050. Break and break
As she parted ways with Josephine and descended the stairs, Emilia spotted dark brown hair beyond the pillar.
It was Nathan. Her old shoes stopped right there, unable to step onto the next step.
What should I do?
Unable to suppress her awkward feelings, Emilia tilted her head back and pretended to drink alcohol that wasn't there.
There was another hand blocking her arm.
“Drink in moderation.”
It's Hardius.
“I heard. Something was going on at the salon.”
Strangely, her eyes grew hot. Emilia avoided his gaze and took a deep breath.
“...Don’t worry about it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hurt by such childish people.”
“Yeah, you never ask me for help. You always have. Cavendish or anyone, anything.”
The dark, sinking voice strangely twisted her heart, but Emilia didn't want to admit it.
Now that she's finally reached land, she has no desire to go against the current again.
“Everything is easy for you, my lord. You are one of the few beings who can roam freely anywhere, whether it be rivers, seas, sky, or land.”
The sarcasm continues unabated.
“You know what? People in your world keep saying strange things about me.”
"What do you mean?"
"Government."
That creepy word just came out to her now.
She was confident that she wouldn't be disappointed or shocked by any answer. But.
“I don’t have a government. I don’t have one now, and I won’t have one in the future.”
Emilia doubted her ears.
Broken engagement, merger with Leichnen, Bianca...
A lot of questions filled her head.
But she didn't ask a single word.
As the curtains were drawn, the musicians began to play music. The magnificent and beautiful melody moistened her dry ears.
It was a real blessing for Emilia, since she could avoid his intense gaze by pretending to be interested in the instrument.
“I once heard that music is like wine filling an empty glass. When I heard it myself, I realized it was absolutely true.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the butler opened the ballroom, and young men and women lined up, each holding their partner's hand. The ball was about to begin.
The first song is Kadril.
They had to do it in groups of four, but there were holes here and there.
Hardius and Emilia were far away in the ballroom, Sheila was still sobbing in the arms of her partner, Harriet, and Nathan was nowhere to be seen.
It was time for Odilia Luen, the host of the party, to show her skills. She moved around diligently, filling in empty seats and livening up the party. She ordered faster and more exciting songs from the musicians.
Finally, the main song, a waltz, was played.
The servants dimmed the lamps by putting lace on them and made the flower decorations hidden under the curtains pop out all at once. Romantic exclamations came from all around.
Hardius, who had been watching from afar, reached out his hand to Emilia.
“Shall we dance a song?”
“I don’t like it...”
Without waiting for an answer, Hardius pulled Emilia into his arms.
The small hand resisted hard, then gave up and fell limp. Then suddenly it tried to push against the chest again.
After a bit of a scuffle, they ended up in the middle of the hall.
“There are things that I have to break and shatter to get my hands on.”
“Instead, I will stab you painfully. Until you bleed. Everything has a price.”
"I don't care."
The unwavering answer made Emilia feel frustrated and at the same time resigned.
It was different from dancing on the sand at the beach or in the taverns. The smooth yet hard floor, the magnificent melody, the twinkling lights…
Hardius moved between them with great skill, while Emilia could not do so at all.
She wasn't good at dancing to begin with, but today her body felt even heavier. Her legs kept getting tangled up in the dress.
Every time the hem of the clothes rustles, the scent of roses and the man's body odor fill the hall, numbing her sense of smell.
It's strange. Why do my legs keep falling down? It's like my body isn't my own.
At one point, Emilia twisted her leg. If Hardius hadn't caught her, she would've fallen comically.
“This is... a mess.”
Her eyes are spinning. She feels feverish and dizzy.
Emilia unconsciously leaned her forehead against his chest. Her senses were becoming as dull as her tongue.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”
No, actually, she knows. It's mixing into the man like ink mixed into water.
Hot breath tickled her hair incessantly, and a broad, firm chest pressed against her ear as if it were being crushed.
The throbbing pulse of the man excited Emilia. Their chests, lower abdomen, and thighs were pressed tightly together, and Emilia found herself melting like wax.
Emilia was letting out a labored breath without realizing it.
"It's hard?"
"...little..."
The hand supporting her back gained strength. Her body felt hot as if gunpowder had exploded along her spine.
Suddenly, shr became unbearably angry. The inexplicable anger was threatening to burn everything down.
“Stop it.”
The legs that seemed like they would move endlessly stopped for a moment.
Emilia stumbled violently. If Hardius hadn't supported her with his arm, she probably would've fallen down.
“Stop it now.”
He looked down at his strangely pale face and his body that was gradually losing strength.
The next moment, she was seated on a chair. People were looking at the two with slightly surprised faces.
“Just hold on a little longer.”
Hold on? What?
Before Emilia could come to her senses, Hardius had disappeared somewhere. A moment later, the coachman, Roan, came running frantically.
“Take the young lady and go to the carriage.”
Hardius went straight to Luen.
“I’m sorry, but I think I have to leave first.”
It was a common occurrence for celebrities to leave early, so Madame Luen had no choice but to accept it, albeit with regret.
“Oh, there’s no way to hide my sorrow.”
“It was a wonderful party that I will remember for a long time.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
There were formal farewells. The servant brought the coats, and the carriage was ready. Hardy Meyer and his fiancée disappeared from the party hall in an instant, leaving behind dozens of pairs of eyes watching them.
“So you just skipped the ball? Nothing happened?”
“Yes, now that the engagement has been broken off, there is no need to take risks.”
"Hmm..."
Kaitlyn tapped the royal seal on the document with her fingertips. It was a certificate declaring the letter unauthorized and allowing the engagement to be dissolved.
Contrary to Kaitlyn's expectations, Hannes Leichtenen still smacks his lips in disappointment.
“If a scandal spreads, the National Assembly will have a reason to break off the engagement. What if those guys do something strange?”
It was a trap. William Richard dared to betray us!
Caitlin barely managed to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She shouldn't be talking nonsense when the facts haven't even been confirmed. From now on, she should be careful and cautious with her words, as if she were walking on thin ice.
“His Majesty has promised that the Council will take responsibility and prevent it. However, the fact of the broken engagement must remain a secret for the time being. The Council must never know about it.”
“...”
“Don’t worry. The engagement has been broken off. I burned the letter itself. In front of me.”
Haness nodded his head, still looking uneasy, his mouth sticking out, but also as if he had no choice.
“Yeah. You shouldn’t be so greedy and impatient. Anyway, it’s something to celebrate. Let’s have another smoke to commemorate the occasion.”
Haness took a fresh pack of cigarettes out of the case, and Kaitlyn's lips curled up. Anyone who saw it could tell that she was smiling.
“But what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“...Huh? Oh, that’s possible.”
Kaitlyn forced another smile and lit a cigarette.
“I should call Hardius and give him some encouragement soon. I’ll bring Bianca with me that day. I should also invite Senator Richard.”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, how about inviting Senator Richard next time?”
Haness stood there with a cigarette in his mouth, staring blankly at Kaitlyn.
“Do you mean we should just meet up? Leaving William behind?”
“You’re ignoring me? That’s an exaggeration.”
Kaitlyn smiled faintly, deliberately.
“I think it would be best to be cautious until His Majesty the King officially announces the breakup of the engagement. After all, the goal is to have Bianca and Hardius meet, right? It wouldn’t be good if there were too many people watching. I will speak to Councilor Richard separately.”
“...Well, I see.”
Haness nodded slowly, but the doubt and mockery in his narrowed eyes did not completely disappear.
“I don’t know why the Empress of the World, Mayer, is so concerned about His Majesty the King’s feelings, but it can’t hurt to be careful.”
At the sarcastic remark, Kaitlyn barely managed to chew down the unpleasantness rising in her throat.
Hardius was right about at least one thing.
Kaitlyn, who was praised as a 'Queen', let those incompetent men use and laugh at her. Perhaps it was because of Haness and William that she became obsessed with the issue of the broken engagement.
They were allies in name only, but they didn't actually help them when they were struggling with the issue of breaking off the engagement. She will never let that happen again.
Kaitlyn smoked her cigarette calmly and studied Haness. She tried to find even the slightest trickery, hiding her suspicions behind her smiling face.
How much does that man know? He may know nothing, or he may know the opposite. In this world, it is safe to believe nothing.
But why?
No matter how much she thinks about it, she can't understand the reason. The joint venture hasn't even been established yet, and there's a lot more harm than good to be gained by breaking the alliance.
But why did he try to trap her in such a shallow way? Why?
She's been racking her brain over the past few days, asking the same question, but she's still stuck at the same place and she can't figure out what the intention is.
Kaitlyn pressed her aching temples.
As she parted ways with Josephine and descended the stairs, Emilia spotted dark brown hair beyond the pillar.
It was Nathan. Her old shoes stopped right there, unable to step onto the next step.
What should I do?
Unable to suppress her awkward feelings, Emilia tilted her head back and pretended to drink alcohol that wasn't there.
There was another hand blocking her arm.
“Drink in moderation.”
It's Hardius.
“I heard. Something was going on at the salon.”
Strangely, her eyes grew hot. Emilia avoided his gaze and took a deep breath.
“...Don’t worry about it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hurt by such childish people.”
“Yeah, you never ask me for help. You always have. Cavendish or anyone, anything.”
The dark, sinking voice strangely twisted her heart, but Emilia didn't want to admit it.
Now that she's finally reached land, she has no desire to go against the current again.
“Everything is easy for you, my lord. You are one of the few beings who can roam freely anywhere, whether it be rivers, seas, sky, or land.”
The sarcasm continues unabated.
“You know what? People in your world keep saying strange things about me.”
"What do you mean?"
"Government."
That creepy word just came out to her now.
She was confident that she wouldn't be disappointed or shocked by any answer. But.
“I don’t have a government. I don’t have one now, and I won’t have one in the future.”
Emilia doubted her ears.
Broken engagement, merger with Leichnen, Bianca...
A lot of questions filled her head.
But she didn't ask a single word.
As the curtains were drawn, the musicians began to play music. The magnificent and beautiful melody moistened her dry ears.
It was a real blessing for Emilia, since she could avoid his intense gaze by pretending to be interested in the instrument.
“I once heard that music is like wine filling an empty glass. When I heard it myself, I realized it was absolutely true.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the butler opened the ballroom, and young men and women lined up, each holding their partner's hand. The ball was about to begin.
The first song is Kadril.
They had to do it in groups of four, but there were holes here and there.
Hardius and Emilia were far away in the ballroom, Sheila was still sobbing in the arms of her partner, Harriet, and Nathan was nowhere to be seen.
It was time for Odilia Luen, the host of the party, to show her skills. She moved around diligently, filling in empty seats and livening up the party. She ordered faster and more exciting songs from the musicians.
Finally, the main song, a waltz, was played.
The servants dimmed the lamps by putting lace on them and made the flower decorations hidden under the curtains pop out all at once. Romantic exclamations came from all around.
Hardius, who had been watching from afar, reached out his hand to Emilia.
“Shall we dance a song?”
“I don’t like it...”
Without waiting for an answer, Hardius pulled Emilia into his arms.
The small hand resisted hard, then gave up and fell limp. Then suddenly it tried to push against the chest again.
After a bit of a scuffle, they ended up in the middle of the hall.
“There are things that I have to break and shatter to get my hands on.”
“Instead, I will stab you painfully. Until you bleed. Everything has a price.”
"I don't care."
The unwavering answer made Emilia feel frustrated and at the same time resigned.
It was different from dancing on the sand at the beach or in the taverns. The smooth yet hard floor, the magnificent melody, the twinkling lights…
Hardius moved between them with great skill, while Emilia could not do so at all.
She wasn't good at dancing to begin with, but today her body felt even heavier. Her legs kept getting tangled up in the dress.
Every time the hem of the clothes rustles, the scent of roses and the man's body odor fill the hall, numbing her sense of smell.
It's strange. Why do my legs keep falling down? It's like my body isn't my own.
At one point, Emilia twisted her leg. If Hardius hadn't caught her, she would've fallen comically.
“This is... a mess.”
Her eyes are spinning. She feels feverish and dizzy.
Emilia unconsciously leaned her forehead against his chest. Her senses were becoming as dull as her tongue.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”
No, actually, she knows. It's mixing into the man like ink mixed into water.
Hot breath tickled her hair incessantly, and a broad, firm chest pressed against her ear as if it were being crushed.
The throbbing pulse of the man excited Emilia. Their chests, lower abdomen, and thighs were pressed tightly together, and Emilia found herself melting like wax.
Emilia was letting out a labored breath without realizing it.
"It's hard?"
"...little..."
The hand supporting her back gained strength. Her body felt hot as if gunpowder had exploded along her spine.
Suddenly, shr became unbearably angry. The inexplicable anger was threatening to burn everything down.
“Stop it.”
The legs that seemed like they would move endlessly stopped for a moment.
Emilia stumbled violently. If Hardius hadn't supported her with his arm, she probably would've fallen down.
“Stop it now.”
He looked down at his strangely pale face and his body that was gradually losing strength.
The next moment, she was seated on a chair. People were looking at the two with slightly surprised faces.
“Just hold on a little longer.”
Hold on? What?
Before Emilia could come to her senses, Hardius had disappeared somewhere. A moment later, the coachman, Roan, came running frantically.
“Take the young lady and go to the carriage.”
Hardius went straight to Luen.
“I’m sorry, but I think I have to leave first.”
It was a common occurrence for celebrities to leave early, so Madame Luen had no choice but to accept it, albeit with regret.
“Oh, there’s no way to hide my sorrow.”
“It was a wonderful party that I will remember for a long time.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
There were formal farewells. The servant brought the coats, and the carriage was ready. Hardy Meyer and his fiancée disappeared from the party hall in an instant, leaving behind dozens of pairs of eyes watching them.
***
“So you just skipped the ball? Nothing happened?”
“Yes, now that the engagement has been broken off, there is no need to take risks.”
"Hmm..."
Kaitlyn tapped the royal seal on the document with her fingertips. It was a certificate declaring the letter unauthorized and allowing the engagement to be dissolved.
Contrary to Kaitlyn's expectations, Hannes Leichtenen still smacks his lips in disappointment.
“If a scandal spreads, the National Assembly will have a reason to break off the engagement. What if those guys do something strange?”
It was a trap. William Richard dared to betray us!
Caitlin barely managed to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She shouldn't be talking nonsense when the facts haven't even been confirmed. From now on, she should be careful and cautious with her words, as if she were walking on thin ice.
“His Majesty has promised that the Council will take responsibility and prevent it. However, the fact of the broken engagement must remain a secret for the time being. The Council must never know about it.”
“...”
“Don’t worry. The engagement has been broken off. I burned the letter itself. In front of me.”
Haness nodded his head, still looking uneasy, his mouth sticking out, but also as if he had no choice.
“Yeah. You shouldn’t be so greedy and impatient. Anyway, it’s something to celebrate. Let’s have another smoke to commemorate the occasion.”
Haness took a fresh pack of cigarettes out of the case, and Kaitlyn's lips curled up. Anyone who saw it could tell that she was smiling.
“But what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“...Huh? Oh, that’s possible.”
Kaitlyn forced another smile and lit a cigarette.
“I should call Hardius and give him some encouragement soon. I’ll bring Bianca with me that day. I should also invite Senator Richard.”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, how about inviting Senator Richard next time?”
Haness stood there with a cigarette in his mouth, staring blankly at Kaitlyn.
“Do you mean we should just meet up? Leaving William behind?”
“You’re ignoring me? That’s an exaggeration.”
Kaitlyn smiled faintly, deliberately.
“I think it would be best to be cautious until His Majesty the King officially announces the breakup of the engagement. After all, the goal is to have Bianca and Hardius meet, right? It wouldn’t be good if there were too many people watching. I will speak to Councilor Richard separately.”
“...Well, I see.”
Haness nodded slowly, but the doubt and mockery in his narrowed eyes did not completely disappear.
“I don’t know why the Empress of the World, Mayer, is so concerned about His Majesty the King’s feelings, but it can’t hurt to be careful.”
At the sarcastic remark, Kaitlyn barely managed to chew down the unpleasantness rising in her throat.
Hardius was right about at least one thing.
Kaitlyn, who was praised as a 'Queen', let those incompetent men use and laugh at her. Perhaps it was because of Haness and William that she became obsessed with the issue of the broken engagement.
They were allies in name only, but they didn't actually help them when they were struggling with the issue of breaking off the engagement. She will never let that happen again.
Kaitlyn smoked her cigarette calmly and studied Haness. She tried to find even the slightest trickery, hiding her suspicions behind her smiling face.
How much does that man know? He may know nothing, or he may know the opposite. In this world, it is safe to believe nothing.
But why?
No matter how much she thinks about it, she can't understand the reason. The joint venture hasn't even been established yet, and there's a lot more harm than good to be gained by breaking the alliance.
But why did he try to trap her in such a shallow way? Why?
She's been racking her brain over the past few days, asking the same question, but she's still stuck at the same place and she can't figure out what the intention is.
Kaitlyn pressed her aching temples.
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