Sickly? Husband's Contractual Wife

Chapter 73

 

For a moment, he flashed an empty smile.

 

“Yes. You must find it unpleasant too. Such memories.”

 

Spending a night with a woman he clearly despised.

 

Dealing with a woman he wanted to forget, trying to soothe himself by wrapping bandages around his wounded hands.

 

In his heart, he probably wished to erase it all, like trying to erase stubborn stains on the floor.

 

No matter how much one considers it a mistake, it remains etched in memory unless someone erases it.

 

“Let’s pretend it never happened, then.”

 

He silently gazed at me.

 

“…Let’s pretend it never happened.”

 

He spoke with a low, sinking voice.

 

It was a voice filled with a strange mix of anger and disappointment.

 

I felt a bit bewildered because I couldn’t decipher his thoughts.

 

I hoped for some response from him.

 

Maybe he didn’t want this either.

 

Perhaps he visited me out of concern that I might linger on that night.

 

“Let’s just pretend it never happened.”

 

He said in a subdued tone.

 

It was a voice containing subtle emotions, a mixture of anger and disappointment.

 

I was a bit taken aback because I couldn’t read his thoughts.

 

I hoped for some kind of answer from him.

 

Maybe he didn’t want this either.

 

Perhaps he visited me out of concern that I might linger on that night.

 

“Isn’t that your purpose too?”

 

“Purpose?”

 

“Yes. You also want to forget that memory, don’t you?”

 

“How do you know what my purpose is?”

 

His voice sank frighteningly low.

 

It seemed that every word I said was touching a nerve.

 

What should I say then?

 

‘I should probably grovel.’

 

“If you… if you want an apology, I’ll do that.”

 

Yes, apologize! Offer him alcohol and say sorry, is that enough?

 

I couldn’t shout that out loud, so I had to soften the expression a bit.

 

“If you want reconciliation, I’ll take it to you, apologize sincerely for making you eat. Even though you said you wouldn’t…”

 

In an instant, a fleeting memory flashed in my mind.

 

“But you also stole my drink, didn’t you?”

 

He had gulped it down quite impressively.

 

Despite telling me to stop drinking since I was already drunk, he drank quite a lot himself.

 

As I pondered on this, I noticed a twitch in his eyebrows.

 

“…Of course, the whole thing happened because I brought the alcohol in the first place. I know it’s all my fault.”

 

“You claimed you couldn’t remember well, but you seem to remember that quite clearly.”

 

“Well… maybe I wasn’t as drunk back then.”

 

“What about the rest?”

 

He leaned a bit closer.

 

No, there was nowhere to retreat when there was a bench behind me and his hands on both sides.

 

And now he was getting even closer!

 

I staggered backward.

 

Fine, behind me was the bench, on both sides were his hands, and in front…

 

“Don’t try to run away. Your short legs won’t get you far. Give up.”

 

“I’m short, okay!”

 

But I can’t let this go.

 

“Why are you excessively tall, huh? Your legs are unnecessarily long! Blocking people’s paths and not letting go! Are you a snake or something?”

 

After venting my frustration, I noticed his chilling expression.

 

Why do I keep doing this?

 

“I remember it very well.”

 

He nodded slowly.

 

Oh, could someone please shut my mouth?

 

“…There won’t be such an incident again. I swear.”

 

I raised my right hand.

 

“If, by any chance, you suggest having drinks together again, and I accept it, my name will be Valéne, not Céleste.”

 

With my hand on my chest, I continued.

 

“Let’s just forget about that night. Cut it cleanly with a knife and throw it away, okay?”

 

Doing a cutting motion with my index and middle fingers, I delivered my message.

 

His gaze, observing my hand gesture, once again took on a peculiar look.

 

“It’s not like we’re the only ones who know about that night.”

 

“…That’s not important.”

 

Suddenly, what’s so important about that?

 

It seemed strange to care about such a reputation.

 

“We’ve been doing that all along. Every month, on the appointed day, we are marked as having spent the night together.”

 

We had continued doing that.

 

At least the people in this mansion thought that we were engaging in some kind of periodic successor production.

 

In reality, we quietly each grabbed our own pillow and went to sleep separately.

 

“Whether they misunderstand or not, don’t you think erasing it from your memory is the most important?”

 

So let’s just forget about it.

 

If we both agree that it didn’t happen, everything will be fine.

 

“That’s how it’s been until now. Every time, every month, we spend the night together.”

 

“Why do you care about what they think or say? Erasing it from your memory is the most important, isn’t it?”

 

So, let’s consider it as if it never happened.

 

“That day was just… drinking, having a bad dream, nothing more or less.”

 

“A bad dream?”

 

“Yes, a bad dream. Like the hangover that comes after drinking.”

 

For a moment, he took a deep breath several times.

 

“Why are you doing that? Is something hurting?”

 

I quickly placed my hand on his heart.

 

As soon as my hand touched him, he tightened his grip.

 

“Oh…”

 

At the sound of my small scream, he seemed startled and loosened his grip.

 

“Move.”

 

His stern voice made me step back.

 

“I understand your intention very well.”

 

“…”

 

“Sure, let’s forget everything.”

 

The whispering in my ear felt chilly.

 

“All of it.”

 

“…”

 

He rose from his sitting position and rummaged in his pocket, pulling out something.

 

“Ah.”

 

What he held in his hand was the earring I had lost.

 

He placed it on my palm and turned away.

 

Amoide also walked away step by step, distancing himself from me.

 

I watched his figure with my eyes.

 

Maybe he’ll turn around to look back.

 

It seemed like he might, but he just kept walking.

 

What big mistake did I make?

 

Even after searching through my memories, there was nothing significant.

 

Just saying he would erase that unpleasant memory thoroughly, why?

 

Why does he need to do that?

 

“Why are you doing this to me…”

 

I sank down into my seat with hesitation.

 

I had caused a tremendous accident.

 

There was no way to remedy it.

 

Except for reverting it as if it never happened.

 

I couldn’t do anything else.

 

“But why is he like that?”

 

Why did he have such an angry face before, as if the world had collapsed?

 

“…It bothers me.”

 

I couldn’t grasp anything coherent.

 

* * *

 

How many times has it been already?

 

Amoide started counting the number of times Selene, who was once again running away from him, distanced herself from him.

 

Since that night, every time she saw him, she ran away frantically.

 

Whenever he tried to say something, she would run away with her dress fluttering as if in a hurry.

 

When she revealed herself, she would walk away from a distance, allowing the hem of her dress to flutter at high speed.

 

He could have caught her every time, but he didn’t.

 

He wanted to wait for her.

 

But just before…

 

When she bumped into him but still fled, he finally lost control of his rationality.

 

It seemed like he was chasing a fugitive.

 

Now he couldn’t stop counting.

 

* * *

 

For the first time, he started running after Selene.

 

Chasing her as she tried to escape again.

 

But then…

 

When she sat down next to the bench, stealing glances and sighing with relief, he watched her.

 

There was only one thought that came to his mind.

 

Do I disgust her so much?

 

Does she want to avoid me this much?

 

<I love you.>

 

She was the woman who had confessed such a lie.

 

To feign her affection, to deceive.

 

She even went around with bandages on her perfectly fine hands, playing a part.

 

From the beginning, her intentions for entering this mansion were impure.

 

Despite that, he wavered because of those words.

 

A woman who blatantly lied, yet strangely confident.

 

How far would she go?

 

He watched her secretly, waiting for the moment when she would finally explode.

 

And the reason for his explosion came from Emma’s words.

 

<Oh, you’re good with those bandages, holding a pen and writing so neatly.>

 

Sometimes, despite the pain in her hands, she could write quite well.

 

He had thought she was improving to some extent.

 

But he had never realized how perfectly fine she was.

 

He felt absurd, angry, and then, finally, he exploded.

 

But…

 

Was that really the reason for his anger?

 

<You have to live a long, healthy life.>

 

The whispered words as she held his sleeping hand were still vivid.

 

He believed all those things she did were lies to conceive their child.

 

But…

 

<If you become healthy, you might divorce me. You can marry a woman from a better family.>

 

Divorce him?

 

Marry someone else?

 

His anger flared up at her nonchalant remarks.

 

“…Let’s just pretend it never happened.”

 

He sighed deeply, a long breath escaping his lips.

 

<So let’s just pretend it never happened. That day was just a bad dream, nothing more or less.>

 

The story lingered in his ears for a long time.

 

Through numerous reflections, the conclusion reached every time was the same: Selene truly wanted to forget that night.

 

“A bad dream…”

 

Even after spending the night together, sharing those intimate moments.

 

<Let’s just pretend it never happened.>

 

How could she say it so casually, with a face so indifferent, making everything ‘nonexistent’?

 

How, how?

 

No matter how much he agonized and pondered, it was futile.

 

There was only one answer.

 

“As expected.”

 

A self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

 

He might not have realized that he already knew the truth.

 

“In the end, you probably don’t want to get involved with someone destined to die.”

 

* * *

 

“Rona, you.”

 

As soon as I returned to the room, I glanced at Rona.

 

“I apologize, madam.”

 

Rona raised both hands as if shielding her face.

 

“But there was nothing I could do.”

 

Rona, with eyes wide open like a rabbit, spoke to me.

 

“People have principles! Sometimes, you say, ‘I’ll do anything for you, madam.'”

 

“Because you haven’t seen the master’s gaze, madam!”

 

Rona exclaimed as if unjustly accused.

 

“What happened?”

 

“If it doesn’t disappear immediately, it seemed like the end of the world, madam!”

 

“…Was it that serious?”

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Translator Note:

Hello there! This is Sid. I hope you liked it<3

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