Chapter 89 – You Should Have Hidden It Until The End
Emilia slept like a log until the afternoon on days she didn’t work. Mitch woke early and sneaked around to do the house chores for his sister. He had never thought of washing the dishes, cleaning, or doing laundry. But less than a week later, Mitch deeply reflected on himself.
It wasn’t easy to wash the dishes. Pots and bowls were often charred, and the fire in the fireplace goes out every time. The sky was cloudy when he hurriedly went back to light the fire. After quickly removing the laundry, time flew like an arrow and the sun was rising in the middle of the horizon suddenly.
“Mitch?”
He turned around to see Charlotte standing and rubbing her eyes. Mitch realized the little girl looked too untidy. Her hair was greasy, and she had a lot of matter crusted around her eyes. Come to think of it, this child hasn’t washed for the last two days.
Charlotte naturally knew how to wash herself alone, but the problem was that she couldn’t heat the water she needed to bathe. When their oldest sister was at home and not working, Charlotte was so clean that it wasn’t noticeable that she was blind. It was the same with the house. It didn’t smell as stale as it did now, and the floor was always clean.
His older sister always told him out of habit that he was just wasting time playing with nobles, but it was just extreme self-reproach that went beyond responsibilities.
Life, in a way, was frighteningly fair. Mitch realized that it was possible for him to attend school, form bonds with his comrades, and live comfortably thanks to the sacrifices of his mother and older sister.
“Mitch… are you crying?”
Mitch was startled and wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Are you crazy? Why would I cry?”
Charlotte tilted her head, and Mitch quickly turned his back.
“Ugh, you… A ghastly ghost will follow you. Wait here for a moment. I’ll heat the water for you.”
Moments later, Charlotte, who was pale again, rolled up her sleeves and helped Mitch. The little girl sat on the hard floor and began to fold the pile of clothes.
Mitch felt something bubbling inside him as he stared at her figure. He felt like his heart was about to explode from frustration. His sister eventually turned down Nathan Malvin’s offer. He couldn’t understand why no matter how much he thought about it. Why does she refuse that much?
There was no reason that their whole family couldn’t go to the New World together. His mother had to quit the factory soon, and he had dropped out of school. And Charlotte’s life couldn’t get any worse. Above all, nobles like Nathan Malvin would lend help. It was only a letter, but he could tell a lot just by looking at it. Nathan Malvin really, truly, unselfishly, just wanted to help his sister.
Mitch gnashed his teeth just at the thought of nobles. However, some nobles bleed and fight for freedom, equality, and compassion. Mitch thought that Nathan Malvin was close to that category. His sister should also know that.
But why doesn’t she accept it? With that incomprehensible, useless stubbornness? By any chance… is there any other reason? She wanted to go but could not?
“Mitch, I’m hungry.”
“Huh? Uh… okay, what would you like to eat?”
“There are dried plums and cheese in the cupboard. There is also bread. There will also be some bacon that Sister got from the restaurant yesterday.”
“Okay. I will look for it.”
The clattering that sounded through the crack on the door woke up Emilia. Opening her heavy eyelids, she blinked and tried to wake herself.
That’s weird. Why do I sleep so long these days?
Shaking off her tiredness and sleepiness, Emilia barely managed to rise. She felt nauseous again for a moment. It seemed like it would be hard for her to go to Reinsburgh to work.
Emilia had felt her body strangely heavy in recent days. Taking a deep breath, Emilia slowly left the room.
“Sister!”
Mitch and Charlotte greeted Emilia as if she was their savior. Moments later, they enjoyed a nice meal with the bacon, pickled herring, freshly baked bread, and savory butter. Thanks to the food that Emilia received from the restaurant, the table in the cabin had been quite plentiful recently. Happily watching her two siblings eating their fill, Emilia also picked up bread.
And at that moment, Brave outside began to bark vigorously. The three pairs of eyes turned to the window at once.
There was a lot of dust on the trail, and the rider on a horse was getting nearer and nearer. Emilia went out and calmed Brave.
The horse reached their yard in an instant. The man dismounted, took off his hat and pulled out something from his bag. The pattern on the fluttering flag on his shoulder and on insignia engraved on his hat was noticeable with one glance – two lions spewing fire under a jeweled crown. It was a messenger from the royal family.
Two days later, Emilia was diligently walking along the corridors of the Ricardi Palace. Chandeliers hung in rows from the elongated ceiling, and gold leaf ornaments adorning each side gleamed golden in the sunlight. When she first came here five years ago, she was dizzy with its extravagant grandeur.
The attendant walking in front of Emilia stopped for a moment. Following suit, Emilia also stopped.
“Wait here.”
Everything was just like the engagement ceremony. The golden and ornate gilded door in front of her was tightly closed, while Emilia waited nervously outside. One thing that had changed was the girl reflected in the window had grown a lot.
Emilia looked at her reflection on the large window and checked if her clothes and hair were neat. To be called upon by His Majesty. Emilia clasped her hands and took a deep breath.
The door finally opened. With guards in red jackets on each side, an attendant dressed in full uniform appeared.
“Are you Jim Bern’s eldest daughter, Emilia Bern?”
“I am.”
“Follow me.”
Emilia moved slowly.
The reception room was also the same as that day. A soft carpet was laid on the polished marble floor, and portraits of previous kings and their families hung one after another on both walls. A few steps away from the large fireplace, the attendant stopped.
“The eldest daughter of the Bern family, Emilia Bern, greets His Majesty the King.”
With the attendant’s announcement, Emilia bent her knees and bowed her head at the same time. The glossy shoes that came into her blurred vision must have been the King’s. A low, heavy voice followed after.
“It’s been a long time. Let me see your face.”
Emilia raised her head and looked straight at the King. With gray hair and wrinkled eyes of a middle-aged man, he was looking down at her curiously. The King was also the same as she remembered. His egg-shaped face and the drooping corners of his eyes were far from the dignity of a ‘King.’ But his dark eyes and heavy voice were definitely those of a King of a country.
Realizing that she was staring at the King’s face, Emilia quickly lowered her eyes. She was flustered as her eyes, and she stared at the jewel button on his jacket instead.
King Josef burst into laughter.
“Yes, you grew up very well as I expected. Well, everyone had expected your engagement day… but you’re really beautiful. I am overwhelmed with pride. Who will see you as a commoner and not a Lady? Even your hair looks like that.”
“… I am awe-struck, such that I don’t know what to do.”
Emilia answered as she had learned.
King Josef looked at Emilia, and then suddenly turned his head to his Queen beside him. Emilia’s gaze also turned in that direction.
This was the first time she had met Her Majesty the Queen. She was pregnant with her third child on the day of the engagement, so she was unable to attend. Queen Yvonne was very splendid as the rumor says. A jewel-studded tiara encircled her braided blonde hair, and dozens of pearl necklaces hung around her neck.
“I am glad to meet you in person after I heard about you. You grew up very well, as His Majesty has said. It also looks like you’ve taken your bridal classes very seriously.”
“… Thank you.”
Barely answering, Emilia suppressed the tension that had risen to her chin with a deep breath.
As the two pairs of eyes looked at her Emilia recalled Hadius, who had tried to make himself her guardian. It was such an unrealistic story that it didn’t really make any sense to her, but standing here like this made her heart ache strangely.
“Now, shall we begin?”
King Josef raised his hand at the steward, and he opened a small scroll.
“The engagement that was notarized by me, contrary to His Majesty’s divine intentions, has caused social confusion, numerous conflicts and controversies. The parties concerned in the marriage are also eager to break off their engagement, and have repeatedly requested that the notarization be taken, this shall inform Jim Bern’s eldest daughter that the engagement has been broken.”
She already knew that. But even so, her legs lost all strength in an instant, and Emilia had a hard time remaining standing.
“We would like to express our deepest regret and consolation to Bern’s eldest daughter, who faithfully fulfilled her responsibilities while suffering from an unwanted engagement, and we would also like to commend her for her hard work.”
The steward handed Emilia a wax-sealed letter after reading the scroll. Emilia opened the envelope and read the letter slowly. But oddly enough, no words registered in her eyes.
The steward continued reading aloud.
“I command in the name of Josef de Rua Tristan Volden. We are exempting Bern from the tax levied for the past five years, paying them ten bales of cotton, 200 pounds of wheat, and a small consolation in gold coins.”
The steward folded the scroll with a bang.
“I hope that you remember. How much I care for and love weak people like you.”
Emilia bent her knees once more. It was over. The engagement was declared broken, and she received a consolation and bounty from the King. It was really over. Emilia rubbed her sweaty hands against her skirt, waiting for the order that she could leave.
But it was strange. Why is Queen Yvonne coming down from the platform and asking her to wait?
Emilia concealed her bewildered expression and tried not to stare at the Queen.
“I have one more present for you.”
As the Queen spoke, she opened the lid of a small jewelry box. There was a ring inside it. Queen Yvonne took Emilia’s hand and put her own ring on it. Emilia could feel the tremors that started with her fingertips spread throughout her whole body.
It wasn’t unusual for a jewel to be given as a gift. But a ring… on the day her engagement was broken, a ring on her finger….
Queen Yvonne whispered softly, rolling up the corners of her mouth, “I didn’t know why the successor of the Meyer family had such conditions, but I understand it now.” The Queen smiled as she looked down at the coldly shining ring. “It is absolutely unbelievable and unacceptable for me. Yes, where do people’s emotions get them?”
Emilia’s heart throbbed, and blood rushed to her head.
“Can I give you a piece of advice? You know…” Yvonne looked down at Emilia’s transparent and fair skin, speaking bitterly, “From the point of view of a mother raising her son, an heir of course, I can understand Caitlyn Meyer. If my Louis Bohr fell for a commoner woman like you and committed such a preposterous thing….” Yvonne shook her head in horror.
Emilia struggled to breathe.
“Anyway, I know for sure now. What I mean is, that you are not a trap set inside the Meyer family. It would have been nice if you were called and met like this. Why did Duke Meyer try so hard to hide you? And why didn’t you know that misunderstandings were piling up?”
Yvonne muttered to herself and looked at Emilia silently. Her cold smile had been erased, and her eyes staring at her as if she was sad made Emilia dizzy again.
“I am relieved too. Let me know if you need my help. As you know, we made a deal with Duke Meyer, and we ended up in the same boat.”
Yvonne looked at the ring and smiled lightly.
“It looks good on you. I have someone for you to meet before you go home. If you go straight along the road that leads to the main gate, you will see a mountain. You should wait there.”
Emilia stumbled from the palace.
As the Queen had told her, Emilia walked along the straight road and saw a large fountain with a statue of a lion. The water flowing down like a waterfall was making a small rainbow. A man in a suit awaited her with his back to Emilia.
The closer she got to him, the heavier the ring on her hand tightened. Feeling her presence, Hadius glanced in her direction and turned his head. Enveloped in an achromatic color of fog, he quietly stared at Emilia. Then his eyes focused on her ring.
“Are you going to throw it away again?”
Her trembling hand grabbed the ring and hesitated.
“I do not care. Do whatever you feel like. Instead, something very interesting will happen. Whoever it was, one way or another, a new ring will be put on you again.”
“Young Master, please….”
“Are you sick and tired of it?”
The soft, gentle voice tightened around Emilia’s neck.
“Then Emilia, you should have hidden it until the end. You should never have made such a confession.”
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