A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Counterattack

Emeline examined the extra edition Benica had handed her for a while before calmly setting it down.

At some point, Emeline and Zenon had moved to the reception sofas facing each other in the study.

Zenon was the first to speak.

“I already knew it, but he must really hate me more than I imagined. At this point, it seems like he’s trying to bury me.”

His gaze landed on the newspaper Emeline had placed down.

The interview, conducted at the request of Bernard Delzeier, read as follows:

[Despite the poor relationship with Trancium, he was the first to look into Zenon Trancium’s business and generously invested, greatly contributing to the growth of their company.

However, Zenon Trancium subtly discriminated against the Duke of Delzeier, and though he attempted to resolve the matter face-to-face…

Following that incident, his daughter vanished from home, and based on the statements of the estate’s staff, he came to realize that Zenon Trancium had used illicit means to forcibly take his daughter away…

The Duke of Delzeier expressed, through tears, his earnest wish to safely bring back his beloved daughter.]

Though they had already read it together, Zenon skimmed the article again and made a remark that sounded halfway between awe and sarcasm.

“Didn’t know he had a talent for fiction.”

One of Zenon’s younger cousins was an aspiring novelist.

That cousin had spent over ten years preparing to become a writer, yet the Duke of Delzeier seemed more gifted in the field.

His ability to captivate, to appeal emotionally, and to vividly fabricate stories that never happened!

Hearing that, Emeline felt it hard to lift her head.

“Sorry… for getting you caught up in this mess.”

“Hm? Why are you apologizing?”

“Because it was something my father did…”

“So, why should you be the one to apologize? You’re not the same person.”

“……”

“The one who should apologize to me is His Grace. Though it’d be better if he just acknowledged our marriage instead of an apology…”

Even now, Zenon was shameless enough to crack a joke.

“…Yeah, you’re right. It’s not something I need to apologize for.”

Emeline quickly accepted his words and lifted her head.

But her expression remained troubled. The headache was real.

Though the extra edition came from a small newspaper company, its sensational content and the Duke’s provocative claims would cause it to spread like wildfire.

Worse still, in the interview, the Duke made a sly insinuation that it was difficult to publicize such an unjust and frustrating situation because the kingdom’s largest newspaper company was owned by Zenon.

“Ha…”

Emeline let out a sigh of disbelief.

She regretted not having done more to support her aging father with a clear mind.

“Zenon, my father has done this sort of thing more than once. He’ll shamelessly cry victim to stir people up.”

“Oh, I know… In fact, there was a time he tried to pin a showroom accident on Trancium, and I had to use my network and money to stop it.”

“What?”

“I bet the reason he reached out to such a small paper this time is that most major outlets rejected him back then.”

“You mean… he really tried that?”

Emeline recalled the time her father had blamed Zenon for the ceiling accident at Edelroa.

Since nothing came of it afterward, she had assumed he was just venting his hatred toward Trancium.

But he had actually tried to act on it?

She was so stunned that she couldn’t speak for a moment.

Frowning slightly as she glanced at the refreshments Benica had brought, Emeline said awkwardly, “It must’ve been difficult to stop my father once he got started… How did you manage it?”

“At the time, a major trade negotiation involving my company and the allied nation Lunalini was taking place in the kingdom. I had received a promise from the royal family for anonymity and personal protection in case of any unexpected threats or variables.”

“Ah…”

Emeline felt even more ashamed of her father’s behavior.

She couldn’t help but wonder what the royal family—who had promised Zenon’s safety—must have thought.

She guessed that even His Majesty, who boasted of his friendship with her father, would probably feel the same way she did now.

‘What on earth was Father thinking, doing something so outrageous…’

He must’ve wanted Zenon to be condemned and to have people meddle in their relationship, ultimately sabotaging them.

Biting her lip with a grim expression, Emeline was lost in thought when Zenon spoke.

“We, the ones actually involved, know this article isn’t true. It’ll be corrected soon enough.”

He reached out and pressed her lips, which she had been biting. Her lower lip slipped gently from between her teeth.

Emeline replied in a low voice, “…You’re right. But it still bothers me that my father is so good at manipulation.”

Words or rebuttal articles wouldn’t be enough.

Someone as underhanded as her father would shed tears and play the victim.

Claiming that Zenon Trancium was threatening his daughter, forcing her into all this.

Maybe that’s what he was aiming for all along.

From that point on, everything Emeline said—even the truth—would begin to be distorted.

So she had to show it through actions.

When she looked at Zenon with a firm, resolute gaze, he leaned back against the sofa and smiled faintly.

“We have to show them. That our relationship is more than what they think.”

“Yeah.”

She wondered how he always seemed to read her mind, but she let it go.

Zenon was sharp and observant, so maybe he had read it from her expression. He already knew her father was the type to pull this.

As she sat quietly in thought, Emeline soon lifted the corners of her lips, as if something had come to mind.

“I’ve got a good move in mind.”

She narrowed her brows while looking at the newspaper containing her father’s ridiculous interview.

***

“This should be enough.”

Bedtime. Emeline had been sitting at her desk ever since dinner, planning her counterattack against her father.

She set down her ink pen with satisfaction.

Her gaze, reminiscent of the morning sea, scanned a list she had just completed.

It was none other than the invitation list to the Winderbilm villa.

Emeline decided to make the first move in her counterattack against her father’s underhanded scheme by hosting a small social gathering here.

‘Most of the people on this list will likely accept the invitation. The capital must be in an uproar right now over the extra edition Father spread, and all eyes will be on me and Zenon.’

Furthermore, those eager to win the Duke’s favor would be desperate to find Emeline and deliver her to him themselves.

More than that, they’d be dying of curiosity over this scandal that had stirred up society.

So she intended to use that.

Emeline carefully reviewed the names on the list.

Starting with Angel, the daughters of noble families she had often interacted with appeared one by one.

‘Father, really… To think you’d try to win this by pulling such an absurd stunt. Do you think I’m that stupid, or are you just that arrogant?’

With a scoff, she pulled out the stationery she had prepared and began writing the invitations with care.

To Winderbilm, which had become her new paradise.

In case any of them might relay the news directly to the Duke of Delzeier, the return address and the location of the gathering were omitted.

Instead, a carriage would arrive on the designated date to escort them to the destination.

‘Since they can’t verify the authenticity of the letter, they won’t rush to inform Father.’

As a precaution, she subtly promised a token of appreciation and requested secrecy.

Even so, they would come.

From the moment they learned multiple people were invited, they’d fear missing out by hesitating.

Having spent time at the side of her powerful father, Emeline had seen firsthand what drove these people.

‘Even if they feel uneasy about the letter’s authenticity, they’ll have no choice but to come… I’ll simply present something that proves it’s from me when they board the carriage.’

Once they arrived at Winderbilm and saw the truth with their own eyes, they wouldn’t dare return to the capital and try clinging to the Duke of Delzeier.

They’d realize what true downfall looked like in this paradise.

“Perfect.”

Looking at the completed invitations, Emeline let out a mocking chuckle.

Then, as if someone had heard her murmur, a presence approached.

Zenon placed one arm on the desk, grasping the edge of her chair as he looked down at her.

“Are you finished?”

“Yeah. The villa’s going to get noisy for a while.”

“Right. Come here, you’ve worked hard.”

Zenon gently lifted her, who had tirelessly prepared the list and written the letters.

His arm wrapped under her knees and over her shoulders, holding Emeline securely.

At his tender care, Emeline let out a small laugh.

Though they each had their own rooms, Emeline had somehow ended up sharing a bedroom with Zenon.

When he clung to her, saying he didn’t want to sleep apart, she tried several times to leave, telling him she was fine sleeping alone.

But every time, Zenon would lift her like a princess and personally carry her back to their shared bed.

After that happened enough times, Emeline gave up.

Hot or cold, this puppy was one she’d have to live with for life.

“What are you thinking about?”

After laying her down on the bed, Zenon lay beside her, propping his head on one arm as he asked.

Emeline replied calmly, “Just thinking that tonight I probably won’t need a blanket again.”

When she narrowed her eyes playfully, Zenon smirked. He gently swept her hair back with a tender touch.

If Emeline fell asleep first like this, Zenon would surely hold her tightly in his arms.

Looking down at her with loving eyes, he said, “It already feels like we’re married.”

At his ticklish whisper, Emeline laughed.

She playfully tapped his lips with her hand, and in response, he showered her fingers with quick kisses.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence.

Recalling what had happened today, Emeline said, “It seems my father has forgotten everything I’ve studied and trained for all this time.”

Faintly furrowing her brows, she wore a bitter smirk.

“When it comes to reading and leading the tides of society, I’ll always be one step ahead.”