C38
I tilted my head.
"Did I say something strange?"
"... You said you would leave suddenly."
"Was it too abrupt? I'm sorry. The right moment to talk never came."
Terence also asked this for the first time today, and I didn't feel the need to tell him.
Terence responded with a puzzled expression.
"It's not something you should feel sorry for."
And with his gaze lowered, he muttered as if he was thinking about it.
"Yes. That's right."
"Tay?"
"It's not something you should feel sorry for."
"I'm sorry, but what did you just say?"
He said it so softly that I couldn't hear it.
"No. It's nothing."
The man in front of me had his usual face. A fresh and charming smile. But for some reason, I felt a bit of distance.
"Did I say something strange?"
"It's not possible. I just realized something again."
"What thing?"
"It's a secret. I think it's a bit embarrassing."
Embarrassing? I'm not sure in what context that conclusion arose from the previous conversation.
"Simply... I think I thought my existence was bigger than it really was. Now we have to face reality."
I don't even know what that means. Terence handed me his drink before I could respond.
"Shall we make a toast, partner?"
Perhaps due to his mood, it sounded like a different word than before.
"I hope all your goals come true."
However, the face of the person who said that was clear and without a single shadow, so I immediately dismissed the feeling I had as an illusion.
"I hope Tay's goal comes true as well."
He asked me while raising my glass.
"I don't think we've ever had a conversation about my goals. Do you know what it is?"
Wouldn't it be natural to defeat the crown prince and become emperor? Terence's goal revealed in the novel was that.
"But that's not all."
The image of him shown in the novel might have been just one side of him. If so, what is the goal of the human Terence and not the villainous Terence?
"What else is there besides successfully becoming a prince? As a partner, I'm curious."
"Actually, I don't know. For a long time, my life was closer to giving up than having hope."
That was the environment given to the emperor's illegitimate son.
"So I'm going to start looking for it now."
"You'll find a very good goal."
"If only... that would be great."
Cheers, we clinked our glasses. A cheerful sound echoed on the quiet terrace.
The night between partners passed like this.
Another day had passed since then, but Terence's attitude toward me was as kind and polite as ever.
The strange feeling I had that night was not visible even after I washed my eyes and searched for it.
"As expected, it was a mistake."
"What?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Sharon smiled and touched my shoulder.
"Aren't you tired of all these meetings? Please, go out and get some fresh air."
I felt embarrassed. At a time when the trial is so close, I can't believe I'm concerned with other thoughts even after arriving at Sharon's office.
Let's come to our senses. The most important thing for me right now was the divorce.
"Yes. I'll go out for a moment."
"Oh, wait a moment."
Sharon, who had received something from Robbie, handed it to me. It was a letter.
"Ethel, something has arrived for you."
"Oh, there's no sender on the list."
"The person who gave it to Robbie said someone requested it."
"I wonder who it could be."
Without thinking, I opened the envelope, read the letter, and then regained my senses.
"I need to go out quickly. It might take longer than just a walk."
"What happened?"
"I received a message from the person I was waiting for."
It was a letter from the butler.
The butler was in the park mentioned in the letter.
"That's a lot of confidence."
Not even Duke Cassius would have dreamed that the chief butler they were desperately looking for would casually walk in the center of the capital in broad daylight.
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
I went to the bench where he was sitting and sat down next to him. The butler, who was looking at the pigeons without looking at me, said.
"I resigned a while ago, but I was the first advisor to the Duke. I've taught everyone who serves him now."
In short, it meant that how Cassius would move was in the palm of his hand.
"If he's looking for a hiding place where his political enemies kidnapped and hid me, he won't search this place."
He also clearly knows the Duke's intentions. It was hard to imagine that a person who disappeared as if hiding from Cassius would be in the capital where the Cassius family was staying.
Furthermore, since it was a working day, the park was quiet. So much so that the light disguise he was wearing no longer made sense.
"How is your son?"
"Little lady... No, Ethel-nim, you are very kind."
"What?"
I asked about Joshua, who had been trapped at home and had also disappeared, but received a strange compliment in return.
"First, he asked about my son's well-being, not if he would appear as a witness in the trial."
"That..."
"First, to answer your question, Joshua is fine."
The butler smiled.
"He was nervous, maybe because of the short trip and the new environment, but he was in much better condition than I expected."
"That's a relief."
"...If I had known this would happen, I would have left Cassius Territory a long time ago."
There was regret in the man's voice.
"The night Ethel left, I asked that child. Would you like to receive treatment in the capital? Contrary to what I expected, he easily replied yes."
The butler tightly held the handle of the cane he was holding.
"It was only then that I realized. It was my foolishness to keep that child in Cassius Territory, thinking it would be better to be in the place where he was born and raised."
"......"
"Why didn't I realize? Although it was Joshua's hometown, it was also a place full of painful memories. The good boy simply endured it silently for the sake of his poor father."
The grand and majestic Cassius Mansion, situated on a hill, could be seen from any point in the city of Ashton. Looking back, I think the butler's house had a window facing the castle.
"The Cassius Castle could be seen from Joshua's room."
How did it feel to look out the window and see the place that caused such trauma?
It wasn't easy to imagine. However, all I knew was that it must have been so miserable that he left his hometown and came to this place where the Cassius family was gathered.
"I'm an ugly guy who doesn't deserve to be called a father."
The butler's shoulders slumped helplessly.
This was a problem that a third party couldn't easily address, so I thought before opening my mouth.
"You can't turn back time, but you can correct your mistakes, even if it's too late. There will be scars, but wounds can heal."
Our eyes met.
"If I were your son, I would be happy that my father is acting for me now."
"...Even though your father pretended not to see you until now?"
"Still, his son believed in his father and had the courage to set foot in this unknown land. To leave the room he had been locked in."
This wouldn't have been possible if Joshua had deep resentment towards the head butler or had completely lost trust in his father.
"Of course, this is just my assumption. The most important thing is to talk directly with the person involved."
The butler listened to me in silence, contemplating the peaceful park landscape.
"It seems you've quit your job. Since you have enough time, how about spending more time with your son?"
At that moment, a boy running and an anxious man following him passed by us.
"Daddy, come quickly! If this continues, the ice cream man will leave!"
"Be careful, you might fall. Walk slowly."
He looked like an affectionate rich man.
"......"
The butler remained silent for a while and then spoke in a somewhat calm voice.
"Thank you."
The warm and dappled sunlight fell on the path in front of the rich man.
After a while, the butler changed his tone and spoke.
"Actually, the main topic for today is something else."
The atmosphere was lighter than before.
"Are there any seats left in the witness stand for the upcoming trial? What a shame, I arrived late."
Without even realizing it, I ended up blurting out what I had been waiting for all along.
"Of course!"
Then we sat on a park bench and discussed the trial.
The head butler confirmed that he would testify not only that I had no right as a hostess but also that Leandro and I were not a normal married couple.
In addition, I learned something new.
"...So, Leandro, did that person say that?"
"Yes. He definitely consulted with the head butler about the couple's relationship."
"Well. That's okay up to that point."
Considering how close he was to the head butler, he could consult about issues with his wife. But what he said was very shocking.
"He said he didn't feel right. Before getting married, he had feelings for Ethel and thought it was love, but he said he was wrong."
What? He didn't see me as the opposite sex? Isn't this insane?
Of course, I didn't think he loved me, but I didn't know he couldn't even identify me as the opposite sex. For some reason, my pride was hurt.
"Well, I wasn't in love either! It was a fake preference I got after reading the novel!"
Since I was in front of the head butler, I couldn't bear to shout, so I just let go of my anger in silence. It wasn't love, but I couldn't help feeling hurt.
How amusing and embarrassing it must have been for him to see me trying so hard to improve my relationship with him. There was no hope.
What a bad guy.