# 16
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Eric was in the same wagon.
I brought up the divorce with him a few days ago, so I thought he was going to jump on another bandwagon, but surprisingly he waited for her.
Chloe tried not to show her surprise as she sat across from him.
“Go.” The carriage driver urged the horses forward, and the locomotive began to move.
Black smoke covered the car window, and the sounds of the engine screeching pierced the air.
But inside the car, it was quiet. Neither of them said a word.
The silence continued for a long time. Until they finally saw the Imperial Palace from the window.
“It's so frustrating. I'm going crazy.”
What broke the silence were Eric's mutterings.
He unbuttoned his cuffs and turned his wrists. Then he turned to Chloe.
“Why didn't you come out of your room?”
Chloe thought for a moment about what answer she should give.
“Because… I didn’t have a reason to go out?”
She answered just that, nothing more and nothing less.
She did not leave her room because she had nothing to do outside.
That was the truth, but Eric didn't look very happy.
“Didn't you think about coming to me?”
Chloe was puzzled by this. The straps on her hat were slightly loose.
"You are busy."
Eric frowned.
correct. He's busy.
He was on the verge of madness from being so busy. However, although he was very busy, he was also tired of looking at the door that did not open again.
Eric had to admit it, he had been waiting for Chloe.
Ha. He let out a sigh and unbuttoned his collar.
“Your birthday is coming soon.”
Eric continued, looking into Chloe's wide eyes.
“I have booked tickets at the Antoinette Opera House. I hope we can go there together that day.”
"Sorry?"
Chloe blinked her wide eyes several times.
"together?"
“So, would you rather go alone?”
Hearing Eric's firm words, Chloe couldn't stop her mouth from falling open wide.
But she quickly pressed her lips tightly together, and looked away with a look of jealousy in her eyes. Then she turned and looked directly at him.
"Suddenly? Why?"
Eric sighed and clenched his fingers into a fist, but quickly loosened them and straightened his furrowed eyebrows with his fingers. Then he let out a sigh.
“I think I've been good to you, wife.”
"…pardon?"
“I think I've done a good job so far.”
He leaned forward, interlacing his fingers.
“But maybe that's not the case for you.”
“It wasn't.”
Chloe answered immediately. Then I looked at Eric. When she saw that his facial expressions did not change, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief.
“So I say I'll give it a try.”
Eric straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin.
“To be a good husband to my wife.”
Chloe stared at him absently the entire time she listened to his words. She was staring at Eric with wandering eyes, as if she was lost. Then she slowly raised her head.
“Why?”
Chloe's question was unexpected.
Of course, he thought Chloe would like his words, but he didn't know he would ask like this.
His conversations with Chloe always exceeded his expectations, and he had no choice but to be speechless.
“I was going to spend my birthday alone. As usual.”
Chloe could hardly speak due to her confusion.
“But why...”
She unconsciously grabbed the skirt of her dress.
"Is it because I brought up the divorce? That's why you're trying to be nice to me?"
Eric saw the sadness in Chloe's eyes - the despair. He tried to think about why he was there.
So he couldn't understand more than that.
Why? Why was she acting like that? He felt betrayed and wronged again.
Chloe seemed to ignore his efforts to improve her performance.
“So what are you going to do?”
Eric replied sharply. Chloe's facial expression quickly changed.
“You are really exaggerating.”
She answered in a voice that was not emotional – it was calm, but it was very disappointed.
“If I hadn't done that, you would have treated me the same way.”
Chloe remembered Eric's attitude towards her over the past five years.
“You ignored me, you were indifferent to me, and you were completely absent... right?”
Eric's brow furrowed. He shook his head slowly.
“I never did that.”
“Do you really think so?”
Chloe looked into Eric's eyes as she asked him.
Eric chewed the inside of his cheek instead of answering.
He felt trapped, like he was stuck there with no chance of escape. This was not a usual feeling for him.
"So what do you want me to do? Do you want me to be with you or not?"
“Eric.”
Chloe sighed deeply.
I looked at his strong chin, his gorgeous lips, his high nose, and his shining eyes.
This was the man she loved.
I wondered if this guy...
“Do you love me?”
Did he love her?
As Eric repeated the words in his mind, Chloe's eyes darted in all directions.
The sound of her dry swallowing filled the cart.
The silence continued.
How much time has passed?
Eric turned his gaze to the window, taking his eyes away from Chloe.
“You can't answer.”
Chloe smiled helplessly and hung her head.
“You don't even love me.”
* * *
The ceremony held by the royal family was similar.
She was just as gorgeous, beautiful, and wonderful as she had been five years before.
What was different this time was that she did not enter with her brother, but rather with Eric.
With Eric, her husband with whom she had just had a fight.
“I'll be there.”
Chloe only nodded her head in response.
Eric stared at Chloe for a while, then slowly walked towards the other side of the banquet hall.
Chloe didn't watch Eric's back as he left.
Haven't you watched that for a very long time? I'm tired of it now. She no longer wants to do that.
She shouldn't have to see the back of someone who didn't love her.
Chloe took a glass of champagne and took a sip of alcohol. As the acrid alcohol ran down her throat, she felt that her heart was calmer now.
After she finished her drink, she reached over to pick up another glass.
And then…
"Who do we have here? Chloe!"
That was the voice of Harris, the Second Prince. In fact, Chloe turned her head and welcomed the voice she hadn't heard in a long time.
“Oh brother!”
She smiled broadly and greeted Harris.
"It's been a long time. Are you okay?"
"How are you? Oh my God, come here. You've grown so much."
"I'm not a child. It's been a long time since I came of age."
“In my eyes, you will always be a child.”
Harris patted Chloe on the shoulder. Chloe felt the warmth of his touch, which melted her frozen heart a little. Chloe exhaled a sigh of relief with a gentle smile.
“Oh right, did the Marquis come with you?”
“Yes, he went to the other side because he had something to do.”
“Wow! What a terrible man to leave you alone like that.”
Chloe smiled bitterly instead of answering. Then she turned and looked around.
“Where is William?”
Harris pointed behind Chloe, and she quickly turned around. There, standing was Prince William III. He was Chloe's childhood friend and ex-fiancé.
"renal".
With his bright blonde hair, he approached Chloe with a calm smile as usual.
“It's been a long time. How have you been?”
“I'm fine, of course. And you?”
“It's the same for me.”
“Is this guy okay?”
Harris interrupted their conversation.
"He is still unmarried despite receiving many marriage proposals. He is a nuisance to the royal family."
William replied: “Brother, don’t say that.”
"Why? Are you embarrassed in front of Chloe?"
"brother."
“Okay, okay.”
Harris laughed at William, who blushed. Then he turned his gaze to Chloe.
“Okay, let's stop gossiping so much.”
At that moment, his eyes sparkled.
“Looks like Chloe has something to say.”
Chloe unconsciously opened her lips.
Did she have anything to say?
There was.
She had a lot to say to them, to her childhood friends whom she considered to be like older brothers. The most pressing issue was borrowing money.
But…
The reason she needed money was because of her divorce from her husband. But her husband was vehemently against divorce, so she couldn't bring up the money issue so quickly. Instead of talking about it, Chloe shook her head.
“No, I have nothing to say.”
"truly?"
Harris touched the back of his neck, a smile playing on his lips.
“Well, I have something to say.”
He spoke in an wavering tone.
“I thought you knew about the marriage talks between Marquis Aslan and my younger sister.”
"…What?"
Chloe still had the innocence of a child. However, she was an intelligent woman who knew how things worked in aristocratic society. That's why I noticed that Prince Harris said that intentionally to test her.
"What do you mean?"
Chloe asked quietly. Harris' eyebrows rose.
“I meant exactly what I said. There are marriage talks between my younger sister and the Marquis.”
“Does my husband know about this?”
“Just because someone doesn't know doesn't mean it doesn't happen.”
Chloe was lost in thought.
Harris laughed inwardly as he looked at Chloe, but he couldn't help himf.
“It's not done yet, Chloe.”
Take one step closer to her.
“But if the Marquis marries again, we will take care of you. You have nothing to worry about.”
He patted Chloe's shoulder like he did before.
"Poor Chloe. If we had known this would happen, you should have married William then."
Note:
✓ They're not actually brother and sister, Khloe only calls Harris "bro" because it's an affectionate word between close friends.