010. Breaking of the engagement agreement
Hardius was wearing a hunting cap over his Norfolk jacket. He would be in perfect hunting attire if he had a rifle.
But instead of hunting gloves, he had a pistol and a small pair of binoculars tucked into his waistband.
“Why did you come?”
Instead of answering, his eyes continued to search. His cold face looked as if it was angry.
There was no need to worry since she had done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, Emilia felt very uncomfortable.
“Why did you come...”
“I came to look around the purchase site.”
“Purchase location?”
“I mean the land.”
“I know that. But why...”
As she muttered, she realized that he had bought the land.
Here, in the zelkova forest.
Emilia's heart was pounding anxiously.
“I came here thinking I might go hunting for grouse, but it’s a shame to use it as a hunting ground.”
Hardius turned his gaze back toward the vast horizon. Meanwhile, Emilia straightened her disheveled hair and adjusted her clothes.
Her hands were shaking, so it took her forever to tie the ribbon on her collar. She kept slipping the loops a few times, and she started getting annoyed.
Emilia took a deep breath and tried to suppress her boiling emotions.
“I think it would be good to build a hotel or a villa.”
Surely you don't mean to kick out our family.
No. No, he won't. He wouldn't be that cruel...
Emilia chewed her lips anxiously.
“I think you and Beppy Dilson are getting along well.”
Even in front of her mortal enemy, she was the type of person who would only say sorry when she felt sorry and thank you when she felt grateful. Emilia answered stiffly, “Yes, he is a really good person, just as you said. Thank you.”, trying to exclude negative emotions as much as possible.
The conversation was cut off like dry dough. The awkwardness was suffocating. Emilia didn't like the fact that she was fidgeting alone.
“...Then take a look around.”
The hem of the dress is about to form a concentric circle.
“I heard the story. Cavendish blocked the entrance.”
It didn't take long to understand the words that came out of nowhere.
Why didn't I think about it? That Uncle Beppy was also that man's loyal follower.
“Cavendish will pay the price.”
“What a fitting price... I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I don’t know if it’s worth going that far.”
“That’s something to ‘do’. For daring to insult Meyer.”
“He stopped a carriage with your family crest on it... and that’s all?”
Emilia, who had been frowning, soon smiled faintly.
“Well, that’s how it is in your world, young master. You fight over something so trivial and risk your life. If someone who doesn’t know heard about it, they’d think you were just trying to get revenge on those who harassed your fiancée.”
It's funny how sarcastic they are. If charcoal burns black, they're the ones who've really criticized the Meyer family. Suddenly, Emilia remembered what she overheard at the last dinner party.
Hardius was wearing a hunting cap over his Norfolk jacket. He would be in perfect hunting attire if he had a rifle.
But instead of hunting gloves, he had a pistol and a small pair of binoculars tucked into his waistband.
“Why did you come?”
Instead of answering, his eyes continued to search. His cold face looked as if it was angry.
There was no need to worry since she had done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, Emilia felt very uncomfortable.
“Why did you come...”
“I came to look around the purchase site.”
“Purchase location?”
“I mean the land.”
“I know that. But why...”
As she muttered, she realized that he had bought the land.
Here, in the zelkova forest.
Emilia's heart was pounding anxiously.
“I came here thinking I might go hunting for grouse, but it’s a shame to use it as a hunting ground.”
Hardius turned his gaze back toward the vast horizon. Meanwhile, Emilia straightened her disheveled hair and adjusted her clothes.
Her hands were shaking, so it took her forever to tie the ribbon on her collar. She kept slipping the loops a few times, and she started getting annoyed.
Emilia took a deep breath and tried to suppress her boiling emotions.
“I think it would be good to build a hotel or a villa.”
Surely you don't mean to kick out our family.
No. No, he won't. He wouldn't be that cruel...
Emilia chewed her lips anxiously.
“I think you and Beppy Dilson are getting along well.”
Even in front of her mortal enemy, she was the type of person who would only say sorry when she felt sorry and thank you when she felt grateful. Emilia answered stiffly, “Yes, he is a really good person, just as you said. Thank you.”, trying to exclude negative emotions as much as possible.
The conversation was cut off like dry dough. The awkwardness was suffocating. Emilia didn't like the fact that she was fidgeting alone.
“...Then take a look around.”
The hem of the dress is about to form a concentric circle.
“I heard the story. Cavendish blocked the entrance.”
It didn't take long to understand the words that came out of nowhere.
Why didn't I think about it? That Uncle Beppy was also that man's loyal follower.
“Cavendish will pay the price.”
“What a fitting price... I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I don’t know if it’s worth going that far.”
“That’s something to ‘do’. For daring to insult Meyer.”
“He stopped a carriage with your family crest on it... and that’s all?”
Emilia, who had been frowning, soon smiled faintly.
“Well, that’s how it is in your world, young master. You fight over something so trivial and risk your life. If someone who doesn’t know heard about it, they’d think you were just trying to get revenge on those who harassed your fiancée.”
It's funny how sarcastic they are. If charcoal burns black, they're the ones who've really criticized the Meyer family. Suddenly, Emilia remembered what she overheard at the last dinner party.
They said that guy was a really bad person.
That's exactly right. A narrow-minded man who can't stand even the slightest hint of hurt pride.
“...I don’t care whether you make them pay the price or not, but please don’t make excuses for me. I was doing well there in my own way. I had to go through unpleasant and annoying things, but I also gained a lot from it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just step on them and do whatever I want without making any excuses.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of 'stepping on it', but for a moment, she started to feel annoyed.
“Do you know how selfish that is? You told me to take the bridal lessons there diligently? You told me to learn the quadrille and the waltz and fulfill my duties as a fiancée, and now you’re stepping on them? Please, just leave me alone. If you want me to attend the graduation ceremony safely, don’t do anything.”
Emilia snapped back coldly and crossed her arms.
As she told Charlotte, she learned a lot at Cavendish Manor.
She learned and read books about many things that ordinary people could not even dream of. Above all, she learned how to keep books.
Emilia didn't know it, but she realized it today. That knowledge was quite useful, enough to surprise a butler like Haspel, and even someone like Nathan Malvin. For the first time in her life, she even earned money on her own. Emilia opened her mouth with confidence, gaining strength from the voice inside her.
“By the way, when will we be able to break off the engagement? I don’t want to drag it out since I’ve already received alimony.”
“I was going to discuss that issue anyway. I need you to sign the agreement.”
“Agreement?”
“You can think of it as something like a ‘memorandum.’ It’s related to a broken engagement.”
The body that had been standing upright began to tremble slightly.
“Why would you need something like that? I clearly said that day. I am the one who wants to break off the engagement. I am willing to break off the engagement without any alimony.”
“It’s not that I doubt your sincerity about breaking off the engagement. It’s for my own good. It’s the only way I can be free.”
Emilia frowned without realizing it.
“Could you explain this to me more clearly? So that I can understand it logically.”
“I am deceiving you right now. Is there any ‘logic’ to that? Just do as I say. I swear, it won’t harm you at least. The engagement agreement is like Beppy Dilson. It will satisfy you in the end.”
“...You must be foolish.”
The conversation ended with a muttering that sounded like resignation.
Emilia, who had been staring blankly at the white waves crashing in, opened her mouth again at some point.
“Then, please answer this one thing. Why do we have to wait until we have written the contract of annulment? Will His Majesty the King give permission then?”
"...Well."
“Well? I’m a little disappointed. I thought the praise for the successor would be so high that he would be able to easily defeat His Majesty the King.”
“It’s a matter of dealing with the King of a country. He is a capricious and unpredictable person, so I can’t be more certain.”
Emilia held back her emotions, even though his calm reply set her heart on fire again.
If you get angry, you lose.
Emilia wanted to be as aloof as Hardius.
She needed some time to catch her breath.
She went down the hill and across the sand. The waves came in quite deep and soaked the hem of her dress. Emilia paid no attention and straightened her back.
If you don't want to be swayed by emotions, you have to be simple.
Like this wave that erases and writes, erases and writes again and again.
“Yes, I’ll do as you say. What should I do?... A divorce agreement? That’s it.”
“I’ll get back to you shortly. We’ll have a formal meeting with your lawyer.”
The voice answering was strangely unfamiliar and dark. Emilia, who had been squinting her eyes, realized that she was constantly checking Hardius’s gaze, expression, and reactions, and her breath caught in her throat.
Stop.
You said you wanted to break off the engagement.
When she received the compensation, she threw it all away without leaving a single bit behind.
"All right."
The two of them stared at the sea for a long time, lost in their own thoughts. It had been quite some time since they had become conscious of the loud sound of the waves.
“Let’s go back. I’ll walk you home.”
“No, it’s okay.”
She pretended not to hear and walked in the direction of the cabin.
“I’m not just saying this. I really don’t want to go with you. Why do you insist on seeing me off?”
“Why do you insist on saying no?”
Emilia glared coldly at Hardius, who followed her words.
“Because of my family. I’m worried that you might meet my family.”
“We met. Already.”
Emilia's breathing became sharp. There was only one person in the house right now.
“My sister... did you meet that girl...?”
"Yes."
The steps suddenly stopped. Hardius slowly turned his head. It was the most trembling moment for Emilia.
It's not that she is ashamed or wants to hide Charlotte's existence. She's just afraid that people will see the same fear and disgust in Hardius as they did when they first met Charlotte.
Oddly enough, Emilia had a strange expectation for Hardius.
He is a man who has been educated as a perfect nobleman. At least on the outside...
“Don’t worry. I called her an angel. Beppy Dilson insisted.”
"Ah..."
Her knees buckled. Emilia felt something that had been holding her so tightly relax, and she relaxed the tension in her shoulders.
Strangely enough, her heart started pounding.
The two walked along the narrow path for quite a while. It was Emilia's favorite forest path.
Every time she stepped on the rustling fallen leaves, the smell of damp earth reached her nose. The sunlight was warm, and the breeze was cool.
Emilia raised her head and followed the various patterns the leaves were drawing across the sky.
It was when she was almost home that she turned back to the man walking ahead of her.
The blazing sun was bathing him in golden light.
Suddenly, she remembered the day she first met him at her engagement party five years ago.
In that brief and concise meeting, which could hardly be called an engagement party, fourteen-year-old Emilia felt something similar to what she does now.
She was pretending to be cheerful and as if nothing had happened, but in reality, she was trembling.
When the King ordered her to put the ring on, Emilia was frozen and couldn't move. It was that man's hand that held the trembling child tightly.
Hardius Meyer, sixteen.
She had thought it would be as cold as ice, but the warmth spreading through her entire body made Emilia melt in an instant like a snowman in broad daylight.
He gently grabbed her trembling hand and took the ring without hesitation...
“...”
Stop.
She couldn't stand the memory that suddenly came to her mind. Emilia shook her head vigorously and sped past him.
As they passed the chicken coop and reached the front yard of the house, she was once again met with an unexpected sight.
There was a big dog, a sleek hunting dog like a puma. Beppy was holding the leash and stroking its neck, while Charlotte was on the other side.
The child was crouching like a turtle, her neck curled up, her arms outstretched, and she was waddling back and forth at the edge of his long tail.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment