A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Not a Part of Perfection

Wide brown eyes met Emeline’s gaze. Angel stared up at her with her mouth agape.

Angel was not the only one startled—Emeline, too, found herself speechless at the unexpected situation.

The person sitting on the ground, dressed like a commoner boy, was undeniably Angel Laresa. And the papers scattered all over the floor…

Emeline’s gaze lowered to the page she had picked up.

The elegant handwriting was unmistakable—it was the same script she had seen countless times since their academy days.

The paper was filled with lines of text and dialogue enclosed in quotation marks.

The silence, as if time had frozen, was only broken when the bookstore door behind them jingled open.

A passerby, stepping out of the store, frowned at the sight of Angel on the ground surrounded by a mess of papers.

“What’s this…?”

The voice snapped both Angel and Emeline out of their daze.

Not wanting to draw further attention, they quickly gathered the scattered pages.

Only after collecting every sheet did Angel finally rise to her feet. She hesitated, nervously glancing at Emeline.

“Um, Lady Delzeier… This is…”

“Did you write this, Lady Laresa?”

Emeline couldn’t wait and asked first. Angel flinched as if hit with a direct blow, her lips parting slightly before she looked down.

Soon, she tightly shut her eyes upon noticing her own attire—clothed as a boy.

Emeline observed her every reaction closely.

Her lowered head, her hunched shoulders as if trying to hide, the slight trembling of her body.

Yet, despite her evident nervousness, she held onto the pages in her arms with a firm grip, as if unwilling to let go of something precious.

Lowering her gaze again, Emeline examined the pages she had picked up.

They were unmistakably a novel. A story written by Angel—one she had disguised herself as a boy to carry.

A quiet exclamation escaped her lips. Before she could stop herself, she had already realized Angel’s secret.

A warm sensation spread through her chest, as if a gentle heat had welled up inside her.

Taking a step forward, Emeline tucked the remaining pages she had gathered into Angel’s arms. Her heart pounded.

Angel cautiously lifted her head, looking at Emeline once more.

‘For a woman to be a writer in an era where they were only expected to marry and manage a household…’

It should have seemed laughable.

But Emeline couldn’t bring herself to laugh. Instead, words spilled out instinctively.

“…You’re amazing.”

Angel’s eyes widened again. Before Emeline could even close her lips, she repeated her words with conviction.

“You’re amazing, Lady Laresa. Truly.”

“Ah… Lady Delzeier, but… isn’t my attire strange?”

“Not at all.”

Emeline reached out and covered Angel’s hand, which was clutching the manuscript.

How could she belittle someone striving to achieve their dreams? How could she ever ridicule such effort?

Angel’s brown eyes trembled. Then, a resolute look replaced her hesitation, and she gripped Emeline’s hand in return.

“Lady Delzeier, would you speak with me in a quiet place for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Emeline agreed without hesitation. Never had she been more curious and delighted to see her friend.

The two moved to a nearby park. Even after sitting on a bench, neither spoke for a while.

Eventually, Angel broke the silence.

“You’re the first, Lady Delzeier. The first person to see me like this and call it amazing.”

“…Do the Count and Countess know?”

“Yes, they do. That’s why they often scold me. They ask what I think I’m doing, saying it’ll bring shame if someone finds out.”

Emeline opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it again.

Noticing this, Angel quickly added, “I’m only telling you because I know you won’t ridicule me, Lady Delzeier. And I don’t think you’ll spread rumors about me.”

Hearing the deep trust in her words, Emeline couldn’t help but smile.

“You shouldn’t trust people so easily without reason, Lady Laresa. Since you have a secret, you should be more cautious.”

“It’s not without reason. I’ve watched you for a long time, Lady Delzeier.”

“What do you mean?”

“No matter what gossip arises, you never speak ill of others. Even when people talk about Zenon Trancium.”

At the mention of a familiar name, Emeline momentarily lost her words.

That’s probably… because we were lovers at the time.

As the silence stretched between them, Angel continued, her eyes locked onto Emeline’s as she spoke with passion.

“Besides, you can tell by looking into someone’s eyes. Whether they’re being sincere or just pretending. If you were merely being calculating, you wouldn’t have said those words with such conviction.”

“…Lady Laresa, you trust me too much. What if I were just a skilled actress?”

Feeling slightly embarrassed by Angel’s bright and trusting words, Emeline deliberately responded playfully.

Angel chuckled at her feigned nonchalance.

“You’re terrible at acting.”

“What?”

“Ah! If that sounded rude, I apologize… But really, when it comes to ordinary things, maybe you can hide your feelings, but when it’s something you truly care about, you’re not good at concealing it. Even back in the academy…”

Emeline tilted her head slightly. Back at the academy?

She searched her memory, wondering if she had ever lied to Angel.

Noticing her confusion, Angel averted her gaze in embarrassment and spoke hesitantly.

“I saw it. While others praised you, saying you were flawless in every aspect, even your intelligence… for you, studying wasn’t just a part of perfection, it was something you truly longed for.”

“……”

“Seeing you devote yourself entirely to something you loved was so inspiring… That’s why I started following you. And it’s also why I found the courage to do this now—it’s all because of you.”

At first, Angel had been too afraid to even try.

But after spending time with Emeline at the academy—under her parents’ encouragement—she noticed something peculiar. Emeline was far more alive when studying than when doing anything else.

From that moment, Angel had watched her closely.

And in the end, Emeline surpassed all the male students and graduated as the academy’s top student.

She had quietly smiled, pretending it was nothing, as if it had simply happened by chance.

But Angel had seen the truth reflected in her eyes—the sense of accomplishment that could only come from relentless effort.

That wasn’t something one could achieve by merely reaching out and touching it.

Through Emeline, Angel realized that only those with courage could obtain true results.

“You… were watching me?”

Emeline was momentarily dazed by Angel’s words.

Her mind went blank, and she felt an indescribable emotion she couldn’t quite name.

Angel, inspired by Emeline, was still moving forward. Yet, Emeline herself had lost her dreams.

With a dark expression, she clasped her hands together. She should have felt happy hearing Angel’s words, but instead, her heart grew cold

At that moment, she saw herself reflected in Angel’s determination. Once filled with dreams, now she was nothing but a shell.

There’s nothing left inside me.

“Lady Delzeier? Are you alright? You don’t look well…”

“…I’m fine.”

She cast her gaze downward.

She had told herself that this was the right path. She had accepted the life laid out before her and walked it obediently.

Yet now, she felt ashamed.

In the end, she had surrendered. And she despised herself for it.

But this is what’s right.

You’re wrong, and I’m the one who made the right choice.

Then why do I feel like I’m the one who’s mistaken?

Without a word, Emeline stood up. A flock of birds took flight from the nearby trees.

Her voice, thick with emotion, barely escaped her lips.

“Lady Laresa, can we talk more next time? I suddenly feel unwell… The day after tomorrow, no—tomorrow. Come to my estate tomorrow. I’m sorry, truly. But I mean it when I say I want to hear more of your story.”

Angel, surprised by Emeline’s sudden urgency, hesitated before nodding. “Of course. Please take care on your way back, Lady Delzeier.”

Emeline quickly turned and walked away. She was so lost in thought that she barely remembered climbing into the carriage.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Her clenched fists trembled atop her lap.

When she finally looked up, her gaze met her own reflection in the carriage window.

Suddenly, a distant memory overlapped with her own voice.

“Your goal is amazing.”

A voice filled with pure admiration.

A cheerful, bright smile accompanying it.

Emeline froze in place, as if time had stopped.

Her words to Angel—spoken from the depths of her heart—reminded her of another moment in time.

Angel had said that true admiration couldn’t come from a calculated act.

And so, for the first time in a long while, Emeline found herself wondering.

That day, when Zenon Trancium had said those words—was that the one moment of truth among his many lies?

Had he meant it, too?

***

Emeline returned home with slow, weary steps.

A servant, upon seeing her enter, greeted her and approached.

“Miss, a letter has arrived for you. I placed it on your desk.”

“…Alright. Thank you.”

Emeline gave a brief reply and passed by the servant.

As she climbed the stairs, she heard the chatter of maids below.

“Benica, the head maid is calling for you.”

“Oh, I’ll go now.”

Glancing down briefly, Emeline then continued toward her room.

Once inside, she collapsed onto the sofa, her body heavy with exhaustion.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, she suddenly remembered the letter waiting on her desk.

She reached out and picked it up.

The sender’s name wasn’t visible at first, but the mint-colored envelope was striking.

For some reason, it carried a refreshing air.

Absentmindedly flipping it over, Emeline furrowed her brows.

Her hazy thoughts sharpened in an instant.

With noticeably hurried movements, she tore open the envelope.

She pulled out the letter inside, and the name at the top of the page immediately caught her eye.

[From Labore Fendine.]

Emeline let out a slow breath.

A letter from Zenon’s fiancée.