I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 16

“Well, anyway, yes. The contract is over now,” Eve replied breezily, but the Count’s persistent gaze made her tilt her head in curiosity.

“What’s wrong?”

“You don’t seem any different than usual. No, you look a bit like you haven’t slept well.”

‘Does he know something?’

For a moment, Eve’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly masked her anxiety with a casual expression.

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

“Thoughts?”

The Count’s voice seemed brighter than before.

“I was just thinking about how to live from now on. After all, I’ve come into a lot of money, haven’t I?”

“…True.”

The Count fell silent again. As the silence stretched on, Eve glanced at the clock. Though they hadn’t been sitting for long, she wished he would get to the point. There was still much to prepare before she left the mansion the next day. Finally, Eve decided to speak first, if only to prompt him.

“So, you wanted to say goodbye?”

“…That, and other things.” The Count smiled bitterly. “Do you even know my name?”

What an odd question. Eve almost forgot to maintain her composure out of sheer disbelief. She sighed softly under the pressure of the Count’s insistent stare.

“Yes, I know.”

Even though their marriage had been mostly for show, he was still her husband. Not knowing his name would have been stranger. But the Count wasn’t done with his questioning.

“What is it?”

“Dane Hound.”

“That’s right. From now on, call me by my name.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Just practice until you get used to it.”

Eve had no idea what this was about. Why now, when they were divorcing? It seemed utterly pointless. Regardless of her confusion, the Count quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, what will you do from now on?”

“Pardon?”

The cold and detached demeanor he had displayed since their divorce discussions had vanished, replaced by a mischievous expression.

“I mean, your tastes.”

“My tastes?”

Eve’s response came out sharper than she intended. But, as always, the Count didn’t seem to notice. He had never been particularly perceptive.

“Your sexual tastes. You enjoy watching, don’t you?”

“Me?”

Eve laughed in disbelief. Was he trying to shame her for her preferences? Or was he warning her to keep her mouth shut before the divorce? It made sense. It explained why he had summoned her.

Eve considered for a moment whether to play along with him one last time. For the past three years, the Count had insisted that he was only showing her his affairs because she had asked for it. If their contract were still in effect, she would have continued to endure his antics. But now that they were divorcing, there was no reason to tiptoe around him anymore.

Eve let out a long, exasperated sigh—one that conveyed all the frustration she had kept bottled up.

“You know, Count—”

“Dane.”

He was relentless. Eve barely restrained herself from snapping, forcing herself to enunciate each word deliberately, emphasizing his name as she continued.

“Yes, Dane. Does it make you feel better to pretend my tastes are the same as yours?”

“What?”

“That was your preference from the start. It always has been.”

“…Wait.”

Regardless of his growing confusion, Eve pressed on, finally saying what she had kept inside for years.

“Of course, it’s a bit of an unusual taste, but there are all kinds of people in the world. Even if someone doesn’t fully understand, they might still accept it.”

That wasn’t all. There might even be someone who shares the same tastes. The point was, the Count didn’t need to be so stubborn about denying who he was. In this regard, Eve almost felt sorry for him.

“Maybe your true love will understand your preferences.”

As the words left her lips, Eve felt an immense sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. She gazed at the Count, silently daring him to respond. He looked flustered, his mouth working as though trying to form words. When he finally gathered himself, his head snapped up.

“No, wait. Are you saying those aren’t your tastes?”

“What?”

Had he even been listening? Eve’s face scrunched up in frustration. But before her irritation could fully take hold, she saw the confusion etched across Dane’s face. He stared at her with a bewildered expression, completely unguarded in a way that was unlike him.

“Every time I called you to the room, you brought the women with you.”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, Eve realized something was off about their entire conversation, just as something had felt off about the past three years.

Raising her eyebrows, she asked, “What are you talking about?”

“You mean, it wasn’t you?”

“When would I have brought the women? You were the one who brought them, weren’t you?”

There was no way Eve could have known when the Count would summon her, let alone bring women to his bedchamber. Moreover, she barely knew enough women to orchestrate such a thing. The Count’s face contorted in confusion as he stammered.

“Dane. I mean, this isn’t what’s important right now…”

The Count struggled to finish his sentence, his lips moving as if to speak but no words coming out. Finally, he clamped his mouth shut. In the ensuing silence, Eve began to worry about him.

“Count… Dane?”

When she called his name again, he turned toward her, looking as though he was in a daze.

“I need to confirm something… I’ll need to look into it later.”

Although he was looking at Eve, it was clear his mind was elsewhere. Eve clapped her hands to get his attention.

“I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m quite busy with packing right now.”

The Count squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Just… wait a moment.”

The Count rang the bell in a hasty, disordered manner, summoning the servant. The discordant chime seemed to perfectly reflect the Count’s mood. The sharp servant quickly assessed the atmosphere between the master and madam.

“The butler… where is the butler?”

“The butler left earlier to deliver the papers to the imperial palace, as you instructed. The documents should be submitted soon, considering the arrangements you made in advance.”

But the Count didn’t seem pleased with this answer. He stood up abruptly, his voice sharp as he asked, “When did he leave?”

The servant, startled by the urgency in his tone, hurried to check the time and replied, “He should have already arrived at the palace by now.”

With a look of defeat, the Count slumped back into his chair, appearing utterly drained. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before motioning for the servant to leave. The servant glanced between the Count and Eve before exiting the room quickly. As soon as the door closed, the Count let out a groan and buried his face in his hands. His despair was so apparent that Eve momentarily considered comforting him.

“Count?”

The Count raised his head just slightly at the sound of her voice.

“Eve…”

His voice was muffled by his hands, but when he finally looked at her, his eyes seemed clearer than before. It was a small relief.

“Yes?”

“There are things I need to think about… things I need to check.”

“It seems that way.”

“…But before that, let me ask you one more thing.”

The Count took a deep breath, bracing himself as if preparing for something difficult.

“So… you’re saying that you didn’t bring the women?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you just sit there and watch?”

“Watch what? Are you talking about… the bedroom?”

“Yes, why didn’t you stop me when I was with other women?”

It was such an odd question that Eve couldn’t help but scoff. “I thought that’s just the kind of person you were.”

At her blunt answer, the Count closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to make sense of her words, before opening them again.

“So… you never had any feelings for me? Not… in that way?”

His speech faltered once more, but Eve, narrowing her eyes, called his name sharply.

“Count—no, Dane.”

He stopped speaking and turned to face her directly. Meeting his gaze, Eve continued, her voice steady.

“It seems there has been a misunderstanding between us.”

The Count nodded slowly, as if finally understanding something.

“But I don’t think it would have changed anything between us.”

There had indeed been something strange about their relationship, but in the end, they were getting divorced. There was no reason for him to feel so conflicted or guilty. Eve didn’t understand why he was apologizing so much.

Why did he feel so guilty? Eve had never been hurt or upset by the fact that the Count had been with other women. None of the servants in the Hound household had ever disrespected her because of his affairs, and the Count had always treated her with the proper respect as his wife, according to the terms of their contract. There was no reason for him to apologize this much. Yet, the Count spoke firmly.

“A lot will change.”

What, exactly, would change? The Count had found someone new and was divorcing Eve for the sake of that relationship. Whoever was responsible for sending women to the Count’s bed, and whatever their intentions, it wasn’t something Eve needed to worry about. Frankly, Eve didn’t see it as a significant issue. She figured it must have been the work of one of his lovers or a particularly devoted admirer.