A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Choices

Emeline felt as if she had just seen a ghost. How could Zenon Trancium appear just when she had been thinking about him? Simultaneously, her mood soured instantly.

“Why are you so startled? Were you thinking of me?” he asked with a natural smile.

“Of course not,” Emeline replied, frowning as she retraced Zenon’s actions over the past two weeks in her mind. In the corridors, on the stairs, in the garden, on the way home… they had run into each other endlessly. And each time, he would make a point to acknowledge her.

“Are you following me?”

“Me?”

“I can’t understand how you manage to show up wherever I go.”

She didn’t bother hiding her displeasure. She usually made it a rule to suppress her true feelings, but she found it impossible in front of Zenon Trancium. He had gotten under her skin since their first encounter. And there was no reason to be on good terms with the son of a family hostile to the Delzeier family.

Zenon tilted his head. “Are you sure you’re not the one following me?”

“Ha, me?”

“I was just thinking that the feeling you’re having right now is exactly what I was experiencing.”

He flicked the ash from his cigar casually, then rose from the bench. As he approached, the pungent scent of cigar smoke mixed with the fragrance of roses made Emeline’s head spin slightly.

She frowned, irritated. “Could you please not approach me after you’ve been smoking?”

“Oh… so it’s okay if I haven’t been smoking?”

“No, just don’t approach me at all.”

“Should I stop smoking then?”

“Why are you asking me such trivial things? Smoke all you want. Smoke continuously, for an hour at a time. Just don’t study.”

“Alright, I won’t smoke.”

Zenon’s answer left Emeline speechless. She furrowed her brow, letting out a sigh, trying to calm the rising heat inside her.

Zenon Trancium had a way of leaving her at a loss for words. She couldn’t understand how his ears were wired to constantly distort everything she said. Feeling exhausted, she turned to leave. Just looking at his insufferable face made her feel even more pressured to study.

‘Even if that man takes a break, I must study.’

Initially, she had thought he was attempting to steal the top spot easily, but she had long since changed her mind. Beneath his insolent demeanor, he might very well be investing significant time in studying. His nonchalant exterior might hide a sharp blade pointed directly at her.

“Where are you going?”

Zenon Trancium followed behind her like an eager puppy.

“Studying, perhaps?”

“……”

“Or just a walk?”

Despite her silence, Zenon kept talking. Emeline firmly kept her lips pressed shut, her face a mask of displeasure, as if even speaking to him would contaminate her with his frivolity.

The faint sound of laughter could be heard in the distance, blending with the soft crunch of grass beneath their feet. Behind it all, she could hear his heavy but jaunty footsteps keeping pace with hers.

“Why don’t you go back to your friends? It looked like the tea time wasn’t over yet.”

At his comment, Emeline stopped abruptly and spun around.

Zenon, following close behind, had to halt suddenly to avoid bumping into her, taking a step back, a rare look of surprise crossing his face.

Emeline frowned as she spoke, “Didn’t you say you weren’t following me? How do you know that?”

“Oh… you were actually listening to me?”

“My ears are open, and you’ve been talking nonstop behind me. Of course, I heard you.”

Zenon shrugged. “You weren’t answering, so I thought you were lost in thought or just pretending I didn’t exist.”

His words made Emeline flinch. She had indeed intended to ignore him completely, but hearing his comment made her feel as though she had made a mistake. Though it nagged at her, she kept her expression neutral.

“So, why have you been following me?”

“You never let anything slide, do you?”

“Tell me the truth before I report you to the guards.”

“Alright, fine. I admit it. I’ve been deliberately hanging around and talking to you,” Zenon conceded, seemingly unconcerned.

Emeline scowled. “But why?”

“Honestly, I don’t really know either… But if you’re so eager to know, I’ll give you some choices. You’re smart, after all.”

Zenon pretended to think for a moment before listing his options, “Number one, I’m interested in Emeline Delzeier. Number two, I want to annoy Emeline Delzeier. Number three, I find Emeline Delzeier’s reactions amusing.”

He paused and added with a grin, “Note: when I approach or speak to her, she gets so flustered it’s almost entertaining. Number four, Emeline Delzeier is the daughter of Duke Delzeier, whom my father despises. Number five, Emeline Delzeier is exceptionally beautiful.”

Emeline grimaced, unable to bear it any longer. “Could you please keep such nonsense to yourself?”

She was appalled that anyone would say such things to her face.

“Why? You wanted to know the reason, didn’t you? And now I’m curious too, so we need to figure it out. I have about five more options if you want to hear them. Number six, Emeline Delzeier is the second-place student who lost her top spot to me.”

“Ha, are you mocking me?”

“Why would I? I’m serious. Number seven, I want to become friends with Emeline Delzeier.”

“Please stop. I don’t care anymore.”

“Really? Well, if you say so… then I guess there’s no need for me to trouble myself over it. It really is a tough question, though.”

Emeline let out a sigh. Why was she even engaging with him? Her resolve to study had completely burned out. If she went to study now, Zenon would probably follow her around like a puppy out for a walk.

Her original plan ruined, Emeline felt utterly conflicted. One of the choices Zenon hadn’t mentioned might have been, ‘To disrupt Emeline Delzeier’s studies.’ And that was probably the correct answer among all the options.

Emeline finally came up with the best way to shake him off. “I’m going back to my friends, so don’t follow me.”

Surely, he wouldn’t barge into a tea time meant for young ladies only. That would be outrageously rude.

“Alright. I won’t follow you.”

“And stop following me altogether.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m stalking you or something. Even I would find that offensive.”

“We’ve run into each other far too often.”

“No, and I swear this is the truth. We actually ran into each other by chance quite a lot. Honestly, about half of it was coincidence.”

“People don’t usually run into each other that often by coincidence.”

“Then I guess we’re fated.”

Emeline looked at him with a scowl, as if he had just said something outrageous. Zenon, unaffected, smiled cheerfully and stepped aside.

“Go on then.”

Emeline gave him a sharp glare as she walked past him. The strong scent of cigar smoke gradually faded, replaced by the fragrance of summer roses around her.

‘A strange, annoying, infuriating person.’

She took a light breath, silently cursing him.

***

After school, Emeline boarded the carriage prepared for her and headed to the townhouse in Elvarto. As she took in the street views, her thoughts turned back to Zenon Trancium. Why had he suddenly decided to take the exams, claim the top spot, and start attending school regularly?

‘Is it because of graduation?’ she pondered.

Because of him, her life had been thrown off balance.

Her face hardened, and she opened a book while traveling in the carriage. The letters swam before her eyes as the carriage swayed, making her feel slightly nauseous, but she stubbornly kept reading. Once she arrived home, there would be no time to open her textbooks until her day was over. She couldn’t afford to waste even a single minute.

“My lady, we’ve arrived.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as she arrived at the townhouse and entered the house, the butler approached. Emeline handed her bag to him.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

“I’m tired, so I’ll have dinner later.”

Speaking firmly, she began walking away, but the butler called after her again.

“Um, my lady.”

“What is it?”

Emeline turned, her gaze tired. Her expression was a mix of weariness, annoyance, and indifference, though she made sure not to show any outright displeasure. Her father, Duke Delzeier, had always taught her that even with servants, she should maintain the dignity of a noble. Emeline had lived much of her life following his orders, and she would continue to do so.

Except, perhaps, when it came to Zenon Trancium—he was the only exception.

Just as she clenched her teeth at the thought of him once again, the butler cleared his throat and spoke, “The duke is here at the residence. He wishes to have dinner with you.”