085. I will be the last one, too
“Is the negotiation team going well?”
“It’s not perfect, but at least it’s going the way I intended.”
Although she found her son's confident attitude amusing, Kaitlyn nodded as if nothing had happened.
“It won’t be easy. Indeed, we are overwhelmingly behind in technology. I think Leichnen will also have to deal with that problem.”
Kaitlyn ran her hand over her chin, waiting for her son's reaction.
Hardius, who had been shouting for Meyer Steel, knew very well that he was having a hard time.
So she secretly hoped that the successor would surrender and ask for her advice.
Of course, Kaitlyn didn't really want Hardius to fail. Just because she felt an unreasonable jealousy towards her son, it didn't mean he could be pushed around by Leichnen.
All she wanted was the regency. She just wanted her son, who would become Duke Meyer, to come to her whenever he reached a dead end.
“There will be a banquet at Tobaro on Saturday.”
Tobaro was the nickname for the Leichnen Mansion. At that banquet, Hardius and Bianca were finally reunited.
“Are you ready to meet Bianca?
"Yes."
“Madame Leichnen contacted me yesterday. She wanted to meet me before the formal dinner. She and Bianca have agreed to have a small breakfast. What do you think?”
“Do whatever you want.”
The reason Kaitlyn brought up the subject was to suggest that they go together, but the extremely cold response left her feeling strange.
“Of course, I would like you to make a surprise visit to that place. I’m sure Madame Leichnen would like that too. It’s been five years since we last met, so I think it would be awkward for both of us to start with a formal dinner.”
“...I’ll think about it.”
Kaitlyn was momentarily speechless at the concise answer. A strange anxiety that she couldn't quite put her finger on began to build up again.
“By the way, have you prepared a gift?”
Kaitlyn nodded, but her eyebrows furrowed as if something was missing.
“What else could there be? Other than those obvious gems... I think Bianca would be very happy if you said you prepared something special?”
“I have ordered a chess set from Artua.”
Kaitlyn's mouth slowly opens, and she lets out a rare smile.
“Yeah, that’s a really good idea. You two were really cute when you played chess! Aren’t they, Xavier?”
Kaitlyn looked back at the butler. He suddenly looked playful at her casual question.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch the match between the two of you with peace of mind. I was so nervous that I couldn’t stand it.”
“Why?”
“Because we used to make bets on who would win.”
"Oh my God!"
Kaitlyn, whose eyes were wide open, laughed out loud.
“You guys did that? So... who did you bet on?”
“Of course it was Lady Leichnen.”
"...what?"
Kaitlyn glared at the butler, then asked the head maid the same thing.
She also pretended to hesitate for no reason, as if continuing the mood, and answered, “I also called the same person.” The hall was filled with laughter.
Hardius walked quietly to the window, leaving the friendly atmosphere behind. His cold eyes stopped somewhere on the path leading to the front door of the villa.
The gardener was talking to someone. He looked like a chimney sweep, carrying a long pole and a broom.
No one in the villa, including the gardener, would have guessed what the chimney sweep's true identity was.
It took half a year to find him, who he didn't even know existed, and another half a year to plant him here without anyone suspecting him.
This Kramwitz was like his mother's hiding place. It was also a place full of all kinds of conspiracies, secrets, and a dark past.
From now on, the chimney sweep will roam every nook and cranny of this impregnable fortress, seeing, hearing, and doing many things.
To uncover the truth behind the brutal murder that occurred 10 years ago, and to take revenge.
When Hardius returned to Basilion House, Emilia was waiting for him.
Standing with her back to the window, she looked like a marble statue. Her eyes were cold, her face was expressionless, and her body was filled with a chill. The sun hanging in the western sky was slowly sinking down the mountain ridge, slowly releasing darkness.
The moment their eyes met, she immediately opened her mouth.
“I don’t want royal patronage.”
Hardius wasn't particularly disappointed, since it was an expected answer. The third deal was a decision made out of greed, not desperation, and he had already planned out another way to protect the woman in front of him.
“I don’t want anything artificial. I have absolutely no desire to debut in the social world. I don’t want to waste my life laughing, talking, and gossiping among hypocritical people.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t something that suited you at all.”
“But the problem is...”
Emilia hesitated, unable to continue speaking. She was shaking so much that it could be seen from a distance.
Hardius pushed the chair away and stood up. Then he took a bottle of liquor from the cupboard.
“Would you like a drink?”
Emilia didn't refuse.
As she took a sip of the alcohol, the burning sensation in her esophagus and the spicy aroma took away her senses. Thanks to that, her tense nerves seemed to relax a little.
Emilia took another sip and continued.
“The problem is my family. If I have to do as you say, my family... will be helped...”
“No, that’s not it.”
Hardius cut her off coldly.
His heart ached as he understood why she was hesitating and what exactly she wanted to say.
Since their last meeting, Hardius kept seeing himself in Emilia.
It wasn't just pride.
It was almost an instinct, a desire to get through it on one's own without begging from anyone.
If he had to give it a special name, he would say pride or self-esteem.
Emilia Bern is a person with more pride and self-esteem than anyone he knows.
But he and the world around him trampled it all down.
For that noble woman, the past five years must have been a series of moments where she was robbed of her pride and self-esteem.
He knew it. He knew it, but he couldn't help it. He was consumed by impulse and impatience, and he killed that thing that sparkled like a jewel with his own hands.
Hardius also knew that if something like that had happened to him, he would never have forgiven himself.
“That and your family are separate issues. It means that even if you don’t receive royal support, your family won’t suffer any losses. Even if it weren’t for me, the King would have definitely called you back as soon as the engagement was broken off. He’ll probably give you a consolation prize so that there won’t be any more gossip.”
The body that had been trembling finally let out a long breath as if it had found relief.
When he looked at that sight, he felt like his throat was being strangled.
Should he say that he started feeling a woman he only knew in his head with his heart?
To Hardius, it felt like punishment.
His empty hand, with nowhere to put it, eventually reached for a new glass. He poured the alcohol and downed it in one go.
“Nothing has been decided yet, but it will have nothing to do with me. It will be a duty to the King and a right to your family. From the moment he stopped paying the bribe, he has been indebted to you and your family. After all, the only one who has benefited from our engagement is His Majesty the King. So take it. It is compensation for the past five years.”
Only then did the color return to his pale face. Hardius barely managed to swallow the bitter water that was welling up inside him along with the alcohol.
His eyes, which had been looking down at the empty glass, turned back to Emilia.
The light of the full moon was streaming through the window, drenching her. The burning desire that had started in his dantian heated his blood.
What if he stripped that gloriously shining body completely off and beat it until it was tattered?
As if mocking his inappropriate desires, her rosy lips slowly opened to reveal her moist, soaking cavern. Of course, the voice that came out was completely different from lust.
“I always... just wanted to live as Emilia Bern. Not as someone’s fiancée.”
Hardius pushed his boiling desire deep inside and listened to her words.
“Charlotte says I’m so great... but I... I’m really nothing. I didn’t do anything under the pretense of taking priestly classes. I didn’t feed my family... I didn’t take care of them properly. My stepmother is sick at the factory, and my brother is involved with some crazy organization. Charlotte ended up... thinking she’s a monster.”
Although she had vowed never to cry, Emilia could not stop the sobs that were leaking out. She clenched her fists and held back tears with her reddened eyes.
“It’s all my fault... Even though I know it’s my fault... I keep wanting to blame something else. So...”
Emilia bit her lower lip, rolled her eyes to stop the thoughts from rising, and let them out along with the breath she had been holding.
“That’s why I hated you even more. I could never forgive you for your world.”
“...”
“And... I don’t think I could ever overcome it. I can’t handle it. The name Meyer, really, is a no-no. The Duchess... is impossible.”
"No."
“No, I really can’t. No matter how hard I try, it just doesn’t work. My mind is filled with fear, resentment, and hate!”
“You still don’t get it? Do you think I care about your feelings?”
“I can’t! I can’t love you!”
A sharp shout cut him down.
“Should I get on my knees and beg? Do you think I can’t do it?”
The man's long body was straight without a single inch of distortion, and Emilia felt as if he were really kneeling. That illusion slowly began to strangle her.
“I can kneel before you, no, I can bow down and beg you. Right now, whenever you want.”
“No, please stop. It’s no use...”
“Yeah, it’s no use. Even if I get on my knees and beg and plead, the fact that I’m Meyer won’t change.”
He put down the glass he was holding as if he was going to break it, and slowly approached her. Emilia couldn't bear to look at him and took hesitant steps back.
“So I thought, why don’t I just throw it away? If I throw away this damn Meyer, won’t you accept me?”
For a moment, it felt like her heart really stopped.
Emilia gasped for breath, trying to get the oxygen she needed into her lungs.
“Do you know what the problem is? I don’t even have the freedom to abandon myself. And yet I dared to mention the Duchess.”
"That..."
“I dared to talk to you about the future when I couldn’t even throw away these annoying things that clung to me. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that. My cowardly proposal that I wasn’t prepared for.”
The chewing voice was filled with murderous intent. Emilia's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst.
“Now that I have to confess, Emilia, we have already broken off our engagement.”
Emilia barely managed to hold onto his trembling hands.
“Do you know what that means? You’re free. You can do whatever you want, whether it’s washing dishes, keeping the books, or taking care of your family.”
The man stopped walking within arm's reach.
“If you ever want the royal family’s support, just tell me. I will make you a Princess at any time.”
Blood gushed to the crown of his head. Everything that had been boiling around was on the verge of exploding, swirling violently.
“If you still can’t forgive me, then just leave me.”
“...!”
“If you want to meet this guy and that guy promiscuously... If you want to enjoy your freedom by having a bunch of Nathan Malvin guys around... Do that.”
Even as he said that, Hardius was burning with anger.
“Do whatever you want. Whether you follow that bastard to the New World or run around with any man you want, I don’t care anymore. You know why?”
It was madness. The man's eyes were completely filled with a suffocating madness.
“You will come back to me eventually. I will make it so.”
The man's arm stretched out, a hot hand caressing her pale cheek.
Emilia froze, unable to breathe.
“Don’t forget, I had your first and I will be your last.”
“Is the negotiation team going well?”
“It’s not perfect, but at least it’s going the way I intended.”
Although she found her son's confident attitude amusing, Kaitlyn nodded as if nothing had happened.
“It won’t be easy. Indeed, we are overwhelmingly behind in technology. I think Leichnen will also have to deal with that problem.”
Kaitlyn ran her hand over her chin, waiting for her son's reaction.
Hardius, who had been shouting for Meyer Steel, knew very well that he was having a hard time.
So she secretly hoped that the successor would surrender and ask for her advice.
Of course, Kaitlyn didn't really want Hardius to fail. Just because she felt an unreasonable jealousy towards her son, it didn't mean he could be pushed around by Leichnen.
All she wanted was the regency. She just wanted her son, who would become Duke Meyer, to come to her whenever he reached a dead end.
“There will be a banquet at Tobaro on Saturday.”
Tobaro was the nickname for the Leichnen Mansion. At that banquet, Hardius and Bianca were finally reunited.
“Are you ready to meet Bianca?
"Yes."
“Madame Leichnen contacted me yesterday. She wanted to meet me before the formal dinner. She and Bianca have agreed to have a small breakfast. What do you think?”
“Do whatever you want.”
The reason Kaitlyn brought up the subject was to suggest that they go together, but the extremely cold response left her feeling strange.
“Of course, I would like you to make a surprise visit to that place. I’m sure Madame Leichnen would like that too. It’s been five years since we last met, so I think it would be awkward for both of us to start with a formal dinner.”
“...I’ll think about it.”
Kaitlyn was momentarily speechless at the concise answer. A strange anxiety that she couldn't quite put her finger on began to build up again.
“By the way, have you prepared a gift?”
Kaitlyn nodded, but her eyebrows furrowed as if something was missing.
“What else could there be? Other than those obvious gems... I think Bianca would be very happy if you said you prepared something special?”
“I have ordered a chess set from Artua.”
Kaitlyn's mouth slowly opens, and she lets out a rare smile.
“Yeah, that’s a really good idea. You two were really cute when you played chess! Aren’t they, Xavier?”
Kaitlyn looked back at the butler. He suddenly looked playful at her casual question.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch the match between the two of you with peace of mind. I was so nervous that I couldn’t stand it.”
“Why?”
“Because we used to make bets on who would win.”
"Oh my God!"
Kaitlyn, whose eyes were wide open, laughed out loud.
“You guys did that? So... who did you bet on?”
“Of course it was Lady Leichnen.”
"...what?"
Kaitlyn glared at the butler, then asked the head maid the same thing.
She also pretended to hesitate for no reason, as if continuing the mood, and answered, “I also called the same person.” The hall was filled with laughter.
Hardius walked quietly to the window, leaving the friendly atmosphere behind. His cold eyes stopped somewhere on the path leading to the front door of the villa.
The gardener was talking to someone. He looked like a chimney sweep, carrying a long pole and a broom.
No one in the villa, including the gardener, would have guessed what the chimney sweep's true identity was.
It took half a year to find him, who he didn't even know existed, and another half a year to plant him here without anyone suspecting him.
This Kramwitz was like his mother's hiding place. It was also a place full of all kinds of conspiracies, secrets, and a dark past.
From now on, the chimney sweep will roam every nook and cranny of this impregnable fortress, seeing, hearing, and doing many things.
To uncover the truth behind the brutal murder that occurred 10 years ago, and to take revenge.
***
When Hardius returned to Basilion House, Emilia was waiting for him.
Standing with her back to the window, she looked like a marble statue. Her eyes were cold, her face was expressionless, and her body was filled with a chill. The sun hanging in the western sky was slowly sinking down the mountain ridge, slowly releasing darkness.
The moment their eyes met, she immediately opened her mouth.
“I don’t want royal patronage.”
Hardius wasn't particularly disappointed, since it was an expected answer. The third deal was a decision made out of greed, not desperation, and he had already planned out another way to protect the woman in front of him.
“I don’t want anything artificial. I have absolutely no desire to debut in the social world. I don’t want to waste my life laughing, talking, and gossiping among hypocritical people.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t something that suited you at all.”
“But the problem is...”
Emilia hesitated, unable to continue speaking. She was shaking so much that it could be seen from a distance.
Hardius pushed the chair away and stood up. Then he took a bottle of liquor from the cupboard.
“Would you like a drink?”
Emilia didn't refuse.
As she took a sip of the alcohol, the burning sensation in her esophagus and the spicy aroma took away her senses. Thanks to that, her tense nerves seemed to relax a little.
Emilia took another sip and continued.
“The problem is my family. If I have to do as you say, my family... will be helped...”
“No, that’s not it.”
Hardius cut her off coldly.
His heart ached as he understood why she was hesitating and what exactly she wanted to say.
Since their last meeting, Hardius kept seeing himself in Emilia.
It wasn't just pride.
It was almost an instinct, a desire to get through it on one's own without begging from anyone.
If he had to give it a special name, he would say pride or self-esteem.
Emilia Bern is a person with more pride and self-esteem than anyone he knows.
But he and the world around him trampled it all down.
For that noble woman, the past five years must have been a series of moments where she was robbed of her pride and self-esteem.
He knew it. He knew it, but he couldn't help it. He was consumed by impulse and impatience, and he killed that thing that sparkled like a jewel with his own hands.
Hardius also knew that if something like that had happened to him, he would never have forgiven himself.
“That and your family are separate issues. It means that even if you don’t receive royal support, your family won’t suffer any losses. Even if it weren’t for me, the King would have definitely called you back as soon as the engagement was broken off. He’ll probably give you a consolation prize so that there won’t be any more gossip.”
The body that had been trembling finally let out a long breath as if it had found relief.
When he looked at that sight, he felt like his throat was being strangled.
Should he say that he started feeling a woman he only knew in his head with his heart?
To Hardius, it felt like punishment.
His empty hand, with nowhere to put it, eventually reached for a new glass. He poured the alcohol and downed it in one go.
“Nothing has been decided yet, but it will have nothing to do with me. It will be a duty to the King and a right to your family. From the moment he stopped paying the bribe, he has been indebted to you and your family. After all, the only one who has benefited from our engagement is His Majesty the King. So take it. It is compensation for the past five years.”
Only then did the color return to his pale face. Hardius barely managed to swallow the bitter water that was welling up inside him along with the alcohol.
His eyes, which had been looking down at the empty glass, turned back to Emilia.
The light of the full moon was streaming through the window, drenching her. The burning desire that had started in his dantian heated his blood.
What if he stripped that gloriously shining body completely off and beat it until it was tattered?
As if mocking his inappropriate desires, her rosy lips slowly opened to reveal her moist, soaking cavern. Of course, the voice that came out was completely different from lust.
“I always... just wanted to live as Emilia Bern. Not as someone’s fiancée.”
Hardius pushed his boiling desire deep inside and listened to her words.
“Charlotte says I’m so great... but I... I’m really nothing. I didn’t do anything under the pretense of taking priestly classes. I didn’t feed my family... I didn’t take care of them properly. My stepmother is sick at the factory, and my brother is involved with some crazy organization. Charlotte ended up... thinking she’s a monster.”
Although she had vowed never to cry, Emilia could not stop the sobs that were leaking out. She clenched her fists and held back tears with her reddened eyes.
“It’s all my fault... Even though I know it’s my fault... I keep wanting to blame something else. So...”
Emilia bit her lower lip, rolled her eyes to stop the thoughts from rising, and let them out along with the breath she had been holding.
“That’s why I hated you even more. I could never forgive you for your world.”
“...”
“And... I don’t think I could ever overcome it. I can’t handle it. The name Meyer, really, is a no-no. The Duchess... is impossible.”
"No."
“No, I really can’t. No matter how hard I try, it just doesn’t work. My mind is filled with fear, resentment, and hate!”
“You still don’t get it? Do you think I care about your feelings?”
“I can’t! I can’t love you!”
A sharp shout cut him down.
“Should I get on my knees and beg? Do you think I can’t do it?”
The man's long body was straight without a single inch of distortion, and Emilia felt as if he were really kneeling. That illusion slowly began to strangle her.
“I can kneel before you, no, I can bow down and beg you. Right now, whenever you want.”
“No, please stop. It’s no use...”
“Yeah, it’s no use. Even if I get on my knees and beg and plead, the fact that I’m Meyer won’t change.”
He put down the glass he was holding as if he was going to break it, and slowly approached her. Emilia couldn't bear to look at him and took hesitant steps back.
“So I thought, why don’t I just throw it away? If I throw away this damn Meyer, won’t you accept me?”
For a moment, it felt like her heart really stopped.
Emilia gasped for breath, trying to get the oxygen she needed into her lungs.
“Do you know what the problem is? I don’t even have the freedom to abandon myself. And yet I dared to mention the Duchess.”
"That..."
“I dared to talk to you about the future when I couldn’t even throw away these annoying things that clung to me. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that. My cowardly proposal that I wasn’t prepared for.”
The chewing voice was filled with murderous intent. Emilia's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst.
“Now that I have to confess, Emilia, we have already broken off our engagement.”
Emilia barely managed to hold onto his trembling hands.
“Do you know what that means? You’re free. You can do whatever you want, whether it’s washing dishes, keeping the books, or taking care of your family.”
The man stopped walking within arm's reach.
“If you ever want the royal family’s support, just tell me. I will make you a Princess at any time.”
Blood gushed to the crown of his head. Everything that had been boiling around was on the verge of exploding, swirling violently.
“If you still can’t forgive me, then just leave me.”
“...!”
“If you want to meet this guy and that guy promiscuously... If you want to enjoy your freedom by having a bunch of Nathan Malvin guys around... Do that.”
Even as he said that, Hardius was burning with anger.
“Do whatever you want. Whether you follow that bastard to the New World or run around with any man you want, I don’t care anymore. You know why?”
It was madness. The man's eyes were completely filled with a suffocating madness.
“You will come back to me eventually. I will make it so.”
The man's arm stretched out, a hot hand caressing her pale cheek.
Emilia froze, unable to breathe.
“Don’t forget, I had your first and I will be your last.”
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