A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Friends or Lovers

Emeline, who had collapsed into his arms, suddenly jerked upright in shock. However, her strength immediately gave out, and she slumped back onto his chest.

“Ah, you’re heavier than I thought. Could you stay still for a bit?”

“W-What…”

It was an incredibly rude comment to make to a lady. Emeline’s face flushed red.

Zenon watched her reaction, letting out an amused laugh. Emeline felt the blood rush to her head. Her eyelashes trembled as she tried to contain her anger.

“I’ll move. Just let me go.”

“No, wait. You don’t even have the strength to stand properly.”

“Wait, what do you mean…”

Suddenly, Zenon’s hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her into his chest. Emeline’s face pressed against his broad, firm chest, and she gasped, feeling like she might faint.

No matter how she thought about it, this was an embrace. She could hear his heart pounding rhythmically through the fabric of his shirt.

Feeling like her vision was burning, Emeline struggled without any regard for her dignity.

“W-What do you think you’re doing? Let go, now!”

“I said stay still for a moment.”

“Let…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Zenon propped himself up with his other arm, lifting them both upright. Only then did he release his grip on the back of her head.

“Ah…”

Emeline let out a low sigh, leaning slightly away from him. She wanted to stand up immediately, but her body still lacked strength. Her head spun again, and she frowned.

Her wandering gaze fell past Zenon’s shoulder, where she saw a chair lying haphazardly on the floor. It had been where Zenon had been sitting earlier.

‘Was that loud noise because of the chair…?’

She stared at it for a moment until Zenon’s large hand covered her forehead, startling her.

Emeline flinched in surprise. But she lacked the strength to jump up or push Zenon Trancium away. Given the circumstances, it seemed like he had rushed to catch her when she fell.

It was ridiculous to think that even someone as sturdy as him couldn’t hold her steady, and they had both ended up falling.

Suddenly, Zenon’s earlier remark about her weight came to mind, and Emeline’s expression hardened.

‘Could it be… did he say I was too heavy, and that’s why he couldn’t handle it and fell with me?’

Zenon, who was seriously checking her forehead, spoke up, “You do have a fever. I thought something was off earlier…”

“Don’t touch me.”

Emeline slapped Zenon’s hand away. The warmth that had been on her forehead disappeared, and the air that replaced it felt chillingly cold. Zenon let out a scoff at her harsh attitude.

“Do you realize you’re literally on top of me right now? We’re already pressed together, yet you tell me not to touch you.”

“…I’ll move away. Just don’t touch me carelessly.”

“It’s not like I have some contagious disease. You’re being a bit much. Are you saying I’m dirty or something?”

His elegant brows furrowed slightly in hurt.

Seeing his reaction, Emeline’s expression softened a little. After a moment of hesitation, she added quietly, “…I just don’t like being touched. Especially without permission.”

“Oh, so now you’re speaking informally to me. Can’t you be a bit kinder to me, just as a friend? You hold hands and link arms with your friends just fine.”

“…A friend? Why would you be my friend?”

Zenon’s face filled with shock, and Emeline felt bewildered. Was he serious?

She narrowed her eyes and drew a clear line between them. “You wouldn’t even make it to the threshold of being my friend.”

“Oh… really? Then if we’re not friends, being this close must mean… we’re lovers, right?”

Zenon leaned in closer with a smile. Emeline straightened her back and pulled away until she hit her limit. Any further, and she might have fallen backward.

Zenon Trancium stopped right in front of her, his breath mixing with hers. Emeline was dumbfounded by his behavior.

Her blue eyes, filled with both embarrassment and fury, glared at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Well, if we’re not friends, I was wondering what we are. I see you more often and talk to you more than that baron’s daughter who recently joined your friend group.”

His breath brushed against her as he spoke in a low voice. Emeline’s fingertips stiffened.

Looking into his dark green eyes—eyes that felt like sticky moss—gave her a strange feeling. Even up close, his face was flawless, like a sculpture made by a master artisan.

If he were a painting or a statue, Emeline might have bought it for a fortune the moment she saw it at an exhibition she attended with her father.

As much as she hated to admit it, he was a masterpiece—at least in terms of looks.

“Move. Now,” Emeline growled, the odd rhythm of her pounding heart echoing in her ears.

“Why?” Zenon tilted his head slightly, his soft voice carrying a note that seemed to scratch her chest.

Emeline, unconsciously tense, wrinkled her eyes and threatened him. “You’re neither a friend nor anything else. You’re even less than that. So move now unless you want me to slap you, Zenon Trancium.”

Zenon silently gazed into her eyes for a moment before smiling and stepping back. Emeline’s wary eyes followed his every move.

“If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

“I am uncomfortable.”

“Alright, I’m sorry. Maybe I was a bit too forward.”

Having regained some strength during their exchange, Emeline stood up from above him, albeit a bit unsteadily.

Zenon, who remained sitting on the floor, looked up at her. “Let me take you to the infirmary.”

“No, thanks.”

As Emeline got up too quickly, dizziness returned, making her narrow her eyes and try to regain her balance. Once she steadied herself, she picked up her belongings.

Zenon watched her with a puzzled expression as he stood up and asked, “Why won’t you go? You’re clearly stumbling. Are you refusing just because I’m offering?”

“My father told me not to get close to you. And I don’t have time to go to the infirmary.”

Zenon watched her retreating figure, suddenly realizing something. “…Wait, are you going to the study hall in that condition…?”

He quickly reached out to grab her arm but stopped himself just before touching her, hesitating.

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke again, “Why are you pushing yourself like this?”

Emeline, who had been ignoring him and walking toward the door, froze. She turned her head to look at Zenon standing there, his gaze unusually serious as he watched her intently.

For a fleeting moment, Emeline’s gaze faltered. No one had ever asked her about her motives before.

For some reason, she felt as if his eyes were seeing right through her. Emeline quickly looked away.

“It’s none of your concern. You wouldn’t understand.”

“……”

“Thanks for what you did today, but… stay out of my business from now on.”

With a frosty retort, Emeline left the lecture hall, slamming the door behind her. The door’s loud noise echoed as she exited, leaving Zenon alone inside.

Emeline took a deep breath, closing her eyes tightly before opening them again. She let out a shallow sigh and started walking silently. Though her heart pounded faster than usual, she couldn’t pinpoint why.

She convinced herself it was just fatigue or unease.

***

The carriage rattled noisily. Though it usually moved smoothly, today it seemed exceptionally unsteady, fueling Emeline’s frustration. She bit her lip, recalling the day’s events.

‘Could Father have found out?’

Surely not. Unless Zenon Trancium went to the infirmary and reported her condition, it was unlikely.

Emeline had a reason for not going to the infirmary. If she went, the school nurse would definitely contact her family and tell them about her condition.

Emeline knew she was simply overworked. If her father found out she’d been studying late into the night to the point of exhaustion, he’d strip away everything from her instantly.

She sighed.

‘I should’ve shut his mouth before I left.’

There were too many potential problems. If Zenon went to the infirmary to talk about her condition, that would be an issue. If he spread rumors about what happened today, that would also be a problem.

There were too many things that couldn’t reach her father’s ears.

Emeline furrowed her brow. Zenon Trancium was turning her life upside down.

Suddenly, his words from earlier came to mind, and she let out a sarcastic laugh.

‘Friends?’

What a joke.

‘You will never be my friend.’

She squinted her eyes as she stared out the window, then closed them.

As the shaking scenery disappeared into darkness, her throbbing head felt a little better. But something inside her still felt unsettled.

As she replayed the events of the day with Zenon, she realized what was bothering her.

‘…Did I really have to thank him like that?’

Emeline let out a frustrated sigh. Feeling down, she kept fidgeting with her clothes.

Maybe she had developed a strange attachment because he kept hanging around in front of her. She felt a vague sense of wrongdoing.

Though he had acted rudely, the fact that he helped her didn’t change.

‘No, he was just trying to pull something weird on me.’

Remembering that made her feel angry again. But the nagging feelings wouldn’t go away.

She had no reason to care about a man like him. She should follow her father’s advice and continue ignoring him, keeping her distance…

Thinking about the day’s events again, Emeline chose to end her thoughts. She turned her gaze silently to the window, avoiding her own feelings.