"Isn't the painting beautiful?"
Someone said from behind
I quickly looked back to see Emillian looking at the painting
Smiling warmly
I stepped a few steps back away from then stared at her
"This was taken when my husband is still alive"
Emillian said as she stepped closer to the painting touching it
I kept looking at her can't stop my suspicion
"We took this painting when Claude was 1 I think?"
Emillian said as she thought
She then slowly turned her gaze to me and smiled
"How about you miss les Acrez?"
Emillian said as she took a step closer to me
I then backed away from her
She looked at me with a confused look tilting her head to the side as she looks at me
She then gave a small giggle
"Would you like to know how I got married to my husband?"
Asking me with a smile on her face she then turned around to look at the painting
Went near it and touched it as her smile fades away
Emillian then stared intently at the painting and says her story
"I married Lucien Carnov de Leon at the age 19 while he was 21"
"I got married quite early, At first it was love...."
"I thought it was love how he showed me kindness and how he treated me"
"But as time went on Lucien became stranger each day especially talking with someone who seemed to have interests in me"
"That made Lucien's blood boil..."
"W-wait! Ien it's not what you think!"
Emillian at the age of 17 was dragged around by 19 years old Lucien holding Emillian's arm tightly
"Ien please listen!"
Emillian shouted desperately pulling her hand out from the strong grip of Lucien
"Ien!"
Emillian shouted
Lucien stopped and finally let's go of Emillian's hand
Lucien then slowly turned around and looked at Emillain who was scared just by looking at Lucien
Lucien as soon as he turned around Emillian's face became darker as she saw the angry face of Lucien staring at her blankly.... mumbling
"I ***l *i** those b*******"
"I'll *** **er* h*** **f"
Lucien continuously mumbling
Emillain was afraid of what Lucien would do
She tried running away but Lucien's reflexes were faster and caught her from behind hugging her from the back
"No no no please...hic...hic... don't leave me alone Emilli"
Lucien sobbed as she held Emillian close to him hugging her from the back tightly
Emillian couldn't do anything else but to just stay there and comfort him
Hearing Lucien's cry made Emillian want to cry too
Together with Lucien she cried softly
"Hic...hic...hic"
Lucien continued to sob
"I...I won't leave you"
Emillian said as she cried softly
Lucien then stopped and was nervous that he heard Emillian wrong
"What do you mean? *sniff sniff*"
Lucien's head still buried at the back of Emillian
Emillian then slowly removed Lucien's hug and turns to look at him
Lucien who's head was looking down kept on sniffling
"Ien look at me"
Emillian smiled
Lucien then slowly looked back at her as he saw her smile, Lucien can't be sad any longer and smiled back at Emillian
"I haven't even said anything"
Emillian said
"I heard you earlier and just wanted to make sure I wasn't hearing wrong"
Lucien said giggling
"Please don't throw me away... you're the only one I trust"
Lucien said as he look back down again
Emillian giggled and patted Lucien's head
"You don't have to worry about the people who approached me, I don't like any of them"
Emillian smiled brightly touching Lucien's cheeks and patted it softly
The both of then were happy to hear each other's comfort
But as time went on Lucien's jealousy has come back
To see Emillian getting closer with another
Lucien tried his hardest and calmed himself
But to witness something he truly hated... and to Lucien's fear
Slowly each passing day whenever that man is around Emillian
Lucien would notice a difference where Emillian would look at Lucien a friend who she loved dearly and to the man she knew right now is different...
Everytime Emilli looked at that man Emillian's eyes would glisten and would be filled with joy
Seeing that Lucien could not hold it any longer and took matters into his own hands
Lucien planned all of it thoroughly and soon it begun
Several days have passed and the man Emillain has loved vanished in thin air
For days Emillian cried and thought that he had ran away because he has no longer have feelings for her
And seeing poor Emillian cried the one who planned it all is the one who came to her rescue and comfort
"H-how could he?! I really thought he felt the same way..."
Emillian cried at the arms of Lucien as he patted her back to comfort her
"I though... I really thought"
Emillian mumbled
As Lucien kept on comforting her and eventually she has forgotten about him
Another year has passed Finally Lucien build up the courage to kneel and ask Emillian for her hand in marriage
"Will you accept my proposal and live happily with me, Emilli!"
Lucien asked with a smile on his face
"...."
Emillain was in silence
Lucien's expression has become nervous as he doesn't know what to do
"Yes..."
Emillian said smiling but with a hint of sadness
But Lucien doesn't seem to notice and was so delighted that she had accepted his proposal
He then immediately put on the ring on Emillian's finger and hugged her tightly and joy couldn't even be enough to express his happiness
Emillian still kept quiet but still smiled as she hugged Lucien back
"Why are you telling me all this?"
I asked wondering why she'd tell me these
I stopped her from telling more but She just kept quiet and is still staring at the painting
"I wanted to let you know"
Emillian said without looking back
"May I continue my story?"
Emillian looked directly at me smiling that gave me the shivers
I nodded my head slowly
"Please... Proceed"
I answered
Emillian gave me a smile then turned back to look at the painting
And soon after, we got married
And at first I was happy, I thought that our marriage was going smoothly
But that's what I thought...
But little by little I thought
What is happiness?
Was I happy to marry Lucien?
Or was I just forced to?
My parents knew that Lucien liked me and pushed for us to get married
And that what I was thinking since before he asked me
But then....he came and changed me
Who is he?
I thought
And that finally!
This is the man that I would love and marry
But as soon as I thought that the next day.... He's not there anymore
And to hear no news of him anywhere, and thought that I have assumed that he would like me back...
Lucien was a good husband but I can't love him more than he loves me
I can't give him that kind of love and I thought that if I can't give him my full love
He'll just be hurt...
I tried divorcing him since I wasn't happy anymore
But he begged and fell onto his knees begging me to stay!
I kept on saying that the love he has for me isn't the way that I see him
But he didn't care that as long as I have just a little bit of him in my heart, he would be fine
Looking at him with a teary eyes saying those soften me and stayed until now
Emillian kept quiet then
"...."
"...."
The both of us became silent
"Is that all?"
I asked Emillian
I was still too nervous to ask this but I asked anyway
"Hm?"
Emillian looked at me confused
"That wasn't all it, is it...?"
I asked again
I tried to ask hiding my nervousness but once again Emillian did not say anything and just looked at me with a confused face
"That wasn't all it"
I said again with a hint of anger to my voice
Stopping her story just like that
There's something missing and she's not telling
And she's hiding the fact that she's abusing Claude
Too cruel to be a mother
I thought all of those and wanted to say it out loud but I just can't
"..."
Emillian staring at my fist that was clenched as she smiled
then slowly turned her gaze to my eyes and smiled even more
"You seem to know more, Ms. les Acrez?"
Emillian asked with a smile on her face
"..."
But I did not respond
"Fine... I'll tell more"
Emillian said
And I just stared back at her still as she continues
Emillian Continues her story
After I said that I won't leave him
Everytime I made friends that was other than just women
The day after, they would disappear and to just hear the news is devastating
Everyday I blamed myself saying that it was because if me that they were all gone
Every time that I blamed myself my husband Lucien would come to my rescue and comfort me
And of course that didn't made me better, it only calmed me down
Everytime I made friends I was worried that they'll disappear again just like him...
And so, I isolated myself
I stopped attending parties, go outside and just stayed at home afraid that I would harm them....
I was shocked to see Emillian with a melancholy and sad look on her face
To think a heartless woman like her could give that kind of expression while Claude has to suffer
I glared at her
"If your glare was a weapon, it would have stabbed me Ms. les Acrez"
Emillian said looking at me smiling blankly
She then took a chair that was just close to us and she sat on it
She pointed at the chair that was close to me
"Please, sit"
Emillian said smiling
But I stared at her still glaring
I find myself the courage to just look at her straight in the eyes but she ignored all of it
"This would be a long story..."
Emillian said staring at me still smiling
I then sat and listened to what's next
After I isolated myself
Lucien thought that it would be nice to have a child together and to also have a successor and so we did
We tried tried and tried at that time I was 23 there was still no luck
But then when I turned 26 a miracle happened
I was feeling nauseous every morning and was always picky about food
Lucien quickly called for a doctor and found out that I was pregnant for 2 weeks
How could we not notice?
The both of us thought
I looked at Lucien with a smile on his face kissing my forehead and crying in joy
But I.....
I was happy...
Emillian hesitated her smile was forced too
I stared at her angrier to hear she even hesitated
She hesitated to say that she was happy to have Claude...
I thought
To be Continued~