Chapter 26 - It was too late

“Yes, there isn’t.”

“Not a little bit?”

“No. When I asked your Majesty for a divorce, I had already abandoned all that feeling.”

Fabian was dumbfounded by Evelyn, who was more radical than expected and lost his words.

“You said that breathing by my side was uncomfortable.”

“Yeah.”

Now Evelyn was encouraged by alcohol. Thanks to that, she might utter a sincere word that she couldn’t speak all this time.

“Am I the cause?”

“Your Majesty is also one of them.” Evelyn said calmly.

“But that’s all in the past. I’ve forgotten and I don’t have any resentment or regret, so I hope Your Majesty is healthy.”

Fabian looked at Evelyn and blinked slowly.

“You mean, you have no intention of coming back to me?”

This time, It was Evelyn, who blinked her eyes.

“Why do I have to go back to the Imperial Family after I was divorced?”

Fabian blinked a few more times, his face hardened like a wooden stone. There was nothing to say when she asked him like that.

“Of course it is.”

But for Fabian, he never thought it would be his last time with Evelyn. There was no particular reason or basis why he felt like that, but he just believed that Evelyn would come back one day.

“I didn’t whine or complain to His Majesty when I was divorced.”

That day, Fabian told Evelyn, who was seeking a divorce, that an Empress’ seat wasn’t a place for such a fool.

“I actually asked for a divorce because I wanted to end my marriage with you, and I never regretted that decision.” said Evelyn, giving it back.

“Huh, can I have a drink, too? The champagne…give me a glass.”

“But I have no more conversations with you….” Evelyn said, honestly.

“I have it.”

The same thing was true of Fabian. Fabian sat on Rebecca’s seat and drank her champagne when Evelyn didn’t think about handing the glass.

“Why Akshire? Is there any deep relantionship between you and Duke Akshire?”

“Well….Felice and Akshire have a “deep” relationship.”

Evelyn answered roughly. Her words had a wide meaning depending on how Fabian interpreted it.

“Don’t worry, the woman who used to be the Empress won’t get remarried and gossiped about it. When Adrian grew up a little, I decided to help my father’s official duties and take care of him.”

Fabian’s feelings did not go down. In his dark eyes, however, he could see Evelyn’s past appearance for a moment.

“So in conclusion, the divorce request and everything you said earlier was all sincere, and you have no intention of coming back at all.”

“Yeah.”

Evelyn’s unhesitating answer was a big blow to Fabian.

“But…. you left everything behind on Empress’ palace.”

“….Did you know…?”

“Do I look like a foolish man who doesn’t know that much?”

“Yes…..no. No!”

Evelyn quickly took back the words she said without a filter, but she seemed to be late, looking at Fabian’s face.

“Did that mean you still want to come back?”

Fabian had a puzzled look on his face. He looked hopeless, too. Evelyn didn’t want to see him so badly. But why did he still come to his own conclusions?

“No, I never thought of going back. And all the things that I left behind … I left what I received as the Empress because the edict abolished all the privileges of the Empress.”

“Just because of that…?”

If she wasn’t drunk, Evelyn would have noticed Fabian’s voice, full of disappointment.

“Yeah.”

Fabian stared relentlessly at Evelyn with his black eyes, wondering when she would lose her fierce spirit.

“I had no idea if I was a damn husband.”

“No, it’s my fault to talk about it outside. I won’t make this a topic of conversation from now on.”

Evelyn never corrected her words, and that made Fabian even more upset.

“As for the idea of divorce.”

Fabian opened his mouth heavily, but he couldn’t figure out what to say. It was the first time for him, who had been an emperor since 16, to say ‘regret’ to someone.

And besides, he didn’t have dating experience, so it was difficult for him to talk to a woman.

“Your Majesty, I’ve already made up my mind and told you.”

“Can you think about it again?”

Evelyn paused for a moment at Fabian’s unbelievable question. He had lonely eyes, which she had never seen on the night of the divorce.

“We just had different ways to love, and I wasn’t such a bad husband either.”

But without knowing it, Fabian set fire to Evelyn’s heart.

“Ha … … I tried not to say this.”

Evelyn mumbled to herself and took a glass of champagne. Fabian was amazed when he saw Evelyn so strange.

“Your Majesty, you’re the worst husband. To the extent….if I knew the future, I would have died and never married you.”

“Me?”

“I just said a word, and you’re making such a scary impression, but your cold face was the hardest thing for me.

“But I’ve done nothing wrong with the Empress.”

“Then…. did you love me?”

Fabian suddenly stopped talking to her. The word love was something he still didn’t know about. Or perhaps he never knew that.

“I took care of you in my own way.”

“Okay. So, do you know when my birthday is?”

“Spring.”

Evelyn didn’t even ask the date. But even this was already wrong.

“It’s winter…”

“…….”

“How about the flowers I planted in the Empress’ garden?”

“I’m not interested in flowers. But I gave you a garden for that.”

“No, when I was an Empress, I never had a separate garden.”

Evelyn won every battle in this way.

“Your Majesty hates elixirs. That’s why you often have a clash with priests. You like a golden wooden tree, but you prefer an elm tree. You prefer a solo cello to an orchestra. You like soup that contains a lot of milk. You eat raspberry jam every morning, and you love soft boiled eggs, especially lamb chops.”

Fabian looked at Evelyn with a stiff expression. But his black eyes were clearly shaking with surprise. Because only Evelyn, who had been watching Fabian for a long time, could tell.

“Shall I continue·····?”

Fabian shook his head. Perhaps if she kept going, Evelyn could tell all Fabian’s likes and dislikes, all his interests, until the night was over.

“It’s like this….”

Evelyn made eye contact with Fabian.

“Our marriage was like this….”

Fabian knew nothing about her.

Nothing.

“That’s why it doesn’t mean anything. I wanted to have a more meaningful life.”

Evelyn’s calm voice was heard. It was a voice that Fabian always heard before.

At one time.

When Evelyn was his wife.

“As a woman, is there a life in this world that more meaningful than being an Empress?”

“Yes.”

This time again, Evelyn didn’t hesitate at all.

“I have it.”

Evelyn’s eyes were filled with sparkles that Fabian didn’t know. The way she smiled had changed. It was still beautiful, but there’s love added to it. Her smile was like a full cold moon, pure and bright.

But, it wasn’t a lonely smile. It was more like an innocent girl without a shade.

“So, Your Majesty, please forget about her who used to be the Empress. She wants it.”

It was a complete rejection.

“Then, I won’t see you again, so I’m going to leave now.”

Evelyn stood up from her seat and bent her knees to give an example.

“Goodbye, Your Majesty.”

“…….”

Fabian remembered it. The night when the scent of a golden tree spread out into the air.

At that moment, in an instant, the clock that had stopped began to spin again.

Evelyn’s feelings for Fabian moved slowly, asking for a divorce, but it managed to pierce Fabian’s heart.

“I wish you good health and happiness.”

Evelyn left.

Fabian accepted the breakup too late.

For the first time, he felt that one side of his heart was throbbing and sore.

It was a time when everything was too late.