I Refuse To Be A Character In A Novel - Chapter 41

Chapter 4: Mother & Son

After having her all dressed up, the maids were sent out and only Mielle remained with the Duchess.

She grabbed Erna’s arm and gently led her to the dressing table.

“Madam…”

While brushing her hair, Mielle inquired after a moment of hesitation.

“Hm?”

“Did you perhaps have a quarrel with the master?”

Erna, taken aback by the unexpected question, faced Mielle’s reflection with a slight frown.

“Pardon? Of course not. Why would you think so?”

“I don’t mean to be presumptuous but if that’s not the case, then why would the master…”

Mielle then whispered timidly in her ear.

Right.

There was that.

Whether because he was being considerate or simply busy, Zachary didn’t show up for our union day this month either.

‘You should sleep first.’

All that was heard from him were dry words conveyed through the butler.

‘I see. Thank you for letting me know.’

Unlike the month before when she rejoiced at the news of not having to tell yet another lie to avoid their union, Erna was overcome by a strange feeling of loneliness.

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Whether be it Mielle, who was constantly by her side, the gentle gardener who greeted her on her morning walk, the maids who served her earnestly.

Or her adorable son.

‘Give me a chance’

… Even her indifferent husband.

Before she realized it, Erna had already grown attached to the people around her, and the thought of leaving started weighing heavy on her mind.

Unlike earlier days, now that dinner time when she shared a warm meal with her son and her husband had become a natural routine, Erna often wondered if it was worth breaking.

There was no telling how her parents or even Zachary would react when she brought up divorce.

And most importantly, there was Jonas to think about.

Perhaps I could avoid my death in some other ways.

After all, there are natural means for contraception.

If not, then maybe I could maintain the current distance with the Duke until my death date had passed.

Or perhaps…

Many possibilities crossed her mind.

Fear however was stronger than her whimsical thoughts.

The idea of her near-death and the despair of thinking herself to be a mere character written by a lonely girl’s words was too overwhelming to bear.

Perhaps if the same thing she lived had happened to someone else, they would make better choices than she had.

Erna thought while recalling many stories of that genre in Charlotte’s world.

An ordinary woman who once realized that she was a character in a novel, turned the story around with confidence and changed her fate for the best.

Fans described them to be a ‘Strong female lead’.

Erna however was not.

Deep down, she was still consumed with fear.

That was a part of the reason why she couldn’t tell Zachary the truth.

Who would believe what she had been through? Or the future she claimed to know?

Most people would only find her delusional.

Perhaps she truly was.

But if not, then how was she supposed to face this reality?

On one hand, was her son, and on the other was her near-death and a marriage that was built on a false identity.

Even if she could avoid her death, and decided to stay for her son’s sake, Erna knew that she would lead a miserable life.

A life where she had to lie to her husband and fear the day he would meet his destined wife.

As long as she didn’t break the plot.

As long as her life followed Charlotte’s choices, she would never feel at ease.

That’s why she had to leave.

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After that day, Zachary had grown too busy to even show his face at the dinner table, and the two of them hardly crossed paths.

When the effect of his shallow words was washed away along with his absence, Erna had time to arrange her thoughts again.

‘It is best for me to maintain the current distance until the divorce.’

“We’re on good terms.”

Erna smiled an ambiguous smile as she said so.

“There’s no need for you to worry about such things.”

‘Let’s not get involved with Zachary any more than this.’

Mielle however, with yesterday’s events weighing on her mind, seemed very worried.

‘Such things you say…’

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After serving the Duchess, Mielle was excused to leave as Erna had a class to attend with Dylan.

To hasten the departure for the capital which was delayed by the Duke’s heavy work, Erna expressed will to handle the household affairs and assume her duty as the Duchess to lessen some of his burdens.

After Zachary had agreed to the matter, he had Dylan teach her the fundamentals.

As such, Erna started taking classes every day, giving Mielle a lot of free time.

For most of it, Mielle enjoyed her breaks.

Yesterday afternoon, however, on her way back to her room, she heard a loud laughter leak from beyond the stairs leading to the hall.

Even without seeing her face, Mielle recognized the owner of that laughter.

Betty.

A young maid of great beauty, and even greater ambition.