The carriage ride back was filled with an awkward silence created by Chloe and Leila.
The only thing filling that silence was the soft breathing of the children, who had fallen asleep after playing all day.
Chloe kept her gaze fixed outside the window.
It was a silent way of saying she didn’t even want to look at Leila.
“Um… Chloe.”
Leila carefully called out to her.
“……”
But Chloe didn’t turn her head.
She didn’t respond.
“I… I was really wrong. I’m sorry.”
“……”
“You’re… such an important friend to me. I didn’t want to lose you, even after getting married. I thought… you felt the same way…”
Leila’s voice began to tremble.
After Chloe had left the tent earlier, she must have thought things through on her own.
Now, she was sincerely asking for forgiveness.
“I’m really sorry for hurting you because of my selfishness… Please forgive me.”
Leila was already crying.
Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t even think to wipe them away. Her lips trembled helplessly.
Anyone seeing her would feel sorry for her.
“...Haa.”
Chloe had been crying often these days.
But she wasn’t someone who cried easily.
Growing up, constantly being compared and pushed around,
She learned early on that crying didn’t solve anything.
If anything—
It only became a weakness.
So she grew into someone who could hold back her tears.
Because of that—
Tears carried a different weight for her.
To Chloe,
crying in front of someone felt like exposing her most vulnerable self.
And because people tend to understand others through their own perspective—
She was weak to others’ tears too.
Especially—
the tears of someone she once believed was her closest friend.
In the end, she spoke.
“I understand what you’re trying to say. But… I can’t forgive you right now.”
That didn’t mean Leila’s actions were forgiven.
“…I’ll wait. I’ll wait until you’re no longer angry. Okay?”
Leila cried even harder, clinging to her.
Her once warm friend had become so cold.
“...Do as you want.”
Chloe let out a deep sigh and handed her a handkerchief.
Seeing that familiar gesture—
Leila cried even more, unable to even take it.
But despite her outward kindness—
Chloe’s heart remained cold.
In truth—
It didn’t matter to her whether Leila waited or not.
Once she returned to Blanchet territory—
She planned to distance herself from Leila completely.
That night, Chloe talked with Abel before going to sleep.
“Did you have fun today, Abel?”
“Yes! It was really fun!”
His bright smile eased the pain in her chest.
“You learned skating really quickly.”
“But I still fell a lot.”
Abel showed his small hands, acting spoiled.
There were tiny scratches from falling on the ice.
Chloe gently held his hands and blew on them.
“You did so well. Even though it was hard, you didn’t give up. Whether you’re good at something or not isn’t that important. What matters is trying your best so you don’t regret it later. Okay?”
It was something Chloe could say—
because she had always run away.
She had once liked painting—
but never showed it, afraid of being compared to her talented sibling.
That regret stayed with her forever.
If only I had tried…
She didn’t want Abel to live like that.
“Okay.”
Abel nodded lightly, not understanding the weight behind her words.
Chloe noticed—but simply smiled.
Then she thought—
Maybe… at least when it comes to love, I have no regrets.
I tried everything I could.
And the result of that effort—
was right here, lying beside her.
“My little knight.”
Chloe suddenly tickled him.
“Ahahaha! Mom—!”
Abel laughed and kicked around, trying to escape.
“Is it okay for a knight to be this cute?”
Chloe teased him playfully.
I’ve done everything I could.
Love isn’t something you do alone.
Now—
It was her husband’s turn to answer.
So stop thinking about it.
But tears kept welling up anyway.
She lowered her head and blew raspberries on Abel’s soft belly.
She didn’t want him to see her crying.
“Let’s sleep now, Abel.”
She quickly turned off the light and lay down.
Abel snuggled into her arms.
She sang a lullaby, gently patting him—
But he didn’t fall asleep.
“Mom.”
“...Mm?”
“Mom…”
“…?”
“You love Dad the most, right?”
It was such an unexpected question—
and sharp enough to completely wake her up.
“…Yes. I love you and your dad the most.”
She steadied her voice before answering.
Only then did Abel relax and cuddle closer.
“I love you too, Mom. Good night.”
He said it innocently—
after stirring up her emotions.
Chloe sighed softly and buried her face in his hair.
This is enough for me.
The report about the outing to Meidal Lake reached Gerard the next evening in his office.
After feeding the messenger bird—
His face clearly showed disappointment.
There was still no letter from his wife.
I thought she’d at least reply to my letter…
He even began to doubt whether Aiden had delivered it properly.
He glared at the report—
as if it were at fault.
[The Madam visited Meidal Lake with the Grand Duchess.]
He frowned slightly.
She had gone north to warn Leila about her possible death.
So why—
Was she casually going on a picnic?
But the next line explained it.
[After lunch, Madam dismissed all guards to speak privately with the Grand Duchess.]
“Ah.”
So she told her yesterday.
It must not have been easy—
telling a friend she might die.
She must have been overwhelmed… That’s why she couldn’t contact me.
Gerard came to his own conclusion.
[Twenty minutes later, Madam came out of the tent. It appeared she had been crying. There may have been an argument.]
“She cried…”
Gerard tapped his desk impatiently.
Of course she would cry.
His kind wife—
There was no way she wouldn’t.
He assumed she had argued with Leila—
who might not have accepted the truth.
(In reality, Chloe had made several people cry that day—
but he had no way of knowing that.)
Gerard always prioritized his own people.
So even though Leila’s possible death mattered—
He was far more concerned about Chloe.
Besides—
There was already a solution.
According to Chloe,
A cure would be discovered later in another country.
So all they had to do—
was to obtain the medicine in advance.
And that was Frederick’s responsibility.
Not his.
Gerard continued reading.
[Madam requested time alone and told the guards not to follow. However, the Anata knight commander…]
Knock, knock.
The most important part of the report—
was interrupted.
“It’s me, Marquis Blanchet.”
If it had been one of his knights—
He might have ignored it.
But this was someone he couldn’t.
Gerard placed the report in a drawer and opened the door.
“I greet the sun of the Hernia Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
He bowed respectfully.
“Ha! The sun set long ago—it’s evening now. I came as a friend, not an emperor.”
The one standing there—
was none other than the emperor of the Hernia Empire.
