Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Behind it was Deatrice’s faithful maid, Rosalynn.

Long streaks of light from the room lit up the dark hallway. After coming face to face with Lucius, she signaled Deatrice’s permission to enter using her eyes, then went on to do her errands outside while leaving the door open.

With this unexpected development, Lucius looked across the open door incredulously. Slowly setting one foot inside, he saw her standing there with a serene countenance.

Wearing a light white dress and her long hair braided to the left, Deatrice opened her mouth as she looked at him coolly.

“What is it?”

“As I was saying, I have something to tell you.” he started, trying to retain his composure and subtly fixing his clothes. “The emperor has summoned us to receive the estate. With the place we’re going, I can’t just say you’re sick or give any excuses for you, so you need to come with me.”

Lucius felt conscious of his untidy appearance.

Both his collar and sleeves weren’t secured properly, and the upper parts of his vest were unbuttoned. On the other hand, Deatrice looked so elegant that sitting across her, Lucius thought that his impatience to see her was as clear as day due to his negligence.

“When do you plan to go?” she asked.

“In two days’ time. I’ll be staying at the Imperial Palace for about two weeks, and I have already finished my preparations. You only need to ready your luggage…”

Her face still showed no emotions. Lucius wondered if he had spoken too lowly and wanted to persuade her further.

“Will you… be ready by then?”

Deatrice looked out toward the terrace with her head half-turned, seemingly disinterested as a glimmer of light illuminated her side profile.

“It’s better if you go. You’d be able to meet with your family.” His words were far from convincing, but it wasn’t to the point that could be completely ignored. However, Deatrice was too caught up in her thoughts and spoke about something unrelated instead.

“Lucius, after it was discovered that you were an illegitimate child, was there at least one person who stayed with you?” Her voice was too soft for it to be called a mockery of him.

Lucius felt that Deatrice had changed in these two short days. When they had just been reunited, she had never once uttered the word ‘illegitimate’. She would look away uncomfortably if she heard similar words and didn’t even think to ask Lucius about what had happened in the past six years.

Lucius realized that his plans to annul his marriage with her had extinguished the light within her. It was the kind where he wasn’t aware it was still burning and only knew it had ever existed only after it died out.

Where did that light cling onto? The hope that their marriage might be fixed? Did she really expect him to live with her like other couples?

Suddenly, a warm feeling heated the nape of his neck. It was similar to when Deatrice called him ‘Lucy’ for the first time after reuniting—

“Get away from me! How dare an illegitimate child touch me?!”

A voice interrupted his thoughts, reviving the nightmare that tormented him for years. After saying those words, she truly thought they could continue their marriage in harmony?

The person who says hurtful words will never know the pain because the damage only remains inside the heart of the one who received it.

Lucius spoke, trying to ignore the rising resentment within him, “No one. A few sympathized with me, but I lost contact with them after I left for the battlefield. When I came back, I was already in a very different position and our friendship had all but faded.”

“I had never been serious with anyone before except for you. But you shall be the first…” Deatrice glanced at him, “…and the last.”

Lucius wasn’t hurt by those words. His contempt for her had long cooled his heart. Deatrice continued speaking regardless of his unresponsiveness as her words were not meant to disturb Lucius nor shock him emotionally.

“Here or there in the capital, everything is the same for me.”

“…does that mean you won’t go?”

Deatrice shook her head, “No, I was simply saying nonsense. How can I disobey the emperor’s orders? I’ll be ready for departure within two days.”

“I see.”

He stood up.

Deatrice turned her head to the sound of the door creaking and briefly glanced at his exiting back, leaving no trace that he was ever here. The door was shut, and the shadow of a billowing curtain was cast over it instead.

She relaxed her body and leaned back on the sofa.

For the past two days, Deatrice was torn between anger and dejection as she thought about his cowardice and her imminent future. Fiery flames seethed inside her and dominated her emotions, but it wasn’t long before it turned into despondency. She lamented over the sweetness of their past that had progressed to this irreparable state of estrangement.

The emotional grief had worn her out so much that she was forced to think rationally about her own life after Lucius finally abandons her.

At first, she didn’t want to let Lucius have things his way. But even if she had successfully won against the annulment of their marriage, it was obvious that her life with him afterward would just be more miserable.

Therefore, Deatrice just stopped thinking in that regard and decided that she, too, did not want to continue this marriage with him anymore.

She would no longer be tied to the man who abandoned her.

Just as she had abandoned him.

They were even now. In that case, it would be better as he suggested to leave for another country with the settlement money and start a new life. Perhaps a new marriage would await her there.

But Deatrice doubted if she would be happy. She lost interest in almost everything that previously gave her joy.

The only time she had yearned for something was his presence when she spent every day at Aunt Victoria’s house waiting for him. She hoped then that the happiness she felt would last forever.

***