A Summer With Bitter Rivals - What If Side Story 7

What If Side Story: Marriage with a Rival (7)

There was a reason Zenon Trancium was so busy.

The biggest factor was the deal the Marquis had made with Duke Delzeier.

The Marquis of Trancium didn’t want to ruin the royal bloodline he had acquired through such a difficult decision with the vulgar reputation of his family.

It was a bloodline gained by bringing into the household someone from Delzeier—an enemy, practically.

To make such a decision, the resolve he must have carved into himself was no doubt tremendous.

Ultimately, the marquis stripped the position of heir from his favored eldest son, Allen, and gave it to Zenon.

Though both sons had poor reputations… the marquis chose Zenon—whose bad image was merely exaggerated—over Allen, whose nature was truly flawed.

‘I did see Allen Trancium on the wedding day… he didn’t exactly seem like a man of good character.’

He seemed, frankly, a bit ignorant.

Whether it was because he lacked ambition or was simply naïve… they said he willingly stepped aside after being promised a decent fiancée, even though he was losing the heirship.

‘That fiancée must’ve been Count Fendine’s daughter. To give up the heirship—were the two of them lovers or something?’

Whatever the case, Zenon became the heir, and he got very busy—so much so that he hardly had time to spend with Emeline.

He even seemed busier than the marquis, Lance Trancium, himself.

It was said that once the marquis discovered Zenon’s surprisingly sharp business sense, he was delighted and started teaching him all sorts of things.

‘It’s not that I don’t understand… but does he really not have time to even stop by and see my face?’

After breakfast, while sipping tea, Emeline let out a quiet scoff.

Most days she saw him for an hour or two, but on worse days, it was only once every two days.

Today was one of those worse days.

‘At this rate, I see Zenon Trancium’s father more often than my own husband.’

Trying to polish the family’s image both inside and out, the marquis also took great interest in Emeline, who had newly joined the household.

He even arranged luncheon meetings to match Emeline and Zenon’s schedules so they could attend together.

Sometimes, the rarely seen marchioness would join, and occasionally Allen Trancium, wandering in from outside, would drop by unannounced.

Of course, when Zenon was too busy to attend, Emeline had to dine with the marquis alone—an awkward situation.

“The more I look at you, the more you resemble His Grace.”

“Well, Duke Delzeier is my father, after all.”

Thinking back to the conversation, the discomfort was clearly mutual.

Still, Emeline knew the marquis was trying, swallowing his pride to make an effort, and she responded in kind.

But even so, Emeline truly couldn’t understand.

How had it come to this, where she saw her father-in-law more than her husband?

Irritated, she set her teacup down a bit harder than intended.

“Young Madam, shall I bring a fresh cup if it’s gone cold?”

“No. Did anyone say when my husband would be home today?”

“Ah, he left a note for you before he went out.”

“…A note?”

Emeline’s brow furrowed faintly.

If Zenon, whose conscience wasn’t entirely dead, left a note for her, it meant only one thing.

He had left the house.

“Hah.”

His conscience wasn’t dead, but it wasn’t exactly generous either.

If he was going to leave the house, he could at least see her face before going—not just leave a note.

‘What is he even doing?’

She was genuinely curious about what went on in that head of his.

It was enough to make her wonder if he was avoiding her. And yet, when they did meet, he’d always greet her with a hug or a kiss.

And Emeline knew he was truly busy.

‘…I guess I’m the only one feeling hurt right now.’

She knew that marriages arranged by family agreement didn’t usually come with emotional connection.

But unfortunately, Emeline had come to have special feelings for Zenon.

At first, she had assumed he felt the same.

If they had been indifferent to each other, they never would have shared such affectionate moments even before the wedding.

‘But now that I think about it, it was always me pushing for those things.’

Zenon Trancium had merely teased and joked around as usual. It was always her who responded, who reached out to him.

‘We’re married now… but does he even like me?’

After some thought, Emeline rose from her seat.

Seeing her move, a maid approached and asked if she needed anything.

Emeline replied without hesitation, “Pack my things.”

“…Pardon?”

The maid was startled by the sudden request. Truthfully, it had been almost impulsive.

But soon, Emeline smiled with a sharper gleam in her eyes than before.

“I promised to visit my mother recently. I’ll be staying a few days. My husband’s not even here anyway.”

She told the marquis and marchioness that she would ask permission before leaving, and the maid nodded.

There was no better place than her mother’s side to quietly gather her thoughts and collect her heart.

Then suddenly, a mischievous idea crossed Emeline’s mind.

“Oh, right. Take this and give it to my husband when he gets back.”

She scribbled a quick note on a small piece of paper saying she’d be away for a few days and handed it to the maid.

It was payback for Zenon Trancium’s recent inattentive behavior.

She didn’t know if he would be affected by it the same way, but still.

A few hours later, Emeline boarded the prepared carriage and headed to Hilbert.

***

Hilbert was still as peaceful and beautiful as ever.

Brushing back her black hair swept up by the breeze, Emeline entered the Hilbert villa.

Lillie Delzeier greeted her with a bright smile upon hearing her daughter had come.

“Emeline, what brings you here without a word? I never thought you’d suddenly show up, but I’m so happy to see your face.”

“I’m happy too. I suddenly wanted to see you, Mother.”

“Come to think of it, you came alone.”

Lillie tilted her head and looked to Emeline’s side and behind her. She was searching for her son-in-law, Zenon Trancium.

“He seems busy.”

“Does he? It did seem like a particularly hectic time for him. Well, let’s sit and have some tea first.”

Lillie smiled warmly and led Emeline into the drawing room. But when they arrived, an unexpected person was already there.

“…Father? When did you get here?”

Duke Delzeier was sitting on the sofa waiting for tea.

Before Emeline married, the two of them would often visit her mother together, so she assumed he had come for the same reason.

But his answer caught her off guard.

“I’ve been here since two days ago. I heard you were coming, so I was just getting ready to have tea with you.”

The duke gestured for her to sit across from him.

Emeline looked at him with questioning eyes but took a seat on the sofa for now.

It had been a while since she last saw the duke, and his expression was very bright.

Well, given how nobles had recently been praising his noble sense of sacrifice, it made sense.

“You’ve been in Hilbert since two days ago—was there a reason?”

“There was, yes.”

Bernard chuckled and glanced at Lillie.

She continued the conversation in his place, speaking to Emeline. “Your father came to pick me up for your wedding. Spending time together again brought back old memories and stirred some feelings. It seems he felt the same. So this time, we decided to take a short trip together.”

“You’re going on a trip?”

Lillie let out a soft laugh, her cheeks tinged with a shy blush.

Emeline looked back and forth between the two, visibly flustered.

Bernard looked in excellent spirits, and Lillie was glowing with liveliness.

“You already know your mother’s health has greatly improved, don’t you? I figured this was the time to take a trip. Things are going well lately, so I cleared some time too.”

Watching the two of them sitting side by side and smiling, Emeline nodded awkwardly.

She found herself reflecting on whether they had always been this close.

Now that she thought about it, her father used to visit her mother regularly every week despite the distance.

Even if it had been purely out of formality, the effort he put into it spoke of a strong bond between them.

They hadn’t had a love marriage, and like Emeline and Zenon, their union had likely been arranged by their families—yet they looked like an ideal couple.

‘…I envy that.’

The thought came unbidden, and Emeline’s expression darkened.

That was when Lillie asked gently, with a soft smile, “Emeline, are you doing well at the marquisate?”

“Of course. Everyone’s kind. The marquis treats me with sincerity too.”

“And your husband? I imagine things must feel a bit unfamiliar since it was a sudden marriage. I heard you two went to the same school, but I doubt you knew each other well, so I worry.”

“…My husband? He’s not bad. Handsome too.”

She could have said much more, but Emeline feigned indifference. Zenon Trancium had offended her.

Lillie laughed. “Oh, really? I thought so too, he really is handsome. I’ve heard he’s the most handsome man in the kingdom.”

“…He is.”

“He came to greet your father and me before the wedding. He seemed like a fine man. Of course, his looks are striking, but his character seemed quite decent too.”

At Lillie’s praise, Bernard scoffed. “He’d better be. He took my daughter. If he turns out to be no good, I’ll drag you right out of that household myself, you hear?”

“Oh, stop that. You even said yourself he didn’t seem that bad. He came in person to deny all the scandalous rumors too.”

“He’s got a foul mouth. His tone was arrogant beyond belief…”

“What’s wrong with that? I thought it was charming. He said he fell for our Emeline at first sight. It was so cute and heartwarming…”

At Lillie’s playful laugh, Emeline’s expression turned unreadable.