The Weight of a Promise
Theodore waved a hand dismissively at him, signaling that they would talk later, and then glared at Olivia.
He was so furious he felt like he might lose his mind, yet he couldn't even pinpoint what he should be angry about first. Should he be angry at the fact that he had stood there and listened to Dennis’s nonsense, or should he be angry that she had left him alone in bed and walked out?
There were simply too many things to be angry about; his head felt as stuffed as a crumpled ball of paper.
“Come here.”
“Theo!”
He grabbed Olivia’s hand without a word. Andrei called out to him in a startled voice, but Theodore had no room to listen.
As he strode down the hallway, he encountered people who had been peeking out, curious about the commotion, but he didn't care at all about the eyes on them. He dragged Olivia all the way to his room.
It was only after he threw her into the living room and slammed the door shut that he realized his face was twisted in a way he shouldn't let anyone see.
He rubbed his face once with both hands. Then, with eyes turned bloodshot, he glared at Olivia.
She looked pale, as if exhausted. In the redness around her eyes, he could still find the woman from last night.
Yet, her calm and serene aura remained unchanged. As if nothing had happened. Not the insult from Dennis, nor the way she had moaned in his arms until dawn.
“Ha.”
He let out another exclamation, simply stunned.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“If you’re talking about Dennis, I wasn't thinking anything at all.”
Last night, she had returned to the comfortable, informal tone of their childhood, but now she had switched back to formal, polite speech, as if treating a stranger. That only fueled his rage further; Theodore covered his face with his hands, pressing down hard to keep from shouting.
“Theo.”
“Yes?”
“Call me that. There’s no need to use formal speech.”
Olivia looked hesitant for a moment. But soon, she parted her small, petal-like lips and called his name.
“Theo… what are you so angry about?”
“What am I angry about? Do you really have to ask?”
“Dennis has always been that kind of person.”
Her attitude of being accustomed to it made Theodore’s anger boil over even more. He realized anew how she had been treated by her relatives all this time, and he knew that more than half the reason for it was himself.
“I know my uncle is trash. The question is why you put up with it. Why you? And why are you out so early in the morning to look after guests?”
“Because I’ve been managing the household affairs.”
Olivia said in an unwavering tone. Even that felt so quiet that Theodore felt as if his chest were being constricted.
She looked up at him with clear eyes and continued.
“And it was something I liked doing. Having a role to play at Lutgarth Castle felt like it was carving out a place for me.”
Theodore didn't notice that she was speaking in the past tense. He was simply angry.
She had been hated for the sole reason of being Pavel’s daughter, yet she hadn't even been treated like a daughter, and she had found her place in such a manner.
But he couldn't say anything about that. If there had been no place for Olivia, it would have been his fault.
In the end, he said only this in a sunken voice:
“I’ll see to it that my uncle leaves soon. Don't deal with him until then.”
“…….”
Olivia looked at him with a slightly strange expression. It was a look that seemed both puzzled and sorrowful. Unable to read the meaning behind that expression, Theodore furrowed his brow.
“Understood.”
She replied obediently soon after.
“Thank you for caring. And for helping me.”
“Olivia.”
“Is that all you wanted to talk about? I still have work left to do…”
“Olivia!”
This time, Theodore finally raised his voice. Olivia looked at him as if startled.
“That’s not what we need to talk about.”
She tilted her head, as if wondering what else could possibly be left. At the sight of her face, which seemed completely unable to recall the problem he had been obsessing over, Theodore spat out the words as if grinding his teeth.
“Our marriage.”
At those words, Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise. He had suspected as much, but it seemed she truly hadn't even thought about it.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
That was what she said after her throat seemed to catch, making her swallow several times. Theodore glared at her and asked.
“Sorry? Does that mean you won't marry me?”
“You don't have any intention of doing that. If it’s because of what happened last night…, you don't need to worry about it. I never intended to make you take responsibility.”
“You are not the one who decides whether we marry or not.”
When Theodore replied coldly, Olivia carefully continued.
“If you’re doing this because of the residual assets, it’s fine. I truly don't think that’s my right. I’ll discuss it with Marquis Asensio. So that your rightful authority can return to you.”
Theodore was left speechless, as he hadn't cared about such matters in the slightest.
The residual assets didn't matter at all. What happened last night had nothing to do with such realistic problems.
He wanted Olivia, and she had wanted him too. Now that it was morning, he felt a certain resistance and discomfort due to the feeling of being toyed with by his father’s will, but apart from that, they were meant to be one.
However, Olivia said calmly with a composed face.
“The Count probably didn't intend to leave me such a large sum for real. He likely wanted to elevate me to the most noble position he possibly could.”
“…….”
“I am grateful, but that was just the Count’s thought. You don't need to feel a sense of duty, Theo. You owe me no obligation whatsoever.”
That was exactly what Theodore had needed to hear. Until last night, before they went for a walk.
But now, as he heard those words, he felt his fingertips trembling slightly. The sensation of caressing her sweet skin last night felt like a blade carving into his flesh.
He thought everything was unfair. He had struggled for a long time to keep from wanting Olivia, and last night, he had finally admitted that he couldn't.
Yet, not even a few hours had passed, and everything was being denied. His efforts to resist, and his resolve to accept.
“You can kiss me, can't you?”
If he were a being of no significance to her, why had she asked such a question? And why had she accepted his kiss?
She remained with a calm and composed face, as if she had no awareness that she had torn him apart. There, he could find no trace of the woman who had cried so hard in his arms last night.
The only correct answer here was “Understood.” A marriage proposal was over once rejected, and even if he tried to use the will as an excuse, she had already said she would give up her rights.
Nevertheless, he couldn't say it.
In the end, he spat out with a cracked voice.
“You can't just do as you please.”
Olivia pressed her lips together. Watching her plump, red lips curl inward, as if she were biting the inside of her mouth, Theodore felt a sense of suffocation and rage.
He couldn't tell what she was thinking. But one fact became certain: he had no influence over her whatsoever. She was simply standing still before him, with a face so wet with unshed tears, suppressing something deep inside.
“Understood.”
Theodore finally spat that out, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room.
The people standing in front of the door were startled and scrambled back. It seemed they had been eavesdropping, but Theodore had no energy left to care about such things.
He marched out into the open with a violent gait.