031. The Prince and the Pauper
The two crossed the street and arrived at the banks of the River Rivier, the very same road they had walked at their last banquet.
Unlike before when they used to walk a few steps away, Hardius was now standing shoulder to shoulder with her so naturally.
As she walked in the warm sunlight, Emilia began to feel increasingly strange.
Not knowing what to do with her empty heart, Emilia just stared at the river.
A family of friendly ducks is swimming leisurely.
Behind the large duck that appeared to be the mother, seven cute little ducklings followed in a row.
The pastoral scenery seemed to have gently rippled through Hardius's heart, which rarely wavered. He asked softly.
“Have you ever thought about that?”
“What are you thinking?”
“What if I were an ordinary person?”
The two eyes that had been following the river suddenly turned to him.
“...You cannot be an ordinary person.”
In Emilia's small world, the only normal men are her dead father, Mitch, the butcher, Mr. Haspel... people like that.
How can she compare them to Hardius Meyer? No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she had to admit it. Hadius Meyer is a star. He shines high and proud. That alone will never change.
“If I were an ordinary person, our relationship would have been completely different.”
Emilia smiled calmly, even though her heart was pounding.
“You are truly endlessly greedy. You are someone who is satisfied only after you have everything you want, and yet you expect to be ‘ordinary.’”
“That’s correct.”
After those words, silence came again.
Unlike Hardius, who seemed calm, Emilia's mind became increasingly complicated.
What if he were an ordinary person?
If it had been the butcher's Hardius instead of the Meyer's Hardius, she would have liked it. Without any hesitation.
Emilia was shocked by the conclusion she came to on her own.
Emilia started walking again, a little dazed. It wasn't long before she noticed something very strange.
People had been constantly glancing at them for a while. Some were whispering behind their backs, while others were openly staring at them strangely.
In an instant, she realized why. They were looking at her clothes, not her face.
A well-dressed nobleman and a shabbily dressed young woman.
A little later, something even more embarrassing happened.
A child passing by openly pointed a finger at Emilia. The child turned to the woman who seemed to be his mother and said something, and the woman was startled and quickly put the child's hand down.
But it didn't stop the sound from leaking out. The child clearly said, 'Maid.'
Emilia felt dazed again.
Yes, here she is, just a maid. It was always like that at Cavendish Manor.
She wasn't particularly embarrassed.
But Hardius is different. He is the heir to a prestigious noble family, and this is the heart of Nowak, a city of nobles.
A place where you have to wear different clothes for morning, lunch, and dinner.
A world where people are clearly differentiated by their appearance and clothing.
It may be natural that Hardius wanted to dress his fiancée in seven dresses. He had to show them to people.
Who was it that boasted that he would fulfill his fiancée's duties until the end? What about that dress? Why not just wear it once?
“...Over there, Young Master...”
Emilia's mind was full of thoughts about returning to the mansion and changing into the dress Hardius had bought her.
But Hardius wasn't looking at Emilia. Emilia tilted her head and turned to where his gaze was fixed.
There was nothing, just a small side street... The moment she tilted her head, a strange feeling was transmitted through her wrist. Hardius had grabbed her wrist. Emilia was so surprised that she didn’t even think about pulling her wrist away, and just stared blankly at him.
“Follow me.”
"Yes?"
“Let’s walk with peace of mind.”
Hardius suddenly changed direction. Unlike the smooth paved promenade, it was a slightly bumpy and shaded street.
“...Uh, where are you going?”
“A place I’ve never been, but always wanted to go.”
“Where is that...”
Shr couldn't continue speaking. Because Hardius suddenly increased his speed. Emilia, who was holding his hand, couldn't help but naturally speed up her pace as well.
The lead leg was getting faster and faster, and Emilia was almost running.
As the speed increased, the scenery changed rapidly. It was neither a luxurious, affluent neighborhood nor a forested country road, but an alleyway lined with gray walls.
“Where on earth are you going?”
“There’s that famous Turin Street nearby. I heard the bars there are really fun.”
“You’re not suggesting we go to a bar right now... are you?”
Hardius suddenly took out his watch and checked the time.
“Run. We don’t have much time.”
Emilia's eyes widened.
“Wait, wait a minute... Let’s go to a bar... Are you crazy?”
“Have you heard of the Prince and the Pauper?”
“The Prince and... the Pauler?”
“Five years old, that was Lord Meyer’s favorite story.”
The unexpected confession snapped something that had been weighing on her heart.
Emilia stopped trying to pull her wrist away. She relaxed her arms and started to run properly after him. With each powerful step on the hard stone floor, she felt as if she were flying through the sky. The blood gushed, and a sense of liberation came.
Hardius noticed Emilia panting heavily and slowed down a bit. The legs of the man and woman who had been running out of step slowly found their rhythm.
“You’re running pretty well, aren’t you?”
“...I’ve been like this... I was a relay runner... at the town festival...!”
Emilia answered with enthusiasm, panting.
“Haley... I have a friend... she fell... and I caught up to her. I was the last... runner... and I got the goose. As a prize...”
Hardius listened to the rambling words and asked, “Really?” A wicked smile appeared on his lips.
“Then, show your strength.”
Hardius suddenly increased his speed. He tightened his grip on her wrist several times as if he would not allow her to give up. The trembling caused by the contact had disappeared. The power was activated.
Emilia squeezed out all the strength she had and doubled her speed.
But it was nearly impossible to catch up with the man who had graduated from the military academy. Even though she was running at a lung-splitting pace, he didn't allow her to get ahead of him even for a moment.
“Ah, stop!”
Emilia declared defeat. Hardius immediately let go of her hand.
Haa... Haa... Gasp... Gasp... The heavy breathing of the two people who had stopped entangled with each other.
“You know... something really... fatal?”
“Fatal? Me?”
“No matter what... You are a man, my lord.”
“Disappointing. Using gender as an excuse. Haven’t you heard of the Order of St. Mary?”
“Ha! That’s different from fighting one-on-one!”
Emilia glared at him intently. Unlike her eyes, her mouth was full of laughter.
“Look, we arrived sooner than I thought.”
At Hardius's words, Emilia straightened her bowed back and looked around.
At the end of the long, narrow alley, a completely different world unfolded.
The winding road was lined with bustling stalls, shops, and bars, and was crowded with people, leaving no room to stand. The road was crowded with stagecoaches and carts, but it was not dirty or frowned upon like a slum.
“Buy oysters! Fresh oysters, three ounces in a handful!”
“Go and take a look, there are a lot of brooches. There are fans too!”
“Chimney sweep! Chimney!”
The place was completely busy with people trying to sell and bargain. Even in the midst of all that, the smell of bread baking and cheese wafted in, stimulating her appetite.
Walking down the lively street, it really felt like she was with a 'normal guy'. Emilia wished that Hardius could become the main character of The Prince and the Pauper and enjoy the rest of her day without any worries.
But soon after, she realized a somewhat sad truth.
Even though she didn't know what she was expecting, the strange stares continued here. It's not just the nobles who distinguish people by their clothes. Prejudice exists in every class. The people in the market also looked at the young man, who looked very rich, and the ordinary woman next to him with strange eyes. There was a mixture of ridicule and contempt.
Emilia swallowed the bitter truth and grabbed Hardius's sleeve.
“Hey... Should we just go back?”
Hardius watched the people glancing around and asked, “Does it bother you that much?”
“That’s not true, but...”
“A good idea occurred to me.”
"Yes?"
Hardius suddenly looked around as if he were looking for something. Then, after a while, he stopped. Where his eyes landed was a man. He was an ordinary man you could see in the market.
"...Why?"
“Wait a minute.”
He approached the strange man and spoke to him. The man, who was startled, soon broke into a bright smile.
A moment later, something amazing happened. The two men began to change clothes. The shiny black jackets were replaced by old jackets with padded elbows, and the cream silk ties were replaced by faded dark-gray hunting caps.
The man in Hardius's clothes shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn't believe his luck that had come out of nowhere and disappeared. Hardius passed him and turned back to Emilia.
“I can’t afford to waste the rest of my time on clothes.”
A huge wave engulfed her entire body. Emilia was swept away by the hot waves, and for a long time, she couldn't say anything.
The two crossed the street and arrived at the banks of the River Rivier, the very same road they had walked at their last banquet.
Unlike before when they used to walk a few steps away, Hardius was now standing shoulder to shoulder with her so naturally.
As she walked in the warm sunlight, Emilia began to feel increasingly strange.
Not knowing what to do with her empty heart, Emilia just stared at the river.
A family of friendly ducks is swimming leisurely.
Behind the large duck that appeared to be the mother, seven cute little ducklings followed in a row.
The pastoral scenery seemed to have gently rippled through Hardius's heart, which rarely wavered. He asked softly.
“Have you ever thought about that?”
“What are you thinking?”
“What if I were an ordinary person?”
The two eyes that had been following the river suddenly turned to him.
“...You cannot be an ordinary person.”
In Emilia's small world, the only normal men are her dead father, Mitch, the butcher, Mr. Haspel... people like that.
How can she compare them to Hardius Meyer? No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she had to admit it. Hadius Meyer is a star. He shines high and proud. That alone will never change.
“If I were an ordinary person, our relationship would have been completely different.”
Emilia smiled calmly, even though her heart was pounding.
“You are truly endlessly greedy. You are someone who is satisfied only after you have everything you want, and yet you expect to be ‘ordinary.’”
“That’s correct.”
After those words, silence came again.
Unlike Hardius, who seemed calm, Emilia's mind became increasingly complicated.
What if he were an ordinary person?
If it had been the butcher's Hardius instead of the Meyer's Hardius, she would have liked it. Without any hesitation.
Emilia was shocked by the conclusion she came to on her own.
Emilia started walking again, a little dazed. It wasn't long before she noticed something very strange.
People had been constantly glancing at them for a while. Some were whispering behind their backs, while others were openly staring at them strangely.
In an instant, she realized why. They were looking at her clothes, not her face.
A well-dressed nobleman and a shabbily dressed young woman.
A little later, something even more embarrassing happened.
A child passing by openly pointed a finger at Emilia. The child turned to the woman who seemed to be his mother and said something, and the woman was startled and quickly put the child's hand down.
But it didn't stop the sound from leaking out. The child clearly said, 'Maid.'
Emilia felt dazed again.
Yes, here she is, just a maid. It was always like that at Cavendish Manor.
She wasn't particularly embarrassed.
But Hardius is different. He is the heir to a prestigious noble family, and this is the heart of Nowak, a city of nobles.
A place where you have to wear different clothes for morning, lunch, and dinner.
A world where people are clearly differentiated by their appearance and clothing.
It may be natural that Hardius wanted to dress his fiancée in seven dresses. He had to show them to people.
Who was it that boasted that he would fulfill his fiancée's duties until the end? What about that dress? Why not just wear it once?
“...Over there, Young Master...”
Emilia's mind was full of thoughts about returning to the mansion and changing into the dress Hardius had bought her.
But Hardius wasn't looking at Emilia. Emilia tilted her head and turned to where his gaze was fixed.
There was nothing, just a small side street... The moment she tilted her head, a strange feeling was transmitted through her wrist. Hardius had grabbed her wrist. Emilia was so surprised that she didn’t even think about pulling her wrist away, and just stared blankly at him.
“Follow me.”
"Yes?"
“Let’s walk with peace of mind.”
Hardius suddenly changed direction. Unlike the smooth paved promenade, it was a slightly bumpy and shaded street.
“...Uh, where are you going?”
“A place I’ve never been, but always wanted to go.”
“Where is that...”
Shr couldn't continue speaking. Because Hardius suddenly increased his speed. Emilia, who was holding his hand, couldn't help but naturally speed up her pace as well.
The lead leg was getting faster and faster, and Emilia was almost running.
As the speed increased, the scenery changed rapidly. It was neither a luxurious, affluent neighborhood nor a forested country road, but an alleyway lined with gray walls.
“Where on earth are you going?”
“There’s that famous Turin Street nearby. I heard the bars there are really fun.”
“You’re not suggesting we go to a bar right now... are you?”
Hardius suddenly took out his watch and checked the time.
“Run. We don’t have much time.”
Emilia's eyes widened.
“Wait, wait a minute... Let’s go to a bar... Are you crazy?”
“Have you heard of the Prince and the Pauper?”
“The Prince and... the Pauler?”
“Five years old, that was Lord Meyer’s favorite story.”
The unexpected confession snapped something that had been weighing on her heart.
Emilia stopped trying to pull her wrist away. She relaxed her arms and started to run properly after him. With each powerful step on the hard stone floor, she felt as if she were flying through the sky. The blood gushed, and a sense of liberation came.
Hardius noticed Emilia panting heavily and slowed down a bit. The legs of the man and woman who had been running out of step slowly found their rhythm.
“You’re running pretty well, aren’t you?”
“...I’ve been like this... I was a relay runner... at the town festival...!”
Emilia answered with enthusiasm, panting.
“Haley... I have a friend... she fell... and I caught up to her. I was the last... runner... and I got the goose. As a prize...”
Hardius listened to the rambling words and asked, “Really?” A wicked smile appeared on his lips.
“Then, show your strength.”
Hardius suddenly increased his speed. He tightened his grip on her wrist several times as if he would not allow her to give up. The trembling caused by the contact had disappeared. The power was activated.
Emilia squeezed out all the strength she had and doubled her speed.
But it was nearly impossible to catch up with the man who had graduated from the military academy. Even though she was running at a lung-splitting pace, he didn't allow her to get ahead of him even for a moment.
“Ah, stop!”
Emilia declared defeat. Hardius immediately let go of her hand.
Haa... Haa... Gasp... Gasp... The heavy breathing of the two people who had stopped entangled with each other.
“You know... something really... fatal?”
“Fatal? Me?”
“No matter what... You are a man, my lord.”
“Disappointing. Using gender as an excuse. Haven’t you heard of the Order of St. Mary?”
“Ha! That’s different from fighting one-on-one!”
Emilia glared at him intently. Unlike her eyes, her mouth was full of laughter.
“Look, we arrived sooner than I thought.”
At Hardius's words, Emilia straightened her bowed back and looked around.
At the end of the long, narrow alley, a completely different world unfolded.
The winding road was lined with bustling stalls, shops, and bars, and was crowded with people, leaving no room to stand. The road was crowded with stagecoaches and carts, but it was not dirty or frowned upon like a slum.
“Buy oysters! Fresh oysters, three ounces in a handful!”
“Go and take a look, there are a lot of brooches. There are fans too!”
“Chimney sweep! Chimney!”
The place was completely busy with people trying to sell and bargain. Even in the midst of all that, the smell of bread baking and cheese wafted in, stimulating her appetite.
Walking down the lively street, it really felt like she was with a 'normal guy'. Emilia wished that Hardius could become the main character of The Prince and the Pauper and enjoy the rest of her day without any worries.
But soon after, she realized a somewhat sad truth.
Even though she didn't know what she was expecting, the strange stares continued here. It's not just the nobles who distinguish people by their clothes. Prejudice exists in every class. The people in the market also looked at the young man, who looked very rich, and the ordinary woman next to him with strange eyes. There was a mixture of ridicule and contempt.
Emilia swallowed the bitter truth and grabbed Hardius's sleeve.
“Hey... Should we just go back?”
Hardius watched the people glancing around and asked, “Does it bother you that much?”
“That’s not true, but...”
“A good idea occurred to me.”
"Yes?"
Hardius suddenly looked around as if he were looking for something. Then, after a while, he stopped. Where his eyes landed was a man. He was an ordinary man you could see in the market.
"...Why?"
“Wait a minute.”
He approached the strange man and spoke to him. The man, who was startled, soon broke into a bright smile.
A moment later, something amazing happened. The two men began to change clothes. The shiny black jackets were replaced by old jackets with padded elbows, and the cream silk ties were replaced by faded dark-gray hunting caps.
The man in Hardius's clothes shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn't believe his luck that had come out of nowhere and disappeared. Hardius passed him and turned back to Emilia.
“I can’t afford to waste the rest of my time on clothes.”
A huge wave engulfed her entire body. Emilia was swept away by the hot waves, and for a long time, she couldn't say anything.
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