Chapter 35

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Chapter 35

Chloe looked as though she was about to cry. But that couldn’t be the case. Eric denied the fact. Chloe wasn’t someone who cried. There was no way she was going to burst into tears.

Eric let out a deeper sigh, sweeping up the fallen fringe over his forehead.

“For that, I apologize. But I have to say that it couldn’t be helped. I was busy, and I didn’t have the time to take better care of you. However, like I said, I’m trying. I’m trying to be better to you now.”

He spoke with an air of determination.

“Do you not like this?”

Chloe shook her head in a hurry.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s just…”

She slowly raised her clammy hands and placed them on the table. She looked down and seemed to be lost in thought.

What should she say? Eric was curious about her next words, and so he waited.

“Thank you.”

These simple words were absolutely not what he expected.

Thank you?

What did he do?

Eric was so flustered that he couldn’t answer. He didn’t know how to react, so all he could do was show an awkward reaction.

Meanwhile, Chloe smiled brightly at Eric.

“Really. Thank you, Darling.”

She was grateful for everything. Eric worked hard for Chloe’s sake, and now Eric said that he was going to do better. She was thankful for all this…

What if she wasn’t about to die?

Then, she could have felt even happier.

Chloe continued to smile even as she suppressed the heaviness weighing down her chest.

Before she knew it, it was already evening.

The night’s landscape on the airship was beautiful as well. The glittering starlight all across the night sky shone brilliantly as if warding off the sky’s darkness.

Watching the clear lights, Chloe was unable to take her eyes off the window. Eric watched Chloe as she smiled softly.

This day was quite peaceful.

They had a small fight earlier in the day, but it ended on a lighter note, and they finished eating dinner without any disturbances. Eric thought that it was all very enjoyable. He had a better time today because he also saw an unexpected side from Chloe, but regardless.

The day passed by peacefully because Eric himself made himself relax and be at ease. Chloe wasn’t the problem—it was him. So, Eric decided to be a little gentler and kinder towards Chloe.

“It’s already time to retire. It’s deep into the night.”

He gestured towards the clock, which showed how it was already nearing midnight, unbeknownst to them. Chloe inadvertently looked away from the window.

“I know. It’s way past bedtime.”

Chloe replied, feeling a little tired.

“If I had known that it was so enjoyable to ride an airship, I would have gone more. Can you bring me again with you next time?”

Eric gazed into Chloe’s sparkling eyes and broke out into a low chuckle.

“As long as I can see your face.”

“My face? Why?”

Chloe looked at her reflection in a hand mirror. As usual, she looked haggard and sickly. What was Eric talking about now? Chloe couldn’t quite understand.

Eric didn’t mean it that way. How could he say that she looked as innocent as a child right now, with the way her face glittered like a star? He’d never, in his life, said anything so embarrassing before.

“Anyway, let’s retire now. It’s very late.”

“Alright.”

Chloe sat quietly on the bed. Then, she looked around slowly.

It was a spacious room. There was a sofa set, a desk, and some paintings on the wall, too.

But there was only one bed. Did this mean that she was going to sleep with her husband?

Her heart pounded.

Chloe looked up slightly and glanced at Eric.

“How about you? Aren’t you sleeping?”

“I still have some work to do.”

Chloe looked over to see the machines on his desk. She furrowed her brows.

“Daniel told me that you hardly ever sleep.”

“He seems to have a hobby of talking nonsense. I told him to watch his mouth, but it’s like he deliberately blocks me out.”

“Of course, since it concerns your health. And I’m your wife, so it’s only natural that he told me.”

Eric didn’t contradict her because she was right. Chloe beckoned to Eric.

“Come here and get some shut-eye. I’ll be right beside you.”

Eric faltered. Then, he looked down at his right leg. As he was wearing long pants, perhaps his prosthetic leg wouldn’t be revealed. So, he nodded and approached the bed.

“Lie down.”

At Chloe’s words, Eric wordlessly lay in bed. Naturally, Chloe also lay down next to him. She swept back Eric’s bangs. It was a cold touch, but it felt nice. With a low smile, Eric held her hand, like a purring cat.

“That doesn’t feel bad.”

Chloe was so surprised that he held her hand. She truly didn’t expect him to accept her touch!

Thump, thump. Her heart started beating fast again.

Was tonight the night they’d do that? Her heart was being so terribly noisy, even in her head. Slowly, carefully, she traced Eric’s forehead. Eric slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

How long has it been.

It was only half a cycle that the minute hand turned before Eric opened his eyes again.

“I can’t sleep. I have work to do.”

Chloe sighed briefly as if she didn’t want to let Eric go as he escaped from her touch.

But it couldn’t be helped. He said he had something to do, so it was only right for her to back down here.

She felt that it was a shame, but she tried to hide this feeling from her eyes. Then, she turned towards the desk.

“What are you making?”

There were different kinds of machinery on the desk—things that Chloe didn’t know the names of even when she looked at them closely. Eric answered lightly.

“A supplement for a prosthetic leg.”

“A prosthetic leg?”

“Would you like to see?”

“Yes, I want to.”

Eric got out of bed and brought back the prosthetic leg from his desk.

As a prosthetic, it really looked sophisticated. It had an iron plate outside, but it was filled with so many gears inside. Some were so small that they were barely visible. How did he make something like this?

“Wow…”

Since it was the first time she was seeing a prosthetic limb up close, Chloe expressed her admiration.

“This is amazing.”

Hearing Chloe’s awe, Eric could feel his own shoulders going up.

It’s amazing, she said. He was the only one around the entire world who could make something like this, so it’s not enough to just say, ‘amazing’. He knew this for sure, however.

“But if you wear something like this on your leg…”

Chloe’s subsequent thoughts pulled Eric back down from his hubris.

“It must feel uncomfortable. I think it might even hurt.”

His right leg started to hurt. It would never hurt normally, but strangely, it felt like it was throbbing now.

Eric took a deep breath. His hand trembled as it held the prosthetic.

“Does it disgust you?”

“Huh?”

Surprised, Chloe shook her head.

“No, that’s not what I think. It’s just…”

With a forlorn smile on her lips, she explained.

“It’s just, I feel sorry for them.”

Chloe clasped her hands together.

“For someone to lose a limb… It’s sad because they must have suffered an unimaginable pain. That’s why you’re amazing, Darling. You gave hope to those people. The hope that they’ll be able to walk on both legs again.”

As she looked up at Eric, Chloe’s eyes were glistening with tears. Even though he knew that she wasn’t letting those tears trickle down, Eric still thought that she must be crying out of sympathy.

Sympathy. Right. Like compassion one could feel for a mere dog.

He bit his lower lip tightly. Eric’s deep-seated inferiority complex started to burn anew.

If she knew that one of his legs was a fake, then she would pity him. Instead of admiring him and telling him he was amazing just as she was now, she would just feel sorry for him.

It made him feel pathetic, small, inferior…

Damn it.

“Darling, you’re such a good person.”

Eric shook his head and muttered.

“Go to sleep first. I’ll go back to work.”

Chloe didn’t know why his mood suddenly shifted, and she had no choice but to nod in response.

Chloe thought to herself.

It’s no wonder that her husband was angry.

She thought that the reason why he was angry was because she said the wrong thing.

Again, she made him angry.

She buried her face in her pillow, blaming herself for such stupidity.

It was a suffocating night.

The starlight was no longer beautiful.

The next day, they left the airship. Not one word of conversation was exchanged between them, until they got back home.

The carriage was entirely silent. It was so uncomfortable.

Chloe kept glancing towards Eric the whole time. However, he just read through the stack of telegrams he received the moment they left the airship.

Not once did he look at her.

So, Chloe thought again. That it was her fault.

She was convinced that the good atmosphere soured and became awkward because of her. It was her fault.

Such a sweet time like that was merely a dream. Eric would soon be back to his old self.

If she had known that it would disappear just like a mirage, she would have savored the moment more…

Chloe smiled bitterly to herself and bowed her head.

——

t/n: hello there, this is yonnee~ i’ve unfortunately decided to drop this novel because i’ve lost interest in it. still tho, thank you all so much for supporting my translations thus far, it’s truly been a great experience ????

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