Love Doesn’t Matter - Chapter 10

Hadius was wearing a hunting Norfolk jacket and a hunting cap. If he had a long rifle, he would be in a hunting outfit without fail.
However, instead of hunting gloves, he only had a pistol and small binoculars on his waist.

“Why are you here?”

Instead of answering, there was an inquisitive look. His cool face seemed to be mad.

She doesn’t have to worry because she did nothing wrong. Nevertheless, Emilia became extremely uncomfortable.

“Why did you come…”
“I’m here to look around the place of purchase.”
“Place of purchase?”
“I mean land.”
“I know that. But why…”

She realized it at the same time she muttered. It means he bought land.
This place, the zelkova forest.

Her heart beat anxiously.

“I came here thinking if I would be able to do grouse hunting, but it’s a waste to use it as a hunting ground.”

Hadius turned his eyes to the vast horizon again. Meanwhile, Emilia tidied her disheveled hair and fixed her clothes.

The trembling hands took too long to tie the ribbon around her collar. She missed the hook several times, got annoyed, and stopped.
Emilia took a deep breath and tried to calm her welling emotions.

“It would be nice to build a hotel. Or a summer house.”

Don’t tell me you’re going to kick out my family.
No. Probably not. He won’t be that cruel…

Emilia bit on her lips anxiously.

“It seems you’re getting along well with Beppy Dilson.”

Even in front of her sworn enemy, she was satisfied with saying sorry when she was sorry, and thank you when she was grateful.

Excluding her negative emotions as much as possible, Emilia answered “Yes, as you said, he is a really good person. Thank you.”, firmly.

The conversation was cut off suddenly, like a crumbly dough. The awkwardness tightened her chest. Emilia didn’t like her being restless on her own.

“… Then, have a look around.”

The end of the dress turned, and right before drawing a circle,
(T/N: I had some trouble here; to put it simply, they’re describing the act of Emilia turning around.)

“I heard what happened. Cavendish blocked your entry.”

It didn’t take long to understand the sudden words.
Why didn’t she think about it? The truth is, Mr. Beppy is also that man’s loyal informant.

“Cavendish will pay for it.”
“Pay for it… I don’t know what you will do, but I don’t know if you should go that far.”
“I have to ‘go that far’. He dared to insult the Meyers.”
“Only because… He stopped the carriage with the family’s crest on it?”

Emilia, who had been frowning, soon smiled, dejectedly.

“Well, that is the world the Young Master lives in. Fighting over nothing and risking your life. When someone who doesn’t know hears about it, they will think you tried to get back at those who harassed your fiancée.”

Now that she was being sarcastic, it was really funny. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black; it was themselves who really insulted the Meyer family. Suddenly, she remembered what she overheard at the last dinner party.

They said that man was a terrible human being.

That’s right. A narrow-minded man who can’t stand having his pride hurt in the slightest.

“… I don’t care if you make him pay for it, but don’t use me as an excuse. I was doing well there in my own way. I had to go through some unpleasant and irritating things, but I also gained that much.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t use you as an excuse, I will step on him as I want.”

She was shaken by the ‘step on’ for a moment, and somehow, her anger welled up.

“You know you’re really selfish? Didn’t you tell me to receive bridal lessons there? You told me to learn quadrille and waltz and do my duty as a fiancée, and what, step on him? I ask you, please leave him alone. If you want me to safely attend the graduation ceremony, don’t do anything.”

Emilia retorted coldly, folding her arms.

As she told Charlotte, there was so much she learned at the Cavendish mansion.

She learned various things and came across books that commoners couldn’t even dream of. Above all, didn’t she learn to manage ledgers?

She didn’t know, but she realized it today. That knowledge was considerably useful, enough to surprise a butler like Haspel and a person like Nathan Malvin. Didn’t she make money on her own for the first time in her life? Encouraged by her inner voice, Emilia opened her mouth confidently.

“By the way, when will our breakup be possible? I don’t want to drag this on and receive compensation.”
“As a matter of fact, I was going to discuss it. You need to sign an agreement.”
“Agreement?”
“You can think of it as something like a ‘written vow’. Related to the breakup.”

Her body, standing upright, began to tremble slightly.

“That… Why do you need it? I clearly told you that day. I am the one who wants to break off the engagement. I am willing to breakup without any compensation.”
“It is not because I doubt your sincerity about breaking up. It’s for me. That’s the only way I can be free.”

Emilia frowned without realizing it.

“Can you explain it properly? So that I can understand it logically.”
“I’m deceiving you now. Is there any ‘logic’ in that? Just do as you are told. I swear, at least it won’t cause you harm. The breakup agreement is like Beppy Dilson. It will satisfy you in the long run.”
“… I’m sure of it.”

The conversation ended with sarcasm that seemed like a surrender.

Emilia, who was staring at the white waves, opened her mouth again at some point.

“Then, please answer at least one of these. Why do we have to wait, writing the breakup agreement? Will His Majesty, the King, allow it then?”
“… I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure? I am a little disappointed. Since the praise for the successor was so high, I thought it would be easy to defeat the King.”
“I’m up against the King of the country. He’s a temperamental and unpredictable person, so I can’t be surer.”

The nonchalant answer set fire to her heart again, but Emilia held back.
If you get angry, you lose.

Emilia wanted to stay as composed as Hadius.

She needed some time to catch her breath.

She went down the small mound and crossed the sandy floor. The waves came in quite deeply and wet the edge of the dress. Emilia did not mind and straightened her back.

If you don’t want to be swayed by your emotions, you need to be simple.
Like this wave, erasing and writing, erasing and writing, repeatedly.

“Alright. I will do what you tell me. How can I do it? I mean… The breakup agreement.”
“I will contact you again soon. You will be formally meeting with a lawyer.”

His answering voice is strangely unfamiliar and somber. Emilia, who was narrowing her eyes, gasped when she realized she was constantly checking Hadius’ eyes, facial expressions, and reactions.

Stop it.
You want to break up.
You threw away all your lingering feelings when you received the compensation.

“I understand.”

The two of them looked at the sea for a long time, lost in their own thoughts. Quite a long time passed, that they lost awareness of the loud sound of the waves.

“Let us go back. I’ll take you home.”
“No, it’s alright.”

Pretending not to listen, he walked in the direction of the cabin.

“I’m not just saying it. I really do not want us to go together. Why do you insist on taking me home?”
“Why do you insist on not letting me?”

Emilia stared coldly at Hadius, who imitated her words.

“Because of my family. I’m worried that the Young Master will meet my family.”
“I already met them. ”

Emilia’s breathing became sharper. There is only one person at home right now.

“My younger sister… That girl… You met her?”
“That’s right.”

She stopped walking. Hadius turned his head, slowly. It was the most nerve-wracking moment for Emilia.

By no means she is ashamed of Charlotte and wants to hide her existence. She was just afraid that Charlotte would also see in Hadius the look of horror and disgust that people showed when they first met her.

Oddly enough, Emilia had strange expectations for Hadius.
He’s an educated man, a perfect nobleman. At least on the outside…

“Don’t worry. I called her an angel. Beppy Dilson earnestly requested me so.”
“Haha…”

Her knees faltered. Emilia relaxed her tense shoulders as she felt her sense of alertness ease up.

Strangely, her heart was pounding.

The two walked along the narrow path for quite some time. It was Emilia’s favorite forest path.

Every time she stepped on the fallen leaves, with a rustle, the damp smell of the soil reached her nose. The sun is warm, and the wind is refreshing.

Emilia raised her head and followed the various patterns the leaves drew in the sky with her eyes.

It was when they were almost at her home that she turned again to the man walking in front of her.
The scorching sun was coloring him all golden.

Suddenly, she remembered the day she first met him, at the engagement ceremony, 5 years ago.

At the brief and simple meeting, too humble to be called an engagement ceremony, fourteen-year-old Emilia felt similar to now.
She pretended to be brave and pretended to be fine, but she was actually trembling.

When the King ordered her to wear the ring, Emilia froze and could not move. It was that man’s hands that tightly held the trembling child who didn’t know what to do.

Sixteen-year-old Hadius Meyer.

She thought they would be cold as ice, but the warmth spreading through her whole body made Emilia melt like a snowman in the broad daylight.

Gently grabbing her hand, he held the ring without hesitation…

“…”

Stop.

She couldn’t bear the sudden memory. Emilia shook her head vigorously and accelerated past him.

When she passed the chicken coop and reached the front yard of her house, she ran into another unexpected scene.

There was a big dog. It was a hunting dog, swift and sleek like a puma. Beppy was petting the nape of his neck while holding the rope, and Charlotte was across from him.

The child was ducking her head like a turtle, stretching her hand back and forth from the edge of the long tail.