A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Story Only I Know

“Emeline?”

“…Did you really see?”

Emeline’s lips trembled slightly as she spoke. Her once pale face was now colored by an unknown, intense emotion.

Zenon was momentarily taken aback but soon gave an honest answer.

“Probably.”

“Are you going to tell others?”

“What?”

“That I dozed off during the concert. Are you going to spread that embarrassing story everywhere?”

She spoke in a chillingly low, fast tone, her breath growing heavy. Fear flickered in her eyes. She looked like someone being chased, desperately trying to protect something precious.

Zenon looked at her face, full of emotion, and answered quietly, “I won’t tell anyone.”

“……”

“I won’t say a word. It’s a story only I know, and I have no interest in telling others.”

The sharp look in her eyes softened slightly.

After wandering her gaze at him briefly, she turned her head away.

“I’m leaving.”

“Suit yourself,” Zenon replied nonchalantly.

But Emeline, contrary to her declaration, didn’t immediately move. She stood there, hesitating for a long while, before speaking, “…Thank you, anyway.”

“There’s too much unnecessary stuff attached to that thanks.”

Zenon chuckled. Emeline fell silent, looking even more withdrawn.

He watched her small face for a moment, then reached out. His hand, warm to the touch, brushed against her ear.

Zenon softly pushed her black hair behind her ear, his fingers gently lifting her earlobe.

“Your earrings are pretty.”

“W-what are you doing?”

“If it’s hard for you to say thank you, how about giving me one of your earrings instead? As a token of your gratitude.”

His suggestion left Emeline momentarily dumbfounded.

“Why would you want this?”

“Just because. Maybe think of it as a way to silence me. You don’t trust me, after all.”

“……”

“Hmm?”

“Do what you want.”

With her permission, Zenon reached out his other hand and removed the earring from Emeline’s ear.

As his hands worked around her ear, Emeline flinched involuntarily. Though his hands barely touched her, the occasional light brushes felt strangely warm. Soon, he held the ornament that had been on her ear and smiled mischievously.

“I’ll keep it safe. Come find me if you want it back.”

“What?”

“If you want to see me, you can use this as an excuse anytime.”

“…That will never happen, unless I’ve lost my mind. If we’re done, I’m leaving.”

“Feel free to throw the handkerchief away.”

Zenon’s voice called after her as she turned away.

Emeline frowned, unsure of what to make of him, and walked toward the banquet hall, where bright light leaked out.

***

“Emeline.”

As soon as the carriage door closed, her father called her. Emeline tensed up and responded.

“Yes, Father.”

“Your friend said she was surprised when you suddenly left the banquet.”

“Ah…”

Angel must have mentioned it to her parents and her father while Emeline had stepped away. She chose her words carefully to respond.

“I thought the strap on my dress had come loose, so I went to the powder room.”

“You could have told your friend why you were leaving so she wouldn’t worry.”

“I didn’t think it was necessary since I’d be back quickly, but I’ll do that next time,” Emeline answered calmly, lowering her gaze slightly. Her throat felt dry.

Bernard nodded slightly, then asked with some curiosity. His calm voice layered over the quietness of the carriage.

“You’re missing one of your earrings.”

“My earring?”

Emeline touched both her ears, confused. First, she touched the side with the earring, then the side without.

Feigning surprise, she answered, “Ah, I did feel like it was a bit loose… I must have dropped it somewhere.”

“You’ll need to pay more attention to your appearance in the future.”

“Of course, Father,” she responded smoothly, escaping her father’s suspicion. Although he had criticized her for overlooking so many details today, that was something she had anticipated.

Emeline quietly turned her head to look out the window, taking in the nighttime scenery.

Her reflection, missing one earring, stared back at her from the glass.

“I won’t say a word. It’s a story only I know, and I have no interest in telling others.”

A voice filled with certainty.

She knew Zenon wasn’t a man she could trust, yet he somehow had a way of easing her anxiety.

She suddenly recalled what had happened in the banquet hall a short while ago.

After Emeline had entered the banquet hall, Zenon had followed shortly after, leaving some space between them.

While she acted like nothing had happened in front of others, she could feel his gaze from behind.

When she turned to look, Zenon was watching her. Even when their eyes met, he continued to stare.

Eventually, Emeline frowned at him and turned her head away. After a while, she finally felt his gaze leave her.

‘None of this makes any sense.’

Clicking her tongue at his puzzling behavior, Emeline turned away from her reflection in the window.

***

“I hear the young lord of Trancium has stopped attending school again recently?”

“Did he lose interest already? I guess he got bored after coming regularly for a while.”

Emeline sipped her tea with an elegant demeanor while holding a social gathering with friends in the school’s greenhouse.

“I suppose it’s understandable. He never had the best attitude to begin with.”

“Still, it was refreshing to run into him sometimes, like wiping your eyes with a clean cloth. It’s a pity.”

As she quietly listened to her friends’ conversation, Emeline set her teacup down gently. Her expression was not as relaxed or smiling as usual.

“Lady Delzeier, haven’t you heard anything about this?”

One of the young ladies at the tea party asked Emeline. Only then did Emeline raise her head with her usual gentle smile.

Since the Delzeier Ducal House and the Trancium Marquisate were on bad terms, her friends probably assumed she would be well-informed about such matters.

Emeline shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’m curious as well. Why has he suddenly stopped attending school?”

And why has he stopped showing up in front of me like he usually does? She swallowed her thoughts quietly and closed her lips.

Since even Emeline didn’t know the answer, the young ladies huddled together and began speculating about why Zenon wasn’t coming to school.

Emeline stirred her tea with a somewhat subdued feeling, listening to the increasingly exaggerated guesses they made.

After some time, the school bell rang, and Emeline and her friends each stood up to head to their respective classes.

“Well then, see you all later.”

Emeline was headed to the study room for her self-study period, while the others were going to their knitting, piano, or other lessons. Emeline entered her private study room alone, closed the door, and thought.

Zenon Trancium hadn’t shown up for the past two weeks.

For Emeline, the troublesome presence who had always followed her was now truly gone, and she should have felt happy. But for some reason, she felt endlessly uneasy.

‘I thought he’d shamelessly show up at the study room again, using the incident at the concert as an excuse.’

Though he usually appeared in front of her as if he had discarded all pride, what had changed this time?

After thinking about him for a moment, Emeline scoffed softly and opened her book.

‘I didn’t even want to see his face. This is good.’

She didn’t know why he wasn’t coming, but…

In the quiet stillness, she moved her pen across the paper. The sound of it filled the room as she nearly filled up a page in her notebook when someone knocked.

“Emeline.”

Then, a familiar voice spoke.

Recognizing the voice, Emeline’s eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly. Her sudden movement made the desk shake slightly, rattling noisily. Even Emeline was startled by her actions.

Contrary to her noisy movements, she didn’t respond, and he spoke again from behind the door.

“It’s me, Zenon Trancium. Are you in there? May I come in for a moment?”

Instead of answering, Emeline quickly walked over and flung the door open. Then, out of habit, she tried to glare at him, but the words caught in her throat.

“Hello.”

In the gap of the door she had thrown open, stood Zenon, smiling brightly at her. Unlike his usual appearance, it looked as though he had been in a fight. The corners of his lips were crusted with dried blood, but he still formed a graceful curve with his lips.

“Long time no see, Emeline.”