35. Summer Night's Courtship
Chloe returned to the mansion alone in a private carriage. As soon as she got home, she started packing her bags. She had no time or time to think. She was frantically packing her bags when she suddenly stopped when she heard a careful knock. When she turned around in surprise, she saw Sophie peeking out.
"Teacher."
Sophie looked at her room in disarray, dumbfounded.
“Teacher... Where are you going?”
Sophie had seen the tutors leave several times, so she quickly figured out what was going on. The moment Sophie, whose nostrils were flaring, burst into loud crying, Chloe hugged the child without even thinking.
“Teacher, you’re going to leave Sophie behind and sneak away? What did I do wrong? Hwaaaaang...!”
Chloe finally came to her senses when she heard Sophie's sad cries, calling for the small room to leave. She had been working hard to build her life in Guinevis for over a year.
“Eek. I practiced the piano really hard to surprise the teacher. Sob.”
As Sophie buried her head in her dress and sobbed, Chloe patted her tiny back.
"Sorry."
She was afraid that she would be able to smile again, but she lived here smiling a lot. She created another simple and peaceful little world. Chloe's small room was filled with the goodwill she had exchanged with others here.
With the appearance of Damien, everything was on the verge of collapse, but instead, an unknown fighting spirit was born from that fact. It was an inner pride that Chloe herself was not aware of. She muttered to herself that the man had no influence on her life anymore.
“I don’t run away, Sophie.”
“But why is the room a mess?”
“I was just trying to clean my room. I do that a lot. Right?”
“I thought you were just going to leave without even saying goodbye.”
Chloe shook her head as she wiped Sophie's runny nose, who was holding back tears.
“I won’t do that.”
“Please read the book.”
Chloe lay Sophie down on her bed and read her a storybook. After reading the third book, the child, who had been wide-eyed, finally fell asleep, panting, before she finally let out a deep breath.
What on earth does he want?
In fact, if he had come to completely ruin her, there was no need to go through the trouble of pretending to be others, as Damien said. It would have been more in keeping with his personality to drag her away by force or threaten her by using the people around him.
“I didn’t come here to trample on you.”
“Then why did you come?”
“Because I miss you.”
As she recalled the voice whispering in the darkness, the strength in her legs naturally relaxed. Chloe swallowed dryly as she covered Sophie, who was tossing and turning in her sleep, with a soft blanket. She had a vague feeling that she knew what Damien wanted from her.
“Because I miss you. Because I want to meet you.”
Damien's voice, when he said he had come to see her because he wanted to dance, was seductively sweet. He was a man who knew how to make Chloe's heart flutter and how to make her face bloom with a shy, flower-like smile. There was no one to blame. It was the result of Chloe showing him everything while they were happily married, blinded by him. Chloe Verdier, who was ignorant of love, gave a man everything he wanted from a woman.
'Don't be a fool who makes the same mistake twice.'
Chloe whispered quietly into her mouth, blinking her feverish eyes and trying to calm her mind. Damien must have been convinced even now.
That she couldn't forget him. That she still loved him.
Damien had it wrong.
There was definitely a time when her heart throbbed with pride, so different from hers, that it almost felt arrogant. But now it was different. It had to be different. Because from the moment she left him, she had vowed to erase his name from her life.
The smell of rain mixed with the warm wind, and then a downpour began. Chloe listened to the sound of the rain and thought for a long time. Most of her thoughts were about determination.
It was a determination to never fall for Damien's intentions of using conciliatory tactics rather than hard-line tactics. It was a promise to break down his arrogance that thought she would break down and come to him on her own two feet. Chloe's lips turned red as she bit them gently.
Chloe looked back and forth between Stella and Ricardo, standing in front of her. It occurred to her that this was what was to come.
“I’m sorry, Claire."
Stella, with her hands clasped around her ample chest, spoke as if asking for a favor. Seeing that her husband, Ricardo, was standing beside her, the meaning was clear. Chloe opened her mouth in a small but clear voice.
“I don’t quite understand why I should accompany him on his tour of Mr. Ricardo’s vineyard, Madame Stella.”
A businessman from Swanton, Laurence Taylor, was scheduled to stay in Guinevis for a week as a tourist, and today was his third day. Chloe had been worried for a while, but nothing had happened. Finally, after three days, he showed his true colors.
“Rather than guiding, you just act as a conversation partner. He asked Claire to do it for him because he said you communicate well with him, so I had no reason to refuse.”
“Hmm. If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to go. Strictly speaking, he’s our guest, not Ms. Claire’s.”
Ricardo's expression as he coughed in vain did not look okay at all. Chloe tried her best to hide her frustration and pulled away until the very end.
“Today is Sophie’s piano lesson day.”
Stella took her hand as if to tell her not to worry.
“I heard Marimo is having a cake party at her house. Don’t worry, I’ll send her there.”
“...”
“I guess I shouldn’t have been so fond of receiving gifts. If I had known Claire would be this bothered, I would have just given them all to charity.”
As Stella looked at her and sighed exaggeratedly, Chloe could no longer find a way to back down.
“...I’ll get ready to go out and come down.”
She never thought she would be able to feel the workers' position so directly, something she couldn't know when she was an employer.
"Ha..."
She returned to her room and prepared to go out when she heard that the carriage had already arrived. She got up from her chair and quickly grabbed her summer sun hat and handbag. It would have been better if he had given her some advance notice so that she could prepare, but Damien had caught her by surprise like that summer day when he had visited her by surprise.
As she came down the stairs and exited the mansion, Chloe saw him, Damien, standing in front of an open carriage. She couldn't move her feet from the sight of him smiling and talking with someone with a handsome face covered in a red beard.
“Ms. Claire, this way.”
Chloe had no choice but to walk slowly at Ricardo's commanding call. Unlike her, who had not been able to sleep properly since the charity bazaar was held, Damien's face was perfect enough to annoy her.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Miss Claire.”
“Anytime I can help Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo’s valued guests, Mr. Taylor.”
Damien smiled and took her hand. Stella, who had been seeing Chloe off from behind, tilted her head for a moment as she watched Chloe climb into the carriage, holding Damien’s hand.
"Oh?"
Their atmosphere was so natural. In addition, the man seemed to fully understand her condition of having a bad leg, and he even supported her waist with his other hand. It happened in an instant, but she couldn't avoid Stella's eagle eyes. Ms. Claire, who had always built an iron wall around approaching men, seemed accustomed to the kindness of a strange man, so she didn't seem surprised and accepted his escort.
Do you feel relatively comfortable because you are from the same hometown?
But Claire's attitude toward the beautiful and rich man was strangely unfavorable. Of course, the young businessman's feelings seemed to be the opposite. It would be foolish not to feel desire in the gaze of the man opposite her, who stared intently at her, even when she rarely turned her head with an expressionless face.
“I’ll be back, Stella.”
Stella woke up from her short thoughts and waved her hand gracefully while holding the baby. Anyway, there was no way Miss Claire would make a mistake, so there was nothing to worry about. She had already sent an invitation to the missionary who had shown interest in Claire to have lunch together tomorrow, so she could atone for her guilt for using Claire for personal purposes.
The carriage moved, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Ricardo's vineyard boasted the largest area in Guinevis. They inspected the endless rows of small vines ripening in the scorching sunlight and checked out the winery and huge cellar next to it. It was already dusk, and the sun was setting.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Ugh. Just one more drink, please.”
The red-bearded man Damien had brought along as his attendant seemed to be already drunk from the many glasses of wine he had tasted at the winery. When Chloe looked at Ricardo in surprise, he laughed heartily with an expression of amusement.
“Hahaha! Mr. Taylor’s attendants seem to think of their boss as a King; they are very loyal.”
“He's just drunk. It’s embarrassing.”
Damien glanced at the staggering attendant, then smiled lowly, his lips curling up nicely.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult if you got drunk here?”
The attendant, who had been covering his mouth with both chubby hands, suddenly came to his senses and shook his head from side to side.
“I have committed a mortal sin.”
“It’s not worth dying for something like that.”
Chloe's forehead felt hot as she looked at Damien, who seemed to be overflowing with leisure. The King of a country hid his identity and sneaked into a country that was practically an enemy, so she couldn't understand why she, who wasn't the person involved, had to be worried.
“Then, now you should go back to my mansion and have dinner together.”
As Ricardo recited the scheduled itinerary, Damien's attendant suddenly stepped forward and opened his mouth.
“Oh, by the way, I think it would be polite to give a gift to the hostess who invited us, Mr. Ricardo.”
“It’s a gift, don’t worry about it.”
“Are you now refusing the gift of Laurence Taylor’s masterpiece, the phonograph and music?”
When the red-bearded attendant who had been smiling cheerfully suddenly turned serious, Ricardo nodded, hiding his embarrassed expression.
“No, then I will gladly accept it...”
“In that case, how about I send Mr. Taylor to the mansion first, and Mr. Ricardo goes back to the lodging with me and chooses the music that you think would be most appealing to your wife? I think you would know your wife’s taste best, so I’m telling you this.”
The attendant kept glancing at Damien as he spoke mechanically. While everyone there guessed the attendant's suspicious intentions, the only one who did not notice was Ricardo, who was secretly a devoted husband.
“Stella would like that.”
Chloe noticed the ominous atmosphere and quickly opened her mouth.
“Then I will come with you and help you choose a gift.”
Ricardo waved his hand as if it were nothing.
“No, no. Sophie will be waiting for you, so it would be better for Miss Claire to return to the mansion. You will accompany Mr. Taylor and keep him company, and explain various places in Guinevis.”
Chloe's brown eyes widened. She hadn't exchanged a single word with Damien, but she had been forced to follow him around all day. She was already physically and mentally exhausted, and being left with him again was not very pleasant for her.
“Mr. Ricardo, I...”
“If you listen to our teacher Claire’s calm explanation, even long distances will pass quickly, Mr. Taylor.”
I am not a tour guide!!!
Chloe clenched her fists and glared, but it was no use. Ricardo whistled, and an attendant appeared right away. He demanded two horses and disappeared like the wind with his attendant.
“Shall we go, Miss Claire?”
Damien's voice came to Chloe's ears as she closed her eyes tightly in the dust. Chloe, who was pulled back to reality, came to her senses and got on the carriage. She ignored Damien, who naturally vacated the seat next to her, and sat down in front of him, but the moment the carriage started off with a jolt, Chloe immediately realized that her actions had been a hasty judgment.
A country road is covered with gravel. Beyond the rattling carriage, the sunset sky spread out wide. Damien was right in front of her, with the sky dyed in a beautiful sunset as the background. She couldn't take her eyes off Damien, who was leaning his arm on the back of the chair, caressing his chin with his hand, and staring intently at Chloe as if he were admiring her.
“It’s pretty.”
When Damien finally opened his mouth, Chloe’s cheeks, hidden beneath her wide-brimmed straw hat, flushed. The sun was hot before it disappeared beyond the horizon. The ribbon on her hat fluttered and tickled her reddened neck.
“Yes. Guinevis is a truly beautiful place.”
Damien chuckled softly as he listened to her answer, which cut off other topics. She had the illusion that the wind was even more lukewarm today.
“Yes, it’s peaceful and idyllic. It’s the perfect place to forget about everything.”
Chloe swallowed, not knowing what to say.
“So you forgot everything?”
Damien asked again in a soft voice. Chloe barely managed to hold on to her visor as it was about to fall off, as the carriage rattled violently as it gained speed.
“I’m asking you, Chloe, if you’ve succeeded in forgetting all those moments you spent with me.”
“Well then?”
“Then I will let you go.”
Chloe's face slowly rose. Chloe bit her lips tightly as she looked into his eyes, whispering affectionately. She wanted to throw the arrogance of the man who was confident that she had not forgotten him to the ground. Her heart pounded, and heat spread inside her white muslin dress.
“Do you promise?”
“Promise me.”
Damien let out a low laugh and smiled a little coldly.
“If you have forgotten the rose garden of Swanton, if you have forgotten the moments when we ran together through the green forest of Verdier, and if you have forgotten me kissing you on the bridge over Tisse, I will let you go.”
Chloe's lips trembled silently without her knowing. The memories she wanted to forget unfolded before her eyes as if they were drawn in the moment they flowed out through Damien's voice.
“Memories and recollections are different.”
“How is it different?”
Chloe continued speaking, barely suppressing something boiling in her chest as she looked at Damien, who was asking with a strange face.
“Memories are beautiful and I want to keep them forever, but memories can be painful because they are unforgettable.”
“It sounds like you’re saying you were miserable because you couldn’t forget me.”
Chloe clenched her fists, frustrated that she couldn't refute Damien's words.
“I lived well without you.”
“Yeah, I see.”
Chloe steeled herself as she looked straight at Damien, who nodded in agreement.
“Before you showed up here again and ruined my life, I was thinking about starting a family with another man.”
“That must be true, too.”
Damien stroked his chin and spat out clearly.
“You married someone you didn’t love, so maybe you could do it this time, too.”
The carriage rattled violently as it passed over the gravel road. Chloe's heart pounded and burst as she saw Damien, who seemed unfazed by anything she said.
“It wouldn’t be strange if you had thought of marrying a man you didn’t like and then holding me in your heart for the rest of your life. Chloe Verdier is the kind of woman who can do that.”
“Don’t get me wrong.”
“If this is a mistake, try rejecting my existence.”
Damien's gaze deepened as he spoke softly. The sun was burning red and disappearing beyond the horizon, and the west was turning purple.
“Say with your own mouth that you have forgotten me, that my existence does not give you any trembling.”
“I hate you.”
“That doesn’t prove you don’t love me, Chloe. Maybe it’s the opposite.”
Clang. The carriage wheel hit the gravel and swayed, and Chloe lost her balance and was thrown forward. Her hat fell off, and her loosely tied hair fell out and spilled down. Her delicate shoulder trembled slightly as Damien, who was kneeling on the carriage floor, held her tightly in his arms.
“I hate even the touch of your hands on my body.”
“...Are you serious?”
She continued speaking with wet eyes, watching Damien's eyes waver.
“Yes, it’s seriously terrible.”
Damien's face, which looked as if someone had painstakingly carved it, twitched strangely. It was as if something was bursting under his skin.
“My body is unconsciously rejecting you.”
Chloe watched Damien chew on his lip and knew she had hurt him more than she had intended.
As Damien's grip tightened, her body trembled. Chloe watched as Damien's eyes slowly darkened. And finally, the strength in his grip slowly released. Damien slowly pulled away from her body, as if he was barely able to remove his fingers from ice that was stuck to it.
Their eyes met as only the rattling of the carriage wheels could be heard. His face was distorted in agony in the faint rising dust. She didn’t like the strange feeling of triumph and stabbing pain in her heart. Chloe let out a trembling voice, thinking that if not now, she might never be able to get away from him.
“Is this a sufficient answer?”
It was then that the bag fell to the floor of the carriage.
Chloe's eyes widened as something sparkled in the depths of her open bag, inside her inner pocket. It was a mistake. A ridiculous mistake that she could never make.
"Ha...!"
She tried to reach out, but it was too much. Damien picked up the bag and pendant that had fallen to the floor. As Damien’s hand grabbed the pendant, Chloe’s eyes shook wildly. How could God be so clearly not on her side?
“Yes. Mrs. Stella is busy preparing to welcome you.”
Chloe smiled brightly at him, hiding her complicated feelings. It was hard for her to explain with her own mouth why Stella had kept Sophie at home and sent her to church alone.
Besides, there was something more serious at hand. It was about Damien, who had appeared unexpectedly in Guinevis. The person he had implied when he asked if she had come alone was probably the same person she was thinking of.
“Should we take a walk before calling a carriage?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Gray stopped under a large tree overlooking the hill and spoke cautiously.
“...I’ve been worried a lot since the bazaar.”
He was the type of person who rarely rushed her, but this time her silence had become quite long. Leaning against the tree, Chloe shook her head as she stared at the lakeside cottage in the distance.
“You won’t get hurt, Gray.”
Chloe was determined to make sure of that, no matter what. She was on edge, trying to avoid any hint of something suspicious or dangerous from Damien, but she remained silent.
Even when he impulsively brought up marrying Gray under pressure, it didn’t seem like he would explode, so it seemed like Damien had nothing to do with Gray. It was true that she was more anxious because she didn’t know what he was thinking, but worrying only made her worry more, so it was better not to think about it...
"Miss."
Chloe, who had been biting her lips, only woke up from her thoughts and turned her head when Gray called her a little louder.
"Yes?"
Gray spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
“I was more worried about you than me.”
Chloe then realized Gray's feelings. He must have been worried because she suddenly left on the day of the bazaar and didn't contact him.
“I’m sorry. As you can imagine... I haven’t been in a good state of mind these past few days.”
“Miss, if you need any help, please let me know.”
Chloe shook her head as she watched Gray struggle to speak.
“No. I won’t run away anymore. There’s no need to.”
“...What does that mean?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. I came to church alone, and I’m going home with you alone.”
Gray furrowed his brows darkly at her, who tried to reassure him.
“He is not the kind of person who would come here without a purpose, Miss.”
Suddenly, her mouth felt dry, so she secretly moistened her lips, and Gray added in a low voice.
“You know very well who the young lady married.”
Gray was right. Damien was the most purposeful and proud man she had ever met. She could guess what Gray was worried about from the worried look in his eyes. He was afraid that he would completely ruin his wife, who had cheated on him and left him, because he couldn't forgive her.
“Gray, don’t worry.”
“....”
“At first, I thought he came here to kill me. In fact, he’s the type of person who wouldn’t be surprised if he turned this place into ruins.”
But there was one thing she had realized for sure after her several encounters with Damien over the past few days.
“He has no doubt that I will eventually take his hand.”
Damien's composure must have come from right there. Chloe looked forward, her breathing slightly hot.
“He can’t admit that it’s all over.”
Gray noticed that the end of her words was trembling as she spoke softly, as if she were talking to herself. There were things that he couldn’t help but learn because he had spent a long time with Chloe since they were young.
“I hope he gives up and leaves as soon as possible.”
For example, one of them was the fact that her thoughts would be especially complicated when she smiled faintly as if nothing was wrong, like now.
“After the young lady’s funeral, I was called to the palace.”
Gray hesitated and finally opened his mouth in a lowered voice. He couldn't bear to not tell the story of his last meeting with Damien, which had been weighing on his heart like a boulder.
“Shall I tell you a secret?”
“Chloe isn’t dead.”
He tried hard not to remember that Damien was right in the end, thinking that he was crazy because he couldn't accept his wife's death, but when it came right before his eyes and confirmed it, he couldn't avoid it. It means that he couldn't properly face the unspoken message that was in Damien's eyes as he looked at Gray while Chloe was still alive.
“He said that you were not dead but alive. When I heard that he dug up the grave where the funeral had already been held because he could not accept your death, I felt like I was dealing with a madman and that even anger was useless.”
“...”
“The words that Count Weiss told me as I carried the remains out of the dug grave were even more amazing. He said that as long as His Majesty lives, Her Majesty the Queen cannot die. He was the kind of person who would prove to himself that Her Majesty the Queen was alive, even if it meant twisting his own psyche.”
Chloe bit her lip as she listened to Gray's unexpected words. Her hands were so sweaty that she had to hold onto the hem of her skirt.
“So I thought he didn’t have much longer to live.”
She could also see what Gray meant. Among the patients she had seen while following Wharton around Verdier, there were some who had become mad. When a person with a strong mind contracts the disease, the results are almost the same, he said.
Gray said as if he had read Chloe's mind.
“As you know, young lady, such people cannot accept that the world is wrong, so they turn their backs on the world.”
How much more so for a man who has lived his whole life believing that he is right?
Chloe was finding it increasingly difficult to listen to Gray. She tried to stop him, but Gray seemed unable to bear it without spilling out everything that was on his mind.
“When I met you again by a miraculous coincidence, there was one thing I couldn’t stand...”
After a moment of silence, the voice that slowly flowed out was filled with deep anguish.
“In the end, he was right and I was wrong.”
"Gray."
Chloe finally had no choice but to open her mouth. Gray lifted his head as she called him in a soft but clear voice. Chloe stared into Gray’s dark eyes for a moment in silence. She felt even more sorry for him because she knew why he insisted on telling her a story that was difficult to tell.
“My father used to say something like that a long time ago, after my mother passed away. It shouldn’t happen, but if you ever have to face him, I hope you’ll use it.”
Gray blinked his dark-lashed eyes at her. It was as if she had seen him as a child, nervous even when he had done nothing wrong. Chloe knew that she was the only one who could make him feel at ease. The relationship between servant and employee had such a long-lasting effect, even though it had long since ended.
“...What is that, Miss?”
Chloe clicked her tongue and opened her mouth in a mock-pity tone.
“So you should do well while you can, you idiot. What’s the use of it now?”
Gray's expression became increasingly strange as he watched Chloe, who had pulled her head back and made two chins, making the same expression as the Viscount de Verdier.
“I’m running low on sugar and will have to go see my wife soon, Chloe. Bring me some cookies.”
His serious face gradually crumpled, and eventually he burst into laughter. It felt like the tension was being gently released by the summer breeze.
“People say I don’t look like my father at all, but I am still Verdier’s daughter, right?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Unlike Gray, who finally wiped the darkness from his face, Chloe was smiling faintly, but in fact, she was clenching her fists and struggling. It was because she couldn't shake off the distracting thoughts that were gnawing at her mind. When she thought of him, who had burst into her room like a thief, burdened her heart with a strange confession she had never heard before, and left, she felt hot inside.
Damien's composure, not even showing the slightest anger at her for leaving him in such a shocking way, made her feel even more miserable. This was Chloe's secret that she couldn't tell anyone. It was as if she had become a butterfly fluttering inside a small glass dome. No matter how hard she flapped her wings, it felt like she was only entertaining the people watching.
However, it is said that Damien actually went crazy. He was on the verge of losing his mind because he could not accept her death. But that did not change anything now.
But why, why do I keep wondering? What on earth do I, with my annoying temper, want to confirm?
Why does she keep wanting to know, even though it wouldn't help anything to know how much he suffered, how much he missed her? It's already over.
“I think the carriage has arrived, Miss.”
Chloe quickly got up and rolled up her skirt. She shook her head, deciding to stop thinking. She was afraid that if she didn't, her thoughts would continue to run in unpleasant directions. When this summer, which seemed to make even people's minds feel warm, ended, everything would be over. Chloe walked hard on her limping legs.
Trying not to look away from the lakeside cottage at the bottom of the hill.
It was the day before the ship was to set sail for Swanton.
It was when Chloe and Gray arrived at the mansion in the carriage Stella had sent.
“Claire, you’re at a good time. Oh, missionary. Thank you for coming.”
Stella sighed as she walked quickly towards them, carrying a silver tray with two glasses of lemonade on it.
“Where are you going?”
“Well, this guy who went out for a horseback ride at dawn brought another guest without saying a word! He knew full well that I invited a missionary!”
When Stella got angry and said, "Some people are just having fun at home, and it's okay for guests to suddenly barge in," Gray opened his mouth gently as if trying to calm down an angry horse.
“I’m fine, ma’am. I appreciate you inviting me. If you’re busy, I can come later.”
As Gray took off his hat and bowed politely, Stella noticed that he was about to leave and held on tightly to stop him.
“No, let’s go together.”
“Where are you talking about?”
Stella opened her eyes and gestured toward the large garden attached to the mansion.
“It’s a scene of violence.”
Chloe had been feeling uneasy since she heard that Ricardo had brought a guest. That was why she followed Gray, who was practically dragged away by Lady Stella, holding his arm.
“I don’t understand why they are all suffering in this hot weather. That gentleman in particular is supposed to leave tomorrow, and he has no time to pack his bags...”
Stella grumbled and walked toward the space that had previously been used as a stable. Chloe felt her tension rise as the sound of pounding and heavy breathing came closer. Mrs. Stella opened the door wide and raised her voice.
“Stop it!”
Damien was in the ring with Ricardo, who had raised the platform. Damien brushed his sweaty hair from side to side, then smiled as he approached Chloe.
“Are you here now?”
Since he had taken off his top, his smooth upper body moved dynamically with every breath he exhaled. Everyone was puzzled by his suddenly short speech, but they couldn't say it out loud because they couldn't help but be captivated by his bright smile.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chloe pressed her lips together silently. Damien, who was staring down at her with his arms around the rope ring made of a pole, acted as if he didn’t see the people there. It was when Ricardo and Stella looked at each other and exchanged silent glances about when they had gotten so close.
“Have you been waiting for me that long, Mr. Taylor?”
Gray, who was next to Chloe, opened his mouth softly. Chloe saw Damien’s blue eyes, which had been fixed on her, slowly turn to the side. As the temperature of his gaze suddenly dropped, she tensed up and swallowed dry saliva.
“Who are you?”
Not only the look in his eyes, but even his voice was different. Stella, who was flustered by the obviously condescending tone of voice, quickly took the initiative and opened her mouth before Damien could make a bigger mistake.
“Mr. Gray Wilson, the missionary from Swanton. We’ve only just passed each other by, but is this the first time we’ve formally greeted him? He’s a wonderful man who will soon take over our ministry.”
"Ah."
Damien slowly nodded his chin, eyes narrowed as if he finally understood. His smirk was strange.
“I met the missionary in a stable, not in a church, but strangely enough, it didn’t feel awkward at all.”
Chloe bit her lip. It was natural that she felt hot inside at the naughty temper that brought up Gray's past as a stable keeper. She could guess what kind of expression Gray had without even looking at his face. The only ones who didn't notice the thorn in his words were Stella and her husband.
“So, we can’t help but place our hopes on someone so young and healthy, right?”
As Stella handed her husband and Damien each a glass of chilled lemonade, Ricardo deftly changed the subject.
“Did you pick the lemons straight from the farm, Stella?”
“Yes. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see you get so excited about your guests.”
“Haha. Of course not. Actually, I learned a thing or two.”
Ricardo's shoulders tightened as Damien skillfully praised the landlord. Stella spat out teasing words to her husband.
“Then let’s do it one more time, there are more spectators now.”
“Is that so? I feel like my body is feeling better now.”
Ricardo couldn't hide his bewilderment as he stood next to Damien, who was walking around the ring and hitting the drums. Unlike Damien, who was relaxed, Ricardo, who had been fighting him for two hours with all his might, was actually already exhausted. Ricardo, who was worried about how to save face in front of his wife, heard a welcome voice.
“Do it with me.”
Chloe's eyes widened, and she turned her head, grabbing Gray's arm.
Don't do that, Gray.
Her brown eyes were firm. Gray smiled silently, looking at Chloe's gaze, which was filled with both concern and tension. It's okay. His black eyes that spoke without a word were as affectionate as ever, but inside them, it felt like a large wave was quietly rising.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
Even the casual way Damien asked Gray made Chloe tremble. She reached out to stop Gray, but he was faster than her.
“If not now, who would I dare to punch?”
Damien let out a short laugh at Gray's words that showed his thorns without giving in.
“Give me a chance. Gladly.”
There was no smile on his face as he raised his eyes and pushed his sweaty hair back from his forehead.
“Oh my, this will be so much fun!!!”
Chloe looked at Gray with a thoughtful face as she stood next to Stella, who was raising her voice.
“Is it really necessary for a missionary to participate in a sport that he doesn’t like?”
“Think of it as a healthy physical training. I heard that the pastor also used to enjoy it with the children when he was in training.”
“But this isn’t a game for kids.”
Chloe tried her best to dissuade Gray until the end, but he seemed to have already made up his mind.
“If I win, would you like to have dinner with me at my house tonight?”
Gray's voice asking Chloe was clear enough for everyone present to hear. The same was true for Damien, standing in the ring.
“I like betting too. My body is aching so much I’m going crazy, so come up here quickly.”
“Why does he keep cutting me off from talking like this?”
“I heard you haven’t been to church in a while.”
As Stella whispered to Ricardo and glared at Damien, Gray undressed and jumped lightly into the ring. It was no wonder that Stella and Ricardo were silently surprised.
The missionary's exposed upper body was far from that of a gentle shepherd who had spent his entire life learning only doctrine. There were faint scars on his back, as if he had been severely beaten a long time ago, and solid muscles that were clearly built up from long hours of labor were all over his body.
If Damien's sleek body was like a work of art painstakingly created for exhibition, Gray's body was like a tree firmly rooted in the ground.
“I guess it’s right for Ms. Claire to ring the starting bell.”
Ricardo couldn't hide his excitement as he nodded at Chloe. Damien looked straight at Chloe, her face pale, as she took the small bell and wrapped it in her hand. When their eyes finally met, he smiled meaningfully, and Chloe's eyes filled with anxiety and concern.
Clang!
As soon as Chloe's trembling hand rang the bell, a fist flew out quickly. Someone exclaimed in admiration as Damien extended his fist and withdrew it without even looking at Gray, rushing towards him. Damien closed one eye tightly at Chloe, who was frowning.
You shouldn't be surprised yet, Chloe.
Puck!
This time it was Gray's abdomen. Damien grabbed the back of Gray's head as he stumbled with a short groan, and whispered devilishly in his ear.
“I guess you’ll have to eat dinner alone.”
“I just gave you the courtesy you deserve.”
This time, Gray's fist flew towards his face. Damien smirked with his sweaty face as he felt the wind blowing past his ears. He certainly had good strength, but he wasn't trained to knock someone down. It was certainly admirable that he was able to handle the punch from his opponents.
“Feel how I got to that point.”
After delivering a strong blow that shook his jawbone and repeatedly punching Gray's ribs that had lost their balance, Damien faced Chloe again. He had hoped for a brief moment of a passing glance, but her face was only focused on Gray. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern, and she covered her mouth with her hand in fear of screaming, and his heart was seething at the sight.
“Fuck.”
The moment Damien raised his eyebrows, Gray's fist flew at him, and he did not dodge. He was annoyed that the plan was carried out faster than expected, but he did not want to see her burst into tears looking at his opponent.
After spitting out the blood that had gathered in his mouth, Damien took another hit from his fist. A dull pain vibrated through his jawbone. The power of a bare fist without gloves was beyond imagination. The skin that had been hit quickly turned red, leaving a strong visual image.
“The face is a problem. It’s not easy to be born like this.”
Gray's breathing became ragged as Damien confronted him and licked his blood-stained lips with his tongue.
“When I think about what you’ve done, I wouldn’t mind destroying that pretty face.”
"Ha ha ha."
There was a series of moments where he dodged and was hit by the punch. Ricardo was holding his breath, seeing the air in a different situation than when he had fought him, and Stella was watching with a surprised face. And Chloe, who was holding the bell tightly, was trembling, unable to hide her tension.
Gray, unlike his initial disadvantage, was now pushing Damien into a corner. Sweat dripped from his hair. His fist, which struck Damien with a distorted face, was torn and bleeding.
“Oh, are you okay?”
Stella's voice of concern was not heard by Damien. His attention was solely on Chloe, who was under the ring. Once, twice, each time a fist struck his body, she flinched as if she had heard thunder. The sight of her face, which had been shaped to his liking, turning pale and distorted, was very pleasing to the eye.
"Ha ha ha!"
A joyful laugh finally burst out from his red lips. Damien was skilled at provoking others. Whether it was innate or meticulously calculated, he was better at it than anyone else. It was natural for Gray's eyes to lose their sense of reason as he watched him laughing like a madman with drops of blood all over his white, beautiful body.
“I beat you to death, but is this all you can do?”
Gray rushed towards Damien, who was looking at him with a smile. Thud! After enduring a strong punch, Damien, with their bodies still attached, spat into his ear.
“Look at my woman’s face.”
Gray, out of breath from the rough fight, had no intention of getting caught up in his provocation. He was exploding with the urge to punish the man who had done such a terrible thing to Chloe until he was on the verge of death.
“Chloe is worried about me, haha.”
Damien's face turned strongly again. Damien's body, holding on to the rope tied to the pole, swayed toward her, and now Chloe and Damien were face to face. Damien furrowed his eyebrows and whispered to her as if he were harassing her.
“It hurts, Chloe.”
Chloe gasped as she looked at Damien, whose face was red from the blood flowing from his torn temple. Her expression, which was on the verge of tears with her bloodless lips trembling, stimulated his impulse. Just as he was about to fly to her and give her a bloody kiss, Gray grabbed his shoulder again.
“It’s so annoying, I can’t stand it.”
Damien twisted his lips toward Gray, who was gritting his teeth.
“If you were my student, you would fail.”
Gray, who fought him face to face, would know for sure. That he was not fighting back at all. The bitter defeat in Gray's dark eyes was enough to satisfy Damien. I will use every bit of your sincerity toward Chloe and your desire for revenge against me. Everything for my love.
Finally, the moment Damien fell onto the ring, the sound of paper hitting the floor was heard. Damien lay on his back and laughed as he watched Chloe run out of the stable.
Chloe walked toward the mansion, her hand gripping her cane tightly. Her steps across the garden were unsteady, but she didn’t stop. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.
“Teacher Claire!”
Stella ran over and gasped beside her, her face filled with apology.
“I don’t know who said that a fight involving ignorant hitting and kicking was a gentleman’s sport. Are you really surprised?”
“Ah... yes. A little.”
Stella thought Chloe was shocked to see the brutal fight, but Chloe was confused for another reason.
“The missionary also left right away. He must have felt embarrassed after performing in the ring, showing off his skills as a pastor or a boxer.”
Chloe looked even more helpless. Her heart clenched as she thought about who Gray had come forward for.
“Then, I will go in first, Mrs. Stella.”
“Yes, if you want to go out in the evening, you’d better save your energy now. I think the missionary must have rushed back to prepare dinner with Claire.”
Chloe bit her lip as she turned away from Gray, confirming his victory. The image of Gray and Damien throwing punches at each other wouldn't leave her mind.
At first, when she saw Gray being beaten by Damien, she couldn't stop him even though she couldn't stand the pity, because she fully understood Gray's feelings. In fact, Gray had practically stepped into the ring in her place. So it was natural for her to take Gray's side.
However.
When the tide turned and Damien was able to take all of his punches, she couldn't bear to watch the scene with her eyes open. When red blood covered his pure white face, she almost screamed.
Stop it. Please stop it.
Why? For what reason?
Suddenly feeling dizzy, Chloe leaned against the wall pillar in the living room. As she stood there, pressing her hot eyes with her palms, she heard Sophie's voice next to her.
"Teacher...?"
Sophie, who was ready to go out wearing her favorite red shoes, was looking at her with wide eyes.
“Yeah. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to give this as a present to the crybaby coward Marimo. If she has this, she won’t be scared at night.”
“This is Sophie’s favorite doll.”
“That’s why I’m giving it to her.”
Chloe smiled with tears in her eyes as she watched Sophie bashfully smiling while holding a large teddy bear with a ribbon. This was because she could see the change in Sophie, who used to turn her head away and act fiercely whenever she saw Marimo.
“That’s really... wonderful, Sophie.”
“As the teacher said, it is much harder to reveal the truth than to hide it. I can’t say that all honest people are brave, but at least it is certain that all the brave people in this world were honest about their true feelings.”
Chloe closed her eyes tightly as she looked at Sophie, who was laughing after reciting exactly what she had said.
Can someone whose words and actions are different be called a good teacher? When she realized that she was acting more childishly than the child in front of her, she felt embarrassed and wanted to hide. However, she knew best that hiding was not the solution. Sophie, who had been quietly watching her biting her lips, held out a doll.
“...Shall I just give this to you, teacher?”
Her hesitation and fear seemed to be conveyed even in her blue eyes like the morning star. Chloe held Sophie tightly in her arms. And she whispered softly to herself as if making a promise.
“It’s okay. Thanks to you, I have gained courage.”
If deceiving yourself means deceiving others, then you should stop. Especially if that person is someone you care about.
That night, Chloe left the mansion in the carriage that Stella had called for her. She smiled awkwardly and bowed her head as she told her not to worry about tomorrow being a holiday and to just enjoy dinner.
Gray's house was on a hill attached to the church. Thinking that it was a simple but cozy house, she entered Gray's house.
“Hello. Gray.”
She followed Gray, who opened the door, into the small living room, biting her lips as she looked at the table. The table was decorated with fresh and beautiful wild roses, and the candles in the candle holders were bright. Potato soup, soft bread, and turkey roasted in the oven. Looking at the table, which was not fancy but had a variety of dishes, she felt as if she had returned to Verdier's house.
“...Gray. There’s something I really need to tell you...”
When Chloe, unable to bear the guilt that was surging in, tried to speak, Gray shook his head one step ahead.
“Let’s eat first, young lady.”
As Chloe reluctantly sat down, a quiet meal with Gray began. Every time Chloe saw the blood staining the bandages wrapped around Gray's bare hands as he moved the utensils, she had to raise her glass of water because her throat got choked up.
“I never thought that the day would come when I would sit across from you like this and have dinner alone with you.”
Gray was the first to speak. He watched Chloe's hands tremble slightly as she put down her glass, and continued speaking in a soft voice.
“I’m so happy that this opportunity has finally come.”
The fork fell sharply from Chloe's hand onto the plate. As she tried to grab it but lost it, Gray got up and brought her a new utensil. Chloe bit her lips as she watched Gray pour water into her empty glass with practiced ease. Then she shook her head, trying to smile.
“The last one? What do you mean, Gray?”
"Miss."
Her brown eyes were so hot that she couldn't look him straight in the eye. Gray knelt down beside her and met her eyes.
“I'm fine.”
No matter how much she bit her lips, her eyes only became redder. Gray already knew. What was in her mind, and what was she trying to say when she came to see him?
“I think it’s time to return it now.”
Gray took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Chloe's tears fell on the old but clean handkerchief.
“It was given to me by the young lady when I cried and begged you to run away with me.”
I couldn't help but know it even without hearing the explanation. Gray's expression when he confessed his true feelings to her in the cabin was still vivid.
“Why are you giving this back?”
“I think it’s time for me to stop crying now.”
Gray's voice was affectionate, and his expression even more so. Chloe looked at him, clutching the wet handkerchief tightly.
"Sorry."
“You don’t have to feel that way. You don’t have to feel sorry for me ever again. I’m serious.”
He shook his head and smiled faintly. Chloe felt her heart sink. She couldn't stand the thought of hurting Gray to the end, but at the same time, she was mad with hatred for the person who had done this to her.
“I’m sorry, Gray.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He who consoled Chloe was a much bigger person than the boy who lived in her memories.
“In fact, when the young lady’s remains were collected and buried at Verdier’s estate, my love was also buried there.”
“...”
“I am already finished, and no one else has ever been finished.”
It was a truth he didn't want to admit, but Gray ended up saying it. It was the last bit of goodwill he could show to Chloe, who had treated him with sincerity even though he was of lowly status, and his pride as a human being.
“It’s only natural that you can’t be with me.”
The moment Chloe heard his words, she took a deep breath. She forced a smile on her tear-stained face and let out a small, whispering voice.
“...Thank you for taking care of the burnt body, Gray.”
Gray looked at her and smiled back at her. It was as if he had guessed Chloe's feelings, which she had not said, but was worried about.
“Who else would do that if not I, your confidant?”
A faint, moan-like sob finally escaped Chloe's lips. Why can't I love Gray, such a good person?
“Please don’t pity me, Miss.”
Gray's voice was still affectionate, but there was a firmness to it.
“I used to want to get your sympathy, but not anymore.”
Chloe could finally see Gray's growth clearly. He was no longer a little boy in need of her pity. He was no longer a servant who had to follow her orders.
“I will be happy.”
Chloe grabbed Gray's outstretched hand and held it tightly.
“Yeah. You definitely would.”
The moment when they finally looked at each other as equals was their parting. Chloe slowly stood up, feeling the warmth on her falling fingertips.
In the middle of summer, gray clouds were rolling in across the dark sky. For the first time in her life, Chloe parted ways with Gray without him seeing her off. She started walking up the hill, the raindrops hitting her shoulders coldly.
Gray was a man who was more than she deserved. She felt like she could live without hot passion if she were with him. Just when she was growing more confident that they could be comforted by the warm trust between them, everything fell apart.
From the moment he appeared before her eyes.
The cold rain drenched her hair and ran down her face. Chloe gasped for breath and wiped the dryness from her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Ugh...”
As the raindrops on her cheeks grew heavier and her body became completely soaked, the truth she had tried so hard to hide began to torment her. She had thought she had forgotten everything, that she would be able to live peacefully like before he trampled her life, but the result was failure.
It was a huge failure.
“Ugh... Ugh..."
She stumbled as she walked, tripped on a stone, and fell. Her dress was covered in black mud. Chloe threw down her cane and sat down on the side of the road where the vines were endlessly lined up, and cried like a child. It was then that a carriage arrived in front of her, as she let out a sorrowful cry in the pouring rain. Chloe’s eyelashes, wet with raindrops, trembled and lifted upward.
“Ah, no… this….”
Chloe stood up, her lips pursed as the red-haired man leapt down from his horse, clutching his hat. She could tell what he was going to say without even having to listen.
“…Your Majesty, His Majesty is waiting.”
Chloe turned her back on Taylor, who was spitting out in a restless voice, and walked alone toward the carriage. She pushed away his hand that was trying to support her and climbed onto the carriage with a pale face. Anyway, she was going to the lakeside villa where Damien was waiting for her with a triumphant smile. And Damien, that bad man, was urging her, asking why she was delaying without coming quickly. Chloe clenched her trembling hands.
She hated him so much that she couldn't stand it. In the end, she wanted to grab the man by the collar and yell at him for doing everything the way he wanted. She wanted to scream at him that because of him, everything about her had gone off the rails, that he wanted her to turn back her peaceful and comfortable life. She felt like she was going to die.
Boom! Boom!
As Chloe clenched her teeth and pounded her slender fists on the roof of the carriage, the horse galloped away through the rain, leaving behind only a walking stick covered in dirt on the vine-lined path.
The carriage stopped at the cottage in front of the lake. Chloe kicked open the carriage door before Lawrence Taylor could open it.
“Uh, an umbrella...”
Lawrence, who was following Chloe across the garden without paying attention to her words, stopped in his tracks as he looked in the direction where her head had lifted. It was because he saw Damien standing on the second floor with the terrace window open. He had the window wide open and was holding a glass of alcohol as if enjoying the sound of the rain.
Chloe bit her lip as she watched Damien raise his glass as if he had been waiting for her. She opened the unlocked door to the villa and limped across the space without a cane.
Ricardo's villa was a place where Stella's family sometimes spent weekends, so Chloe was familiar with it. She crossed the living room and barely managed to remove something from the wall. Lawrence Taylor's eyes widened as he watched her actions, but since Damien had ordered them not to disturb them, she couldn't even bring herself to stop them and had no choice but to leave outside.
As she clenched her teeth and climbed the stairs to the second floor, raindrops fell at her feet. It was not difficult to find the room where he was. The sound of the heavy rain was fading outside the villa, and the music from the gramophone was getting louder. Chloe limped into the bedroom, the door wide open, as if she had known exactly what she was coming for.
“Why do you torment me like this?”
Damien turned around slowly. Unlike her, who was all wet and disheveled, he looked so fresh that you could almost believe he had just rolled out of his feather quilt.
“What did I do to you?”
The thin dress shirt Damien was wearing fluttered in the wind coming in through the open window, revealing his body here and there. Chloe clenched her fists slightly as she looked at the faint scars left behind from the fight. The sound of the violin, which was gradually permeating the sound of the rain, was getting faster.
“Why do you come into my world where I am living well and cause confusion?”
“So, you’re asking what I did.”
Damien did nothing, but just appearing in front of her shook her up. In the end, he made her come running to this place.
Damien set his glass down on the table and began to move. Chloe had to try not to back away. Damien slowly approached her, standing with both feet firmly planted on the floor, and continued speaking.
“It feels like I forced you here.”
“Don't come near me.”
Chloe held the shotgun she had taken from the wall downstairs before she came up to the room with trembling hands. The weight of the object she had brought with her, the urge to shoot him now, seemed to weigh heavily on her arm.
“You didn’t enjoy dinner with Gray? That’s why you’re mad at me.”
Chloe gasped as she watched him close the distance with a faint smile on his face.
“Do you love Gray Wilson?”
“I told you not to come.”
“Tell me, Chloe. Do you love him as a man, as you loved me? Tell me if you can share a passionate soul kiss with him as you did with me.”
His words made her heart beat so hard it hurt.
“If you come any closer, I will shoot.”
Damien, who ignored her words and approached her step by step, finally stopped right in front of her. From a distance of about the length of a gun, he spoke to Chloe in a low, clear voice.
“Shoot. Chloe. Do you still know how to shoot a gun?”
“I know.”
Damien smiled at Chloe's words, which she blurted out without a shred of hesitation. Chloe probably wasn't lying. His wife was a woman who was well-prepared, so she must have taken various measures to prepare for danger. Thank goodness. Chloe. My love.
“I also know that Mr. Ricardo’s gun is always loaded, unlike yours.”
“Then kill me.”
Chloe's body trembled in surprise as Damien's hand gripped the gun tightly. He took a step closer and pulled her wrist with strength. The gun was now pointed squarely at his chest. He tilted his head as if whispering a secret to her, biting his lips and trembling.
“Have you ever wanted to kill me?”
She has the illusion that his voice is seducing her.
“There were countless of them!”
Chloe gasped. Not just for the past few days. When he had humiliated her by raising her sore leg, when he had insulted her with his arrogant, caustic remarks, when he had kept his cool even after discovering the secret of their marriage. And... when he had shown no sorrow at all when their child had died.
“But why can’t you shoot?”
Chloe's thin shoulders shook. A voice barely able to hide the faint sound of sobbing flowed from her lips.
“Shut your mouth, you devil.”
Damien smiled slightly and lowered his head.
“Shall I tell you why you can’t kill me?”
After he placed his lips on the gun, he looked up at her. Chloe struggled to hold on, afraid of being captured again by those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to be a gift from God.
“Because you love me so much that you want to kill me.”
Chloe's wide eyes turned red.
“Where on earth does this arrogance come from that makes you think I still love you?”
She was now genuinely curious. Maybe that was why her trembling fingers couldn't pull the trigger.
“How can you be so confident from beginning to end?”
She asked him with an expression that was somewhere between a sigh and admiration, despair, and anger. Damien was silent for a moment at her question, but finally opened his mouth.
“If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to stay sane until now.”
Chloe's lips trembled slightly as she faced Damien, who was staring intently at her.
“What, what did you say?”
“I came this far on the belief that you loved me. If not, I would have put a gun to your mouth and shot you long ago, Chloe.”
His eyes were telling the story. This man was serious. It wasn't an illusion that her body felt as if it were being tied tightly with invisible ropes. Chloe gritted her teeth as she looked at him.
“Do you know that you are suffocating people?”
A secret light flashed across Damien's blue eyes as he twisted his lips into a smile.
“You know very well that you drive people crazy.”
“Ugh...!”
Chloe felt like she could shoot him now. If she couldn't pull the trigger, she could hit him with the gun. But at that moment, the gun flew into Damien's hands and onto the bed.
“Let go, let go of this!”
Chloe was furious, but she tried to shake him off, but it was no use. He wrapped his arms around her completely, practically trapping her in his embrace, and he pressed his forehead against hers, muttering like a madman.
“Tell me again that my touch gives you goosebumps.”
“Haa... haa...”
His voice tone, tightly locked and lowered, proved his excitement. His tongue and lips, which had kissed the gun as if nothing had happened, swept over her neck without any fear. His breath, which had suddenly reached her ear, made Chloe's head dizzy.
“I don’t think I’ll let you off easy if you lie this time.”
He dug his teeth into Chloe's ear, right where her pulse was. Chloe resisted him, holding back a faint moan that threatened to escape her lips.
“What are you going to do if you don’t look after me?”
As her delicate flesh heated up, she lifted her small chin a little higher. The sound of the violin, which sounded like a woman sobbing, mixed with the sound of the pouring rain, was reaching a more passionate climax.
"Curious?"
Damien then buried his lips in her ear and whispered the words of the world's most scoundrel. It was only natural that Chloe blushed bright red and pushed his chest and slapped him. These were not words that could come out of the mouth of a King of a country.
“Have you lost the last bit of your dignity...?”
“You’re the one who’s making me lose my dignity.”
Damien, his eyes narrowed, pressed his obscene lips to hers.
“Kiss me, Chloe. My love.”
Chloe's brown eyes fluttered at the audacity of him encouraging her to kiss while they were already kissing.
“If you do any more, I will slap you in the face.”
“I’ve already experienced that. It was so thrilling.”
“I will bite and spit.”
“...I will gladly permit it.”
Damien's voice was filled with excitement. His pale face was soaked by the raindrops pouring down from the balcony. The candles he had lit in the room swayed dizzily.
“You think you’re the only one who hates me.”
What made her excited beyond fear was that her body remembered his hands caressing her body more clearly than her head. Chloe's eyes turned red as she held back her rapid breathing.
“But my hatred for you, who trampled on my love and left, will not be any less than that.”
“Then you should punish me instead. Put me in prison and end my life, like you do. That would be easier.”
“If I could, I would have done so.”
Damien ran his hands down her neck and chest.
“If only I could.”
The veins on the back of his large hand bulged out. She tried to slap his hand away, but Damien grabbed Chloe's hand tightly and held on. She could feel her pulse thumping in the hand he was holding. It was impossible to tell whose heart was beating faster as they were beating wildly toward each other.
“You know we’re doing this because we love each other.”
Chloe's lips, now red from having been bitten by Damien, trembled.
“You can say you love me, Chloe.”
She felt the urge to collapse before Damien, who was whispering his arrogant orders so affectionately, and she squeezed her eyes shut. And finally, she opened her mouth, as if pleading or declaring to him. Her voice was thin as she held back tears.
“If I admit that I love you... I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
“Could you tell me why that is?”
His attitude was so polite that it almost seemed as if he was listening to her and might back off if she found what he said sounded reasonable.
“You... made the people I love suffer just to have me. Forgiving you like that would be like doing something terrible to my beloved father, my precious little sister... and my child, whose heart breaks just thinking about it.”
Chloe, who was speaking in a whisper, interrupted her words here and there, but did not stop completely. Her eyes, revealing her feelings for the first time, were filled with tears. Damien let out a long, slow breath as he watched her, who had large teardrops that looked like they would fall if he blew on them, but who stubbornly refused to cry.
“So, can you please shake me a little bit?”
How is that possible?
It was a stubbornness so extreme that it seemed like it would make others want to throw a tantrum. Perhaps this old-fashioned woman will never know. How lovely it is to see such an upright woman shaken up because of him. Therefore, you are mine forever, Chloe.
“Chloe. Can I tell you a secret?”
Damian opened his mouth in a soft but clear voice towards Chloe, who was looking at him with a suspicious gaze.
“You’re not the only one who wants their happiness.”
“...”
“The people you love want you to be happy, too, Chloe.”
Damien looked at Chloe, speechless for the first time, and he felt that he had finally reached the center that had held her so tightly. His animal instinct was telling him just that.
“That means no one wants you to sacrifice yourself for them. At least not among those you love. Not your father, not your sister. Not even... Gray Wilson.”
“...How do you know that?”
Chloe asked with her eyes like a doe, soaking wet from the pouring rain. Damien smiled as he watched her.
“Some things can be felt without needing to be said.”
Damien, who had once laughed at her words as if they were foolish in the snowy birch forest, was now saying the same thing to her.
“With actions. With your eyes. With your earnest heart.”
Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as Damien added. She never wanted to show her tears, but Damien wiped away her tears, and a faint burn mark appeared on his hand. It seemed like she could understand why someone who would never burn his hands had such scars without having to hear the story, and it made her cry even more. For the first time, she could see his crazy behavior, his arrogant eyes, and his burning heart.
“Was that a shocking story enough to make you cry?”
Her family wants her happiness more than her sacrifice. She never thought she would hear such obvious words from this man. Everything she had been worried about disappeared with his words, and she felt herself forgiven. Chloe couldn't stop crying anymore.
“Of course, they can’t love you with all their heart like you do.”
Damien covered her face with his hands and smiled so beautifully that it seemed as if her eyes would go blind.
“It’s my job to love you passionately. It’s okay.”
The sweet words made her heart melt. Chloe sobbed in protest.
“I once thought about what would have happened if I had never turned the portrait over. What would have happened if I had never discovered the secret vault?”
“Then you would never have thought of leaving Swanton. You would never have had the dangerous and wild desire to leave a scar on a man’s heart that would never fade.”
Chloe's body and mind trembled at the same time. As he kissed her excited face without stopping and spoke, the sincerity that had been vague to her gradually became clearer.
“I don’t think you’ve ever experienced hating yourself for loving yourself.”
Truths that she did not want to acknowledge are revealed as concrete facts through Damien's language.
“And I wouldn’t have been able to see this strange and funny moment where this Tisse was begging you for love.”
It wasn't funny at all when he said that. Instead, Damien whispered to her, her heart pounding.
“Come back to me, my Queen. I will gladly kiss your feet.”
It was too tempting to be called a look of worship. Chloe had no choice but to admit it. She had been deeply in love with this arrogant man.
“I still don’t know. I’ve been trying to hate you for so long that I don’t know how to look at you.”
“Just see it the way you feel.”
Damien finally picked her up and walked away. The gun was put away on the bed, and Chloe's body was placed there.
“Apologize to me properly. I won’t do anything until you apologize.”
“Should I apologize for loving you so madly?”
Chloe burst into hot tears again at Damien's words, which he whispered without any sense of guilt. Damien whispered as he ripped off her dirty dress.
"My love."
“Right now, I’m thinking to myself, ugh... It’s all over.”
The heavy dress fell to the ground under the bed.
“You will be smiling and relieved that everything went your way.”
“I won’t deny it. My lovely angel.”
Chloe cried, beating him with her fists. Damien's thin dress shirt fell to the floor.
“My beautiful wife.”
Damien let out a hot breath. His body hardened, and his gaze was filled with desire. He felt his patience reach its limit as he stood before her, crying with a tearful face. Just as you are the only one who can do this to me. I am the only one who can have everything you have.
“I will not enforce evil laws for the first and last time.”
The petticoat lifted up. The braces that had been wrapped around Chloe's slender legs were released by his hands and fell to the floor.
“I have to fulfill my marital obligations that I have been putting off for two years.”
“...”
“My Queen Majesty, who brought Tisse to his knees.”
Damien took Chloe's breath away in an instant. He knelt down, completely exposed, consuming her. First her lips, then her tongue, then her entire body. The air in the room became hot.
The rain had stopped, but Chloe's body, filled with Damien, did not dry out. The wind blowing from the lake was not enough to disperse the thick heat between them. Her husband was a man who was definitely a giver and a taker. Her lips had to stay on the same body part where his lips touched.
Once he looked down, she too had to look down at him and move. He who had tamed her slender body to accept him perfectly caressed her spine and moaned softly.
Chloe, who had her hand on Damien's shoulder, gasped for breath with her eyes reddened. Her breathing gradually became more labored, and she shook her head with her lips parted.
“You like it.”
Damien's body, which moved lightly like a feather while sitting across from her, was hot.
“Ah, no, I, I, Da, Damie...ugh!”
He lifted her chin and laughed quietly.
“You still only talk to me when I’m stuck inside you.”
“Ha, don’t... Heh...!”
He tried to cover his mouth, but he couldn't. He hugged Chloe's frail body as she lost her balance and collapsed, and clasped his hands tightly together.
Now the gaze was again on top of Damien.
Not pitch black, but bright black.
That's what little Chloe called the dawn sky.
It all started when Chloe, who was suffering from the aftereffects of a fever, woke up one day from a violent dream, stood with her hands on the windowsill, and looked at the sky just before dawn. The dark sky gradually lightened, and finally, she saw the rising sun, painting all around with brilliant light. Since then, she has not been afraid of the night.
This is because she saw with her own eyes that no matter how dark it was, if she stood firm, morning would eventually come. When she first realized that she couldn't climb the stairs without help from others, when her mother, the only support she could lean on, passed away, and when the variables of her father's bankruptcy and Alice's running away came, she was able to overcome it because of this.
The slightly cool dawn breeze blew her hair. Chloe shrank slightly and could smell Damien’s scent on the clothes she was wearing. He had dressed her in his own clothes, as she could not wear the clothes that were soaked in the rain.
Chloe looked down at the soft dress shirt that reached down to the back of her hand. Even on the first night when he had torn off her thin nightgown that showed her skin, Damien had dressed her in his clothes at dawn while she was still asleep. Something warm wrapped around Chloe’s back as she smiled faintly.
“What are you thinking about?”
Damien's husky voice, as if he had just woken up, was heard in her ear. She could feel the body heat of Damien holding her through the thin clothes. Chloe took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
“I was worried.”
"What."
“...How on earth should I explain this situation to Madame Stella?”
The brief tension disappeared, and Damien's small laugh spread from Chloe's ear to the nape of her neck.
“Does this really need explaining?”
A kiss, perhaps with a hint of seduction, slowly trailed from her neck to her shoulder.
“If you show them this kind of behavior, it will all be over.”
Chloe flinched slightly as a wicked hand came up over her thin clothes and wrapped itself around her.
“Don't do it.”
“I already did everything I had to do.”
Chloe blushed as she heard Damien's voice whispering softly. Her face burned as she remembered what had happened last night, right here on the terrace, right after she got out of bed. Damien whispered as if he had read her thoughts.
“It’s a good thing the villa is right in front of the lake.”
“...”
“Otherwise, everyone in Guinevis would have heard you shout my name loudly.”
Chloe finally rolled her eyes at Damien. Damien held her tighter as she tried to shake him off.
“That made me even more excited.”
His high nose brushed past Chloe's, and their lips, which had met several times throughout the night, met again. Chloe's eyes fluttered shut on their own, then slowly opened the moment he pulled away.
“I feel like I’ve had a good night’s sleep for the first time in two years.”
He smiled, holding her gaze. Chloe's heart moistened slightly as she looked into his eyes that reminded her of the dawn sky. He had only slept for about an hour. Even now, he noticed her as soon as she got out of bed.
“Don’t leave my side now, Chloe.”
Damien whispered softly.
“...Let me think about it.”
Chloe tried to hide her trembling heart by saying things she didn't mean.
“Yeah. Do a lot. Do enough.”
Contrary to her half-hearted answer, Damien's hands, undoing the clothes she was wearing, were hot and eager. It wasn't that hard for him to guess what she was thinking. The moment Chloe came here to meet him on her own two feet, she had already faced herself, something she didn't want to admit.
Now it was clear what he had to do. He had to convince her of her own choice so that she couldn't hate herself. He had to give Chloe's feelings a precious value so that she would want to live her whole life in that sparkle.
But Damien stopped thinking about all those plans for this moment. He just wanted to feel the fact that she was finally in his arms.
“Damien...!”
Chloe's lips trembled as she held the terrace railing tightly. The sky was breaking through her frowning vision. She had to return to the mansion before the day was fully dark, but she couldn't push away Damien, who was hugging her again. To be exact, she couldn't push him away. The dawn sky after the rain was too enchanting.
“I would do anything to see your face again, completely in love.”
Damien, who buried himself deep in her body and spoke in a voice full of desire, was even more so. He was not just whispering sweet nothings to capture the woman's ears. He was giving her a heads-up about what was going to happen. Damien would eventually achieve everything he set out to do.
“You can look forward to it.”
Before everything happened, the sweet daily life they had together came to Chloe's mind. She was the only one who knew how a man named Damien loved a woman. She took a deep breath as she looked at the sky that was turning purple in the distance. The afterimage of the beautiful dawn sky did not easily disappear even when she closed her eyes.
Her heart was pounding.
Chloe returned to the mansion alone in a private carriage. As soon as she got home, she started packing her bags. She had no time or time to think. She was frantically packing her bags when she suddenly stopped when she heard a careful knock. When she turned around in surprise, she saw Sophie peeking out.
"Teacher."
Sophie looked at her room in disarray, dumbfounded.
“Teacher... Where are you going?”
Sophie had seen the tutors leave several times, so she quickly figured out what was going on. The moment Sophie, whose nostrils were flaring, burst into loud crying, Chloe hugged the child without even thinking.
“Teacher, you’re going to leave Sophie behind and sneak away? What did I do wrong? Hwaaaaang...!”
Chloe finally came to her senses when she heard Sophie's sad cries, calling for the small room to leave. She had been working hard to build her life in Guinevis for over a year.
“Eek. I practiced the piano really hard to surprise the teacher. Sob.”
As Sophie buried her head in her dress and sobbed, Chloe patted her tiny back.
"Sorry."
She was afraid that she would be able to smile again, but she lived here smiling a lot. She created another simple and peaceful little world. Chloe's small room was filled with the goodwill she had exchanged with others here.
With the appearance of Damien, everything was on the verge of collapse, but instead, an unknown fighting spirit was born from that fact. It was an inner pride that Chloe herself was not aware of. She muttered to herself that the man had no influence on her life anymore.
“I don’t run away, Sophie.”
“But why is the room a mess?”
“I was just trying to clean my room. I do that a lot. Right?”
“I thought you were just going to leave without even saying goodbye.”
Chloe shook her head as she wiped Sophie's runny nose, who was holding back tears.
“I won’t do that.”
“Please read the book.”
Chloe lay Sophie down on her bed and read her a storybook. After reading the third book, the child, who had been wide-eyed, finally fell asleep, panting, before she finally let out a deep breath.
What on earth does he want?
In fact, if he had come to completely ruin her, there was no need to go through the trouble of pretending to be others, as Damien said. It would have been more in keeping with his personality to drag her away by force or threaten her by using the people around him.
“I didn’t come here to trample on you.”
“Then why did you come?”
“Because I miss you.”
As she recalled the voice whispering in the darkness, the strength in her legs naturally relaxed. Chloe swallowed dryly as she covered Sophie, who was tossing and turning in her sleep, with a soft blanket. She had a vague feeling that she knew what Damien wanted from her.
“Because I miss you. Because I want to meet you.”
Damien's voice, when he said he had come to see her because he wanted to dance, was seductively sweet. He was a man who knew how to make Chloe's heart flutter and how to make her face bloom with a shy, flower-like smile. There was no one to blame. It was the result of Chloe showing him everything while they were happily married, blinded by him. Chloe Verdier, who was ignorant of love, gave a man everything he wanted from a woman.
'Don't be a fool who makes the same mistake twice.'
Chloe whispered quietly into her mouth, blinking her feverish eyes and trying to calm her mind. Damien must have been convinced even now.
That she couldn't forget him. That she still loved him.
Damien had it wrong.
There was definitely a time when her heart throbbed with pride, so different from hers, that it almost felt arrogant. But now it was different. It had to be different. Because from the moment she left him, she had vowed to erase his name from her life.
The smell of rain mixed with the warm wind, and then a downpour began. Chloe listened to the sound of the rain and thought for a long time. Most of her thoughts were about determination.
It was a determination to never fall for Damien's intentions of using conciliatory tactics rather than hard-line tactics. It was a promise to break down his arrogance that thought she would break down and come to him on her own two feet. Chloe's lips turned red as she bit them gently.
***
Chloe looked back and forth between Stella and Ricardo, standing in front of her. It occurred to her that this was what was to come.
“I’m sorry, Claire."
Stella, with her hands clasped around her ample chest, spoke as if asking for a favor. Seeing that her husband, Ricardo, was standing beside her, the meaning was clear. Chloe opened her mouth in a small but clear voice.
“I don’t quite understand why I should accompany him on his tour of Mr. Ricardo’s vineyard, Madame Stella.”
A businessman from Swanton, Laurence Taylor, was scheduled to stay in Guinevis for a week as a tourist, and today was his third day. Chloe had been worried for a while, but nothing had happened. Finally, after three days, he showed his true colors.
“Rather than guiding, you just act as a conversation partner. He asked Claire to do it for him because he said you communicate well with him, so I had no reason to refuse.”
“Hmm. If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to go. Strictly speaking, he’s our guest, not Ms. Claire’s.”
Ricardo's expression as he coughed in vain did not look okay at all. Chloe tried her best to hide her frustration and pulled away until the very end.
“Today is Sophie’s piano lesson day.”
Stella took her hand as if to tell her not to worry.
“I heard Marimo is having a cake party at her house. Don’t worry, I’ll send her there.”
“...”
“I guess I shouldn’t have been so fond of receiving gifts. If I had known Claire would be this bothered, I would have just given them all to charity.”
As Stella looked at her and sighed exaggeratedly, Chloe could no longer find a way to back down.
“...I’ll get ready to go out and come down.”
She never thought she would be able to feel the workers' position so directly, something she couldn't know when she was an employer.
"Ha..."
She returned to her room and prepared to go out when she heard that the carriage had already arrived. She got up from her chair and quickly grabbed her summer sun hat and handbag. It would have been better if he had given her some advance notice so that she could prepare, but Damien had caught her by surprise like that summer day when he had visited her by surprise.
As she came down the stairs and exited the mansion, Chloe saw him, Damien, standing in front of an open carriage. She couldn't move her feet from the sight of him smiling and talking with someone with a handsome face covered in a red beard.
“Ms. Claire, this way.”
Chloe had no choice but to walk slowly at Ricardo's commanding call. Unlike her, who had not been able to sleep properly since the charity bazaar was held, Damien's face was perfect enough to annoy her.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Miss Claire.”
“Anytime I can help Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo’s valued guests, Mr. Taylor.”
Damien smiled and took her hand. Stella, who had been seeing Chloe off from behind, tilted her head for a moment as she watched Chloe climb into the carriage, holding Damien’s hand.
"Oh?"
Their atmosphere was so natural. In addition, the man seemed to fully understand her condition of having a bad leg, and he even supported her waist with his other hand. It happened in an instant, but she couldn't avoid Stella's eagle eyes. Ms. Claire, who had always built an iron wall around approaching men, seemed accustomed to the kindness of a strange man, so she didn't seem surprised and accepted his escort.
Do you feel relatively comfortable because you are from the same hometown?
But Claire's attitude toward the beautiful and rich man was strangely unfavorable. Of course, the young businessman's feelings seemed to be the opposite. It would be foolish not to feel desire in the gaze of the man opposite her, who stared intently at her, even when she rarely turned her head with an expressionless face.
“I’ll be back, Stella.”
Stella woke up from her short thoughts and waved her hand gracefully while holding the baby. Anyway, there was no way Miss Claire would make a mistake, so there was nothing to worry about. She had already sent an invitation to the missionary who had shown interest in Claire to have lunch together tomorrow, so she could atone for her guilt for using Claire for personal purposes.
The carriage moved, kicking up a cloud of dust.
***
Ricardo's vineyard boasted the largest area in Guinevis. They inspected the endless rows of small vines ripening in the scorching sunlight and checked out the winery and huge cellar next to it. It was already dusk, and the sun was setting.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Ugh. Just one more drink, please.”
The red-bearded man Damien had brought along as his attendant seemed to be already drunk from the many glasses of wine he had tasted at the winery. When Chloe looked at Ricardo in surprise, he laughed heartily with an expression of amusement.
“Hahaha! Mr. Taylor’s attendants seem to think of their boss as a King; they are very loyal.”
“He's just drunk. It’s embarrassing.”
Damien glanced at the staggering attendant, then smiled lowly, his lips curling up nicely.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult if you got drunk here?”
The attendant, who had been covering his mouth with both chubby hands, suddenly came to his senses and shook his head from side to side.
“I have committed a mortal sin.”
“It’s not worth dying for something like that.”
Chloe's forehead felt hot as she looked at Damien, who seemed to be overflowing with leisure. The King of a country hid his identity and sneaked into a country that was practically an enemy, so she couldn't understand why she, who wasn't the person involved, had to be worried.
“Then, now you should go back to my mansion and have dinner together.”
As Ricardo recited the scheduled itinerary, Damien's attendant suddenly stepped forward and opened his mouth.
“Oh, by the way, I think it would be polite to give a gift to the hostess who invited us, Mr. Ricardo.”
“It’s a gift, don’t worry about it.”
“Are you now refusing the gift of Laurence Taylor’s masterpiece, the phonograph and music?”
When the red-bearded attendant who had been smiling cheerfully suddenly turned serious, Ricardo nodded, hiding his embarrassed expression.
“No, then I will gladly accept it...”
“In that case, how about I send Mr. Taylor to the mansion first, and Mr. Ricardo goes back to the lodging with me and chooses the music that you think would be most appealing to your wife? I think you would know your wife’s taste best, so I’m telling you this.”
The attendant kept glancing at Damien as he spoke mechanically. While everyone there guessed the attendant's suspicious intentions, the only one who did not notice was Ricardo, who was secretly a devoted husband.
“Stella would like that.”
Chloe noticed the ominous atmosphere and quickly opened her mouth.
“Then I will come with you and help you choose a gift.”
Ricardo waved his hand as if it were nothing.
“No, no. Sophie will be waiting for you, so it would be better for Miss Claire to return to the mansion. You will accompany Mr. Taylor and keep him company, and explain various places in Guinevis.”
Chloe's brown eyes widened. She hadn't exchanged a single word with Damien, but she had been forced to follow him around all day. She was already physically and mentally exhausted, and being left with him again was not very pleasant for her.
“Mr. Ricardo, I...”
“If you listen to our teacher Claire’s calm explanation, even long distances will pass quickly, Mr. Taylor.”
I am not a tour guide!!!
Chloe clenched her fists and glared, but it was no use. Ricardo whistled, and an attendant appeared right away. He demanded two horses and disappeared like the wind with his attendant.
“Shall we go, Miss Claire?”
Damien's voice came to Chloe's ears as she closed her eyes tightly in the dust. Chloe, who was pulled back to reality, came to her senses and got on the carriage. She ignored Damien, who naturally vacated the seat next to her, and sat down in front of him, but the moment the carriage started off with a jolt, Chloe immediately realized that her actions had been a hasty judgment.
A country road is covered with gravel. Beyond the rattling carriage, the sunset sky spread out wide. Damien was right in front of her, with the sky dyed in a beautiful sunset as the background. She couldn't take her eyes off Damien, who was leaning his arm on the back of the chair, caressing his chin with his hand, and staring intently at Chloe as if he were admiring her.
“It’s pretty.”
When Damien finally opened his mouth, Chloe’s cheeks, hidden beneath her wide-brimmed straw hat, flushed. The sun was hot before it disappeared beyond the horizon. The ribbon on her hat fluttered and tickled her reddened neck.
“Yes. Guinevis is a truly beautiful place.”
Damien chuckled softly as he listened to her answer, which cut off other topics. She had the illusion that the wind was even more lukewarm today.
“Yes, it’s peaceful and idyllic. It’s the perfect place to forget about everything.”
Chloe swallowed, not knowing what to say.
“So you forgot everything?”
Damien asked again in a soft voice. Chloe barely managed to hold on to her visor as it was about to fall off, as the carriage rattled violently as it gained speed.
“I’m asking you, Chloe, if you’ve succeeded in forgetting all those moments you spent with me.”
“Well then?”
“Then I will let you go.”
Chloe's face slowly rose. Chloe bit her lips tightly as she looked into his eyes, whispering affectionately. She wanted to throw the arrogance of the man who was confident that she had not forgotten him to the ground. Her heart pounded, and heat spread inside her white muslin dress.
“Do you promise?”
“Promise me.”
Damien let out a low laugh and smiled a little coldly.
“If you have forgotten the rose garden of Swanton, if you have forgotten the moments when we ran together through the green forest of Verdier, and if you have forgotten me kissing you on the bridge over Tisse, I will let you go.”
Chloe's lips trembled silently without her knowing. The memories she wanted to forget unfolded before her eyes as if they were drawn in the moment they flowed out through Damien's voice.
“Memories and recollections are different.”
“How is it different?”
Chloe continued speaking, barely suppressing something boiling in her chest as she looked at Damien, who was asking with a strange face.
“Memories are beautiful and I want to keep them forever, but memories can be painful because they are unforgettable.”
“It sounds like you’re saying you were miserable because you couldn’t forget me.”
Chloe clenched her fists, frustrated that she couldn't refute Damien's words.
“I lived well without you.”
“Yeah, I see.”
Chloe steeled herself as she looked straight at Damien, who nodded in agreement.
“Before you showed up here again and ruined my life, I was thinking about starting a family with another man.”
“That must be true, too.”
Damien stroked his chin and spat out clearly.
“You married someone you didn’t love, so maybe you could do it this time, too.”
The carriage rattled violently as it passed over the gravel road. Chloe's heart pounded and burst as she saw Damien, who seemed unfazed by anything she said.
“It wouldn’t be strange if you had thought of marrying a man you didn’t like and then holding me in your heart for the rest of your life. Chloe Verdier is the kind of woman who can do that.”
“Don’t get me wrong.”
“If this is a mistake, try rejecting my existence.”
Damien's gaze deepened as he spoke softly. The sun was burning red and disappearing beyond the horizon, and the west was turning purple.
“Say with your own mouth that you have forgotten me, that my existence does not give you any trembling.”
“I hate you.”
“That doesn’t prove you don’t love me, Chloe. Maybe it’s the opposite.”
Clang. The carriage wheel hit the gravel and swayed, and Chloe lost her balance and was thrown forward. Her hat fell off, and her loosely tied hair fell out and spilled down. Her delicate shoulder trembled slightly as Damien, who was kneeling on the carriage floor, held her tightly in his arms.
“I hate even the touch of your hands on my body.”
“...Are you serious?”
She continued speaking with wet eyes, watching Damien's eyes waver.
“Yes, it’s seriously terrible.”
Damien's face, which looked as if someone had painstakingly carved it, twitched strangely. It was as if something was bursting under his skin.
“My body is unconsciously rejecting you.”
Chloe watched Damien chew on his lip and knew she had hurt him more than she had intended.
As Damien's grip tightened, her body trembled. Chloe watched as Damien's eyes slowly darkened. And finally, the strength in his grip slowly released. Damien slowly pulled away from her body, as if he was barely able to remove his fingers from ice that was stuck to it.
Their eyes met as only the rattling of the carriage wheels could be heard. His face was distorted in agony in the faint rising dust. She didn’t like the strange feeling of triumph and stabbing pain in her heart. Chloe let out a trembling voice, thinking that if not now, she might never be able to get away from him.
“Is this a sufficient answer?”
It was then that the bag fell to the floor of the carriage.
Chloe's eyes widened as something sparkled in the depths of her open bag, inside her inner pocket. It was a mistake. A ridiculous mistake that she could never make.
"Ha...!"
She tried to reach out, but it was too much. Damien picked up the bag and pendant that had fallen to the floor. As Damien’s hand grabbed the pendant, Chloe’s eyes shook wildly. How could God be so clearly not on her side?
A locket-shaped pendant ornately decorated with jewels. He stared intently at the gorgeous necklace that Damien had once personally put on her, then met her eyes.
Her hands grew cold at the gaze that seemed to demand an explanation. Chloe actually had a lot to say. It was the only safety device she had brought with her when she left Birch Castle in case of an emergency. It was a means to prove that she was Damien's wife and scare them if they were to meet a rascal or something and be in danger, and it was an expensive piece of jewelry that she could sell to make money.
After that, she always carried the pendant deep in the inside pocket of her handbag as a habit, out of fear that she might become a fugitive again. But the problem was that a few days ago, he suddenly showed up, and she took it out in a disturbed mood. It was just that she forgot about it because Stella suddenly came into the room, and she couldn't even finish putting it in her inside pocket.
But Damien didn't ask anything. If he had, it would have been easier to answer, but instead of questioning, he opened the locket.
Click. With a small metallic sound, the small oval split into two. Two small portraits depicting the profiles of a man and a woman. Chloe couldn't say anything and could only bite her lips in front of the man who insisted on seeing them looking at each other with faces that were clearly in love.
Damien was also silent. But something was strange. There was nothing to read from Damien’s expression, which should have been smiling like a winner. His blue eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw was tense, the tiny muscles twitching.
The skin color that had never changed because he never lost his composure became darker, and the thick veins on his neck where blood flowed were bulging. When Damien covered his face with the hand holding the pendant as if he was squeezing it and let out the breath that had been held back, Chloe almost forgot about her situation and asked him if he was okay. This was the first time she had seen Damien look this disheveled in her memory.
“Answer, I heard it well.”
Finally, Damien raised his head, and the light that had seemed to have disappeared from his eyes flared up again. His masculine, protruding collarbone rippled up and down.
“I apologize in advance because I don’t think I can escort you.”
The carriage had already arrived in front of the mansion, which was beautifully covered with ivy. Damien let out a husky voice, watching Chloe, who was having difficulty leaving.
“Do you want me to drag you along?”
Chloe quickly got up from her seat as she watched the glove on the hand holding the pendant expand dangerously as if it was about to burst. Damien took a deep breath as he stared at Chloe’s back as she got out of the carriage and hurried into the mansion.
Damien eventually canceled the evening's appointment and drove back to his villa, his lodgings. Mrs. Stella was furious that he had canceled the appointment just before dinner, claiming he was unwell, but she immediately set up the gift her husband had brought in the drawing room.
Mrs. Stella was talking loudly about how she should never get involved with the Swanton man who was so capricious, and then she belatedly glanced at Chloe. Chloe didn't show any sign of being offended by her words, but instead checked the businessman's itinerary again, when he would return home.
Chloe braced herself when she heard that he was leaving on a ship in three days. Even when the canceled dinner was held the next day, she was able to show up for dinner with the pendant incident buried in her mind.
“Welcome, Claire.”
“Thank you for yesterday.”
"You're welcome."
Chloe, who appeared with Sophie, responded to Damien's polite greeting and sat down. Unfortunately, her seat happened to be next to his.
“Mr. Taylor was so grateful. He said he had a great time yesterday thanks to Claire.”
No matter how much she recalled the situation yesterday, it was far from pleasant. Across from Chloe, who didn't respond, Stella closed her eyes and smiled, unable to hide her satisfaction.
“I can only imagine how kindly our multi-talented teacher Claire will guide us.”
“Yes. She was good at joking, and she could control me with just one word. Thanks to her, I felt nervous for the first time in my life.”
Chloe's hand, which was lifting the glass of water, stopped. Damien glanced at her and smiled as she unconsciously frowned at him. Chloe quickly looked away and moistened her throat with red wine instead of water.
“Haha, of course. That’s why you couldn’t come to dinner last night, right?”
“Oh. Did I get caught?”
Stella burst out laughing as she watched Damien lower his voice with an embarrassed expression.
“I’ll pretend like I suddenly cancelled dinner yesterday, so you don’t have to make an effort and say something irrelevant.”
“If you had seen my condition with your own eyes, you would have thought I was dangerous. When I’m relaxed, I’m no different from an unleashed beast.”
“Oh my, you’re talking exactly like the men in our principality?”
“No way.”
It was natural for Chloe to feel a sense of awkwardness as she watched the two of them having a completely different conversation but getting along so amicably. Now that she looked at it, Stella had something in common with Priscilla.
“Thanks to the delightful Mr. Taylor, I feel like all my stereotypes about Swanton people have disappeared.”
As Stella spoke in a friendly manner, Damien accepted her words with a relaxed expression.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Actually, I don’t know much about politics, but I can’t help but read the various stories in the newspaper, so I know a little about the big stories. It was really surprising that Swanton completely withdrew from trade negotiations.”
“Stella.”
When Ricardo tried to stop her from telling the story innocently, Damien nodded as if nothing had happened.
“It’s definitely a tough time for businessmen. The hard-line approach from above is intended to check the power of the principality, so the situation will change depending on the situation.”
Unlike Chloe, who seemed to be walking on thin ice, the conversation at the table was flowing naturally and comfortably.
“Well, this country is also in a situation where we cannot predict what will happen next, so it is not the time to talk about other countries’ politics.”
Ricardo opened his mouth, laden his plate with the food that filled the table.
“The King of Swanton was at least faithful in his marriage. He didn’t cause any scandals that shook the country. It’s a shame that the Queen died, but he’s still young, so he’ll have a new Queen soon.”
The color drained from Chloe's face at the unexpected topic. Damien responded with a strange gesture, swinging his knife around.
“Everyone wants that, but it seems difficult.”
“Yes? Why?”
Stella asked back with a curious look.
“The King’s mother looked at the list of new brides and rejected them all.”
“She seems to be very picky, doesn’t she?”
“She liked Chloe a lot.”
Chloe felt her hands sweating and clenched and released the napkin. She resented Damien for not hesitating to mention things she didn't want to think about.
“The former Queen, right? If the people call her by her name and feel close to her, then she must have been a person worthy of the position. I envy you.”
As Ricardo clicked his tongue with a mixture of envy and bitterness, Stella intervened.
“It’s the complete opposite of the royal situation here. As you can see from the newspapers, Mr. Taylor, a Queen who has hidden her origins.”
When Alice finally came up in the conversation, her face hardened even more. It was extremely difficult for Chloe to hear negative comments about her family in public. Damien, who knew this well, glanced at her and opened his mouth in passing.
“Is the exact background of the new Queen still unknown to the people here?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, really. There are even rumors that she might be a wandering gypsy woman. Oh, do you find this kind of talk uncomfortable?”
“I’m fine with it, but I don’t think it’s an appropriate topic for a child to hear.”
Stella blinked her dark eyes quickly as Damien still smiled and winked at Sophie. Sophie was young but had a good sense of humor, but as he had said, it was not a good idea to gossip about the King in front of the children.
“Oh my, you even think about our child. Mr. Taylor said he’s still single, right? I think you’ll be a really caring and devoted husband when you get married.”
“I think so too.”
When Damien answered without any hesitation, Chloe's cheeks, which had been pale, became slightly hot. Even if his face was thick, wasn't it too thick? Damien was smiling without denying Stella's words, and Chloe felt the urge to throw a pigeon bean at his high nose. Alice's work had already flown out of her mind.
“Teacher, are you okay?”
Chloe nodded, forcing a smile as Sophie asked her.
“Yes, then. It’s okay.”
“It looks like Claire and your daughter are getting along very well.”
Stella nodded in agreement with Damien's words.
“Good. If it weren’t for Ms. Claire, I couldn’t even imagine our Sophie’s current dignified appearance. If she continues like this, she will grow into a lady worthy of being sent to the royal family.”
“Haha. It’s royalty...”
As Damien pressed his hand to his forehead and smiled slightly, Stella opened her eyes with a sour expression.
“Hmm. Mr. Taylor, do you think I’m dreaming right now?”
“No way. I just thought that Miss Sophie had found an excellent teacher.”
Stella's voice became more and more excited as Chloe concentrated on eating her food mechanically.
“That’s why I want Miss Claire to settle down here in Guinevis and live there for a long time.”
Ricardo nodded, changing his wine.
“I’m planning to invite the missionaries to lunch tomorrow. If you have time, would you like to come, Mr. Taylor?”
“When you say missionary, you mean Gray Wilson?”
“You even remember his name. As expected, businessmen are different.”
Ricardo laughed and showed his joy. Chloe was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in this position and could not stand it. It seemed better to get up before Stella could say anything else. As expected, she should not have come to the dinner table with Damien from the beginning.
“Teacher, I’m sleepy.”
Sophie blinked at Claire, who felt like a helping hand. Chloe grabbed Sophie's hand and stood up.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll get up first with Sophie.”
Chloe returned to her room after putting Sophie to bed and flopped down on the bed, pressing her temples. It was clear that the drinking party was still going on at the bar downstairs. No matter how much she thought about it, this situation didn't feel real.
To think that she would run into him in a foreign home, not at Birch Castle, Swanton's Rose Castle, or Verdier Castle. Chloe took out Alice's letter that had been hidden deep in a drawer. It was a letter Alice had secretly sent to Eddie, or Erno, right after accepting his proposal.
When you need help, I will definitely help you. I will put my all into it.
In this situation, where Damien's true intentions were still unknown, it might have been possible to contact Alice and disappear without anyone knowing. Not only would Damien be subject to many restrictions since he couldn't reveal his identity, but it would also be possible to use that fact to pressure him.
When she first arrived in Carter's principality, she could tell from her brief encounter with Alice that Erno did not like anyone from Swanton, except Alice. He had even made her feel awkward when he said with a smile that the Swanton people were like narrow-minded swindlers who pretended to be polite.
His free-spirited nature, which had completely captivated Alice, seemed to reveal its true colors as soon as he returned to his home country. The way he loved Alice was so selfish and violent that it felt shockingly selfish.
Erno might have been the epitome of the beastly instincts of the men of the duchy, which Stella always joked about as savagery. She felt sorry for the others who treated him kindly, but to Chloe, the men here were just objects she was reluctant to approach.
Chloe opened her eyes with a long sigh. Asking Alice for help was the same as asking for Erno's power.
No.
Her wanting to get away from Damien and Erno, the so-called tyrant, killing Damien, were separate issues.
She came to the conclusion that there was no other way than to make him give up and leave, but even that seemed unlikely, and she felt depressed. There were still three days until the ship set sail. At least, since he was not the type to say two things with one mouth, there was no other way than to rely on Damien’s promise that if she forgot about him, he would leave her cleanly.
Chloe went to the window feeling frustrated. She opened the window to get some air, but she was shocked to the point of fainting. It was because Damien was standing there looking up at her window, facing her.
What are you doing now...?
What surprised Chloe even more was when he strode toward her and jumped up, grabbing the wall with his hands. Damien climbed up the old mansion with stone ornaments sticking out here and there, as if he were traversing flat ground. Chloe couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw his incredible athleticism, so she just blinked with her mouth open, and when their eyes finally met, she stepped back in confusion.
“...What are you doing now?”
“I made a bet. I’ll come to see you when the window opens.”
“...What if it doesn’t open?”
“I guess I waited until it opened.”
Chloe lowered her voice for a moment as she listened to the conversation between Stella and Ricardo across the hallway. Meanwhile, Damien had shamelessly climbed through the window and settled into her room.
“Get out quickly.”
“I have something to give you.”
Damien held out the pendant to her. Chloe suppressed her pent-up emotions and looked straight at him, opening her mouth. At the time, she was too flustered to explain, but now she had to tell the truth.
“I don’t need it, so take it. I brought it with me because I thought it might be money for running away, but I just didn’t have a good place to dispose of it.”
“Yes. Take it.”
There was no sincerity in Damien's dry nod. Chloe unconsciously blushed and clenched her fists.
“Absolutely not, I didn’t keep it with any kind of meaning.”
“Yes, open it.”
When Chloe glared at him and didn’t move, Damian opened the locket for her. Inside, besides the portrait, there was something else small. Flick. Chloe bit the inside of her lip as she watched the stamps fall to the floor. What Damien had put in was a stamp commemorating their wedding. It was a product she had personally commissioned, but had to leave without seeing the results.
“...Why do you torment people like this?”
Her voice trembled as he was unable to control her anxious mind.
“I didn’t mean to bother you. I just thought you might be curious and brought it.”
“If you’re done with your business, please leave now.”
“Did Gray Wilson propose to you?”
Damien looked at her intently and asked softly. Chloe looked straight at him and tried to sound challenging.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“I was curious. I can’t think of anyone else you would consider marrying, given your prudent nature... Gray Wilson can’t propose to you.”
As Damien had said, Gray had not said a single word that would burden her. However, Chloe could clearly feel that deep affection still lingered in his eyes. She also knew that if she reached out, Gray would never refuse.
“I want to be with him, if only to see your arrogance shattered.”
“Chloe, you know full well that that wasn’t the right choice.”
“Then what are you doing to me now is right?”
Chloe wanted to question him. She wanted to yell at him, asking why he appeared in front of her, who had forgotten everything and was living well, confusing people and making them unable to sleep due to anxiety. Damien slowly opened his mouth to look at Chloe, who was looking at him with red eyes.
“When I saw you through the window where the piano was playing, I actually wanted to run into your room.”
“..”
“I denied it because I couldn’t admit that I was a being who could be obsessed with someone in an instant. It was even harder to admit that I had irrational and animalistic impulses.”
Damien paused. The smile on his face disappeared, and a heat rose in its place. He slowly closed his sunken eyes and opened them. Summer night. Cicadas were chirping loudly. He didn’t say anything, but Chloe knew exactly what he was trying to say.
“If you had jumped out my window back then, I would have yelled at you like you were a thug.”
“What if I confessed my love to you, who was surprised to see me in the forest and took a step back?”
“...You probably thought I was crazy. I’ve never had a proper conversation with you.”
As Chloe continued to answer, Damien finally smiled faintly.
“Yes. You would have rejected all my advances. I probably knew that instinctively. I have a good sense.”
“...”
“The option of being rejected by the woman I first wanted was something that could not exist for me as a human being, Chloe.”
A faint sigh escaped Chloe's lips. How could this man, even when he was just calmly pouring out his heart, make someone's heart burn so hot?
“That doesn’t justify what you did to me.”
“I have no intention of rationalizing myself. I am just stating the facts.”
Damien took a step closer to her and tilted his head. His blue eyes, once drawn into her, seemed inescapable.
“I loved you first.”
Chloe's gaze wavered. The man who had finally revealed all the cards he had in front of his opponent smiled brightly and shot an arrow into her heart once again.
“I loved Chloe Verdier from the moment I first saw her, and that feeling hasn’t changed since then.”
Her heart was pounding. Chloe couldn't say anything because she felt as if she opened her mouth, a voice she couldn't control would come out. Damien approached her as if he had seen into her inner thoughts, and then he kissed the back of her hand, which was startling, polite, and slow.
“My wife is one person forever. Even if you change your surname to Tisse and take someone else’s surname, that fact will not change.”
The moment Chloe bit her lip hard, Stella's voice was heard from outside.
“Claire, you didn’t look well earlier. Are you okay?”
“Go out. My business is finished.”
Chloe tried to throw him away, but her hands that had been held were already free. Chloe let out a trembling voice, unable to control her strange emotions as she watched the man let her go instead of grabbing her.
“Don’t be under the illusion that you’re the only one who loves me.”
"I know."
Damien nodded in agreement. She didn't like the soft smile on his face. There was nothing she didn't like about the man in front of her. Chloe looked like she was going to cry now.
“Oh, and.”
Damien looked at her and added one last time.
“Margaret, your maid. She really has become an actress.”
Why on earth would he say that now? Starting with the sudden mention of Priscilla’s name during dinner, and then Margaret. Chloe wanted to ask if he was trying to provoke her by bringing up memories of the past that she had tried hard to forget, but the surprise and joy were too great for that.
“I heard that in the fall, she will be performing on the grand stage of Swanton Theater, which she had always dreamed of.”
Chloe's eyes widened, and a small sigh escaped her lips. Margaret. You finally did it. You did really well.
Her hands grew cold at the gaze that seemed to demand an explanation. Chloe actually had a lot to say. It was the only safety device she had brought with her when she left Birch Castle in case of an emergency. It was a means to prove that she was Damien's wife and scare them if they were to meet a rascal or something and be in danger, and it was an expensive piece of jewelry that she could sell to make money.
After that, she always carried the pendant deep in the inside pocket of her handbag as a habit, out of fear that she might become a fugitive again. But the problem was that a few days ago, he suddenly showed up, and she took it out in a disturbed mood. It was just that she forgot about it because Stella suddenly came into the room, and she couldn't even finish putting it in her inside pocket.
But Damien didn't ask anything. If he had, it would have been easier to answer, but instead of questioning, he opened the locket.
Click. With a small metallic sound, the small oval split into two. Two small portraits depicting the profiles of a man and a woman. Chloe couldn't say anything and could only bite her lips in front of the man who insisted on seeing them looking at each other with faces that were clearly in love.
Damien was also silent. But something was strange. There was nothing to read from Damien’s expression, which should have been smiling like a winner. His blue eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw was tense, the tiny muscles twitching.
The skin color that had never changed because he never lost his composure became darker, and the thick veins on his neck where blood flowed were bulging. When Damien covered his face with the hand holding the pendant as if he was squeezing it and let out the breath that had been held back, Chloe almost forgot about her situation and asked him if he was okay. This was the first time she had seen Damien look this disheveled in her memory.
“Answer, I heard it well.”
Finally, Damien raised his head, and the light that had seemed to have disappeared from his eyes flared up again. His masculine, protruding collarbone rippled up and down.
“I apologize in advance because I don’t think I can escort you.”
The carriage had already arrived in front of the mansion, which was beautifully covered with ivy. Damien let out a husky voice, watching Chloe, who was having difficulty leaving.
“Do you want me to drag you along?”
Chloe quickly got up from her seat as she watched the glove on the hand holding the pendant expand dangerously as if it was about to burst. Damien took a deep breath as he stared at Chloe’s back as she got out of the carriage and hurried into the mansion.
***
Damien eventually canceled the evening's appointment and drove back to his villa, his lodgings. Mrs. Stella was furious that he had canceled the appointment just before dinner, claiming he was unwell, but she immediately set up the gift her husband had brought in the drawing room.
Mrs. Stella was talking loudly about how she should never get involved with the Swanton man who was so capricious, and then she belatedly glanced at Chloe. Chloe didn't show any sign of being offended by her words, but instead checked the businessman's itinerary again, when he would return home.
Chloe braced herself when she heard that he was leaving on a ship in three days. Even when the canceled dinner was held the next day, she was able to show up for dinner with the pendant incident buried in her mind.
“Welcome, Claire.”
“Thank you for yesterday.”
"You're welcome."
Chloe, who appeared with Sophie, responded to Damien's polite greeting and sat down. Unfortunately, her seat happened to be next to his.
“Mr. Taylor was so grateful. He said he had a great time yesterday thanks to Claire.”
No matter how much she recalled the situation yesterday, it was far from pleasant. Across from Chloe, who didn't respond, Stella closed her eyes and smiled, unable to hide her satisfaction.
“I can only imagine how kindly our multi-talented teacher Claire will guide us.”
“Yes. She was good at joking, and she could control me with just one word. Thanks to her, I felt nervous for the first time in my life.”
Chloe's hand, which was lifting the glass of water, stopped. Damien glanced at her and smiled as she unconsciously frowned at him. Chloe quickly looked away and moistened her throat with red wine instead of water.
“Haha, of course. That’s why you couldn’t come to dinner last night, right?”
“Oh. Did I get caught?”
Stella burst out laughing as she watched Damien lower his voice with an embarrassed expression.
“I’ll pretend like I suddenly cancelled dinner yesterday, so you don’t have to make an effort and say something irrelevant.”
“If you had seen my condition with your own eyes, you would have thought I was dangerous. When I’m relaxed, I’m no different from an unleashed beast.”
“Oh my, you’re talking exactly like the men in our principality?”
“No way.”
It was natural for Chloe to feel a sense of awkwardness as she watched the two of them having a completely different conversation but getting along so amicably. Now that she looked at it, Stella had something in common with Priscilla.
“Thanks to the delightful Mr. Taylor, I feel like all my stereotypes about Swanton people have disappeared.”
As Stella spoke in a friendly manner, Damien accepted her words with a relaxed expression.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Actually, I don’t know much about politics, but I can’t help but read the various stories in the newspaper, so I know a little about the big stories. It was really surprising that Swanton completely withdrew from trade negotiations.”
“Stella.”
When Ricardo tried to stop her from telling the story innocently, Damien nodded as if nothing had happened.
“It’s definitely a tough time for businessmen. The hard-line approach from above is intended to check the power of the principality, so the situation will change depending on the situation.”
Unlike Chloe, who seemed to be walking on thin ice, the conversation at the table was flowing naturally and comfortably.
“Well, this country is also in a situation where we cannot predict what will happen next, so it is not the time to talk about other countries’ politics.”
Ricardo opened his mouth, laden his plate with the food that filled the table.
“The King of Swanton was at least faithful in his marriage. He didn’t cause any scandals that shook the country. It’s a shame that the Queen died, but he’s still young, so he’ll have a new Queen soon.”
The color drained from Chloe's face at the unexpected topic. Damien responded with a strange gesture, swinging his knife around.
“Everyone wants that, but it seems difficult.”
“Yes? Why?”
Stella asked back with a curious look.
“The King’s mother looked at the list of new brides and rejected them all.”
“She seems to be very picky, doesn’t she?”
“She liked Chloe a lot.”
Chloe felt her hands sweating and clenched and released the napkin. She resented Damien for not hesitating to mention things she didn't want to think about.
“The former Queen, right? If the people call her by her name and feel close to her, then she must have been a person worthy of the position. I envy you.”
As Ricardo clicked his tongue with a mixture of envy and bitterness, Stella intervened.
“It’s the complete opposite of the royal situation here. As you can see from the newspapers, Mr. Taylor, a Queen who has hidden her origins.”
When Alice finally came up in the conversation, her face hardened even more. It was extremely difficult for Chloe to hear negative comments about her family in public. Damien, who knew this well, glanced at her and opened his mouth in passing.
“Is the exact background of the new Queen still unknown to the people here?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, really. There are even rumors that she might be a wandering gypsy woman. Oh, do you find this kind of talk uncomfortable?”
“I’m fine with it, but I don’t think it’s an appropriate topic for a child to hear.”
Stella blinked her dark eyes quickly as Damien still smiled and winked at Sophie. Sophie was young but had a good sense of humor, but as he had said, it was not a good idea to gossip about the King in front of the children.
“Oh my, you even think about our child. Mr. Taylor said he’s still single, right? I think you’ll be a really caring and devoted husband when you get married.”
“I think so too.”
When Damien answered without any hesitation, Chloe's cheeks, which had been pale, became slightly hot. Even if his face was thick, wasn't it too thick? Damien was smiling without denying Stella's words, and Chloe felt the urge to throw a pigeon bean at his high nose. Alice's work had already flown out of her mind.
“Teacher, are you okay?”
Chloe nodded, forcing a smile as Sophie asked her.
“Yes, then. It’s okay.”
“It looks like Claire and your daughter are getting along very well.”
Stella nodded in agreement with Damien's words.
“Good. If it weren’t for Ms. Claire, I couldn’t even imagine our Sophie’s current dignified appearance. If she continues like this, she will grow into a lady worthy of being sent to the royal family.”
“Haha. It’s royalty...”
As Damien pressed his hand to his forehead and smiled slightly, Stella opened her eyes with a sour expression.
“Hmm. Mr. Taylor, do you think I’m dreaming right now?”
“No way. I just thought that Miss Sophie had found an excellent teacher.”
Stella's voice became more and more excited as Chloe concentrated on eating her food mechanically.
“That’s why I want Miss Claire to settle down here in Guinevis and live there for a long time.”
Ricardo nodded, changing his wine.
“I’m planning to invite the missionaries to lunch tomorrow. If you have time, would you like to come, Mr. Taylor?”
“When you say missionary, you mean Gray Wilson?”
“You even remember his name. As expected, businessmen are different.”
Ricardo laughed and showed his joy. Chloe was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in this position and could not stand it. It seemed better to get up before Stella could say anything else. As expected, she should not have come to the dinner table with Damien from the beginning.
“Teacher, I’m sleepy.”
Sophie blinked at Claire, who felt like a helping hand. Chloe grabbed Sophie's hand and stood up.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll get up first with Sophie.”
Chloe returned to her room after putting Sophie to bed and flopped down on the bed, pressing her temples. It was clear that the drinking party was still going on at the bar downstairs. No matter how much she thought about it, this situation didn't feel real.
To think that she would run into him in a foreign home, not at Birch Castle, Swanton's Rose Castle, or Verdier Castle. Chloe took out Alice's letter that had been hidden deep in a drawer. It was a letter Alice had secretly sent to Eddie, or Erno, right after accepting his proposal.
When you need help, I will definitely help you. I will put my all into it.
In this situation, where Damien's true intentions were still unknown, it might have been possible to contact Alice and disappear without anyone knowing. Not only would Damien be subject to many restrictions since he couldn't reveal his identity, but it would also be possible to use that fact to pressure him.
When she first arrived in Carter's principality, she could tell from her brief encounter with Alice that Erno did not like anyone from Swanton, except Alice. He had even made her feel awkward when he said with a smile that the Swanton people were like narrow-minded swindlers who pretended to be polite.
His free-spirited nature, which had completely captivated Alice, seemed to reveal its true colors as soon as he returned to his home country. The way he loved Alice was so selfish and violent that it felt shockingly selfish.
Erno might have been the epitome of the beastly instincts of the men of the duchy, which Stella always joked about as savagery. She felt sorry for the others who treated him kindly, but to Chloe, the men here were just objects she was reluctant to approach.
Chloe opened her eyes with a long sigh. Asking Alice for help was the same as asking for Erno's power.
No.
Her wanting to get away from Damien and Erno, the so-called tyrant, killing Damien, were separate issues.
She came to the conclusion that there was no other way than to make him give up and leave, but even that seemed unlikely, and she felt depressed. There were still three days until the ship set sail. At least, since he was not the type to say two things with one mouth, there was no other way than to rely on Damien’s promise that if she forgot about him, he would leave her cleanly.
Chloe went to the window feeling frustrated. She opened the window to get some air, but she was shocked to the point of fainting. It was because Damien was standing there looking up at her window, facing her.
What are you doing now...?
What surprised Chloe even more was when he strode toward her and jumped up, grabbing the wall with his hands. Damien climbed up the old mansion with stone ornaments sticking out here and there, as if he were traversing flat ground. Chloe couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw his incredible athleticism, so she just blinked with her mouth open, and when their eyes finally met, she stepped back in confusion.
“...What are you doing now?”
“I made a bet. I’ll come to see you when the window opens.”
“...What if it doesn’t open?”
“I guess I waited until it opened.”
Chloe lowered her voice for a moment as she listened to the conversation between Stella and Ricardo across the hallway. Meanwhile, Damien had shamelessly climbed through the window and settled into her room.
“Get out quickly.”
“I have something to give you.”
Damien held out the pendant to her. Chloe suppressed her pent-up emotions and looked straight at him, opening her mouth. At the time, she was too flustered to explain, but now she had to tell the truth.
“I don’t need it, so take it. I brought it with me because I thought it might be money for running away, but I just didn’t have a good place to dispose of it.”
“Yes. Take it.”
There was no sincerity in Damien's dry nod. Chloe unconsciously blushed and clenched her fists.
“Absolutely not, I didn’t keep it with any kind of meaning.”
“Yes, open it.”
When Chloe glared at him and didn’t move, Damian opened the locket for her. Inside, besides the portrait, there was something else small. Flick. Chloe bit the inside of her lip as she watched the stamps fall to the floor. What Damien had put in was a stamp commemorating their wedding. It was a product she had personally commissioned, but had to leave without seeing the results.
“...Why do you torment people like this?”
Her voice trembled as he was unable to control her anxious mind.
“I didn’t mean to bother you. I just thought you might be curious and brought it.”
“If you’re done with your business, please leave now.”
“Did Gray Wilson propose to you?”
Damien looked at her intently and asked softly. Chloe looked straight at him and tried to sound challenging.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“I was curious. I can’t think of anyone else you would consider marrying, given your prudent nature... Gray Wilson can’t propose to you.”
As Damien had said, Gray had not said a single word that would burden her. However, Chloe could clearly feel that deep affection still lingered in his eyes. She also knew that if she reached out, Gray would never refuse.
“I want to be with him, if only to see your arrogance shattered.”
“Chloe, you know full well that that wasn’t the right choice.”
“Then what are you doing to me now is right?”
Chloe wanted to question him. She wanted to yell at him, asking why he appeared in front of her, who had forgotten everything and was living well, confusing people and making them unable to sleep due to anxiety. Damien slowly opened his mouth to look at Chloe, who was looking at him with red eyes.
“When I saw you through the window where the piano was playing, I actually wanted to run into your room.”
“..”
“I denied it because I couldn’t admit that I was a being who could be obsessed with someone in an instant. It was even harder to admit that I had irrational and animalistic impulses.”
Damien paused. The smile on his face disappeared, and a heat rose in its place. He slowly closed his sunken eyes and opened them. Summer night. Cicadas were chirping loudly. He didn’t say anything, but Chloe knew exactly what he was trying to say.
“If you had jumped out my window back then, I would have yelled at you like you were a thug.”
“What if I confessed my love to you, who was surprised to see me in the forest and took a step back?”
“...You probably thought I was crazy. I’ve never had a proper conversation with you.”
As Chloe continued to answer, Damien finally smiled faintly.
“Yes. You would have rejected all my advances. I probably knew that instinctively. I have a good sense.”
“...”
“The option of being rejected by the woman I first wanted was something that could not exist for me as a human being, Chloe.”
A faint sigh escaped Chloe's lips. How could this man, even when he was just calmly pouring out his heart, make someone's heart burn so hot?
“That doesn’t justify what you did to me.”
“I have no intention of rationalizing myself. I am just stating the facts.”
Damien took a step closer to her and tilted his head. His blue eyes, once drawn into her, seemed inescapable.
“I loved you first.”
Chloe's gaze wavered. The man who had finally revealed all the cards he had in front of his opponent smiled brightly and shot an arrow into her heart once again.
“I loved Chloe Verdier from the moment I first saw her, and that feeling hasn’t changed since then.”
Her heart was pounding. Chloe couldn't say anything because she felt as if she opened her mouth, a voice she couldn't control would come out. Damien approached her as if he had seen into her inner thoughts, and then he kissed the back of her hand, which was startling, polite, and slow.
“My wife is one person forever. Even if you change your surname to Tisse and take someone else’s surname, that fact will not change.”
The moment Chloe bit her lip hard, Stella's voice was heard from outside.
“Claire, you didn’t look well earlier. Are you okay?”
“Go out. My business is finished.”
Chloe tried to throw him away, but her hands that had been held were already free. Chloe let out a trembling voice, unable to control her strange emotions as she watched the man let her go instead of grabbing her.
“Don’t be under the illusion that you’re the only one who loves me.”
"I know."
Damien nodded in agreement. She didn't like the soft smile on his face. There was nothing she didn't like about the man in front of her. Chloe looked like she was going to cry now.
“Oh, and.”
Damien looked at her and added one last time.
“Margaret, your maid. She really has become an actress.”
Why on earth would he say that now? Starting with the sudden mention of Priscilla’s name during dinner, and then Margaret. Chloe wanted to ask if he was trying to provoke her by bringing up memories of the past that she had tried hard to forget, but the surprise and joy were too great for that.
“I heard that in the fall, she will be performing on the grand stage of Swanton Theater, which she had always dreamed of.”
Chloe's eyes widened, and a small sigh escaped her lips. Margaret. You finally did it. You did really well.
Chloe's face, which was folded with both hands under her chin, had an overwhelming smile on it without her knowing.
“Are you that happy?”
Damien's soft voice pulled her back from her sentimental state to reality. Chloe couldn't help but ask as she watched him staring at her with strange eyes.
“Why on earth are you saying that to me?”
“Because I want to see you smile.”
The unexpected answer left Chloe speechless. Chloe frowned belatedly, but it was no use.
“It’s too late. I’ve already seen your face, which is so happy it doesn’t know what to do.”
Damien approached the window and asked her.
“Chloe, if I fell here and broke something in my body, would you take care of me or would you pretend not to notice?”
“What is that now...!”
“I became curious.”
Damien muttered as if talking to himself, then flew away without her even being able to catch him. Oh my god. What did this crazy man do just now?
“Hey, Damien...!”
Chloe, wide-eyed in shock, limped to the window. She leaned on the windowsill and looked down to see Damien, who had landed perfectly on the floor, almost annoyingly. He blew her a kiss on the hand and bowed politely like a gentleman.
Chloe bit her lips hard in surprise and slammed the window shut with a bang. Damien was smiling faintly inside the pendant hanging on the window frame, swinging leisurely. The summer night air felt as hot as Damien’s breath.
After the service, Chloe waited for Gray to greet people at the door. Stella, who was apologetic that her lunch appointment with Gray had been canceled because the guest from Swanton was acting up, had insisted that she bring him today.
"Miss."
After saying goodbye to the last of the church members leaving, Gray approached her. Stella’s words that the ministry had become more active since he came were not an exaggeration. That made Chloe want to protect the space that Gray had created with his own strength.
“...Did you come alone?”
“Are you that happy?”
Damien's soft voice pulled her back from her sentimental state to reality. Chloe couldn't help but ask as she watched him staring at her with strange eyes.
“Why on earth are you saying that to me?”
“Because I want to see you smile.”
The unexpected answer left Chloe speechless. Chloe frowned belatedly, but it was no use.
“It’s too late. I’ve already seen your face, which is so happy it doesn’t know what to do.”
Damien approached the window and asked her.
“Chloe, if I fell here and broke something in my body, would you take care of me or would you pretend not to notice?”
“What is that now...!”
“I became curious.”
Damien muttered as if talking to himself, then flew away without her even being able to catch him. Oh my god. What did this crazy man do just now?
“Hey, Damien...!”
Chloe, wide-eyed in shock, limped to the window. She leaned on the windowsill and looked down to see Damien, who had landed perfectly on the floor, almost annoyingly. He blew her a kiss on the hand and bowed politely like a gentleman.
Chloe bit her lips hard in surprise and slammed the window shut with a bang. Damien was smiling faintly inside the pendant hanging on the window frame, swinging leisurely. The summer night air felt as hot as Damien’s breath.
***
After the service, Chloe waited for Gray to greet people at the door. Stella, who was apologetic that her lunch appointment with Gray had been canceled because the guest from Swanton was acting up, had insisted that she bring him today.
"Miss."
After saying goodbye to the last of the church members leaving, Gray approached her. Stella’s words that the ministry had become more active since he came were not an exaggeration. That made Chloe want to protect the space that Gray had created with his own strength.
“...Did you come alone?”
“Yes. Mrs. Stella is busy preparing to welcome you.”
Chloe smiled brightly at him, hiding her complicated feelings. It was hard for her to explain with her own mouth why Stella had kept Sophie at home and sent her to church alone.
Besides, there was something more serious at hand. It was about Damien, who had appeared unexpectedly in Guinevis. The person he had implied when he asked if she had come alone was probably the same person she was thinking of.
“Should we take a walk before calling a carriage?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Gray stopped under a large tree overlooking the hill and spoke cautiously.
“...I’ve been worried a lot since the bazaar.”
He was the type of person who rarely rushed her, but this time her silence had become quite long. Leaning against the tree, Chloe shook her head as she stared at the lakeside cottage in the distance.
“You won’t get hurt, Gray.”
Chloe was determined to make sure of that, no matter what. She was on edge, trying to avoid any hint of something suspicious or dangerous from Damien, but she remained silent.
Even when he impulsively brought up marrying Gray under pressure, it didn’t seem like he would explode, so it seemed like Damien had nothing to do with Gray. It was true that she was more anxious because she didn’t know what he was thinking, but worrying only made her worry more, so it was better not to think about it...
"Miss."
Chloe, who had been biting her lips, only woke up from her thoughts and turned her head when Gray called her a little louder.
"Yes?"
Gray spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
“I was more worried about you than me.”
Chloe then realized Gray's feelings. He must have been worried because she suddenly left on the day of the bazaar and didn't contact him.
“I’m sorry. As you can imagine... I haven’t been in a good state of mind these past few days.”
“Miss, if you need any help, please let me know.”
Chloe shook her head as she watched Gray struggle to speak.
“No. I won’t run away anymore. There’s no need to.”
“...What does that mean?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. I came to church alone, and I’m going home with you alone.”
Gray furrowed his brows darkly at her, who tried to reassure him.
“He is not the kind of person who would come here without a purpose, Miss.”
Suddenly, her mouth felt dry, so she secretly moistened her lips, and Gray added in a low voice.
“You know very well who the young lady married.”
Gray was right. Damien was the most purposeful and proud man she had ever met. She could guess what Gray was worried about from the worried look in his eyes. He was afraid that he would completely ruin his wife, who had cheated on him and left him, because he couldn't forgive her.
“Gray, don’t worry.”
“....”
“At first, I thought he came here to kill me. In fact, he’s the type of person who wouldn’t be surprised if he turned this place into ruins.”
But there was one thing she had realized for sure after her several encounters with Damien over the past few days.
“He has no doubt that I will eventually take his hand.”
Damien's composure must have come from right there. Chloe looked forward, her breathing slightly hot.
“He can’t admit that it’s all over.”
Gray noticed that the end of her words was trembling as she spoke softly, as if she were talking to herself. There were things that he couldn’t help but learn because he had spent a long time with Chloe since they were young.
“I hope he gives up and leaves as soon as possible.”
For example, one of them was the fact that her thoughts would be especially complicated when she smiled faintly as if nothing was wrong, like now.
“After the young lady’s funeral, I was called to the palace.”
Gray hesitated and finally opened his mouth in a lowered voice. He couldn't bear to not tell the story of his last meeting with Damien, which had been weighing on his heart like a boulder.
“Shall I tell you a secret?”
“Chloe isn’t dead.”
He tried hard not to remember that Damien was right in the end, thinking that he was crazy because he couldn't accept his wife's death, but when it came right before his eyes and confirmed it, he couldn't avoid it. It means that he couldn't properly face the unspoken message that was in Damien's eyes as he looked at Gray while Chloe was still alive.
“He said that you were not dead but alive. When I heard that he dug up the grave where the funeral had already been held because he could not accept your death, I felt like I was dealing with a madman and that even anger was useless.”
“...”
“The words that Count Weiss told me as I carried the remains out of the dug grave were even more amazing. He said that as long as His Majesty lives, Her Majesty the Queen cannot die. He was the kind of person who would prove to himself that Her Majesty the Queen was alive, even if it meant twisting his own psyche.”
Chloe bit her lip as she listened to Gray's unexpected words. Her hands were so sweaty that she had to hold onto the hem of her skirt.
“So I thought he didn’t have much longer to live.”
She could also see what Gray meant. Among the patients she had seen while following Wharton around Verdier, there were some who had become mad. When a person with a strong mind contracts the disease, the results are almost the same, he said.
Gray said as if he had read Chloe's mind.
“As you know, young lady, such people cannot accept that the world is wrong, so they turn their backs on the world.”
How much more so for a man who has lived his whole life believing that he is right?
Chloe was finding it increasingly difficult to listen to Gray. She tried to stop him, but Gray seemed unable to bear it without spilling out everything that was on his mind.
“When I met you again by a miraculous coincidence, there was one thing I couldn’t stand...”
After a moment of silence, the voice that slowly flowed out was filled with deep anguish.
“In the end, he was right and I was wrong.”
"Gray."
Chloe finally had no choice but to open her mouth. Gray lifted his head as she called him in a soft but clear voice. Chloe stared into Gray’s dark eyes for a moment in silence. She felt even more sorry for him because she knew why he insisted on telling her a story that was difficult to tell.
“My father used to say something like that a long time ago, after my mother passed away. It shouldn’t happen, but if you ever have to face him, I hope you’ll use it.”
Gray blinked his dark-lashed eyes at her. It was as if she had seen him as a child, nervous even when he had done nothing wrong. Chloe knew that she was the only one who could make him feel at ease. The relationship between servant and employee had such a long-lasting effect, even though it had long since ended.
“...What is that, Miss?”
Chloe clicked her tongue and opened her mouth in a mock-pity tone.
“So you should do well while you can, you idiot. What’s the use of it now?”
Gray's expression became increasingly strange as he watched Chloe, who had pulled her head back and made two chins, making the same expression as the Viscount de Verdier.
“I’m running low on sugar and will have to go see my wife soon, Chloe. Bring me some cookies.”
His serious face gradually crumpled, and eventually he burst into laughter. It felt like the tension was being gently released by the summer breeze.
“People say I don’t look like my father at all, but I am still Verdier’s daughter, right?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Unlike Gray, who finally wiped the darkness from his face, Chloe was smiling faintly, but in fact, she was clenching her fists and struggling. It was because she couldn't shake off the distracting thoughts that were gnawing at her mind. When she thought of him, who had burst into her room like a thief, burdened her heart with a strange confession she had never heard before, and left, she felt hot inside.
Damien's composure, not even showing the slightest anger at her for leaving him in such a shocking way, made her feel even more miserable. This was Chloe's secret that she couldn't tell anyone. It was as if she had become a butterfly fluttering inside a small glass dome. No matter how hard she flapped her wings, it felt like she was only entertaining the people watching.
However, it is said that Damien actually went crazy. He was on the verge of losing his mind because he could not accept her death. But that did not change anything now.
But why, why do I keep wondering? What on earth do I, with my annoying temper, want to confirm?
Why does she keep wanting to know, even though it wouldn't help anything to know how much he suffered, how much he missed her? It's already over.
“I think the carriage has arrived, Miss.”
Chloe quickly got up and rolled up her skirt. She shook her head, deciding to stop thinking. She was afraid that if she didn't, her thoughts would continue to run in unpleasant directions. When this summer, which seemed to make even people's minds feel warm, ended, everything would be over. Chloe walked hard on her limping legs.
Trying not to look away from the lakeside cottage at the bottom of the hill.
It was the day before the ship was to set sail for Swanton.
***
It was when Chloe and Gray arrived at the mansion in the carriage Stella had sent.
“Claire, you’re at a good time. Oh, missionary. Thank you for coming.”
Stella sighed as she walked quickly towards them, carrying a silver tray with two glasses of lemonade on it.
“Where are you going?”
“Well, this guy who went out for a horseback ride at dawn brought another guest without saying a word! He knew full well that I invited a missionary!”
When Stella got angry and said, "Some people are just having fun at home, and it's okay for guests to suddenly barge in," Gray opened his mouth gently as if trying to calm down an angry horse.
“I’m fine, ma’am. I appreciate you inviting me. If you’re busy, I can come later.”
As Gray took off his hat and bowed politely, Stella noticed that he was about to leave and held on tightly to stop him.
“No, let’s go together.”
“Where are you talking about?”
Stella opened her eyes and gestured toward the large garden attached to the mansion.
“It’s a scene of violence.”
Chloe had been feeling uneasy since she heard that Ricardo had brought a guest. That was why she followed Gray, who was practically dragged away by Lady Stella, holding his arm.
“I don’t understand why they are all suffering in this hot weather. That gentleman in particular is supposed to leave tomorrow, and he has no time to pack his bags...”
Stella grumbled and walked toward the space that had previously been used as a stable. Chloe felt her tension rise as the sound of pounding and heavy breathing came closer. Mrs. Stella opened the door wide and raised her voice.
“Stop it!”
Damien was in the ring with Ricardo, who had raised the platform. Damien brushed his sweaty hair from side to side, then smiled as he approached Chloe.
“Are you here now?”
Since he had taken off his top, his smooth upper body moved dynamically with every breath he exhaled. Everyone was puzzled by his suddenly short speech, but they couldn't say it out loud because they couldn't help but be captivated by his bright smile.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chloe pressed her lips together silently. Damien, who was staring down at her with his arms around the rope ring made of a pole, acted as if he didn’t see the people there. It was when Ricardo and Stella looked at each other and exchanged silent glances about when they had gotten so close.
“Have you been waiting for me that long, Mr. Taylor?”
Gray, who was next to Chloe, opened his mouth softly. Chloe saw Damien’s blue eyes, which had been fixed on her, slowly turn to the side. As the temperature of his gaze suddenly dropped, she tensed up and swallowed dry saliva.
“Who are you?”
Not only the look in his eyes, but even his voice was different. Stella, who was flustered by the obviously condescending tone of voice, quickly took the initiative and opened her mouth before Damien could make a bigger mistake.
“Mr. Gray Wilson, the missionary from Swanton. We’ve only just passed each other by, but is this the first time we’ve formally greeted him? He’s a wonderful man who will soon take over our ministry.”
"Ah."
Damien slowly nodded his chin, eyes narrowed as if he finally understood. His smirk was strange.
“I met the missionary in a stable, not in a church, but strangely enough, it didn’t feel awkward at all.”
Chloe bit her lip. It was natural that she felt hot inside at the naughty temper that brought up Gray's past as a stable keeper. She could guess what kind of expression Gray had without even looking at his face. The only ones who didn't notice the thorn in his words were Stella and her husband.
“So, we can’t help but place our hopes on someone so young and healthy, right?”
As Stella handed her husband and Damien each a glass of chilled lemonade, Ricardo deftly changed the subject.
“Did you pick the lemons straight from the farm, Stella?”
“Yes. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see you get so excited about your guests.”
“Haha. Of course not. Actually, I learned a thing or two.”
Ricardo's shoulders tightened as Damien skillfully praised the landlord. Stella spat out teasing words to her husband.
“Then let’s do it one more time, there are more spectators now.”
“Is that so? I feel like my body is feeling better now.”
Ricardo couldn't hide his bewilderment as he stood next to Damien, who was walking around the ring and hitting the drums. Unlike Damien, who was relaxed, Ricardo, who had been fighting him for two hours with all his might, was actually already exhausted. Ricardo, who was worried about how to save face in front of his wife, heard a welcome voice.
“Do it with me.”
Chloe's eyes widened, and she turned her head, grabbing Gray's arm.
Don't do that, Gray.
Her brown eyes were firm. Gray smiled silently, looking at Chloe's gaze, which was filled with both concern and tension. It's okay. His black eyes that spoke without a word were as affectionate as ever, but inside them, it felt like a large wave was quietly rising.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
Even the casual way Damien asked Gray made Chloe tremble. She reached out to stop Gray, but he was faster than her.
“If not now, who would I dare to punch?”
Damien let out a short laugh at Gray's words that showed his thorns without giving in.
“Give me a chance. Gladly.”
There was no smile on his face as he raised his eyes and pushed his sweaty hair back from his forehead.
“Oh my, this will be so much fun!!!”
Chloe looked at Gray with a thoughtful face as she stood next to Stella, who was raising her voice.
“Is it really necessary for a missionary to participate in a sport that he doesn’t like?”
“Think of it as a healthy physical training. I heard that the pastor also used to enjoy it with the children when he was in training.”
“But this isn’t a game for kids.”
Chloe tried her best to dissuade Gray until the end, but he seemed to have already made up his mind.
“If I win, would you like to have dinner with me at my house tonight?”
Gray's voice asking Chloe was clear enough for everyone present to hear. The same was true for Damien, standing in the ring.
“I like betting too. My body is aching so much I’m going crazy, so come up here quickly.”
“Why does he keep cutting me off from talking like this?”
“I heard you haven’t been to church in a while.”
As Stella whispered to Ricardo and glared at Damien, Gray undressed and jumped lightly into the ring. It was no wonder that Stella and Ricardo were silently surprised.
The missionary's exposed upper body was far from that of a gentle shepherd who had spent his entire life learning only doctrine. There were faint scars on his back, as if he had been severely beaten a long time ago, and solid muscles that were clearly built up from long hours of labor were all over his body.
If Damien's sleek body was like a work of art painstakingly created for exhibition, Gray's body was like a tree firmly rooted in the ground.
“I guess it’s right for Ms. Claire to ring the starting bell.”
Ricardo couldn't hide his excitement as he nodded at Chloe. Damien looked straight at Chloe, her face pale, as she took the small bell and wrapped it in her hand. When their eyes finally met, he smiled meaningfully, and Chloe's eyes filled with anxiety and concern.
Clang!
As soon as Chloe's trembling hand rang the bell, a fist flew out quickly. Someone exclaimed in admiration as Damien extended his fist and withdrew it without even looking at Gray, rushing towards him. Damien closed one eye tightly at Chloe, who was frowning.
You shouldn't be surprised yet, Chloe.
Puck!
This time it was Gray's abdomen. Damien grabbed the back of Gray's head as he stumbled with a short groan, and whispered devilishly in his ear.
“I guess you’ll have to eat dinner alone.”
“I just gave you the courtesy you deserve.”
This time, Gray's fist flew towards his face. Damien smirked with his sweaty face as he felt the wind blowing past his ears. He certainly had good strength, but he wasn't trained to knock someone down. It was certainly admirable that he was able to handle the punch from his opponents.
“Feel how I got to that point.”
After delivering a strong blow that shook his jawbone and repeatedly punching Gray's ribs that had lost their balance, Damien faced Chloe again. He had hoped for a brief moment of a passing glance, but her face was only focused on Gray. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern, and she covered her mouth with her hand in fear of screaming, and his heart was seething at the sight.
“Fuck.”
The moment Damien raised his eyebrows, Gray's fist flew at him, and he did not dodge. He was annoyed that the plan was carried out faster than expected, but he did not want to see her burst into tears looking at his opponent.
After spitting out the blood that had gathered in his mouth, Damien took another hit from his fist. A dull pain vibrated through his jawbone. The power of a bare fist without gloves was beyond imagination. The skin that had been hit quickly turned red, leaving a strong visual image.
“The face is a problem. It’s not easy to be born like this.”
Gray's breathing became ragged as Damien confronted him and licked his blood-stained lips with his tongue.
“When I think about what you’ve done, I wouldn’t mind destroying that pretty face.”
"Ha ha ha."
There was a series of moments where he dodged and was hit by the punch. Ricardo was holding his breath, seeing the air in a different situation than when he had fought him, and Stella was watching with a surprised face. And Chloe, who was holding the bell tightly, was trembling, unable to hide her tension.
Gray, unlike his initial disadvantage, was now pushing Damien into a corner. Sweat dripped from his hair. His fist, which struck Damien with a distorted face, was torn and bleeding.
“Oh, are you okay?”
Stella's voice of concern was not heard by Damien. His attention was solely on Chloe, who was under the ring. Once, twice, each time a fist struck his body, she flinched as if she had heard thunder. The sight of her face, which had been shaped to his liking, turning pale and distorted, was very pleasing to the eye.
"Ha ha ha!"
A joyful laugh finally burst out from his red lips. Damien was skilled at provoking others. Whether it was innate or meticulously calculated, he was better at it than anyone else. It was natural for Gray's eyes to lose their sense of reason as he watched him laughing like a madman with drops of blood all over his white, beautiful body.
“I beat you to death, but is this all you can do?”
Gray rushed towards Damien, who was looking at him with a smile. Thud! After enduring a strong punch, Damien, with their bodies still attached, spat into his ear.
“Look at my woman’s face.”
Gray, out of breath from the rough fight, had no intention of getting caught up in his provocation. He was exploding with the urge to punish the man who had done such a terrible thing to Chloe until he was on the verge of death.
“Chloe is worried about me, haha.”
Damien's face turned strongly again. Damien's body, holding on to the rope tied to the pole, swayed toward her, and now Chloe and Damien were face to face. Damien furrowed his eyebrows and whispered to her as if he were harassing her.
“It hurts, Chloe.”
Chloe gasped as she looked at Damien, whose face was red from the blood flowing from his torn temple. Her expression, which was on the verge of tears with her bloodless lips trembling, stimulated his impulse. Just as he was about to fly to her and give her a bloody kiss, Gray grabbed his shoulder again.
“It’s so annoying, I can’t stand it.”
Damien twisted his lips toward Gray, who was gritting his teeth.
“If you were my student, you would fail.”
Gray, who fought him face to face, would know for sure. That he was not fighting back at all. The bitter defeat in Gray's dark eyes was enough to satisfy Damien. I will use every bit of your sincerity toward Chloe and your desire for revenge against me. Everything for my love.
Finally, the moment Damien fell onto the ring, the sound of paper hitting the floor was heard. Damien lay on his back and laughed as he watched Chloe run out of the stable.
***
Chloe walked toward the mansion, her hand gripping her cane tightly. Her steps across the garden were unsteady, but she didn’t stop. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.
“Teacher Claire!”
Stella ran over and gasped beside her, her face filled with apology.
“I don’t know who said that a fight involving ignorant hitting and kicking was a gentleman’s sport. Are you really surprised?”
“Ah... yes. A little.”
Stella thought Chloe was shocked to see the brutal fight, but Chloe was confused for another reason.
“The missionary also left right away. He must have felt embarrassed after performing in the ring, showing off his skills as a pastor or a boxer.”
Chloe looked even more helpless. Her heart clenched as she thought about who Gray had come forward for.
“Then, I will go in first, Mrs. Stella.”
“Yes, if you want to go out in the evening, you’d better save your energy now. I think the missionary must have rushed back to prepare dinner with Claire.”
Chloe bit her lip as she turned away from Gray, confirming his victory. The image of Gray and Damien throwing punches at each other wouldn't leave her mind.
At first, when she saw Gray being beaten by Damien, she couldn't stop him even though she couldn't stand the pity, because she fully understood Gray's feelings. In fact, Gray had practically stepped into the ring in her place. So it was natural for her to take Gray's side.
However.
When the tide turned and Damien was able to take all of his punches, she couldn't bear to watch the scene with her eyes open. When red blood covered his pure white face, she almost screamed.
Stop it. Please stop it.
Why? For what reason?
Suddenly feeling dizzy, Chloe leaned against the wall pillar in the living room. As she stood there, pressing her hot eyes with her palms, she heard Sophie's voice next to her.
"Teacher...?"
Sophie, who was ready to go out wearing her favorite red shoes, was looking at her with wide eyes.
“Yeah. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to give this as a present to the crybaby coward Marimo. If she has this, she won’t be scared at night.”
“This is Sophie’s favorite doll.”
“That’s why I’m giving it to her.”
Chloe smiled with tears in her eyes as she watched Sophie bashfully smiling while holding a large teddy bear with a ribbon. This was because she could see the change in Sophie, who used to turn her head away and act fiercely whenever she saw Marimo.
“That’s really... wonderful, Sophie.”
“As the teacher said, it is much harder to reveal the truth than to hide it. I can’t say that all honest people are brave, but at least it is certain that all the brave people in this world were honest about their true feelings.”
Chloe closed her eyes tightly as she looked at Sophie, who was laughing after reciting exactly what she had said.
Can someone whose words and actions are different be called a good teacher? When she realized that she was acting more childishly than the child in front of her, she felt embarrassed and wanted to hide. However, she knew best that hiding was not the solution. Sophie, who had been quietly watching her biting her lips, held out a doll.
“...Shall I just give this to you, teacher?”
Her hesitation and fear seemed to be conveyed even in her blue eyes like the morning star. Chloe held Sophie tightly in her arms. And she whispered softly to herself as if making a promise.
“It’s okay. Thanks to you, I have gained courage.”
If deceiving yourself means deceiving others, then you should stop. Especially if that person is someone you care about.
***
That night, Chloe left the mansion in the carriage that Stella had called for her. She smiled awkwardly and bowed her head as she told her not to worry about tomorrow being a holiday and to just enjoy dinner.
Gray's house was on a hill attached to the church. Thinking that it was a simple but cozy house, she entered Gray's house.
“Hello. Gray.”
She followed Gray, who opened the door, into the small living room, biting her lips as she looked at the table. The table was decorated with fresh and beautiful wild roses, and the candles in the candle holders were bright. Potato soup, soft bread, and turkey roasted in the oven. Looking at the table, which was not fancy but had a variety of dishes, she felt as if she had returned to Verdier's house.
“...Gray. There’s something I really need to tell you...”
When Chloe, unable to bear the guilt that was surging in, tried to speak, Gray shook his head one step ahead.
“Let’s eat first, young lady.”
As Chloe reluctantly sat down, a quiet meal with Gray began. Every time Chloe saw the blood staining the bandages wrapped around Gray's bare hands as he moved the utensils, she had to raise her glass of water because her throat got choked up.
“I never thought that the day would come when I would sit across from you like this and have dinner alone with you.”
Gray was the first to speak. He watched Chloe's hands tremble slightly as she put down her glass, and continued speaking in a soft voice.
“I’m so happy that this opportunity has finally come.”
The fork fell sharply from Chloe's hand onto the plate. As she tried to grab it but lost it, Gray got up and brought her a new utensil. Chloe bit her lips as she watched Gray pour water into her empty glass with practiced ease. Then she shook her head, trying to smile.
“The last one? What do you mean, Gray?”
"Miss."
Her brown eyes were so hot that she couldn't look him straight in the eye. Gray knelt down beside her and met her eyes.
“I'm fine.”
No matter how much she bit her lips, her eyes only became redder. Gray already knew. What was in her mind, and what was she trying to say when she came to see him?
“I think it’s time to return it now.”
Gray took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Chloe's tears fell on the old but clean handkerchief.
“It was given to me by the young lady when I cried and begged you to run away with me.”
I couldn't help but know it even without hearing the explanation. Gray's expression when he confessed his true feelings to her in the cabin was still vivid.
“Why are you giving this back?”
“I think it’s time for me to stop crying now.”
Gray's voice was affectionate, and his expression even more so. Chloe looked at him, clutching the wet handkerchief tightly.
"Sorry."
“You don’t have to feel that way. You don’t have to feel sorry for me ever again. I’m serious.”
He shook his head and smiled faintly. Chloe felt her heart sink. She couldn't stand the thought of hurting Gray to the end, but at the same time, she was mad with hatred for the person who had done this to her.
“I’m sorry, Gray.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He who consoled Chloe was a much bigger person than the boy who lived in her memories.
“In fact, when the young lady’s remains were collected and buried at Verdier’s estate, my love was also buried there.”
“...”
“I am already finished, and no one else has ever been finished.”
It was a truth he didn't want to admit, but Gray ended up saying it. It was the last bit of goodwill he could show to Chloe, who had treated him with sincerity even though he was of lowly status, and his pride as a human being.
“It’s only natural that you can’t be with me.”
The moment Chloe heard his words, she took a deep breath. She forced a smile on her tear-stained face and let out a small, whispering voice.
“...Thank you for taking care of the burnt body, Gray.”
Gray looked at her and smiled back at her. It was as if he had guessed Chloe's feelings, which she had not said, but was worried about.
“Who else would do that if not I, your confidant?”
A faint, moan-like sob finally escaped Chloe's lips. Why can't I love Gray, such a good person?
“Please don’t pity me, Miss.”
Gray's voice was still affectionate, but there was a firmness to it.
“I used to want to get your sympathy, but not anymore.”
Chloe could finally see Gray's growth clearly. He was no longer a little boy in need of her pity. He was no longer a servant who had to follow her orders.
“I will be happy.”
Chloe grabbed Gray's outstretched hand and held it tightly.
“Yeah. You definitely would.”
The moment when they finally looked at each other as equals was their parting. Chloe slowly stood up, feeling the warmth on her falling fingertips.
In the middle of summer, gray clouds were rolling in across the dark sky. For the first time in her life, Chloe parted ways with Gray without him seeing her off. She started walking up the hill, the raindrops hitting her shoulders coldly.
Gray was a man who was more than she deserved. She felt like she could live without hot passion if she were with him. Just when she was growing more confident that they could be comforted by the warm trust between them, everything fell apart.
From the moment he appeared before her eyes.
The cold rain drenched her hair and ran down her face. Chloe gasped for breath and wiped the dryness from her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Ugh...”
As the raindrops on her cheeks grew heavier and her body became completely soaked, the truth she had tried so hard to hide began to torment her. She had thought she had forgotten everything, that she would be able to live peacefully like before he trampled her life, but the result was failure.
It was a huge failure.
“Ugh... Ugh..."
She stumbled as she walked, tripped on a stone, and fell. Her dress was covered in black mud. Chloe threw down her cane and sat down on the side of the road where the vines were endlessly lined up, and cried like a child. It was then that a carriage arrived in front of her, as she let out a sorrowful cry in the pouring rain. Chloe’s eyelashes, wet with raindrops, trembled and lifted upward.
“Ah, no… this….”
Chloe stood up, her lips pursed as the red-haired man leapt down from his horse, clutching his hat. She could tell what he was going to say without even having to listen.
“…Your Majesty, His Majesty is waiting.”
Chloe turned her back on Taylor, who was spitting out in a restless voice, and walked alone toward the carriage. She pushed away his hand that was trying to support her and climbed onto the carriage with a pale face. Anyway, she was going to the lakeside villa where Damien was waiting for her with a triumphant smile. And Damien, that bad man, was urging her, asking why she was delaying without coming quickly. Chloe clenched her trembling hands.
She hated him so much that she couldn't stand it. In the end, she wanted to grab the man by the collar and yell at him for doing everything the way he wanted. She wanted to scream at him that because of him, everything about her had gone off the rails, that he wanted her to turn back her peaceful and comfortable life. She felt like she was going to die.
Boom! Boom!
As Chloe clenched her teeth and pounded her slender fists on the roof of the carriage, the horse galloped away through the rain, leaving behind only a walking stick covered in dirt on the vine-lined path.
***
The carriage stopped at the cottage in front of the lake. Chloe kicked open the carriage door before Lawrence Taylor could open it.
“Uh, an umbrella...”
Lawrence, who was following Chloe across the garden without paying attention to her words, stopped in his tracks as he looked in the direction where her head had lifted. It was because he saw Damien standing on the second floor with the terrace window open. He had the window wide open and was holding a glass of alcohol as if enjoying the sound of the rain.
Chloe bit her lip as she watched Damien raise his glass as if he had been waiting for her. She opened the unlocked door to the villa and limped across the space without a cane.
Ricardo's villa was a place where Stella's family sometimes spent weekends, so Chloe was familiar with it. She crossed the living room and barely managed to remove something from the wall. Lawrence Taylor's eyes widened as he watched her actions, but since Damien had ordered them not to disturb them, she couldn't even bring herself to stop them and had no choice but to leave outside.
As she clenched her teeth and climbed the stairs to the second floor, raindrops fell at her feet. It was not difficult to find the room where he was. The sound of the heavy rain was fading outside the villa, and the music from the gramophone was getting louder. Chloe limped into the bedroom, the door wide open, as if she had known exactly what she was coming for.
“Why do you torment me like this?”
Damien turned around slowly. Unlike her, who was all wet and disheveled, he looked so fresh that you could almost believe he had just rolled out of his feather quilt.
“What did I do to you?”
The thin dress shirt Damien was wearing fluttered in the wind coming in through the open window, revealing his body here and there. Chloe clenched her fists slightly as she looked at the faint scars left behind from the fight. The sound of the violin, which was gradually permeating the sound of the rain, was getting faster.
“Why do you come into my world where I am living well and cause confusion?”
“So, you’re asking what I did.”
Damien did nothing, but just appearing in front of her shook her up. In the end, he made her come running to this place.
Damien set his glass down on the table and began to move. Chloe had to try not to back away. Damien slowly approached her, standing with both feet firmly planted on the floor, and continued speaking.
“It feels like I forced you here.”
“Don't come near me.”
Chloe held the shotgun she had taken from the wall downstairs before she came up to the room with trembling hands. The weight of the object she had brought with her, the urge to shoot him now, seemed to weigh heavily on her arm.
“You didn’t enjoy dinner with Gray? That’s why you’re mad at me.”
Chloe gasped as she watched him close the distance with a faint smile on his face.
“Do you love Gray Wilson?”
“I told you not to come.”
“Tell me, Chloe. Do you love him as a man, as you loved me? Tell me if you can share a passionate soul kiss with him as you did with me.”
His words made her heart beat so hard it hurt.
“If you come any closer, I will shoot.”
Damien, who ignored her words and approached her step by step, finally stopped right in front of her. From a distance of about the length of a gun, he spoke to Chloe in a low, clear voice.
“Shoot. Chloe. Do you still know how to shoot a gun?”
“I know.”
Damien smiled at Chloe's words, which she blurted out without a shred of hesitation. Chloe probably wasn't lying. His wife was a woman who was well-prepared, so she must have taken various measures to prepare for danger. Thank goodness. Chloe. My love.
“I also know that Mr. Ricardo’s gun is always loaded, unlike yours.”
“Then kill me.”
Chloe's body trembled in surprise as Damien's hand gripped the gun tightly. He took a step closer and pulled her wrist with strength. The gun was now pointed squarely at his chest. He tilted his head as if whispering a secret to her, biting his lips and trembling.
“Have you ever wanted to kill me?”
She has the illusion that his voice is seducing her.
“There were countless of them!”
Chloe gasped. Not just for the past few days. When he had humiliated her by raising her sore leg, when he had insulted her with his arrogant, caustic remarks, when he had kept his cool even after discovering the secret of their marriage. And... when he had shown no sorrow at all when their child had died.
“But why can’t you shoot?”
Chloe's thin shoulders shook. A voice barely able to hide the faint sound of sobbing flowed from her lips.
“Shut your mouth, you devil.”
Damien smiled slightly and lowered his head.
“Shall I tell you why you can’t kill me?”
After he placed his lips on the gun, he looked up at her. Chloe struggled to hold on, afraid of being captured again by those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to be a gift from God.
“Because you love me so much that you want to kill me.”
Chloe's wide eyes turned red.
“Where on earth does this arrogance come from that makes you think I still love you?”
She was now genuinely curious. Maybe that was why her trembling fingers couldn't pull the trigger.
“How can you be so confident from beginning to end?”
She asked him with an expression that was somewhere between a sigh and admiration, despair, and anger. Damien was silent for a moment at her question, but finally opened his mouth.
“If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to stay sane until now.”
Chloe's lips trembled slightly as she faced Damien, who was staring intently at her.
“What, what did you say?”
“I came this far on the belief that you loved me. If not, I would have put a gun to your mouth and shot you long ago, Chloe.”
His eyes were telling the story. This man was serious. It wasn't an illusion that her body felt as if it were being tied tightly with invisible ropes. Chloe gritted her teeth as she looked at him.
“Do you know that you are suffocating people?”
A secret light flashed across Damien's blue eyes as he twisted his lips into a smile.
“You know very well that you drive people crazy.”
“Ugh...!”
Chloe felt like she could shoot him now. If she couldn't pull the trigger, she could hit him with the gun. But at that moment, the gun flew into Damien's hands and onto the bed.
“Let go, let go of this!”
Chloe was furious, but she tried to shake him off, but it was no use. He wrapped his arms around her completely, practically trapping her in his embrace, and he pressed his forehead against hers, muttering like a madman.
“Tell me again that my touch gives you goosebumps.”
“Haa... haa...”
His voice tone, tightly locked and lowered, proved his excitement. His tongue and lips, which had kissed the gun as if nothing had happened, swept over her neck without any fear. His breath, which had suddenly reached her ear, made Chloe's head dizzy.
“I don’t think I’ll let you off easy if you lie this time.”
He dug his teeth into Chloe's ear, right where her pulse was. Chloe resisted him, holding back a faint moan that threatened to escape her lips.
“What are you going to do if you don’t look after me?”
As her delicate flesh heated up, she lifted her small chin a little higher. The sound of the violin, which sounded like a woman sobbing, mixed with the sound of the pouring rain, was reaching a more passionate climax.
"Curious?"
Damien then buried his lips in her ear and whispered the words of the world's most scoundrel. It was only natural that Chloe blushed bright red and pushed his chest and slapped him. These were not words that could come out of the mouth of a King of a country.
“Have you lost the last bit of your dignity...?”
“You’re the one who’s making me lose my dignity.”
Damien, his eyes narrowed, pressed his obscene lips to hers.
“Kiss me, Chloe. My love.”
Chloe's brown eyes fluttered at the audacity of him encouraging her to kiss while they were already kissing.
“If you do any more, I will slap you in the face.”
“I’ve already experienced that. It was so thrilling.”
“I will bite and spit.”
“...I will gladly permit it.”
Damien's voice was filled with excitement. His pale face was soaked by the raindrops pouring down from the balcony. The candles he had lit in the room swayed dizzily.
“You think you’re the only one who hates me.”
What made her excited beyond fear was that her body remembered his hands caressing her body more clearly than her head. Chloe's eyes turned red as she held back her rapid breathing.
“But my hatred for you, who trampled on my love and left, will not be any less than that.”
“Then you should punish me instead. Put me in prison and end my life, like you do. That would be easier.”
“If I could, I would have done so.”
Damien ran his hands down her neck and chest.
“If only I could.”
The veins on the back of his large hand bulged out. She tried to slap his hand away, but Damien grabbed Chloe's hand tightly and held on. She could feel her pulse thumping in the hand he was holding. It was impossible to tell whose heart was beating faster as they were beating wildly toward each other.
“You know we’re doing this because we love each other.”
Chloe's lips, now red from having been bitten by Damien, trembled.
“You can say you love me, Chloe.”
She felt the urge to collapse before Damien, who was whispering his arrogant orders so affectionately, and she squeezed her eyes shut. And finally, she opened her mouth, as if pleading or declaring to him. Her voice was thin as she held back tears.
“If I admit that I love you... I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
“Could you tell me why that is?”
His attitude was so polite that it almost seemed as if he was listening to her and might back off if she found what he said sounded reasonable.
“You... made the people I love suffer just to have me. Forgiving you like that would be like doing something terrible to my beloved father, my precious little sister... and my child, whose heart breaks just thinking about it.”
Chloe, who was speaking in a whisper, interrupted her words here and there, but did not stop completely. Her eyes, revealing her feelings for the first time, were filled with tears. Damien let out a long, slow breath as he watched her, who had large teardrops that looked like they would fall if he blew on them, but who stubbornly refused to cry.
“So, can you please shake me a little bit?”
How is that possible?
It was a stubbornness so extreme that it seemed like it would make others want to throw a tantrum. Perhaps this old-fashioned woman will never know. How lovely it is to see such an upright woman shaken up because of him. Therefore, you are mine forever, Chloe.
“Chloe. Can I tell you a secret?”
Damian opened his mouth in a soft but clear voice towards Chloe, who was looking at him with a suspicious gaze.
“You’re not the only one who wants their happiness.”
“...”
“The people you love want you to be happy, too, Chloe.”
Damien looked at Chloe, speechless for the first time, and he felt that he had finally reached the center that had held her so tightly. His animal instinct was telling him just that.
“That means no one wants you to sacrifice yourself for them. At least not among those you love. Not your father, not your sister. Not even... Gray Wilson.”
“...How do you know that?”
Chloe asked with her eyes like a doe, soaking wet from the pouring rain. Damien smiled as he watched her.
“Some things can be felt without needing to be said.”
Damien, who had once laughed at her words as if they were foolish in the snowy birch forest, was now saying the same thing to her.
“With actions. With your eyes. With your earnest heart.”
Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as Damien added. She never wanted to show her tears, but Damien wiped away her tears, and a faint burn mark appeared on his hand. It seemed like she could understand why someone who would never burn his hands had such scars without having to hear the story, and it made her cry even more. For the first time, she could see his crazy behavior, his arrogant eyes, and his burning heart.
“Was that a shocking story enough to make you cry?”
Her family wants her happiness more than her sacrifice. She never thought she would hear such obvious words from this man. Everything she had been worried about disappeared with his words, and she felt herself forgiven. Chloe couldn't stop crying anymore.
“Of course, they can’t love you with all their heart like you do.”
Damien covered her face with his hands and smiled so beautifully that it seemed as if her eyes would go blind.
“It’s my job to love you passionately. It’s okay.”
The sweet words made her heart melt. Chloe sobbed in protest.
“I once thought about what would have happened if I had never turned the portrait over. What would have happened if I had never discovered the secret vault?”
“Then you would never have thought of leaving Swanton. You would never have had the dangerous and wild desire to leave a scar on a man’s heart that would never fade.”
Chloe's body and mind trembled at the same time. As he kissed her excited face without stopping and spoke, the sincerity that had been vague to her gradually became clearer.
“I don’t think you’ve ever experienced hating yourself for loving yourself.”
Truths that she did not want to acknowledge are revealed as concrete facts through Damien's language.
“And I wouldn’t have been able to see this strange and funny moment where this Tisse was begging you for love.”
It wasn't funny at all when he said that. Instead, Damien whispered to her, her heart pounding.
“Come back to me, my Queen. I will gladly kiss your feet.”
It was too tempting to be called a look of worship. Chloe had no choice but to admit it. She had been deeply in love with this arrogant man.
“I still don’t know. I’ve been trying to hate you for so long that I don’t know how to look at you.”
“Just see it the way you feel.”
Damien finally picked her up and walked away. The gun was put away on the bed, and Chloe's body was placed there.
“Apologize to me properly. I won’t do anything until you apologize.”
“Should I apologize for loving you so madly?”
Chloe burst into hot tears again at Damien's words, which he whispered without any sense of guilt. Damien whispered as he ripped off her dirty dress.
"My love."
“Right now, I’m thinking to myself, ugh... It’s all over.”
The heavy dress fell to the ground under the bed.
“You will be smiling and relieved that everything went your way.”
“I won’t deny it. My lovely angel.”
Chloe cried, beating him with her fists. Damien's thin dress shirt fell to the floor.
“My beautiful wife.”
Damien let out a hot breath. His body hardened, and his gaze was filled with desire. He felt his patience reach its limit as he stood before her, crying with a tearful face. Just as you are the only one who can do this to me. I am the only one who can have everything you have.
“I will not enforce evil laws for the first and last time.”
The petticoat lifted up. The braces that had been wrapped around Chloe's slender legs were released by his hands and fell to the floor.
“I have to fulfill my marital obligations that I have been putting off for two years.”
“...”
“My Queen Majesty, who brought Tisse to his knees.”
Damien took Chloe's breath away in an instant. He knelt down, completely exposed, consuming her. First her lips, then her tongue, then her entire body. The air in the room became hot.
The rain had stopped, but Chloe's body, filled with Damien, did not dry out. The wind blowing from the lake was not enough to disperse the thick heat between them. Her husband was a man who was definitely a giver and a taker. Her lips had to stay on the same body part where his lips touched.
Once he looked down, she too had to look down at him and move. He who had tamed her slender body to accept him perfectly caressed her spine and moaned softly.
Chloe, who had her hand on Damien's shoulder, gasped for breath with her eyes reddened. Her breathing gradually became more labored, and she shook her head with her lips parted.
“You like it.”
Damien's body, which moved lightly like a feather while sitting across from her, was hot.
“Ah, no, I, I, Da, Damie...ugh!”
He lifted her chin and laughed quietly.
“You still only talk to me when I’m stuck inside you.”
“Ha, don’t... Heh...!”
He tried to cover his mouth, but he couldn't. He hugged Chloe's frail body as she lost her balance and collapsed, and clasped his hands tightly together.
Now the gaze was again on top of Damien.
***
Not pitch black, but bright black.
That's what little Chloe called the dawn sky.
It all started when Chloe, who was suffering from the aftereffects of a fever, woke up one day from a violent dream, stood with her hands on the windowsill, and looked at the sky just before dawn. The dark sky gradually lightened, and finally, she saw the rising sun, painting all around with brilliant light. Since then, she has not been afraid of the night.
This is because she saw with her own eyes that no matter how dark it was, if she stood firm, morning would eventually come. When she first realized that she couldn't climb the stairs without help from others, when her mother, the only support she could lean on, passed away, and when the variables of her father's bankruptcy and Alice's running away came, she was able to overcome it because of this.
The slightly cool dawn breeze blew her hair. Chloe shrank slightly and could smell Damien’s scent on the clothes she was wearing. He had dressed her in his own clothes, as she could not wear the clothes that were soaked in the rain.
Chloe looked down at the soft dress shirt that reached down to the back of her hand. Even on the first night when he had torn off her thin nightgown that showed her skin, Damien had dressed her in his clothes at dawn while she was still asleep. Something warm wrapped around Chloe’s back as she smiled faintly.
“What are you thinking about?”
Damien's husky voice, as if he had just woken up, was heard in her ear. She could feel the body heat of Damien holding her through the thin clothes. Chloe took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
“I was worried.”
"What."
“...How on earth should I explain this situation to Madame Stella?”
The brief tension disappeared, and Damien's small laugh spread from Chloe's ear to the nape of her neck.
“Does this really need explaining?”
A kiss, perhaps with a hint of seduction, slowly trailed from her neck to her shoulder.
“If you show them this kind of behavior, it will all be over.”
Chloe flinched slightly as a wicked hand came up over her thin clothes and wrapped itself around her.
“Don't do it.”
“I already did everything I had to do.”
Chloe blushed as she heard Damien's voice whispering softly. Her face burned as she remembered what had happened last night, right here on the terrace, right after she got out of bed. Damien whispered as if he had read her thoughts.
“It’s a good thing the villa is right in front of the lake.”
“...”
“Otherwise, everyone in Guinevis would have heard you shout my name loudly.”
Chloe finally rolled her eyes at Damien. Damien held her tighter as she tried to shake him off.
“That made me even more excited.”
His high nose brushed past Chloe's, and their lips, which had met several times throughout the night, met again. Chloe's eyes fluttered shut on their own, then slowly opened the moment he pulled away.
“I feel like I’ve had a good night’s sleep for the first time in two years.”
He smiled, holding her gaze. Chloe's heart moistened slightly as she looked into his eyes that reminded her of the dawn sky. He had only slept for about an hour. Even now, he noticed her as soon as she got out of bed.
“Don’t leave my side now, Chloe.”
Damien whispered softly.
“...Let me think about it.”
Chloe tried to hide her trembling heart by saying things she didn't mean.
“Yeah. Do a lot. Do enough.”
Contrary to her half-hearted answer, Damien's hands, undoing the clothes she was wearing, were hot and eager. It wasn't that hard for him to guess what she was thinking. The moment Chloe came here to meet him on her own two feet, she had already faced herself, something she didn't want to admit.
Now it was clear what he had to do. He had to convince her of her own choice so that she couldn't hate herself. He had to give Chloe's feelings a precious value so that she would want to live her whole life in that sparkle.
But Damien stopped thinking about all those plans for this moment. He just wanted to feel the fact that she was finally in his arms.
“Damien...!”
Chloe's lips trembled as she held the terrace railing tightly. The sky was breaking through her frowning vision. She had to return to the mansion before the day was fully dark, but she couldn't push away Damien, who was hugging her again. To be exact, she couldn't push him away. The dawn sky after the rain was too enchanting.
“I would do anything to see your face again, completely in love.”
Damien, who buried himself deep in her body and spoke in a voice full of desire, was even more so. He was not just whispering sweet nothings to capture the woman's ears. He was giving her a heads-up about what was going to happen. Damien would eventually achieve everything he set out to do.
“You can look forward to it.”
Before everything happened, the sweet daily life they had together came to Chloe's mind. She was the only one who knew how a man named Damien loved a woman. She took a deep breath as she looked at the sky that was turning purple in the distance. The afterimage of the beautiful dawn sky did not easily disappear even when she closed her eyes.
Her heart was pounding.
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