Chapter 9 (1/2)

Chapter 9

“I’ll make sure that His Highness won’t take the upper hand in your transaction. I can do that well. Please, I must meet His Highness.”

It was a desperate plea—and this just made Eric’s mood even more sour.

“It’s the Second Prince who’s visiting.”

“What?”

“It’s not the Third Prince, who you’ve been waiting for, Wife.”

Chloe couldn’t understand what he meant.

“I wasn’t waiting for William. It doesn’t matter which of the princes it is.”

William. It’s the first name of the Third Prince—the very one who had once been engaged to her.

Were they close enough to call each other’s names casually? Eric unknowingly furrowed his brows deeply. His anxious thoughts piled higher.

“Even so, you can’t meet him. No matter how close you were, it’s already in the past. You’re not friends anymore.”

Eric stood up and extinguished his cigarette against the tea table.

“You are to stay in this room until His Highness leaves. After that, I’ll send someone over to you.”

“Darling.”

“It’s also better if you have your meals here.”

“Darling!”

Chloe stood up as well, then she ran forward to block Eric’s way.

“Please let me just once. I must meet His Highness.”

She begged with all her might—and this only made Eric more uncomfortable.

“Why?”

He spoke in a provocative tone.

“Why do you have to meet the prince?”

“That’s…”

Chloe unconsciously averted her gaze. With her eyes lowered, she bit her lower lip.

What should she answer? Should she say that she wanted to meet the prince for her husband’s sake? Tell him that she wanted to meet the prince to pay back the money her family owed?

No. She couldn’t do that.

“I can’t say the reason for now, but I really must meet—“

“Stop it.”

Eric openly showed his displeased expression as he cut off Chloe mid-sentence.

“DANIEL!”

He shouted at the door. Soon after, the door opened slightly.

“Yes, you called, sire?”

Without even a glance at Chloe, he turned to Daniel.

However, the only one in Chloe’s eyes was Eric.

She was still imploring him to let her meet the prince.

“Keep an eye on my wife. Don’t let her leave this room.”

“Darling!”

He was going to have her watched?! Chloe raised her voice at the ridiculous command, grabbing Eric’s arm.

“Why must you do this… Let’s talk, please…”

“Chloe.”

And it was only then that Eric met her eyes.

His gaze pierced through her. He was so expressionless that… It was like he was looking at an object that meant absolutely nothing to him—unfeeling, heartless.

“Just listen to me.”

His words were succinct, but his tone was heavy.

As he passed by the frozen Chloe, he added.

“Lock the door.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Click.

And the knob was locked.

There was no time to protest.

Eric only said what he needed to say and disregarded Chloe’s words.

Just like always… Right. It’s always been like this. He was consistent until the end, just as much as he never loved her.

Chloe staggered and barely managed to reach a nearby chair.

She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up. It was a useless delusion.

‘Even if I talk to Eric…’

Nothing would have changed.

‘Because until the bitter end, you’ll never love me.’

Chloe buried her face into her hands.

The room was heavy with desolation. She didn’t want to breathe in this air, but she had no choice. She needed to breathe.

“The Madam’s face was completely ashen.”

Grumbling as he stared at the back of Eric’s head, Daniel muttered this as he walked a half-step behind Eric.

“Why did you have to fight today? It was only yesterday that we talked about not fighting with her, sire.”

“Shut up.”

“No, but why did you have to do that? Why did you have to lock the door when it’s not something that normally would have angered you? The Madam will be really upset.”

“I said shut it.”

“Haa, what a cold-hearted guy.”

Daniel shook his head and hit his chest repeatedly.

“The Madam did nothing wrong. I can’t believe that her husband is a man without blood or tears.”

“……”

“If it weren’t for that debt, you wouldn’t have gotten married anyway—ah, wait.”

Ah, ah. Daniel covered his mouth. Then, he slowly gauged Eric’s temper.

Eric’s expression was already severe as it was, but now, his face was even more distorted.