016. Comforting
Hardius didn't take his eyes off the papers for a long time.
The shadow of the vase standing by the window disappeared, and the maid changed the cold water in the teacup three times.
Grojean silently stood by his master's side.
Aren't you scared?
Trunia is a place where rebels are armed with guns and swords. Most of the nobles have already fled the country, and even the Emperor, Miyers, is on the run from the rebels.
Meeting the Emperor and negotiating in such a place is like adding fuel to the fire. No family would send their successor to such a dangerous situation.
“What happened to the secret letter?”
Grojean suddenly came to his senses and took out his notebook.
“Don’t let your guard down in the forest while I’m away.”
“His Majesty the King has accepted. He has asked to meet in secret. We are planning to go horseback riding at the Tissot Annex on the 18th at noon. He has asked that all attendants, aides, and bodyguards be dismissed and that we wait.”
“If it’s the 18th...”
“Your Majesty will be in Trunia. Officially. I intentionally made the previous day’s schedule tight. If you suddenly fall ill just before departure, no one will suspect anything.”
"Yes."
“I have already bribed one of the servants of the villa. If anyone asks about the young master’s whereabouts that day, he will be able to tell a good story. He said you had a bad cold and couldn’t come out of your bedroom.”
Hardius nodded.
“Don’t let your guard down in the forest while I’m away.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve made sure to warn Hilden Farm and Beppy Dilson.”
After turning the last page of the thick stack of documents, Hardius leaned back in his chair and pressed his eyes hard. When he lifted his hand again, his silver-gray eyes were staring into the empty space beyond the chandelier.
Two mines in Trunia need to be obtained through negotiation: Mondio and Lucan.
But Hardius secretly planned to get one more.
That's right, Onteras.
Hardius secretly intended to own the gold mine that would bring immense wealth to Meyer Steel.
Completely, truly his.
The heir to the Meyer family seemed to have everything in the world, but in reality, he had nothing. Hardius could no longer tolerate that.
From now on, he will gradually acquire everything that the name Meyer symbolizes.
“Charlotte, are you sure you’re not going?”
“Don’t go. How sad would Brave be if I went too? Dogs hate being alone.”
That's a ridiculous excuse. Emilia's eyes narrowed, but she nodded her head.
“Then what should I do? ... Ah! I guess I can take Brave with me too. Yes?”
“Huh? Uh... That, that’s right...”
Charlotte, at a loss, hugged Brave's body tighter. Emilia chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Charlotte. I’ll take Uncle Beppy’s carriage. That way, you won’t have to run into anyone else.”
“No, it’s not because of the people.”
“Then why do you insist on not going?”
“It hurts. It hurts so much here that I can’t walk.”
Charlotte grabs her good ankle again.
“Didn’t you just play with Brave a moment ago?”
The child's face was distorted. She must be wondering what excuse she should make to get her older sister to accept it.
Charlotte usually followed her sister's orders obediently, except for one thing: the problem coming from the attic.
“Yes. This time, I’ll go alone. But you have to keep trying not to hide. You can’t hide forever. If you keep avoiding people like that, you’ll really turn into a monster.”
Only then did Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Seeing her eyes welling up with tears made her heart ache again.
After all, wasn't she the child who hung upside down from a tree while being called a monster? The outside world is still a lawless place for Charlotte. She must approach everything slowly. She must not be impatient.
Emilia got into the carriage alone, not forgetting to stop by Cavendish Manor on the way to return the money.
Mr. Haspel initially waved his hand and said he couldn't accept it, saying he was afraid that Master Malvin would find out about it.
Emilia forcefully stuffed a bag of money into his chest.
“Don’t worry, just take it. I’ll make sure to explain it to Master Malvin.”
The moment Haspel accepted the envelope of money with a resigned look on his face, Emilia's heart finally felt lighter.
The carriage ran diligently toward Sitmer.
Sitmer was famous for having His Majesty the King's villa. According to Beppy, Laura would soon be working there as a maid. Not just any maid, but a maid of the royal family.
Royal servants are given special treatment, including private bedrooms and even their own chapel.
Emilia felt strangely pleased that her uncle's younger sister was being treated so well.
Outside the window, a picturesque landscape unfolded. A cluster of small houses, a church, and a granary formed a steep hillside, and the vast expanse of vineyards was also spectacular.
The carriage stopped in front of a reddish-brown brick house with smoke rising from it.
It wasn't much different from Emilia's house. It was a typical country house, with all kinds of vegetables growing in the garden and chickens and pigs running around the yard.
“Brother!”
A girl with her hair braided on both sides came running out frantically. Beppy hugged her tightly and stroked her hair with his large hands.
Even though Emilia did nothing to save their lives, she felt strangely proud.
“Emilia has arrived.”
Laura turned her head toward Emilia, holding her brother's hand. Looking at her with her dark face and thin body, she felt a pang of sadness for no reason.
‘She’s so small and young... and she was in a brothel...’
Her heart ached, but in fact, Emilia didn't know exactly what a 'brothel' was. She had only heard that it was a 'hell' for women. It was probably a place where they whipped women or beat them severely. Didn't Mitch's stepmother get whipped by Mitch's father? Even if you don't know why they beat people, there are definitely vicious people who enjoy it.
“Hello, Miss!”
Fortunately, Laura seemed much brighter and more energetic than she expected.
“Hello, Laura.”
The two people greeted each other with their cheeks facing each other.
“I’m not a lady, so just call me Emilia.”
“No. Absolutely not...”
“What’s wrong with that? I also call that person from the Meyer family ‘Master.’”
“But... still...”
It seems as if Hardius is looking down at Laura, who doesn't know what to do.
“Even though Uncle Beppy works in our house, I’ve never thought of him as a servant. He’s a dear friend to our family. So we’re just friends. If you keep calling me Miss, I might not be able to stay longer because it would make me uncomfortable.”
Laura nodded reluctantly.
The three of them walked past the lush azalea-lined wall toward a small brick house. The closer they got to the house, the more delicious and fragrant the smell became.
“Miss... no, I don’t know what Emilia likes, so I prepared some plain bread and pork stew. It’s not my own, but is it okay?”
Emilia nodded, swallowing her curiosity as to who else could have prepared the food if not Laura.
“I eat just about anything. I even won second place in the town festival sandwich-eating contest.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I had a match with the son of a famous butcher. While he ate five, I only ate three, but at some point, we started to turn things around. I’m usually strong in the second half. In the sixth, his speed suddenly slowed down, and I accelerated. Everyone was going crazy.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Hey, that's great, Emilia hid her pride with a slight gesture.
“Anyway, I thought I was first, but well, it turned out I dropped a piece of bread. In the end, I ended up coming in second, unfortunately.”
“The world really is unfair, for a slender and beautiful girl like Emilia to eat so well.”
Laura giggled and grabbed the doorknob.
“Oh, actually, there’s one more guest. I didn’t tell you on purpose because I wanted to surprise you...”
“Oh, really?”
As soon as she asked, Emilia was overcome by a strange feeling.
“I’m sure you’ll like it.”
An ominous feeling of foreboding is slowly rising.
As Emilia's face hardened, the door opened.
Beyond the living room, a large table was set with a sumptuous feast, and in the middle of it sat a 'surprise guest'. Just before the door opened, just as she had expected.
“Come on in, Emilia.”
Hardy Meyer raises his hand, one arm resting on an old chair.
Emilia wasn't particularly surprised. Her heart was just pounding wildly.
“I’m glad I brought the chef. The woman who won second place in the eating competition is my fiancée.”
Hardius filled the glass with wine. Emilia froze in place, unable to move.
Beppy lowered his head in silence, and Laura, feeling relieved on her own, grabbed Emilia's arm. Her body, stiff as a log, was suddenly placed opposite Hardius.
“Now, show me. The skill that won you second place in the sandwich-eating contest.”
There was a lot of delicious food on the table. Emilia looked down at the steaming stew, wondering how to react.
A glass of wine was suddenly handed to her as her vision became blurry.
“Drink.”
"No, I do not want."
“Why? Are you afraid it might be poisoned?”
Instead of an answer, a long sigh escapes Emilia's mouth.
“I’m telling you in advance that I’m not trying to force you to say no this time. I’m not trying to deceive you either.”
“Then what?”
“Would you believe me if I told you to comfort me?”
Emilia, who had been trying to ignore whatever he said, now forgets her promise and frowns as if asking what he means.
"You had to deal with her on your own. I allowed it."
For a moment, her heart sank strangely. She felt like she was being sucked into an endless abyss.
Hardius didn't take his eyes off the papers for a long time.
The shadow of the vase standing by the window disappeared, and the maid changed the cold water in the teacup three times.
Grojean silently stood by his master's side.
Aren't you scared?
Trunia is a place where rebels are armed with guns and swords. Most of the nobles have already fled the country, and even the Emperor, Miyers, is on the run from the rebels.
Meeting the Emperor and negotiating in such a place is like adding fuel to the fire. No family would send their successor to such a dangerous situation.
“What happened to the secret letter?”
Grojean suddenly came to his senses and took out his notebook.
“Don’t let your guard down in the forest while I’m away.”
“His Majesty the King has accepted. He has asked to meet in secret. We are planning to go horseback riding at the Tissot Annex on the 18th at noon. He has asked that all attendants, aides, and bodyguards be dismissed and that we wait.”
“If it’s the 18th...”
“Your Majesty will be in Trunia. Officially. I intentionally made the previous day’s schedule tight. If you suddenly fall ill just before departure, no one will suspect anything.”
"Yes."
“I have already bribed one of the servants of the villa. If anyone asks about the young master’s whereabouts that day, he will be able to tell a good story. He said you had a bad cold and couldn’t come out of your bedroom.”
Hardius nodded.
“Don’t let your guard down in the forest while I’m away.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve made sure to warn Hilden Farm and Beppy Dilson.”
After turning the last page of the thick stack of documents, Hardius leaned back in his chair and pressed his eyes hard. When he lifted his hand again, his silver-gray eyes were staring into the empty space beyond the chandelier.
Two mines in Trunia need to be obtained through negotiation: Mondio and Lucan.
But Hardius secretly planned to get one more.
That's right, Onteras.
Hardius secretly intended to own the gold mine that would bring immense wealth to Meyer Steel.
Completely, truly his.
The heir to the Meyer family seemed to have everything in the world, but in reality, he had nothing. Hardius could no longer tolerate that.
From now on, he will gradually acquire everything that the name Meyer symbolizes.
***
“Charlotte, are you sure you’re not going?”
“Don’t go. How sad would Brave be if I went too? Dogs hate being alone.”
That's a ridiculous excuse. Emilia's eyes narrowed, but she nodded her head.
“Then what should I do? ... Ah! I guess I can take Brave with me too. Yes?”
“Huh? Uh... That, that’s right...”
Charlotte, at a loss, hugged Brave's body tighter. Emilia chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Charlotte. I’ll take Uncle Beppy’s carriage. That way, you won’t have to run into anyone else.”
“No, it’s not because of the people.”
“Then why do you insist on not going?”
“It hurts. It hurts so much here that I can’t walk.”
Charlotte grabs her good ankle again.
“Didn’t you just play with Brave a moment ago?”
The child's face was distorted. She must be wondering what excuse she should make to get her older sister to accept it.
Charlotte usually followed her sister's orders obediently, except for one thing: the problem coming from the attic.
“Yes. This time, I’ll go alone. But you have to keep trying not to hide. You can’t hide forever. If you keep avoiding people like that, you’ll really turn into a monster.”
Only then did Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Seeing her eyes welling up with tears made her heart ache again.
After all, wasn't she the child who hung upside down from a tree while being called a monster? The outside world is still a lawless place for Charlotte. She must approach everything slowly. She must not be impatient.
Emilia got into the carriage alone, not forgetting to stop by Cavendish Manor on the way to return the money.
Mr. Haspel initially waved his hand and said he couldn't accept it, saying he was afraid that Master Malvin would find out about it.
Emilia forcefully stuffed a bag of money into his chest.
“Don’t worry, just take it. I’ll make sure to explain it to Master Malvin.”
The moment Haspel accepted the envelope of money with a resigned look on his face, Emilia's heart finally felt lighter.
The carriage ran diligently toward Sitmer.
Sitmer was famous for having His Majesty the King's villa. According to Beppy, Laura would soon be working there as a maid. Not just any maid, but a maid of the royal family.
Royal servants are given special treatment, including private bedrooms and even their own chapel.
Emilia felt strangely pleased that her uncle's younger sister was being treated so well.
Outside the window, a picturesque landscape unfolded. A cluster of small houses, a church, and a granary formed a steep hillside, and the vast expanse of vineyards was also spectacular.
The carriage stopped in front of a reddish-brown brick house with smoke rising from it.
It wasn't much different from Emilia's house. It was a typical country house, with all kinds of vegetables growing in the garden and chickens and pigs running around the yard.
“Brother!”
A girl with her hair braided on both sides came running out frantically. Beppy hugged her tightly and stroked her hair with his large hands.
Even though Emilia did nothing to save their lives, she felt strangely proud.
“Emilia has arrived.”
Laura turned her head toward Emilia, holding her brother's hand. Looking at her with her dark face and thin body, she felt a pang of sadness for no reason.
‘She’s so small and young... and she was in a brothel...’
Her heart ached, but in fact, Emilia didn't know exactly what a 'brothel' was. She had only heard that it was a 'hell' for women. It was probably a place where they whipped women or beat them severely. Didn't Mitch's stepmother get whipped by Mitch's father? Even if you don't know why they beat people, there are definitely vicious people who enjoy it.
“Hello, Miss!”
Fortunately, Laura seemed much brighter and more energetic than she expected.
“Hello, Laura.”
The two people greeted each other with their cheeks facing each other.
“I’m not a lady, so just call me Emilia.”
“No. Absolutely not...”
“What’s wrong with that? I also call that person from the Meyer family ‘Master.’”
“But... still...”
It seems as if Hardius is looking down at Laura, who doesn't know what to do.
“Even though Uncle Beppy works in our house, I’ve never thought of him as a servant. He’s a dear friend to our family. So we’re just friends. If you keep calling me Miss, I might not be able to stay longer because it would make me uncomfortable.”
Laura nodded reluctantly.
The three of them walked past the lush azalea-lined wall toward a small brick house. The closer they got to the house, the more delicious and fragrant the smell became.
“Miss... no, I don’t know what Emilia likes, so I prepared some plain bread and pork stew. It’s not my own, but is it okay?”
Emilia nodded, swallowing her curiosity as to who else could have prepared the food if not Laura.
“I eat just about anything. I even won second place in the town festival sandwich-eating contest.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I had a match with the son of a famous butcher. While he ate five, I only ate three, but at some point, we started to turn things around. I’m usually strong in the second half. In the sixth, his speed suddenly slowed down, and I accelerated. Everyone was going crazy.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Hey, that's great, Emilia hid her pride with a slight gesture.
“Anyway, I thought I was first, but well, it turned out I dropped a piece of bread. In the end, I ended up coming in second, unfortunately.”
“The world really is unfair, for a slender and beautiful girl like Emilia to eat so well.”
Laura giggled and grabbed the doorknob.
“Oh, actually, there’s one more guest. I didn’t tell you on purpose because I wanted to surprise you...”
“Oh, really?”
As soon as she asked, Emilia was overcome by a strange feeling.
“I’m sure you’ll like it.”
An ominous feeling of foreboding is slowly rising.
As Emilia's face hardened, the door opened.
Beyond the living room, a large table was set with a sumptuous feast, and in the middle of it sat a 'surprise guest'. Just before the door opened, just as she had expected.
“Come on in, Emilia.”
Hardy Meyer raises his hand, one arm resting on an old chair.
Emilia wasn't particularly surprised. Her heart was just pounding wildly.
“I’m glad I brought the chef. The woman who won second place in the eating competition is my fiancée.”
Hardius filled the glass with wine. Emilia froze in place, unable to move.
Beppy lowered his head in silence, and Laura, feeling relieved on her own, grabbed Emilia's arm. Her body, stiff as a log, was suddenly placed opposite Hardius.
“Now, show me. The skill that won you second place in the sandwich-eating contest.”
There was a lot of delicious food on the table. Emilia looked down at the steaming stew, wondering how to react.
A glass of wine was suddenly handed to her as her vision became blurry.
“Drink.”
"No, I do not want."
“Why? Are you afraid it might be poisoned?”
Instead of an answer, a long sigh escapes Emilia's mouth.
“I’m telling you in advance that I’m not trying to force you to say no this time. I’m not trying to deceive you either.”
“Then what?”
“Would you believe me if I told you to comfort me?”
Emilia, who had been trying to ignore whatever he said, now forgets her promise and frowns as if asking what he means.
"You had to deal with her on your own. I allowed it."
For a moment, her heart sank strangely. She felt like she was being sucked into an endless abyss.
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