The Male Lead’s Father Refuses to Break Off Our Engagement

Chapter 80

 

He smiled slightly and tucked Evelia’s hair blowing in the wind behind her ear.

At that moment, Evelia was shocked as if her heart had dropped.

Love comes in a moment. No, maybe love kept coming, but the awareness of it may only have been a moment.

In that split second, Evelia realized.

Maybe I’ve been in love with this man all along.

 

*****

 

Once I became aware of my mind, all the emotions that had been stored up in my heart burst out at once.

Evelia’s heart was pounding the whole time she was with Cassis, and she couldn’t breathe properly.

Even after the party ended and she returned to the mansion, she felt hazy as if she was dreaming.

Then I soon realized the reality.

‘It can’t go on like this.’

I’m happy to be with Cassis and Ruth, but the relationship between the three of them was ultimately contractual.

Even if they wanted to be together for the rest of their lives, they couldn’t be together.

Evelia thought about it again.

‘Now that I think about it, we haven’t signed a divorce agreement yet.’

Before they got married, they had written in their prenuptial agreement that they would agree on divorce later.

But even now that they got married, there was no talk of divorce from Cassis.

‘Maybe Cassis doesn’t want to get divorced?’

After thinking that far, Evelia shook her head.

‘I guess he just forgot because he was busy.’

Now that I was thinking about it, I decided to negotiate. She held Cassis’s hand, who came to her room, and spoke seriously.

“Cassis, I need to talk to you about something.”

Cassis’s reply was delayed by half a beat as he looked down at the hand held by Evelia.

“… What is it?”

“It’s about our marriage contract. We decided to discuss divorce again later, but we haven’t discussed it yet.”

The moment he heard the word ‘divorce’, Cassis’ eyes fluttered.

He looked at Evelia’s white hand, which was still holding his hand, and barely opened his mouth while contemplating.

“Do you want a divorce, wife?”

Evelia almost misunderstood his words for a moment.

‘It sounds as if Cassis doesn’t want a divorce.’

She shook her head and muttered.

“It’s not a matter of whether you want it or not, it was that kind of marriage from the beginning.”

“……”

“It was a marriage made out of necessity.”

‘Necessity’, she said, but the truth was that Evelia was being held captive by Cassis.

She was being held until she could find out for sure who Ruth’s father was and find a way to break the curse.

It was a marriage that was almost forced by Cassis, but in reality was not necessary.

“If I say I have no intention of getting divorced…”

Cassis took a few steps closer and carefully grabbed Evelia’s cheek.

“You won’t divorce me?”

Evelia could not understand what he was saying at all. The person who wanted this marriage more than anyone else was Cassis.

But has his mind changed? Just as Evelia’s heart changed.

Evelia asked with a glimmer of hope.

“Do you want to stay in this marriage with me?”

At that moment, some emotion appeared in Cassis’ eyes. A truer and deeper feeling than when he looked at Evelia until now.

Evelia dared to name that feeling as possessiveness. No, maybe that’s what she wants.

“I would like to, unless you refuse, no…”

He continued in a firm voice.

“I want to stay in this marriage even if you don’t like it.”

“…….”

“Do you hate me like this?”

“Can I ask why?”

Cassis fell silent for a moment at those words. Evelia waited nervously for the words to come out of his mouth.

But what he said wasn’t what she wanted.

“I feel like everything will be okay when I’m with you. If you have to marry someone…”

“…….”

“I wish it were you.”

Evelia burst out laughing.

‘I’m a fool for expecting this man to tell me that he likes me.’

But that was enough. At least for the time being, there was enough reason to stay by Cassis’ side.

Evelia thought for a moment and then suggested it again.

“Then, if we find someone we both like, we will divorce.”

It was rare for Evelia to like someone other than Cassis. In that case, the decision on this marriage belonged to Cassis.

Evelia had no intention of forcing Cassis’s heart. She was willing to leave if he found a woman he liked other than herself.

‘But if Cassis likes me….’

Wouldn’t it be okay to covet the seat next to him?

Cassis asked again.

“So, if I don’t find someone I like, will you continue to be my wife?”

“Yes.”

Evelia did not know what her relationship with Cassis would be like in the future. However, I thought it would be good to keep it like this.

 

10. Conspiracy

Count Venion gritted his teeth as if he had no choice.

“What a useless bastard.”

He made a contract with Count Ritters, who owed him a huge debt. An offer to deal with Evelia in exchange for forgiveness of his debt.

However, Count Ritters was unable to deal with Evelia properly and ended up being trampled on too easily.

Thanks to the magic oath, Count Venion’s name never came out, but all the nobles, including Cassis Adelhard, were suspicious of him.

‘But it’s still okay. Duke Adelhard needs my information.’

There was nothing left for the Count anymore. He still believed blindly that if he dealt with Evelia, he would be able to do business with Cassis again.

After killing Evelia, he marries Catherine to Cassis, and when a boy is born between them, he kills Ruth and makes him the heir.

To do that…

“Isn’t that the only way?”

In the Count’s hand was a bottle filled with a colorless, odorless liquid. He looked at the bottle and smiled wickedly.

 

*****

 

Even after discussing the divorce, the relationship between Cassis and Evelia began to change little by little. To be precise, Cassis’ attitude has changed.

“Madam, master has sent you a gift.”

Cassis suddenly started showering Evelia with gifts.

Starting with simple desserts, books, accessories, etc. He acted like someone who was impatient because he couldn’t do anything better for Evelia.

“Again?”

“Yes.”

“What is today?”

“He sent you a necklace.”

Annie brought the box with a slightly surprised look on her face. As soon as Evelia saw the necklace in the box, she knew why Annie was so surprised.

‘Oh my god, how much does this cost?’

Inside the box was a diamond necklace that was so sparkly that you could be blinded just by looking at it.

The main diamond was the size of Evelia’s thumbnail.

“This, really, for me?”

Evelia couldn’t believe it so she asked again, and Annie nodded. Evelia looked at the necklace and thought a little.

‘Can I take this?’

After thinking for a moment, she took the box and went to see Cassis.

“Cassis.”

Cassis looked at the necklace in her hand and pretended to know.

“Did you receive it?”

Evelia carefully placed the box on his desk. Cassis made a puzzled face.

“Why did you bring this to me?

Evelia sighed slightly.

“It’s too much.”

Cassis tilted his head as if he didn’t know the meaning of ‘too much’.

“It’s not too much.”

“How many diamonds are in this necklace and you’re saying it’s not too much?”

“Wife, you deserve a necklace like this.”

“Hah…”

Cassis seemed to sulk a little at Evelia’s sigh.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just too much.”

“…….”

“The gifts you’ve given me over the past few days are enough.”

“But….”

Cassis repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists and then whispered softly.

“I wanted to give it to you, wife.”

“..…..”

“I want to give only the best to my wife.”

“But….”

Evelia, who was still holding on to the attitude that she couldn’t accept this, closed her mouth at Cassis’s next words.

“I regretted not being able to do it for Julia. I don’t want to regret it again.”

Evelia looked at Cassis.

‘You keep seeing images of Julia in me.’

Then she smiled.

‘Well, with the Adelhard family’s wealth, he could easily buy this necklace.’

When I thought about it like that, my heart felt a little lighter. She held out the necklace box towards Cassis.

“Then that’s it. You’re not sending any more gifts. Okay?”

“I guess you didn’t like it after all.”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that I get too much at once and it’s difficult to deal with it.”

Evelia smiled brightly as she opened the box.

“In that case, won’t you put it with me?”

“Do you mean me?”

“Yes. You didn’t just want to give me presents, right?”

Cassis quickly got up from his seat.

“No. I will do it for you.”

He carefully picked up the necklace and headed towards Evelia’s back.

Evelia flinched every time his calloused hand brushed the sensitive nape of her neck.