Chapter 50
Another long silence followed.
Aldrick stood his ground stubbornly, as if he truly couldn’t leave unless it was through death.
That, too, was a side of him Violet hadn’t seen before. She began to wonder just how many other sides of Aldrick she didn’t know yet.
Violet had heard that knights were a rigid, conservative group. They were people who could die for an intangible belief or honor, and who devoted their entire lives in blind loyalty to their king.
But having that same blind loyalty directed at herself was somewhat overwhelming.
‘I always thought he had a bit of a one-track mind…’
Violet wanted to rub her temples. Her head started to hurt.
Even looking at Aldrick now, standing there with such firm resolve, he was still her young husband in her eyes.
‘Where did that gentle Aldrick go…’
No. That wasn’t the point right now.
“Listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
Aldrick crossed his arms and looked down at Violet, who was fidgeting uncomfortably in her bindings.
“Leaving you like that out of the blue, I know. That was really wrong of me. And I regret it. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“It doesn’t sound sincere. If you were sorry, you should’ve stopped. If you regretted it, you should’ve come back!”
“You’re right… I’m sorry, more than I can say. But I still believe the decision itself was the right one.”
“What?”
Aldrick, who had been quietly listening, narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t know my father—no, Baron Zerotta. You don’t know what kind of person he is. Now that he knows you have a title and land, he’ll chase us to the ends of the earth and drain us of everything we have. I guarantee it. And I couldn’t let that happen. There’s no reason you should get dragged into that mess just because we’re tied together by a measly marriage certificate.”
“You were the one who said you were faithfully fulfilling the sacred duty of marriage. And now you call it a measly certificate?”
Violet ignored the wounded tone in Aldrick’s voice.
“Even now, I still think separating from you is the right thing to do. What I regret is the way I did it. Trying to convince you with a letter—it was too much, I see that now.”
Violet avoided Aldrick’s gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
“You’re a good person, Aldrick. You deserve to be happier. Look at me—look at how pathetic I am. See it with your own eyes, and meet someone better.”
As expected, there was no response. She hadn’t expected one. Violet closed her eyes tightly.
“So I’ll say it again. Aldrick, let’s get divorced. That’s what I want.”
She bit her lip hard, afraid that tears might spill if she let her guard down.
She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to earn Aldrick’s pity that way.
She needed to be as cold as possible, emotionless—even if it meant acting like the worst version of herself—until he finally gave up on his own.
Violet hoped this would be the moment he let her go.
That he’d tell her he didn’t realize she was this kind of woman, and cast her aside. That he’d stamp the divorce papers without hesitation and go their separate ways.
But Aldrick didn’t do that.
Clank.
At the dull sound, Violet looked up from where her gaze had been fixed on her feet.
There, still wearing his armor, was Aldrick—kneeling before her.
“Aldrick?”
“What on earth did I do wrong?”
His bloodshot eyes were clearly filled with tears. Violet wished she were mistaken.
“I still don’t understand. Your father? That’s just an excuse. If you still had any love left for me, you would’ve stayed. So just be honest. Tell me you don’t love me anymore. That you’re sick of me.”
Tears streamed from Aldrick’s eyes as he spoke those last words. She hadn’t imagined it. Violet was shaken.
“If you tell me what I… what I did wrong, what I need to fix, I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Discussion
1 CommentReactions
Momo_59