Eric looked at her as if he couldn't believe it.
“...Cornelia.”
He thought she was dead.
He even jumped into the water to find her, searching the entire country just to recover her body.
But whenever he didn't find her, he always sank into despair.
He wanted to die countless times but he couldn't.
Because he couldn't find it.
'But now you're here.'
Pale skin, nervously frowning brow, tightly pressed red lips, and violet eyes glowing lively.
Everything about her was full of life.
Cornelia was definitely alive.
Just then a wave of relief washed over him, and something hot surged from deep within him.
'You are truly alive.'
As he unconsciously took a step towards her—
Bang-!
“Don't come near me!”
I screamed again after shooting near Eric's feet.
There was fear in her voice, as if she was facing an unknown enemy instead of her husband.
Only then did Eric regain consciousness and looked at Cornelia with a bitter expression.
'Yes, the reason you acted like this… is because I was an idiot.'
After their marriage, Eric always carried an arrogant delusion.
One day, when his brother returned, he could leave her at any time.
He thought he could live without seeing her for the rest of his life.
He thought that was the best way for her.
But the reality was different from his ideals.
'I wanted to see you...even in my dream.'
For years, he abandoned everything to search for Cornelia.
However, apart from a torn hat and a piece of dress fabric, he could find no trace of her.
That was painful.
Every night, when he closed his eyes, he prayed.
To be there when he opens them, or to die instead.
But the cold, empty place next to him and the vast emptiness of the room greeted him when he woke up from a light sleep.
He felt empty.
As if his chest had been pierced.
He wanted to see her, even in dreams.
But at some point, she stopped appearing even in his dreams.
Even try to forget it.
He let himself lose himself in a strong drink and took medicine.
But instead of falling into a deep sleep, his past mistakes clearly came back.
The first mistake he made was on their wedding night.
In fact, Cornelia, sitting in front of the flickering candlelight, looked beautiful.
It was enough to make him anxious, afraid that he would lose his composure if he lowered his guard even a little.
But she was his brother's girlfriend, so he had no choice but to draw a hard line.
Looking back, those were overly harsh words for a new bride to hear.
However, at that time, Cornelia's response was...
“Eric, I know you don't approve of me.
However, I will try.”
People called Cornelia an evil wife, but she was not.
In fact, during the first days of their marriage, Cornelia did her best to please him.
That is, until she burned herself with hot water while preparing tea for the grand lady.
The red burn on her white skin was not severe, but he was enraged by the fact that such a wound had been inflicted by her noble hands.
However, she…
She talked about her injury as if it was no big deal.
At that moment, Eric lost his temper.
Then, she started hovering around him, watching him, as if begging for his attention.
But the affection that he, the fake, could give was not there to begin with.
Eventually, driven by anger, she began to act like the evil wife people talked about.
Whenever she saw him talking to another woman, she would confront them violently.
She was watching his every move.
At that time, he should have consoled her and revealed his true feelings.
But he was a fool and did not realize his mistakes.
Even when she asked him, exhausted, if she'd done anything wrong recently.
Thinking that was the end, Eric's heart was filled with only pain and regret.
He was sure he would never see her again.
'But you're right in front of me.'
If he saw her again, he would have a lot to say.
Starting with the apology and all the heartfelt truths he hid.
But when it came time to speak, the words wouldn't come out.
Then, Cornelia opened her mouth.
“Do you know why I didn’t return to the duchy?”
Eric bit his lip and then closed his mouth tightly, staring at Cornelia.
She stared at him with fierce eyes and said,
"Because it was terrible.
Thinking about going back to that hell."
At her cold words, Eric asked silently.
“What was so terrible?”
He thought he needed to hear her out to make a proper apology.
Cornelia laughed blankly and said sarcastically, "True, you wouldn't know.
He endured your mother's hatred, the servants' disgust, and the flirtations of your childhood friend, my cousin, who was always trying to get closer to you.
And you accepted all that, didn't you?"
Eric frowned.
At least, he had never enjoyed Madeleine's flirtations.
“Cornelia, this is a misunderstanding.”
"That damned misunderstanding!
What did I misunderstand?
That you didn't consider me your wife?
That you said you'd never hug me again?
That you told me not to come near you?"
He knew she would resent him, but hearing her complaints so quickly made him really realize how wrong he was.
'However, it is a burden I must bear.'
Eric spoke in a low voice.
“I know.
I hurt you, and I was wrong.”
At that, Cornelia's lips twitched.
“If you knew, why did you come looking for me?
How could you show your face?”
“Cornelia, I didn't know you were alive.”
“Oh, really?
Then you must have been disappointed when you found out I was alive.”
At that moment, Eric raised his voice.
“How could I be disappointed?
I looked for you everywhere.”
“I have no intention of listening to your miserable excuses.
So, immediately put my child down and get out of my sight...”
At that moment, the baby in Eric's arms screamed.
“Mom, please listen to Dad!”
At that moment, the dissatisfaction in her violet eyes deepened.
"Dad?
Did you tell him to call you that?"
After she finished speaking, Cornelia bit her red lips.
Then, an angry scream burst from her mouth.
“Eric Lennon Brant, give me back my baby!”
My baby.
At those words, Eric looked at Damian again.
The child he saw in his dreams, the one he felt a connection to even when he thought he was someone else, the child he called Daddy, had stunning violet eyes.
'Yes, it looks just like this.'
As he smiled bitterly, he hugged baby Eric tightly.
"my dad!"
The child in his arms radiated a warmth as comforting as his presence.
He couldn't bear to be abandoned.
But…
'You are not my child.
Besides...'
He could see Cornelia looking at him with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
In her view, there was a coexistence of anger directed at him and concern for the child.
'It didn't make sense for a few words to make up for years of accumulated grief.'
Even if he apologized, it would only be to please himself.
He could never make up for the years of suffering Cornelia had endured.
'So I...'
Finally, Eric carefully placed the baby down and said softly, “Go to your mother.”
The child, with teary eyes, shook his head vigorously.
"No!
I want to stay with my father!"
Seeing the child trying to return to Eric, Cornelia's face contorted with indescribable sadness.
Eric, shaking off the little hands, exploded in anger.
“I'm not your father!”
At those words, Damian bit his small lips and raised his voice.
“Daddy is stupid!”
However, the child stood there, crying but did not go to Cornelia.
Seeing this, Cornelia clenched her hands and shouted at Sardine.
“Sardine, what are you doing?
Hurry and give me back my baby!”
Sardine then brought the disgruntled child to Cornelia.
“Mom, you can't let Dad go like this!”
Cornelia hugged the child with a sad look and then shot Eric a look full of anger.
“Now just get out.”
Without a moment's hesitation, Eric replied, "I can't do that."