Although Damien undoubtedly had royal blood, he had, before that, been the heir to the Duke of Brant.
Because he was the son of Eric Lennon Brant, the person in front of my eyes.
But you abandoned Damian because he would have gotten in the way of… inheriting the child you were going to have with your new wife.
In such a situation, your hypocrisy in claiming responsibility for our child was so disgusting to me that I could not hide my feelings.
“What gives you the right to talk about responsibility when you can't even fulfill the duties of a husband?”
My voice rose unintentionally, but as soon as I said those words, I regretted it.
Ah, I really hate this.
I hated myself for not being able to control my emotions and showing obvious signs of hurt.
But despite my remorse, I couldn't take back what I said.
Then came Eric's voice.
“Did you say the duties of a husband?”
His voice was solid.
When I looked up at Eric, he was frowning at me.
“I have made sure that you will not miss anything during your stay in this palace.
But what are you missing to say such things?”
Yes, in material terms, that may be true.
At least during my time as Duchess of Brant, my spending was never criticized.
Thus, I adorned myself with luxury so that the servants or nobles would not ignore me.
But even when I dressed up like this, people still ignored me.
All I wanted from him was a little attention.
A greeting in the morning, an occasional cup of tea, a walk together.
If he had only shown this much, he would not have left a mark on my heart.
“You never treated me like a wife.”
Eric replied coldly, “Even if I don’t refer to you as a wife, there is no one who doesn’t know that we are married.
Moreover, I have never committed adultery with anyone else.
So I don’t understand why you would say such things.”
I couldn't help but laugh.
Maybe he said it without thinking.
However, he seemed to falsely accuse me of treason.
“Yes, you certainly haven't cheated openly with another woman.”
This was in stark contrast to the husbands of other nobles, who betrayed as easily as they breathed.
But his failure to set clear boundaries with Madeleine and his cruelty toward me hurt me, so my affection for him gradually withered.
Maybe that's why I lied to him.
That I was having an affair.
I wanted to look like I had someone who loved me, even if it wasn't you.
But in the end, I'm still hurt and angry at Eric's behavior.
Then, our eyes met.
When his blue eyes seemed to pierce through me, I involuntarily looked away.
“The day you mentioned the divorce, I tried to mend our relationship.
But you rejected all my kindness as if you were angry about another mistake I had made.”
I stared at him, unmoved by his carelessly spoken words that revealed his inner thoughts.
“Yes, you obviously don’t remember, but to me, that day…it hasn’t even been a month yet.”
I still remember it clearly.
One of your subordinates told me that your intention was to eliminate me so that you could marry another woman.
You, stalking me and our child like a hunter.
My baby, cooling in my arms.
The smell of gunpowder in the air, the excruciating pain in my head, and your devilish face darting towards me as my vision faded.
'You drove me to hell; Do you think you can be forgiven for such trivial efforts?'
Even without seeing my face, he probably knows my expression.
I must be staring at Eric with a venomous look.
But Eric didn't pay attention to my expression and continued babbling.
“I've been trying to think if I've done something wrong to you lately, but I can't think of anything.”
For a moment, I was overcome with anger and rage, and I almost lost control and screamed.
At that moment, he spoke again.
“So, please, tell me.
Besides ignoring you, what else did I do wrong?”
At that moment, a feeling of absurdity swept over me.
At the same time, a bitter laugh escaped me.
'Yes, I was stupid.'
Being angry and sad about something that hasn't happened yet will only make me crazy.
Moreover, it might provide an opportunity to foil my plans.
'And...'
I stared at him.
Although his face resembled my husband's, he was not the man who pursued me and my child to kill us.
So, anger would just be a frivolous waste of emotions.
Telling him won't change anything.
With a bitter laugh of resignation, I finally spoke.
“Yes, now that I think about it, you're right.”
“What…what do you mean?”
In the past, I would have been angry with him.
I would fervently wish that he would change into the person I wanted him to be and do what I said.
But now, I'm suddenly indifferent.
I understand why I can be so indifferent.
It was surrender.
"Exactly.
I was overly sensitive.
I got angry over trivial things, blamed you, and acted annoying.
I understand why you don't like me."
At my words, Eric looked at me with a puzzled expression for a moment before his face frowned.
“Cornelia, I don’t know why you say such things, but I’m not trying to blame you...”
“It doesn't matter.”
I replied smiling.
“Even if you blame me, even if you hate me, it doesn't matter anymore.”
I was venting my frustrations to Eric, hoping he would listen to me even a little.
If I had been treated a little better, I would have found meaning in his actions and felt happier.
If he looked angry, I would sometimes feel anxious.
But now I know.
Even if I get angry and express my feelings, it will only exhaust me, and it will never change.
I no longer want to waste my emotions ineffectively.
“I admit my mistakes.”
Instead of responding, he pursed his lips and stared at me with narrowed eyes.
Ignoring his questioning look, she continued nonchalantly.
“I don’t need you to take responsibility for my mistakes.
So from now on, you don’t have to care about me and my child.”
Avoiding eye contact, I didn't know what expression was on Eric's face.
Well, I don't even want to know anymore.
At that moment, I heard Eric's voice.
"I don't care."
With those words, full of resentment, he hurried out.
As I expected, he has no attachment left.
I realized that if I abandoned my side like that, he would eventually leave.
I was holding on for too long.
'Now, it's time to put aside absurd thoughts and focus only on planning for my future and my child's future.'
I was determined to live as Cornelia, not as Eric Lennon Brant's wife.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Eric clenched his fists as he left the room.
'I don't care...'
Until he found Cornelia, Eric was trying to open a dialogue with her and somehow improve their relationship.
Even if she had a child, he was willing to bear it.
He even thought it wouldn't be bad for them to live as a family, like in his dream.
But…
He could sense the resignation in her words.
He knew that the point where they could resolve matters through talk had long passed.
He had already anticipated this fact.
Even though he knew the outcome, he felt defeated and remorseful.
Yes, because he felt like the future he was supposed to have was taken away from him.
What a ridiculous dream!
The reality is…
[It's not even your child.
No need to care.]
Eric clenched his fists tightly as pain shot through him in his chest.
He slammed his fist on the marble table.
Bang-!
'Don't be silly.
Unless it's the real Eric, I'll never see that woman again…'
Her face flashed in his mind.
The smiling, cheerful face that looked at him.
And that girl matured into a beautiful woman, extending her hand to him.
'Yes, in the end, it's not me...'
Eric frowned, unable to continue his thoughts.
As Janet entered the office, shocked by the smashed table, she called out to her master.
“Your Highness?”
Even though the furniture was as solid as possible compared to the wood, Eric stood silently with a stunned expression.
'What on earth happened?'
Usually, Eric swallows his anger and keeps it to himself, rarely expressing it.
'But for him to lose his temper like that, something must have happened.'
While Janet was thinking about this, Eric finally spoke.
“…I have to find out.”
"What?
What are you trying to find out...?"
At that moment, Eric's eyes, which had been dull, regained their sparkle.
“I have to find out what Cornelia is up to with her hound.”