A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Full of Contradictions

It had been about three days since Antony returned.

Despite his busy schedule, Bernard personally made time to introduce Antony, his successor, to the businesses and ongoing projects he was managing.

Meanwhile, Emeline, though also his child, often went entire days without seeing her father. Bernard would take Antony with him during the day and leave for his work again in the evenings.

On rare occasions, they shared meals together. In truth, Emeline found it fortunate not to see her father.

‘…Utterly disgusting.’

Sitting by the window, Emeline watched coldly as Bernard and Antony boarded a carriage together.

She could never forget the shocking things her father had done in the past. He had contributed to destroying her dreams, scolded her mercilessly, and committed numerous disgraceful acts.

The ridiculous part was that despite all he had done, Bernard’s life remained serene.

Antony, ever the dutiful son, seemed to turn a blind eye to his father’s actions. Their mother, unaware of such things, continued her convalescence as always.

Shamelessly, Bernard Delzeier even took Emeline to visit her mother on occasion.

‘Even I feel guilty—how can Father remain so unfazed?’

Though resentment and sorrow consumed her, Emeline was powerless.

As she watched their carriage disappear, a maid approached her.

“Miss! Count Renier has sent you a gift.”

“A gift?”

Emeline asked indifferently, her gaze still fixed on the bright scenery outside the window.

Unlike her composed demeanor, the maid seemed thrilled, almost as if she were the recipient of the gift.

“He sent a sapphire pendant that perfectly matches your eyes, miss.”

Finally, Emeline turned her gaze toward the maid. She found the gift unimpressive but had no reason to refuse it.

“Alright. Bring it here.”

“Yes, miss.”

When the jewelry box was handed to her, Emeline opened it without hesitation.

The velvet case opened with a slight resistance, revealing a neatly arranged sapphire necklace that glimmered brilliantly.

The servant, who had been sneaking glances at it, gasped in admiration.

“Oh my, it truly matches your eye color, miss. Count Renier must have recognized the intelligence reflected in your eyes.”

“Ha…”

Emeline couldn’t suppress her laughter. When the maid looked puzzled, Emeline brushed it off as amusement.

But in truth, it was absurd…

‘Recognized the intelligence in my eyes? Nonsense.’

Mathis Renier was a man who looked down on Emeline.

If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have shown such disdain when she mentioned the name of a book she sincerely enjoyed.

Pushing the jewelry box into the maid’s hands, Emeline asked, “The necklace is beautiful. Was there a letter with it? Surely he didn’t just send this alone?”

“Well, no letter came with it, miss. I found it odd and asked the messenger, but they said this was all that had been prepared.”

Hearing that, Emeline blinked in surprise. Such indifference. She couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

Rising from her seat, she addressed the maid. “I suppose that’s possible. I’ll send a token of thanks to the Count tomorrow when we meet.”

“If you let me know what to prepare, I’ll arrange it as quickly as possible.”

“Oh? Then prepare any accessory of the same color as this necklace for me to give him.”

“Any accessory?”

“Yes, anything.”

“Shall I bring a message card for the gift as well?”

“No, you can write it for me. Just something that conveys my gratitude.”

Emeline smiled sweetly.

Since he had sent her such a dull gift with no personal thought behind it, she felt no need to show any greater sincerity in return.

After the maid left in a hurry, Emeline picked up the necklace.

The gemstone shimmered brightly under the chandelier’s light.

Staring at the jewel, which was said to resemble her eyes, Emeline muttered expressionlessly, “It’s pretty.”

A gift that evoked no sense of sincerity or effort—just an accessory that was pretty and nothing more.

A mere trinket that warranted a similarly thoughtless gesture in return.

Without hesitation, Emeline put the necklace on.

She chuckled faintly, feeling as if this level of detachment matched them perfectly. Her reflection in the mirror was stunning, like that of a doll.

‘How amusing. Ridiculous.’

No matter how luxurious the gift, it would never compare to something old and worn she had once received in the past—a fact she deeply regretted.

Even if such a gift made her more beautiful or elevated her worth, it could never shine as brightly as a fleeting moment from her wretched past.

Ironically, she herself had been the one to try to erase that painful memory.

It seemed there was no better way to describe Emeline Delzeier than as a contradiction.

***

Emeline met Mathis with the gift prepared by her maid.

They decided to have tea first and headed to a coffee house in a bustling area. There, Emeline handed him a neatly wrapped box.

“Count Renier, I received your gift well. This is a token of my gratitude in return.”

His elegant, golden gaze flickered briefly over the box she offered before it rested on her necklace.

“I didn’t give you a gift expecting one in return, but I will gratefully accept this. That necklace truly suits you well.”

“When I received this necklace, I found it so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off it for a long time,” Emeline replied with a soft smile.

Encouraged by her response, Mathis also smiled gently, his eyes crinkling slightly. Unable to resist her urging, he opened the gift right there.

In truth, Emeline had never seen the item herself. She glanced briefly at the present to match her words.

Inside were cufflinks adorned with blue gemstones.

Emeline felt a tinge of awkwardness.

‘This seems a bit excessive for the nature of our relationship.’

Giving cufflinks carried a romantic connotation of wanting to keep a loved one by your side.

“The same type of gemstone as your necklace is set into these,” Mathis said with his usual polite smile.

Surprised by the maid’s choice, Emeline quickly adjusted her reaction. She had decided to love him, so there was no reason to dislike the gesture.

“I think they’ll suit you perfectly. I look forward to seeing you wear them next time we meet.”

“Of course. I like the gift very much as well.”

The two enjoyed their tea while engaging in light conversation. As the tea cooled, they left the coffee house.

“Shall we take a walk in the park across the street?”

“That sounds lovely.”

Emeline placed her hand on his arm, and they made their way to the park.

Due to the social season, the park was relatively crowded, with groups of people gathering here and there.

The park, with its lake leading to the central plaza, was usually teeming with visitors during this time of year.

Half a year remained until their wedding.

Emeline had to display a convincing act of love toward Mathis for the sake of their arranged engagement.

As she strolled with him, chatting amiably and thinking the choice of location was excellent, she suddenly stopped.

Her gaze fixed on something—or someone—in the distance. Her eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Because, over there, she spotted someone familiar.

“Miss Emeline?”

“Count Renier, shall we go somewhere else…”

Mathis, puzzled by her abrupt behavior, was about to ask her what was wrong when someone approached them without hesitation upon meeting Emeline’s gaze.

“Ah, who do we have here?”

As soon as she faced him, Emeline’s expression darkened with despair.

He was dressed lightly, as if out for a casual stroll, with his blond hair swept back effortlessly. His eyes, a radiant shade of green, seemed to shine even brighter amidst the surrounding greenery.

Drawing closer with a radiant smile, he greeted them.

“I never thought I’d see you here. What a pleasant surprise. I’ve wanted to have a word with you, Count Renier.”

To her surprise, Zenon’s attention was not on her but on Mathis.

Mathis looked at Zenon suspiciously. “You mean me?”

“Yes, Count Renier,” Zenon replied, still smiling as he extended a hand for a handshake. The gesture was so natural that Mathis, caught off guard, ended up shaking his hand.

Emeline was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe someone could be so shameless.

Just then, after finishing his greeting with Mathis, Zenon’s gaze shifted to her. Flashing a fresh smile, he tilted his head slightly and spoke, “I’ve heard that the two of you are a couple… Fancy seeing you again, Lady Delzeier.”

Zenon turned his body fully toward her, disregarding Mathis.

Emeline’s gaze faltered as she looked up at him. Intentional warmth sparkled in Zenon’s eyes as he extended his hand.

He meant to greet her with a kiss on her hand.

“Yes, we meet again, Lord Trancium.”

Emeline ignored his outstretched hand and responded only with words. She didn’t dare give him her hand, not knowing what he might do in front of Mathis.

Zenon glanced down at his empty hand and chuckled softly.

As if entirely unaffected, he withdrew his hand and continued smiling brightly. His handsome face glimmered under the sunlight.

“Since we’ve run into each other like this, may I join you for a while?”