For My Birthday, I Was Gifted Five Husbands - Chapter 173

Back then, Eugenie had been absolutely furious with Carter.

After everything she’d seen from her parents, she had deep trust issues with men, so why was Carter, who knew her so well, trying to ruin their perfect friendship?

Watching her younger self run away like that, Eugenie couldn’t help but feel a wave of shared misery.

Carter stood frozen, barely able to breathe, letting out a long sigh.

“Ha…”

His pain seeped into Eugenie, her own heart splintering and making it hard to breathe.

“No, it can’t end like this…”

Carter gritted his teeth, steeling himself.

It can’t just end this way. We’ve known each other for so long. She might be angry now, but eventually, we’ll at least be friends again.

He tried to convince himself that would be enough. Maybe it was better if Eugenie stuck around out of guilt, never really leaving him for good.

But Eugenie, observing this from the outside, knew the truth.

‘I ended up not contacting him for six whole years after that.’

Sure, Peter Lamburg got involved in the middle, but the truth was she could have reached out at any time. After saying something so harsh, though, she just couldn’t bring herself to face Carter again.

As she slowly blinked, the memory around her shifted.

This time, Carter was a little older, speaking with someone in a temple prayer room.

‘Wait, that’s Mr. Livingston—my only living father-in-law.’

He’d always had a stern face, but right now his eyes seemed to shine with an almost frightening chill.

“So far, we’ve confirmed three people, Carter.”

“…”

“Percival Troys, Lieutenant Alfred Wilberforce, and some merchant whose lineage is uncertain.”

Carter just nodded, almost carelessly.

But Eugenie—could she really just nod along too? What was this?

‘Wait, Mr. Livingston already knew about the other husbands?’

Carter looked down at the list Richard handed him, a mix of resignation, disbelief, and a hint of anger washing over Eugenie as she witnessed it.

“…Is that everyone, then?”

“I can’t be sure. If Theodora Norton still has magical power left, she may assign another candidate to her daughter.”

“…”

Carter rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

Inside, Carter’s mind was a daily battlefield. The Fay family gained power from men’s energy—the more men to serve, the better. He knew that letting Eugenie Norton, or rather, Eugenie Fay, fully awaken required leaving her be, letting her gather as many partners as needed.

Still, I just can’t stand the thought of other men clinging to you.

Even if he couldn’t be her one and only, the idea of someone else getting the sweet title of ‘husband’ made his blood boil. Even after stirring up trouble for Ravenic and Honegold, Percival Troyes and Alfred Wilberforce had survived like cockroaches. Damn them all.

Hearing all this, Eugenie was honestly stunned.

‘Carter Livingston, you bastard.’

She’d been simmering after their last encounter, but hearing these secret thoughts made her head spin.

‘Wait a second.’

Carter had just thought of ‘Honegold’ and ‘Ravenic.’ Did that mean all those never-ending conflicts in the south and north…?

Just then, Richard stepped forward, his expression determined.

“Don’t lose your focus, Carter.”

“…”

“You have a much greater destiny awaiting you, don’t you?”

“…”

“You don’t need her heart. As long as you can keep her by your side in the end—”

“…I know, Richard.”

Carter answered coolly, hiding his irritation.

He was supposed to save the imperial family from the corruption of the Schroeder clan and restore the temple’s lost divine power. His mission was to create a perfect world, so there was no room for human emotions.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The three chosen by Theodora Norton…

He lightly tapped the list of names with his finger.

If all three were destined to be Eugenie’s husbands anyway, maybe adding one more wouldn’t hurt.