# 32
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Eric clenched his fist, but quickly opened it slowly
“My wife.”
He spoke in a lower voice than his usual tone.
“You seem to see me as a machine incapable of being hurt.”
And here Chloe realized that she was wrong. Her words were harsh. She hurriedly shook her head.
“I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I don't think you're a shameful person.”
She spoke in a low voice, and Eric looked at Chloe with a calm expression. She clasped her hands together and spoke slowly again.
“But I’ve told you again and again, I have nothing to do with William. Okay, I admit it. I know that William has feelings for me, but I don’t reciprocate those feelings. Even if we were left alone in this world, I wouldn’t love him. I’m sure of it.”
There was nothing else that made him angry but this.
Eric did not want to be a shameful man who was extremely jealous of his wife. He was already angry with her, but he didn't want his anger to escalate and drown himf in a deeper quagmire. He lifted his hand from the armrest of the sofa and sighed deeply.
“The same goes for me. The princess is nothing but a nuisance to me. If you had carefully observed my behavior today, you would know that what I say is true.”
“...You're right.”
Chloe answered, remembering the short answers Eric would give in response to Elizabeth's long ramblings. Chloe felt calmer now. After her anger subsided, she rose to her feet. Then she walked towards Eric.
"We're both. We're not supposed to fight over something like this."
"Can't we be happy in our marriage that's about to end soon? That's what I want, please. I want to spend... time happily."
“You mean you were never happy during this marriage?”
Eric twisted her words, clenching his fist in the air.
“Shit. Why are things like this? I can never get past every word you say.”
He hated himf. He couldn't help but hang on every word Chloe said, feeling disgusted with himf. He took a deep breath, then turned his eyes to Chloe.
"I'm sorry."
“I accept your apology.”
Chloe was somewhat surprised. She didn't expect Eric to say something like that. Was this a step forward? Although she was ashamed of her outburst in frustration, she thought it was probably a good thing she had expressed her anger.
“So, what do you want to do?”
Chloe answered his question immediately.
“I want us to continue like we did today.”
"today?"
"Like a married couple, I mean. We walk side by side, we ask each other our opinions, we have a lot of conversations... I just want us to be a normal couple."
Considering the past five years that they hadn't spoken normally, they were far beyond that now. So, Chloe wanted to live like a normal couple – talking to each other, arguing from time to time, but eventually reconciling as usual. If they could live like this for just a few months, she wouldn't regret anything after she died.
Chloe waited for Eric's response, but he stared at her for a long time. Chloe saw her reflection in the depths of his dark eyes, and she didn't know what was on his mind.
"Okay. Let's do this."
Eric looked up, brushing his hair back.
“So, will you have breakfast with me tomorrow?”
He added hastily.
“I would be happy to eat with you.”
Chloe was stunned. Wasn't he the one who said he felt frustrated whenever he was with her? But for him to say he'd be happy… Chloe felt a sharp prick in her chest
“Okay. It's always a pleasure to eat something delicious together.”
“So, is that enough?”
Eric asked.
“In other words, is our conversation over?”
In fact, their exchange could hardly be called conversation, but Chloe made no mention of that. She nodded
“Yes.”
“I'll take you to your room then.”
"Thank you."
Eric opened the drawing room door and Chloe followed him into the hall
Silence greeted them. For them, there were only two maids – Roseanne and Andrea – so naturally, there was no one else entering and exiting the halls.
The silence was awkward as Chloe walked behind Eric, half a step behind him.
Then suddenly, she spoke in a cautious tone, perhaps thinking about what to do.
“Prince Harris asked me when I plan to return to the North.”
Instead of answering, Eric turned to look at Chloe. In a cautious voice, she asked him:
“Can I stay a little longer?”
Her voice was shaking slightly. She knew that Eric might ask her to leave at any time.
As if to meet her expectations, Eric gave Chloe an answer that was exactly the same.
“This house outranks you.”
So, should I go back?
Chloe hated the fact that Eric treated her as if she was still just the daughter of a distinguished duke.
She became a member of Aslan's family once she married him, yet he continued to treat her as if her surname was still Rolf. This was conclusive evidence of the vast gap between them.
Slowly, she lowered her gaze.
“So you're saying I should go back...”
“We'll move.”
"i beg your pardon?"
Chloe was shocked.
“No, we don't have to. "I'll be here for a few months at most."
A few months.
Eric frowned upon hearing this phrase mentioned for the second time now. This meant that she was still thinking about going through with the divorce, and that they only had a few months left until their marriage
“I've already started looking for a new home. We'll be able to move in as soon as the snowstorm subsides.”
“Eric.”
“I am the type of person who does not back down from his decisions. I am sure you are well aware of that.”
naturally.
Eric Aslan has always taken responsibility for his choices. That's why he didn't divorce her. He is a man whose legitimacy was proven through the papers signed between them
Chloe admitted that she could never win against Eric. I gave in, and Eric chuckled as if satisfied.
“We will move to a place where you can grow your favorite flowers as much as you want. This amount will be enough.”
Eric then opened Chloe's bedroom door. As she entered the room, she hesitated for a moment because she wanted to tell him something, but she couldn't find the right words. Meanwhile, Eric had already closed the door.
As Chloe stared absently at the closed door, she wondered if she had ever told Eric that she loved flowers.
As she was thinking about it, she remembered that she had said that at the beginning of their marriage. She said she was sad because flowers don't grow in the cold north... Does he still remember what she said five years ago?
Finally, a laugh came from her lips, and a smile spread across her features.
* * *
Andrea asked: “Are you going to dine with the gentleman again tonight, ma’am?”
Chloe answered in the affirmative as she sat on a chair in front of the dressing table. Andrea started combing her hair.
When Eric first asked her to eat together, she thought it would only last a day or two, but it had now been almost a week since then. During this period, Eric would regularly call Chloe and eat with her.
He would often say that he wouldn't let her go until she finished everything on her plate, but when she answered that she would have to throw up later, that was the only time he would let her go.
Every time he said, “You're eating like a little bird,” Chloe would burst into laughter.
How could he say cute words like “chicken” with such a serious face! And when Eric was saying he didn't understand why she was laughing, Chloe was laughing again.
It's been a week since this started.
Chloe was happy these days. As she ed him, they seemed to become a normal couple. Is this normal happiness? She wondered as she looked back.
“Chloe, are you awake?”
Eric's voice was heard from outside the door. I looked at the clock – it was still seven in the morning. It is not time for him to come yet. Something wrong?
Chloe spoke and let Eric into the room. Then, when the door opened, Eric entered, elegantly dressed.
“Is there something wrong?”
“I'm here to tell you that something urgent has come up. I don't think I'll be able to join you for breakfast this morning.”
"Yes?"
If so, he usually let Daniel handle it. Chloe was somewhat surprised, but she didn't show it. Turning around in her chair, now with her back to the mirror, she faced Eric
“What happened?”
“I was told that one of the cruise ships was faulty. The mechanic was supposed to be sufficient, but I received a telegram asking me to come in person. Oh my God! What a problem!”
Eric loosened his tie forcefully, frowning with one eye narrower than the other. This was a habit he had whenever he got upset.
“That's why I'm afraid I'll have to miss breakfast with you this morning. And maybe tomorrow too.”
“It's okay for me.”
“Is this okay?”
Eric stared at Chloe.
Her expression was neutral. As if she was actually expecting such a thing!
This made Eric feel uncomfortable, causing him to make a surprising comment.
"This airship is something I built—something your husband built. Don't you want to ride it? Why didn't you ask before?"
"Sorry?"
Chloe asked in response as if she was truly shocked by Eric's questions.
“But I don't think I'll be useful in any way...”
“I'm not asking you to help me. I'm just asking you whether you want to ride it or not.”
Chloe thought about it.
She had only heard of it and seen some of it from afar, but she had never had the chance to ride it.
When she was still a member of a ducal family, the safety of airships was not guaranteed, so she could not ride them. When she became part of Aslan's family, she couldn't ride it either because they didn't have money.
Eric had already built those balloons, but she didn't have the courage to tell him she wanted to ride them. That was why it had not yet occurred to her that she would want to go.
But it was Eric who talked about it first. She shouldn't waste this opportunity.