A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Stay by My Side

“The eldest son of the Marquis of Hanover…?”

Emeline’s trembling lips repeated the words, bewildered. She hadn’t even officially debuted in society, and she couldn’t recall if she had ever even crossed paths with this person.

Emeline bit down hard in discomfort. Her head felt like it was buzzing.

“Shall we get married?”

Suddenly, a familiar voice came to mind.

The smile on her lips slowly disappeared.

Her father, noticing Emeline’s peculiar expression, shook his head as he spoke, “Don’t worry. It’s not that difficult. All you need to do is marry as I’ve arranged, focus solely on your husband, and support him as a good wife should.”

His tone seemed consoling, but Emeline’s fists clenched at his words.

‘…Are you really telling me to live my whole life just looking at my husband?’

He had just committed that dirty act with a strange woman in broad daylight, yet he was telling her this?

Emeline bit her teeth together and looked at her father. He wore a gentle expression, as if he was trying to comfort his daughter.

Emeline took a trembling breath.

No.

The word, welling up to her throat, almost burst out.

But if she spoke that word, her father would immediately turn cold, his expression shifting as he would lock her in a dark room.

Just thinking of that made her hands tremble, cold sweat forming. There, Emeline would be forced to reflect on her actions and repent.

But, could her father’s words, those of a man who had betrayed her mother, truly be right?

Her pale lips parted slightly. “Father, I…”

“Master!”

Just as Emeline made up her mind and opened her mouth, the butler suddenly burst into the dining room.

Bernard frowned, annoyed by the butler’s unexpected intrusion. His gaze seemed to question the butler’s manners, but the butler disregarded it and whispered something into Bernard’s ear.

Bernard, listening in silence, narrowed his eyes and rose from his seat. With a serious expression, Bernard spoke to Emeline.

“Something urgent has come up, and I must go. Finish your meal and head up afterward. Just know that your engagement will proceed with the eldest son of the Marquis of Hanover.”

Bernard quickly left the room.

Emeline, who had made up her mind and was about to speak, found her chance to express her feelings vanish in an instant.

“Ha…”

She sighed in frustration.

But more than that, an overwhelming sense of helplessness settled in as soon as the opportunity disappeared.

‘Just how much power does Father hold over me?’

How could simply saying ‘no’ be so terrifying?

Emeline lowered her head momentarily, feeling the curious gazes of the servants, and her trembling hand moved.

She picked up the food in front of her and forced herself to chew and swallow, not even knowing if it went down her throat or nose.

By instinct, she continued acting the role of an impeccable young lady.

***

As soon as Emeline finished getting ready for bed, she slumped down onto her bed. Despite the time that had passed, it still felt like the food she had eaten that evening wouldn’t digest.

She sighed at the queasy feeling, then lifted her head. The lacy edge of the canopy came into her view in the dim light, as she hadn’t turned the lights on.

‘The day I found out about my father’s affair, and was given an unwanted marriage proposal. Could a day get any worse?’

How long had her father been treating a strange woman like his lover? Even while holding a mistress, he had visited her ailing mother as if nothing were wrong.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

Emeline finally dropped her head as she stared at the ceiling. Her head throbbed.

Her father had been the law of her life. Yet now, the massive pillar that had held her life steady had crumbled.

What was she supposed to do now that her life’s foundation had suddenly collapsed?

She felt lost about what to do next, and now, even an unwanted marriage had been arranged.

Emeline bit her lip hard, drawing her knees up and curling her body. Suddenly, someone’s voice came to mind.

“By your own will?”

Emeline’s trembling eyelids slowly lifted as she stared into the void.

“Emeline Delzeier’s problems are as good as my own. That’s why I’m suggesting this. You want to go, but someone else is stopping you.”

If it were Zenon, he would have spoken his mind without hesitation, refusing to submit to her father’s will.

But Emeline had grown up in an environment so different from his. How could she possibly be like him?

How could she live as someone who had her own will?

Just as Emeline buried her head in her knees and closed her eyes in frustration, something tapped her back.

‘What…’

She looked back with watery eyes.

There, on the bed, lay a paper airplane.

Emeline blinked blankly.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze and looked around, noticing several paper airplanes scattered throughout the room. Only one of them had touched her.

Emeline picked up the paper and turned her gaze toward the window.

There was someone sitting in a tree, peering inside her room.

‘Zenon?’

Emeline, startled, stepped off the bed and approached the terrace. Zenon’s face lit up as he saw her coming toward him in the dark.

When she saw him wave his hand cheerfully, Emeline took a step forward, then stopped.

‘Zenon also witnessed what happened. He knows.’

Her gaze wavered.

Zenon was aware of her family’s affairs that even Emeline herself found disgusting. A wave of unbearable shame washed over her.

Emeline hesitated, lowering her eyes, then looked at Zenon again. He was still smiling at her, looking just as glad to see her as ever.

Seeing Zenon’s unchanged demeanor, Emeline slowly let her hardened heart soften. She then resumed walking toward him.

There had already been many moments when Zenon had discovered her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

And every time, Zenon had embraced her. He wasn’t the type to judge or belittle someone for their weaknesses.

When Emeline stopped in the middle of the terrace, Zenon jumped over the tree and landed beside her.

Emeline squinted slightly as she looked up at Zenon, bathed in moonlight.

“I told you climbing trees was dangerous.”

“Oh.”

Zenon looked momentarily flustered. When Emeline folded her arms, appearing disapproving, his expression became even more awkward.

Knowing he was at fault, Zenon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and spoke cautiously, “I didn’t mean to climb the tree… but this was the only way to come and see you secretly…”

“……”

“…I was at least three, no, five times more careful than usual. I couldn’t hold back my desire to see you…”

When Emeline didn’t respond and simply stared at him, Zenon fidgeted anxiously, his gaze filled with apology.

Watching him, Emeline eventually let out a small laugh. She loosened her stubbornly crossed arms. Taking his hand, she led him inside the room.

“If you get hurt like last time, I’ll be angry.”

“I’ll be careful. If I get hurt again, you can hit me.”

“Just once?”

“…Until I come to my senses.”

“Alright, that sounds fair.”

Emeline laughed aloud. Zenon seemed to relax as well, letting out a sigh of relief.

Her eyes, tinged red, glistened faintly under the moonlight as she smiled.

“You already saw me during the day, so why come again? I didn’t think you’d be here.”

At her question, Zenon looked at Emeline. After a moment of silence, he smiled.

“I just… felt like being with you tonight.”

Zenon lifted his hand and placed it on Emeline’s head. His gentle touch conveyed warmth and care.

‘He was worried about what happened earlier today.’

Emeline accepted his tender touch in silence and said, “Isn’t the room too dark? Wait a moment.”

She walked across the room and picked up a portable lantern, closing the curtains.

With the moonlight blocked out, the room grew even darker. Emeline turned on the lantern, its crimson glow softly illuminating the surroundings. Smiling, she held up the lantern.

As the light reached Zenon’s face, Emeline said in a cheerful voice, “I can see you clearly now.”

Seeing her genuinely happy expression, Zenon smiled softly as well.

“Yes, now I can see your pretty face clearly too.”

Seeing her disheveled hair in the light, Zenon began tidying it for her.

“You were about to go to sleep, right?”

“I was trying to…”

“Then go ahead. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

“You came all this way just for that?”

“We can talk until you fall asleep. I came here because I wanted to see you. I can’t go so far as to disturb your sleep.”

Unable to resist Zenon’s insistence, Emeline lay down on the bed and pulled up the blanket.

Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something strange about this situation, glancing around.

Zenon, as if this had been his plan all along, pulled a chair close and sat by her side. The lantern had been moved from Emeline’s hand to the bedside table.

“If you’re tired, just sleep.”

“…Alright.”

“You can keep looking at my face too.”

Zenon smiled playfully. Emeline shot him an exasperated look.

“Should I tell you a funny story?”

“Yes.”

Zenon pondered for a moment before starting to share amusing stories from his past.

Emeline couldn’t help but laugh, forgetting her worries as Zenon even acted out different roles, imitating others with flair.

Lost in his stories for a long while, Emeline suddenly fell silent.

Lying on her side facing him, she stared at Zenon’s face.

After a moment, she called out softly.

“Zenon.”

“Yes?”

“Tonight… can’t you just stay by my side?”