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

Chapter 93

 

That night, Cassis did not come to Evelia’s room. I tried to listen in the next room, which was Cassis’ room, just in case, but I couldn’t hear anything.

‘Is it because Madam Alexandra knows the whole truth?’

Evelia did not sleep and waited for Cassis to arrive. But even after a while he did not come.

In the end, she put on a coat over her pajamas and went out to look for Cassis. Finding him wasn’t that difficult. This was because there was faint light coming from his office.

“Cassis.”

Evelia knocked and carefully entered the office. Cassis was sitting at his desk, burying his face in his hands.

Sensing a presence, he raised his head.

“Ah…”

“What are you doing here alone?”

Evelia walked closer to him. Cassis looked up at the woman standing in front of him and carefully pulled her arm.

Evelia was guided by his hand and leaned closer to him.

“I had some things to think about.”

“About Ruth?”

“…….”

Evelia opened her mouth to speak, her face shadowed by the depths.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why is wife apologizing?”

“I didn’t say it, but great-aunt found out because of me.”

“No. I thought she would find out someday.”

Cassis stood up and grabbed her waist. Then he picked her up and sat her on the desk.

When he sat down on the chair again, we were roughly at eye level compared to before. Still, it seemed like Evelia was slightly looking down from above.

Cassis pulled out his chair and pressed himself close to her. Evelia stroked his soft hair and waited for Cassis to speak.

Somehow I felt like I had to do that now.

Cassis took her hand. Then, as if pampering him, he placed his cheek in her palm.

Evelia waited for him to speak and eventually asked without patience.

“Don’t you hate me?”

Cassis looked up at her, his cheek still resting on her palm. He looked like he didn’t know why she was asking such a question.

“Why do I hate my wife?”

“The great-aunt….”

“As I said, she will find out someday. And I actually feel relieved. She won’t say anything about Ruth anymore.”

“Is that all?”

“……?”

“No, no.”

Evelia smiled faintly and stroked Cassis’ cheek with her thumb. Cassis closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch.

Evelia gathered her courage and opened her mouth again.

“I want to know a little more. About you and Julia.”

“…….”

“I want to hear your story.”

To be honest, Evelia thought he would keep his mouth shut this time too. But after a brief pause, he quietly opened his mouth.

“Julia was such a lovely sister.”

Evelia was surprised. However, I kept my mouth shut so as not to show my surprise.

“Unlike me, who keeps a distance from people, Julia approached everyone without hesitation. People liked her for that, and so did I.”

A story that continues calmly. But Evelia knew how sad he was.

“Julia was always smiling. So I didn’t know what happened to Julia.”

“What happened to… her?”

“Julia was…”

Cassis buried his face in Evelia’s shoulder and breathed hard.

“She was being abused by my father. Just like I did.”

Too much information came in at once.

‘Cassis and Julia were being abused at the same time? To the previous Duke?’

Cassis’ story continued even though my mind was still complicated.

“I didn’t even know that and just leaned on Julia. Even when Julia had a child, my father used violence against her. I ended up not being able to protect Julia like that.”

“Cassis…”

His body trembled.

Only today did Evelia finally understand why Cassis reacted so sensitively to her wounds.

He had seen Julia in her. The image of Julia that he was unable to protect was projected onto Evelia.

“So that’s why you took me from Venion.”

“…….”

“Have you been seeing Julia in me all this time?”

I would be lying if I said I didn’t resent him. But more than resentment, I felt pity.

I pitied Cassis, who must have been hurt enough to look for Julia even from the unfamiliar Evelia.

Cassis shook his head. He urgently grabbed Evelia’s arm and said.

“It was like that at first. But it’s different now. You are…”

“What about me?”

“You’re just you, and I want to protect you.”

The words were clumsy, but Evelia understood them.

Perhaps Cassis had projected Julia onto her at first. However, while living with Evelia, he saw her as such and knew that she was different from Julia.

That was enough.

“That’s why I really wanted to protect you and Ruth. But do you think I can be a good father to Ruth?”

Evelia couldn’t understand his question.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.”

Cassis’s true feelings revealed for the first time. He never doubted his abilities as Ruth’s father. Or at least it seemed that way.

Evelia cupped his cheeks with both hands and made eye contact with him.

I always thought that Ruth resembled Cassis, but strangely today I thought that Cassis resembled Ruth.

Maybe it’s because of the expression. Cassis had a sad face.

Evelia spoke clearly, word by word.

“You are already a good father.”

“How can you be so sure? I grew up not knowing what a good father was.”

That was the question Evelia wanted to ask herself.

‘Can I be a good mother to Ruth?’

If you say that you can only give love if you grow up receiving love, then she also wasn’t qualified. Because she doesn’t even remember her real mother.

She remember Evelia’s mother, but that wasn’t her memory.

Of course, I wasn’t sure I could be a good mother. But that was because people couldn’t be perfect in the first place, not because they didn’t have good parents.

Evelia asked again.

“Then am I a bad mother? My parents also neglected me.”

Cassis’ eyes widened slightly and he shook his head.

“You are already a good mother.”

“You too.”

“But I’ve already hurt Ruth. Didn’t I ignore what Sir Marc did to Ruth, thinking it was natural?”

“Cassis, not all parents are perfect. Parents are human too. Everyone makes mistakes, right? Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes.”

“…….”

“You can make a mistake, too.”

Evelia whispered with sincerity.

“I think whether or not you are a good parent depends on whether you admit your mistakes and correct them.”

Cassis’ breathing became shaky.

“Your father didn’t admit his mistakes, and you, on the other hand, have admitted them and are trying to fix them. You’re still trying to figure out how to be a good father to Ruth, aren’t you?”

Evelia grinned.

“That alone makes me think you’re a good father.”

“Then…”

“Am I a good husband?”

Evelia tried to evaluate Cassis objectively.

‘Now that I think about it, today…’

Cassis urgently came to the room where Alexandra and Evelia were.

‘He definitely thought madam Alexandra was talking to me.’

Just by looking at that, he is already…

“You’re a good husband.”

He was a good enough husband.

 

12. An unwelcome gift

A letter arrived from Aria. When the servant handed the letter, Ruth became very excited.

The child lifted the letter high into the sky with both hands and spun around in place.

“Is it that good?”

“Yes! Haha.”

“Okay, then let’s read it.”

“Yes!”

Evelia and Ruth read Aria’s letter. The letter was written in a handwriting as crooked as Ruth’s. But Ruth still managed to read it.

Ruth smiled brightly after reading the letter.

“Aria is coming to play!”

“I see.”

Evelia muttered, stroking Ruth’s head.

“I guess I should tell them to prepare the guest room.”