A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: The Usurper

Emeline ultimately left the bookstore holding the book Zenon had given her.

Her thoughts were in disarray.

As soon as she boarded the carriage waiting nearby, she dropped her gaze to the book.

‘The Usurper of a Perfect World…’

That was the title of the book he had given her.

Tracing the title with her eyes, Emeline found herself unable to look away for some reason. She unconsciously took a slow, deep breath.

An intruder who disrupts a world governed by compulsion and rules, inevitably causing upheaval and shaking everything uncontrollably—a usurper of my perfect world.

The carriage passed under a stone bridge, and darkness momentarily engulfed her, obscuring the title from view.

When light returned moments later, she no longer looked at the book.

Passing through the streets of Elvarto, where summer roses were in full bloom, Emeline closed her eyes. Holding the enigmatic gift in her hands.

A voice from somewhere played in her mind like a recording, invading her memory before she could stop it.

“Kaven Shotrimmer… Isn’t he a sarcastic critic known for sparing no one with his sharp tongue? It’s surprising you like someone with a temperament so similar to yours… Oh, I’m not teasing. It’s just… I think I might start liking him too. Kaven Shotrimmer. You like him, don’t you?”

A cheerful voice echoed as if it belonged to the past.

Momentarily retracing the memories of that time, Emeline soon discarded the thoughts.

***

Over several days, Emeline browsed through the book Zenon Trancium had given her.

The ambiguous intent behind the gift kept nagging at her, and the constant questions slowed her reading.

‘What could this be?’

Again, as she did every day, Emeline pondered the man and the recipient he had mentioned, all while staring at the book, which was written entirely in a foreign language.

Though untranslated, her proficiency in foreign languages made it easy for her to interpret the text.

The effort Zenon had gone to, purchasing a new release by her favorite author from abroad, struck her as odd. The persistent unease about the person he intended the gift for lingered in her mind.

Why did she feel as though he was scheming something?

When Emeline’s head felt overwhelmed, she finally closed the book. That’s when the distant sound of carriage wheels reached her ears. She turned her head to look out the window.

A white carriage was racing toward the Delzeier mansion, closing the distance quickly.

Watching quietly, Emeline shut the window with a disdainful look and moved away from her seat.

She tucked the ominously titled book Zenon had given her into a secluded corner of her bookshelf, covering it with a cloth.

Regardless of the author’s country, this was a kingdom where the monarchy held absolute authority. To receive a book with such a title felt utterly absurd, especially considering her position as the king’s niece.

‘Though the book’s main content dealt with the absurdities of society rather than usurpation, its title alone warranted caution.’

The intent behind Zenon’s efforts to obtain this book remained a mystery to her.

As she sat on the sofa, attempting to clear her mind, an unexpected visitor arrived.

“What is it?”

“The master has requested your presence. The young master has returned.”

“…My brother has?”

Emeline frowned unconsciously but quickly composed her expression.

She rose from her chair and walked to the door.

“Alright, I’m coming.”

Following the maid, Emeline headed to the drawing room. From a distance, boisterous laughter could be heard.

Closing her eyes briefly at the sound, she soon entered the room with a polite smile.

“Father, I’m here.”

Emeline first greeted Duke Delzeier before turning her gaze to the other sofa, where her brother sat.

He turned his head to look at her while lounging with his legs crossed.

“Emeline, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, brother. It’s been a while. You should have told me about your graduation. I would have come to see you.”

Emeline spoke warmly as she took a seat on the sofa opposite him.

Unbeknownst to her, a cat had followed her into the room and settled beside her.

Antony chuckled softly before replying, “Well, there was no need for you to go to such trouble. Plenty of others came without you.”

Responding nonchalantly, he reached out to the cat perched on the sofa’s armrest. But the cat, Mel, swatted at him with its paw, expressing its displeasure.

Startled, Antony froze momentarily before glaring at Mel with dissatisfaction.

“They say pets resemble their owners, but it seems that Mel doesn’t resemble you at all, does he?”

At his words, Emeline flinched.

Someone, in stark contrast to Antony, had once said Mel resembled her.

Glancing briefly at her darkened expression, Antony returned to his conversation with their father.

“Antony, I heard you achieved excellent marks on your final exams. As expected, my son is intelligent, just like me.”

“It’s nothing. Carrying the family name and failing to achieve such results would be shameful, wouldn’t it?”

“Indeed. Soon, your name will be engraved on the list of honorary graduates of Robelque University.”

“Ha-ha, so I’ve heard. They said it should be completed in two days.”

“Good, then I’ll have to visit and see it myself. My proud son!”

Words of praise and laughter filled the air.

Sitting quietly, Emeline occasionally mumbled, “Congratulations,” offering a faint smile as though she were miles away from the lively conversation.

Robelque, the prestigious university from which Antony graduated.

Emeline’s gaze held a mixture of deep resentment and envy as she looked at him. A once-dreamed-of goal she no longer had the capacity to hold in her heart.

Relaxed, with one arm draped over the sofa, Antony chatted with their father about university life as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

What Emeline longed for so desperately was happening effortlessly before her eyes, as though it were a given for him.

‘If only my brother hadn’t intervened back then…’

Because of his meddling, Emeline hadn’t been able to take the entrance exam.

Meanwhile, he had excelled at the very university she had yearned to attend, graduating with high honors and basking in their father’s abundant affection.

Emeline hated Antony.

She knew it was an opportunity she could never have grasped, yet she couldn’t help but despise him.

But in the eyes of society, the blame fell solely on her. Even in the face of such injustice, only she was deemed wrong.

Emeline suppressed her rising emotions with all her might. Her tightly clenched hands ached.

‘Expressing my feelings won’t change anything. It’ll only make things worse.’

Taking shallow breaths, she tried to calm herself with a warm cup of tea.

“Emeline.”

The Duke of Delzeier, who had been laughing with Antony, suddenly called her name. His tone, now solemn, was completely different from earlier.

“Yes, Father.”

“You seem to be getting along well with Count Renier.”

“Yes, we’re quite compatible. I feel like we’re essential to one another in many ways.”

Emeline smiled, unaffected by the weight in his tone.

The Duke’s serious demeanor whenever the engagement was mentioned showed just how significant it was to him.

He nodded approvingly.

“Good. You’re doing well. Make sure nothing unpleasant happens this time. There’s already enough commotion with that scoundrel’s return.”

For a moment, Emeline tensed. Clicking his tongue, the Duke continued, “I hope you’ve come to your senses by now. Don’t get involved with him again. Tsk, his family is an embarrassment. Imagine, his son stirring up scandal after scandal…”

The Duke sighed and murmured bitterly, “It seems he inherited his father’s vulgar nature.”

Turning back to Antony, the Duke’s expression brightened again. “Unlike my son, who’s never caused me trouble.”

“…Haha, of course not. Emeline, heed Father’s words.”

“Yes, dear. As I’ve told you many times, that man deceived and toyed with you. Look at him now, laughing with his fiancée as if he’s completely forgotten about you.”

Bernard and Antony exchanged a few words with Emeline, masking their derision as concern.

Silent until now, Emeline offered a polite smile at their repugnant conversation.

“…Thank you for your concern, Father, and you too, Brother.”

With Emeline’s compliant response, the conversation flowed back to lighthearted banter, filling their world with laughter.

Though she smiled along, Emeline couldn’t shake the tepid, suffocating pressure that felt like lukewarm water rising to her nostrils.

“My proud son, next time, I’ll…”

“Haha. Yes, Father. I’ve only done what’s expected, yet the rewards are always…”

Ah. Once again, the quiet, rhythmic music surrounded Emeline.

A sense of emptiness flooded her heart, as if the melody echoed her own desolation.

As the sound of their voices grew distant in her mind, Emeline realized something.

Recently, the stifling music enveloping her world had paused briefly.

And it had been right after her reunion with Zenon Trancium.