ââŠ..â
âDo you want to say that the reason you did all this was because you loved me? Sending a guards to my house, following me to Wembury, and deceiving me with Mr. Wilson, all of it?â
ââŠâ
Daryl still couldnât lift his head. He was afraid to meet Eleanorâs eyes, to confirm the expression she was making now.
âThen why didnât you say so then? When I asked why you were obsessed with me. Why couldnât you answer thenâŠâ
Eleanor paused for a moment to take a breath.
ââŠWhy did you cry then?â
ââŠâ
She had thought a lot before coming to Chatsworth House today. She hardly slept last night because of it. For a while, she couldnât accept Laylaâs story at all. She knew in her head that her words made sense. It was a sufficient reason to explain Darylâs behavior, which she had considered incomprehensible.
Nevertheless, she couldnât accept the fact in her heart. She couldnât understand why Daryl would have such feelings for her. And that too, so belatedly. According to Layla, Daryl had special feelings for Eleanor before the divorce. But that couldnât be true. Absolutely, it couldnât be.
âYou have no answer again.â
ââŠâ
âMiss Layla said that you couldnât confess because you felt sorry for what happened in the past. But I think differently.â
Eleanor spoke slowly, word by word. As if a judge was pronouncing a sentence in court.
âYou donât love me.â
At those words, Daryl lifted his head. His eyes were clouded with regret.
ââŠNo. Thatâs not true. I reallyâŠâ
âIf you really loved me, you wouldnât have had another lover.â
ââŠâ
Darylâs expression froze at the faint words.
âYou wouldnât have bothered to give a gift to your lover without even knowing when your wifeâs birthday is. If you really loved me.â
Eleanor continued with a blank expression.
âYou wouldnât have broken the promise to go to my motherâs anniversary. I begged you so desperately, so desperately, yet you showed up late at night instead. And that too, drunk, reeking of another womanâs perfume.â
She thought she had forgotten it a long time ago. But it wasnât. As soon as she recalled it, the memory of that time came back vividly as if it had happened yesterday. The betrayal she felt then, the wound, mercilessly scratched her heart.
Eleanor had never loved a man, but that didnât mean she didnât know the feeling of love. The same name, the love between men and women, couldnât be that different from the feelings she had for her late mother and Peggy. If you love someone, you should cherish and care for them. Not to treat them lightly and hurt them.
ââŠIâŠâ
Daryl opened his mouth with a metallic voice. His face was horribly distorted.
âI was wrong. Back then, IâŠ..I was really foolish. You donât know how much I regretted it. For the past three years, reallyâŠâ
âSave your apologies. I didnât bring this up to blame you. I just wanted to point out a fact. The fact that you couldnât have loved me.â
Eleanor said with an emotionless expression.
Daryl clenched his teeth in pain.
ââŠNo. Itâs a misunderstanding.â
âMisunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could there be? Itâs a fact that you gave a necklace to that singer Esmeralda, and broke the promise on my motherâs anniversary.â
ââŠ..â
Daryl tightly held his trembling hands, which were pitifully shaking.
ââŠThat giftâŠwhen I said I wanted to end the relationship with her, she demanded it as a price. She wanted a jewel that I had personally chosenâŠI would never have given her a gift otherwise. Even when I went to the jeweler, IâŠI only thought of you. So unknowingly, I bought a necklace that resembled your eyesâŠâ
At his words, Eleanor slightly furrowed her brows.
âHere we go again. Do you think I would really believe that?â
âItâs true. At that time, I didnât even know when your birthday was, and I didnât have the courage. I thought that even if I gave you a gift, you would most likely not accept it. It was foolish. I know. I kept regretting it. The necklace that I bought thinking of you, I regretted not giving it to you. The reason I gave a similar necklace this time⊠itâs because of that. I thought that if I borrowed the name of Lewis Wilson, you might accept itâŠâ
ââŠâ
Eleanorâs eyes slightly shook. In fact, she had always wondered why Daryl had given her a necklace that was exactly like the one he had given to Esmeralda. If it was as Daryl explained just now, it wasnât completely unreasonable. But that didnât mean she easily believed his words.
ââŠIf thatâs true, what about my motherâs anniversary? How would you explain what happened that day? Are you going to say that the woman you met that day was someone else?â
ââŠâ
At her words, Darylâs expression darkened again. As her heart turned cold, she thought, âIf thatâs the case, then it is.âÂ
Eleanor gave a bitter laugh. âLook at that.â
ââŠNo. Certainly, I met Esmeralda the day before as you said⊠but it was purely a coincidence. She was invited to the Princeâs party⊠andâŠâ
âAnd?â
ââŠWhen I came to my senses, I was at her place. It was already evening the next day⊠It was never my intention. I wasnât even that drunk. She must have fed me something. Otherwise, I wouldnât have slept all day.â
ââŠâŠâ
âReally. Please believe me.â Daryl pleaded urgently.
Eleanor looked at him with empty eyes.
âIf thatâs true, why didnât you tell me then?â
ââŠBecause at that time, you didnât want to talk to me at all. It was also difficult to explain. Because I thought you didnât know about EsmeraldaâŠâ
ââŠâŠ.â
Her heart was complicated and confused. It wasnât easy to believe Darylâs words as they were, but more than that, she thought, âSo what?â It was a long time ago, and Eleanor had been deeply hurt because of it.
ââŠWhatâs the point of saying that now? You should have made excuses or explanations then, not now when itâs too late.â
ââŠ..â
âEven if I believe what you say, does apologizing and making excuses now make what happened then go away? Does the wound I received disappear!â
At Eleanorâs outburst, Daryl lowered his eyes in pain.
ââŠYouâre right. Itâs all⊠my fault.â
Eleanor bit her lip quietly.
ââŠWhy are you doing this to me?â
ââŠ..â
âYouâre not like this. You told me not to misunderstand. Our relationship is just a contract, so donât expect me to be a real duchess. But after tormenting me with all sorts of cold and cruel words, now you say you love me? How can I believe such a thing?â
â…âŠâ
âYou just had to do as you were doing. We promised to pretend to be a couple for just one year, and then go back to our own lives as before. But why are you doing this all of a sudden? Did you think I would be happy if you said you loved me? If you suddenly start being nice because your feelings have changed, did you think I would forget how you tormented me like a devil and be happy?â
ââŠIâm sorry. ReallyâŠâ
Daryl spoke with a cracked voice.
âI didnât intend to confess my feelings. Because I donât have the right to. I just thought⊠I just thought that if you⊠if you were happy, that would be enough. The reason I kept hovering around you even though you hated it⊠was just because of that. Because something couldnât happen to you. Even if I had to deceive youâŠbecause I thought your safety was more importantâŠâ
ââŠâ
Eleanor glared at Daryl with her lips bitten.
He couldnât meet or avoid her gaze. After a long, sharp and painful silence, Eleanor finally opened her mouth again.
âI canât accept your feelings.â
Good.
YAAAAAAAAAASS, FINISH HIM !!
she is so consistent so far. lets hope they dont ruin it
…(đ)đż