Chapter 37
Chapter 37
“Why are you crying?”
“Because you’re not.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m crying for you.”
Alphonse froze.
Chloe lowered her hands and looked at him. Her face was soaked with tears.
But the weakness he had expected to see wasn’t there. Nor was there any sign that she had been crushed by the weight of his story.
Instead, her eyes were fixed steadily on him. In the gaze of the woman he had thought to be soft and fragile, there was unexpected strength and determination.
“Alphonse, you are a beautiful person. Your life, your feelings, your endurance—all of it is beautiful.”
A crack formed in Alphonse’s hardened expression.
Ironically, those were the very things he had always felt about her.
He had thought them many times but had never said them aloud. Alphonse could never fully understand Chloe’s bright, carefree smile, but he had never disliked it. Nor had he disliked her honesty, or the way she could simply love something with her whole heart.
Because he couldn’t do any of that himself.
Even thinking those things felt like too personal an emotion. He had no words to express such feelings. Alphonse Battenberg was far from the ‘perfect’ man people believed him to be. In truth, he was deeply lacking. Part of him still remained in that dark closet.
And yet here she was, saying such things so easily.
Despite the endless tears flowing down her cheeks, Chloe looked straight at him. In a calm and unwavering voice, she said,
“I want you to be happy.”
Since that moment, Alphonse had never once looked into his own heart. He had never asked himself what he was feeling.
Only now did he realize that his heart had long been encased in frost—never melted, never wiped away. Layer after layer, it had built up into a thick wall.
And as that frost began to thaw, Alphonse thought:
I’m glad this person is my wife.
***
“Isn’t it uncomfortable drinking tea in the drawing room?”
Chloe looked up from her teacup and met Alphonse’s gaze. He had set his empty cup on the table and was now clasping his hands together, staring intently at her.
As if by silent agreement, they never brought up what had happened earlier that afternoon. They acted as if everything were normal. Having tea together after dinner was no exception.
Chloe blinked.
“Uncomfortable?”
“Isn’t it too far from the tea pantry?”
She thought for a moment. That was true. Even with servants, having to bring tea leaves and tea sets several floors up each time was troublesome. It made enjoying a variety of teas at once difficult too.
“Well, yes. A little.”
Chloe replied honestly. As if he had been waiting, Alphonse proposed,
“I’ve been thinking—how about converting your tea pantry into a space where you can also enjoy tea? So that you can comfortably enjoy your hobby there.”
Chloe’s eyes widened, and as she stared at him, Alphonse added calmly,
“…Perhaps we could even set up a brazier so you can prepare tea there without going back and forth to the kitchen.”
Chloe set her teacup down on the table. With wide, rabbit-like eyes, she said,
“I… I would love that! If you did that for me, I’d be so happy.”
A space of her own, filled with teas and teaware, where she could relax and brew to her heart’s content—what more could a tea lover ask for? Chloe was briefly lost in a blissful daydream before returning to reality.
“But are you sure it’s okay? Why go to such lengths for me…?”
To do this, they would need to renovate the pantry again. It hadn’t been long since it was last modified to store her teaware, and now they were talking about more construction?
“It’s not just for you.”
“Huh?”
Chloe blinked, confused. But Alphonse said no more.
Drinking the tea she served had become part of his daily life. And she wouldn’t be the only one using that tearoom.
The next thing he said was this:
“In any case, the sooner we start, the better. I’ll have them begin designing it today.”
Chloe fluttered her lashes in surprise. Still, she was deeply happy. She smiled brightly and thanked him.
“Thank you so much, Your Grace!”
“…”
Instead of replying, Alphonse silently pulled a cigar from his coat. As he trimmed the end and lit it with his pocket knife, Chloe chatted away happily.
“Then I really get a tearoom of my own! I’m so excited!”
“Ours.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s just say it’s ours.”
And with that, Alphonse took a long drag of his cigar, signaling he wasn’t going to explain further.
***
Soon, the store was completed. With the grand opening approaching, they were busy hiring staff and preparing for launch.
The shop’s interior—accented in red, aimed at an upper-class female clientele—was elegant and beautiful, and Chloe absolutely loved it. Just looking at it made her feel full.
The only problem was that the space was… too big. They couldn’t possibly fill two whole floors with just merchandise. The second floor was half-heartedly turned into storage, which felt wasteful to Chloe, though Alphonse didn’t seem to mind.
Chloe had named the store herself. Alphonse had given her the honor of choosing the name.
His reason for giving her that choice became clear not long after, on their way back from inspecting the completed store.
“Wow, I’m so excited! I can’t believe we actually have our own shop!”
As she was escorted out of the shop by Alphonse, Chloe spoke with excitement. She was utterly thrilled by the anticipation of her first-ever business endeavor.
“This is all so new to me, it feels like a dream. The day our shop opens isn’t far off now.”
“It’s your shop.”
“Sorry?”
“This shop is my birthday gift to you.”
Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to look at Alphonse. In contrast to her startled reaction, Alphonse remained composed, as if he’d just said something completely ordinary.
“Your birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
There was not a hint of boastfulness or pride in his voice.
Chloe’s eyes widened even more. Now that she thought about it, it was true. It had slipped her mind, but Chloe’s birthday—no longer Park Hajeong’s—was approaching. But even so, a birthday gift in the form of an entire business?
Though she had already experienced the vast difference in scale between herself and Alphonse multiple times, she still wasn’t fully used to it. Chloe opened and closed her mouth in shock before finally managing to speak.
“Your Grace…”
Overwhelmed with emotion, she threw her arms around him. Though they had shared physical contact before, it was the first time Chloe had initiated it. Alphonse, ever expressionless, gently stroked her soft curls.
Meanwhile, news of the new business quickly spread among the staff at the ducal residence, becoming a hot topic of gossip. After all, the mistress of the house running a business was juicy news.
“Do you think it’ll actually succeed?”
“Come on, even if it’s Madam, running a business might be too much.”
“Exactly. Sure, she’s hosted some nice tea parties and handled the budget recently, but business is a whole other thing.”
“Still, maybe His Grace will help her out a bit?”
Most of the servants acknowledged Chloe’s recent growth but still doubted she could handle a business. After all, female entrepreneurs were very rare in the Empire.
A few, however, offered a different opinion.
“She might do surprisingly well. Hasn’t she already exceeded our expectations in so many ways? Business might be the same.”
Of course, if all the common servants knew, the butler Kiel certainly did. He sincerely congratulated Chloe.
“Congratulations on your opening, Madam. I truly believe you’ll do well. Wishing you great success.”
“Thank you, Kiel.”
Chloe smiled.
Kiel wasn’t just saying that. Unlike the others, he genuinely believed she would succeed. He had watched her exceed expectations again and again.
‘I wonder how she’ll surprise me this time.’
He was even starting to look forward to it, intrigued by her abilities and curious about what she might do next.
Soon, it was time for Lady Mason to return to her county. A carriage waited at the mansion’s front entrance, and the duke and duchess came out to see her off.
“I told you there was no need for all this.”
Lady Mason shot them her usual sharp gaze. In the past, Chloe would’ve flinched under that look or worried she had upset her—but not anymore. Now she knew that was simply how Lady Mason looked.
Despite her words, Lady Mason hugged them one by one.
“Stay well, Alphonse.”
“Safe travels, Lady Mason,” Alphonse replied politely.
Then it was Chloe’s turn. Lady Mason embraced her without hesitation, like she was her own daughter, and whispered:
“Thank you. I feel like I can leave in peace now.”
Chloe didn’t immediately grasp what she meant. Sensing this, Lady Mason continued.
“You’ll be a fine mistress of Battenberg.”
Then Chloe remembered. Lady Mason had once asked her to take good care of Alphonse. Now, she was saying that she trusted Chloe to do just that.
After Chloe made Moroccan mint tea for her, they had shared several afternoon chats. This broke the initial bad impression and helped Chloe feel at ease around her.
To Chloe, Lady Mason was an incredible woman. After losing her husband to poisoning, she managed the count’s affairs on her own and raised young Alphonse too. Chloe could only imagine how difficult that must have been for a woman alone.
And now, to receive such acknowledgment from someone like that—Chloe felt a lump in her throat. She smiled brightly.
“Goodbye, Lady Mason. Thank you for everything.”
“No need for all that. It’s not like I did anything worth thanking me for.”
Lady Mason clicked her tongue and walked with the support of a maid.
She boarded the carriage, and soon it rolled away. Through the window, Madam Mason looked back. Chloe bowed once more.
As she left the duke’s estate, Lady Mason thought about the girl named Chloe.
Ever since she had that Moroccan mint tea, she and Chloe had shared several tea times. They mostly talked about the household, but naturally, Alphonse came up too.
Lady Mason had seen many people approach Alphonse during his youth, people drawn by his looks, wealth, or status.
Some admired him, others fell in love. A few who glimpsed his darker side tried to pity or even ‘save’ him.
But Chloe was different. She saw both the bright and dark parts of him yet neither idolized nor pitied him. Learning new things about him didn’t change how she treated him. To her, Alphonse was simply Alphonse. She saw him for who he was and accepted him.
‘You’ve found a fine wife, Alphonse.’
As she settled into her seat, Lady Mason smiled.
‘Is there anyone better suited for you?’
She had always worried about Alphonse as if he were her own child. But now, it felt like she could finally let go of some of that worry.
