A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Two of Us

Emeline was so dumbfounded that she could only stare blankly at him for a while.

The murmurs around them grew louder, and she could feel the weight of prying eyes.

Zenon Trancium’s posture was unmistakably that of a man inviting someone to dance. Perhaps those nearby had already overheard and begun spreading the rumor.

For some reason, the situation reminded her of a moment from the past.

Back then, Zenon had publicly asked her to dance, only to be thoroughly rebuffed and forced to retreat.

Emeline, utterly incredulous, spoke, “Surely, you don’t expect me to accept your invitation to dance here? Did you hit your head or something? What on earth are you—”

“Ah, that’s right. I forgot. Lady Delzeier dislikes being seen with someone like me.”

“……”

“But what should I do? Because I want to.”

“I don’t.”

“So what?”

Emeline was momentarily speechless at Zenon’s retort.

There was a mocking smirk on his lips. For some reason, he felt unfamiliar to her.

Lowering his voice to a whisper, he spoke so that only she could hear, “You’re so smart, yet you didn’t see this coming? Did you really think I’d make an offer like this without knowing I’d be rejected?”

“…What are you trying to do?”

“You don’t want anything about our past to be revealed, do you? Emeline Delzeier, if you refuse me, do you know what I might say?”

“Ha…”

For a moment, shock, disgust, and sheer disbelief flickered through Emeline’s blue eyes.

He was threatening her.

Her entire body tensed, her fists clenching with anger.

Zenon, watching her, tilted his head slightly and asked in a low voice, “Is it so unbearable?”

“…Isn’t it for you as well, Lord Trancium? Don’t create unnecessary blemishes.”

Struggling to steady her breath, Emeline glared at him with fury. The smirk on Zenon’s face gradually faded.

In a quiet voice, he answered, “No. It’s not unbearable for me.”

“…What?”

“It’s not unbearable at all. And it’s not a blemish.”

For a brief moment, Emeline’s expression wavered at his indifferent response. Then, she let out a breath of disbelief.

A surge of anger flared within her.

It felt as though the four years of agony she had endured had been completely invalidated. His words made it seem as if it had all been nothing to him.

Of course, it had always been a game to Zenon Trancium. For him, their relationship had been nothing more than a fleeting whim, a trivial indulgence that hadn’t left a single mark on him.

Even though she knew she had to remain composed, Emeline gritted her teeth, her breath unsteady.

“Your fiancée is watching. Are you really that thoughtless?”

How many more people does he plan to hurt? How many more wounds does he need to inflict on me before he’s satisfied?

Zenon remained silent as she spat out her words, quietly enduring her scorn.

As Emeline continued to glare at him, she momentarily thought she saw something flicker in his gaze.

Just as he parted his lips to speak, someone wrapped an arm around Emeline’s shoulders and pulled her backward.

“What business do you have with my fiancée?”

Zenon’s gaze, which had been fixated solely on Emeline, finally lifted to meet the new arrival.

Mathis had drawn Emeline protectively toward him, his voice carrying a warning.

Zenon’s lips, which had been slightly parted as if to say something, slowly closed. His gaze flickered over Emeline’s delicate shoulders, the perfectly matched outfits they wore, and then back to Mathis.

His green eyes, colder than ever, locked onto Mathis.

Likewise, Mathis met his gaze head-on, his expression unyielding.

The tense silence was finally broken when Emeline, still in Mathis’s arms, looked up at him.

“Mathis, are you already done speaking with the others?”

“I excused myself for a moment and returned.”

“Ah… For my sake?”

Mathis finally turned his attention from Zenon to Emeline.

Meeting her blinking eyes, he offered a calm, composed smile. The warmth in his gaze passed between them.

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Mathis. As expected, you’re always so considerate.”

Emeline smiled faintly at him. Though worries and anxieties lingered in her mind, she pushed them aside, choosing instead to express gratitude.

For now, that mattered more. At least, to the one watching them, that was how it appeared.

“Ha…”

Zenon let out a short laugh. His head tilted downward for a moment before he straightened again.

Wearing an expression that was almost the same yet subtly different, he stared directly at Emeline and said, “Think carefully, Lady Delzeier. By now, you should know—I am not a magnanimous man.”

As if leaving the decision entirely in her hands, he extended his.

His insidious threat made Emeline’s gaze tremble.

Mathis immediately stepped in front of her in a protective stance. “What exactly do you think you’re doing to someone who clearly doesn’t want it?”

At that, Zenon chuckled softly and tilted his head slightly. “Who said she doesn’t want it? That sounds like a personal assumption, Lord Renier.”

“How absurd. Lady Emeline, it would be best if we left. Dealing with him any further is—”

Mathis reached out to guide her away, but Emeline stopped him.

Mathis paused and looked down at her.

“It’s alright, Mathis. He’s just trying to reconnect as former academy acquaintances.”

However, Emeline knew that at this moment—so soon after the scandal had been resolved—this was not a wise decision.

She gently removed Mathis’s hand from her shoulder. Then, stepping forward, she slowly reached out and took the hand extended toward her.

Without looking back even once, she fixed her gaze on Zenon. Her expression was filled with displeasure, but at the same time, it seemed as though nothing else in the world mattered to her at that moment.

As if satisfied with her decision, Zenon gave a leisurely smile and led her toward the center of the ballroom.

As they passed by, his and Mathis’s sharp gazes clashed.

Mathis narrowed his eyes in discomfort, but Zenon simply averted his gaze as if he had no interest in him whatsoever.

Many eyes in the hall were drawn to the two stepping onto the dance floor.

Emeline, filled with unease and tension, stared at Zenon.

‘I have no idea what rumors will start circulating after tonight…’

The musicians began playing a new melody.

Emeline had no choice but to stand before Zenon. Holding the hem of her dress, she exchanged a formal greeting with him, as etiquette demanded before a dance.

‘Stay calm. Just don’t let Zenon Trancium shake you.’

Before she knew it, he had taken her hand and begun leading the dance. Emeline, resigned to getting through it quickly, followed his movements without resistance.

Zenon spoke in a low voice, “This is the first time we’ve done something together in front of so many people.”

“……”

“Are you really going to avoid looking at me the entire time?”

Unlike Emeline, who stubbornly refused to meet his gaze, Zenon had been watching her the entire time.

Determined to ignore him, Emeline pressed her lips together discreetly. She could feel the intense scrutiny of the crowd, sending a chill down her spine. Her vision spun slowly in rhythm with their movements.

At that moment, she noticed Zenon’s fiancée watching them from a distance. Startled, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt that made her chest tighten.

However, the young lady merely sipped her drink, her gaze indifferent, before casually engaging in conversation with someone who had approached her.

Before she knew it, her field of view changed. Yet, Emeline remained lost in thought, replaying the image of Zenon’s fiancée in her mind.

‘Why did she seem so unconcerned?’

Even if she hadn’t been informed directly, this scene alone would have made it clear that Zenon was deliberately approaching Emeline.

And yet, the woman had shown no reaction. Not even Zenon himself seemed to care that his fiancée could see them together.

A mess of questions tangled in Emeline’s mind.

Based on what she had heard, it didn’t seem like they were completely indifferent toward each other…

“How cruel. I went through so much trouble to make this moment happen, enduring the stares of all these people.”

At his sudden comment, Emeline instinctively looked up at him. Since his gaze had been fixed on her the entire time, their eyes met instantly, leaving her with no escape.

Zenon’s lips curved into a smirk. “You’re finally looking at me.”

Narrowing her eyes, Emeline issued a warning, “Why do you keep doing this? No one benefits from this nonsense, Zenon Trancium.”

“And what exactly benefits me?”

At his counterquestion, Emeline was momentarily speechless.

If one had even a shred of common sense, the answer should have been obvious. Yet, his simple question made her hesitate.

Zenon had forcibly dragged her into this situation, and yet, he wasn’t mocking her or looking amused.

Though everything about him felt unfamiliar, there was also an unsettling sense of familiarity.

The way he looked at her, his deep gaze scanning her face as if searching for something, made her uneasy.

Slowly, as if tracing over her features, Zenon’s eyes swept across her face. It felt as though he was constantly seeking something from her.

After his searching gaze settled once again on her eyes, he spoke, “And you? What benefits you?”

“…If you’re going to spout nonsense, just keep your mouth shut.”

“So, even you feel that this question is strange.”

Emeline’s expression immediately hardened. Before she could fire back with a sharp remark, Zenon suddenly pulled her close.

In an instant, Emeline’s body was pressed against his. Although ballroom dances often required close proximity, this was far beyond acceptable distance.

“Wait…”

His hand firmly supported the small of her back.

Her mind went blank, the music in the background fading into nothingness. To her dismay, the only sound that reached her ears was the rapid pounding of her own heart.

A heartbeat so loud, she was certain he could hear it too. Yet, Zenon’s voice, as calm as an undisturbed sea, rang clearly in her ears.

“…Do you even know what I feel every time I see you and your fiancé together? It makes me wonder if this was really worth all the effort.”

A bitter, self-deprecating expression flickered in his green eyes. Even without any exaggerated expression, he somehow looked as though he was mocking himself.

Emeline, captivated by his unfamiliar gaze, found herself unable to say anything.

“Do you hate me so much you could die?”

“……”

“I hate you just as much, Emeline. But…”

His voice trailed off for a moment. His breath lightly brushed against her forehead. His green eyes, unwavering, remained fixed on her.

“Then why do I feel like we’re both lying?”

As soon as he closed his lips after speaking, the song ended.

Emeline, overtaken by an unexplainable feeling, stared at him.

She wanted to ask him something, but before she could, Zenon released her without hesitation, his expression unreadable.