A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: That Woman

Time had passed considerably since that day.

Before she knew it, the summer breeze had grown even hotter, and the peak of the season was approaching.

Emeline, having prepared for her outing, left the house and met Mathis as previously arranged.

“It looks like it’s going to rain soon. We should hurry.”

“Alright.”

Unfortunately, the sky was gloomy on the day they were supposed to meet, so Emeline and Mathis quickly departed from the mansion.

As the carriage moved along, she gazed out the window. Raindrops had fallen intermittently, causing rose petals to scatter onto the streets.

The two of them arrived at the restaurant they had reserved just in time for lunch.

“I’ll have this. Ah, and a bottle of wine to go with it.”

“Two of the same, please.”

As soon as they placed their order, a bright flash of light illuminated the building. The next moment, a deafening thunderclap rumbled through the air, startling Emeline.

“Miss Emeline, are you alright?”

“Ah, yes… I was just surprised by how loud it was.”

Outside, the landscape had already become obscured by the heavy downpour. The air smelled thick with rain, as if the scent had seeped into the restaurant. It was fortunate they had rushed to get here.

As she calmed her startled heart, Mathis handed her a glass of water.

“Thank you.”

Taking the water he offered, she sipped it with a small smile.

“By the way, my father is planning to hold an exhibition.”

“Ah, I heard about that. His Grace recently completed a building designed by the world-renowned architect… Kuhn Beller, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. He had always been distressed about not having enough space to store his art collection, but now his wish has finally come true.”

As Emeline spoke softly, Mathis added, as if intrigued, “You mean that massive three-story building?”

“Yes, but given my father’s passion for art, I still think even that won’t be enough,” Emeline replied with a laugh.

If they were to gather all the artworks stored across their various estates, there truly might not be enough space to display everything.

Bernard Delzeier’s obsession with collecting art was enough to make even the Marquis of Trancium shake his head.

“In any case, in about two weeks, my father plans to open the exhibition. Why don’t we go together?”

“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”

As they continued their warm conversation, the food arrived. They paused their discussion to begin their meal.

Then, as Emeline took a sip of wine, Mathis suddenly spoke.

“I haven’t seen him around lately. Zenon Trancium.”

“Ah… That’s true.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected topic, Emeline blinked before offering a composed smile.

It had already been quite some time since she had discovered the contradictions in Zenon’s letter, yet she hadn’t seen a trace of him since then.

More precisely, she hadn’t seen him at all since the day they danced at Count Henburton’s party.

Though she had mixed feelings about it, she deliberately feigned disinterest, reminding herself that her fiancé was sitting right across from her.

Only after confirming her indifferent reaction did Mathis change the subject.

‘He’s testing me again…’

Emeline understood why Mathis did this. It was likely because she kept getting tangled up with Zenon.

But their rumored scandal had already been corrected. And even if Mathis didn’t know the full details, he must have sensed that the dance at the Henburton party had not been entirely of her own volition.

‘…Or could it be that he genuinely wants to know where Zenon has disappeared to?’

Considering how Zenon had repeatedly appeared before Mathis and Emeline, it wasn’t impossible.

Now that he had suddenly vanished without a trace, curiosity was only natural.

‘…Why hasn’t he been around lately?’

Emeline quietly placed another bite of steak into her mouth.

The ordinary peace she had felt while Zenon was away studying abroad seemed to have returned.

When he first came back to Elvarto, she had constantly been on edge, never knowing when or where he might appear. But now, things had returned to how they used to be.

Still, while Mathis’s feelings were understandable, even Emeline found it strange that Zenon had disappeared so completely. He had once even shown up in front of her house.

‘It’s bothering me.’

When she hadn’t wanted to see him, he had kept appearing. But now that she wished to uncover something from him, he was nowhere to be found.

Now that she thought about it, Zenon Trancium had done this occasionally four years ago as well.

Whenever he was injured or wanted to hide something, Zenon would suddenly avoid Emeline.

‘If that was the reason back then, then what about now?’

She was curious as to why he hadn’t appeared before her.

Was it to hide his weak side again this time?

For a brief moment, memories of the wounded expressions he had shown her flashed through her mind.

…Or was it simply that his game of toying with her was over?

Emeline, who had eaten only lightly, took a sip of wine.

Afterward, she ordered coffee, and once they finished their meal, they left the restaurant.

Because of the rain, they stopped by a few indoor locations before parting ways earlier than usual.

Strangely enough, Emeline bid farewell to Mathis at a street corner instead of having him accompany her.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to escort you?”

“Yes, it’s fine. I just want to stop by the bookstore for a bit. I already told the coachman in advance, so the carriage should be arriving here soon.”

Besides, even though no attendants were visibly present, there were surely people following her from a distance.

Mathis watched her with a look of concern but soon relaxed his expression. It seemed he had chosen to respect her wishes.

“You truly love reading, Miss Emeline.”

“It’s one of my hobbies.”

“I’ve heard you visit bookstores often. Having reading as a hobby is fine, but don’t overdo it.”

Emeline let out a quiet laugh at his concern. Reading hardly required physical exertion, so how could she possibly overdo it?

It was an unconscious form of condescension—a belief that she would eventually tire of books, that she would one day find them burdensome.

Still, Mathis was relatively considerate. At least he respected her interest in books to some extent.

He truly wasn’t a bad choice for a husband.

“I’ll be careful. Have a safe trip home, Mathis.”

Mathis gazed at her carefully composed expression before lifting a hand to gently caress her cheek.

“I hope the weather is clear the next time we meet. Take care.”

With that, he withdrew his hand and turned to leave. Emeline brushed her fingers over the warmth he left behind.

‘…There it is again.’

She had seen that look in his eyes too often now to dismiss it as her imagination. The deep, affectionate gaze Mathis directed at her was becoming harder to ignore.

‘Seeing someone often can certainly lead to attachment.’

And one day, she might come to feel the same way about him.

She began walking again. The road to the bookstore felt both familiar and strange.

These days, she mostly visited the bookstore where Angel worked. Whenever she happened to run into her there, it was always a pleasant surprise.

‘I wonder if I’ll see Angel today.’

Just as she considered the possibility that Angel might not come because of the rain, she stepped into an alley.

Though the sound of rain drowned out everything else, a strange silhouette caught her eye at the far end of the alley.

Emeline paused, then gaped in shock.

Someone was engaged in an intimate act in the alley.

And it was far beyond what could be dismissed as a simple embrace.

Recognizing the entangled figures, she was momentarily startled before regaining her composure.

‘What are they thinking, doing that out here?’

Her face twisted in disapproval. Now that she had noticed, the lewd noises, previously drowned out by the rain, became unmistakably clear.

Even if they were in a secluded alley, it was still a public space where others might pass by.

Worse yet, this alley was one of the shortcuts leading to the bookstore.

Clicking her tongue at their indecency, Emeline turned to leave.

At that moment, the woman tangled with the man looked up. Her dazed, violet eyes met Emeline’s gaze.

For a moment, Emeline froze.

She stared at the woman, their eyes locked. Then, a beat later, she came to her senses and swiftly turned away.

Emeline pretended as if she had seen nothing and quickly exited the alley, disappearing from sight.

Her heart pounded wildly in shock. She took a deep breath to steady herself, her eyes narrowing slightly.

The woman she had just locked eyes with…

As she traced her memory, Emeline let out a hollow laugh.

Labore…

Labore Fendine.

Zenon Trancium’s fiancée.

And the man embracing her had certainly not been Zenon.