Chapter 25: 25

Chapter 25 – Unbearable

Criticism quickly spread across the continent. The large boutique on Mepix Street was no exception. Caitlyn Meyer was there, fitting dresses with her nieces.

“I can’t believe I’m going to Elfort’s graduation ceremony! There will be a crowd of tall and handsome officers, right?”
“Grand Duke Rosha is also graduating this time. From Hadius, to even the Grand Duke, everyone looks great.”

Rone and Beatrice faced each other and giggled.

“But, that day… Will Lady Bianca also come?”
“Lady Bianca? Isn’t she at the Burge Convent right now?”
“I heard she will be returning to Nowak sooner or later. Around the time of Hadius’ graduation ceremony.”
“Is that so?”

Rone carefully looked at her aunt Caitlyn. Her aunt seemed to be busy, browsing through the catalogue.

“But can she come to the graduation ceremony? His Majesty the King is also coming that day. How dare they invite Bianca?”
“Exactly. It is Our Majesty the King who separated the two.”
“It’s a pity. I wanted to see Hadius and Lady Bianca side by side.”
“But have you heard the rumor? That Lady Bianca has transformed completely? She lost weight while she was at the convent so she became very slim, and her face became beautiful beyond recognition. Thanks to that, her value has risen a lot, right? The Royal Palace in Birmingham has their eyes on her as the Crown Princess.”

Rone glanced at her aunt again. Caitlyn, who pretended she wasn’t listening the whole time, opened her mouth with a smile.

“Well, maybe I can invite Lady Bianca to the graduation ceremony.”
“What?”

It was natural for the children to be surprised.
It was taboo for the people of the Meyer family to speak about ‘Bianca’ in public. But their aunt is so confident that it is strange.

“I think the breakup will happen faster than I thought. Bianca cannot be taken away by the royal family of a foreign country. I can’t cause any more trouble to the Reinen family.”
“Really?”
“Oh my God…”

Rone and Beatrice looked at each other with surprised eyes. Caitlyn smiled leisurely and reached out towards the newspaper.

And then she saw it. The phrase that shocked Emilia.

[The Meyer Family’s Abandoned Fiancée]

Caitlyn’s body flinched, as if struck by lightning.

“Aunt?”

The nieces tilted their heads, but Caitlyn couldn’t see anything. The flimsy paper was awfully crumpled as the hand that held the newspaper tightened.

“H-Hewitt!”

She urgently called the coachman.

“Go get Hadius, quickly!”

***

Hadius arrived at the boutique shortly thereafter.
He stared silently at his mother, who was running around frantically with her arms crossed, unable to control her anger.

“How did something like this happen? Why did they suddenly mention her, and in front of Josef on top of that!”

Caitlyn clenched her fists.

“They portrayed us as extremely heartless and thoughtless human beings. Do you think that’s it? Do you know what these swindlers are saying? To keep your engagement! You will really have to marry that country kid!”

Trembling with anger, her sharp nails pierced through the newspaper.

“What should I do with this? What am I supposed to do with all this?! Hm?!”
“Calm down. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?”

Caitlyn looked up at her son, as if asking how he could say that.

“Hadius, you’re young, so you don’t know yet. How scary the public opinion is. I’m sure they will try to tie this up with the Rochester bill. They will guarantee the marriage between nobles and commoners by law while saying it’s a basic human right! How dare they use my family…”
“No, mother. I know very well that public opinion is scary.”

Hadius picked up the crumpled newspaper and began to smooth it out again.

“But it is nothing that isn’t simple and easy to overturn like that. As easily as it boils, it can also be easily cooled down.”

Caitlyn stared blankly at his son, who restored the newspaper back to its original condition. In front of his calm touch, her chest also started calming down.

“Do you have anything in mind?”
“For the time being, I’m thinking about doing what they want. If I give them what they want, I will be able to prevent my marriage from being talked about in the parliament and it won’t be a laughable issue.”
“You will show them… What they want?”
“I’m thinking of dressing her up, wrapping her up in jewelry, and taking her to social gatherings a few times. So that there is no more talk about me treating my fiancée harshly. That way, we can save His Majesty’s dignity. It won’t be too late to negotiate with His Majesty after waiting an adequate amount of time for the public opinion to calm down.”

At the terribly calm answer, Caitlyn was at a loss for words for a moment.

“The King will break off the engagement before my graduation. Unconditionally.”

Maybe because she was greatly shocked by the commentary? Although she felt relieved by Hadius’ determined attitude, something felt strange and uncomfortable.

“That’s right. You’re right. There’s nothing we can do right now anyway…”

Then, a voice came from behind the curtain.

“Madam, I am done with the girls’ fitting. Would you like to check it out?”
“Huh? Ah… Alright.”

The curtain opened. A woman in a beautiful rose-colored dress approached her, with a smile. Eliere, the owner and designer of the boutique.

“Hello, Madam. How have you been?”
“Well… It’s been a while, Eliere.”

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Caitlyn quickly raised the corners of her mouth, brushing off her state of daze.

After being fitted, Rone and Beatrice appeared. The children smiled shyly, standing in front of their aunt and cousin.

Rone was dressed in an abundant silk dress with a violet gradation, and Beatrice wore an elegant dress with delicate lace and decorated with pearls.

Strangely, Hadius’ gaze did not leave them. Not only the precocious Rone but also Beatrice, who is still immature, blushed for no reason.

Hadius’ gaze wasn’t stuck to his cousin’s faces but to the clothes they were wearing.

The day of the Passover flashed before his eyes. With her golden hair gathered to one side, fixed with a pin, she turned her head around and looked at him indifferently, with her blue eyes like the sea…

If you dress a child that is all achromatic in a colorful dress, how would she change?

“What do you think?”

At Rone’s question, Hadius blinked slowly and returned to reality.

“It suits you well.”

With a light smile, the breathtaking afterimage faded like a mirage.

***

Ahh.

She doesn’t know how many times she sighed. Whether she was doing the dishes, dusting, or starching the clothes, Emilia would stop what she was doing and sigh deeply.

In fact, it’s not that big of a deal. His Majesty the King didn’t really order them to get married, it was just a radical argument from some of the assemblymen. Just as Hadius said, they will pretend to obey the orders of His Majesty and the country well, and then break off the engagement when appropriate.

But why is she so confused?

As she unconsciously sighed once again, Charlotte put her hands on her chin and pouted.

“Is that something so wrong and distasteful?”
“Hm? What is?”
“The newspaper article. I think everything in the article is correct. It was due to His Majesty’s order that you and the Young Master became engaged. You faithfully followed that order for 5 years, so I think Young Master Meyer should do the same.”
“What on earth do you want to say?”

Charlotte suddenly lowered her voice and said something surprising.

“Can’t you just… Get married?”

Emilia couldn’t close her mouth.

Is it because she is shut in the attic and only listens to fairy tales? Charlotte seemed to be immersed in a ridiculous romance.

“Listen, Charlotte, would you believe if I told you Brave could fly?”

The child made a face as if asking what on earth she was talking about.

“What I mean is that the marriage between me and the Young Master is as ridiculous as that.”
“… How come? It’s His Majesty’s order, nothing else. And you know what? Perhaps you and Young Master Meyer will fall in love with each other.”

Emilia burst into laughter. How frivolous it was that Charlotte frowned.
Emilia quickly erased her smile and put on a serious face.

“Because you’re stuck in the attic all day you don’t know about the ways of the world. There is something called ‘reality’ that is not in fairy tales. In reality, it is almost impossible for commoners to marry nobles. Haven’t you heard about a nobleman who married a commoner woman and was excommunicated from his family? I don’t want to say this kind of thing to you, who are still young, but…”

Emilia, who hesitated, said, ‘Ah, whatever.’, and continued.

“Among the nobles, they say they ‘give birth’ to their offspring. However, they say the commoners ‘produce bastards’. It’s really sickening and disgusting, but it’s the reality. Let us say that I give everything up and fall in love with Young Master Meyer and marry him. In his world, the children we give birth to are nothing more than ‘bastards’. No matter how much I love him, how can I endure that?”

Charlotte looked like a person who had their last light taken away.

“Don’t be too pessimistic. The world is changing little by little.”
“Yes, Mitch said so too. There is a revolution happening.”

She felt bitter seeing Charlotte trying to revive the spark of hope somehow.

“Do you know what’s really important? That your sister doesn’t like Young Master Meyer enough to want to get married. I’m not that purist and sacrificial. I love myself so much more. To me, that person is… He’s just… Like an unbearable ‘Gift from God’.”
“A gift… From God?”
“Once upon a time, a child did something nice and received a gift from God. At first, God handed him a gift the size of a palm. But the child asked, ‘Don’t you have a bigger gift?’. God smiled and gave him a gift the size of a head. Still, the child was greedy and asked, ‘Is there anything bigger?’. Since he did something good, he thought he should receive that much. The gift got bigger and bigger, and in the end, it got as big as this house. So, what happened?”
“As big as this house? How can he carry something so heavy?”
“Exactly, that’s why it’s an unbearable gift from God. Hadius Meyer is something like that to me.”

The child, who was thinking deeply, suddenly lowered the hand that was on her chin.

“But, Sister, that child forgot one thing.”
“What?”
“You just have to ask for help. Whether it’s God, family, a friend… You just have to ask someone to help you carry that heavy burden. I can help you with Young Master Meyer anytime.”

Emilia chuckled. She had a look of ‘I laughed thanks to you.’

“By the way, Sister, I don’t think it’s time for us to be relaxed like this.”
“Hm? Why?”
“No matter if the Young Master is too much for you, you have to go to the ball with him right away. Does the dress not fit you?”
“Ah, right.”

Emilia immediately opened the drawer on the old side table. Inside a bag were her tiny savings and the quite large amount of money she had received from Mr. Haspel.

Charlotte’s new Braille textbook, Mitch’s club activity fee, and delicious food for the whole family to eat for a week. A lot of enjoyable things that you can do with money flashed before her eyes.

Emilia took only half of the money in the bag.

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