# 7
---
"Shit. What's this house like?"
Eric kicked the trash at his feet.
“You're my assistant, but why didn't you keep this place clean?”
"Sorry?"
Daniel responded with a question, and his facial expression made it clear that what Eric said was ridiculous.
“But it was Your Excellency who said you didn't want any maids here?”
“That doesn't mean I want this place to become a dumping ground!”
“Why are you so angry all of a sudden?”
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck.
“Okay, I'll call someone tomorrow.”
“Bring a lady-in-waiting for my wife.”
"A maid? Not a maid?"
But the lady won't stay here long.
She'll be here for a day or two at most, but did he just say that a hard-to-hire maid should come here right away?
Daniel swore in his secret.
“Have you forgotten who my wife is?”
Eric said firmly.
“She is the daughter of a distinguished duke. She is not the type to be pampered like us. If you give it to someone who is incompetent, she will feel very insulted.”
“No, but... from what I've noticed from the lady, I don't think she'll be upset...”
Daniel continued talking even as he tried to gauge Eric's mood.
“I think she's a good person, contrary to what the servants say.”
Eric's temples were trembling as if he was very upset.
Daniel didn't know what upset Eric, but his face was distorted anyway.
The assistant stepped back cautiously.
At times like these, there was a real possibility that Eric's anger would explode.
“...It's fine.”
After a long silence, Eric said this.
“A good person.”
Yes, Daniel himf was also a very good person because he stayed here all this time even though he was on the verge of madness.
Eric turned his gaze to the assistant and stared at him as if he could read his thoughts.
“But Your Excellency, you know how harsh it would be to leave for the palace on this cold day.”
He knew.
He knew he was living a life of little more than rolling on the floor.
His first memory was opening his eyes in an abandoned orphanage. He had no money, and suffered from hunger for days on end, suffering from the harsh cold of the north. Because of this, the doctors had to amputate his foot, and he only wore a prosthetic leg, so... he realized.
But she didn't know that.
There was not a single day in her life that she was short of money. She had never lived in such miserable conditions. Her lifestyle was aristocratic, so… you'd never know.
She didn't know any of that, which is why she would only be hurt by what he had to say.
damn it.
Eric let out a long sigh as he loosened his tie. He stared towards where Chloe was staying.
“Anyway, they brought a maid in today so that someone can serve Chloe as soon as she wakes up tomorrow.”
"You're making me do something silly again. How can I get one over in a day? ...Okay, I'll do my best. Please stop staring at me like you want to tear me apart."
Daniel immediately backed down again and simply accepted it.
“Great. So, the second prince will come tomorrow as well. It would be good to have someone take care of the lady while the prince… Your Excellency?”
After Daniel talked to himf for a long time, he turned to Eric, whose face was now expressionless.
"What's the matter, sir? Have you forgotten?"
Eric covered his mouth with his fist, his eyes visibly twitching as he was deep in thought.
Hah. Daniel sighed, confused.
"No matter how much you hate Your Highness, isn't it too much? He's still a prince. He's our biggest customer, sir!"
“I just forgot about it because I had a lot of work to do. Now that I remember, isn't that good?”
Eric violently unbuttoned his sleeves and pushed up his sleeves, thick veins appearing on his muscular arms.
“Wake up Chloe early tomorrow morning and ask her to leave.”
"Sorry?"
“Don't let her collide with the prince.”
“Huh?”
Daniel was confused, but Eric didn't explain it further. He passed by Eric and left.
“No, sir, the lady is still on friendly terms with the royal family, right? Wouldn’t it be better if the lady was there too? Sir? Sir!”
Daniel chased Eric's back, screaming.
“Your Excellency! Please at least explain!”
Eric had no choice but to remain silent.
In fact, he couldn't explain the strange and unpleasant feeling he had.
Isn't it fortunate that at least it's not the Third Prince?
The situation wasn't exactly favourable, but that was a good thing anyway.
“…I don’t want them to meet.”
He had to bring Chloe back immediately tomorrow. Eric was determined to do just that.
* * *
Chloe opened her eyes in the darkness.
Was it because the sun was gone for so long during the winter? Even though it was morning, it was still dark outside.
"It's cold."
She was talking to herf automatically.
As always, there was only cold air coming in.
That's what she thought, but...
“Hmm…?”
She didn't feel the usual biting cold in the air.
She carefully removed the covers from her, then extended her arms.
“It's not cold.”
She could feel the warmth of the air in the room through her cheeks.
'It's warm...'
How long has it been since you felt any warmth?
Chloe immediately smiled and took the shawl hanging on the chair, wrapping it around her shoulders. Then I got out of bed.
There were three stoves in the room. It certainly wasn't there yesterday...
Did Daniel bring them?
"My fault again. Everything."
But she remembered what happened with Eric yesterday.
“You look at me like I'm a monster.”
When she saw his sad expression, she wanted to say that wasn't true.
But she wasted the time to say that.
Should I try talking to him again today?
But what should you say?
Should she please him and tell him that she never thought he was a monster? Or should she get angry and accuse him in turn, saying that he was the one who turned a blind eye to her?
She had no idea what to say.
Chloe was struggling with her thoughts as she reached towards the fireplace.
The warmth gradually spread to her, starting from her fingertips.
As her body temperature rose, her mind became clearer. Since last night, she has gradually begun to organize her scattered thoughts.
While she was feeling pain in her head from exhaustion, the answer finally came to her.
“No matter what happens, I still have to talk to him.”
She hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet, so they hadn't had a chance to know what each other thought. The misunderstanding between them can be resolved.
If they talked...
Maybe we can change.
But what will change?
My relationship with him?
Even if that happens, what's the point?
I'll fire him anyway.
While she was thinking, Chloe stopped and pulled her hand from the heater.
Do I really want a divorce?
She closed her eyes slowly.
And I thought about it.
Eric. His face, his expressions, his gestures, everything.
What I really want is...
…It is not a marriage that ends with one document.
She longed for warmth. Two arms surround her.
Sincere love.
But…
“I'm about to die—”
Before she could even finish the word, she bowed.
cough!
A sharp cough hit her throat, then she felt something warm gathering inside her mouth.
Chloe took the bottle of medicine out of the bag she brought, took a handful and drank it without any water to swallow.
Bitterness mixed with a metallic taste.
“Huh...”
She tilted her head back and placed her hand on her forehead.
A sharp cough stabbed her heart.
She bit her lips hard to endure the pain.
This disease was a heart problem.
Because her heart was not working properly, all the other organs in her body started to fail one by one.
Her stomach was the first to weaken after her heart, so she couldn't digest anything properly. Her lungs then became more inflamed as her cough worsened.
How much blood did she shed on top of her tears? Sometimes, the blood that came out was dark red.
You will die anyway.
This was an undeniable fact.
“Even if I talked to Eric properly and finally got a loving response…”
Chloe smiled bitterly.
This was always what you wished for, but it is no longer what you want.
Now, she no longer wanted him to love her.
“If I were loved, I would only want to live more!”
Chloe closed her eyes tightly.
Because her life was of limited duration, she was not allowed to yearn to live longer.
Even with a time limit, it remained that way. She couldn't even do what she wanted.
“And Eric will have a hard time too... if he actually starts treating me like his wife...”
She didn't know if it would be better to divorce him while the situation was still like this.
While he still absolutely hated her.
“It's the best path for everyone.”
Her life, her feelings, her death. All of this had to be her decision alone, so she had to make this decision. This was the right thing.
“I need a divorce.”
This was the best choice not only for her, but for Eric as well. They will both have peace.
Chloe thought he would be better off alone rather than being stuck with a wife who constantly drained his pockets.
As she slowly approached the window, she saw the white landscape outside.
It snowed last night.
They said that no snow had fallen in the capital. But why did it snow like this?
The perfect white snowflakes that had continued to fall from the sky since last night settled on the ground, unaware of all the turmoil she felt inside.
Chloe looked up in amazement at the falling snow.