067. Barley tree
The night has ripened at the villa. Under the quiet moonlight, Grojean and the other servants have become very busy.
The mercenaries were on tighter guard than ever, and Pip was busy carrying the food they had brought from the farm into the kitchen. Not long after Pip entered the villa, Beppy came running out in a hurry.
As he hurriedly got into the carriage, the only thought on his mind was that he had to get to the zelkova forest quickly.
“Emilia met Laura. Emilia met Laura...”
Beppy muttered frantically and pulled the reins. Hee-ing, the horse yelped, kicked the ground with all its might, and dashed into the darkness.
A long sigh escaped Grojean's mouth as he watched the carriage move away.
What to do now?
Unable to do anything about his troubled mind, he reached for a cigarette again. There was a sound of a match being struck, followed by a flash of bright red flame.
After a while, a pungent smoke rose from the cigarette in his mouth. The hazy trail was carried by the night wind and reached the dark terrace on the second floor.
Grojean's gaze had also been fixed there for some time.
What happened inside there was known only to God and the couple, but one thing was clear.
Hardius Meyer did what many noble men do.
But if the woman inside was Grojean's daughter, he would have just shot his dead, regardless of who the owner was.
Grojean, who had been glaring, sighed for a moment, “Oh my,” and took a long drag on his cigarette.
As always, the anger and irritation towards the young Meyer are quickly dissipated by a strange pity bubbling up from beneath.
He thinks he said that the arms bend inward.
Grojean, who knew better than anyone what kind of crazy things Hardius Meyer had done for his fiancée, had no choice but to take his master's side.
“This is totally a ‘kid’. This is just a five-year-old child.”
Grojean hit his chest as if he were frustrated.
“You thought everything in the world would work out just as you planned. Ha! That’s impossible. There is such a thing as fate, and there are lines that must not be crossed...”
Hardius Meyer should have married Bianca Leichnen, as fate had it.
He successfully graduated from the military academy, went into battle, acquired a mine, and even received Meyer Steel from his mother.
The opposition is complaining now, but he will eventually win. He will be able to slowly gain independence and achieve what he wants while keeping his mother and allies in check.
If only he could just close his eyes and marry the woman his mother chose for him...
“Why can’t you just coax and persuade a commoner woman into becoming the government?”
Grojean muttered in frustration, forgetting that he had thought he would have killed her if she had been his daughter.
Although Grand Duke Leichnen had declared it absolutely impossible, Lady Bianca might be able to get away with it.
Aren't they both people who have known each other since childhood and are both at the top of the aristocratic world?
Miss Bianca seemed to have accepted from a young age that love and marriage were separate things. The young master was the same, but in an instant, he became so stuffy and blocked up.
“If you buttoned it in the wrong place, you should think about unbuttoning it quickly... Why are you going into the fires of hell...”
Tsk tsk.
Grojean clicked his tongue and took a last long drag on his smoked cigarette.
The moonlight pouring down on the villa slid along the ridge and was completely swallowed up by the buoyant dawn in an instant. The faint rays of light crossed the vineyard and garden and reached the bedroom of the villa.
Emilia's eyes, which had been closed as if dead, opened wide.
A strange room, a strange bed, a strange Emilia.
Memories of the night before came flooding back to her one by one, along with a dull pain. Emilia, curled up in a fetal position, froze in that position once again.
Unlike her body, which was hardening, her chest was melting like a furnace. A hot lump was blocking her throat, and she felt like tears would pour out at any moment. Her fingernails dug into her flesh. Her lips were curled into her teeth.
Emilia swallowed several times to steady her collapsing heart. As her thumping heart calmed down, her senses slowly returned. The unfamiliar parts of her body began to ache.
Has pain ever been this welcome?
Emilia enjoyed the faint pain and pushed away all the messy and unnecessary emotions from her mind.
It's nothing. Forget it. Erase it all.
She didn't want to wring the water out of spilled milk like a child.
Rather than sigh and shed tears, she thought she would burn herself white with rage.
Could it be that the burning sound inside me is leaking out?
"Did you sleep well?"
The man standing by the window asked without turning his head. Hardy Meyer was perfect again. His hair was neatly combed, his shirt was clean and wrinkle-free, still cold, still calm.
“Does anything hurt?”
Hardius slowly turned his head as he asked that, and Emilia did not avoid him.
The moment their eyes finally met, her vision became dizzy, like a sand castle before the waves.
Why did I think that guy was the same as usual?
His gaze had completely changed.
The languid, darkened gray eyes burn leisurely, like an animal hunting its prey.
As the sensation of being thoroughly licked by the tongue came back to her, she felt breathless again. Emilia clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into them, scolding herself for becoming weak.
The girl is no longer there.
There are no more simple-minded children who are choleric, laugh easily, and forget easily. That man killed them all.
Emilia slowly got up.
As she lowered her feet under the bed, the cold from the marble floor ran up her feet. She stood up straight and suddenly let go of the strength in her hands.
The soft fabric slid down, revealing her naked body. Unlike the cold woman, the man's pupils reacted immediately and became even darker.
Emilia passed the man coldly.
She wanted to show that she hadn't fallen apart, that she hadn't wavered, that shr didn't care even a little bit.
Hardius had no choice but to fold his arms and clench his fists as the pale, naked body calmly paced around the dimly lit room.
“...What are you looking for?”
“My clothes.”
As soon as she answered, a pile of neatly folded clothes on the console caught her eye. Emilia started getting dressed right then and there.
She pulled up her drawers, tied the belt around her waist, and pulled her chemise over her head.
Although she knew that the man's gaze never left her, Emilia felt herself becoming frighteningly calmer than before.
When she finally buttoned up all the buttons, she was in the same frame of mind as when she looked at the ledger with Mr. Haspel.
“Now that everything is finished, can I go home?”
A cold voice devoid of any emotion breaks the silence and rings hollowly.
Hardius glared at her coldly. She clearly had no intention of saying that, but words completely different from her heart came out.
“Come right away when I call you. Day or night, rain or shine.”
His blue eyes shook for a moment and burned with anger.
“Don’t test my patience. I made up an excuse to work on the farm. Just do whatever I say.”
“...I wonder if you are stupid.”
Emilia, who was grumbling, passed him by coldly. Her legs were shaking as she left the bedroom and headed down the stairs.
The farther away she got from him, the more her body began to tremble. Emilia tried her best to completely empty her mind to drive away the memories of the night that kept coming back to her.
As she arrived at the fountain, Beppy waved as if he had been waiting for her.
Emilia felt her breath catch in her throat again in front of his calm face as if nothing had happened in the world. He smiled brightly as if he was feeling so good, and handed her something he was holding in his hand.
“Here, there’s Emilia.”
She heard a flower whose name she didn't know.
“There, Emilia is spread out like a carpet.”
The place the old man pointed to was truly in full bloom with wildflowers.
How should she explain it? Evil deeds filled with good intentions? Emilia could never hate that Beppy Dilson.
Strangely, tears welled up in her eyes. Something she had been holding back was finally about to boil over.
"Uh?"
Beppy tilted his head. He gathered his weed-like eyebrows into his crooked nose and looked intently at Emilia's face.
“Emilia, are you crying?”
“Oh, no, sir, there’s something in my eye...”
Emilia quickly rubbed her eyes. Wet tears came out. She rubbed them again, waiting for the tears that had formed to dry.
“No? Are you crying?”
“No, look.”
Emilia took her hands away from her eyes and weakly curled the corners of her lips. Beppy tilted his head again, and Emilia accepted the flowers, saying, “Thank you, mister.”
“From now on, you must not pick flowers from other people’s gardens.”
"You said you were going to be Hadius. He said it was Emilia."
For a moment, her heart sank and her throat felt tight. Emilia swallowed dryly.
“Sir, I need you to promise me one thing. You must not tell anyone that I met Master Meyer today. Not my stepmother, not Charlotte, not Mitch, not anyone. I am staying at Laura’s house, and from now on, I will be working on the farm. Do you understand?”
“Beppy is a good servant. He does whatever his master tells him to do.”
Watching Beppy nod vigorously, Emilia felt relieved for the first time that he was not in a position to tell right from wrong.
Beppy Dilson is the perfect servant and Trojan horse. He is oblivious to his master's intentions, so he can be trusted with anything.
Beppy opened the door for Emilia to get into the carriage. Emilia shook her head and plopped down on the coachman's seat next to him.
“I’ll sit here today. The weather is so nice, I don’t want to go inside.”
Beppy smiled and took hold of the reins.
“By the way, sir, how is your leg hurting?”
Beppy sprained her ankle three days ago when he got off his horse. He was adamant about going to the doctor.
“It’s gotten a lot better. I can even walk with a limp.”
Emilia stared at Beppy's head, which rose like a mountain.
“Limping. Not sloppy.”
“That’s right. Limp.”
Suddenly, laughter burst out. At the same time, her nose started to sting, and something hot surged up. Emilia tried to calm her pounding heart as she watched the scenery passing by.
The carriage ran diligently and left the villa. The flat brick road ended, and a bumpy dirt road followed.
Emilia was tucking her flowing hair into her ear when she suddenly realized that she was holding a bonnet in her hand.
She put on her hat and tied her strings, looked around, and the carriage was already cutting through the middle of the city.
The streets were bustling with vendors and pedestrians.
A firewood carrier, a water carrier carrying a cart full of water, a boy blowing a trumpet to announce the official gazetteer, a dwarf performing tricks, a beggar with all his front teeth rotted away, a tinker with a bunch of dented pots hanging from his back...
Everyone is living, not dying. They are living with all their might, carrying the weight of a difficult life on their whole body.
Emilia felt her heart pounding for some reason.
Just wait, I will never give in. I will live hard with my own strength. Like those people.
After running a little more, they finally came to a wide plain with endless wheat fields. Beppy picked up the pace again. The wind swept across the golden fields, bringing a cool whoosh sound.
The regular rhythm of tap tap tap also digs pleasantly into her heart. Emilia closed her eyes and gave her senses to the comfort that nature gave her.
Beppy, who was looking at her like that, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Let’s play the ‘Name Waiting Game.’ Animal names.”
It was a game that had been played a lot recently. Emilia came up with the 'name-calling game' for Beppy and Charlotte, who had limited vocabulary.
It was a very simple game, saying words within a certain category. Bepi, who was not in the mood for wordplay, started on his own without thinking, saying, “Chicken.”
The human mind is truly strange. Emilia, who was about to say no, found herself thinking of animal names.
"...Duck."
Horse, goat, lion, snake, rabbit, crocodile, elephant...
All kinds of animals appeared, from livestock roaming the yard nearby to strange creatures living on unknown continents far away. The game ended only when Beppy had said all the names of the animals he knew.
“Let’s have some fruit too. Grapes.”
It was also absurd that Beppy kept blurting out words without permission. Meanwhile, Emilia was busy filling her head with the countless fruits in the world.
"Ship."
"Peach."
"Apologize."
“...”
Strangely, Beppy couldn't continue speaking.
He suddenly hit his forehead with his hand and turned to Emilia, saying, “Oops, I apologize!”
“Laura made this apple pie! Let’s all share it!”
He took out a small bundle and handed it to Emilia.
Emilia untied the knot and looked down at the golden-brown pie. Every time the carriage rattled, a sweet and fragrant scent rose. She thought she had lost all sense, but surprisingly, her mouth started watering.
“No, I’ll go home and eat. With my family.”
Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the rye field and entered the forest road.
The arched entrance made of trees and trees welcomed Emilia as if inviting her. Standing in front of the endless green cave, Emilia realized that the flames that had been burning her heart had finally died down.
It was as if someone was casting a spell. One by one, the muscles that had been stiff began to relax, and her whole body became tired.
Emilia closed her eyes again. She wasn't sleepy. She just wanted to forget everything.
“You have a cold.”
Beppy wrapped a blanket around her.
The moment the round cloth wrapped warmly around her shoulders, something hot flowed down her cheek.
Emilia quickly wiped away her tears with her hand. As soon as she wiped them away, they started flowing again. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, she couldn't hold them back. Sob, the sobs were bursting out.
It hurts. So much.
Emilia eventually burst into tears.
A whistle was heard from somewhere. It was Beppy.
He played Emilia's favorite song, 'Barley Water', over and over again. Laughter burst out again between the flowing tears.
Emilia cried and laughed.
The countless emotions that shook her heart were scattered to pieces along with the beautiful whistle sound.
Previous Next
The night has ripened at the villa. Under the quiet moonlight, Grojean and the other servants have become very busy.
The mercenaries were on tighter guard than ever, and Pip was busy carrying the food they had brought from the farm into the kitchen. Not long after Pip entered the villa, Beppy came running out in a hurry.
As he hurriedly got into the carriage, the only thought on his mind was that he had to get to the zelkova forest quickly.
“Emilia met Laura. Emilia met Laura...”
Beppy muttered frantically and pulled the reins. Hee-ing, the horse yelped, kicked the ground with all its might, and dashed into the darkness.
A long sigh escaped Grojean's mouth as he watched the carriage move away.
What to do now?
Unable to do anything about his troubled mind, he reached for a cigarette again. There was a sound of a match being struck, followed by a flash of bright red flame.
After a while, a pungent smoke rose from the cigarette in his mouth. The hazy trail was carried by the night wind and reached the dark terrace on the second floor.
Grojean's gaze had also been fixed there for some time.
What happened inside there was known only to God and the couple, but one thing was clear.
Hardius Meyer did what many noble men do.
But if the woman inside was Grojean's daughter, he would have just shot his dead, regardless of who the owner was.
Grojean, who had been glaring, sighed for a moment, “Oh my,” and took a long drag on his cigarette.
As always, the anger and irritation towards the young Meyer are quickly dissipated by a strange pity bubbling up from beneath.
He thinks he said that the arms bend inward.
Grojean, who knew better than anyone what kind of crazy things Hardius Meyer had done for his fiancée, had no choice but to take his master's side.
“This is totally a ‘kid’. This is just a five-year-old child.”
Grojean hit his chest as if he were frustrated.
“You thought everything in the world would work out just as you planned. Ha! That’s impossible. There is such a thing as fate, and there are lines that must not be crossed...”
Hardius Meyer should have married Bianca Leichnen, as fate had it.
He successfully graduated from the military academy, went into battle, acquired a mine, and even received Meyer Steel from his mother.
The opposition is complaining now, but he will eventually win. He will be able to slowly gain independence and achieve what he wants while keeping his mother and allies in check.
If only he could just close his eyes and marry the woman his mother chose for him...
“Why can’t you just coax and persuade a commoner woman into becoming the government?”
Grojean muttered in frustration, forgetting that he had thought he would have killed her if she had been his daughter.
Although Grand Duke Leichnen had declared it absolutely impossible, Lady Bianca might be able to get away with it.
Aren't they both people who have known each other since childhood and are both at the top of the aristocratic world?
Miss Bianca seemed to have accepted from a young age that love and marriage were separate things. The young master was the same, but in an instant, he became so stuffy and blocked up.
“If you buttoned it in the wrong place, you should think about unbuttoning it quickly... Why are you going into the fires of hell...”
Tsk tsk.
Grojean clicked his tongue and took a last long drag on his smoked cigarette.
***
The moonlight pouring down on the villa slid along the ridge and was completely swallowed up by the buoyant dawn in an instant. The faint rays of light crossed the vineyard and garden and reached the bedroom of the villa.
Emilia's eyes, which had been closed as if dead, opened wide.
A strange room, a strange bed, a strange Emilia.
Memories of the night before came flooding back to her one by one, along with a dull pain. Emilia, curled up in a fetal position, froze in that position once again.
Unlike her body, which was hardening, her chest was melting like a furnace. A hot lump was blocking her throat, and she felt like tears would pour out at any moment. Her fingernails dug into her flesh. Her lips were curled into her teeth.
Emilia swallowed several times to steady her collapsing heart. As her thumping heart calmed down, her senses slowly returned. The unfamiliar parts of her body began to ache.
Has pain ever been this welcome?
Emilia enjoyed the faint pain and pushed away all the messy and unnecessary emotions from her mind.
It's nothing. Forget it. Erase it all.
She didn't want to wring the water out of spilled milk like a child.
Rather than sigh and shed tears, she thought she would burn herself white with rage.
Could it be that the burning sound inside me is leaking out?
"Did you sleep well?"
The man standing by the window asked without turning his head. Hardy Meyer was perfect again. His hair was neatly combed, his shirt was clean and wrinkle-free, still cold, still calm.
“Does anything hurt?”
Hardius slowly turned his head as he asked that, and Emilia did not avoid him.
The moment their eyes finally met, her vision became dizzy, like a sand castle before the waves.
Why did I think that guy was the same as usual?
His gaze had completely changed.
The languid, darkened gray eyes burn leisurely, like an animal hunting its prey.
As the sensation of being thoroughly licked by the tongue came back to her, she felt breathless again. Emilia clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into them, scolding herself for becoming weak.
The girl is no longer there.
There are no more simple-minded children who are choleric, laugh easily, and forget easily. That man killed them all.
Emilia slowly got up.
As she lowered her feet under the bed, the cold from the marble floor ran up her feet. She stood up straight and suddenly let go of the strength in her hands.
The soft fabric slid down, revealing her naked body. Unlike the cold woman, the man's pupils reacted immediately and became even darker.
Emilia passed the man coldly.
She wanted to show that she hadn't fallen apart, that she hadn't wavered, that shr didn't care even a little bit.
Hardius had no choice but to fold his arms and clench his fists as the pale, naked body calmly paced around the dimly lit room.
“...What are you looking for?”
“My clothes.”
As soon as she answered, a pile of neatly folded clothes on the console caught her eye. Emilia started getting dressed right then and there.
She pulled up her drawers, tied the belt around her waist, and pulled her chemise over her head.
Although she knew that the man's gaze never left her, Emilia felt herself becoming frighteningly calmer than before.
When she finally buttoned up all the buttons, she was in the same frame of mind as when she looked at the ledger with Mr. Haspel.
“Now that everything is finished, can I go home?”
A cold voice devoid of any emotion breaks the silence and rings hollowly.
Hardius glared at her coldly. She clearly had no intention of saying that, but words completely different from her heart came out.
“Come right away when I call you. Day or night, rain or shine.”
His blue eyes shook for a moment and burned with anger.
“Don’t test my patience. I made up an excuse to work on the farm. Just do whatever I say.”
“...I wonder if you are stupid.”
Emilia, who was grumbling, passed him by coldly. Her legs were shaking as she left the bedroom and headed down the stairs.
The farther away she got from him, the more her body began to tremble. Emilia tried her best to completely empty her mind to drive away the memories of the night that kept coming back to her.
***
As she arrived at the fountain, Beppy waved as if he had been waiting for her.
Emilia felt her breath catch in her throat again in front of his calm face as if nothing had happened in the world. He smiled brightly as if he was feeling so good, and handed her something he was holding in his hand.
“Here, there’s Emilia.”
She heard a flower whose name she didn't know.
“There, Emilia is spread out like a carpet.”
The place the old man pointed to was truly in full bloom with wildflowers.
How should she explain it? Evil deeds filled with good intentions? Emilia could never hate that Beppy Dilson.
Strangely, tears welled up in her eyes. Something she had been holding back was finally about to boil over.
"Uh?"
Beppy tilted his head. He gathered his weed-like eyebrows into his crooked nose and looked intently at Emilia's face.
“Emilia, are you crying?”
“Oh, no, sir, there’s something in my eye...”
Emilia quickly rubbed her eyes. Wet tears came out. She rubbed them again, waiting for the tears that had formed to dry.
“No? Are you crying?”
“No, look.”
Emilia took her hands away from her eyes and weakly curled the corners of her lips. Beppy tilted his head again, and Emilia accepted the flowers, saying, “Thank you, mister.”
“From now on, you must not pick flowers from other people’s gardens.”
"You said you were going to be Hadius. He said it was Emilia."
For a moment, her heart sank and her throat felt tight. Emilia swallowed dryly.
“Sir, I need you to promise me one thing. You must not tell anyone that I met Master Meyer today. Not my stepmother, not Charlotte, not Mitch, not anyone. I am staying at Laura’s house, and from now on, I will be working on the farm. Do you understand?”
“Beppy is a good servant. He does whatever his master tells him to do.”
Watching Beppy nod vigorously, Emilia felt relieved for the first time that he was not in a position to tell right from wrong.
Beppy Dilson is the perfect servant and Trojan horse. He is oblivious to his master's intentions, so he can be trusted with anything.
Beppy opened the door for Emilia to get into the carriage. Emilia shook her head and plopped down on the coachman's seat next to him.
“I’ll sit here today. The weather is so nice, I don’t want to go inside.”
Beppy smiled and took hold of the reins.
“By the way, sir, how is your leg hurting?”
Beppy sprained her ankle three days ago when he got off his horse. He was adamant about going to the doctor.
“It’s gotten a lot better. I can even walk with a limp.”
Emilia stared at Beppy's head, which rose like a mountain.
“Limping. Not sloppy.”
“That’s right. Limp.”
Suddenly, laughter burst out. At the same time, her nose started to sting, and something hot surged up. Emilia tried to calm her pounding heart as she watched the scenery passing by.
The carriage ran diligently and left the villa. The flat brick road ended, and a bumpy dirt road followed.
Emilia was tucking her flowing hair into her ear when she suddenly realized that she was holding a bonnet in her hand.
She put on her hat and tied her strings, looked around, and the carriage was already cutting through the middle of the city.
The streets were bustling with vendors and pedestrians.
A firewood carrier, a water carrier carrying a cart full of water, a boy blowing a trumpet to announce the official gazetteer, a dwarf performing tricks, a beggar with all his front teeth rotted away, a tinker with a bunch of dented pots hanging from his back...
Everyone is living, not dying. They are living with all their might, carrying the weight of a difficult life on their whole body.
Emilia felt her heart pounding for some reason.
Just wait, I will never give in. I will live hard with my own strength. Like those people.
After running a little more, they finally came to a wide plain with endless wheat fields. Beppy picked up the pace again. The wind swept across the golden fields, bringing a cool whoosh sound.
The regular rhythm of tap tap tap also digs pleasantly into her heart. Emilia closed her eyes and gave her senses to the comfort that nature gave her.
Beppy, who was looking at her like that, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Let’s play the ‘Name Waiting Game.’ Animal names.”
It was a game that had been played a lot recently. Emilia came up with the 'name-calling game' for Beppy and Charlotte, who had limited vocabulary.
It was a very simple game, saying words within a certain category. Bepi, who was not in the mood for wordplay, started on his own without thinking, saying, “Chicken.”
The human mind is truly strange. Emilia, who was about to say no, found herself thinking of animal names.
"...Duck."
Horse, goat, lion, snake, rabbit, crocodile, elephant...
All kinds of animals appeared, from livestock roaming the yard nearby to strange creatures living on unknown continents far away. The game ended only when Beppy had said all the names of the animals he knew.
“Let’s have some fruit too. Grapes.”
It was also absurd that Beppy kept blurting out words without permission. Meanwhile, Emilia was busy filling her head with the countless fruits in the world.
"Ship."
"Peach."
"Apologize."
“...”
Strangely, Beppy couldn't continue speaking.
He suddenly hit his forehead with his hand and turned to Emilia, saying, “Oops, I apologize!”
“Laura made this apple pie! Let’s all share it!”
He took out a small bundle and handed it to Emilia.
Emilia untied the knot and looked down at the golden-brown pie. Every time the carriage rattled, a sweet and fragrant scent rose. She thought she had lost all sense, but surprisingly, her mouth started watering.
“No, I’ll go home and eat. With my family.”
Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the rye field and entered the forest road.
The arched entrance made of trees and trees welcomed Emilia as if inviting her. Standing in front of the endless green cave, Emilia realized that the flames that had been burning her heart had finally died down.
It was as if someone was casting a spell. One by one, the muscles that had been stiff began to relax, and her whole body became tired.
Emilia closed her eyes again. She wasn't sleepy. She just wanted to forget everything.
“You have a cold.”
Beppy wrapped a blanket around her.
The moment the round cloth wrapped warmly around her shoulders, something hot flowed down her cheek.
Emilia quickly wiped away her tears with her hand. As soon as she wiped them away, they started flowing again. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, she couldn't hold them back. Sob, the sobs were bursting out.
It hurts. So much.
Emilia eventually burst into tears.
A whistle was heard from somewhere. It was Beppy.
He played Emilia's favorite song, 'Barley Water', over and over again. Laughter burst out again between the flowing tears.
Emilia cried and laughed.
The countless emotions that shook her heart were scattered to pieces along with the beautiful whistle sound.
Previous Next
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment