CH 4

“How did Leila… die? What if you go to the North and are in danger?”

Gerard, whose expression became serious, asked Chloe.

“Ah…”

Chloe was at a loss for words because of Gerard’s unique point of view. She hadn’t thought that far ahead, so she couldn’t help but panic.

“I want to go North with you, but as you know, I can’t right now.”

Gerard, the First Knight Commander of the Imperial Family, was busy every year during social season. In particular, he was busier in the fall than the spring, because the hunting festivals held under the command of the Imperial Knights Templar happened then. So in the fall, the Blanchett family followed the busy head to the Capital.

This year, unlike previous years, they had come a few weeks earlier. But he couldn’t leave when no preparations were put in place for his departure.

Of course, Gerard was also worried about Leila. But at heart, he wanted to go up North with his wife to spend more time with her.

Leila was well guarded by her husband. The only people he had to worry about were Chloe and Abel.

“No, I’ll go alone. In my dream, Leila collapsed from an unknown disease, and hasn’t woken up since. It won’t be dangerous if I just go see her.”

Lies beget lies, and that’s exactly what this was. Chloe, who from the beginning had no intention of going with her husband, had to continue her big lie with little ones.

“Wouldn’t you rather send a letter as I said earlier?”

Gerard’s persistence forced Chloe to swallow her dismay.

She thought he would let her go as it was a Leila problem, but that was a mistake. Moreover, her husband was not the kind of person to stop her when she said she would do something. The man who always nodded silently ambushed her today.

“No, I have to go. If I stay here, I won’t be able to do anything because I’ll be so worried.”

“I’m the one who’s worried about…”

‘I won’t be able to focus if I send you to the North…’

Gerard swallowed his last words as they sounded too foolish. Naturally, Chloe misunderstood that Gerard was more concerned about Leila.

“It doesn’t always happen just because you have a precognitive dream. If you want to change it, it will change, so don’t worry too much, okay?”

Chloe was heartbroken over her husband worrying about Leila. However, she mustered up a friendly voice to reassure her husband. It’d be a big deal if he decided to follow along.

“…For example? What future have you changed?”

But Gerard suddenly asked a random question.

In the end, he knew he would follow his wife’s wishes as usual. He was just being a bit… grumpy. He didn’t want to immediately express affirmation to his wife, who so easily decided that she would go to the North alone.

“Uh…”

Chloe was taken aback by the sudden question, so she answered whatever came to mind.

“Marrying you?”

Chloe had blamed herself countless times since Gerard was injured at the coronation ceremony nine years ago. She vowed never to intervene in their story again.

But there was no way she could turn away from Gerard Blanchett, who asked for her hand in marriage.

The dream book didn’t have a single line about who Gerard would marry. But it was clear that it wasn’t Chloe.

Gerard was the only thing she had achieved by changing the story in the book.

‘You must have married me because of Leila.’

She remembered the reality she had forgotten while talking to Gerard. 

‘If you’re going to be so sweet, I’ll get swept up again.’

Chloe’s eyes began to water.

Gerard stopped Chloe’s hand as she was about to rub her eyes in annoyance. Contrary to Chloe’s sour mood, Gerard was feeling pretty good. 

‘You changed the future and married me! I’ll have to ask for the details later.’

A corner of his heart moved. Gerard’s grumpiness melted into thin air. Of course, there was no way he could show that to her.

“My Lady, if you keep rubbing them, you’re going to get sick.”

Gerard pressed the corner of Chloe’s eyes with a handkerchief that was on the table. Chloe wrinkled her nose and closed her eyes. 

‘How do I get this man to send me to the North?’

“If I don’t let you go, will you cry every day?”

Anxious at Gerard’s words, Chloe opened her eyes and examined his expression.

“Honey, please…”

Gerard said, pulling his hand away from Chloe’s face.

“Really… you have to be careful, alright? Promise me that you will come back safely, and I will send you to the North.”

Red eyes, red ears, red cheeks, red lips. With a red face all over, he couldn’t help but listen to her request. Gerard had a friendly expression, but he thought it wouldn’t be bad for his wife to cry every day.

***

“Mother, do we have any friends in the North?”

Abel asked, swinging his feet excitedly in the carriage.

At first, Chloe had no intention of taking Abel with her. But Abel, who had never been separated from his mother, was deeply disturbed. She eventually ended up with a child on her journey to the North.

“That’s right. An older sister, a younger brother, and a newborn baby.”

“Do they like swords like me?”

“If they’re anything like their mother, they will be good at swordsmanship. The Grand Duchess is good with the sword.”

“Wow, really? Better than father?”

To Abel, his father, Gerard, was synonymous with strength. Of course, he was called the sword of the Empire, so he was the epitome of strength not only to his son but also to the people.

The Tzuyu people, who often plundered the border, were said to tremble when they heard Gerard’s name, so his fame was not limited to the Imperial people.

“Um… I don’t know, but it was that way nine years ago.”

Abel felt excited, as if he was going on a picnic with his mother. The child went on laughing and talking.

“Wow! Then I’ll ask the Grand Duchess to show me her swordsmanship!”

“Yes, if she doesn’t mind, let’s ask.”

Abel, who had been chirping like a baby sparrow for a long time, seemed exhausted, and began to doze off. It was cute to see the light blonde boy swaying to the rattle of the carriage.

“Oh, my lovely sweetheart.”

Chloe moved to Abel’s side and gently placed her child’s head on her lap. She stroked Abel’s fine hair gently.

Looking at Abel naturally reminded her of her husband. 

Had she ever stroked her lovely husband’s blonde hair, which was the same color as Abel’s?

No, not once. There were invisible lines between her husband and her. They were considerate and polite to each other, but they were not close.

First of all, he didn’t call her by her first name, let alone kiss her. She had always been Lady Roem, and he the Marquis of Blanchett.

The most frustrating part was that he didn’t speak his heart. He never even whispered he loved her.

She was disappointed not too long ago, but it was okay. Because her husband’s affectionate actions and words warmed her heart, which made her worries disappear like melting snow.

However, after reading the letter, the dark emotions that had accumulated over the years burst. She thought that she had melted it all away and brushed it off, but that wasn’t the case. It was something she had hidden deep in her heart. She felt terribly lonely and desperate. 

Maybe he just needed someone to fill the seat next to him. Someone who was moderately docile, moderately wise, who would give birth to his child and take over the care of the Marquisate.

So he would have been just as kind and warm to anyone if they had been sitting next to him.

‘Oh, you cruel man…’

Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt like she was shedding all the tears she would have shed for the rest of her life these past few days.

Sigh.

She was tired of pretending nothing happened in front of Abel. It was not easy to pretend to be okay and smile.

But she couldn’t make it obvious to her beloved son. Considering how much a marital relationship affects a child… To her child, she wanted them to look like a couple who loved each other.

Chloe made up her mind, kissing her child’s cute forehead.

She had to deal with it wisely and rationally for her precious Abel. She feared that her anger would hurt Abel, her family, and Gerard.

After getting angry, screaming, and crying, she felt cool inside, but she didn’t think she could go back to the way things used to be.

Therefore, it seemed that arguing with her husband could be done after looking at the context and having more time to think.

‘If a man seems to be having an affair, you should collect evidence so they can’t avoid it. Otherwise, he will slither away with various excuses like a loach.’

She didn’t know why she suddenly remembered the words of a baroness at a tea party. Maybe it was because his words and actions were similar.

She would have to ask her dearest and most abominable friend what the reply to that letter was, and why she had written that to her husband.