Villainous Husband, the One You’re Obsessed With Is Over There - Chapter 144

Chapter 72.2

“Is the smoke okay?”

Eden asked.

“Well, if I say it’s not okay, can you make sure the smoke doesn’t rise?”

“No.”

“Then why do you ask?”

“I just want to strike up a conversation.”

In the first place, Eden was someone who didn’t understand the concept of ‘meaningless conversation.’ So if he has something to say, it must be something important.

With my knees propped up, I rested my chin on them and replied.

“Go ahead, ask away.”

“What’s your name?”

He must not be expecting an answer like ‘Angelica.’ Just like when I first met him, he was demanding the same answer from me.

My name in the other world.

Even though I opened my mouth, the words seemed to get stuck in my throat. It was because I couldn’t quite remember what my original name was. I remembered my name, but not my family name.

“Yeonji… Yeonji.”

It only came to mind after I thought about it for a while.

“Choi Yeonji.”

Seeing Eden gaze into my face, it seemed that he must be having similar thoughts as I did. While he told me his name straight away when I asked at that time, I was now struggling to recall my original name?

I blushed and made excuses.

“I didn’t have to use that name for about half a year…”

No matter how hard I tried to explain, the reproach for forgetting the name didn’t go away. In the meanwhile, Eden… no, Cha Soo-hyun continued with his cold and unsympathetic analysis.

“You don’t seem to be making much effort to maintain your identity in the other world. Do you like it here?”

“I told you before. My future in that other world wasn’t very promising.”

“Well, the future here doesn’t seem all that bright either.”

“That’s why you and I are struggling like this? To go back.”

“Well, that’s right. Do you remember what you told me back then?”

He was likely referring to when I sarcastically teased him about being the son of a wealthy family. Despite the fact that I didn’t regret saying those words, I felt somewhat ashamed to know that he had taken them to heart.

Blushed, I responded in a sheepish voice.

“I remember…”

“You’re right. I’m a son of a rather well-off family.”

“Wow, you must really come from a well-off family if you’re saying it with such confidence. Some kids from rich households tend to look down on people from lower backgrounds. So, is what you’re saying meant to be a boast?”

Eden shook his head as he tossed more dry twigs into the brazier.

“No, it’s not that. But what if…”

“What if?”

“If we were to go back there, would you still have the motivation if I offered to help whatever you do, Choi Yeonji?”

“Is this also an unfortunate thing to say?”

People who were wealthy were just affluent. Nonetheless, what puzzled me even more was why he said that all of a sudden.

I stared at Eden suspiciously.

Not only that this person didn’t seem to have any particular affection for me, but he also appeared quite dry and calculative. Even now, he had a very businesslike expression.

“I thought that maybe if I gave you such a promise, you might feel more confident about going back.”

“Ah…”

“Right now, you’re doing this begrudgingly because you have no other choice. It’s like a feeling of strong inevitability.”

He was sharp and hapless today, too.

As I kept my mouth shut, he continued speaking.

“Your maid, Sylvia, says you don’t love the Emperor. Since winning his favor is the safest option, she said that you have only chosen him as a way to protect yourself.”

“Is that what Sylvia thought?”

“Cisen, who was standing next to her, didn’t deny it either.”

As I gazed into the crackling fire, a strange realization washed over me.

Until now, I hadn’t given much thought to it, but now I considered that those words might hold truth. Ever since I came to this world, I did my best not to go against Raniero’s wishes, just to ensure my own safety. Even engaging in distasteful things like hunting and attending social events was a small price to pay to stay alive.

And once I managed to gain his favor and make my life somewhat easier, I found ways to avoid anything I didn’t want to do, just to keep him appeased.

‘Did I briefly entertain the thought of wanting to live as an Empress because such a life feels comfortable and safe?’

I really didn’t know.

“Would you be okay if he died?”

Eden asked.

Following his comment that Sylvia said my love for Raniero was fake, I could sense what he was concerned about. He must be thinking that I should be more resolute and unwavering in my determination so that I could be unwavering towards Raniero.

As I sat in silence, contemplating his words, Eden patiently waited for my response. Finally, the words that escaped my lips weren’t a simple dismissal like ‘It can’t be helped.’

“…I’m not sure if it’s my self-preservation instinct fooling me or whatever it may be, but I don’t think his death would bring me any relief.”

That was my honest feeling.

However, at the same time, as I distanced myself from Raniero and looked at myself objectively…

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend the rest of my life grieving and suffering.”

I realized how shallow my feelings for him had been. The moment I escaped from Actilus, the overwhelming sense of liberation, like shedding all burdens, would never be forgotten.

Even the nightmares that once held me captive disappeared from that moment on.

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