Chapter 46

I mumbled, “At least I don’t want to be pushed by you.”

I know this is childish, but who does Leah like the most? Her father or her mother? I want to hear the answer ‘Mom!’

As we quarreled in a whisper, Leah asked anxiously, “……haven’t you two reconciled yet?”

Well, I can’t help it.

I decided to stop acting childish at this point.

“No, Leah. Take a good look.”

I stood up and hugged Rupert lightly.

“Look, we have reconciled.”

Perhaps he was startled by my unexpected behavior, his body stiffened slightly.

“Mom and Dad get along well.”

Then I loosened my arms.

Rupert muttered as he put his hand on his forehead.

“Noel, you really……”

Well, just looking at his reaction, I couldn’t tell whether he liked it or not.

‘You seemed to have a crush on me though.’

Of course, Leah, unaware of this situation, was purely delighted.

“I’m glad you two got along!”

Having said that, Leah turned around. She seems to be looking for a place to put her drawings.

“I feel relieved. I think we’ll go back home. That’s fortunate.”

As I reassuredly said that, Rupert lightly grabbed my elbow and sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

He clung to me. It was close enough that his breath to reach me, so I was nervous without realizing it.

“……Noel.”

A low whisper was heard in my ear.

“Stay more than two meters away from me.”

“……”

What does this mean?

‘Wait, are you saying that just because I hugged you for a moment?’

He walked away from me immediately.

‘Huh?’

I looked at his back as he approached Leah.

‘Am I still not good enough?’

I’m going to die of confusion, really.

***

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After that, things went on quickly. Before departing for the mansion, I said goodbye to Mrs. Rizé Ernst. Of course, the person I will miss the most is her.

“I made a good friend after a long time.”

I agree with her.

“So did I.”

Mrs. Rizé hugged me lightly and asked, “Can I see you again?”

“Of course.”

The villa is here, so we can meet on vacation.

I also said goodbye to Leander.

“I wish I could see Rupert next time,” said Leander.

“I don’t think it’s possible.”

Suddenly, I wondered if I would ever see Leander again.

‘If it goes according to the original story, we will definitely meet again.’

I feel like I’ve already ruined the original storyline.

‘Still, the overall story may not change.’

First of all, no matter what the future holds, for now, I have to stop Aren and the other knights I saw in my dream from dying.

“Please stay healthy until we meet again.”

“I hope you and Leah will always be at peace.”

Did he not wish peace for Rupert?

‘You two even wore doll masks together!’

The childishness that didn’t match his face was a little funny, so I turned around, giggling.

Then I returned to the carriage. Rupert was standing in front.

“Noel.”

He reached out for the escort, and I looked away without holding his hand.

“Last time, you told me to stay away from you more than two meters.”

Rupert replied, “My word is still valid. But this is an exception.”

“Whatever.”

I grumbled and got on the carriage while holding his hand.

Leah, who was inside, banged the seat next to her.

“Mom, have a seat here!”

“Okay.”

After a while, the carriage departed.

For a while, Leah was more excited than usual and talked about this and that.

Then she dozed off from exhaustion. I laid her on my knees and patted her.

Inside the carriage, only the sound of Leah’s calm breathing and the sound of the wheels turning regularly could be heard.

It was a good opportunity to clear my doubts.

“Rupert, can I ask you one thing?”

“What?”

“You don’t like me to be close to you or do you like it?”

I added, “Oh, physically.”

After thinking for a moment, he answered, “Not both. It’s troublesome.”

“Why?”

I recalled information about his curse.

As in fairy tales, the curse was lifted when true love came true.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

Is there any other hidden reason?

If you don’t tell me, it means we’re not that close yet.

‘Am I having an erotomania disorder[1] and misunderstood that he likes me?’

[1] Erotomania: delusional disorder in which an individual believes that another person is in love with him.

I asked with an open heart, “If you happen to have someone you love, tell me–”

He cut off my words sharply, “What kind of person do you think I am? Of course not! If so, would I have come to pick you up and Leah in the first place?”

You don’t seem to like my offer.

“No, I mean, I don’t mean to treat you like trash……”

I don’t know how to put this back.

In the end, I expressed my opinion honestly.

“I mean that if you find someone you like later on, you don’t have to hide it.”

Wait, this sounds like the tone of a generous wife saying she will allow her husband to have an affair.

‘I absolutely do not want to create an affair drama situation though.’

Still, there is a reason I have no choice but to say this in advance.

Love is the key to breaking Rupert’s curse.

Rupert crossed his legs and looked at me displeased.

“I won’t cheat on you.”

He said with the vibe of a romantic male lead and a great warrior.

“Is that so?”

“And while I’m by your side, you can’t meet other men either.”

“It’s nice to be fair.”

‘I am grateful that it means you are faithful to your family.’

But if you love neither me nor anyone else, you will never be free from the curse.

Then one day we might end up in danger.

‘Ah, I really don’t know.’

How on earth is it right to keep this marriage going?

‘What is the standard of true love, which is the condition for breaking the curse in the first place? And who decides it?!’

How do you judge that a feeling that you can’t even see in shape is real?

‘Eternal love is something you have to live to the end to know.’

I’m a little lost.

Anyway, I had no choice but to say this to my husband as insurance for now, “Nevertheless. If, really if……”

He raised one eyebrow and said in a warning tone, “Noel.”

“Don’t be angry and listen, Rupert. Really, if you have someone you love for the rest of your life, you don’t have to force yourself to hide it.”

After all, isn’t marriage life maintained in order to make each other happy? It’s no use sharing only misfortune.

“That’s impossible.”

I chuckled.

“Who knows.”

“I don’t think you trust me enough.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

He didn’t seem to believe me.

Rupert said, “If you really think so, I’ll tell you one thing in advance.”

I guess he was offended, so I listened to him obediently.

“What?”

“When you return, take over the authority related to the internal affairs of the mansion again.”

“Yes?”

I widened my eyes at the unexpected words.

I asked, “You didn’t like me meddling in the internal affairs of the mansion, did you?”

It was.

Rupert was very displeased with me meddling in the internal affairs of the mansion.

Some of the authority was entrusted to his assistant, Ordin, as a deputy.

‘Because I was a mad dog as far as I can remember.’

“So, take it all back.”

I looked at him intently.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Not really. I just told you, I don’t think you trust me enough.”

Rupert made eye contact with me for a moment, then turned his head out of the window and spoke, “So I’ll put my trust in you first.”

“……”

“If you are who you are now, you can make it a place where Leah is not afraid.”

He said it indirectly, but that means he will trust me from now on.

Hmmm, this is a bit touching.

“……I’ll try my best.”

Before, I only received looks of hostility and suspicion.

Well, it can’t be helped considering what I’ve done in the past.

Because I always felt like my body wasn’t moving the way I wanted it to. It was as if someone else had been at the helm of my life.

But now I have a chance to get everything right again.

Now I feel like I can live my life according to my will.

“Rupert.”

He turned his head to me.

Our eyes met.

I smiled brightly.

“Thanks.”

“……”

For a moment, the look he made when he saw my smile was……

It was hard for me to know exactly now.