It’s too late now.
The man I knew as the Commander of the Imperial Guards was earnest and inflexible in some ways, but I was surprised when I arrived in this mansion to find that he had such a way of playing with women.
Since he had more opportunities to converse with me, I found him to be a different person from the one he was in Ligisia. I can’t help but think how much better it would have been if he had been someone else.
The man who was my husband has been trying to gallantly take care of me. I couldn’t help but feel wary that it was my turn next after Anna.
“Can you guys withdraw? I’d like to talk with my wife alone. Don’t let anyone bother us.”
Anton had the maids who were quietly watching from the side retreat. It seems he wants to speak about something that even the maids shouldn’t hear. If so, he does not seem to trust any of the servants here.
“You are not a convenient woman to me. You are more important than any other woman to me.”
He said clearly as the two of us remained in the dining room alone. From my point of view, these words came too late.
“Who was it that wanted to divorce that important woman?”
“It was my fault. I have deeply regretted after coming with Anna to this country.”
“It’s too late now.”
We are divorced. Anton continued talking, not paying attention to my refusal for reconciliation.
“I know that you cannot forgive me.”
“Why don’t you quickly return me to Ligisia then?”
“That is an impossible proposition.”
“Why?”
“Anna’s comrades have an eye on you.”
“Hah? Why would you kidnap me at the pier then?”
“At that time, I had no choice but to take you because you were found by them.”
Anton’s story sounded too good to be true. Moreover, he made it sound as if something bad would happen to me at the pier otherwise.
“You showing up there was beyond my expectations. They did not know you were my wife. They thought you were simply the daughter of the Lord who owned the land tasked with finding smugglers, so they planned on drugging you and taking you to Troyl to sell you to a brothel.”
“…!”
“I was very surprised when I saw you drugged asleep. I knew you’d be in a terrible situation if I left you alone. I protected you.”
“Thank you very much for that.”
He’s apparently portraying himself as a Knight in shining armor now. He’s trying to say that he doesn’t know what would happen to me if he didn’t help. He might be thinking that I should be grateful to him for saving me.
As for me, I can only think that it was his fault to begin with that I got involved.
“You look unconvinced. Your wrinkles will increase if you frown like that.”
“Who cares? It’s none of your business anyway.”
I don’t think there’s any reason he should be talking about my face. Anton laughed with a mean look. It seems that he, who always looked expressionless in front of Noah and me, could make such faces, too. It was a new discovery.
“Rather than that, what are you trying to accomplish by coming here? The woman in the picture of that locket pendant is Mother-in-law, no?”
I’ve been thinking since that time. Anton isn’t a man who would just simply elope with Anna. It appears that he just took advantage of the elopement to accomplish his own goals. He was scheming something and made use of Anna to do it.
The elopement was simply a point in his plan.