101. When we meet again
To Hardius, a gift was something he wanted to 'give', never something he wanted to 'receive'. Ever since his father gave him a gun, he had lived his life completely blocking himself from the pleasure of receiving.
When you receive something, you start to expect more and more, and expectations always lead to disappointment. If you don't want to be consumed by emotions, you shouldn't have expectations at all.
But his heart had already crossed the line and was beating breathlessly.
Did you pick it yourself? With me in mind?
She answers as if she had read his mind.
“...It’s strange, isn’t it? When I found it by chance in an antique shop...”
Emilia hesitated for a moment, and he turned his head as if urging her. Just before their faces met, her blue eyes turned back to the sea. As if playing hide-and-seek, Emilia kept avoiding eye contact, but continued to speak earnestly.
“I thought of you, Master. I don’t know why... but...”
Hardius's pulse quickened even more, and Emilia turned her flushed face toward the ground. Her small hand tucked her flowing hair into her ear, revealing her plump earlobes and slender neckline.
Hardius clenched his empty fists and tried not to glance at the beautiful curve of her pure white nape, collarbone, and shoulder.
“...Why don’t you try opening it?”
Should I open it?
Whatever's in it, who cares?
Even if it is an empty box with nothing in it, this anxious and intense pleasure that tightens his stomach will never go away.
"Uh."
Hardius answered stiffly, working hard to unlatch the box and peel off the thin wrapping paper.
Finally, the contents were revealed. It was a bronze Pegasus statue.
His eyes slowly scanned the graceful curves, from the delicately sculpted wings to the billowing mane and powerfully stretched muscles.
“Do you like it?”
A small voice penetrates his cold head.
Do I like it?
Of course.
He opened his mouth to answer, but his throat was so tight that no sound came out. While Hardius cleared his throat, Emilia suddenly chuckled to herself.
“No, you don’t have to answer. I’m giving it to you because I want to...”
Her perfect lips curled up slightly, forming an embarrassed smile. Hardius felt his head go blank again.
Whatever her intentions, she probably wasn't expecting such a clumsy, childish reaction.
But his consciousness was becoming increasingly hazy, and he couldn't even recall a few brief words like, 'Thank you, I like it.'
His gaze, not knowing where to put it, naturally turned towards the sea.
It was an unusually calm day. The sea was as calm and still as a lake.
He followed the peaceful sea surface with his eyes, suppressing the many things boiling up below his stomach.
He must not be swayed by desires and impulses. Now is the time to be colder and more sober than ever.
While Hardius was taking long breaths to calm down, the things he was mumbling, Emilia got up from the hammock and headed towards the water's edge.
She lifted the hem of her skirt as if she were stomping grapes and dipped her toes into the waves.
His gaze was drawn to the thin, white ankle, and only after a while did he realize that there was no bandage.
“Your legs... are you okay?”
"...yes."
She answered, jumping over the white foam that was rushing in. Her face, with her disheveled hair tucked behind her ear and a faint smile on her face, was brimming with life.
It was the face he had always wanted to see.
Hardius lowered his eyes back to the statue he was holding.
...Can I expect that, like in Elver, I can go back to that time...?
The blood that spurted from his heart surged through each branch of his veins, making his hands tremble more and more. He tried to suppress his emotions by putting the statue in the box and closing the lid.
“Emilia,”
The suddenly lowered voice was enough to startle Emilia.
“I’ll be in Eringer for the time being.”
“Eringer...?”
“Yes. It’s where the second steel mill of Meyer Steel is located. There’s a small problem there, so I have to go and take care of it. It’s something that was planned in advance, so don’t worry.”
Emilia approached slowly. Her eyes also became calmer.
“How long will you be there?”
“Two weeks at the shortest, a month at the longest.”
Ah, Emilia's face, which had been nodding, suddenly showed a look of doubt.
“But, Master, what about graduation? It’s next week. And your birthday...?”
“I’m not going to the graduation ceremony. There won’t be a party or anything.”
Emilia looked at him in surprise. The weight of those few words weighed heavily on the two of them.
“...Is it dangerous?”
"No."
The concise and decisive answer only made her more anxious.
“It’s nothing. It’s something I’ve been planning for a long time.”
Emilia nodded and quickly smiled.
She knows for sure now that guy is freaking calm when he's at his most heated.
Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat and her tongue started moving on its own.
“I can... wait as long as you want.”
Without even realizing it, for the first time, she was thinking of Hardius instead of herself.
For a brief moment, the sun peeked through the thin clouds that covered the sky. The brilliant light enveloped them and brought warmth.
“I promise. Next time we meet, you won’t have to hide.”
Hardius continued speaking calmly but firmly.
“I will become the Duke of Meyer.”
Kalia looked down at Charlotte with a blank expression. Her head was spinning with confusion and shock.
She was just asking because she was worried about the relationship between Emilia and Master Meyer, but Charlotte completely froze Kalia with an unexpected reaction.
“Don’t try to separate my sister and my master.”
The child who said that with her fist clenched looked just like a mother lion protecting her cubs.
“I will help them both somehow. To my sister, the young master is... a gift from God that she cannot handle. So someone must help her.”
“Charlotte, what on earth do you mean by that?”
“You’re trying to separate the two by force.”
"What?"
“I know what you’re trying to say, Mom. I’ve heard it from Mitch so many times that I’m sick of it.”
Kalia was shocked again by the sharp tone of voice, and her eyes widened in confusion.
“Don’t try to persuade me. It won’t work. My mind will never change. Even if it grows as big as a house and becomes too much to handle, I will tell my sister not to give up. Even if it means fighting with Mother or Mitch.”
"Charlotte!"
"Charlotte..."
Kalia and Mitch shouted almost simultaneously, and Charlotte continued speaking without paying attention.
“Because I’m her family. That’s what family is... I’m my sister’s only family...”
The child who had been mumbling incoherently suddenly began to have tears well up in her eyes.
“Charlotte, dear, how...”
Kalia didn't know what to do, and Mitch didn't know what to say either, just blinking. Charlotte looked so desperate that it was hard to reprimand her for her foolish, ignorant remarks.
“You know what? My sister and I really love Mom and Mitch, but... sometimes... I feel like our feelings are one-sided.”
“...!”
“So just leave me alone. Both of you.”
After saying those words, the child ran into the attic.
During the shock that kept coming back to her, Kalia was thinking about many things she had never thought about before.
'Because I am my sister's only family.'
She really didn't know Charlotte would think that way. To draw a line like that...
Oh my god.
Kalia clasped her hands together as if praying.
"Mom..."
“Mitch, just a moment... Give me a moment to think...”
"...Yes."
He looked up at the attic where Charlotte had disappeared, then bit his lip and said, “I’ll go to the barn,” and went out.
The dizzying shock before her eyes subsided and realization came like an aftershock.
Yes, we are a family. I am a mother, and Emilia is a daughter. Not a companion to depend on and cling to, but my daughter to look after and care for.
Kalia thought, sinking into her chair.
How could she have lived like this without knowing? No, it's not that she didn't know. She just turned a blind eye to it even though she knew.
Emilia is only nineteen years old, a young girl who has just become an adult.
Just because she's been taking care of herself and her younger sibling since she was nine doesn't mean she's a real adult.
Yet the child was neglected.
She spent her engagement party alone, never once visited Cavendish Manor, and never really had a conversation about her relationship with the young master.
If Mitch had been in Emilia's situation, would he have left it at that?
She would have gone to the engagement ceremony with her by any means necessary, and she would have stopped by Cavendish Manor at least once to check if she was taking bridal lessons well. Whenever the child showed a gloomy expression, she would have tried to talk to her in some way to find out what she was thinking.
Kalia realized, almost to the point of shock, just how much she had neglected Emilia.
'My sister and I really love Mom and Mitch, but... sometimes... I feel like our feelings are one-sided.'
Why else would Charlotte have thought such a thing?
'I will help my sister. Even if it grows as big as a house and becomes too much to handle, I will tell you to never give up.'
It was something that she, as the mother, had to do, not something that her blind younger sibling had to do.
She always thought that she loved Emilia like her own daughter... but in the end, was she just a stepmother?
As Kalia was clutching her chest, unable to control her sorrow, she heard a dog barking. She turned her heavy body toward the window.
The young master was riding in a carriage, and Emilia was seeing him off from a suitable distance.
The child no longer blushed or twisted her body like a young lady. The master's gaze looking down at Emilia was as indifferent as ever.
But perhaps because of the conversation with Charlotte just before, the distance between them that had always made Kalia feel safe felt too precarious.
What should I do?
Kalia was beyond confused.
In the meantime, the young master's carriage moved away, and Emilia opened the door and came into the house.
“Aren’t you hungry, Mother?”
Emilia asked with a smile. Her face looked so calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
But Kalia saw something wavering beyond her calm eyes. So she had to hold onto the child and ask.
Instead of pouring out all her worries and concerns on her child, shr should calmly relieve them of the many things that are burning inside them, like a real mother.
But the inertia that had hardened over the years was making Kalia's tongue hard.
“Oh, yes... What... do you want to eat?”
In the end, she had no choice but to ask with a blank face and a helpless look.
Two days later, Hardius paid a rare visit to Kramwitz. Instead of going straight to his mother's study as usual, he headed to his father's bedroom for the first time in years.
He sat on the bedside and looked down at his father's face.
The father who had caused him pain during his childhood no longer evoked any feelings in him. He was just like an object. Like dry, crumbly dough...
Hardius looked down at his hands, which were as bare as winter branches, then turned his back coldly and left the room.
“Hardy?”
Kaitlyn was startled to find her son coming out of Duke Meyer's room.
“It’s been a while, Mother.”
Hardius greeted her casually, and Kaitlyn also smiled naturally.
“I was planning on meeting you soon anyway. That’s good.”
To Hardius, a gift was something he wanted to 'give', never something he wanted to 'receive'. Ever since his father gave him a gun, he had lived his life completely blocking himself from the pleasure of receiving.
When you receive something, you start to expect more and more, and expectations always lead to disappointment. If you don't want to be consumed by emotions, you shouldn't have expectations at all.
But his heart had already crossed the line and was beating breathlessly.
Did you pick it yourself? With me in mind?
She answers as if she had read his mind.
“...It’s strange, isn’t it? When I found it by chance in an antique shop...”
Emilia hesitated for a moment, and he turned his head as if urging her. Just before their faces met, her blue eyes turned back to the sea. As if playing hide-and-seek, Emilia kept avoiding eye contact, but continued to speak earnestly.
“I thought of you, Master. I don’t know why... but...”
Hardius's pulse quickened even more, and Emilia turned her flushed face toward the ground. Her small hand tucked her flowing hair into her ear, revealing her plump earlobes and slender neckline.
Hardius clenched his empty fists and tried not to glance at the beautiful curve of her pure white nape, collarbone, and shoulder.
“...Why don’t you try opening it?”
Should I open it?
Whatever's in it, who cares?
Even if it is an empty box with nothing in it, this anxious and intense pleasure that tightens his stomach will never go away.
"Uh."
Hardius answered stiffly, working hard to unlatch the box and peel off the thin wrapping paper.
Finally, the contents were revealed. It was a bronze Pegasus statue.
His eyes slowly scanned the graceful curves, from the delicately sculpted wings to the billowing mane and powerfully stretched muscles.
“Do you like it?”
A small voice penetrates his cold head.
Do I like it?
Of course.
He opened his mouth to answer, but his throat was so tight that no sound came out. While Hardius cleared his throat, Emilia suddenly chuckled to herself.
“No, you don’t have to answer. I’m giving it to you because I want to...”
Her perfect lips curled up slightly, forming an embarrassed smile. Hardius felt his head go blank again.
Whatever her intentions, she probably wasn't expecting such a clumsy, childish reaction.
But his consciousness was becoming increasingly hazy, and he couldn't even recall a few brief words like, 'Thank you, I like it.'
His gaze, not knowing where to put it, naturally turned towards the sea.
It was an unusually calm day. The sea was as calm and still as a lake.
He followed the peaceful sea surface with his eyes, suppressing the many things boiling up below his stomach.
He must not be swayed by desires and impulses. Now is the time to be colder and more sober than ever.
While Hardius was taking long breaths to calm down, the things he was mumbling, Emilia got up from the hammock and headed towards the water's edge.
She lifted the hem of her skirt as if she were stomping grapes and dipped her toes into the waves.
His gaze was drawn to the thin, white ankle, and only after a while did he realize that there was no bandage.
“Your legs... are you okay?”
"...yes."
She answered, jumping over the white foam that was rushing in. Her face, with her disheveled hair tucked behind her ear and a faint smile on her face, was brimming with life.
It was the face he had always wanted to see.
Hardius lowered his eyes back to the statue he was holding.
...Can I expect that, like in Elver, I can go back to that time...?
The blood that spurted from his heart surged through each branch of his veins, making his hands tremble more and more. He tried to suppress his emotions by putting the statue in the box and closing the lid.
“Emilia,”
The suddenly lowered voice was enough to startle Emilia.
“I’ll be in Eringer for the time being.”
“Eringer...?”
“Yes. It’s where the second steel mill of Meyer Steel is located. There’s a small problem there, so I have to go and take care of it. It’s something that was planned in advance, so don’t worry.”
Emilia approached slowly. Her eyes also became calmer.
“How long will you be there?”
“Two weeks at the shortest, a month at the longest.”
Ah, Emilia's face, which had been nodding, suddenly showed a look of doubt.
“But, Master, what about graduation? It’s next week. And your birthday...?”
“I’m not going to the graduation ceremony. There won’t be a party or anything.”
Emilia looked at him in surprise. The weight of those few words weighed heavily on the two of them.
“...Is it dangerous?”
"No."
The concise and decisive answer only made her more anxious.
“It’s nothing. It’s something I’ve been planning for a long time.”
Emilia nodded and quickly smiled.
She knows for sure now that guy is freaking calm when he's at his most heated.
Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat and her tongue started moving on its own.
“I can... wait as long as you want.”
Without even realizing it, for the first time, she was thinking of Hardius instead of herself.
For a brief moment, the sun peeked through the thin clouds that covered the sky. The brilliant light enveloped them and brought warmth.
“I promise. Next time we meet, you won’t have to hide.”
Hardius continued speaking calmly but firmly.
“I will become the Duke of Meyer.”
***
Kalia looked down at Charlotte with a blank expression. Her head was spinning with confusion and shock.
She was just asking because she was worried about the relationship between Emilia and Master Meyer, but Charlotte completely froze Kalia with an unexpected reaction.
“Don’t try to separate my sister and my master.”
The child who said that with her fist clenched looked just like a mother lion protecting her cubs.
“I will help them both somehow. To my sister, the young master is... a gift from God that she cannot handle. So someone must help her.”
“Charlotte, what on earth do you mean by that?”
“You’re trying to separate the two by force.”
"What?"
“I know what you’re trying to say, Mom. I’ve heard it from Mitch so many times that I’m sick of it.”
Kalia was shocked again by the sharp tone of voice, and her eyes widened in confusion.
“Don’t try to persuade me. It won’t work. My mind will never change. Even if it grows as big as a house and becomes too much to handle, I will tell my sister not to give up. Even if it means fighting with Mother or Mitch.”
"Charlotte!"
"Charlotte..."
Kalia and Mitch shouted almost simultaneously, and Charlotte continued speaking without paying attention.
“Because I’m her family. That’s what family is... I’m my sister’s only family...”
The child who had been mumbling incoherently suddenly began to have tears well up in her eyes.
“Charlotte, dear, how...”
Kalia didn't know what to do, and Mitch didn't know what to say either, just blinking. Charlotte looked so desperate that it was hard to reprimand her for her foolish, ignorant remarks.
“You know what? My sister and I really love Mom and Mitch, but... sometimes... I feel like our feelings are one-sided.”
“...!”
“So just leave me alone. Both of you.”
After saying those words, the child ran into the attic.
During the shock that kept coming back to her, Kalia was thinking about many things she had never thought about before.
'Because I am my sister's only family.'
She really didn't know Charlotte would think that way. To draw a line like that...
Oh my god.
Kalia clasped her hands together as if praying.
"Mom..."
“Mitch, just a moment... Give me a moment to think...”
"...Yes."
He looked up at the attic where Charlotte had disappeared, then bit his lip and said, “I’ll go to the barn,” and went out.
The dizzying shock before her eyes subsided and realization came like an aftershock.
Yes, we are a family. I am a mother, and Emilia is a daughter. Not a companion to depend on and cling to, but my daughter to look after and care for.
Kalia thought, sinking into her chair.
How could she have lived like this without knowing? No, it's not that she didn't know. She just turned a blind eye to it even though she knew.
Emilia is only nineteen years old, a young girl who has just become an adult.
Just because she's been taking care of herself and her younger sibling since she was nine doesn't mean she's a real adult.
Yet the child was neglected.
She spent her engagement party alone, never once visited Cavendish Manor, and never really had a conversation about her relationship with the young master.
If Mitch had been in Emilia's situation, would he have left it at that?
She would have gone to the engagement ceremony with her by any means necessary, and she would have stopped by Cavendish Manor at least once to check if she was taking bridal lessons well. Whenever the child showed a gloomy expression, she would have tried to talk to her in some way to find out what she was thinking.
Kalia realized, almost to the point of shock, just how much she had neglected Emilia.
'My sister and I really love Mom and Mitch, but... sometimes... I feel like our feelings are one-sided.'
Why else would Charlotte have thought such a thing?
'I will help my sister. Even if it grows as big as a house and becomes too much to handle, I will tell you to never give up.'
It was something that she, as the mother, had to do, not something that her blind younger sibling had to do.
She always thought that she loved Emilia like her own daughter... but in the end, was she just a stepmother?
As Kalia was clutching her chest, unable to control her sorrow, she heard a dog barking. She turned her heavy body toward the window.
The young master was riding in a carriage, and Emilia was seeing him off from a suitable distance.
The child no longer blushed or twisted her body like a young lady. The master's gaze looking down at Emilia was as indifferent as ever.
But perhaps because of the conversation with Charlotte just before, the distance between them that had always made Kalia feel safe felt too precarious.
What should I do?
Kalia was beyond confused.
In the meantime, the young master's carriage moved away, and Emilia opened the door and came into the house.
“Aren’t you hungry, Mother?”
Emilia asked with a smile. Her face looked so calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
But Kalia saw something wavering beyond her calm eyes. So she had to hold onto the child and ask.
Instead of pouring out all her worries and concerns on her child, shr should calmly relieve them of the many things that are burning inside them, like a real mother.
But the inertia that had hardened over the years was making Kalia's tongue hard.
“Oh, yes... What... do you want to eat?”
In the end, she had no choice but to ask with a blank face and a helpless look.
***
Two days later, Hardius paid a rare visit to Kramwitz. Instead of going straight to his mother's study as usual, he headed to his father's bedroom for the first time in years.
He sat on the bedside and looked down at his father's face.
The father who had caused him pain during his childhood no longer evoked any feelings in him. He was just like an object. Like dry, crumbly dough...
Hardius looked down at his hands, which were as bare as winter branches, then turned his back coldly and left the room.
“Hardy?”
Kaitlyn was startled to find her son coming out of Duke Meyer's room.
“It’s been a while, Mother.”
Hardius greeted her casually, and Kaitlyn also smiled naturally.
“I was planning on meeting you soon anyway. That’s good.”
"Yes."
“I’m talking about the graduation ceremony. It’s a bit sudden, but... how about attending with Bianca?”
Looking at her son, who had no answer, Kaitlyn quickly continued.
“Of course, Grand Duke Leichnen plans to meet His Majesty the King and get His permission in advance. I wonder if it’s necessary to go that far when the engagement has already been broken off... But I think it would be better to do so to avoid unnecessary gossip.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Hardius nodded slightly and walked towards the study. Kaitlyn had to walk frantically to keep up with his fast strides.
“Oh, your birthday is coming up. The Grand Duchess wants to prepare a party in Tobaro...”
“I don’t care. Do whatever you want.”
Hardius continued walking without any hesitation.
“I thought balls and parties would be boring at this age, but thanks to Bianca, I feel like a little kid again.”
“That’s good, Mother.”
Kaitlyn's lips, which had been drawing a gentle curve, wavered for a moment. She stared blankly at her son's cold back for a moment.
Actually, it was nothing special. Conversations with Hardius were always like that. But today, his extremely cold attitude made Kaitlyn feel creepy.
“Since you’ve come all this way, should we have dinner together?”
She thought he would naturally reject the sudden offer. But then Hardius suddenly smiled softly and said, “Yes, I was thinking of doing that anyway.”
Feeling a little dazed, Kaitlyn called the butler and had him prepare a meal.
Dinner was no different. The two sat across from each other, but the dining room was silent, with only the occasional sound of forks and plates clinking.
And just as the servants were bringing dessert, this happened.
“Prince Meyer! Representative!”
A shrill cry was heard from afar, along with the sound of someone running. After a moment, the door opened with a bang and a man rushed into the room. The one who rushed in frantically was Erdua, the chief executive of the Eringer Ironworks. He knelt before Hardius Meyer and shouted, trembling.
“We’re in trouble! Right now... the mob... Eringer’s workers...!”
A series of breathless screams followed.
“They have blocked the steel mill trench! They are now protesting in front of the furnaces of the No. 2 smelter!”
"...What?!"
Kaitlyn dropped her fork, and Hardius calmly put down his napkin.
While the commotion was going on in the dining room, Grojean was secretly meeting the chimney sweep in the thorn bushes of the villa.
Grojean took a small envelope out of his jacket pocket and showed it to him. The two exchanged meaningful glances.
“You know what to do, right?”
"Yes."
“Remember, you are tracking down someone who may have killed someone and his henchmen. You must be careful not to get caught.”
“Don’t worry. I will never get caught. I will find evidence that Kaitlyn Meyer murdered my poor sister and niece, and I will make sure she is brought to justice.”
“Very well, you will now follow Jetson without fail. This letter will be delivered to Duchess Meyer within the week.”
“I’m talking about the graduation ceremony. It’s a bit sudden, but... how about attending with Bianca?”
Looking at her son, who had no answer, Kaitlyn quickly continued.
“Of course, Grand Duke Leichnen plans to meet His Majesty the King and get His permission in advance. I wonder if it’s necessary to go that far when the engagement has already been broken off... But I think it would be better to do so to avoid unnecessary gossip.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Hardius nodded slightly and walked towards the study. Kaitlyn had to walk frantically to keep up with his fast strides.
“Oh, your birthday is coming up. The Grand Duchess wants to prepare a party in Tobaro...”
“I don’t care. Do whatever you want.”
Hardius continued walking without any hesitation.
“I thought balls and parties would be boring at this age, but thanks to Bianca, I feel like a little kid again.”
“That’s good, Mother.”
Kaitlyn's lips, which had been drawing a gentle curve, wavered for a moment. She stared blankly at her son's cold back for a moment.
Actually, it was nothing special. Conversations with Hardius were always like that. But today, his extremely cold attitude made Kaitlyn feel creepy.
“Since you’ve come all this way, should we have dinner together?”
She thought he would naturally reject the sudden offer. But then Hardius suddenly smiled softly and said, “Yes, I was thinking of doing that anyway.”
Feeling a little dazed, Kaitlyn called the butler and had him prepare a meal.
Dinner was no different. The two sat across from each other, but the dining room was silent, with only the occasional sound of forks and plates clinking.
And just as the servants were bringing dessert, this happened.
“Prince Meyer! Representative!”
A shrill cry was heard from afar, along with the sound of someone running. After a moment, the door opened with a bang and a man rushed into the room. The one who rushed in frantically was Erdua, the chief executive of the Eringer Ironworks. He knelt before Hardius Meyer and shouted, trembling.
“We’re in trouble! Right now... the mob... Eringer’s workers...!”
A series of breathless screams followed.
“They have blocked the steel mill trench! They are now protesting in front of the furnaces of the No. 2 smelter!”
"...What?!"
Kaitlyn dropped her fork, and Hardius calmly put down his napkin.
While the commotion was going on in the dining room, Grojean was secretly meeting the chimney sweep in the thorn bushes of the villa.
Grojean took a small envelope out of his jacket pocket and showed it to him. The two exchanged meaningful glances.
“You know what to do, right?”
"Yes."
“Remember, you are tracking down someone who may have killed someone and his henchmen. You must be careful not to get caught.”
“Don’t worry. I will never get caught. I will find evidence that Kaitlyn Meyer murdered my poor sister and niece, and I will make sure she is brought to justice.”
“Very well, you will now follow Jetson without fail. This letter will be delivered to Duchess Meyer within the week.”
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