125. Until we meet again
Hardius put down his glass with a slightly hardened face.
"That won't happen. If all goes according to plan, the Leichnen side will be the first to bring up the issue of a broken engagement. Sooner or later, I'll be investigated for the instigation of murder along with my mother, and soon, investments from businesses like Meyer Steel will be drained like a tide."
Joseph laughed and said, “Ha!”
“Well, just because you’re the worst groom in the entire continent, do you think Lady Leichnen will let you go so easily?”
Hardius looked back at the King as if to ask what he meant.
“Bianca Leichnen is seriously into you, huh?”
"With all due respect, that's not true. There's no such connection or memory between Lady Leichnen and me. We haven't even spent enough time together to develop feelings for one another."
Grojean also tilted his head while saying the same thing.
There doesn't seem to be any reason for that, but it seems that Lady Leichnen is too infatuated with his master.
“It’s funny when you say that.”
Another question appeared in Hardius's eyes.
“Did you fall for that commoner woman because you had so many memories and spent so much time together?”
Hardius gradually became more and more rigid.
It wasn't because the King had discovered his feelings for Bianca. He had begun to associate himself with her.
As the King said, he too fell helplessly in love with the fiancée he had been forced into.
From flies like Erger Wisher to sane men like Nathan Malvin.
Even now, thinking about them makes him lose his senses. The countless things flying around her made him commit absurd acts and sink into destructive emotions.
There's no way Bianca wouldn't do the same. And the sparks would fly not to Hardius himself, but to Emilia, the most powerless of them all.
"Well, it's not just because of the woman. If everything goes according to plan, the Leichnen family will be the first to call off the engagement sooner or later. But that's because they strictly viewed your engagement as a 'merger.' If you truly value 'marriage,' Hannes might not let you go so easily."
The King, who had been mumbling, completely erased the smile he had left behind.
“Don’t underestimate Grand Duke Leichnen. And Bianca, too.”
Hardius lifted his glass again and looked at it quietly.
"Honestly, I'm worried that there might be a tangled web somewhere in this house, planted by Leichnen. I was also worried that someone might be following me. That's why I sneaked out so early in the morning."
Hardius gulped down his drink.
"You know better than I do, but arson can happen again. And if it's Leichnen... he'll do it right."
The King noticed Hardius's hand clutching the cup as if it were about to shatter.
"For now, as your aide requested, I'll reveal the identity of 'that woman' as my mischievous gift. The beautiful maid I gave you, along with the sitter. I doubt how fooled Lady Leichnen will be, though."
Hardius stared at the amber liquid with cold eyes.
The words 'Let's spend all day together' were sincere.
Emilia swallowed her surprise as she looked at the man standing under the bright midday sunlight.
That lunch, Hardius had his first meal with Emilia's family.
There was no need for Kalia or Emilia to prepare food.
Because they had to avoid public view for the time being, they couldn't hire a maid, so the mercenaries guarding Hethel had to manage the housework and cook for them. Fortunately, they were skilled. Thanks to them, who took care of the household chores, Kalia and Emilia were able to enjoy a rare moment of peace.
Throughout the meal, Hardius remained silent. The family, too, was bound to be nervous in front of the young master. Only Charlotte was muttering.
Towards the end of the meal, Mitch spoke to him hesitantly.
“You said you would build a study. Thank you.”
"Yes."
The conversation ended too quickly. Nevertheless, Emilia felt a pang of relief at the fact that the wall between them was slowly disappearing.
In the afternoon, the whole family headed to a nearby reservoir. The water was completely frozen.
Like a seasoned mercenary, Maesen drilled holes in the ice and caught several fish the size of his forearm with a small fishing rod. This ignited Beppy's sense of futile competition, and the two men became obsessed with ice fishing.
Mitch found a sled somewhere. Charlotte was placed on it, and the whole family took turns sledding.
Charlotte, who had slipped on the ice until her cheeks turned red, remembered the "heart" she'd drawn in the snow. The child made all sorts of excuses to drag everyone home, leaving the young master and his sister behind.
“Should I give you a ride?”
Hardius lifted Emilia onto Charlotte's sled. Each time she slid across the ice, the sled lurched forward, a cool breeze caressing her ears.
At some point, Emilia got up.
“You too, young master, try riding it.”
She pulled on the rope, forcing the man's long body onto a small tree.
She pushed forward diligently, but kept slipping, and Hardius didn't miss the opportunity. He offered to catch her, hugged her, and kissed her relentlessly.
When she returned home, Emilia's cheeks were flushed red, and a smile was on her lips.
Time passed strangely quickly.
Dinner was quickly served while they huddled together in front of the fireplace.
"Master, would you like to stay awake? Now you have your own room. And the bed is huge."
Charlotte's innocent question made not only her family but also the mercenaries blush and cough in vain.
Hardius answered that he would do so, satisfying Charlotte.
“Are you tired?”
When they were alone again, he asked.
“A little.”
Emilia yawned lazily and leaned against him.
“I need to wash...”
“Does it bother you?”
“Too much.”
Suddenly, one corner of his mouth curled upward. Then he bent down and hugged her tightly.
“The diligent Maesen has prepared a lot of hot water.”
Hardius whispered and headed straight for the bathroom. Emilia buried her reddened face in the crook of his neck, giggling the entire way.
The two soaked together in the hot water. Their kisses were deep and suffocating, and the intense friction continued.
If it weren't for Kalia's nagging outside that a pregnant woman shouldn't bathe for so long, she might have melted away without a trace in the hot water.
Late one night, as they lay side by side in bed, Emilia handed him a handkerchief.
Hardius slowly touched his initials embroidered in gray and then pursed his lips.
As the kiss grew rougher, the man naturally became the one on top. Hardius lifted her wrists, rendering her helpless, and then inserted his tongue deeply.
She sensed a man below her, agitated beyond measure. She expected him to continue with his usual dark gaze, but he simply stared down at her, playing with her lips.
Emilia felt a strange sense of unease before those dark eyes, like an abyss.
A warm hand lifted her clothes and caressed her lower abdomen. Everything was dry and rough. Yet, it didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all. Hardius's warm touch always made her feel excited.
The man's lips moved alternately over her ear, the nape of her neck, and her shoulder. His hands moved more freely. He grabbed her chest, caressed her apex, then explored her dantian and the secret area beneath.
Emilia felt breathless. She felt as if he could go deep inside right now without any hesitation.
But strangely enough, there was no more intimate contact than that.
He had been touching her so much that it seemed as if her body was wearing away, and at one point, he hugged Emilia tightly like a doll.
Emilia felt her eyelids grow heavy again. She opened her eyes wide, trying to hold back sleep, when a dreamlike voice came from behind her.
“I never want to see you again. You are lying in the middle of a burning house... Never.”
She thought it was a dream. A persistent feeling of sleep crept over her. Before she knew it, Emilia's eyes had closed.
The next day, when she opened her eyes, the bedside was empty.
Emilia felt her heart pounding and jumped to her feet. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, and a strange feeling gripped her. Then, Kalia knocked.
“Emilia, are you awake? Come out for a moment.”
Outside, Grojean was there. Just looking at his face made Emilia feel a hot lump forming in her throat.
“The young master had to leave early in the morning due to an urgent matter.”
The word 'left' tightened Emilia's nerves.
“I have come to tell you something difficult.”
Grojean's eyes spoke volumes.
Please.
Emilia felt her eyes moisten.
“His Excellency will not be able to come here for the time being.”
“...”
“After inheriting the title and completely breaking away from the Leichnen family...”
Grojean's words began to fade into the distance. Emilia bit her lip.
'I never want to see you again. You are lying in the middle of a burning house... Never.'
No, that doesn't happen.
Because I will be careful. I will absolutely be careful!
We can be together... We can overcome anything.
What if I miss you?
What about our child?
Grojean began to feel increasingly embarrassed as he looked at the woman in front of him.
In his view, the one who clung desperately to this relationship was always the master. It was like a seesaw that tilted too far, impossible to climb back on.
But, looking at the woman biting her lip and swallowing her tears like that, his head started to feel dizzy.
Is it because of the baby? Are you anxious about being separated from your future husband while pregnant?
Grojean quickly opened his mouth.
"Of course, we'll definitely resolve this before the baby is born. I don't know about anything else, but I can promise you that."
Grojean continued to try to reassure her.
Emilia still couldn't hear a single word.
She was just holding back tears that threatened to flow out like a waterfall at any moment, her whole body tense.
Hardius put down his glass with a slightly hardened face.
"That won't happen. If all goes according to plan, the Leichnen side will be the first to bring up the issue of a broken engagement. Sooner or later, I'll be investigated for the instigation of murder along with my mother, and soon, investments from businesses like Meyer Steel will be drained like a tide."
Joseph laughed and said, “Ha!”
“Well, just because you’re the worst groom in the entire continent, do you think Lady Leichnen will let you go so easily?”
Hardius looked back at the King as if to ask what he meant.
“Bianca Leichnen is seriously into you, huh?”
"With all due respect, that's not true. There's no such connection or memory between Lady Leichnen and me. We haven't even spent enough time together to develop feelings for one another."
Grojean also tilted his head while saying the same thing.
There doesn't seem to be any reason for that, but it seems that Lady Leichnen is too infatuated with his master.
“It’s funny when you say that.”
Another question appeared in Hardius's eyes.
“Did you fall for that commoner woman because you had so many memories and spent so much time together?”
Hardius gradually became more and more rigid.
It wasn't because the King had discovered his feelings for Bianca. He had begun to associate himself with her.
As the King said, he too fell helplessly in love with the fiancée he had been forced into.
From flies like Erger Wisher to sane men like Nathan Malvin.
Even now, thinking about them makes him lose his senses. The countless things flying around her made him commit absurd acts and sink into destructive emotions.
There's no way Bianca wouldn't do the same. And the sparks would fly not to Hardius himself, but to Emilia, the most powerless of them all.
"Well, it's not just because of the woman. If everything goes according to plan, the Leichnen family will be the first to call off the engagement sooner or later. But that's because they strictly viewed your engagement as a 'merger.' If you truly value 'marriage,' Hannes might not let you go so easily."
The King, who had been mumbling, completely erased the smile he had left behind.
“Don’t underestimate Grand Duke Leichnen. And Bianca, too.”
Hardius lifted his glass again and looked at it quietly.
"Honestly, I'm worried that there might be a tangled web somewhere in this house, planted by Leichnen. I was also worried that someone might be following me. That's why I sneaked out so early in the morning."
Hardius gulped down his drink.
"You know better than I do, but arson can happen again. And if it's Leichnen... he'll do it right."
The King noticed Hardius's hand clutching the cup as if it were about to shatter.
"For now, as your aide requested, I'll reveal the identity of 'that woman' as my mischievous gift. The beautiful maid I gave you, along with the sitter. I doubt how fooled Lady Leichnen will be, though."
Hardius stared at the amber liquid with cold eyes.
***
The words 'Let's spend all day together' were sincere.
Emilia swallowed her surprise as she looked at the man standing under the bright midday sunlight.
That lunch, Hardius had his first meal with Emilia's family.
There was no need for Kalia or Emilia to prepare food.
Because they had to avoid public view for the time being, they couldn't hire a maid, so the mercenaries guarding Hethel had to manage the housework and cook for them. Fortunately, they were skilled. Thanks to them, who took care of the household chores, Kalia and Emilia were able to enjoy a rare moment of peace.
Throughout the meal, Hardius remained silent. The family, too, was bound to be nervous in front of the young master. Only Charlotte was muttering.
Towards the end of the meal, Mitch spoke to him hesitantly.
“You said you would build a study. Thank you.”
"Yes."
The conversation ended too quickly. Nevertheless, Emilia felt a pang of relief at the fact that the wall between them was slowly disappearing.
In the afternoon, the whole family headed to a nearby reservoir. The water was completely frozen.
Like a seasoned mercenary, Maesen drilled holes in the ice and caught several fish the size of his forearm with a small fishing rod. This ignited Beppy's sense of futile competition, and the two men became obsessed with ice fishing.
Mitch found a sled somewhere. Charlotte was placed on it, and the whole family took turns sledding.
Charlotte, who had slipped on the ice until her cheeks turned red, remembered the "heart" she'd drawn in the snow. The child made all sorts of excuses to drag everyone home, leaving the young master and his sister behind.
“Should I give you a ride?”
Hardius lifted Emilia onto Charlotte's sled. Each time she slid across the ice, the sled lurched forward, a cool breeze caressing her ears.
At some point, Emilia got up.
“You too, young master, try riding it.”
She pulled on the rope, forcing the man's long body onto a small tree.
She pushed forward diligently, but kept slipping, and Hardius didn't miss the opportunity. He offered to catch her, hugged her, and kissed her relentlessly.
When she returned home, Emilia's cheeks were flushed red, and a smile was on her lips.
Time passed strangely quickly.
Dinner was quickly served while they huddled together in front of the fireplace.
"Master, would you like to stay awake? Now you have your own room. And the bed is huge."
Charlotte's innocent question made not only her family but also the mercenaries blush and cough in vain.
Hardius answered that he would do so, satisfying Charlotte.
“Are you tired?”
When they were alone again, he asked.
“A little.”
Emilia yawned lazily and leaned against him.
“I need to wash...”
“Does it bother you?”
“Too much.”
Suddenly, one corner of his mouth curled upward. Then he bent down and hugged her tightly.
“The diligent Maesen has prepared a lot of hot water.”
Hardius whispered and headed straight for the bathroom. Emilia buried her reddened face in the crook of his neck, giggling the entire way.
The two soaked together in the hot water. Their kisses were deep and suffocating, and the intense friction continued.
If it weren't for Kalia's nagging outside that a pregnant woman shouldn't bathe for so long, she might have melted away without a trace in the hot water.
Late one night, as they lay side by side in bed, Emilia handed him a handkerchief.
Hardius slowly touched his initials embroidered in gray and then pursed his lips.
As the kiss grew rougher, the man naturally became the one on top. Hardius lifted her wrists, rendering her helpless, and then inserted his tongue deeply.
She sensed a man below her, agitated beyond measure. She expected him to continue with his usual dark gaze, but he simply stared down at her, playing with her lips.
Emilia felt a strange sense of unease before those dark eyes, like an abyss.
A warm hand lifted her clothes and caressed her lower abdomen. Everything was dry and rough. Yet, it didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all. Hardius's warm touch always made her feel excited.
The man's lips moved alternately over her ear, the nape of her neck, and her shoulder. His hands moved more freely. He grabbed her chest, caressed her apex, then explored her dantian and the secret area beneath.
Emilia felt breathless. She felt as if he could go deep inside right now without any hesitation.
But strangely enough, there was no more intimate contact than that.
He had been touching her so much that it seemed as if her body was wearing away, and at one point, he hugged Emilia tightly like a doll.
Emilia felt her eyelids grow heavy again. She opened her eyes wide, trying to hold back sleep, when a dreamlike voice came from behind her.
“I never want to see you again. You are lying in the middle of a burning house... Never.”
She thought it was a dream. A persistent feeling of sleep crept over her. Before she knew it, Emilia's eyes had closed.
The next day, when she opened her eyes, the bedside was empty.
Emilia felt her heart pounding and jumped to her feet. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, and a strange feeling gripped her. Then, Kalia knocked.
“Emilia, are you awake? Come out for a moment.”
Outside, Grojean was there. Just looking at his face made Emilia feel a hot lump forming in her throat.
“The young master had to leave early in the morning due to an urgent matter.”
The word 'left' tightened Emilia's nerves.
“I have come to tell you something difficult.”
Grojean's eyes spoke volumes.
Please.
Emilia felt her eyes moisten.
“His Excellency will not be able to come here for the time being.”
“...”
“After inheriting the title and completely breaking away from the Leichnen family...”
Grojean's words began to fade into the distance. Emilia bit her lip.
'I never want to see you again. You are lying in the middle of a burning house... Never.'
No, that doesn't happen.
Because I will be careful. I will absolutely be careful!
We can be together... We can overcome anything.
What if I miss you?
What about our child?
Grojean began to feel increasingly embarrassed as he looked at the woman in front of him.
In his view, the one who clung desperately to this relationship was always the master. It was like a seesaw that tilted too far, impossible to climb back on.
But, looking at the woman biting her lip and swallowing her tears like that, his head started to feel dizzy.
Is it because of the baby? Are you anxious about being separated from your future husband while pregnant?
Grojean quickly opened his mouth.
"Of course, we'll definitely resolve this before the baby is born. I don't know about anything else, but I can promise you that."
Grojean continued to try to reassure her.
Emilia still couldn't hear a single word.
She was just holding back tears that threatened to flow out like a waterfall at any moment, her whole body tense.
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