Even though the word ‘still’ was particularly powerful, the Grand Duke did not notice. No matter what she said, he focused on her sharp retort. The small wrinkles on her smooth round forehead and the sky-clear eyes glaring at him have become natural for him now.
“That…”
The Grand Duke’s lips closed again. He felt his throat burn and opened his mouth, but he was speechless.
He was conscious of how he treated her in this castle. He didn’t think her heart would be relieved easily since he had deliberately tormented her. But he didn’t know that she would keep acting like this.
Anne, who was exhaling with agitation, emptied the cooled tea at once trying to soothe her suffocation.
“If you really feel sorry for me, show sincerity properly. Sign the divorce papers and let me go.”
“Ahh . . . That’s troublesome.”
It was always like this. The conversation always ended with her request to set her free.
But he couldn’t even listen to that. Even though she hated him, it was his desire to keep her close to his eyes. Leaving his side was out of the question.
“What on earth, why? Then can I leave this place only when I die?”
Anne’s voice mixed with anger. As soon as she threw out the words about her death, his expression turned weird.
Unaware that Anne remembered her past life, he couldn’t help but hesitate at the word. The memory of the day when he had witnessed her death and her own life freezing had completely haunted him.
You have nothing to say. Because you killed me.
Looking at him, who was slightly agitated, Anne was barely resisting the urge to reveal everything. She gazed into his unreadable eyes, and she wedged herself in.
“Do I have to die to leave this place?”
She brought up these words to provoke the utterly confused man. Driving an opponent into a corner was something she had already experienced with the Grand Duke. There was no reason to understand and consider his situation now.
The red eyes that peeked out from beneath the long languid eyelashes darkened as he continued his thoughts.
“What is so unbearable?”
“Being with you. Daymond, it is unreasonable to continue this false marriage.”
The relationship between the Grand Duke and her was made of nothing but conflict. They can never get close. Their rift was too deep to bridge.
“Live here. I won’t interfere no matter what you do. I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that just now.”
“Daymond!”
Leaving her alone, the Grand Duke left her, practically running away. Both of them had fruitless conversations like this every time. No matter what she started talking about, in the end he closed his ears to Anne’s request.
Watching him walk away, Anne threw the glass she was holding onto the floor. The glass that hit the stone shattered.
Emily, who was standing far away, was startled by the sound and hurriedly ran. While looking to see if any fragments of her had splattered on Anne, she saw Anne’s stern expression and quietly began to sweep the broken pieces on the floor.
Are you saying you’re going to do whatever you want?
With the Grand Duke’s steadfast attitude that he had no intention of letting her go, Anne glared at the direction he had left.
* * *
From that day on, Anne began to look at everything with crooked eyes.
She took her hands off tending the greenhouse, and behaved as she pleased in the castle. She felt like she would go crazy if she didn’t. Having locked the door to her heart, she only communicated with the maid close to her and remained stubborn.
“I said I didn’t need it! Get out now.”
Beginning with the sharp voice of the Grand Duchess, the sound of breaking cut through the Grand Duke’s castle every day.
Anne also was conscious of other people’s eyes at first, and she tried not to show off as much as possible, but she could not deceive the eyes of those who saw her face every day. Now, all the servants serving them noticed that the relationship between the Grand Duke and his wife was noticeably deteriorating.
Around this time, rumors began to circulate in the Northern Territory that the relationship between the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess was unusual. As Anne openly began to get irritated, there were people in the castle who whispered that the Grand Duchess had become mentally ill due to what happened with her parents.
“Sorry. Madam…”
When the maid was cleaning the fireplace, ashes flew into the room, the maid bowed her head to the floor, helpless at the thunderous fury.
Anne felt dizzy and touched her forehead. Her body reacted quickly and she had a fever for a moment.