# 2
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Isn't he a commoner?
At the time, Chloe didn't even realize that what she said was so rude. Such was her fascination with Eric's appearance. He was remarkably radiant compared to the men she had seen before, even members of the royal family.
She could not imagine another man, noble or not, more beautiful than her. While her eyes were naturally drawn to him, she couldn't take her eyes off him ever since.
She was instantly ecstatic, she was so infatuated with him. And the whole world turned into a wonderful flower garden.
At that moment, she felt like she and Eric were the only two people in the world.
That's why Chloe thought—
“Oh, I fell in love with him at first sight.”
But at that time, he was still a commoner. Chloe was the daughter of an influential duke.
No matter how high his grades and how much he achieved in the academy, he was still a person of the bourgeois class, and it was clear that the gap between them would never be bridged.
So she could only watch him from afar until she graduated.
I forgot about it after that. No, she had to forget him, so she put Eric out of her mind.
But in the end, she was going to marry him. Regardless of the money or noble title, Chloe was so happy that she had found her way back to him.
On their first night, Chloe prepared her troubled heart. But as soon as Eric arrived, her hopes were dashed.
He was in the same room as Chloe, but he didn't touch her at all. He didn't even look at her.
Completely ignore it.
From then on, he sat down at his desk, did some paperwork, gathered up his instruments that Chloe didn't even know he brought with him, and then worked all night… This wasn't what she expected at all.
Will you continue to work?
Chloe couldn't stand the humiliation, so she finally spoke up and said things like "I've never heard of a first night like this" and "How could you do this to me?" Mixed with resentment.
What did Eric answer? Oh, that's right.
Is there anything between us we need to do?
In a cold and detached tone, that was the only thing he said.
With these words alone, he was saying that he was only there because she had him with the noble title bestowed upon him, that she had married him out of money, and that there was no relation between them. There will never be anything between them.
Looking back, she should have started hating him since then. She should have. But she had already been affected by the feelings of meeting her first love. She couldn't get rid of those feelings.
She loved Eric even though he was ruthless.
She hoped that one day he would look at her and love her as she was as long as she continued to love him throughout their time together...she had those hopes.
Then five years passed.
After a long time…
She realized she was wrong.
Because she was wrong, just like now.
“What do you need?”
That was his cold tone again.
Chloe smiled bitterly and clasped her hands together.
“I was wondering if you enjoyed the opening ceremony. My apologies, I should have gone with you...”
“There's no reason for you to be there.”
As usual, his stinging words stabbed Chloe's heart.
She bit her lower lip.
“…That's why I made dinner for us. It's been a while since we've had a meal together, so I was wondering if we could spend some time with each other.”
Chloe had been dressed in her elegant clothes for hours before, so when she took a step forward, her shiny silver hair fell behind her, and her blue eyes sparkled.
“I think you have too much free time.”
But Eric remained cold as usual. After looking at Chloe's clothes with an indifferent look, he shook his head.
“I just stopped by to leave my bag. I'm going out again before the snow piles up... and I have to go to the capital.”
"D.C.? You have to go?"
Instead of answering, Eric looked at Chloe with his indifferent eyes.
Eyes that did not look at her.
Eyes that completely hide his thoughts.
Every time she looked into those eyes, Chloe always felt her heart breaking.
“So, are you coming back next week?”
Chloe added in a desperate voice.
“My birthday is next month.”
Then Eric just sighed.
“Is your birthday important?”
“This is important to me.”
Yes. Eric sighed again.
“Our brother-in-law visited us yesterday as well.”
As Chloe guessed, in other words, this meant that her brother had visited her again to collect money.
How much did he take this time? Ten thousand pounds? One hundred thousand? million?
Chloe was sure Eric was the one who gave it to her.
Then, her heart sank and her hands trembled.
Then she quickly looked up, only to find that Eric was already walking up the stairs.
“Ma’am! It’s dangerous, please don’t run!”
Chloe ran after Eric, who had already reached the second floor.
All the windows of the hall on the second floor were wide open, and a cold air filled the air. Her nose and ears quickly became red, and her eyes watered from the cold.
The wind played with her silver hair, but because she had been raised with aristocratic behavior, there was no trace of it on her face. As if she was a warrior fighting the wind, she showed a more stubborn spirit.
Because of her sudden running, she was panting. But Chloe quickly gathered her composure, because her high f-confidence did not allow her to show any signs of her illness in front of this large number of people. She raised her chin high.
“Eric”
Chloe pulled out Eric's handcuffs.
“That's enough.”
Her hands were shaking. She quickly withdrew her hand, hoping he hadn't seen it.
“I've told you many times. You don't have to give my family more money. Anyway, it's my brother's fault, so let him figure it out himf. Please?”
Before she could finish what she was saying, Eric sighed deeply again.
“If I do what you say, I will become a cruel commoner husband to a duke’s daughter who has no money.”
Eric narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to push his hair back.
"Don't worry about money. It's not something you should be involved in as a wife."
This was not something to interfere with… Weren't the finances of the household something that should be managed by the lady of the household?
How much will he isolate her? Chloe raised her head against the cold air.
“So, what do I have to do to earn the right to participate?”
Chloe's blue eyes filled with tears.
“I want to be of help to you, too.”
Eric looked at Chloe coldly. As usual, it was quite clear how much he didn't love her.
“You can't do anything for me.”
The dominant feeling in his voice was boredom. Eric was tired of their talking now.
As soon as Chloe realized this, she laughed in vain.
“That's right. I… I've done nothing all my life, and now I'm going to die without doing anything.”
She only had two years left to live at most.
She looked up again to look directly at Eric. It was a serious look, as if this was the last time.
“Eric.”
There was a hint of sadness in her tone.
“I'm sick.”
She opened her lips slowly and gave force to every syllable she uttered.
“I am very, very sick.”
A gust of cold winter air blew between them. The storm was so strong that the balloons flying in the sky shook. Chloe was shaken by the wind, but Eric was unaffected. Chloe was the only one affected.
“Can't you come home more often? That's all I hope.”
Her heart was in more pain than her body.
As long as he was by her side, she could endure all the pain racking her body. As long as he exists, this terrible loneliness will disappear.
So she wanted to see him more.
“Just because you see me doesn't mean you'll get better.”
“...Eric.”
“I will bring a doctor from the capital and send him to you. That will be enough.”
Chloe raised her head.
Once again, his eyes showed nothing but listless indifference.
She suddenly felt heat on her cheeks. God, what was she hoping this man would say?
She lowered her gaze, biting herf in anger.
I entered. The wind is cold.
Chloe stared at Eric's back blankly as he left without a word.
She knew. Of course she knew.
This marriage was loveless from the beginning.
But no, it wasn't that there was no love, it was just that one party had it and the other didn't.
“...I really should... stop here now.”