Chapter 87: 87

Chapter 87 – Extremely Noble

Tuesday. It was the day her work in the restaurant ended early. At the same time, it was also the day she received her two weeks’ worth of salary. Standing in front of her boss, Ingrit, with a trembling body, Emilia quietly called her name, ‘Boss Ingrit.’ She was just within reach so there was no way the person didn’t hear her.

Strangely, however, Ingrit remained motionless. Her eyes were only focused on the account books, completely oblivious of the person in front of her. For some reason, Emilia could understand why her boss behaved like that.

A few days ago, she saw her engaged in a serious conversation with the chef, Miss Herlock. They didn’t sound right, but it was enough for her to take a guess from their expressions and a few words. The business wasn’t that good. Even to Emilia, this place lacked customers. Even considering the fact that this restaurant opened less than a month ago, there were too many instances that time only dragged past. Even Emilia, a dishwasher, was worried.

Waiting quietly for her, Emilia announced her presence once again with a cough. Only then did Ingrit quickly turn her head. She glanced at Emilia and exclaimed, ‘Ah!’ before reaching toward the counter. She opened the drawer and diligently took out her salary, but her anxiety-filled eyes were stuck on the account books. After a while, some bills and coins were placed on the counter.

“Thank you….”

Emilia’s hand as she reached for the money paused for a moment. It was because there was one more bill. Intending to return it, ‘Excuse me….’ Emilia opened her mouth, but shortly afterward.

“Why aren’t you leaving?!”

Her sharp-tempered cry rang out sharply. Emilia flinched and Ingrit blinked, seemingly also surprised by herself. Her gaze, wandering through the air, fixed on the bill in front of her. A few seconds later, Ingrit’s face began to heat up as she understood the situation.

“Ah… sorry.”

Her cold eyes completely lost strength, and her shoulders drooped.

“I wasn’t… myself these days….”

Emilia felt pity rising from the depths of her heart as she heard that remorseful voice.

For the past few months, Emilia, too, had been in a swamp that she couldn’t escape. She knew how terrifying it was to find herself bouncing around like a rugby ball* out of control of her emotions.

(T/N: * A rugby ball is an elongated ellipsoidal ball used in both codes of rugby football. Traditionally made of brown leather, modern footballs are synthetic and manufactured in a variety of colours and patterns.)

Emilia relaxed her stiff face and quickly smiled.

“That’s alright. It happens.” Answering in a consoling manner, Emilia said, ‘Then I will get going,’ and was about to turn around.

“Wait.”

Ingrit called her. She then slid the bill back to Emilia. As Emilia tilted her head, Ingrit opened her mouth with a wrinkled forehead.

“It’s not much, but think of it as a bonus. I heard from Herlock. Thanks to you, we were able to correct one thing that went wrong.”

Emilia looked at Ingrit, her face still questioning.

“I heard that the staff didn’t even rinse the dishes soaked in lye well.”

Emilia’s mouth opened wide before she slowly closed it.

“I may be a novice businessman, but I know that workers like you sometimes have ten jobs. So, take it.”

Her heart started pounding against her ribs, just like when Miss Herlock gave her the chicken, or maybe more than that.

“I had no expectations when I first saw you. I thought you’d quit in a few days. But I’ve completely changed my mind now. I could learn a lot just by looking at washing the dishes.”

“Thank… you.”

“I would have given you more if the business had gone well. Just now… I’m sorry for that.”

“N, no, it’s really alright. I can understand.”

Putting the money in her bag, Emilia left the restaurant in a daze. Although she felt proud and grateful, her heart still felt heavy.

Her eyes went to the restaurant opposite it, crowded with customers. Is it alright to do business like this? She heard that you can’t be generous running a business.

The successful people she met at the Cavendish mansion tended to overwork their workers to an extreme. She thought that miserly approach must be the only way to earn money.

Why on earth is business not working? The food didn’t look bad when she looked at Herlock. Maybe it is still in the early stages? Would it be alright if word of mouth gets passed along?

It was at that moment when Emilia thoughtlessly turned her body toward Beppy’s carriage.

“What are you thinking about?”

Her aimless steps stopped abruptly. The scent of familiar perfume tickled the tip of her nose. She looked up and saw Nathan Malvin standing, as she had guessed.

“I heard that mimicking a male appearance is popular among bored noble ladies, but I didn’t know I would find one here.”

His smiling eyes looked at Emilia’s short hair. Emilia blankly looked up at his face.

“I was going to surprise you, but I was surprised.”

“How did you know… that… I was here?”

Her green eyes twinkled warmly. No, they weren’t just green when you looked up close. They had a much more subtle and elegant olive color.

“I was so sad about your reply that I refused all the food and drinks, but then I received this. Then I came back to life.”

With a smile he indicated another letter in his hand.

 

* * *

 

To the northwest of Nowak, by the riverside of Rivier high-end residential area stood out the ‘Tobaro’ of Grand Duje Reinen. As a townhouse of a mining conglomerate, the place that people most often refer to as a ‘palace’ had been busy preparing for its guest since morning.

A shade was erected in the middle of the garden and a large dining table as well. Colorful flowers bloomed profusely in each bronze vase, and pure white high-quality tableware was lined up in rows. Under the clear blue sky where early swarms of dragonflies flew, a woman with bronze-colored hair loosely pulled up finally appeared. She was Bianca Reinen, the famous daughter of the Grand Ducal Family Reinen, who had remained unmarried for nearly half a century. Based on her fair complexion, her well-positioned red-gold eyes shone brightly. Although she wasn’t beauty enough to turn heads, her liveliness made others look back at her.

Bianca was waiting for something, hiding her anxiety with a bright expression. After a while, Tobaro’s main gate opened and a gilded carriage stopped in front of her. As the coachman opened the door, silk shoes with flower decorations stepped down the stairs and gently trod on the ground. It was Caitlyn Meyer.

“Bianca!”

Caitlyn Meyer exclaimed as she opened her arms widely.

“Madam Meyer!”

Bianca responded without hesitation and jumped into Caitlyn’s arms.

“Meeting you again like this is like a dream!”

Loosening the hug, Caitlyn removed her gloves and handed them to a maid. She then leaned back and looked up and down at Bianca again.

“How did you become more beautiful in just a few months? I guess it is true that Aphrodite came to Burge Convent every night.”

“Please stop it. You always said that when I was younger…. I am dying of embarrassment.”

Bianca touched her forehead and made a face. The two laughed loudly while facing each other.

Enria Reinen, Bianca’s mother, was standing behind and looked at the two of them with pride before turning to the carriage again. She intended to meet the main character. But, the carriage was empty.

Caitlyn noticed where Enria was looking and hurriedly spoke.

“Hadius will be a little late. He said he had something urgent to handle. He said he would come as soon as he’s done, so why don’t we enjoy ourselves first?”

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Enria’s face slightly hardened. Bianca noticed her mother’s shift and stood between the two of them.

“That’s really a good idea! An all women dinner!”

She reached out to Caitlyn and folded her arms without hesitation.

“You know what? Madam Caitlyn was very popular at the Burge Convent. My colleagues were more curious about Madam than about Duke Meyer. Everyone was envious of me. They heard that I would soon become family with the Empress of the Meyer Steel.”

“Goodness, Bianca, I feel dizzy hearing that.”

Caitlyn put her hand to her forehead, imitating Bianca’s earlier gesture. A smile bloomed on the faces of the servants who were watching.

Since her daughter came forward and said that it was alright, Enria couldn’t express her dissatisfaction any further. She followed the two of them, softening her stiff face. Her quick-witted Bianca knew very well how to appease her mother. Her other hand reached out toward her mother.

“Of course, my real role model in life is here, Grand Duchess Reinen.”

As Bianca had expected, Enria laughed as if she had lost.
With her arms crossed, Bianca diligently moved herself between the two of them. Her face was very bright, but the end of her glance was on the empty carriage without him.

 

* * *

 

“Young Master, it’s time to leave….”

Pip looked up at his master, who was silent. It had been an hour since he had been completely dressed from head to toe. And yet, his master remained inside his room. There was a ring at the end of his gaze. It was clear who it was for, and it was a beautiful ring that made him angry.

“… I will tell the coachman to wait a little longer.”

Pip sighed and left the room.

Hadius remained stiff for a long time after his attendant left. Particles of blue light danced, sometimes fading and sometimes exploding in the bright sunlight.

Hadius felt like he had been walking on an invisible tightrope these past few days.

[‘I liked him.’]

[‘I hate myself. I can’t hold it in anymore and say this.’]

It wasn’t clear what this tight feeling choking his heart could be called.

It was like defenselessly getting completely drenched in turbulence before a woman named fiancé at an engagement ceremony a long time ago, or that of a foolish young boy who imprudently gave her a pistol and told her to run away. It was similar to that feeling when he was dancing on the beach’s white sand with his burning desires, or that moment when he faced the playful laugh of a woman who once emptied her alcohol in Elver Bar as if her spirit had flown away.

“Young Master.”

With an urgent voice, Grozhang opened the door and appeared. Like Pip, Grozhang fell into an indescribable feeling. His master just put his hand on his pocket with cold eyes.

Even so, it was somehow unbearable for Grozhang, as if he was looking at a broken piece of glass.

“… Young Master.”

He spoke hesitantly once more.

“I think… it would be better to leave early now.”

Hadius closed the lid of the velvet box without saying anything. The beautiful blue light was swallowed into the darkness at once.

 

* * *

 

The oblique sun rose just above the heads of the three women chatting. After eating, they moved to the drawing room to avoid the midday sun. Hot tea and dessert greeted them as if it had been waiting for them.

Enria checked the clock, feeling the disappointment in her heart she had ignored for a while. She was starting to feel shame. Overcoming the urge, she commented to Caitlyn.

“It’s great to spend time with women, but it’s completely empty when the main character is missing.”

“Oh, right?”

Caitlyn smiled hard to hide her nervousness.

“I will send someone to call Hadius right now….”

“No, Madam, I hope you don’t.”

Bianca interrupted.

“Duke Meyer has recently become the head of Meyer Steel. It is very hard and difficult to lead people with the title of ‘representative.’ I was also the student council representative, so I fully understand how he feels.”

Bianca’s eyes were calm and determined. It was evident that she wasn’t spewing empty words because her self-esteem had been hurt.

“I can understand, and I don’t want to interfere. Moreover, breaking off their engagement wasn’t officially declared yet. I don’t know how Madam Meyer accepted it, but I am also concerned about inviting Duke Meyer to this dinner. Although it was rude, I asked you to come suddenly, in fact, to discuss the matter. The engagement has been broken and the public opinion is calming down. I don’t think there is a need to hurry.”

Enria and Caitlyn looked at each other with slightly startled expressions.

“I heard that Duke Meyer worked very hard to get permission from His Majesty to break his engagement. Even though I know all of that, I have no intention to grumble about why he didn’t meet me sooner….”

Then a butler appeared between the two marble pillars. Before the butler could say anything, Bianca’s gaze fixed on the dark-haired man standing elegantly behind him.

The topaz-colored eyes, which had been perfectly calm, lost their firm spirit and began to shake without mercy. Maybe it was because she hid her inner feelings to the point of hardening her heart. Bianca’s heart lost its composure and began to beat wildly in front of the suddenly grown man’s figure.

“Long time no see, Lady Reinen.”

Hadius showed his etiquette as a gentleman. Holding Bianca’s hand with his knee slightly bent and gloves on, he kissed the back of her hand.

Bianca held her breath and looked down on the man. Shaken from the bottom, it hit her like a tidal wave and made her whole body tremble. Perhaps it was because of the noble attitude she was trained in since she was a child, Bianca managed to cover up her restless trembling with a light smile.

“It’s good to see you again, Duke Meyer.”

In a cold voice, she said that it was hard to believe it had been five years since they last met. But Bianca was surprised also and ran away first when she noted his indifferent silver gray eyes.

Hadius released Bianca’s hand and greeted Madam Reinen and his mother in turn.

“Forgive me for being late.”

“Don’t say that. Thanks to you, we women had a great time.”

As Enria waved her hand and looked at Caitlyn, the latter smiled in agreement. Her eyes had been filled with dissatisfaction over Hadius’ tardiness, and the expression disappeared in an instant. He also had an extremely noble attitude, risking his life for pride and honor.

Enria slightly smiled at Hadius, then called the maid to prepare the tea.

“Right, where were we?”

“We were discussing the dinner party issue.”

The three women resumed their conversation. Hadius only listened to their conversation in passing with a moderate smile. He never noticed that Bianca’s gaze flicked to him from time to time.

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