Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“What about marrying the princess? You’ll be able to control the royal family completely like that.”

“Are you crazy?”

Eric spat back fiercely.

“No, well. Why are you so angry? It’s disconcerting.”

Daniel scratched the back of his head and murmured.

“I just think that marrying the princess would produce the best results. I think it’ll be difficult to make the Second Prince into a loyal dog like the King is now.”

“……”

“After marrying into the royal family, you can wield their power. Isn’t that something you’re good at? Hitting the back of the head of the people who trust you.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Of course.”

He then turned away from Daniel, who had his mouth shut tight, then he glanced up at the ceiling.

What Daniel said wasn’t wrong.

As he said, it wasn’t a bad idea to marry the princess and have the entire royal family in the palm of his hand. No, Eric admits that this was the best method.

However.

What would happen to Chloe?

If he divorces her, what would happen to her? How would she live? Will her family afford the debts of her older brother?

It’s clear that they would be left on the streets. If the noble, dignified Chloe Rolphe would be left begging on the streets… sh*t.

Eric grabbed the screwdriver again. He focused on only the machine in front of him and assembled it one screw at a time.

“If the Second Prince becomes King, he won’t let you go easy.”

“I know, Daniel. I’m not an idiot.”

“Will it be solved if you just know? Shouldn’t you come up with a solution? Just close your eyes and remarry!”

“Haven’t I said it clearly that I don’t want to.”

“Ah, seriously. You don’t like this, you don’t like that. If you hate everything, why then? Because I really don’t understand.”

Daniel strode to Eric’s side.

“Why did you marry the Madam when you don’t even love her, huh?”

Eric scowled. He took off the glasses over his eyes that suddenly felt constricting.

“That’s why you’re convincing me to get a divorce? Should I just throw everything away?”

“Your Excellency will be in danger otherwise!”

“I won’t. Even if they try to bite, I hold them in my hands.”

Eric wore his glasses again. He lifted a small cog using a metal tweezer and carefully assembled the machine in front of him.

“I have a plan. I’m still considering how I should go about it.”

“There’s no guarantee that Your Excellency’s plan will be successful. You shouldn’t be complacent.”

“Sure, I’ll continue listening to your criticism that’s thinly veiled as advice.”

“Was it obvious?”

Daniel took a step back and grinned.

He knew that he’d push Eric’s buttons if he said anything more. Besides, he already said what he needed to say.

Eric assembled the last cogwheel. Then, he shifted his gaze towards Daniel.

“If you’re going to say such useless things, you should have gone to Chloe instead.”

“Pardon?”

Daniel widened his eyes in surprise as though this was truly something he didn’t think about.

“What? But why?”

“Go see if her physical condition is fine.”

“The Madam will feel uncomfortable if I go.”

Uncomfortable?

Eric raised an eyebrow, wondering about this.

“Why? Shouldn’t someone be by her side since she’s sick?”

“Umm…”

Daniel shook his head, his nose scrunched up.

“It depends on who the person is. I don’t think the Madam will like it. She’s a noble.”

Aristocrats never revealed their true feelings.

Their thoughts, their condition.

Wasn’t there one case where a noblewoman died because she refused to show her skin, even when she was being eaten away by an infectious disease?

Eric, who was reminded of this anecdote, suddenly had a thought.

Then was it wrong for him to stay by Chloe’s side earlier? That’s why she looked displeased?

Eric frowned.

“Damn. I just really don’t know how to treat her.”

Eric said this as he assembled the remaining iron plates of the machine.

As he continued to do so, the pieces that were nothing more than scraps of metal earlier began to take shape. It was a small puppy.

“A lump of metal could be assembled and brought to life, but Chloe is like soft, tender pudding, not scrap metal. The slightest touch would unravel her.”

Huh? What did Daniel just hear? He stared blankly at Eric.

“…The Madam is like… pudding?”

Daniel repeated this, trying to read Eric’s expression.

“She doesn’t seem like that to me…”

The Chloe who Daniel saw was a cool-headed Marchioness who was a perfect match for Eric.

She was a person who did not show her emotions, making it hard for anyone to read her.

But… soft, tender pudding?

Daniel thought there was nothing more opposite than pudding to her.

‘Perhaps…’

Daniel narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he observed Eric’s face.

Eric’s eyes were fierce and emotionless as usual, but one corner of his lips was slightly upturned.

It was a very, very slight smile.

But could a man who had no blood or tears make a face like that?

Daniel rubbed his eyes and rubbed his arms as he felt goosebumps rising over his skin.

“Wow, okay, I shouldn’t have mentioned Your Excellency remarrying with the princess.”

“What are you blathering on about now?”

“Yup. I almost became trash.”

“What?”

“No, never mind. I don’t think Your Excellency has realized it anyway.”

“What nonsense are you saying…”

“Anyway. Would you like to know how the Madam should be treated?”

Eric hesitated for a moment, but he soon met Daniel’s eyes.

It was a wordless command for him to speak now. Daniel’s smile deepened.

“I know the right way.”

With a serious look as though he was speaking about a national emergency, Daniel spoke.

“Please act the opposite of how you’ve been acting thus far.”

“…You’re not helping at all.”

Clack!

Eric threw the screwdriver towards Daniel.

“Why? It’s the truth! If you act just a little sweeter, I’m sure the Madam will like you more. Seriously!”

“Get out.”

“Wow, you don’t believe me.”

“Get out right this second. Don’t make me say it a third time.”

Huu. Daniel stood up with a pout on his lips, as though thinking, ‘It couldn’t be helped then.’

But as he stepped out the door, he turned around again.

“If you’re going to see the Madam, you should act cuter. And wear better clothes!”

“Get out!”

“Haa, that temper of yours.”

Ka-chak. Daniel closed the door behind him.

Even though the door was already shut, Daniel could still hear Eric’s indignant huffs.

“He’s not being honest.”

While muttering, he pursed his lips to the side.

“He should show it more.”

That way, the Madam could stay longer.

Daniel hummed and walked cheerfully.

Chloe opened her eyes, her gaze blank.

How many hours did she sleep?

When she looked out the window, the sun was in the middle of the sky. It felt like she slept all day.

However, after sleeping like this, she felt lighter. Her fever went down and symptoms of her illness disappeared.

‘It’s really warm here.’

Basking in the heat of the room, Chloe sat up carefully.

Then, she slowly placed her feet on the ground.

‘Was it a dream?’

Chloe gently closed her eyes, then opened them once more.

As her vision became clearer, she saw her medicine on the table.

If it weren’t for that, Chloe would have thought that Eric’s visit last night was but a dream.

It all felt unreal.

“He prepared a wet towel…”

Chloe muttered in a dry voice.

Was it sympathy?

No, didn’t he hate that she was sick? He was very annoyed.

Then, why…

As Chloe thought it over, she suddenly grabbed her forehead.

She didn’t have it in her to think too deeply about things now because her head was still throbbing.

For now, she stored away all her questions in her heart.

As she had decided on, she had to recover from this fever quickly. Then no one would be able to notice that her time was limited.

“I’m thirsty…”

There was no water left in the kettle.

She looked around for the rope to call for a maid, but there wasn’t such a thing in this cottage.

‘I need to go out.’

Chloe picked up the shawl hanging on the chair and placed it over her shoulders before she went out the door. She would only be more thirsty if she waited for Andrea to come.

Tak.

She turned the knob to open the door, but—it didn’t open.

‘Why…’

Chloe pushed the door with all the strength left in her. Then, the door finally opened wide.

It seemed like the door didn’t open properly because there was something in front of the door.

“What’s this?”

Chloe looked down at the metal mass that had a strange shape.

Ah, is this what they called a machine?

“It looks like…”

A puppy.

Chloe touched the puppy-shaped machine that moved its legs, yet collapsed every time it moved.

“It’s still unfinished. Don’t touch it.”

Chloe raised her head in surprise as she heard his voice nearby.

It was Eric.

“What do you mean by unfinished?”

Chloe hugged the puppy robot that fell.

“I think it’s fine as it is now…”

Isn’t it cute? Chloe murmured to herself as she stroked the robot’s smooth back.

However, Eric immediately snatched it away from Chloe’s arms. As if it was something that should never be hers.

Chloe smiled bitterly, feeling empty in an instant.

“How’s your condition?”

But with this, Chloe was taken by surprise because of his question. The fact that he was worrying about her.

She never thought that he would.

Even so, didn’t he just place a wet towel over her forehead while she was sick?

After coming here to this cottage, Chloe seemed to be experiencing a lot of unexpected things. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Thanks to you, I’ve recovered faster.”

“That’s a relief.”

Eric nodded.

“You can go out today.”

Chloe’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean…”

“You have to buy clothes. Apparently, you didn’t bring anything with you.”

“Clothes?”

Chloe tilted her head to the side as though she couldn’t understand the language they were conversing with. What did he mean he’d buy her clothes, when all this time he’s been yelling at her to go back?

As though to remedy her curiosity, Eric sighed and answered.

“The royal family will be holding a ball soon. His Highness the Second Prince invited the both of us.”