Chapter 6 - Deceitful and Mischievous

Chapter 6 – Deceitful and Mischievous

Countless thoughts and emotions struck Emilia like a storm. Still, the reason why she was not swayed was probably because of her hardened heart. She quickly regained her composure.

“What is the reason? I understand that it is a graduation ceremony, but I do not understand the carriage at all. What is your intention in doing this?”

“Are you anxious? Afraid it could be a Trojan horse?”

“Don’t joke with me. It’s not funny.”

She answered coldly, but he didn’t even budge.

“What happened today… No, if you look back on what happened during the past 5 years, you will understand. Why I am doing this. Oh, don’t tell me, you didn’t expect me to like you, right?”

“That’s right. There’s no way that can be.”

To admit it so calmly.

“So please explain why.”

“No particular reason. I forced you to do your duty as a fiancée, so I just thought I should let you enjoy your rights. It’s like a reward.”

“A reward?”

Emilia tried not to raise her voice.

“Forget the past 5 years of insults with this carriage, is that what it means?”

“It’s a lie if I said I didn’t think about that at all.”

“Don’t you think that’s too much? This is called deception. It’s a joke.”

“That’s right, it’s deception and a joke. Selfish and vicious.”

A man who says those whose words nonchalantly, as if he is talking about the weather.

“No matter what you think, I have no intention of explaining it word for word. If you are uncomfortable, think of it as consolation money.”

Consolation money, those two words stabbed her deep in the chest.

Emilia turned around and took a breath, afraid she might have a hurtful expression. She grabbed the hem of her skirt and tried hard not to cry.

Still, she had little hope. She thought Hadius would at least have a feeling of sorry. She did, but…

“I see why you’re doing this. You will be breaking off the engagement someday, so you are trying to get rid of your guilt in advance. No, maybe it is just so I keep quiet. Because you do not seem to feel guilty. Are you that worried? Are you, by chance, afraid you won’t get rid of me easily?”

He gave no answer.

“It looks like you’re mistaken so I’m letting you know; I don’t have the slightest intention of continuing this strange engagement. I have had enough. Even hearing the name Meyer makes me shudder. So, even without compensation money, I’m willing to break off the engagement.”

“I know.”

“You know? You know, and you do this?”

“That’s right, I know very well. How much you want to get rid of this engagement, how much you hate me and my family, I know that better than anyone else. But still, take it. Don’t be tired.”

Hearing the cold words, strangely, she felt more dejected than angry. Emilia stared at Hadius, who had turned his back on the sunset, and soon dropped her shoulders.

“I refuse the gift. No matter what, I will not take it. And do not worry. Even without this, I am going to fulfill my duty as a fiancée on the graduation day. Without causing harm to the Young Master.”

Just up to there.

After that, it is really over. He will somehow persuade the King to break off the engagement…

She felt better. For setting her heart free like that.

Otherwise, she may have thought about it for the rest of her life, with as much regret as she could bear.

“Then, I’ll get going now.”

Emilia bowed lightly and turned around. However, she did not walk much before she had to stop again.

“Keep in mind one thing. If you refuse, that poor coachman will lose something precious. In exchange for his work, I was supposed to get back his sister that was sold to a brothel, so isn’t that too cold-hearted?”

Her body, which was stiff, quickly turned back.

Only then did she look at the coachman.

A body as big as a giant and thick eyebrows that gathered at his crooked nose, nervous, not knowing what to do. The face that looked like it was going to burst into tears at any moment was saying that it was not a lie.

“If you refuse, Beppy Dilson will be fired immediately. As you know, Meyer shows no mercy or compassion. They also have no sense of guilt.”

Emilia’s mouth opened again, foolishly.

“What is so difficult? It’s just to get a carriage and a worker. Let Beppy Dilson work for a few months. That way, I’ll be able to rescue Laura or whatever his younger sister’s name is.”

Both her eyes were fixed on the coachman, in shock.

Noticing she was shaking greatly, Hadius began to approach her.

“Beppy will be staying at a nearby farm for the time being. Your house won’t have a place to sleep or a stable right away.”

“No, I can’t…”

“Every morning he will go to your house to work and go back to the farm at night. He is not only driving the carriage, but he’s also helping with doing the chores. Right, Beppy?”

Hadius asked, and the coachman’s response that followed really disconcerted Emilia.

“Go at dawn and return at night. Do whatever Master tells me to. Beppy is good. He is a good servant.”

Innocent eyes and inarticulate speech that could not be believed to be those of an adult.

Forgetting all the previous conversations, Emilia was nailed to Beppy.

He looks just like her brother Mitch when he was eight years old, blinking his eyes and holding his hat.

A big childish adult that has to rescue his younger sister from a brothel…

Damn it! Emilia barely swallowed the swear word.

“Beppy Dilson, take good care of the young lady.”

When Hadius tapped her back, Beppy greeted her courteously, like a well-trained coachman.

“Emilia, pretty. Thank you for letting me work.”

Then, he took out a clean handkerchief, placed it on the back of his hand, and stretched his arm towards Emilia. As is usual when a coachman takes the ladies to the carriage.

She was screaming in her head. No way, she cannot be deceived in this way.

However, Emilia was completely frozen and had no choice but to look at Beppy’s large hand.

“Take it. Emilia.”

Staring coldly at Hadius, Emilia eventually put her hand on Beppy’s handkerchief. Otherwise, the big childish adult looked like he would get on his knees and cry.

“I really don’t know why you’re doing this, but… Really…”

Hadius did not pretend to listen and checked the time.

“From now on, if anything happens, contact me directly. Through Beppy. I will do the same, too.”

From now on? Contact?

After saying such a strange thing, he raised his hand. Then he went away without looking back.

***

Emilia sat absent-mindedly, like a crazy person, throughout the darkened road.

Is it because she went through so much during the day? Her head is aching, and her temples are throbbing.

Chasing after unorganized emotions, she stopped thinking at some point.

So be it.

Emilia closed her eyes tightly.

For how long did they run? It had darkened all over.

In the distance, a dimly lit lamp illuminated the entrance to the zelkova forest. She had returned home.

Emilia quickly came to her senses and rang a bell to make Beppy stop the carriage. He went to the door in a hurry.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t even greet you earlier because of the situation. Nice to meet you. And thank you.”

Emilia, who greeted him belatedly, told him to drop her off there and that he could just go back. She added that it was alright if he did not work at all, so he didn’t have to come every morning.

“No.”

He shook his head firmly.

“Hadius scold me.”

‘Scold’ bothered her for a while.

“It’s not Hadius, you have to say Young Master.”

“Why?”

She is at a loss. He is a very well-trained servant in conduct, but he is a child so ignorant of the world when he opens his mouth.

How can she explain about nobility or status? Thinking hard, she withheld the logical explanation for a moment.

“You will probably get a scolding from that person.”

“Won’t scold. ‘Hadius’ won’t scold me.”

“… Is that so?”

That’s weird.

Indeed, at the dinner party, Hadius was the representation of a benevolent and generous family. Besides, Beppy Dilson has the eyes of a poor, pathetic young beast that makes you unable to get angry.

“Alright. You do not have to use honorifics for me and my family. But to the people I’m telling you, you must call them by names like Sir, Madam, Young Master, or Young Lady.”

“Okay.”

“Ah…”

How did he meet Hadius? She shut her mouth when she was about to ask. What was she going to do?

“Anyway, you don’t have to come to my house every day. If you want…”

She said he didn’t have to come at all, but Beppy waved his hands as if he were in big trouble.

“No! Hadius said that! He said Emilia will definitely say so! He said not to listen to it! If I do, Laura will be sold to ‘Tranco’!”

Oh my God.

It feels like we’re on the palm of Hadius’ hand.

“Alright, he will find out anyway, so let us meet with my family today. Only my Mother and Charlotte are at home right now. Mitch is at a boarding school. But before that, I have one thing to tell you…”

Emilia told him about Charlotte. Unlike others, Beppy showed no surprise or pity in his eyes. He just nodded his head hard.

When the carriage took off again, Emilia had recovered much of her inner excitement.

She leaned on her tired body. The cushion was extremely luxurious, and she was surprised at the soft feeling.

Only then Emilia looked around the carriage. An expensive coach, with 4 wheels and a horse. The interior was even better. Just like the carriage she took to go to the mansion today…

Of course, she will not be impressed. Never.

After a while, the cabin where Emilia lived appeared in the distance.

How to explain it to Mother and Charlotte?

It was fortunate that her younger brother Mitch is at a boarding school. ‘Meyer’ doesn’t know what the child with gnashing teeth might do when he finds out about what happened today.

He might set fire to this carriage.

At that moment, she laughed. everything that happened today felt like a dream and felt distant.

In a good way, it is simple; but in a bad way, it is stupid. Emilia tends to escape her sad and depressed feelings easily, and it was the same now.

Anyway, it is over when they break off the engagement. It was not a great love, nor it was a relationship serious enough to leave regrets.

Hadius Meyer, that’s enough.