Chapter 73: His Majesty's Calculation (4)

That evening, he watched her every move. The moment she put the sweets into the wine, he sent innocent Rosemary to retrieve it. He downed the glass before her, pretending to be under the effects of the love potion, he made sure that she would not escape him.

His thought was that with her knowing he was under the effects of the love potion, she would have no doubts about how he felt about her. And the plan was successful; he was able to get Amber. He was so delighted; he thought he would be able to marry her at long last, but now…

'Hey, stop sighing; you'll sink your office.' Matthias said bussing his shoulder.

But he could not stop sighing.

Ernest disliked his foolishness. He felt like a foolish, pathetic man.

But he loved Amber. He wanted to cherish her for the rest of her life, but he also wanted her to love him.

He had only used the love potion because he wasn't confident she would love him. Using that cowardly scheme, he captured her forcibly. He found himself foolishly relieved she didn't want to confess that she had used it on him. As long as she believed that the love potion was real, she would never leave his side.

Three months. It was only for three months.

Despite his trick, he would marry her in three months. If in the meantime, she got pregnant, she would have to stay beside him forever. Whichever came first, Ernest would tell her the truth; when there was no possibility of her running away. He was willing to exploit her guilt.

In return, he would love her completely. Promise to always make her happy, so she never regretted marrying him.

For not being able, to tell the truth, Ernest thought himself selfish, pathetic and timid. He was no different from those other men.

He was so frightened of losing her, in his fear; he tried to keep her next to him by deceitful means until they were married.

He had patiently waited for her to forget her former beau. It felt like he had had to wait forever for the day she would be married to him. He had to have her, he had to keep her. He did not want her to be taken by someone else.

He was a truly despicable man.

He had to tell her everything, he decided. Confess and apologize.

Even if he had to kneel and knock his head on the floor and cry. Even if she looked at him with contempt, rejected him coldly; for the sin of deceiving her, he would have to bear the hurt. But he would get her forgiveness. He would never let her go.

Being with her this past month, he has begun to love her even more deeply he could no longer see straight. If he lost her, he surely would not be able to live any longer.

As Ernest clenched his fist in determination, there was a knock on his door.

'Yes?' Matthias answered, 'my Countess is…?'

Matthias' face was thoughtful.

When the door closed, Matthias turned to Ernest,

'Ernest, I have good news.'

'My pretty Letty came with an antidote.' (Zuben: Your "Pretty Letty" is going to screw things up)

'An antidote…?'

Amber had asked for the antidote,

'But the love potion is just sweets. What on earth are you talking about an antidote?'

'The antidote is just blue sweets.'

Why would Matthias get such a thing?

Ernest rushed up to him and grabbed him by the collar, but before he could Matthias held his hands up in surrender and said,

'Why don't you redeem yourself with this chance?'

'What do you mean?' Ernest growled.

'Amber is meeting Leticia in a reception room. Let's resolve the misunderstanding.'

Ernest stopped; he had one more peach sweet in his pocket. If he took the last one and took the "antidote", then confessed that he loved her, Amber would believe his feelings for her were true.

He had to do this to at leave gain a modicum of trust. If he didn't tell her the truth and beg for her forgiveness, she would believe that the love potion as real. He had to dispel her guilt. If he didn't it would only hurt her more.

He had to apologize, he could not hold on to any pride before Amber.

If she told him to bark and howl like a dog, he would do it. He loved her and would do anything for her forgiveness.

Ernest ran out of his office.

Ernest will come to regret his idea.

But he wanted to drive himself to the ends of hell, more than Matthias who created this situation. More than he would like to kill Leticia for hurting Amber. (Zuben: Some lines don't make any sense to me.)