Chapter 26
“Why did you take this child?”
Eric, who had been quietly staring at Aria trembling, shifted his gaze to the countess.
The wife couldn’t say a word and turned her head.
Eric called his wife with his mouth tightly shut.
Then, the countess, who had let out a long sigh, turned her head back towards him.
“Mother, huh….”It seems like the word “mother” comes out so easily from your mouth.
“If you’re curious about me, just call for me directly. The way you secretly called the maid makes it look like you’re a sneaky cat, it’s quite embarrassing to see.
“Stray cat…? You lack respect for this mother.
“If you want me to respect you, you should first learn to show consideration and respect. How am I supposed to react to you calling a maid to dig into my past?
“When did I ever stab you in the back?
The wife took a breath to calm her raised voice.
Meanwhile, Eric headed towards Aria. He grabbed Aria’s wrist and pulled her up.
At this, the maid standing next to him intervened and stopped Eric.
“Young master, the lady has not finished speaking yet! You can’t just act on your own like this!
When the maid blocked his path, Eric’s nerves became extremely sensitive. At that cold gaze, the maid could ultimately not move an inch.
“Get out of the way. If you don’t want to die.
At the short and chilling voice that seemed to carve like a knife, the head maid hesitated and stepped aside.
The countess, who had been watching the scene in disbelief, stood up nervously.
“Seeing it this way, I understand well. Indeed, that rumor wasn’t false. To think he has eyes for a maid You’re really tarnishing the family’s name. Do you think the Count would just stand by if he knew?
When Eric stopped at those words, his wife, with a triumphant air, spoke even more forcefully.
“Calling a maid to your bedroom every night, what a pathetic sight. Do you think the count, who values the family’s reputation above all else, would entrust the family business to someone as dissolute as you? Right now, you seem to be acting all high and mighty, relying on the royal family’s backing, but in the end, you’re just a bastard. Remember that this is your situation!
The wife shouted in an excited voice as if she were sending a great warning.
At those words, Eric began to see the situation clearly.
The wife must have used that as an excuse to pressure Aria into digging into my past.
Seeing Aria trembling in my grasp, my anger surged to the boiling point.
It was as if I were watching my mother interact with my father, the count.
My mother was always a woman who couldn’t even lift her head, with a face that seemed to bear the weight of her sins. So she had to live as if she were dead.
I wanted to curse right now, but I had to hold back. If I were to admit it like this, it would only bring shame to Aria.
Eric took a moment to catch his breath and retorted with a nonchalant expression.
“Oh dear, what should I do? Even if I tell my father, the fact that I will continue the family business as the heir won’t change.
“How dare you call me a cowherd….
“It seems you haven’t heard from Father yet. I will carry on the family business in your place.
“What…?”
Eric’s indifferent words pounded against his wife’s heart. On Eric’s face, a subtle smile appeared, barely noticeable, as he watched.
Eric, who had turned his back on the pensive countess, answered without turning his gaze.
“The scandal about me only brings disgrace to the family name that you yourself uphold. Please be careful with your words from now on. You can’t ruin the family business over baseless rumors, can you?
Eric, having finished speaking, took Aria and left the room.
The woman’s mouth gaped wide as she could only watch the scene unfold. The hand that had been tightly gripping the hem of her skirt was trembling uncontrollably without her even realizing it.
“You arrogant bastard. How dare you threaten me…?
As her head spun dizzily, the woman staggered and pressed her forehead.
The head maid, who had been watching this, hurriedly supported her.
“Are you okay, ma’am?!
The woman, who barely managed to sit on the sofa, pressed her forehead and tightly closed her eyes. The sound of teeth grinding loudly echoed.
“How could that rookie who couldn’t even make eye contact…?”
The wife was utterly devastated. It was utterly absurd.
The illegitimate child who used to live in a dark, cramped room is now backed by the royal family and is trying to swallow the clan whole.
If I just sit back and do nothing, I’ll end up losing the family business just as that guy said. The wife resented her husband.
Not only did you bring home an illegitimate child, but now you’re planning to pass the family business to that child. Is he really in his right mind?
“How could you do this to Edward and me…!
The wife, still angry, slammed the chair down with her hand. I chewed the inside of my lips and thought it over, but no clever solution came to mind.
There was no other way but to get rid of that thorn in my side, Eric. No, I had to make him disappear forever.
“I need to find his weakness.
The woman’s eyes, which had been muttering to herself, suddenly glimmered with a strange light. The answer was not far away.
The woman’s gaze, having found the answer, began to turn sharply.
Eric tightly gripped the hand that held Aria and walked roughly.
He didn’t let go of that hand until the moment he returned to the annex.
Her hand went numb from the intense grip, but it was not enough to hold Eric back.
Only after arriving at the annex did Eric, who had been showing only his broad back, turn around.
“When did it start? It seems like it wasn’t just once or twice that you were called. Perhaps from the moment you came to the annex? Was it from the moment I came to the annex?”
Aria’s pupils trembled slightly as she looked at him. She hurriedly directed her gaze to the floor to hide her trembling eyes.
A brief sigh escaped Eric’s lips as he watched this unfold.
“Well, she would still be a woman worth it. I should have realized from the moment that the vicious viper let you go so easily. So, have you been relaying my every move and action well all this time?
Aria’s eyes widened, and she froze in place.
She shook her head slightly. No, she shook her head vigorously after initially shaking it slightly.
Rather than acting with the hope of something, I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. At least, in front of him.
At this, a small crack appeared in Eric’s expression. Was it because I was glad to see Aria finally revealing her grievances?
Or perhaps it was because she felt sorry for Aria, who must have been tormented by the guilt of deceiving her master all this time.
What does the woman who came to spy on him find so appealing? A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Then that’s a relief. I’ll trust you.
Aria lifted her head sharply at his words promising to believe in her.
Whether that was true or not, there was no look of contempt or hatred in Eric’s eyes.
Do they really trust me? Why, how come. Aria’s pupils trembled once again.
Eric quietly looked at her and then made eye contact.
“Will you keep coming to my bedroom every night? Thanks to you, I haven’t been having nightmares lately, and my pain has lessened.
No, how could that be? Aria’s mind was momentarily in a state of confusion. I couldn’t understand what Eric had said.
More importantly, Eric was clearly in an unconscious state. How could he know that I came?
Aria composed her expression to hide her embarrassment.
But Eric, as if enjoying it, whispered openly in her ear.
I don’t care about those kinds of rumors. So, I would appreciate it if you could continue the treatment. Even if we use all the herbs in the palace, your medicine is the only one that works, so what can we do?
The faint scent of pheromones wafted from his body as he stood close. Aria couldn’t hide her embarrassment.
I hurriedly tried to step back, but Eric only moved closer.
Aria couldn’t bring herself to meet Eric’s eyes and tightly closed them.
“Don’t be scared. Is someone going to eat you or something?
As Eric’s breath touched her cheek, Aria’s body trembled.
The excessively close distance felt awkward and unfamiliar. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Eric.
Where did the earlier coldness go? Eric’s gaze, looking at him, felt nothing but warm.
The feeling that someone approaching me is not at all burdensome.
Rather, it seemed embarrassing to see herself acting awkwardly around him. At that moment, when he cautiously stopped his retreating steps.
She felt the intense gaze watching her. Aria met the gaze of the maid who had been watching the two through the window.
Eric’s gaze also turned in that direction. There, Eric naturally averted his gaze and slowly stared at Aria.
“There is an insider among the maids who reports to the main building. The more you react to the rumors, the more you only pique their curiosity, so just act as usual.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, so there’s no need to feel intimidated. Sometimes you need to learn how to be confident.