and her tender looks at the child constantly came to his mind, making it impossible for him to sleep.
"damn it!"
He cursed loudly.
He felt like screaming, breaking everything.
“…!”
He couldn't take it anymore, so he grabbed the cup on the desk with all his might.
break.
He didn't even realize how hard he was pressing it, but at that moment, the cup shrunk and shattered.
But Clint, who was so angry, didn't even notice that the cup was broken in his hands.
"Oh my God! Why doesn't the fire start...?"
Alexandro was disturbed by the noise, and was surprised when he came to check on Clint, when he brought the lantern and placed it on the desk.
“Oh my God, sir, your hand!”
He didn't realize that the broken glass was cutting into his flesh.
In the anger that surged into his head, he couldn't even feel the pain.
Alexandro was only surprised when he saw red blood streaming onto the desk.
"It's noisy."
Clint didn't notice Alexandro, who was making a fuss in front of him.
I felt that pain and reality were far away.
Even now, he felt that if he went right away, tore off the unknown man's limbs, and brought Saiki in front of him, it would be refreshing.
“Right now, bring me Saiki...”
“Eh?”
Clint wasn't aware that he was screaming for Saiki.
There was no trace of Alexandro's astonished and loud actions at all.
“Bring her here!”
“Your Highness, let’s stop the bleeding first.”
Alexandro rushed outside to call the local doctor.
After a while, the knights who were on standby brought medicines and bandages.
Alexandro realized that Clint's mood was very uncomfortable, so he sent everyone away, leaving only himself.
Clint still held the cup tightly.
The blood flowed gracefully, forming a circle and dripping onto the ground.
“This could be a big problem.”
Alexandro forcefully pulled Clint's hand, frowning.
But no matter how hard Alexandro tried, Clint's hand, with visible blood vessels, remained as hard as stone.
“Your Highness...”
He awkwardly tried to gauge Clint's mood.
Only then did Clint's gaze, which had been staring into space, finally turn to Alexandro.
“Send a message immediately.”
His cold eyes stared directly at him.
Clint's face, consumed by anger, looked overly restrained towards Alexandro, making him colder than the winter cold.
"Yes?"
At the same time as those words, Alexandro saw Clint's grip relax slightly.
“To Aleister Castle, send an official letter stating that I will visit you tomorrow.”
“Okay, I understand. But first, please show me your hand.”
Alexandro thought Clint was just venting his anger.
The shards of glass mercilessly embedded themselves into his hand, causing continuous bleeding.
"my lord."
His hand contained his full rage.
Fearing he would make the wound worse, Alexandro only wiped the blood around the injury.
“Did you hear me?”
"…Yes?"
“Send the message immediately. Schedule a visit tomorrow.”
"Good?"
Alexandro was completely absent.
“Stamp it with the Valentine family crest and send it the right way.”
Then Clint suddenly got rid of his blood-stained hand, and the pieces of glass stuck to his hand fell in torrents.
Then, he snatched the bandage Alexandro was holding and wrapped it around his hand violently. He motioned for Alexandro to leave with a gesture.
He wanted to leave immediately, and get Saiki out of that castle now. Patience was all he could muster at this moment.
"What do you do?"
Alexandro's face was puzzled.
"faster."
Yes, I understand.
Alexandro nodded quickly.
He immediately sent an official letter to Alister's province bearing the Duke's message.