LUCIA

Chapter 28 Disagreement

Hugo quickly read through documents and signed below them. For things that needed to be looked over separately, they were marked and placed to the side.

On the left were things that he had to process and ones the right were also things he had to process, piled up together. No matter how much his eyes felt like falling off, he massaged his aching head and went through the papers but he still couldn't see the bottom of the pile. At one point, he flung the pen away and leaned back to rest. Even though he closed his eyes, his head was full of things he needed to do.

He was fed up with it.  He wondered how much more of this he would have to do.

'Maybe 10 more years? Come to think of it, how old will that boy be in 10 years?'

He would be 18. At that age, he would just be graduating from the Academy. If so, it wouldn't be in 10 years. Maybe in about 15 years?

That boy wasn't a dim-witted child so if he was taught for about 4-5 years, he would become useful.

'15 years, huh...'

Even the minimum amount was way too far.

'I have to do this crap for 15 more years...'

As it was raining, Hugo looked outside the window, staring at the dim sky. It had been raining since morning.

At first, he never looked outside the window but eventually, three days ago, he stole a glimpse of Lucia walking through the garden without going to the balcony.

He didn't realize how unbecoming his behavior was and only grumbled about not seeing her because of the rain.

'If I don't see her now, I don't get to see her at all.'

He mumbled irritatedly then stopped himself with a chuckle.

'You are so pathetic. Why don't you just go and take a look?'

It was not far, he just had to go down the stairs and walk for a bit. At this time of the day, she was usually at the receiving room on the first floor. The way she lived was monotonous and simple but it was regulated as she had things scheduled to do at almost every hour. She didn't seem to want to go out these days so he knew her schedule more than he knew his own schedule.

'I am doing the stupidest things.'

He was now avoiding his wife. To be more precise, he was running away from his own heart.

'Love? How absurd.'

He continuously denied it. His heart should only belong to himself. He would never waver because of someone else. Even with such confidence in himself, he didn't have the courage to meet her. He felt like if he met her, everything would crumble down in a moment.

With the excuse that there was a lot of work, he stayed late at night in his office, dealing with documents. After which, he left the office and slept in his own bedroom which he had not used in the last few months.

'I can do well without her.'

That was his excuse to keep going.  His rationality called him a loser and a coward but he ignored it.

The first one or two days were fine.

'Right. There is no way I am being swayed by a woman.'

He had felt elated like an immature child. But it didn't take long for such confidence to disappear. As time went by, his mood gradually declined and the contents of the documents failed to enter his head making his work speed drop. Even though he spent the same amount of time on them, because the efficiency was lower, his working time grew longer.