A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Desire

Two days later, Emeline decided she could no longer endure it and resolved to visit Zenon herself.

She had already expressed her intention to visit his house, and although they hadn’t set a date, she had always planned to do it soon.

Emeline paused while writing a letter to inform him of her visit.

‘Now that I think about it, Zenon has been avoiding me even through letters.’

Feeling displeased, Emeline put down her pen.

If she went to the trouble of sending a letter only to be rejected, it would leave her with no options.

‘…Did he dislike it so much that he felt the need to avoid me? Did he regret it so much that he couldn’t even look at me?’

Their kiss had been born from an uncontrollable impulse.

Still, the first time they kissed, she thought she had some degree of awareness. Although even that awareness was driven solely by the irrational determination to prove herself to him.

But from the second kiss onward, it was as if sparks had ignited, and all she could think about was her desire for him.

Emeline had never experienced such a strong desire in her life, except perhaps for her studies.

She had no chance to think about what had happened or what she was doing as her emotions carried her away.

And it seemed the same had been true for Zenon. Otherwise, there was no reason for such a brazen man to avoid her now.

Emeline stared at the unfinished letter before her.

Just then, Mel began pawing at Emeline’s leg, pestering her. Emeline sighed and reached down to pet the cat.

But instead of seeking affection, Mel swatted at her hand, batting it away with a soft paw.

The kitten meowed sharply, as if demanding a treat.

Taken aback, Emeline frowned at the cat’s blue eyes. They briefly stared each other down before Emeline finally took out some dried meat for Mel.

‘You act all affectionate with Zenon, but to me, I’m just the one who feeds you?’

A sense of disappointment welled up in Emeline, and she found herself wanting to hiss back at the cat.

Such an ungrateful cat who didn’t appreciate who took care of it.

Perhaps she should have let Zenon take Mel away.

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck her.

Emeline’s eyes widened, and she hurried to her dressing table, opening a drawer.

Among the displayed accessories, she found a lone earring that had lost its twin.

Emeline’s eyes lit up. She picked up the single earring, a bright smile forming on her lips.

‘I am supposed to attend Lady Laresa’s birthday banquet in two days…’

It just so happened that the dress she planned to wear that day would go perfectly with these earrings.

So, the reason she needed to see him now was to retrieve the missing earring.

After all, it was Zenon Trancium who took it, and he was the one who told her to use it as an excuse whenever she wanted to visit.

‘Idiot. You shouldn’t have made promises about the future so easily.’

Emeline’s heartbeat, which had been subdued, now pounded loudly.

Smiling more brightly than she had in a long time, Emeline rang the bell on her dressing table, calling the servants to gather.

***

“Miss, the sky looks quite overcast. Are you sure it’s okay to go out?”

“I have an umbrella, and I’ve also brought a heavy raincoat just in case. I’ll be fine. See you when I return.”

Wearing a short-sleeved dress with dark green frills, Emeline took the coachman’s hand, gloved in her own, and boarded the carriage.

The two servants who had accompanied her to see her off watched their young lady with worried expressions.

When the coachman closed the carriage door, they caught a glimpse of Emeline’s face, which wore a more cheerful smile than usual.

“The wind has been blowing strongly since this morning. Do you think she’ll be alright?”

“Well, the master did give his permission…”

Though he had seemed busy today and probably hadn’t paid much attention to the weather.

As their worried gazes lingered, the carriage soon departed.

A strange, howling wind, almost like the sound of a living creature wailing, shook the carriage. The firmly closed doors and windows rattled.

Emeline looked up at the sky with a hint of concern.

What if it rained during her journey? Would the moisture ruin her carefully done hair and makeup?

As she contemplated this, Emeline’s mood soured slightly. A few seconds later, her eyebrows knitted in thought, and she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

‘I’m just going to see him because he hasn’t come to me, so why am I worried?’

What did it matter if her clothes or hair got a little wet or if her makeup was ruined by the humidity?

Emeline had never once wanted to look particularly good for Zenon Trancium.

Scoffing at her own sudden thought, Emeline found it ridiculous.

But soon after, she grew serious again.

‘No, that’s not it… If I visit the Marquis’s estate, I might meet the marquis and his wife, so I should at least maintain a presentable appearance.’

Yes, that was why she was worried about the rain—not because she was concerned about how she looked to Zenon Trancium.

Having reached a clear conclusion, Emeline smiled with relief.

Just then, the carriage jolted violently, likely from hitting a stone.

The sudden impact caused Emeline’s body to lurch forward, her long hair spilling messily around her.

“Ha…”

As she straightened her posture, she sighed.

Trying to go out on such a dreary day…

Suddenly, Emeline began doubting her own decision. She could have thought it through more calmly.

Whenever Zenon was involved, her judgment seemed to become foolish.

Looking out the window, Emeline ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it.

After a relatively short ride, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Hearing of Emeline’s visit, the butler of the Marquis’s estate hurried to meet her.

Emeline greeted the butler with a composed demeanor, “I’m sorry for the unexpected visit. There is something Zenon borrowed from me that I urgently need back. It’s quite important… Would it be possible for me to see him?”

“Yes, he happens to be at the mansion. Maria, go inform the second young master that Lady Delzeier has come to see him. Lady, please, follow me inside. The weather is rather gloomy, so allow me to escort you in.”

Emeline followed the butler past the main gate.

The garden of the Trancium estate was elaborate, reflecting the wealth of one of the capital’s most affluent noble families.

‘Who would’ve thought I’d end up visiting the Marquis Trancium’s estate?’

It felt different from visiting her friends’ houses.

Had Zenon felt the same kind of strangeness and curiosity when he first came to her home?

Emeline’s composed smile turned stiff at that moment.

From about fifteen steps past the gate, an overwhelmingly strong scent of roses filled the air.

Emeline was tempted to pinch her nose shut.

She glanced around to find the source of the scent and soon saw a garden to her right, filled with blooming roses.

The Elvarto region was famous for its large, beautiful roses in summer.

She was used to seeing a few roses planted for decoration, but this…

Emeline was too astonished to think properly. The garden was overflowing with roses.

It wasn’t beautiful so much as overwhelming. There were so many tightly packed blossoms that it almost felt suffocating.

Perhaps the marchioness really likes roses…’

After staring at the scene in a daze, Emeline straightened her head, regaining her composure.

To show any sign of finding the estate’s garden strange would be extremely rude. If their relationship had been poor, it might be used as a means of mockery, but normally it was a social grace to praise the taste of the lady of the house.

“I’ll show you to the drawing room.”

Upon entering the mansion, the rose scent finally lessened.

Relieved to be able to breathe more easily, Emeline followed the butler’s lead.

“Oh my, Lady Delzeier truly has come. Please, come in.”

Hearing an unexpected voice, Emeline looked up.

A woman with brown hair braided over one shoulder was approaching from a distance. The plunging neckline of her dress revealed voluptuous curves that made even Emeline, as a fellow woman, feel a bit uncomfortable.

‘…Who is she?’

Emeline had seen the marchioness at an informal gathering before, so she knew what she looked like.

But the young woman approaching her now was neither the marchioness nor anyone she recognized. She seemed far too young and beautiful—perhaps in her mid-twenties at most.

Suddenly, Emeline recalled a rumor her friends had once mentioned about the Trancium family:

“The Marquis Trancium recently brought in a singer, someone the marchioness used to sponsor, as his mistress. Her name was Bellina, wasn’t it?”

…Good grief. Emeline sighed inwardly.

Even knowing what the marchioness looked like, Emeline momentarily mistook this woman for the lady of the house.

That was how confident and natural the demeanor of the mistress, Bellina, was.