I had a blank face at the unexpected words.
'Catch her?'
She looked at his hand and smiled.
'Are you even wearing gloves because you don't want to touch me?'
I ignored that hand, got out of the cart, and looked around.
I saw the servants watching me and Eric.
'There's no way they'll listen to me'
She immediately looked at Sardin, who was sitting in the driver's seat with the carriage driver.
“Sardine, now...”
Just when I was about to ask him to carry my luggage, he said, “Take all of the Duchess’s belongings to the room.”
Then the servants who were waiting immediately began to move.
‘They are treating me like an invisible person, but they followed the Duke’s words faithfully, right?
This is really dirty...'
Then he put his hand on my shoulder, at that moment I reflexively hit it.
“Please go to your room first.
I have something urgent to tell you.”
I tightened my grip at the thought that something would happen soon.
'Well, if I put up with it any longer, I'll get a divorce.'
Eric, who had gone into the office, clenched his fists tightly.
Originally, Eric had no intention of questioning Cornelia.
This was because he was satisfied with the report of Janet, who was attached to the surveillance.
But the moment he saw Cornelia, he acted impulsively as if his head was overheating.
'I questioned her...why did she make such a mistake?'
Just when I was blaming myself, someone entered through the window.
Janet was Cornelia's shadow attendant.
“Your Excellency, I have come to report.”
At the words of the subordinate who was waiting for him, Eric wiped the emotion from his face and said, “Report.”
“First, she bought 20,000 gold coins from the jewelry store, then she went to the clothing store and ordered a maternity dress.”
Normally, Cornelia loved to enjoy extravagance and luxury, and this was not unusual.
However, Eric felt strange at some point.
“Bought a lot of Jade?”
As befits a princess, Cornelia did not care about jewelry that was not of the highest quality.
She especially liked the big, shiny jewelry, but the jade was opaque and didn't shine.
'I'm sure she won't even look at me seriously because she's cheap...'
Eric tapped his finger on the desk at Cornelia's behavior, which he did not understand.
“And after shopping...”
But Janet's words stopped his fingers immediately.
“I saw a street performance.”
Performing on the street, I thought it was an ordinary word.
At that moment, I remembered what I heard in the Information Guild.
“What kind of performance was it?”
“The blond musician sang ‘Afternoon Siesta.’ The Duchess stood quietly and watched him with tears streaming down her face before returning home.”
Eric broke the mask of coldness he was wearing.
“Sheds tears over a trivial musician...”
Confused thoughts were intertwined with various illusions.
Eric felt his insides boil.
Boom-!
Eric rose from his chair.
“Your happiness?”
He heard Janet's voice calling him, but Eric ignored her and left the office.
“I think I'd better check it out myself.”
Feeling nervous for some reason, Eric quickly headed to Cornelia's room.
I was waiting for the word divorce to come out of his mouth.
But what came out of his mouth was unexpected.
“I didn't know you liked serious things.”
His eyes were fixed on a bag of jade on the tea table.
I dodged and put the bag of jade away.
“Green looks nice these days.”
“Then you can buy emeralds or peridots.
Are you short of money?”
"No way, I just like Jade these days.
It's a jewel that no one cares about, but when I kept looking at it, I thought it was beautiful."
“That's right”
I felt like he was trying to understand my plan, because he seemed deep in thought while interrogating me.
“What's going on anyway?”
When she hastened to change the subject, he said,
“I know what you're hiding.”
'Knows?' 'Does he mean my emergency fund?'
To be honest, I was confused, but I tried to pretend not to understand.
"What?"
“Damien”
I was sure that I would not lose my composure no matter what he said.
But the moment I heard the name, my body lost control.
My mind is empty, my teeth are sharpened, my heart is racing,
Something inside me felt like it was about to explode.
It seems like the chain of rationality will break at any moment if I'm not careful.
Damian, my son who was abandoned by his father.
“How do you know about him...”
When I mumbled involuntarily, he stared at me with fierce eyes.
“Do you think you can hide that from me?”
His face was so confident that he seemed to really know everything.
I couldn't believe it and asked him again,
“Really, do you know who Damian is?”
"Yes."
As he answered, his gaze stayed on my stomach.
Unbeknownst to me, my expression hardened.
'Does he really know about Damian?'
Yes, I'm probably not the only one who went back in time.
The ruler in the Bible says that everyone is just, so it wouldn't be strange if Eric was given another chance.
'But if he comes back, how dare he utter that name?'
My blood boiled with anger.
I wanted to scream and immediately strangle and kill the man in front of me, but I clenched my fists and clenched my teeth.
'If I do that, I will die at his hands again, me and my child.'
My goal in this life is only to protect my child.
Wasn't that why I left my revenge on him?
I was trying to calm the anger inside me with my head bowed.
At that time, Eric grabbed my head, lifted it, and our eyes met.
“I wondered what kind of person you were calling his name so obsessively, but was he just a poet or an itinerant musician with whom you were having an affair?”
I was surprised by his words and my eyes widened.
After that, his face was distorted.
'How on earth did this human get into the wrong hole?'
It wasn't a bad sign anyway.
Now, I don't have to force Sardine to play this difficult role, and if he misunderstands me in this way, it will be easier for me to get a divorce.
'Moreover, thanks to his misunderstanding that father is an itinerant musician,
He wouldn't be suspicious even if my betrayal partner didn't show up…'
It was then...Eric grabbed my shoulder.
"What do you do!"
He reflexively removed his hand and opened his mouth.
“Say it was Cornelia Odile Brant's fault.”
“What?”
“If you admit the mistake you made, and forget this.
I will make this child grow up to be my child as well.
Even though he will not be the successor.”
If I had been me before going back in time, I might have been influenced by the idea that he was covering up my betrayal.
but.
I quickly guessed why, and was sarcastic.
‘Yes, it seems that Duke Brant of good character and reputation cannot tolerate flaws in his married life.’
If the truth about my relationship was revealed, people would curse me at first.
However, over time, there will definitely be voices whispering about Eric.
For example, it will be said: He left his wife alone or because he suffers from a deficiency.
'He didn't want to put even the slightest stain on his reputation, so he was willing to accept my relationship.
He's a great, funny guy.
I laughed and opened my mouth.
“Yes, that was a mistake.”
I could see Eric's expression widen at that.
“This is a good idea so there will be no divorce and...”
“I should have broken up with you the moment I met Damian.”
Eric opened his eyes at my words and stared at me.
I raised the corner of my mouth and continued.
“I still think this but thank you because I was able to meet him because of you thank you.”
Unfortunately, I was being honest.
Damien is there on a whim one night.
Eric twisted his face hard, as if he thought I was sarcastically blaming him.
“Stop.”
He spoke like a warning, but I continued talking without stopping.
“Yes, I only met him for a short time.
But during that time, I learned what true love is.”
Yes, because of this child, I was able to realize how selfish I was.
Love is not only given, it can also be taken.
“It was never wrong to meet him.
Unlike you, he is the sun that lit up my dark life and the person I love most in the world.”
Was it because I dared to reject him when he gave me a chance?
His face was still devoid of any expression, but I could see that he had given strength to his lower jaw.
“I told you to stop, but you don't listen.”
“I'm sorry, but I have no intention of letting the child of such an important person grow up under a heartless person like you.
So, divorce me.”
Despite my sarcastic remarks, he didn't care and answered.
“It seems like you've lost your mind and can't make a good judgement, but I'll give you some time to think about it.”
“No need...”
Before I could finish my sentence, he left the room.
She looked at his back and smiled bitterly.
'How dare he ignore my kindness?'
I said that I would pay alimony and that I would take the blame for the divorce.
But this damned man was trying to push me into this hell again, saying he would put up with me like it was nice.
'This won't work.'
If he had only destroyed me, I would have stayed in this palace and avenged Eric with blood even if I died in the fires of hell.
But I already had something to protect.
'I have to protect my precious sun this time.'
After I made my decision, I spoke to Sardin.
“Sardin, I have to go to the Imperial Palace soon.”
“Yes?”
I raised the corner of my mouth to Sardine, who had a stunned expression, and said.
“I guess I'll have to use my parents.”