My Husband Hates Me, But He Lost His Memories

‘…This can’t be…?’

Jane checked the test strip again and again. However, the result was still negative. She blinked in disbelief. There was no poison in the Madam’s system? Then, what about her internal organs…

“What’s wrong?”

“That…”

Remaining silent even when Theodore asked her a question, Jane soon answered without hiding her shock.

“There is no… toxic reaction.”

“…….”

“It seems like she was… not poisoned.”

“…I see. I understand.”

Theodore answered a beat late, and he sighed while running his hands over his face.

He, too, looked exhausted. He had a bad complexion, like a man who hadn’t slept for days.

After hesitating for a moment, Jane hinted at Theodore.

“Well… Your Grace. Wouldn’t it be better to leave the Madam’s care to me and Miss Charlotte, and then get some sleep? You need to get some rest. Your Grace… would collapse in no time like this…”

“…….”

There was nothing wrong with what Jane said. Theodore realized that in the last few days he had been looking for Lily, he had never slept more than two hours a night.

The venerable Valentinos were descendants of an old mythical hero. Although he possessed resilience and physical abilities far beyond the limits of an ordinary human, he was still human, and he wouldn’t be able to go on without any rest.

No matter how great he was, he had to sleep well and eat well. But in the past few days, he hadn’t paid attention to any of that. It was clear that if he continued on like this, he too would reach his limit.

“…….”

Lost in thought while staring at Lily’s sleeping face, Theodore made his decision after a while. Fortunately, his own rationality convinced him. Theodore stood up and said to Jane and Charlotte.

“If Lily’s condition changes, call me right away. Got it?”

Jane’s eyes widened, and she lowered her head, saying that she would. So did Charlotte, but her gaze at Theodore still contained antipathy.

Theodore paused and stared at Charlotte…

The handmaid, who had accompanied Lily from the port city, seemed resentful. As if it was all his fault that Lily had become like this, she kept a heavy gaze on him the whole time.

“…….”

He wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn’t. He merely turned away… It was reasonable that the handmaid was blaming him.

Because it was all his fault.

Theodore came out of Lily’s room and walked down the hall, lost in thought. If at that time…

Had he not been coercive with Lily, had he fallen on his knees and begged her as soon as he found her in the port city, had he done any of that—he wouldn’t have lost her. She wouldn’t be kidnapped as well.

He wouldn’t have to look at Lily, who was sleeping quietly like dead now.

…So it was all his fault.

Theodore entered his room and roughly stripped off his clothes. He went straight to the bathroom, turned on the cold water, and pushed his body into the bathtub. He didn’t even want to heat the water with the magic tool. All he could do was immerse his head in the cold water that had filled up and tortured himself.

It was so, so painful.

The moment she collapsed coughing up blood kept replaying in his head. Back then, and now, he was too afraid to bear it. He had been out of his mind all the time he had come this far. Fearing that he would lose her forever, it was difficult to find his sober mind.

…Why the hell did he do that?

It was too late to regret what happened in the past. Not until he was in fear of losing her, he realized his love and hatred for her and how shallow his prejudices were.

Those things didn’t matter anyway.

These were things of no value. Now, he could only laugh at himself for being so foolish. Why didn’t he think of talking to her for even a second? Why had he denied and turned away from these feelings? Ah, right, because he was a coward. He chose to ignore this feeling rather than to face it.

Because she was the daughter of the Everett family. Because she was someone who should not be loved. Because she was someone who tried to trick him and was acting as a spy for her family, so she was always thinking of divorcing him…

“…….”

They were all excuses. ‘Reasonable’ excuses made by his prejudices and misunderstandings.

In all truth, he was afraid. Once the door would open, these feelings would overflow uncontrollably.

He would be swallowed up by those feelings.

He would cease being himself.

“…….”

Only after being in a much more frightening situation, he was able to admit all his stubbornness and stupidity.

Whether it was prejudice or misunderstanding… None of that could compare to the fear of losing her.

It was only when he finally reached this point that he realized the truth.