Chapter 15

Taking the opportunity, I walked up to him.

Rupert turned and looked dissatisfied.

“What’s going on?”

I also have something to say.

“You’re pretending you didn’t hear me, huh?”

“I didn’t hear you.”

The lie was obvious.

I’m holding back my anger. It was my loss if I continued to argue with him over these issues.

“Well… I have something to ask.”

Rupert kept his mouth shut and gave me a quick look.

“What’s the pile of boxes in my room?”

“Reward for last time.”

I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected answer.

“Last time?”

I pondered. What happened last time?

“Oh! Did you heal your wounds? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen your face since that day. Maybe you did it on purpose?”

Rupert replied briefly.

“No way. I’ve been busy.”

“Has the wounds not healed yet? Have you ever had a fever and lost your mind?”

I carefully placed my hand on his forehead to check his body temperature.

“I don’t think you have a fever… or have you eaten something wrong?”

At that time, Rupert, who had stiffened for a moment, quickly retreated.

“I’m fine. More than that, why did you think I’m not feeling well just because I gave you something?”

This time, I snorted lightly.

“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”

“……”

I ignored Rupert’s seemingly ridiculous silence.

“Anyway, you are not ill. In other words, does that mean that it is a gift in return as a token of gratitude?”

Rupert corrected.

“It was not a gift, it was a reward.”

I asked suspiciously.

“Why did you keep saying ‘reward’?”

“Isn’t the meaning of the two words different? A gift is given as a token of gratitude and a reward is to pay off a debt.”

Those words made sense.

To put it simply, he didn’t really want to thank you, but he paid the light anyway.

‘I have no luck.’

Rupert spoke softly.

“I have to avoid debt. Especially from you, Noel Ainel.”

I laughed out loud.

‘You’re going to come out like this.’

“Marquis Rupert Ainel, if you want to give me a reward, shouldn’t you ask me what I want?”

I asked sarcastically to him.

“It’s really strange, didn’t you just like luxury things about until a few weeks ago?”

“Oh, actually, my tastes have changed in the meantime.”

“Then what do you want?”

I was waiting for you to ask this!

“Then how about playing ball with Leah? I like it a lot these days.”

Rupert responded immediately.

“If she needs a playmate, look for a child her age.”

“No, I want you to play with her.”

“… I refuse.”

“Then how about you say goodnight to Leah every night?”

“I refuse that too.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

He turned his head to avoid my gaze.

“I’m busy. So let’s just do this, if there is anything she needs, I will support it as much as I can.”

Then he turned around and walked very fast. It seems that he doesn’t want to talk anymore.

I stared at his back as he left.

Rupert seemed like someone who avoided as much as possible to associate with Leah or me.

Like someone who thinks we’re going to pass the plague on him.

‘It can’t be like this.’

He is someone who doesn’t open up a gap in his heart.

But I can’t stand him continuing to ignore Leah’s existence.

Eventually, I returned to my room angrily.

I bang the door with an angry face! As soon as it closed, the maids inside shook their shoulders.

“Ma-Madam…?”

I had no intention of arguing with them.

“Return all of this- No. Wait a minute.”

Another thought occurred to me.

“Just move everything here to Rupert’s room and piled up on his bed.”

“Pardon?”

I replied softly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for it.”

If he keeps avoiding conversations, I have no choice but to do this.

I won’t give up, bastard!!!

***

That night, a knock heard in my room.

It was obvious who would come at this hour. I put a blanket over my shoulders and opened the door.

“What’s wrong, Marquis?”

As expected, it was Rupert.

“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”

“Absolutely.”

I thought he would come in, but unexpectedly he paused.

“Why won’t you come in?”

To a curious question, Rupert answered.

“I was thinking for a while whether it was the right decision to enter your room at this time.”

What did this mean? Did you ask for courtesy?

“Are you ashamed to enter your own wife’s room?”

For some reason, he complained in a pretty candid tone.

“You’ve changed so much these days that it feels like you’re dating another man.”

‘Did you even think like that?’

Rupert stepped in without much further complaint.

I looked at his expression for a moment. He looked annoyed, but he didn’t look angry.

‘I’m glad.’

I wanted to have a proper conversation with Rupert one more time.

In the end, there was no other way but to have him come to me directly.

He was the first to speak.

“Take the stuff in my room, including what you have piled up on the bed of course.”

“I gave it back because I didn’t need it.”

Rupert sighed quietly.

“… what the hell do you want, Noel Ainel?”

I have to say this for sure.

“I always said exactly what I wanted. It was you who didn’t believe it.”

Let’s get to know each other more, with Leah too.

‘You were the one who ignored my request.’

Even if you said you avoid me because you didn’t like me, what was the reason you ignored your daughter?

“Do your duty as a parent. I don’t really have anything other than that request.”

“Then Noel Ainel, how about you?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s all for Leah. What do you want from me for yourself?”

Oh, he still seems to think that I am a good mother because I have a special intention.

“There is nothing.”

“……”

“It’s true. I’ve been lavishing my life with luxury. That’s enough.”

Rupert’s gaze narrowed.

“Really? So, other than material things, is there nothing else?”

“Anything else?”

I looked at him curiously.

If it’s something other than material, do you mean spiritual?

Marital love or something?

‘Why were you asking this?’

Now, it seemed that he even doubted that I had any false delusions of myself.

“I do not need it.”

I chuckled.

“Love and affection… well, our relationship has come too far to discuss these feelings.”

Still, after some time, I might be able to maintain a good friend-level relationship with him.

‘It is enough for Rupert not to harm me and Leah.’

Then there will be no quarrels that caused me and Leah to die, and the future will change.

“……”

“I’m serious. I’m not going to do anything to offend you anymore. I’ll give you the proper courtesy and respect.”

‘Then you should give me what I want.’

“Was my role as a parent still not enough?”

As he spoke, I looked at his expression and was a little surprised.

“Are you mad?”

As if he was aware of my expression at that time, he pressed his forehead firmly.

“Not at all.”

I nodded.

“Anyway, I’ll do as you wish. From now on, I’ll be quiet and won’t cause any more trouble. I’ll also keep my distance from you.”

He wasn’t as happy as I thought he would be.

‘Well, he wasn’t usually a good laugher.’

You’ve been pushing me away so far, and I don’t know what the problem is.

“I’m going to be quiet, but you have one thing to do for me in return.”

“What is it?”

“Spend your time with Leah.”

‘Are you going to refuse again?’

I looked at him expectantly.