Chapter 11 (1/2)

Chapter 11

Chloe’s voice was just as raspy as a towel that was squeezed dry until the very last drop.

Eric’s eyes quivered.

She looked like she was going to die soon. She’s alright? What? What did she mean she’s alright?

“You look like a foolish woman.”

He sighed as he swept his face with one hand.

He was annoyed.

When he heard that Chloe collapsed, he lost the lead in the conversation with the Second Prince.

He didn’t know why he was so surprised by the news that she was sick, but he got flustered like that, and he eventually failed to close the deal with the prince.

That’s why he was annoyed.

Being in Chloe’s room instead of the lab and pushing all of his work to the side, only to be told that she was fine… Eric gritted his teeth.

No one asked him to take care of Chloe. She didn’t even ask him to come.

It was him who chose to stay here and nurse her back to health.

It’s like this. That’s why he was more—more, even more annoyed like crazy.

Why on earth was he throwing away his work just to see this woman! This foolish girl!

“I’m busy. I don’t have time to worry about your illness, Wife.”

“…I know that you’re busy.”

“Then you should have taken better care of yourself!”

Eric unknowingly raised his voice.

“What do you expect me to do when you come here on your own and groan like a wet mouse like this? We’re in the north. Why did you come all the way here just to get sick?!”

Instead of answering, Chloe just looked at Eric. He’s angry again…

Why?

Because she was sick?

She didn’t want this either. She didn’t want to be sick.

Even as her fever grew even higher, she became more determined to hide her illness even more.

“I really am fine… Please go back. You don’t have to call a doctor.”

No doctor should come. She might get caught with this illness.

But Eric didn’t back down.

“You need to see a doctor.”

“No, I… I have medicine.”

“Medicine?”

Eric’s brows furrowed, but Chloe wasn’t too sure. Her vision was still very blurry.

She barely raised her hand to point to her bag on the chair.

“It’s just something I got from the north. If I drink that medicine… I’ll get better. So please just give that to me.”

She struggled to speak clearly, but Eric didn’t budge at all. He just stared at Chloe while sitting down.

“You.”

Eric enunciated each word clearly.

“Have you been feeling this way for a while?”

Chloe could hear her heart pounding behind her ears.

It was beating so rapidly. Her face became flushed, and the fever rose further.

She turned her head slowly.

As she moved, the wet towel fell off. Nobody picked it up.

“I told you…”

She thought she shouldn’t say this, but as her body got weaker, her mind followed suit. Her lips moved without her consent.

“I told you several times that I’m sick.”

On that cold day when she ran out without even a shawl on her, she clung onto his hand and tried to talk to him.

“I’ve said it so many times…”

He didn’t even remember.

She thought that there was no way that she could fall lower into the abyss, but it felt like gravity was pulling her once more.

What she felt right now was endless misery.

Chloe closed her eyes tightly.

She bit her lips tightly and swallowed the words that she was about to say.

Lashing out in resentment at him would solve nothing.

“Give me the medicine. I can drink that and rest. Please send the doctor back. You should get back, too.”

Even then, Eric kept staring at Chloe, but he soon rose to his feet and let out a breath that he kept in.

The irritation he felt disappeared. In place of the absence of this emotion, unknown things remained. For some reason, one side of his chest was aching.

Eric took out the medicine case out of Chloe’s bag. The heaviness he felt did not abate.

“When did you get this? How? Do you know the name of your illness?”

“…Please hand it to me.”

She didn’t want to answer. Chloe gulped down the medicine that he handed to her without water.

Seeing how naturally she did this, Eric furrowed his brows once more. He felt a strange nervousness as he watched Chloe.

“What is the name of your illness? Tell me. I need to know, so—”

Eric had been speaking urgently, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

If he knew what it was, then what was he going to do about it?

Eric tousled his hair roughly and bit his lower lip.

“Please consult a doctor, Chloe.”

Chloe looked back blankly as she heard him call her name. She didn’t miss this, so she took in a breath for a while. She thought it over and over again, what it is that she would say.

“It’s the first time.”