Chapter 66

Chapter 66

“I just thought it would be okay to die.”

“Chloe!”

Eric shouted again. His head seemed to circle in place as he didn’t understand everything. The fact that she had no regrets in life and that she thought it was okay to die, everything!

As he said, everyone had a desire for life though Chloe didn’t seem too greedy for life. To have no desire for life meant to have no sense of purpose, and to have no sense of purpose meant that life was not worth living…

Why was she like this?

Eric captured her in his eyes, and at that moment, he realized.

…Chloe, in the past, wasn’t like this.

The old Chloe wasn’t like this. Her blue eyes always sparkled, her cheeks were full of life, and her voice was always powerful. But now, she was thin, old, and exhausted. All the sparkle was gone, the vitality was gone, the power was volatilized…

Everything was different

Chloe was like a light bulb with a broken filament… A broken light bulb that would not light up no matter how much electricity was flowing in. Eric had the idea to connect the broken filament. Otherwise, it seemed that she would die in an instant.

“You…”

What should he say? He rolled the words in his mouth for a long time.

As he continued to think deeply, he came to the idea that he had to prioritize what he had to say. What would he say… what he had to say to Chloe, who was as faint as if she was about to crumble at any moment?

“…You have to live.”

He noticed that his voice was shaking uncontrollably, but he couldn’t stop talking.

“You have to live somehow. You must not die. You surely must survive.”

He seemed to have lost his mind somewhere as he spoke in gibberish. Chloe, who always saw Eric’s rational side and cold attitude, wondered why he had changed like this.

“Why?”

So, she asked a little more sharply.

“Why do I have to live?”

Eric opened his mouth unconsciously. Why should she live?

“Because living is a matter of course…”

He blurred out the end even as he spoke. As he just judged, Chloe didn’t seem to have a purpose in her life. What use was it to say that she had to live when life had no purpose?!

…Still, Chloe had to live. Eric’s beloved Chloe had to live.

Couldn’t bear to think that even such a thought was terribly selfish, he grabbed her wrist.

“Chloe.”

Eric uttered in a pleading tone.

“Let’s go back together. I will treat you somehow.”

“I told you.”

Chloe cut off his words.

“I don’t want to live.”

She said with all her strength, she didn’t have the strength right now, so that strength might not look like much. Nonetheless, Chloe squeezed out all her remaining strength anyway.

“I have no intention of going back with you ever.”

Eric’s eyes shook slightly. He didn’t understand her… no, everyone couldn’t understand why she had changed like this, how she had lost her will to live, and why she didn’t waver even though he had come this far to hold on to her.

Why did this happen? And why didn’t she want to change…?

He grabbed Chloe by the shoulders.

“Why?”

Eric asked with genuine doubt.

“Why don’t you want to go back with me? Why?”

Hearing the innocence that was conveyed in his question, which had no consideration for the other person, Chloe could feel her mind go numb for a moment.

Why? He should know better.

The reason I had this thought, the reason why I let go of your hand, the reason why I gave up on you is all because of you!

Chloe’s lip trembled. Tugging her chin, she caught her quickening breath before lowering her gaze.

“You…”

She had many words in her mouth.

What should she say? What should she say to make that selfish man realize his mistake and feel ashamed? Chloe made the decision that she should be selfish as much as this moment, and this judgment came out right away.

“…You really are a terrible person.”

She raised her lowered eyes as she stared straight at the frozen Eric, shocked by her words. Chloe gazed at his two empty eyes.

“So terrible.”

Eric opened his mouth again, then he closed it. He clenched his fists instead of answering.

“Please, go back. Please.”

Eric closed his eyes tightly.

What else should he do here? Because he loved her, just because he loved her… Should he put up with everything?

…No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t.

Eric Aslan couldn’t.

He immediately turned around. As he left the place, he pretended not to hear the sound of Chloe slumping and pretending not to know her still watery eyes.

He didn’t know what thought went into him, Eric thought.

Unlike the way he came, which was hard all the time, the way back felt shorter than he thought. Perhaps it was because his impatient mind had changed.

He tried to figure out what emotions he was feeling right now. It was a great development for him, who did not listen to his own thoughts and feelings though he did not notice this, and only thought that all his senses had become more sensitive after meeting Chloe.

Anyway, Eric quietly listened to his heart. Then, suddenly, an emotion popped up.

It was anger.

Yes, he was filled with anger.

He hated Chloe, and he didn’t understand why she rejected him, why she didn’t want to live, why, why, why… He was full of questions about everything he didn’t understand, and therefore he hated Chloe.

Not suited to Eric’s own understanding, she was the wrong one.

He was in love with the wrong person.

He didn’t understand this either. Why he loved her? He had never experienced or received anything called love, so he had no idea what great love was. Why he felt this way, or what should he do next? All he knew was that he loved Chloe, that was all…

Eric was going crazy.

Everything must have a causal relationship. If there was a result, there must be a cause, but the feeling of love he felt had no cause. Emotions without cause… this was enough to confuse his mind and made it so stuffy that he couldn’t breathe well.

Eric breathed heavily, loosened his tie, and unfastened a couple of buttons that were clamping down on his neck.

Glancing out his window, he saw the mansion nearing. He had been thinking the same thing for hours. Eric thought that he really hated himself, and he felt angry again. This time, too, anger toward Chloe. He hated and hated her.

…However, what he hated the most was that he loved her.

He was fed up with everything.

Eric threw his head back. He felt the car slowly stop.

As he finally arrived at the mansion, he glanced back and stared at the mansion. As soon as Chloe came, she nagged him about how did he live in a place like this. So, he did the cleaning for her, put someone for her, and eventually tried to move their home.

But, she left him…

Why?

Why?

He couldn’t understand her at all. Anxiety ran up to his throat.

“Your Excellency!”

At this time, Daniel ran and opened the car door.

“What happened? What about Madam?”

Daniel has received it warmly ever since Eric said he was going to meet Chloe, and he told Eric to go and get the Madam right away. As he observed the empty car, Eric opened his mouth immediately.

“She didn’t come.”

“Yes…?”

When Daniel asked with a surprised face, he answered.

“She said she wouldn’t come. From now on, always, forever.”

He was the one who said so, but he doesn’t know why he got hurt himself. Conceivably the source of this anger was himself. Eric thought about it for a moment, yet he didn’t come to an answer so he tried hard not to pay attention to it.

“But… but still, if Madam left without treatment, she will surely die!”

Daniel protested.

This was true. Without treatment, Chloe would eventually die of heart disease. Eric knew this better than anyone.

Nonetheless…

“Live and die like that.”

He replied in a cold voice.

“…I’m not interested anymore.”

It was true that he loved Chloe, but he had no intention of holding on to her until she threw all of herself.

If you want to leave, leave. If you’re going to die, die. It’s over. I’ve done enough.

Eric thought so and left.

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