A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: I’ve Waited So Long

Listening to the faint music drifting up from downstairs, Emeline focused on her studies.

Scratch, scratch. The sound of a pen scraping paper layered over the melody of the piano.

Music with fixed rules from beginning to end had always flowed ceaselessly in her world.

Her life, where everything was predetermined, was like a book she had read dozens of times—a life where she could foresee everything to come.

Now, four years after the storm had passed, Emeline’s world had returned to its original state.

Nothing had changed from the beginning, so this must have been how things were meant to be.

‘But…’

While silently moving her pen, Emeline suddenly frowned.

“But what should I do? I can still appear in your perfect world whenever I want. At every happy moment. I can intrude freely and ruin it.”

At the memory of the low voice she had heard at the night of the yacht party, Emeline unconsciously bit her lip.

The lips he had kissed, sucked, and even bitten.

‘That lunatic.’

Consumed by frustration, Emeline felt an urge to scrub her lips until they disappeared.

‘At least it seems no one saw what happened that night.’

After that incident, Emeline spent days combing through newspapers, worried someone might have witnessed it.

If anyone had, surely they would have reported it, or it would have become gossip and made it into a tabloid.

Fortunately, she found no such news.

‘What on earth was he thinking, doing something like that on a yacht where even his fiancée was present?’

The grip on her pen tightened.

He had utterly destroyed her and then vanished.

He had inflated her hopes and dreams, made her believe in an illusion, and then turned away on a whim.

Did he have any idea how grueling her life had been during those four years?

Crying herself to sleep every night, denying reality as she read news of his engagement, loathing him to the point of trembling, yet still dreaming of him… Did he have any idea about those four years?

Closing her eyes tightly, Emeline set her pen down.

You wouldn’t know, would you?

Unaware, you shamelessly appeared before me and did something like that again.

As she reflected on the wretched past, Emeline opened her eyes.

‘…It was all something that happened when I was immature.’

Much had changed over the years.

Pain had forged a stronger interior, and Emeline had learned how to protect herself from hurt.

The studies she once clung to so desperately were no longer her dream but merely a hobby.

No longer the naive girl she once was, she understood now.

This was her fate, and the world operated on unalterable principles.

Glancing briefly at the desk clock, she closed the book she had been reading.

The candle on her desk flickered in the breeze, spreading a warm rose scent.

Before extinguishing the flame, Emeline brought the edge of an unfinished newspaper to its wick.

Burning old newspapers before stepping out was a habit of hers.

The paper, filled with news about the Delzeier and Trancium families, began to burn slowly.

Reports of a public argument between the Duke and the Marquis, the Marquis’s declining business, speculation about his health and early inheritance, and yet another scandal involving the second prince…

Finally, even the news of Zenon Trancium’s return burned to ashes.

The unusually noisy headlines turned to flames. Emeline tossed the charred remnants onto an empty glass plate.

Extinguishing the candle with indifference, she rose from her seat. The book she had been reading was stashed away in a deep drawer.

Ringing a bell to summon a servant, Emeline prepared to leave. She had an appointment with the fiancé her father had chosen.

‘There’s no room for Zenon Trancium in my life anymore.’

Whatever he did, she resolved to keep him out of her life.

***

“Lord Renier, it’s a pleasure to see you so early in the day.”

With a radiant smile, Emeline approached the man who had come to fetch her.

“Miss Emeline.”

As she stopped gracefully, he closed the distance first. Emeline returned his gaze with a smile.

Her fiancé, Mathis Renier, kissed the back of her outstretched hand lightly.

Once engaged to the young lord of Hanover, Emeline had since been matched with Mathis Renier, the Count of Renier, after the former engagement fell through.

Having inherited wealth from his father, Mathis had elevated his bank to the second most prominent financial institution in the capital.

‘And unlike Zenon, he’s a proper aristocrat.’

He was, in every sense, a perfect match for Emeline.

“Shall we?”

“Yes.”

Mathis held her hand politely as he led her forward.

The two traveled by carriage to Luilt Park, renowned for its romantic scenery.

Strolling around the beautiful lake, they exchanged pleasant conversation. At one point, Mathis asked, “What do you usually do in the afternoons, Miss Emeline?”

Though the topic was mundane, Emeline responded with deliberate enthusiasm.

“I mostly enjoy reading. Sometimes I imagine sitting by a beautiful lake like this one, immersed in a book.”

“Reading, you say… That’s an admirable hobby. What’s your favorite book?”

“I particularly like About Joe by Dr. Bercello.”

Though it was also a book she deeply hated, she didn’t correct herself. She had read it so many times that it was more tattered now than when she first received it.

Hearing her response, Mathis’s face subtly stiffened. He nodded, then furrowed his brow slightly before speaking.

“You read a rather advanced book. It must be difficult for you.”

His tone carried a subtle dissatisfaction. Emeline quietly smiled at his predictable reaction.

Still, to say something so dismissive to her face…

Well, such dismissiveness likely fell within what he considered normal.

Thinking he must view her as a foolish woman trying to act clever, Emeline couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

‘Better than the young lord of Hanover, but just as incapable of understanding me. Probably, there’s no one in this world who could.’

Except for Zenon Trancium.

The thought infuriated her, and Emeline clenched her teeth against the anger bubbling up inside. Perhaps even his understanding had been a facade.

Suddenly, she recalled the conversation of the ladies gossiping at the shipboard party.

“Lady Fendine is so lucky. I heard she will be attending the Elvarto Opera House with Lord Zenon next week.”

By now, he was likely spending cozy time with Miss Fendine. After all, wasn’t tonight the performance they were supposed to attend together?

Shaking off her lingering thoughts, Emeline forced herself to refocus.

Lately, she’d had unsettling dreams. And to make things worse, that man’s strange actions at the yacht party kept drawing her mind into unnecessary musings.

Fixing her gaze firmly on Mathis, Emeline spoke, “About Joe is a famous book. Surely you’ve read it.”

“Quite some time ago.”

“Then this will make for an enjoyable conversation. The part I found most memorable was when Joe lay in the field, contemplating his existence until his last breath. By the next day, even his corpse had vanished without a trace.”

“……”

“I interpreted it as Joe finally accepting his fate after constantly doubting and reflecting on his existence. Why did even his body disappear? Perhaps it’s because he finally returned to his place without leaving a single trace, having fully embraced himself.”

As Emeline spoke fluently, she observed Mathis’s blank expression. Concealing her contempt, she smiled sweetly.

“Of course, there are many interpretations of that scene. I’d love to hear yours sometime.”

After a long silence, Mathis finally responded.

“…Miss Emeline, you’re far more intelligent than I imagined.”

“I’m flattered by your compliment, though I’m sure I’m no match for you.”

Seemingly eager to change the subject, Mathis suggested a boat ride. Emeline agreed with a smile, but inside, she felt detached.

‘An arrogant man who doesn’t apologize for his dismissive remarks…’

Still, that made him all the more suited to stand beside her.

Surely it was better to pair with someone of a similar background than to connect with someone from a completely different world.

As the boat cut through the water, Emeline listened to the sound of the ripples and gazed into the distance.

Somewhere, faint, monotonous music played. Everything that should have felt natural seemed strangely unfamiliar.

The smile on her lips tingled unexpectedly.

How was it that Joe left no trace of rebellion and melted into his destiny…

Or, how did Joe manage to successfully resist and defy his fate?

Neither possibility fit Emeline. She still couldn’t be like Joe.

“Lord Lenier.”

“Yes, Miss Emeline?”

“Shall we meet again the day after tomorrow? I enjoy spending time with you.”

If she couldn’t accept it, she had no choice but to grow accustomed to it.

Hearing her suggestion, Mathis’s perfectly groomed lips curved into a polite smile, neither excessive nor lacking in refinement.

“I’ll come to you then.”

Emeline returned his smile and followed his lead.

***

Her outing with Mathis concluded in the late afternoon.

“I had a wonderful time today.”

“As did I. Please go inside safely.”

“Thank you.”

After bidding her farewell, Mathis watched her retreat to her residence. Emeline, in turn, stared at his carriage as it disappeared from view.

‘Half a year until the wedding…’

The thought brought a strange sense of bitterness.

She still didn’t know what would change or remain the same once she became his wife.

As the sun set behind her, Emeline stroked the back of her hand where his lips had touched. Once his carriage was out of sight, she turned to head inside.

At that moment, a pink rose lying at her feet caught her attention.

In Elvarto, summer roses were the first to announce the arrival of the season.

For a moment, Emeline looked down at the flower with a calm heart, then raised her head.

“Hello.”

A voice greeted her.

Thinking she was hearing things, Emeline’s eyes widened.

The familiar intonation, accent, and voice.

“You came back later than I expected.”

She turned toward the source of the voice.

Leaning casually against the shade of a tree stood someone she knew.

Their gazes met, his summer-green eyes locking with hers.

Pushing off from the tree, he strode toward her.

In no time, he stepped into the golden glow of the sunset where Emeline stood alone.

It was as if the cicadas had gone silent in an instant.

Zenon watched her quietly before breaking into a serene smile.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time, Emeline Delzeier.”