Chapter 57: 57

Chapter 57 – A Trap Called Reality

The next day, Emilia left the house early. The first place she headed was, of course, to Ramsco.

Ramsco is a bank for people who need urgent money. No, it’s just a bank in name; it’s a place where loan sharks have fun with private loans. More than half of those who borrow from there are evicted to brothels or slums because they cannot afford the huge interest.

‘You know what happens if you don’t pay back the money there? You knew it, and borrowed it?’

She pretended not to know anything in front of her stepmother, but Aunt Rosie’s voice was suffocating her the whole time.

When she entered the building, which was disguised as a ‘bank’, and came out again, Emilia could not hide her despairing eyes at all.
Her stepmother really owed money. And it wasn’t a small amount…

Emilia moved her steps that had become as heavy as rocks to the Cavendish mansion. Because she couldn’t give up completely.

After the Inspection Bureau’s investigation was over, she hoped that the people in the Cavendish mansion would return to their normal lives.
She was thinking of meeting Mr. Haspel and borrowing some money. He wouldn’t be able to just ignore it. As Nathan said, he went to Emilia whenever he needed it, and Emilia always helped without getting anything in return. He was also a weak-minded person, who paid her a wage right away at Nathan’s words.

However, when she arrived at the front door, Emilia had no choice but to droop her shoulders once more.

Beyond the fence surrounded by prohibition signs, there were not only inspectors but also people from the Police Department. The servants coming and going from the garden were like apparitions, and Mr. Haspel and Bernen Cavendish had long since been taken away by the investigators.
Seeing this, Emilia threw away all the hopes she had left in her heart.

A sense of regret rushed in belatedly.
Why was she so cowardly? When Haspel gave her the money, she should have been more proactive and worked. If she had, she might have been able to pay back half of the money borrowed from Ramsco at this time.

Emilia swallowed the bitterness that reached the tip of her tongue and turned away from the mansion.

Gradually, resentment against the world began to fill in the place where regret was swept away.
How could the factory owner, Mr. Borden, not pay wages for three months? He said that the business was going so well that other factory owners were envious. Why did it have to be now…

“Ahh.”

Emilia sighed and stood still for a moment.
A very strange thought ran through her mind. Her heart started beating anxiously with an ominous feeling.

The factory her stepmother works in is one of the most stable among the many nearby spinning mills. Even in a situation where unemployed people were overflowing in the streets, they hired more workers because they said there was a shortage of workers. However, in such a factory, wages were suddenly delayed.

Of all places, Hadius Meyer has made the Cavendish mansion go through such a situation.

In the end, her stepmother had to borrow money from Ramsco, and, coincidentally, Aunt Rosie found out about it. The lady who had never come to the isolated hut in five years.
Is all this a coincidence?

“No. No way… To that extent…”

However…

Emilia shook her head like a crazy person, then stood absent-mindedly again, and repeated.

Even though she thought that couldn’t be, the Cavendish mansion, which had a prohibition sign around it, kept glimmering in front of her eyes. And his brazen face, when he openly acknowledged that he was watching Nathan Malvin.
The slowly burning flames of doubt grew rapidly with every step she took.

‘There are countless ways to break you.’

He clearly said that.
And Emilia knew all too well how meticulous he was, how well he could lie and how wicked he could be.

Couldn’t he have put her stepmother in debt and at the same time blocked the only way she could make money, the Cavendish? If he hadn’t put the Cavendish in that situation, she might have been able to get work from Mr. Haspel and receive money.

Maybe he was trying to cut off her limbs first and then press her with money?
To make her come to his feet, driven by debt?

While Emilia was sinking into a swamp of doubt, the day was already getting dark. In the end, she had to return home without being able to buy Laura’s wedding present, as well as Beppy’s farewell gift.

Emilia pretended to be calm in front of her family. Her mother would never want her family to find out that she borrowed money from Ramsco.
Thanks to Mitch, who seemed to be in a strangely good mood that day, they had a peaceful dinner as usual.

“Oh right, did you buy Laura and Beppy’s present?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know what to choose. Especially Laura’s. I did have a look at the scalloped saucer, but it might not suit her taste? I’m thinking of meeting Laura in person later and going to the market together.”
“Yes, that would be nice.”

When dinner was over, Emilia was washing the dishes as usual, while her stepmother continued to starch the fabric.

“Let me help you.”

As Emilia crouched next to her mother as she did the previous day, Kallia shook her head and pushed the basin away.

“It’s alright, I will do it myself today.”
“No, Mother.”

Kallia shook her head resolutely.

“Do you know how rough your face looks right now? You almost got sunburned a few days ago while working outside. Don’t forget. You are that person’s fiancée until His Majesty the King grants you permission to break up.”

Emilia was at a loss for words for a moment.

“And I don’t want you to be told that you’re a country girl like Haley. Do you know how proud I get whenever I hear that you are more ladylike than a real lady?”

Saying that, Kallia even gave her a faint smile. At that moment, Emilia felt her heart pounding and her eyes becoming hot with tears. She had no choice but to leave as if he were running away, for fear that she might show tears in front of her stepmother.

After returning to her room, Emilia lit a candle and sat down by the window. It took quite a while for the frenzy raging in her chest to subside.

‘Please think realistically. Supporting Emilia’s studies, caring for Charlotte, and even sending Mitch to college? How? By waking up early in the morning every day, going to the factory, and helping with the laundry?’

Aunt Rosie’s words penetrated sharply into her chest again.

‘Emilia is a perfect noble now. Not only her tone and appearance, but from her head to toes, and even her small gestures, she has become a perfect lady.’

Aunt Rosie was right. She was so right that she felt like she was going crazy for being pathetic.
How could she be so completely unaware of the fact that her stepmother didn’t receive her salary and even took out a loan?
It is said that ignorance is not a crime, but in Emilia’s view, ‘not knowing too much’ was also clearly a mistake.

She has been neglecting the reality called poverty. No, she knew it, but she didn’t really think about it.

Piano, Latin, the ball… Wasn’t she indulging in a nobility game under the pretense of it being bride classes? Another problem was that the ‘Meyer family’s fiancée’ was so obsessed with the King’s command that she could not do anything other than housework and placed too much burden on her stepmother.

It’s not about blaming others. In the end, it’s her fault.

As soon as she thought of that, instead of fear and anxiety, obstinacy surged.

Emilia quickly got up. The hand holding the candlestick turned to the closet. She opened the door and pulled out a large bag. Then she started to pack things in a frenzy.
Dresses, brooches, parasols, fans… All the symbols of the nobility game were crumpled inside the old bag. She also took all the money from her wallet.

What else is there?

She was digging through the closet, banging her head in the dim light, and suddenly one more thing came to her mind.
Something that has been annoyingly clinging to her since before.
The symbol of a lady and the pinnacle of vanity, the silky hair that reached down to her waist.
She heard from wig dealers that her golden hair was extremely valuable.

It didn’t take long to decide. It also wasn’t as sad as she thought.

‘Emilia doesn’t feel like a friend anymore. Not only her tone and appearance, but from her head to toes, and even her small gestures, she has become a perfect lady. She pretended it was nothing because she was afraid that Emilia would feel sad, but the truth is, it was too difficult and uncomfortable.’

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It pierced Emilia’s chest once again.

She, who was swept around an ambiguous boundary, being neither an aristocrat nor a commoner.
She, who was helpless because she couldn’t properly take care of her family using that as an excuse.

The time to end the nobility game with the breakup was approaching, so now she must make a choice.

Do not yield to unreasonable passion.
Do not kneel before exaggerated ordeals.
Behold, there is nothing stronger than a cool-headed will.

There was no frustration at all on Emilia’s face as she recalled the passages from a book. She gathered a cool-headed will, giving strength to the hand holding the scissors.

 

***

 

“Oh…”

Pip was speechless for a moment. However, he quickly rolled up the corners of his mouth and succeeded in hiding his embarrassment.

That woman is his master’s fiancée. The only person allowed to enter the Sitmer villa at any time without needing permission.

“I came to see the Young Master. Is he inside?”
“What? Ah… Yes…”

As he answered, all his concerns were directed towards her ears. The thing that was supposed to be underneath them wasn’t. The beautiful hair that shined dazzlingly…

“I got permission from Mr. Grozhang outside. Please let me in.”

Suddenly, he came to his senses. As Pip’s eyes found their focus, he clearly saw the woman’s face.

At first glance, she seemed calm. Her polite way of speaking and pleasant voice were also filled with courtesy.
But her shaky pupils, the occasional ragged breath, and the hand gripping the small envelope made it easy to notice that the woman was in a state of rage.

Then, for some reason, Pip didn’t want to let the woman in.
His master had just finished work and was resting. He had to sneak around because he was afraid he would disturb him…

Even though he was annoyed, Pip couldn’t take his eyes off the woman.

Does her face transcend everything? How can she have such a weird hairstyle and still look like a doll?

Pip, who thought incoherently, realized that he was daring to leave his master’s guest standing there blankly.

“C-come in.”

Pip opened the door wider and stepped aside. The small pair of shoes strode into the room.
He thought that was the end, but oversized boots that were just twice the size of a woman followed along.

“Wait…”
“No, it’s fine. He will meet the Young Master with me.”

In a slightly nervous voice, Pip said, “Ah… Ah, yes.”, and couldn’t help but lower his head to the floor.

The finest carpets from Mt. Helione were trampled mercilessly by the two pairs of shoes. He felt unpleasant, but on the other hand, somehow, he was scared.

A visitor was here, so he had to leave quickly.
Still, the reason Pip hesitated again was that his master was enjoying a sound sleep after a long time.

The words to wait a little longer so that he could sleep for a few more minutes rose to his throat, but he couldn’t get a single word out of his mouth.

After just a month of working as an aide, he became fond of his master like he was his own brother, but that doesn’t mean he could be presumptuous.

Pip bowed once more towards the woman and then left the room.

 

***

 

Emilia looked around frantically in search of Hadius.

A fireplace, chairs, decorations on top of the closet, flowerpots, colorful wallpaper, a large bed…
Where on earth was the damn man?

As she ruffled her hair in annoyance, she saw the curtain on the opposite side swaying softly. The glass door, which was slightly open, led directly to the terrace.

Emilia quickly looked back at Beppy.

“Mister, please sit here for a moment.”

It is disrespectful for a servant to sit on his master’s chair.
However, as soon as she said those words, he pressed down on the chair without hesitation with his big butt.
Emilia looked so trustworthy that he did so. He was smiling happily, but suddenly, he felt anxious again.

“Mister, did the Young Master really not get angry even when you called him ‘Hadius’?”

Beppy nodded.

“… Alright. In any case, you must stay here. You should never leave even if someone tells you to, like a moment ago. Even if it’s the Young Master. Do you understand?”

The honest face lit up resolutely once more.
It was then that Emilia gained courage. The courage to go out to the terrace and meet him.

She opened the glass door and crossed the threshold.

Two large rattan sunbeds were placed next to the pillars.
There was a small table attached to each sunbed, and there were various things on top of one of them.

A water bottle, scattered papers, a pen, a watch, and… what is that? Is it medicine?

Suddenly, something swayed. The thin blanket that slipped from the sunbed was brushing against the marble floor.

Her heart started pounding as badly as when her hair was cut.

Emilia crept towards the side where the blanket was. And then she saw him.
Hadius Meyer, sleeping under the setting sun.

—

(T/N: Hello everyone, this is Miki, the current translator for this novel. I’m here to inform you that this will be the last chapter I will translate. Thank you for reading this far and I hope to see you all in my other projects!)

(A/N: Another translator from our group will be continuing from here on.)

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