Chapter 17 (1/2)

Chapter 17

After Harris said this, Chloe could only feel shame as she saw the sympathy in his eyes.

Why should she be told this?

Why did she have to receive this sympathy? She was the only one who could sympathize with herself.

It could be said that this was because of her pride, but Chloe was immensely ashamed at this moment.

“Brother.”

Chloe proudly raised her chin and looked straight into Harris’ eyes.

“I love my husband.”

And Harris tilted his head to the side.

He looked alternately between Chloe and Eric, who were standing so far away from each other.

The Marquis’ broad back seemed infallible, as though it would never turn behind him.

Harris looked back at Chloe.

“Then, does the Marquis love you as well?”

“……”

Chloe didn’t answer.

’Do you love me?’

Just as her husband failed to answer this question, Chloe also failed to answer Harris.

Chloe stood against a wall.

She was a little dizzy because she already had three glasses of champagne.

The doctor told her not to drink, so it was clear that she would cough up blood again when she went back.

But it couldn’t be helped.

She couldn’t possibly stay sober in this situation.

She now knew why her mother was so inclined to alcohol in the past.

Her father didn’t love her mother. And yet her mother loved her father.

Her mother constantly blamed herself.

She believed that it was the woman who was to blame for a man not loving her—that it was something she did wrong. But what was it that she did wrong? Perhaps it was her existence itself that was wrong. Whatever it might be, she was wrong and the man she loved was never at fault.

It’s the woman’s mistake to be so unloved.

Her mother said this to Chloe everyday as she drank bottles of wine. And when it was time for her father to come home, her mother would dress up to greet him.

However, the stench of alcohol couldn’t be removed, and every time his father would smell this on her, he would hit her mother while saying, ‘How dare a woman drink so carelessly.’

‘Am I lucky that I’m not getting hit?’

Chloe wondered for a moment. At least Eric didn’t hit her.

She was grateful for this fact. She wasn’t respected as a wife, but at least she was respected as a fellow human being.

After thinking this way, Chloe smiled helplessly. She was grateful already just for this.

Will spring come when winter comes to an end? Or will it still continue to snow?

Will she be touched by heart enough to make it swell, or will she be thrown into the depths of the cold enough to make her bones ache?

The latter was more likely.

She didn’t think that it would ever be warm. Spring would never come to her… She felt like she would die in winter, just as she lived through winter for all her life.

“Oh my, Marchioness Aslan?”

At this time, Chloe heard a familiar voice.

Chloe slowly peeled herself away from the wall and turned towards where the voice came from.

There stood Countess Izent and her circle. They were Chloe’s friends from the past.

Chloe smiled softly at them.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

They curtsied towards Chloe and bowed slightly, and Chloe curtsied as well in return.

“Of course, everyone’s doing well.”

Countess Izent said this as she approached Chloe.

“You should have told us you’ve come to the capital. If we knew, we would have organized a get-together to welcome you, even a small one.”

“I didn’t have the time to contact you since I came in a hurry.”

“In a hurry?”

Countess Izent furrowed her brows slightly.

“Something must have happened.”

Countess Izent took Chloe’s hand anxiously.

Chloe suddenly thought that her Countess’ body temperature was warm.

When was the last time she felt another person’s warmth?

Chloe looked down at their hands, where they met. She smiled quietly.

Countess Izent and Chloe weren’t close.

However, they’d known each other for a long time. They understood each other to a certain extent, knowing each other’s circumstances peripherally. That’s why it was rare for them to ever slight each other. Actually, there was never an occurrence.

This was the generous consideration of knowing someone for a long time and staying with them that long.

In this context, Chloe’s relationship with Eric… How should she put it.

Even though they had been together for five years, they knew nothing about the other.

Regardless of whether they truly knew nothing or never had the desire to know the other more, there were many things that were unknown.