I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 141
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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“Whoo.”
She exhaled, trying to see her breath in the cold air, but nothing came out.
“Ivonne, are you cold?”
“No.”
Thanks to the magic items designed for warmth, like the enchanted heating and insulating tools, even on such a cold winter day, every corner of the Tens Mansion felt warm, no matter what she wore.
“The snow has really piled up. It’ll be difficult to go out for a while.”
“I haven’t gone out anyway.”
Ivonne replied casually, as if she had no reason to leave. There was no need to make any noise with her footsteps. Herix remained silent.
But when Ivonne didn’t move from the window after a while, his expression grew a little darker. He wanted to pull her attention away from the white world outside, as if she was a child lost in her thoughts. He eventually spoke again.
“Shall I make some tea? If you go to the sofa, I’ll bring it to you.”
“No. I’ll drink it here.”
“Here? By the window?”
“Yes.”
“But you’ve just gotten up. It might be better to sit down for a bit…”
Herix’s plan to take Ivonne to the sofa near the fireplace was clearly failing. Ivonne didn’t even look back at him as she answered.
“I think it’s better here. It’ll help me wake up more, and the tea will cool down quickly, so I won’t be standing for long.”
Ivonne said firmly. After hesitating for a while, Herix finally went back to the kitchen.
As he poured hot water into the teapot, a phrase Ivonne had said once before echoed in his mind.
— I want to give Herix my trust. So, I won’t go anywhere.
Ivonne had said this in passing. It meant that Ivonne was staying at Tens Mansion because of Herix, but Herix had interpreted it differently.
‘Ivonne must be happy with this life. Everyone’s enjoying a happy, peaceful daily routine.’
He believed Ivonne had meant that she was happy under his care, that she was content with the life he was providing. It was a misunderstanding, but it wasn’t completely unfounded. Herix had been so happy lately that he felt like every day was too precious to waste.
Ivonne, receiving the lavish attention of Herix and others, seemed perfectly content with each day as well.
‘Until just a few days ago, it was truly like that.’
He couldn’t remember the exact moment, but it had probably been because he had become so accustomed to the peaceful life with Ivonne at his side. That’s why he had failed to notice the subtle changes in her mood.
‘It was my mistake. Ivonne must have been trying to show me that she wasn’t feeling good… but I didn’t catch on… maybe that’s why she’s upset with me.’
An example of this was the situation earlier. Ivonne had firmly said she wouldn’t go anywhere to calm him down.
Herix had always expected Ivonne to follow his lead, do as he asked, and go along with everything he guided her through without question.
But recently, Ivonne had started to resist and refuse little by little. She began to feel trapped by the routine she had once followed diligently for weeks, sometimes not responding to Herix’s words or even zoning out so completely that she appeared to be lost in thought, unaware of anyone calling her.
Some might think Ivonne had reached her limit, but unfortunately for them, Herix was too wrapped up in the overwhelming sense of possessiveness that he had buried deep within himself. He was driven by the happiness he felt from the life he had long dreamed of. His narrow perspective kept him from seeing the true reason for Ivonne’s changes.
‘What’s the reason… What did I do wrong?’
And so, Herix continued to misunderstand the situation, constantly getting it wrong.
The tea had steeped long enough for the fresh fruit scent to fill the air. Ivonne preferred flavored tea, particularly fruity blends for her morning tea, and just yesterday, she had enjoyed the fragrance as she savored the calm of the morning.
But today, something felt different.
“Ah… the fragrance is stronger today.”
For some reason, even though the tea was brewed the same way, the experience felt different today. As Herix handed Ivonne the cup and moved to take a sip himself, his face faltered.
“I—I’ll re-brew it… this time, a little… lighter.”
His voice wavered at the end. At the sound of his distress, Ivonne, who had been staring out the window, finally looked at him.
“I’ll re-brew it…”
With quiet, green eyes watching him, Herix felt as if he might burst into tears any moment. He hadn’t even given Ivonne the chance to enjoy the tea.
“Ah, wait.”
He snatched the cup from Ivonne’s hands before she could take a sip. Staring at the cup she no longer held, Ivonne looked momentarily lost.
‘No… I just said it was stronger…’
But before she could say anything, Herix rushed back to the kitchen. The sound of something shattering came moments later. It was clear that Herix had thrown the cup out in frustration, and Ivonne’s face naturally reflected a look of disbelief.
‘What… I can’t even speak. Seriously.’
There had been no ill intention behind her words—she had simply commented on the stronger aroma. She had meant to add that maybe the snow made the fragrance seem more intense.
‘It’s not that I didn’t like it.’
She thought the tea would help her wake up, and the idea of drinking her fragrant tea while watching the swirling snow didn’t seem unpleasant at all.
But instead, Herix had thrown the cup away without even asking if she liked it.
“Haa.”
Feeling a dull headache, Ivonne leaned her forehead against the cold window. In truth, this kind of thing had happened often enough that she was starting to feel weary.
‘Herix… lacks communication.’
