092. Thirst
The man's feet, consumed by impatience, headed towards yet another zelkova forest.
When the door opened and Emilia appeared, Hardius was relieved to see that small body still in front of him, and he became anxious again at the sight of her bloodless face.
“Where does it hurt?”
The man's feet, consumed by impatience, headed towards yet another zelkova forest.
When the door opened and Emilia appeared, Hardius was relieved to see that small body still in front of him, and he became anxious again at the sight of her bloodless face.
“Where does it hurt?”
He couldn't help but ask out of the blue.
The fact that a woman who was always so lively and energetic could be sick was making him unbearable.
“No, it’s okay.”
Since it was a question she had been receiving a lot from people recently, Emilia was able to answer right away as if she had prepared in advance.
Silence flowed through the fading night light.
Hardius looked her up and down again.
What made her already slender body look even more pale was the damn 'Latang'.
It was natural that her body would not be able to handle it since she had to do all kinds of work there, from washing dishes and preparing ingredients to cleaning.
He was overcome by a strange feeling, as if all the life had been drained from his body and he was becoming withered and emaciated.
Fatigue was creeping in. It felt as if the hard day Emilia had endured was all his, making his whole body feel tired.
He wanted to go to Latang right away and make her quit her job.
But the scene where she took out a small piece of meat and showed it as a medal and smiled faintly made the back of his neck tingle.
“Are you thinking of quitting your job?”
He asked as calmly as possible, deliberately leaving out his emotions. Emilia just stared at him.
'No, I don't think so.'
Of course, she intended to answer like that, but strangely enough, what came out was the exact opposite.
“Yes, I plan on quitting soon.”
Why do I lie?
Emilia walked into the quiet forest where darkness had fallen to hide her confused gaze.
The trees were whispering in the silence.
You're so tired. You won't be able to bear it if you run into that guy again.
Don't fight. Don't create unnecessary arguments and tire each other out.
Emilia never wanted to go through those intense, intense months again.
Her head and her heart wanted only peace.
“For now, I’m going to focus on finding out about Mitch and Charlotte’s school.”
She muttered, then quickly added.
“But I can’t quit my job right away. I plan to complete the promised period.”
Hardius stared blankly at Emilia, who answered weakly.
He loves that look of resignation and abandonment, so he came all this way to see it, but why is he not satisfied at all?
Where on earth did the woman who used to be so fiercely jealous go?
Why aren't you smiling? You had those bright blue eyes, you were fiery angry, and you laughed a lot.
Hardius, who was absent-mindedly thinking, felt bitter about himself. It was Charlotte who woke him up from his cold, frozen state.
"Master!"
The child came down from the attic in an instant as if he had vision and stood in front of him.
“I got a letter from Pip yesterday. Can I really go see Moriah this weekend?”
"Yes."
The moment he answered, Hardius felt another childish impulse rise from his chest.
“Did you know that today is also the feast of Saint Michael?”
“Yes, that’s why I can’t go crazy with my mother. I have to go to church.
“I heard there’s a festival in Sitmer that day. Do you want to go?”
“A festival?”
Charlotte gasped and cried out softly.
“Yes. Pip heard that there is an open-air ball in the square. There will be fireworks at night, and best of all, a traveling theater company will be coming. You can also see a play.”
“Really?!”
Charlotte's face, which had been brightening with anticipation, suddenly took on a dark hue.
Emilia, who had been watching quietly, felt her heart ache. She knew very well why Charlotte was doing that.
There is also an annual festival here in Erndorf, and Charlotte has also been to see it.
The lively music, dancing, mouth-watering food, and boisterous laughter were enough to excite even a blind child. Above all, Charlotte loved the traveling theater plays that were always part of every festival.
Emilia clearly remembered her younger sister, who couldn't take her eyes off the stage as if she were really seeing it.
But a few days later, something terrible happened.
As a result of the festival, Charlotte's existence became known to other villages in Erndorf, and some wicked children from neighboring villages threw rocks at Charlotte and hung her upside down from a tree.
Since then, the festival has brought both joy and fear to Charlotte. Even though Charlotte has found the courage to go out into the world, the festival is still too much for her.
If you don't want to go, you don't have to force yourself to go.
Emilia approached Charlotte to tell her that, but Hardius was faster.
He suddenly bent down and whispered something in the child's ear.
After a while.
“Really?”
Charlotte asked incredulously. Hardius smiled faintly and nodded. Emilia could see the child’s wrinkled eyebrows relax and the fog of fear slowly clear away.
The child turned her head toward her older sister, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Let’s go, Sister. I want to go! I want to go.”
What on earth did that guy say that made you suddenly change your mind?
Emilia looked at Hardius. His mysterious, incomprehensible silver-gray eyes were looking down at her calmly.
Leichnen's mansion, Tobaro's smoking room.
When Bianca appeared through the thick smoke, the person who greeted her most warmly was William Richard.
He lit a fine Seville cigar, then jumped up from his seat and raised both arms wide in front of the Grand Duchess. Then he bowed at a 90-degree angle and greeted her politely.
Bianca burst out laughing.
“You’re still the same, sir.”
“I really missed you, Vicky.”
William shook Bianca's hand, his eyes furrowing.
It was an act that was completely against the order and the rules, but Leichnen and Richard had been staunch allies for three generations and were like uncle and nephew. In an informal setting, such a break was completely acceptable.
The two people who shook hands sat on chairs facing each other diagonally. Hannes, who had been watching them with pride for a while, came between them.
“Bianca has been begging me to invite you to a smoking party. Is that okay?”
“Yes, yes.”
William smiled brightly, took out a new cigarette, and lit it.
“She is not an empty-headed woman, and if she is our Princess Leichnen, she is more than welcome.”
Sitting in front of a large display case, Bianca looked very natural, without losing her composure even in the smoking room, an inviolable area reserved for men.
“But I wonder why such a beautiful lady would think of stepping into the shady world of men.”
Bianca didn't hesitate.
“I want to help you, Congressman.”
“What? Me?”
“To be precise, I want to help the Congressman and Duchess Meyer reconcile.”
William flinched at the direct and blunt words. His trembling green eyes instantly returned to their original position.
“Your kind heart is admirable.”
William continued, his face slightly hardened, one arm resting on the back of the chair.
“I don’t know why I should do this. Kaitlyn Meyer has let me down so badly by being a narrow-minded woman and just complaining to herself. Why should I try?”
Even in front of William Richard, who was stroking his mustache with a drowsy expression, Bianca did not lose her smile.
“I don’t agree with the comment that she is a narrow-minded woman, but everything else is true. There is absolutely no need for you to make an effort, Congressman.”
William raised his eyebrows as if to ask what that meant.
“I will make the effort.”
William's eyes, which had been blinking, turned to Hannes. Hannes smiled as if she was quite satisfied with her daughter, and shrugged his shoulders in front of William as if he had no choice.
“You just need to tell me a little bit about what happened between you two. If you want to untangle a tangled mess, it’s better to start from the outermost part and work your way up. I want to find out exactly what problem caused the two of you to fall apart.”
“I think so, too.”
Hannes got stuck.
“Bianca would make a great mediator.”
There was nothing good about the alliance being shaken. It was a well-known fact that more than half of the capital of the future Leichnen & Meyer Mining would come from that sly Richard.
“Please, look at my daughter’s face and tell me what happened between you two.”
William blinked and flicked the ash from his cigarette with his fingers.
Smoke rose in puffs, and the clock ticked endlessly. William's mouth, which seemed like it would never open, opened only when Hannes handed him a new pack of cigarettes.
“Again, nothing really happened. I’m just confused as to why Kaitlyn Meyer is acting like this all of a sudden. Well... if I had to guess, it’s probably because I was trying to set up a scandal with that country girl.”
“Is it a scandal?”
Bianca asked back what he was talking about, and Hannes looked a little confused.
He had no intention of revealing to his daughter the fact that he had hatched such a vile and dishonorable plot.
Hannes coughed and showed signs of discomfort, but William paid no attention.
The shocking story continued with the strange rumors surrounding the Meyer family's fiancée and the Malvin family's eldest son, and the plan to use them to create a scandal and call off the engagement.
“I just wanted to help Prince Meyer. He was struggling too much on his own with the issue of the broken engagement. At that time, public opinion was very negative about the engagement. The Congress was desperate to pass the Rochester Bill. They were making a big fuss about marrying Prince Meyer to that commoner woman. Prince Meyer tried to please the woman and pretended to keep the engagement in front of people to prevent public opinion from getting worse.”
“Something like that happened.”
Bianca spoke calmly, pretending nothing had happened. But she couldn't stop the confusion from rising like smoke in her head.
“Kaitlyn seemed quite pleased with my plan at first, so I went to see Prince Meyer myself to discuss the matter.”
Bianca suddenly became curious. How would Hardius react? The answer followed immediately.
“Prince Meyer seemed to be very reluctant. He didn’t have a problem with the method itself, but he thought it was too unrealistic. I don’t know if you know, but that woman is flawless and... frustrating. If she were sly and greedy, it would have been easy to deal with, but she was the exact opposite. She had faithfully followed the King’s orders for five years, and she had shown an impeccable attitude at banquets. So I guess he figured she wouldn’t easily get entangled with another man.”
It was the first time she heard such an evaluation of that 'common woman'.
William used negative expressions like 'slut' and 'stuffy', but they sounded completely different to Bianca.
A very pretty girl, upright and with a great personality...
Jealousy, like a sharp sword, stabbed Bianca's heart deeply.
The fact that a woman who was always so lively and energetic could be sick was making him unbearable.
“No, it’s okay.”
Since it was a question she had been receiving a lot from people recently, Emilia was able to answer right away as if she had prepared in advance.
Silence flowed through the fading night light.
Hardius looked her up and down again.
What made her already slender body look even more pale was the damn 'Latang'.
It was natural that her body would not be able to handle it since she had to do all kinds of work there, from washing dishes and preparing ingredients to cleaning.
He was overcome by a strange feeling, as if all the life had been drained from his body and he was becoming withered and emaciated.
Fatigue was creeping in. It felt as if the hard day Emilia had endured was all his, making his whole body feel tired.
He wanted to go to Latang right away and make her quit her job.
But the scene where she took out a small piece of meat and showed it as a medal and smiled faintly made the back of his neck tingle.
“Are you thinking of quitting your job?”
He asked as calmly as possible, deliberately leaving out his emotions. Emilia just stared at him.
'No, I don't think so.'
Of course, she intended to answer like that, but strangely enough, what came out was the exact opposite.
“Yes, I plan on quitting soon.”
Why do I lie?
Emilia walked into the quiet forest where darkness had fallen to hide her confused gaze.
The trees were whispering in the silence.
You're so tired. You won't be able to bear it if you run into that guy again.
Don't fight. Don't create unnecessary arguments and tire each other out.
Emilia never wanted to go through those intense, intense months again.
Her head and her heart wanted only peace.
“For now, I’m going to focus on finding out about Mitch and Charlotte’s school.”
She muttered, then quickly added.
“But I can’t quit my job right away. I plan to complete the promised period.”
Hardius stared blankly at Emilia, who answered weakly.
He loves that look of resignation and abandonment, so he came all this way to see it, but why is he not satisfied at all?
Where on earth did the woman who used to be so fiercely jealous go?
Why aren't you smiling? You had those bright blue eyes, you were fiery angry, and you laughed a lot.
Hardius, who was absent-mindedly thinking, felt bitter about himself. It was Charlotte who woke him up from his cold, frozen state.
"Master!"
The child came down from the attic in an instant as if he had vision and stood in front of him.
“I got a letter from Pip yesterday. Can I really go see Moriah this weekend?”
"Yes."
The moment he answered, Hardius felt another childish impulse rise from his chest.
“Did you know that today is also the feast of Saint Michael?”
“Yes, that’s why I can’t go crazy with my mother. I have to go to church.
“I heard there’s a festival in Sitmer that day. Do you want to go?”
“A festival?”
Charlotte gasped and cried out softly.
“Yes. Pip heard that there is an open-air ball in the square. There will be fireworks at night, and best of all, a traveling theater company will be coming. You can also see a play.”
“Really?!”
Charlotte's face, which had been brightening with anticipation, suddenly took on a dark hue.
Emilia, who had been watching quietly, felt her heart ache. She knew very well why Charlotte was doing that.
There is also an annual festival here in Erndorf, and Charlotte has also been to see it.
The lively music, dancing, mouth-watering food, and boisterous laughter were enough to excite even a blind child. Above all, Charlotte loved the traveling theater plays that were always part of every festival.
Emilia clearly remembered her younger sister, who couldn't take her eyes off the stage as if she were really seeing it.
But a few days later, something terrible happened.
As a result of the festival, Charlotte's existence became known to other villages in Erndorf, and some wicked children from neighboring villages threw rocks at Charlotte and hung her upside down from a tree.
Since then, the festival has brought both joy and fear to Charlotte. Even though Charlotte has found the courage to go out into the world, the festival is still too much for her.
If you don't want to go, you don't have to force yourself to go.
Emilia approached Charlotte to tell her that, but Hardius was faster.
He suddenly bent down and whispered something in the child's ear.
After a while.
“Really?”
Charlotte asked incredulously. Hardius smiled faintly and nodded. Emilia could see the child’s wrinkled eyebrows relax and the fog of fear slowly clear away.
The child turned her head toward her older sister, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Let’s go, Sister. I want to go! I want to go.”
What on earth did that guy say that made you suddenly change your mind?
Emilia looked at Hardius. His mysterious, incomprehensible silver-gray eyes were looking down at her calmly.
***
Leichnen's mansion, Tobaro's smoking room.
When Bianca appeared through the thick smoke, the person who greeted her most warmly was William Richard.
He lit a fine Seville cigar, then jumped up from his seat and raised both arms wide in front of the Grand Duchess. Then he bowed at a 90-degree angle and greeted her politely.
Bianca burst out laughing.
“You’re still the same, sir.”
“I really missed you, Vicky.”
William shook Bianca's hand, his eyes furrowing.
It was an act that was completely against the order and the rules, but Leichnen and Richard had been staunch allies for three generations and were like uncle and nephew. In an informal setting, such a break was completely acceptable.
The two people who shook hands sat on chairs facing each other diagonally. Hannes, who had been watching them with pride for a while, came between them.
“Bianca has been begging me to invite you to a smoking party. Is that okay?”
“Yes, yes.”
William smiled brightly, took out a new cigarette, and lit it.
“She is not an empty-headed woman, and if she is our Princess Leichnen, she is more than welcome.”
Sitting in front of a large display case, Bianca looked very natural, without losing her composure even in the smoking room, an inviolable area reserved for men.
“But I wonder why such a beautiful lady would think of stepping into the shady world of men.”
Bianca didn't hesitate.
“I want to help you, Congressman.”
“What? Me?”
“To be precise, I want to help the Congressman and Duchess Meyer reconcile.”
William flinched at the direct and blunt words. His trembling green eyes instantly returned to their original position.
“Your kind heart is admirable.”
William continued, his face slightly hardened, one arm resting on the back of the chair.
“I don’t know why I should do this. Kaitlyn Meyer has let me down so badly by being a narrow-minded woman and just complaining to herself. Why should I try?”
Even in front of William Richard, who was stroking his mustache with a drowsy expression, Bianca did not lose her smile.
“I don’t agree with the comment that she is a narrow-minded woman, but everything else is true. There is absolutely no need for you to make an effort, Congressman.”
William raised his eyebrows as if to ask what that meant.
“I will make the effort.”
William's eyes, which had been blinking, turned to Hannes. Hannes smiled as if she was quite satisfied with her daughter, and shrugged his shoulders in front of William as if he had no choice.
“You just need to tell me a little bit about what happened between you two. If you want to untangle a tangled mess, it’s better to start from the outermost part and work your way up. I want to find out exactly what problem caused the two of you to fall apart.”
“I think so, too.”
Hannes got stuck.
“Bianca would make a great mediator.”
There was nothing good about the alliance being shaken. It was a well-known fact that more than half of the capital of the future Leichnen & Meyer Mining would come from that sly Richard.
“Please, look at my daughter’s face and tell me what happened between you two.”
William blinked and flicked the ash from his cigarette with his fingers.
Smoke rose in puffs, and the clock ticked endlessly. William's mouth, which seemed like it would never open, opened only when Hannes handed him a new pack of cigarettes.
“Again, nothing really happened. I’m just confused as to why Kaitlyn Meyer is acting like this all of a sudden. Well... if I had to guess, it’s probably because I was trying to set up a scandal with that country girl.”
“Is it a scandal?”
Bianca asked back what he was talking about, and Hannes looked a little confused.
He had no intention of revealing to his daughter the fact that he had hatched such a vile and dishonorable plot.
Hannes coughed and showed signs of discomfort, but William paid no attention.
The shocking story continued with the strange rumors surrounding the Meyer family's fiancée and the Malvin family's eldest son, and the plan to use them to create a scandal and call off the engagement.
“I just wanted to help Prince Meyer. He was struggling too much on his own with the issue of the broken engagement. At that time, public opinion was very negative about the engagement. The Congress was desperate to pass the Rochester Bill. They were making a big fuss about marrying Prince Meyer to that commoner woman. Prince Meyer tried to please the woman and pretended to keep the engagement in front of people to prevent public opinion from getting worse.”
“Something like that happened.”
Bianca spoke calmly, pretending nothing had happened. But she couldn't stop the confusion from rising like smoke in her head.
“Kaitlyn seemed quite pleased with my plan at first, so I went to see Prince Meyer myself to discuss the matter.”
Bianca suddenly became curious. How would Hardius react? The answer followed immediately.
“Prince Meyer seemed to be very reluctant. He didn’t have a problem with the method itself, but he thought it was too unrealistic. I don’t know if you know, but that woman is flawless and... frustrating. If she were sly and greedy, it would have been easy to deal with, but she was the exact opposite. She had faithfully followed the King’s orders for five years, and she had shown an impeccable attitude at banquets. So I guess he figured she wouldn’t easily get entangled with another man.”
It was the first time she heard such an evaluation of that 'common woman'.
William used negative expressions like 'slut' and 'stuffy', but they sounded completely different to Bianca.
A very pretty girl, upright and with a great personality...
Jealousy, like a sharp sword, stabbed Bianca's heart deeply.
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