A Summer With Bitter Rivals - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: His Presence

“…Father? He came back early today.”

“Yes, so you should have dinner with him after changing your clothes.”

“Alright, I will.”

Emeline went up to her room and changed her clothes with the help of her maid. She wore an indoor dress trimmed with white lace and tied her black hair into a single braid, feeling lighter at last.

Emeline descended the wide staircase of the mansion, her shoulders and back straight, her expression as composed as possible. She maintained her inner calm, displaying equal courtesy to everyone, preparing to be the centerpiece of a rapidly changing society. Her father’s teachings had always been consistent, and Emeline followed them without any outward complaints, having grown up with the responsibility of pleasing her father.

As she entered the dining room, she saw a man with a cold demeanor sitting at the head of the table.

“Father, I’m here.”

“Emeline, you’re here. Sit down.”

She approached and greeted him, sitting in the chair pulled out by the butler. After taking a sip of wine, Bernard spoke to Emeline.

“So, how is school going?”

“It’s going well.”

“You haven’t caused any problems, I hope.”

“Of course not. You know me better than that.”

Duke Delzeier nodded, seemingly satisfied. Though it had been a while since they last saw each other due to his frequent travels, their conversations remained limited to these exchanges. It wasn’t due to awkwardness; it was simply their routine to avoid unnecessary words.

In the middle of their quiet meal, the duke spoke again, “Next week, we’ll be visiting your mother, so make sure to keep your schedule free.”

“Alright. How has Mother been lately? I’ve been worried since she hasn’t replied to my letters.”

“She’s slowly regaining her strength. She’ll be able to write back soon, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief.”

Emeline’s mother, the Duchess of Delzeier, had been in poor health for years and had moved to a quieter place for recovery.

Emeline was deeply saddened by this, but there was little she could do; she had always known her mother had been frail since childhood. As a result, whenever they had no pressing engagements, they made it a point to visit the duchess once a week, bringing her flowers.

Bernard continued, “We’ll also be attending a concert that evening, so keep that in mind.”

“Alright. Oh, Father, may Lady Laresa and her family join us at the concert that day?”

“The Laresa family…? Sure, send them an invitation. It seems you’re getting along well with your friends.”

“They’re good people to be close with.”

“You have good judgment, and I’m proud of you.”

“It’s all thanks to your teachings, Father.”

Duke Delzeier smiled at her obedient words. His low laughter was measured, even though it was loud, exuding a sense of refined dignity. Watching his satisfied demeanor, Emeline gave a quiet smile.

The duke, savoring his satisfaction with a sip of wine, spoke again, “By the way, Zenon Trancium, who is in the same year as you…”

At the sudden mention of the name, Emeline, who had been cutting her food, froze.

“…Yes, Father.”

“It seems he’s been attending school quite regularly lately.”

“Has he? I think I’ve seen him in class from time to time… but he hardly makes an impression, so I didn’t really notice.”

Emeline spoke thoughtlessly, contradicting the truth. Without realizing it, she had said more than she intended and belatedly realized her mistake. She discreetly bit her lip in frustration.

‘Why did I lie?’

This was the first time she had lied to her father about something unrelated to her academics. The words had slipped out so naturally, without her even being conscious of it. But if she told the whole truth, she would have to admit her petty feelings toward Zenon Trancium, the unease she felt whenever she thought about him.

Despite the unease of lying, Emeline kept her mouth shut. Admitting that she was preoccupied with that delinquent was unbearable.

She lost her appetite, simply moving her knife mechanically across her plate when Bernard spoke again in a doubtful tone, “I heard Zenon Trancium took first place in all your recent exams. Is it true that you didn’t notice his presence?”

“……”

Emeline tensed, her back stiffening as if frozen. After a moment of silence, she calmly searched for an answer.

“I heard that I’ve been second lately… but I had no idea it was Marquis Trancium’s son.”

Feeling her father’s suspicious gaze on her, Emeline swallowed dryly. She quickly said something that would be more pleasing to him.

“I’ve recently been engrossed in the vocal lessons we’ve been learning at school. I think I’ve been so absorbed in it that I might have lost focus during class… It seems that’s when he must have taken first place.”

Duke Delzeier eyed her suspiciously for a moment longer before nodding, apparently accepting her explanation. His eyes held a sense of satisfaction with her response.

Emeline let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘Why is this even happening?’

Zenon Trancium… why was he causing such turmoil in her once-peaceful life?

“This is the perfect age to devote yourself to the arts. You’re doing well. There’s no better candidate for a bride than someone who can delight her husband after a long day at work.”

“Yes, Father. I’ll keep that in mind.” Emeline regained her composure, giving him a compliant smile.

Bernard resumed eating but seemed displeased about something as he spoke, “Still, taking first place… I wonder what shallow trick that scoundrel has used this time.”

“…Indeed.”

“Lucky boy. He took advantage while my daughter was distracted from her studies.”

Emeline was momentarily at a loss for words. She had already confirmed Zenon Trancium’s abilities firsthand, having been soundly outperformed by him. She couldn’t bring herself to agree with her father’s words, no matter how much she wanted to hide her true feelings.

Out of all the emotions she was used to concealing, hiding her sense of humiliation was particularly challenging. She had never felt this kind of bitterness before. It was Zenon Trancium who made her feel this way.

“Emeline, make sure you keep your distance from that lowly scoundrel.”

“…Of course, Father.”

After that, they finished their meal without any further notable conversation. Emeline returned to her room and prepared for bed.

She sat on her bed, brushing her hair herself while keeping her gaze fixed on the music book on her reading stand. It was partly for show, as the maid was still present, and also because she needed to maintain top grades in her music lessons to avoid arousing her father’s suspicion.

As the maid took the brush from her, she bid Emeline goodnight.

“Sleep well, my lady.”

“Goodnight.”

The room fell dark with a soft click as the maid left the room. Emeline, pretending to be asleep, waited until the sound of footsteps outside faded completely before she sat up in bed. She stayed still until her eyes adjusted to the darkness, then began to move cautiously. She stepped lightly, making sure her slippers didn’t make a sound, and drew the curtains to block out the faint moonlight.

With the room shrouded in darkness, she quietly lit the lantern on her desk, casting a soft glow across her workspace. Emeline sat down with a stern expression.

‘…I will take it back.’

The place he stole from me.

With only the dim lamplight for company, she opened her textbooks and notebooks. In the stillness of the night, the soft scratching of her pen echoed through the quiet bedroom.

Deep down, Emeline couldn’t help but think. While this was probably the only room in the mansion with the lights still on this late, somewhere in Elvarto, there was likely another room where Zenon Trancium was also working by lamplight until dawn.

‘Let’s see who falls asleep first.’

Challenging her unseen opponent, Emeline turned the page of her book, her determination unwavering.