124. Wish
"Master!"
“What were you doing?”
Charlotte answered Hardius's question. A light laugh followed.
Strangely, Emilia couldn't hear a thing. The strange heat rising from her chin left her unable to come to her senses.
“Oh, it’s cold.”
Charlotte, who had been playing well, suddenly sat up.
“I’m going in now.”
Despite not yet being fully acclimated to her new home, the child found the door with incredible speed and sprinted inside. Emilia followed Charlotte's swift disappearance, then turned to look at Hardius.
He had been staring at her for a while now. His calm eyes took in her slightly ragged breathing and her flushed cheeks. Coincidentally, a sudden cough erupted from Emilia's throat.
The man's face darkened in an instant. A cold hand touched her forehead.
“You have a fever.”
Hardius immediately turned around.
“I’ll call a doctor.”
Emilia belatedly grabbed his collar.
"No, I'm fine. The doctor already came in this afternoon. He said there's nothing wrong. I don't have a fever."
Emilia's lips curled up.
She kept renewing her resolve all day long today.
With a worried look on his face, she said she wouldn't ask where he was or what he was doing.
She will smile brightly like the happiest person in the world and make that man feel at ease.
“Shall we take a walk? It’s the first snow.”
Emilia then took his hand first. The moment her small hand dug into the man's palm, Hardius paused. He noticed a ring on her usually empty finger.
He stared into space with his mouth tightly shut, then, without a moment's hesitation, he grasped her hand tightly. His fingertips were constantly playing with the ring.
It was strange.
He merely touched the jewel in the ring, and Emilia felt a strange sensation as if her insides were being dug out.
Woof woof!
Brave barked.
She watched the dog wagging its tail for a moment before untying the leash.
“Brave, you come too. We haven’t been able to go for a walk yet.”
The two walked together.
Crunch, crunch, two pairs of shoes and tiny dog footprints were etched side by side on the pure white snow.
“There’s an orchard just a short walk away. It’ll be even prettier when it snows.”
As expected, the snowy landscape of the orchard was very beautiful.
The snow flowers blooming on every branch, the cold wind brushing her ears, and the thin sky visible between the dry branches also gave her a strange feeling.
“They are all apple trees.”
Emilia said, pointing to the tree that was lined with dead leaves.
“Charlotte is already excited. She said she’ll be able to pick her own apples next year.”
Was it because of the snow that she was excited?
Brave, who had always been gentle, started pulling on the rope and barking for some reason.
Emilia slowly let go of the leash, remembering that the mercenaries had already mended the orchard fence.
As she watched the dog jumping around excitedly, she thought of another animal that must be running wildly through the snow in the yard right now.
“Is Moriah doing well?”
A crooked smile appeared on Hardius's face.
"It's too much fun. Pip says it seems like he's gotten all the females in the area pregnant."
Emilia, who had been blinking, realized what he meant and gasped.
“...was it a male?”
Instead of answering, Hardius smiled lightly.
“I should have just left him to die then.”
Emilia's eyes widened even more.
"Why?"
“I always thought of you when I saw the cat. I didn’t even know it was a boy.”
The man's frown made her burst into laughter. She threw her head back and giggled.
Her breath was suffocating, and her chest was pounding. She couldn't bear it, so she couldn't help but lean her head against his shoulder.
For a moment, a faint smell of gunpowder drifted into her nostrils along with a pleasant body odor.
Her mood suddenly changed like a fickle person's. Her heart pounded.
What happened?
Emilia swallowed hard and held back the question that had caught in her throat.
Looking at the man's cold, snow-like profile, she steeled herself once again. Instead of asking anxious questions, she chose calm comfort.
“Wow, it’s really pretty.”
Emilia swept the snow flowers blooming on each branch with her hand.
As she was looking at the snow sparkling and crumbling like jewels, a funny thought suddenly occurred to her.
“Wait a minute, wait here.”
Emilia let go of his hand and walked towards the warehouse.
When she came back, she was holding an old chair and a used candle in her hand.
“When I was young, I used to bet on this with my village friends.”
Emilia placed a chair at a suitable distance and placed a candle on it. Then she ran towards Hardius.
The golden waves rolling over the pure white snow and the eyes with bright smiles like sunlight kept making the man feel dazed.
She squatted down and squeezed her eyes shut.
“The first one to knock it down wins!”
Then she threw it towards the candlestick that had been set up.
It narrowly missed. She rested her chin on her hand and wondered what the problem might have been.
“Now, it’s your turn, young master.”
Hardius rolled his eyes and threw the ball roughly. Naturally, it missed. Emilia's eyes narrowed.
“There is no mercy.”
Emilia said that and threw another snowball. It barely touched the end of the candlestick, but this time it didn't completely knock it over.
“Do it quickly.”
Unlike her, who was beginning to burn with competitive spirit, Hardius threw the snowball carelessly again. Emilia glared as she watched his snowball fly far past the candlestick.
“Should I get it right first so that you can do it properly?”
But the third time, it narrowly missed.
“It’s harder than I thought.”
Hardius gazed at her, muttering quietly before bending down. Even his eyes narrowed in confusion.
“Please don’t let me off the hook this time. I might get angry.”
Hardius shrugged.
"I'm not giving you any consideration. I'm just not motivated. What's the point of beating you? There's no prize."
Aha, that's it!
Emilia's face brightened.
"Well, that's fine. It's a bit obvious, but how about granting the winner a wish?"
Before she could even finish speaking, a snowball flew out of his hand.
It was completely different from before. The snowball, free from the man's long arm, whizzed by with a harsh noise. It sliced through the air, striking the candlestick with precision and knocking it over in one fell swoop.
"Oh my god!"
Emilia looked at him with wide eyes.
“Do you know what’s really annoying?”
Emilia giggled.
“Anyway, a promise is a promise, so tell me what you want.”
“...Think about it.”
It was a calm answer without any emotion, but Emilia felt annoyed for some reason.
“Oh my, I hate you.”
She grumbled, crouched down again, and began to make snowballs. Like everyone else, she began to build a snowman on the thickly piled snow.
She wanted to make a big snowman like Charlotte and Beppy, but she didn't have the energy to do it yet.
“Yes, here you go.”
Emilia held up a snowman smaller than the palm of her hand, made in just a few seconds.
“Will our baby be this small?”
The moment she muttered, Hardius became unbearable.
“Take it.”
“...”
"Why aren't you accepting it? Is our Lord Meyer feeling a little embarrassed?"
Emilia teased him, but for some reason, he couldn't laugh at all.
“Put it down. It’s melting.”
Emilia suddenly couldn't stand the words that seemed to express genuine concern.
As soon as she put down the baby snowman, the man's hand gently grasped her reddened fingers. The heat that started at her fingertips quickly surged through her, warming her blood.
He couldn't stand it anymore and lifted the woman's chin as she lowered her head. Slowly, he brought his lips to hers.
The intrusion, which began lightly, grew in depth and intensity as always.
Saliva mixed and breath became tangled.
The woman's body, unable to overcome the irritable man, was pushed back and forth. The two feet, roughly intertwined, mercilessly trampled the snow.
Perhaps it was because it had been such a long and tiring day for Hardius.
Only then did he feel he could breathe. He immersed himself in the woman's warm body, forgetting everything that had been bleak, miserable, and despicable.
“I remembered my wish.”
He leaned Emilia against a tree and whispered. His tone and gaze were calm, but Emilia felt as if she was looking at dark clouds in the sky.
“Let’s spend the whole day tomorrow. With me.”
That day, in the dark dawn, well past midnight.
A secret and special guest arrived at Basilion House. Unbecoming of his status, he arrived accompanied by a mere attendant and on horseback.
Hardius woke up early in the morning to personally welcome the important guest.
“I finally got to see the famous Basilion shooting room!”
It was King Joseph.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Hardius personally showed the King the shooting room. Joseph had a wonderful time, examining the guns on display like a museum, and even firing them himself.
When the two arrived at the study, Tobias was waiting with tea, alcohol, and snacks prepared.
“Hmm, good. You really have great taste.”
“You are too kind.”
The two shared a drink together.
As soon as he finished his first glass, Joseph lowered his voice.
“William Richard... so that’s what happened in the end.”
His muttering voice was laced with bitterness. It was a blessing for him, too, that the political enemy who had been blocking the royal family's path was now removed.
But there are not many people who would applaud and rejoice in the face of death.
“You reap what you sow, so there is no need to pity.”
He added, observing the young Meyer's expression. As usual, Hardius raised his glass to his lips without any particular reaction.
“By the way, your engagement ceremony is coming up soon. What are you planning to do?”
The hand that was turning the glass stopped.
“I don’t plan on attending.”
"How? Isn't it a bit much to cancel your engagement ceremony just because your mother was arrested?"
“There will be an emergency press conference held early this morning in front of the Inspector General’s Office.”
Joseph tilted his head.
“Can we get past that?”
"So, I've decided to be investigated as well. Since the Meyer family's pistol was found, it's only natural that I'm also a suspect. I'm sure the Leichnen side won't find it strange at all."
A hollow laugh burst from the King's mouth as his eyes widened.
"You're going to be quite the engagement expert. But do you really need to go to all that trouble to shake off Leichnen? What's the rush?"
Suddenly, the story he had heard from Grojean came to Joseph's mind.
It was said that Lady Leichnen seemed to be in love with the young Meyer.
"Don't be so harsh. You'll get in trouble again. I'm not talking about you, but that woman and your child."
“...What..are you saying?”
“Lady Leichnen, when an upright woman harbors poison, she becomes even more frightening.”
"Master!"
“What were you doing?”
Charlotte answered Hardius's question. A light laugh followed.
Strangely, Emilia couldn't hear a thing. The strange heat rising from her chin left her unable to come to her senses.
“Oh, it’s cold.”
Charlotte, who had been playing well, suddenly sat up.
“I’m going in now.”
Despite not yet being fully acclimated to her new home, the child found the door with incredible speed and sprinted inside. Emilia followed Charlotte's swift disappearance, then turned to look at Hardius.
He had been staring at her for a while now. His calm eyes took in her slightly ragged breathing and her flushed cheeks. Coincidentally, a sudden cough erupted from Emilia's throat.
The man's face darkened in an instant. A cold hand touched her forehead.
“You have a fever.”
Hardius immediately turned around.
“I’ll call a doctor.”
Emilia belatedly grabbed his collar.
"No, I'm fine. The doctor already came in this afternoon. He said there's nothing wrong. I don't have a fever."
Emilia's lips curled up.
She kept renewing her resolve all day long today.
With a worried look on his face, she said she wouldn't ask where he was or what he was doing.
She will smile brightly like the happiest person in the world and make that man feel at ease.
“Shall we take a walk? It’s the first snow.”
Emilia then took his hand first. The moment her small hand dug into the man's palm, Hardius paused. He noticed a ring on her usually empty finger.
He stared into space with his mouth tightly shut, then, without a moment's hesitation, he grasped her hand tightly. His fingertips were constantly playing with the ring.
It was strange.
He merely touched the jewel in the ring, and Emilia felt a strange sensation as if her insides were being dug out.
Woof woof!
Brave barked.
She watched the dog wagging its tail for a moment before untying the leash.
“Brave, you come too. We haven’t been able to go for a walk yet.”
The two walked together.
Crunch, crunch, two pairs of shoes and tiny dog footprints were etched side by side on the pure white snow.
“There’s an orchard just a short walk away. It’ll be even prettier when it snows.”
As expected, the snowy landscape of the orchard was very beautiful.
The snow flowers blooming on every branch, the cold wind brushing her ears, and the thin sky visible between the dry branches also gave her a strange feeling.
“They are all apple trees.”
Emilia said, pointing to the tree that was lined with dead leaves.
“Charlotte is already excited. She said she’ll be able to pick her own apples next year.”
Was it because of the snow that she was excited?
Brave, who had always been gentle, started pulling on the rope and barking for some reason.
Emilia slowly let go of the leash, remembering that the mercenaries had already mended the orchard fence.
As she watched the dog jumping around excitedly, she thought of another animal that must be running wildly through the snow in the yard right now.
“Is Moriah doing well?”
A crooked smile appeared on Hardius's face.
"It's too much fun. Pip says it seems like he's gotten all the females in the area pregnant."
Emilia, who had been blinking, realized what he meant and gasped.
“...was it a male?”
Instead of answering, Hardius smiled lightly.
“I should have just left him to die then.”
Emilia's eyes widened even more.
"Why?"
“I always thought of you when I saw the cat. I didn’t even know it was a boy.”
The man's frown made her burst into laughter. She threw her head back and giggled.
Her breath was suffocating, and her chest was pounding. She couldn't bear it, so she couldn't help but lean her head against his shoulder.
For a moment, a faint smell of gunpowder drifted into her nostrils along with a pleasant body odor.
Her mood suddenly changed like a fickle person's. Her heart pounded.
What happened?
Emilia swallowed hard and held back the question that had caught in her throat.
Looking at the man's cold, snow-like profile, she steeled herself once again. Instead of asking anxious questions, she chose calm comfort.
“Wow, it’s really pretty.”
Emilia swept the snow flowers blooming on each branch with her hand.
As she was looking at the snow sparkling and crumbling like jewels, a funny thought suddenly occurred to her.
“Wait a minute, wait here.”
Emilia let go of his hand and walked towards the warehouse.
When she came back, she was holding an old chair and a used candle in her hand.
“When I was young, I used to bet on this with my village friends.”
Emilia placed a chair at a suitable distance and placed a candle on it. Then she ran towards Hardius.
The golden waves rolling over the pure white snow and the eyes with bright smiles like sunlight kept making the man feel dazed.
She squatted down and squeezed her eyes shut.
“The first one to knock it down wins!”
Then she threw it towards the candlestick that had been set up.
It narrowly missed. She rested her chin on her hand and wondered what the problem might have been.
“Now, it’s your turn, young master.”
Hardius rolled his eyes and threw the ball roughly. Naturally, it missed. Emilia's eyes narrowed.
“There is no mercy.”
Emilia said that and threw another snowball. It barely touched the end of the candlestick, but this time it didn't completely knock it over.
“Do it quickly.”
Unlike her, who was beginning to burn with competitive spirit, Hardius threw the snowball carelessly again. Emilia glared as she watched his snowball fly far past the candlestick.
“Should I get it right first so that you can do it properly?”
But the third time, it narrowly missed.
“It’s harder than I thought.”
Hardius gazed at her, muttering quietly before bending down. Even his eyes narrowed in confusion.
“Please don’t let me off the hook this time. I might get angry.”
Hardius shrugged.
"I'm not giving you any consideration. I'm just not motivated. What's the point of beating you? There's no prize."
Aha, that's it!
Emilia's face brightened.
"Well, that's fine. It's a bit obvious, but how about granting the winner a wish?"
Before she could even finish speaking, a snowball flew out of his hand.
It was completely different from before. The snowball, free from the man's long arm, whizzed by with a harsh noise. It sliced through the air, striking the candlestick with precision and knocking it over in one fell swoop.
"Oh my god!"
Emilia looked at him with wide eyes.
“Do you know what’s really annoying?”
Emilia giggled.
“Anyway, a promise is a promise, so tell me what you want.”
“...Think about it.”
It was a calm answer without any emotion, but Emilia felt annoyed for some reason.
“Oh my, I hate you.”
She grumbled, crouched down again, and began to make snowballs. Like everyone else, she began to build a snowman on the thickly piled snow.
She wanted to make a big snowman like Charlotte and Beppy, but she didn't have the energy to do it yet.
“Yes, here you go.”
Emilia held up a snowman smaller than the palm of her hand, made in just a few seconds.
“Will our baby be this small?”
The moment she muttered, Hardius became unbearable.
“Take it.”
“...”
"Why aren't you accepting it? Is our Lord Meyer feeling a little embarrassed?"
Emilia teased him, but for some reason, he couldn't laugh at all.
“Put it down. It’s melting.”
Emilia suddenly couldn't stand the words that seemed to express genuine concern.
As soon as she put down the baby snowman, the man's hand gently grasped her reddened fingers. The heat that started at her fingertips quickly surged through her, warming her blood.
He couldn't stand it anymore and lifted the woman's chin as she lowered her head. Slowly, he brought his lips to hers.
The intrusion, which began lightly, grew in depth and intensity as always.
Saliva mixed and breath became tangled.
The woman's body, unable to overcome the irritable man, was pushed back and forth. The two feet, roughly intertwined, mercilessly trampled the snow.
Perhaps it was because it had been such a long and tiring day for Hardius.
Only then did he feel he could breathe. He immersed himself in the woman's warm body, forgetting everything that had been bleak, miserable, and despicable.
“I remembered my wish.”
He leaned Emilia against a tree and whispered. His tone and gaze were calm, but Emilia felt as if she was looking at dark clouds in the sky.
“Let’s spend the whole day tomorrow. With me.”
***
That day, in the dark dawn, well past midnight.
A secret and special guest arrived at Basilion House. Unbecoming of his status, he arrived accompanied by a mere attendant and on horseback.
Hardius woke up early in the morning to personally welcome the important guest.
“I finally got to see the famous Basilion shooting room!”
It was King Joseph.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Hardius personally showed the King the shooting room. Joseph had a wonderful time, examining the guns on display like a museum, and even firing them himself.
When the two arrived at the study, Tobias was waiting with tea, alcohol, and snacks prepared.
“Hmm, good. You really have great taste.”
“You are too kind.”
The two shared a drink together.
As soon as he finished his first glass, Joseph lowered his voice.
“William Richard... so that’s what happened in the end.”
His muttering voice was laced with bitterness. It was a blessing for him, too, that the political enemy who had been blocking the royal family's path was now removed.
But there are not many people who would applaud and rejoice in the face of death.
“You reap what you sow, so there is no need to pity.”
He added, observing the young Meyer's expression. As usual, Hardius raised his glass to his lips without any particular reaction.
“By the way, your engagement ceremony is coming up soon. What are you planning to do?”
The hand that was turning the glass stopped.
“I don’t plan on attending.”
"How? Isn't it a bit much to cancel your engagement ceremony just because your mother was arrested?"
“There will be an emergency press conference held early this morning in front of the Inspector General’s Office.”
Joseph tilted his head.
“Can we get past that?”
"So, I've decided to be investigated as well. Since the Meyer family's pistol was found, it's only natural that I'm also a suspect. I'm sure the Leichnen side won't find it strange at all."
A hollow laugh burst from the King's mouth as his eyes widened.
"You're going to be quite the engagement expert. But do you really need to go to all that trouble to shake off Leichnen? What's the rush?"
Suddenly, the story he had heard from Grojean came to Joseph's mind.
It was said that Lady Leichnen seemed to be in love with the young Meyer.
"Don't be so harsh. You'll get in trouble again. I'm not talking about you, but that woman and your child."
“...What..are you saying?”
“Lady Leichnen, when an upright woman harbors poison, she becomes even more frightening.”
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