Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Oh, what had I expected from my husband…?

Chloe buried her face in both hands, a sigh breaking out from her lips. When Eric had come to find her, she thought that it was because he was concerned for her because he was worried that she had not come out of her room for days.

This was the reason why she had let him into her room even though the swelling of her cheek had not yet subsided. She had anticipated that he would, somehow, offer her kind words.

But, what was the result? Eric was actually protecting her mother! All while believing in whatever nonsense of hers…!

“Don’t you have to be on my side?”

She barely could squeeze out her voice.

While her hoarse voice clearly revealed how shocked she was, Eric did not notice. For he was always inattentive and unreactive to changes in others.

“I am not taking sides with the Duchess. I simply think that it is right for the child to compromise with their parents in a parent-child relationship.”

Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it shut.

He had already come to the judgement that she had committed a wrongdoing towards her mother and that she had to ask for forgiveness. Assuming from his tendency to not withdraw a decision once made, it seemed that she could not change it.

So, she was exhausted. She was completely worn out and stumbled as she gripped onto the windowsill.

“Please, go back for now.”

“Chloe.”

“It seems that it will be good for mother to return home earlier. As I will not take a step out of the room before she leaves.”

Eric was about to say that she ought not to, though he noticed her adamant determination and eventually closed his mouth.

Meanwhile, he looked at her face — her slightly swollen face contained deep sorrow and worry. Looking as if he was the one who had made a mistake!

…Did I make a mistake?

Eric questioned himself.

From Chloe’s attitude, he had thought that there could be a deep-rooted problem between mother and daughter. However, there was nothing he knew about at present. For, as always in these situations, she was a woman who kept her mouth shut.

Yes. Eric once again found her at fault. He thought that this problem had blown up because she did not admit her mistake, and she never spoke up.

“I think I know why the Duchess dislikes you.”

He purposefully answered back sharply.

“Because you are a woman who, even when treated warmly, does not accept it.”

He saw Chloe catch her breath for a moment. At that moment, Eric momentarily felt sorry at the cracks in her otherwise smooth expression. He felt that something was going utterly wrong.

Was it what he said…?

Pondering back on his words and actions towards Chloe again, he had said the right thing. For, as he had said, she was a woman who did not accept kindness at face value!

He denied her again and again, and a strange uncomfortable sensation lay deep at the bottom of his heart from that, but he ignored it with effort.

…Because he was not a delicate person to be able to search his own feelings, as mentioned.

* * *

The day had come for the Duchess to return back.

Chloe never came out till the very end, and Eric called for Andrea to tell her to come down. She should see her mother off.

It was not long after when she sent word that she would be down. His pride swelled up a little, as he himself thought that he was a considerate and caring husband, from the fact that he had helped reconcile mother and daughter who were not on good terms.

Eric was sure that he was trying his best in his own marriage. Because most of the time, normal husbands cared nothing about the relationship between his wife and her mother — unable to form any notion of it at all, to be more accurate!

It was this thought process that made the argument with Chloe a few days ago something he had not expected. He thought that he had been looking out for her a considerable amount, and yet she did not take it that way at all.

Therefore, after a few days of thinking, Eric made the conclusion that Chloe was much more narrow-minded and stubborn than he had thought.

On the other hand, days where he felt somewhere doubtful about himself or felt uncomfortable, passed. The thought that he was making the wrong judgement was continuously creeping its way up his mind, which was why he felt awkward facing Chloe.

Nevertheless, he had resolved to become a good husband, hence had no other choice but to greet Chloe, who was coming down the stairs, albeit with some effort.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, my wife.”

She stared at her instead of answering. Her face was thinner compared to before. Eric assumed that her sunken complexion was due to her staying in her room without any sunlight.

“You…”

Chloe slowly opened her lips.

“Never seem to respect my views.”

Eric’s eyes crumpled. What was this, out of a sudden…?

“What do you mean?”

“I have already told you very clearly, that I shall not take a step out of my room until mother leaves. Yet, you did not listen to my wish by sending Andrea so many times and making me feel uncomfortable…!”

“We do not know when you will be seeing the Duchess again if you part now. We should send her off.”

Eric said calmly.

He decided that there was nothing that was wrong regarding his thoughts. It was because of his belief that, however deep the misunderstanding between both mother and daughter was, this relationship could not be broken easily.

“I do not have any intention of meeting my mother again.”

Still, that was not so for Chloe.

For her, her relationship with her mother was like glass that could shatter at any time, and she decided that there was already a crack that could not be mended. Moreover, she was to die soon. There was no occasion for her to meet her mother again before that…

There had to be none.

But, Eric, her husband, kept bringing up the subject of love towards family. This made Chloe insane as she had never properly been loved by her own family! How could she love them when she had never received any from them…?

…One had to receive something to give back in return.

Chloe wanted Eric to just not do anything.

However—

“You are very selfish.”

Eric furrowed his brows and spoke.

“I have no family.”

At his words, her eyes wavered.

Eric continued, “That is why I dearly respect love within the family. Yes, I am also envious. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I had a family myself. Though, I gave up as that itself made me miserable.”

“….”

“You complain while having what I wish for the most.”

He stared at Chloe, squarely in both eyes and spoke.

“Do you know how much your actions hurt me?”

Her eyes widened. She staggered, unable to keep her balance. She gasped for breath as she grabbed onto the handrail.

“I did not think that far.”

Chloe spoke after a while, once she had caught her breath.

With all her heart, she sincerely felt apologetic towards Eric. She never knew that he had such beliefs regarding family. This was something she was not considerate about.

Eric knows not even his parents’ faces. He does not even know who had given birth to him. And, to think that she had declared not to see her mother again after a dispute, right in front of him! Would he have felt very hurt by that…?

Chloe could not bear the embarrassment. Because of that, she felt a sense of guilt towards him and was no longer able to stay angry at him because of that.

“I am sorry. I will be more careful from now on.”

She answered meekly.

Though she acted this way to calm Eric’s anger down, she felt that he was put in a worse mood instead.

The fact that he had managed to give up on her wishes should have made him feel superior, yet he felt strangely displeased.

…This was not what we wanted, this was not why he had said that.

He only wanted to help reconcile the relationship between Chloe and her mother. In the process, he wanted to be a good husband who also paid attention to trivial details of his wife’s family matters. However, Chloe looked like she was hurt, and this fact pricked Eric’s heart painfully.

Chloe, who had no idea of what he was thinking, apologised to him again. As he no longer wanted to talk of this subject, he concluded the conversation by answering that he accepted it.

An uncomfortable silence settled between both of them.

Not long after, the Duchess came walking down from the second floor. She had a look of surprise when she saw Chloe.

“I did not know you would show up.”

And, she really did not.

It was because she did not think that stubborn Chloe would have bent her own will and show up. From the looks of it, it appeared that it was the Marquess who had brought her out. It could also be assumed that she had said something to say about it.

Therefore, the Duchess’ feelings became slightly softened from how it had been most disagreeable throughout her stay here.

She proudly spread her shoulders wide and pointed at Chloe with her chin.

“You must have reflected upon yourself. Is that not why you have come to see me off like this?”

“I…”

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