Chapter 63

There is a saying: “Out of sight, out of mind.” Charlotte believed this without a doubt.  

Even in Heringen, where she fled after her divorce, and at the Rothschild Mansion, where she had secluded herself until today after their breakup, she had been able to appear as though everything was normal because of that belief.  

As long as it wasn’t right in front of her, she could endure it. As long as she didn’t force herself to recall it, she could bear it.  

Charlotte turned her head to avoid revealing the tears that had quickly welled up. After a moment, she barely managed to compose herself and opened her mouth with difficulty.  

“…Let go.”  

“……”  

“Please, let go.”  

However, despite her repeated pleading, Erhen showed no signs of listening. After briefly gazing at Charlotte with dry eyes, he walked forward, still gripping her wrist, and entered an empty lounge in the royal palace. He shut the door behind them.  

Now alone in the room with Erhen, Charlotte belatedly shook off his hand from her wrist. Erhen clenched his fist.  

“Let’s talk.”  

“I have nothing to say.”  

Charlotte coldly replied and walked toward the door, grabbing the handle to leave the lounge. However, with a click, the door locked, refusing to open. Charlotte let out a shallow sigh.  

“Open the door.”  

“Charlotte.”  

“Is locking a door with your great magic all you can do?”  

“I said, let’s talk.”  

At his continued insistence, Charlotte turned to face Erhen. Unlike her heated emotions, her head cooled, and her tears dried up. She was relieved.  

She approached Erhen.  

“Fine. Go ahead. I’m curious too, why we have to be so pathetic like this, even though we’re already done.”  

“Ha.”  

Pathetic. He let out a deep sigh, repeating her words. Erhen’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard to suppress the lump in his throat.  

His gaze briefly shifted to the curtains in the lounge before returning to Charlotte. He spoke in a low, weary tone.  

“I just… can’t understand.”  

The heavy, drawn-out voice made her eyes waver. Charlotte gripped the hem of her dress tightly. Reflected in his blue eyes was her own figure, standing stubbornly as if she were somehow proud.  

Erhen lowered his gaze.  

“…You.”  

“……”  

“If you had rejected me, even for a single moment, I’d at least understand.”  

The memory of her smiling by his side was still so vivid—why?  

His voice cracked, and the words trembled on his lips, barely spoken. Seeing Erhen struggle to speak, Charlotte bit her lip. She had naturally expected that he wouldn’t be able to accept the abrupt conclusion she had reached without any warning. But she thought that would be it.  

She thought Erhen would easily forget her, easily accept and let go. She had to think that way to feel at ease.  

Ah, I’m still only thinking about myself. 

Charlotte gave a bitter smile.  

“If rejection is what you want, I’m doing it now.”  

Feeling as though the ground beneath her was giving way, Charlotte barely moved her lips.  

“With that brilliant mind of yours, why can’t you understand?”  

Her dry voice carried her words, and Erhen’s hollow gaze turned toward her.  

She wanted to cradle his face and whisper, “I’m sorry. We can be happy again, just like before.” But she cursed herself for being unable to do so.  

Charlotte clenched her teeth, hoping not to crumble at the sight of his expression.  

“It’s just… when my ex-husband, who I divorced, suddenly started acting all sweet, I simply played along.”  

“Charlotte.”  

“It was a contract, wasn’t it? Our previous marriage was, and so was this time. What’s so difficult about it?”  

She hoped her words would stab him like a dagger. But the words that followed were barely strung together by a voice choking back tears.  

Why can’t I do anything properly?  

Charlotte couldn’t bear to meet his eyes and turned her head away.  

But, as if to mock her resolve, Erhen gently took her clenched hand in his own, caressing it cautiously.  

“I’ll fix it.”  

His sudden declaration made Charlotte freeze and question him.  

“…What did you say?”  

“If I’ve done anything wrong to you, I’ll fix it all. I’ll adjust to you. I’ll do anything.”  

“Ha.”  

“So please, Charlotte, I beg you.”  

His desperate voice struck her painfully. His anxiety was palpable.  

No, Your Grace, you’ve done nothing wrong. You don’t need to adjust to me. I loved you because you were Erhen Rosenheim. Simply because you were you.  

So, I beg you.  

Charlotte abruptly pulled her hand away from his grasp. Suppressing her pain, she masked it with a look of disapproval and turned her gaze toward him.  

“How ridiculous. Don’t make me laugh.”  

“……”  

“I wasn’t the only one who made the contract. You agreed to it too. So you should accept the outcome. Why are you acting so burdensome?”  

Her tone was deliberately combative.  

It was now his turn to get angry. Just as he had countless times during their marriage, she expected him to lash out with harsh words and walk past her.  

But the man standing before her was completely different from what she had anticipated.  

Erhen stared at Charlotte intently, saying nothing. His deeply shadowed eyes spoke volumes.  

Even so, I can’t let you go.  

The intensity of his gaze made it hard for her to breathe.  

Why? Who am I to you?  

Why does someone like me, who merely passed through your life, provoke such an expression, such a gaze, such anguish?  

Charlotte’s lips trembled.  

“Why aren’t you angry?”  

Her voice escaped her parched lips like a scream. Her heart burned as if engulfed in flames.  

Charlotte cried out, almost wailing.  

“When you used to hear things like this, you’d get angry first. You’d ignore me. You’d act as if I didn’t exist.”  

“……”  

“But now… now, I’m being so cruel, and yet you’re just standing there. Doesn’t that sky-high pride of yours get hurt?”  

“No.”  

That single word, spoken softly, made her heart plummet.  

Seeing her freeze in place, staring at him, Erhen faintly smiled, a barely discernible curve of his lips.  

“I don’t have it anymore. I’ve let it all go. My pride.”  

Perhaps from the moment I came back to you. 

The self-deprecating thought lingered at the edge of his lips.  

His monotone voice drained all strength from her body. Despite her effort to hold herself together, heat welled up in Charlotte’s dry eyes.  

“…Ha.”  

Finally, tears spilled over, streaming down like rain. Hurting him felt worse than being torn apart herself.  

As Charlotte suddenly broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, Erhen looked at her in bewilderment.  

She cried endlessly before him, and then, trying to regain her composure, pressed her hands against her eyes.  

“Charlotte.”  

“I…”  

Erhen’s attempt to speak was coldly interrupted.  

Charlotte lowered her hands, clenched her fists, and still, her eyes were wet with tears. She forced herself to speak with a strained voice.  

“Your Grace, what you’re doing right now… it’s making it harder for me.”  

Her final rejection left Erhen momentarily dazed.  

For a moment, an eternity seemed to pass between them. Neither Charlotte nor Erhen averted their gaze.  

The silence was finally broken by Erhen. He moved his lips with difficulty.  

“…Are you serious?”  

He wanted to believe it was his imagination that her answer wasn’t what he hoped for.  

But all Charlotte could do for him was…  

“Yes.”  

With a slight nod, she barely managed to say,  

“…I’m serious.”  

Lying was all she could offer.  

As her trembling voice reached him, Erhen simply stared at her, frozen. Even in that moment, tears continued to flow from Charlotte’s reddened eyes.  

In the ensuing silence, Erhen finally lowered his head. The faint sound of a lock clicking behind her reached Charlotte’s ears.  

Realizing the door had finally been unlocked, she slowly turned away from him. Forcing herself to take steps that felt impossible, she began to walk forward.  

Don’t hurt too much. I’ll take all the pain that you feel.  

As long as you live and find happiness, that’s enough for me. I won’t ask for more.  

Charlotte eventually reached the door. Her trembling hand hesitated before grasping the handle.  

“…I’m sorry.”  

Muttering the only truth she could allow herself to reveal, she turned the handle.  

Even as tears continued to fall, even as her emotions called out desperately for Erhen, she couldn’t let herself crumble here.  

And so, she never saw the expression he wore in that moment.