I No Longer Have Love to Offer You - Chapter 32

“Do you remember when my engagement to Marietta was decided, and Ricardo suggested that he could be the one to marry her instead?”

“Yes, I remember.”

It was from a time when they were all much younger and less restrained. Mirabelle had been ten, Ricardo and Marietta eleven, and Ludovic thirteen.

“Considering only the engagement between the Hylas and Fleur families, I suppose it wouldn’t have mattered whether it was me or Ricardo.”

“Ricardo said that if it were him, he could marry into the Fleur family instead,” Mirabelle recalled.

“Exactly. Strengthening the ties between the two houses while ensuring Marietta inherited the Fleur family that would have been the ideal solution. But that’s not how it turned out.”

“Do you know why?” Ludovic asked, but Mirabelle had no answer.

(Now that he mentions it… why was that?)

“Because both my parents and Marietta’s knew that putting those two together would never work.”

(Never work? But Ricardo cares so deeply for Marietta.)

Mirabelle’s confusion must have shown, because Ludovic’s expression turned troubled.

“Have you ever asked me why Marietta and I divorced?”

“No.”

The sudden shift from past to present caught Mirabelle off guard. And given the nature of the topic, Ludovic and Marietta’s divorce she couldn’t afford to be careless. Though it did concern her, she had never asked Marietta directly, and discussing it with Ricardo was out of the question.

“I am the head of the Hylas family. As such, my duty is to serve the people of my territory, produce an heir, and ensure the family’s continuation.”

Ludovic’s gaze was serious. He had always been a responsible man, managing his lands with diligence.

But why bring up something so obvious now?

“What the family expects most from its head is, first, marriage if he is still single and then, once married… the existence of an heir.”

(That’s true. And Ludovic and Marietta never had a child.)

The subject of children was a bitter one for Mirabelle as well. Five years into her marriage with Ricardo, her in-laws had repeatedly if subtly asked when they might expect a child. The only saving grace was that the Hylas title was just one of many, so if worst came to worst, they could simply return it.

(But Ricardo and I will never have a child together.)

And yet, Ricardo, the reason they couldn’t conceive, had never explained the truth to his parents nor had he ever shielded Mirabelle from their expectations. The most he ever said was, “Children are a blessing, not something you can force.”

(I did consider telling the Hylas the truth a few times but in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.)

Lost in these bitter thoughts, Mirabelle was startled when Ludovic said something unexpected.

“The reason I divorced Marietta is because she refused to have children.”

“…What?!”

For the wife of a family head, that was unforgivable.

“Was there some health issue preventing her from having children?”

“No. Neither of us had any physical problems. She simply said she didn’t want to that having a child would mean she could no longer prioritize herself.”

Children were fragile beings, unable to survive on their own. Of course, if they had a child, Ludovic would prioritize them as would everyone else around them.

“…That was her reason?”

“Yes. But I couldn’t accept that. So I gave her a choice: have a child, or divorce. Naturally, even if we tried, there’s no guarantee we would conceive. In that case, we would have had to adopt. And of course, an adopted child would still take precedence.”

Mirabelle was stunned.

She had known Marietta since childhood. She had always been a little selfish, but to neglect her duty as the family head’s wife just to put herself first? She never would have imagined it.

(Ah… but…)

Suddenly, she remembered meeting Marietta again after the divorce.

“Ricardo helped me in secret, without telling you.”

Had Marietta always looked down on her? Had she always acted as if she deserved to come before Mirabel?

“Marietta, even now, is still a child at heart. One who puts herself first. And don’t you think the same could be said of Ricardo?”

Ludovic’s words pulled Mirabelle’s thoughts back from the past.

“I don’t know when it started, but Ricardo has always been infatuated with Marietta. That in itself isn’t a problem. But like her, he prioritizes himself above all else.”

(Prioritizing himself… Yes, that’s true.)

Thinking of how Ricardo had treated her, it made perfect sense.

“What do you think would happen if those two were together?”

“…It wouldn’t work.”

If both always put themselves first, they would inevitably clash. Relationships only function when people compromise.

“Exactly. Both sets of parents understood that. That’s why I was the one engaged to Marietta, not Ricardo. And why they must have decided she wasn’t fit to inherit the Fleur family. You understand the qualities required of an heir, don’t you?”

Of course. Someone who always put themselves first could never lead a noble house. Having once been groomed to inherit her own family, Mirabelle knew that all too well.

“So, did you never love Marietta?”

The topic of the past had loosened Mirabelle’s tongue, and she slipped back into her old way of speaking.

“Not romantically. But I did care for her like a little sister.”

After answering, Ludovic seemed to encourage her to keep speaking casually.

“You’re the head of the Hylas family. I’m barely even a noble. I can’t just speak to you so freely.”

“We’ll be working together from now on. There’s no issue.”

(…Work! That’s right. I came to the Hylas estate today to discuss business.)

The conversation about the past, so deeply tied to her own life, had nearly made her forget her original purpose.

“I brought up the past because I don’t want you to feel indebted. My investment is purely based on the merits of your venture. Do you understand?”

At his question, Mirabelle realized the hesitation she had felt upon entering the parlor had faded.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Then, let’s discuss the details of your proposal.”