# 14
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“That's okay...”
“Do you want this?”
Eric, who was standing behind her, pointed to the pink dress that had initially caught Chloe's attention.
“Or this?”
Then he pointed to the red dress next to him.
As he looked around the store, he was silent for a moment, then pointed his finger from here to there.
“I will buy everything.”
“Eric!”
“All I looked at was my wife.”
Chloe's face flushed with surprise. I grabbed Eric by the sleeve at that moment.
“No, please, you don't have to do that.”
Then she added hastily.
"I won't need to wear these clothes once I get back north anyway. I'll try some on. Let's just pick the ones I feel comfortable in."
Eric stared at Chloe, but then pointed his finger again at the employees who were standing in the distance to come closer.
“I want to see my wife in this dress. Ma’am, get it ready.”
"naturally."
Mrs. Leisen answered pleasantly and called the staff.
As she stood in embarrassment, Chloe felt tears welling up in her eyes. If he bought all these clothes, the total amount would exceed 500 thousand francs!
“Dear, please, let's think about it again...”
“Let her try it.”
But Eric ignored Chloe's words again.
The affectionate look she thought she'd seen on him all day had been replaced with a stern expression, and Chloe had no choice but to follow the clerk without a chance to say anything else.
It would not be appropriate to refuse more here, because that would look like a wife ignoring her husband, and it would affect his honor.
“Let me help you undress, Your Excellency.”
Chloe couldn't disagree with the employee's opinion.
Her dress was removed, her corset was tightened slightly before she was fitted with a girdle.
The dress that caught Chloe's attention was a French-style gown, featuring voluminous pleats and a bouffant cut at the sides. Because of the curvature of the hips, the thin waist became more prominent.
These dresses usually had plunging necklines, but Chloe covered her chest all the way to her neck just like she does with a Redingot dress.
After wearing new clothes for the first time in a long time, she felt better. Specifically, seeing herf in the mirror improved her mood.
Was it because she remembered the past, when she still came here often to buy dresses, or because it was the first time her husband had bought her clothes? Perhaps the last reason.
I want to see my wife wearing that dress.
Did he mean what he said?
She hoped he would. She was hoping he would tell her he looked beautiful on her.
Chloe excitedly left the changing room, wanting to show Eric what she looked like.
But then…
The reception room was empty. Was he on another floor? Chloe looked around hurriedly.
“Eric?”
Mrs. Leisen approached her.
“The Marquis has left. He mentioned that an urgent matter had come up.”
“…Is he gone?”
Chloe sighed desperately, the single sound filling the empty reception room.
He's gone.
Without even telling her.
So why did he say he wanted to see her in this dress?
Why did he make her look forward to that?
Why give her a glimmer of hope?
Why…
The flame of hope that had been burning inside her for some time was extinguished in an instant. All that remained was black smoke.
She felt as if her lungs were filled with that dry smoke. It hurt her. He choked her.
“His Excellency has already paid for the clothes. All we need to do is send them to your home here in the capital, right? Or should we send them to the north?”
Mrs. Leisen was not aware of Chloe's condition, so she continued to smile happily as she spoke to her.
"my lady?"
“Yes, send it to our residence in the capital.”
Chloe, who had regained consciousness, answered hurriedly. In fact, she didn't care whether the clothes were sent to the residence in the capital or to the north. She was going to get divorced anyway, so these dresses were of no use. …It was in vain, my husband.
I wondered what he would say if I canceled the payment here. But if she did, her husband would get very angry again. The best thing to do was to return quietly.
Chloe breathed heavily with her hand on her chest, feeling the hard texture of the new dress.
“You have the best husband, Marchioness. He buys you everything without saying anything about it. What a wonderful husband.”
"…Is this correct?"
"Absolutely. My ex-husband pestered me every time I bought something, and asked me so many questions about my purchases. Oh my God, I'm so tired of it!"
Mrs. Leisen burst out laughing as they talked.
Chloe opened her lips, then closed them, then did it again.
There was a word stuck on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't pronounce it, nor could she swallow it, but in the end she swallowed it and it froze in her heart.
“I…”
I don't mind living like this.
Chloe lowered her head.
It hurts.
She felt a deep pain in her lungs.
* * *
Eric left first due to an emergency. He received a telegram stating that the clock tower had stopped working.
A maintenance technician could have been called, but Eric had to go there urgently because it was the clock tower itf. It was a landmark in the capital.
When he got there, the problem wasn't serious. When he checked the battery, he found that the fuse had broken and the power suddenly went out. The cause appears to be heavy snow that blocked out the sun, so the fault could not be seen immediately.
This made Eric even more determined to create a battery with an infinite power supply.
If this is completed, it will be the best invention in the Kingdom - or even in the whole world.
Being so immersed in his thoughts, he forgot about Chloe.
In other words, he could not have imagined the emptiness that Chloe felt when she was left alone in the shop, the depression that came over her when she returned to the locomotive alone, and the despair that overwhelmed her when the maid of honor asked her why she returned without her husband.
Eric was always this way.
He never thought that his actions caused any problems.
But still, wasn't he nice to Chloe today?
When Daniel mentioned something about it, he had to suppress his anger as much as possible to cope with Chloe's presence. He didn't get angry even once.
“You must be in a good mood.”
“You are so kind to me.”
Chloe's features were completely calm as she said this. It was the most relaxed expression he had seen on her since she had come to see him here in the capital.
Would it be okay for him to do this much from now on? Will Chloe gradually get closer to him as well?
Eric mused. He felt a slight flutter as he thought of the happy smile that would appear on her lips.
That's why he didn't expect it.
Chloe did not sleep and waited for him until dawn.
* * *
“You are here.”
Eric was surprised to see Chloe greeting him as soon as he walked through the door. It was very early in the morning, and the moon was still in the sky. She was supposed to be asleep at this time.
Did she wait for him, perhaps, to thank him for taking her to the store? Eric had such expectations.
But Chloe said otherwise.
“Why did you leave?”
Eric frowned.
So as soon as she saw his face, she became angry. He messed with his hair violently.
“I had something to do.”
“You should have at least told me.”
“You were in the middle of changing your clothes.”
That was the truth.
Chloe was in the changing room when he received the telegram, which is why he couldn't tell her.
“Is this why you're angry?”
Frankly, Eric felt that this situation was unfair to him. He felt like Chloe was angry with him just because he left first.
Hadn't she been ignoring all his other actions all day? He thought he did well today.
“It couldn't be avoided. Anyway, couldn't you afford to buy clothes? That's what's important.”
And so he answered her in a sour tone filled with the disappointment he felt towards Chloe at that moment.
“...It's fine.”
But Chloe's outlook was different this time. Her expression was blank, as if she was exhausted.
“This could never have been avoided.”
Chloe put her arms around herf and breathed heavily.
She didn't know how she managed to get back here.
She was still in the locomotive when she closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she had already entered the house.
She closed her eyes again, and was in bed. But when she opened them again, she was taking her medication. Her temperature rose again. Her health condition was at its worst.
“Two years left.”
The doctor's words kept echoing in her ears.
She was running out of time.
She was going to die soon.
Why does she have to live like this?
Why does she have to endure all this when she lives with so much sadness?
Chloe was so tired. Her exhaustion could not be expressed in words alone.
“It was unavoidable that you were not able to come to the North, it was unavoidable that you had to neglect me, and it was unavoidable that you had to leave first...”
I looked at the ground. Therefore, she seemed very lonely... and very exhausted.
“It was unavoidable that you ignored my pain.”
“When have I neglected you? Wife, I always worry about you—”
“Eric.”
Chloe sighed deeply and raised her head, looking at Eric. There was a deep indifference in his eyes towards what he didn't like.
“I don't want to live like this anymore.”
She loved Eric.
She loves Eric.
Maybe you'll still love Eric.
But these feelings were separate from the desire to be with him.
It was difficult for her to offer this love that would not be reciprocated. She can no longer tolerate this neglect.
She said that clearly, with a bitter smile on her lips.
"Divorce. Let's get divorced."