A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Get a Grip

Emeline tightened her grip on the handle of her umbrella. She wanted to believe that her eyes had deceived her.

Maybe the woman had just looked like Labore. Or maybe the man had actually been Zenon, and she had simply mistaken him for someone else.

But no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew what she had seen.

There was no mistaking it—Labore had locked eyes with her. And Emeline could never fail to recognize Zenon.

Unfortunately, even if years passed, she doubted she would ever fail to recognize him.

‘Why did I have to see that…?’

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. The only reason she was still lingering here was because Zenon Trancium was somehow involved.

No matter how much she tried to ignore him, it was never easy. If nothing suspicious were going on, it would be one thing, but Zenon always seemed to be surrounded by mystery and unanswered questions.

Even now, she knew she should just walk away. And yet, her feet refused to move.

The more she learned about him, the more unsettling contradictions she found. The strange sense of unease gnawed at her, refusing to let go.

The raindrops tapping against her umbrella sounded faint and rhythmic. Emeline exhaled a slow breath and opened her eyes.

‘Just walk away as if you saw nothing.’

Ignoring it was the right thing to do.

Even now, the sharp sting from Zenon’s cutting words lingered in her heart. Every time he flashed that playful smile, her chest tightened involuntarily.

And yet, despite all that, she still found herself recalling the memories they had shared.

‘Get a grip. If you dig any deeper, you’ll only end up hurt again.’

No matter how much she tried, she would never be able to erase Zenon Trancium from her heart completely.

She had always known that.

Perhaps from the very beginning.

That was why she understood that nothing awaited her at the end of this road except confusion and heartache.

Even if she uncovered all his secrets, there would be no sense of closure or relief. It would only leave her with more regrets.

‘Just pretend you saw nothing and head to the bookstore. After all, this has nothing to do with me.’

Her breath faded into the misty rain. Then, Emeline turned on her heel and stepped onto the wet pavement.

At that moment, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Excuse me.”

Emeline froze and hesitated before turning around.

A figure holding a white umbrella adorned with floral embroidery stood before her.

Golden hair, damp from the rain, and striking violet eyes curved into a bright smile.

Emeline instinctively tensed, her fingers tightening around her umbrella handle.

She had no idea when the woman had approached. No—more shocking than that was the fact that she had followed her without any hint of shame.

Was she trying to ensure Emeline wouldn’t speak about what she had seen?

Labore smiled radiantly and spoke cheerfully, “Lady Delzeier, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“…Yes, neither did I.”

“Where are you headed all alone in this weather?”

Emeline frowned at her. There was no trace of guilt in her expression. She was smiling, beaming, as if nothing had happened.

“I was on my way to the bookstore.”

“Ah, I see. The one in that secluded area? It looked quite outdated. Why would you go there?”

“…Outdated?”

“I know a much better place. A newly built one, actually. Let me take you there.”

What was this conversation?

Emeline had expected Labore to bring up the incident from earlier, but instead, she was acting like nothing had happened. And on top of that, she had the audacity to call Angel’s bookstore outdated. That alone was enough to make Emeline’s blood boil.

“Lady Fendine, you stopped me just now because you had something to say, didn’t you? Why are you suddenly criticizing my destination instead?

Could you get to the point?”

“I don’t really have anything to say. I just wanted to greet you because I was happy to see you.”

“…What?”

Labore tilted her head, feigning innocence. Emeline stared at her in utter disbelief.

She must be insane.

She had just been caught in the middle of something scandalous, and yet she was acting as if it was nothing.

Seeing Emeline’s incredulous expression, Labore finally let out a small, knowing hum.

“Oh, is this about what happened in the alley? Just forget about it.”

She grinned playfully, as if joking, but her words made Emeline’s face twist in disgust.

“…Lady Fendine. Do you even hear yourself? I know the man with you wasn’t Lord Zenon.”

“Oh my.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize him? That man… He’s your fiancé’s older brother. Have you no shame? Rather than feeling guilty—”

Her words were abruptly cut off.

A sharp clapping sound rang through the air as Labore casually smacked her hands together.

Emeline flinched and stared at her.

Labore blinked, her violet eyes wide with faux innocence.

“Wow, impressive. How did you recognize him so quickly? The two of them look so much alike.”

“…The man you went to the opera with wasn’t your fiancé either, was he? It was Lord Allen, not Lord Zenon.”

“Oh my, you figured that out too? As expected of Lady Delzeier. Ah… but I suppose that’s to be expected, given how close you are to Lord Zenon?”

At that moment, Labore’s lips curled into a smirk.

Her words made Emeline’s expression harden instantly.

“What… are you talking about?”

“I meant exactly what I said. I know that you and Lord Zenon share a special relationship. That day… on the ship, you kissed, didn’t you? I happened to see it, and I was so surprised.”

“……”

“I was always curious about what kind of person you were, Lady Delzeier, but in the end, you’re no different from me.”

Labore let out a carefree laugh as if it were nothing.

Emeline looked at her with wide, trembling eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Judging from her words, it seemed Labore wasn’t aware of their past.

But how could she bring up that incident and laugh about it?

Even if Emeline’s engagement was arranged with a clear purpose, it was only natural to be upset if one’s fiancé kissed another woman in such a public setting.

Labore continued to smile, completely unbothered by Emeline’s serious expression.

“That makes us even, doesn’t it? We both know each other’s secrets, so let’s just keep quiet about it. Actually, I think it would be nice if we got closer.”

“Lady Fendine… Doesn’t this bother you at all? I heard that you and Lord Zenon have been close for a long time. Yet, you’re engaging in scandalous acts with none other than his older brother. Don’t tell me… you’re doing this to get back at him?”

“Pfft.”

…Was she laughing?

Labore waved her hand dismissively and laughed, as if telling Emeline to stop saying nonsense.

“What does it matter? Lord Zenon doesn’t make a big deal out of it, so there’s no need for me to care. More importantly, isn’t this better for you? If I keep busy with my own affairs, you—”

Slap!

A sharp sound echoed as Labore’s head snapped to the side.

Emeline, who had impulsively slapped her, clenched her trembling hands into fists, unable to control her anger.

‘A crazy woman…’

Why?

Why did it enrage her so much to hear Labore say she didn’t care about Zenon’s feelings?

Emeline couldn’t even fully understand her own actions, but her anger burst forth uncontrollably. Her heart felt like ice, while her head burned with frustration.

At that moment, a chilling thought crossed her mind.

What if everything she had believed in was a lie?

Emeline bit down on her lip.

‘So, if he doesn’t say anything, it’s fine to have an affair with his brother?’

From what Labore had said, it seemed Zenon already knew about her affairs.

Then shouldn’t he have drawn a line somewhere?

Suppressing her anger, Emeline spoke again, “The man you’ve been involved with for the past five years… It wasn’t Zenon Trancium, was it?”

“Ha… Lady Delzeier, did you just hit me?”

“Answer me. Now.”

Despite Emeline’s demand, Labore didn’t seem inclined to respond.

Instead, she rubbed her cheek, her eyes filled with shock as she stared at Emeline.

Her gaze wavered with betrayal, disbelief, and fury. “How dare you hit me…?”

Moments later, her expression twisted in anger, and she immediately raised her hand and struck Emeline’s cheek.

A sharp pain spread through her skin. Labore breathed heavily, looking satisfied.

“Does it feel good to be slapped? Serves you right for hitting me first. What are you going to do about my face? This is so annoying…”

“……”

“What, are you going to hit me again? I really don’t understand why people call you the flower of high society. That’s the position I should have had…”

“Are you finished?”

Emeline asked coldly as Labore opened her mouth to speak again.

Without waiting for an answer, Emeline slapped her across the face—this time, much harder.

“Ahh!”

With a louder sound than before, Labore stumbled back and fell to the ground.

Emeline looked down at her with a gaze full of disdain.

“I was planning to make things fair by letting you hit me back once. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t in a position to let you do that.”

“Ugh… Lady Delzeier!”

Labore trembled as she held her cheek, glaring up at Emeline.

Her umbrella had been flung to the side, and she was now getting completely drenched in the rain.

She still didn’t seem to understand what she had done wrong.

Emeline let out a deep sigh and stepped closer. As the pain from the slap still lingered, Labore flinched and backed away.

Emeline lowered herself slightly to close the distance between them. The umbrella she held now covered Labore’s head.

“Let me make one thing clear—I am not like you. Yes, I did kiss him that day, but I was the one being humiliated. I was not in an inappropriate relationship with your fiancé.”

“……”

“Do you know what true vulgarity looks like? It’s someone like you, who doesn’t know shame. I’ve met many people in my life, but the most disgraceful ones were always those who couldn’t even recognize their own faults.”

The first person to teach her that lesson had been her father.

Emeline finished speaking and stared at Labore for a brief moment before rising to her feet.

As she withdrew her umbrella, the rain once again poured down on Labore.

“Get a grip, Lady Fendine. A person should at least know where to draw the line.”

Retracting her disdainful gaze, Emeline turned on her heel and walked away.

She had no intention of sparing any more sympathy for this woman.

Labore had the audacity to speak of deserving Emeline’s position while behaving in such a way.

However, just a few steps later, Emeline stopped in place.

The rain felt heavier as it pelted against her umbrella.

She let out a sigh at the complicated emotions swirling inside her before walking away without looking back.