Chapter 31

In Parvenon, where she stayed, Christian really gave Hillise everything she needed.

All the beautiful, warm, and sweet things in the world she had experienced for the first time were all given to her by Christian.

Hillise was happy enough to cry, but she suddenly thought of Inoaden.

On this day, she felt anxious. Hillise believed Christian’s words that he had her father’s permission, but she still wasn’t comfortable because it was the first time she had been away from the mansion for so long. 

So she hesitated and expressed her intention to return to Inoaden. However, Christian did not let Hillise out of Parvenon as promised. In fact, Hillise didn’t know until very late that he lied about getting Diego’s permission.

Naturally, Inoaden somehow wanted to bring Hillise back and wrote a letter. Without Hillise, it was impossible to make Ricardo the successor, so it was inevitable. However, they did not reveal the fact that Hillise had awakened, and it became a justification for Parvenon.

Officially, Inoaden’s successor was Ricardo. And Hillise had no reason to be tied to Inoaden.

Parvenon argued that Hillise also wanted to stay here, so the two should just get married like this.

The lies that Diego and Ricardo told caught up with them, so there was little to no reason to force Hillise out of Parvenon.

They said they wanted to talk to Hillise in person, but Christian dismissed them.

In the process, friction arose between the two families.

Christian didn’t tell the anxious Hillise anything, he just said there was no need to worry. Then he hugged her deeper in his arms.

Hillise followed his words, covering her eyes and ears. It was, in a sense, an escape. Hillise was drunk on the comfort she felt for the first time in her life and became more and more dependent on Christian.

It could have been said that she gave her blind affection as she did to her family.

Some time had passed.

By then, Christian and Hillise were almost married, but they did not have a separate ceremony.

From that time on, Christian’s gaze toward Hillise began to grow further apart little by little.

The more he did, the more carefully Hillise acted so that she wouldn’t offend Christian, and Christian looked at her as if he was tired of her sometimes.

Then one autumn night.

Hillise couldn’t sleep, so she tossed and turned, leaving the room with a robe over her pajamas.

As her relationship with Christian became estranged, she began to suffer from insomnia.

So on nights when she couldn’t fall asleep easily, she often went out for a walk alone.

After passing through a quiet hallway, as usual, she passed a lit room.

“I can’t do this. In a sense, she’s a dumber woman than Gabriel.”

Her footsteps stopped at the familiar voice from within.

As she peered through the crack in the door where the light was leaking out, Hillise saw Christian sitting with a glass of wine in his hand.

“Actually, people don’t change just because they suddenly have an ability they didn’t have before. Still, I didn’t expect it to be this annoying.”

“Do you know the poor woman? She is so blind to Christian, so please be kind to her even if it bothers you.”

“Even if you don’t, squeeze out all the patience you have and treat her with respect.”

“I’m not a philanthropist,” he added, which pierced her heart like thorns.

Christian had a cold face that Hillise had never seen before.

The voice that followed was so cold that it made her heart sink.

“If I had a child who inherited the power of both sides, I would be able to finish this kind of mundane play early without dragging it on. These days, whenever I see her face, I get so sick of it that I want to throw it all away.”

Hillise stepped back without realizing it.

Tuug!

Then the robe she was wearing fell to the floor. Even that echoed loudly in the quiet hallway.

Hillise ran away from that spot, not knowing what she was trying to get away from. Then she tripped and fell.

Her legs were so weak that she couldn’t get up right away, and while she looked down at her trembling hands, her heart was pounding sharply with every breath she took.

“Hillise?”

A soft voice flew in from behind her back.

When she turned her head, Christian, who was standing a few steps away, was reflected in her vision.

He stood with his head slightly to the side, dressed as light as Hillise, and looked down at her, who was crouching on the floor.

In Christian’s hand was the robe Hillise had dropped a while ago. Hillise looked up at him, half-covered by darkness, and unconsciously held her breath.

Soon after, Christian took a step and approached Hillise.

“You must have left the robe you brought because you couldn’t sleep today.”

​​Sitting on one knee on the floor, his touch was still gentle as he placed the robe on Hillise’s shoulder.

“You have to dress warmly. What if you catch a cold?”

His voice stagnated around the corner and the face reflected in her eyes was just as sweet as usual.

…Maybe I misheard a little while ago?

Or maybe the person in the room wasn’t Christian, but someone else who looked like him.

Yeah. Even now, a person who touches her so softly could never have said the same thing earlier.

But even as she thought about it, Hillise’s eyes shook aimlessly.

“By the way…”

Christian, who was looking closely at her, noticed her agitation easily.

“Why did you fall like this?”

The moment his cool hand holding the robe brushed the nape of her neck, Hillise trembled.

“Ah, that’s right.”

Christian, who saw it, muttered to himself slowly as if he understood.

Then, hearing his voice digging into her eardrums, Hillise felt her heart drop.

“As expected, you heard everything.”

A confident smile appeared in front of her.

On the other hand, Hillise shook her head hurriedly, looking at his red eyes that had no warmth like a piece of ice.

“Oh, no. I didn’t hear anything. I really didn’t…”

Her denial was desperate.

Christian just watched Hillise silently for a while.

Then, soon after, he spoke gently.

“I don’t mean to blame you, so you don’t have to be so scared. Actually, I left the door open on purpose.”

At that moment, Hillise closed her mouth, feeling her heart drop once again.

You intentionally left the door open in the first place.

Why did you do that?

Did you want me to come by on purpose…?

Why?

“I’d rather you be angry and slap my cheek, so it wouldn’t have been so boring.”

There was no emotion in his voice.

Christian, who was smiling, was terribly expressionless.

“Hillise.”

In that state, he whispered to Hillise.

“I knew it, but you’re so pathetic.”

This time, he tore her heart apart without hesitation with the lips that always whispered sweet nothings to her.

“And you’re stupid. After all, you were so stupid, you didn’t know what was real and what was lies, but you grabbed my hand then.”

Realization hit her instantly. Tears welling up in her eyes ran down her pale cheeks.

Still, a soft touch slowly wrapped around her.

“Don’t cry.”

Unless she was a fool, she had no choice but to realize it.

“I get really annoyed whenever you cry like that.”

The fact that the image she sees now is the truth that Christian has shown her for the first time.

“Poor Hillise Inoaden.”

As Christian watched Hillise cry, he painted the sweet smile she loved so much on his beautiful face once more.

After that, he whispered cruelly.

“But you still love me.”

It was as he said.

Hillise still loved Christian, and she couldn’t even imagine letting go of him like this.

“Foolish woman.”

Christian leaned closer to her, covering Hillise’s tear-filled cheeks.

“That’s why you only have my empty shell.”

A cold laugh spread over their lips.

Unlike his soft touch, it was a kiss that was cold enough to make her heart chill.