030. Thawing
Exactly three days later, Emilia returned to Basilion House. As she rode in the carriage and arrived at the drawing room, her mind was filled with one thought.
This is not the time to be concerned about her pride. She must apologize to Hardius unconditionally.
As she was organizing what she wanted to say in her head, she heard the sound of teacups clinking behind her.
“Oh, I won’t drink. It’s okay...”
“Drink. It will help you relax.”
It's not a maid. It's Hardius. Her body turned around.
“Hello... Master.”
"How have you been doing?"
Hardius looks very energetic. She feels somewhat annoyed when she compares him to herself, who tossed and turned all night because of Mitch. If only he could just take it coldly.
“It’s trendy to drink like this these days.”
Hardius began to pour milk into the black tea. Even during her confusion, a fragrant aroma captured her sense of smell.
“Here you go.”
Exactly three days later, Emilia returned to Basilion House. As she rode in the carriage and arrived at the drawing room, her mind was filled with one thought.
This is not the time to be concerned about her pride. She must apologize to Hardius unconditionally.
As she was organizing what she wanted to say in her head, she heard the sound of teacups clinking behind her.
“Oh, I won’t drink. It’s okay...”
“Drink. It will help you relax.”
It's not a maid. It's Hardius. Her body turned around.
“Hello... Master.”
"How have you been doing?"
Hardius looks very energetic. She feels somewhat annoyed when she compares him to herself, who tossed and turned all night because of Mitch. If only he could just take it coldly.
“It’s trendy to drink like this these days.”
Hardius began to pour milk into the black tea. Even during her confusion, a fragrant aroma captured her sense of smell.
“Here you go.”
Emilia came to her senses as she looked at the teacup held out in front of her nose.
“I heard everything from Mr. Grojean. What my brother Mitch did.”
He raised his hand as if to tell her to stop. But Emilia's words poured out like a torrent.
“That child lied to his friends, calling you a ‘shameless monster’ and making up stories that didn’t even happen. Mada. Meyer would swear at me whenever she got the chance, and she would call me a ‘slutty, vulgar woman’ and threaten me in all sorts of ways...”
Both eyes, unable to look at Hardius, gradually fell downward.
“It is said that the grandson of Senator Hockney relayed those words to his grandfather, and they eventually reached the ears of His Majesty the King.”
Hardius didn't say anything. He just handed her another cup of tea as if telling her to drink it. Emilia continued speaking without even thinking about accepting it.
“I was wondering why the story was suddenly published in the newspaper... It was Mitch’s fault after all. No, it was my fault. After all, it was my responsibility for my brother’s actions.”
“No, it’s not your fault.”
“It’s late, but I still want to apologize. I was thinking of bringing Mitch and having him apologize in front of the master, but that kid... Even if you say that... he’s still young...”
“I say this again: I don’t blame you. And your brother.”
“But the master’s mother wouldn’t think so...”
“I wish we hadn’t talked about that woman.”
Emilia's body flinched at the sharp answer.
“Oh, anyway, I scolded Mitch very harshly. He also admitted his mistake and is reflecting on it. It won’t happen again.”
“...”
“I apologize again. And thank you for being so forgiving.”
The moment Emilia bowed down like a sinner, a sharp sound was heard. It was the sound of a teacup hitting the windowsill.
When she looked up, she saw Hardius with a strangely cold face.
“What on earth did Grojean say?”
Her blue eyes were filled with bewilderment. Why was she suddenly talking about Mr. Grojean?
“Did that kid tell you to do that? Kneel down in front of me and apologize?”
“Oh, no, that’s not true. Mr. Grojean said that the Meyer family doesn’t blame me or Mitch for that. If they did, they would have published a rebuttal the day the commentary was published. He also said that he deeply sympathizes with and feels responsible for all the pain I’ve suffered over the past five years.”
“What did he say again?”
“He said he wanted me to do my best to cooperate in calming public opinion.”
Hardius, who had been growling as if he would grab Grojean by the collar at any moment, gradually regained his composure.
“Yes, I want cooperation. Not that kind of punishment or apology.”
“...”
“It’s entirely the Meyer family’s fault that our relationship is in shambles. It’s the Meyer family’s fault that Mitch Bern made such remarks in front of his friends.”
Emilia couldn't help but be surprised. It felt completely different from what she had heard from Grojean's mouth.
At that time, it sounded like nothing more than a call to take responsibility. I was so anxious that Mitch might get expelled from school.
“First, have some tea.”
Emilia accepted the teacup absentmindedly. The moment she took a sip, warmth spread around her, and her anxiously beating heart calmed down.
“I thought about it for a few days. Then, all of a sudden, I realized something. The alimony, the engagement agreement, the dress... Why does the young master keep plotting such strange things?”
Hardius nodded as if to continue.
“You will soon become the Duke of Meyer. You will become the true head of the family. That is why you would want to block out the bad rumors surrounding me. There is no good in rumors going around that you abandoned your fiancée or treated her carelessly. In your world, reputation is really important. Some people risk their lives.”
Emilia suddenly felt the need to reassure him more.
“But even without the engagement agreement, I would have done my best. Believe it or not, I was developing a kind of ‘friendship’ with you.”
Hardius had his hands in his pockets, and his face was unreadable.
“The five-year engagement period wasn’t all fun and games... but lately, I’ve been forgetting the old past little by little. I’m also truly grateful for the kindness you’ve shown Charlotte. I think of that as a kind of friendship.”
“Friendship? Why do you feel that kind of thing from me?”
Well, now that you mention it, that's true. Why the friendship when you're about to break off an engagement?
Emilia's face turned bright red.
“I just wanted to say that I no longer think badly of you, Master.”
“Then answer me. Why did you, who felt such ‘friendship’ with me, get angry and storm out that day?”
Her face was about to turn red again. What should I say...
Emilia chose half the truth.
“...Because of the dress.”
“Is that something to be angry about? It was a gift.”
“It didn’t feel like a gift at all. It was something that was forced on me. A favor that the other person doesn’t want is just self-righteousness.”
Actually, there was another reason.
The moment she saw him in his formal attire that day, she couldn't help but admit it.
Hardius still makes her heart flutter and race.
She was angry at herself for feeling that way even before the breakup.
The excitement towards the wrong person should be that of a child who knows nothing, not that of a nineteen-year-old virgin on the verge of adulthood.
He shouldn't be shaken by giving her gifts, worrying that she might cry, or dancing together on the beach.
“The master ignored me. You didn’t respect me. You made all the decisions without asking my opinion.”
Emilia waited for Hardius to respond with something like, 'Yes, I am a selfish guy.' But he said nothing. There was only a dark look in his eyes and silence for a long time.
“...I was probably seven years old.”
Emilia was taken aback by his sudden words. But soon she looked at him with a serious face.
“I used to play ‘Guessing Game’ with Elliot, my only friend and starter. It was a game where we had to guess the names or characteristics of objects.”
“I know, I used to play with Mitch when I was little.”
“That day we played a color matching game and Elliot posed this question: ‘What color is the moon?’”
Perhaps it is because there is speculation that his childhood was not very happy.
Hardius's gaze and tone of voice were very calm, but Emilia felt her heart ache.
“I said pale white, because that’s how moonlight always is on the river. But Elliot insisted that was wrong. The moon is pale yellow. When I thought about it, that was true too. So I did. You’re right, I’m right, so it’s a tie, Elliot nodded. Seven-year-olds have come to understand the diversity of perspectives. And do you know what happened the next day?”
Something tragic must have happened, for sure.
Her heart is pounding with anxiety.
“I was spanked by my tutor. My mother was there to give him instructions the whole time. She told her to beat me hard until I came to my senses, even if it meant drawing blood. The spanking broke, and broke, and broke again. She counted how many times I had to give up, and only then did she put it down.”
She's heard that children from some prestigious families receive a very strict education.
But how could she do that to a child who was only seven years old?
On the one hand, she couldn't believe it.
Kaitlyn Meyer is the epitome of an elegant and dignified lady. When she came into the forest that day, she didn't raise her voice or act mean. Wasn't it Emilia who got angry and snarled?
But... She had such a vicious side. To her own son, of all people...
“My mother told me to somehow defeat Elliot. She said that if I didn’t admit it and apologize, I would be beaten again tomorrow. She said that if the moon was sometimes white and sometimes yellow, then what I said about it being white had to be right. That’s how it should be if I’m going to lead the Meyer family.”
Emilia tried to appear calm. Hardius probably wasn't telling her stories from his childhood to elicit pity.
“I was raised to believe that self-righteousness was a virtue. That doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you.”
For some reason, she felt out of breath.
She should have been happy when Hardius said that he was admitting his mistake, but strangely enough, she wasn't.
She wanted to say something comforting, but her mouth wouldn't open. A thick, heavy silence settled over her.
“Confession ends here. Should we leave now?”
"... Yes?"
“Didn’t you come here to cooperate?”
“Ah... That, that’s right...”
She answered absentmindedly, but on the other hand, she was confused.
She was thinking of asking Hardius for forgiveness and going straight home. She had no intention of going out together.
But Hardius snatched the teacup from her hand so naturally, saying, “If you’ve finished drinking, let’s go now.”
Emilia, who didn't know what to do, quickly put on her gloves and grabbed her hat.
The door to the mansion opened, and bright light poured in.
Hadius strode out. Emilia followed him.
She was thinking of asking Hardius for forgiveness and going straight home. She had no intention of going out together.
But Hardius snatched the teacup from her hand so naturally, saying, “If you’ve finished drinking, let’s go now.”
Emilia, who didn't know what to do, quickly put on her gloves and grabbed her hat.
The door to the mansion opened, and bright light poured in.
Hadius strode out. Emilia followed him.
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