Love Doesn’t Matter - Chapter 50

Chapter 50 – Twist It And Break It

As she parted with Josephine and went down the stairs, Emilia came across a dark brown hair beyond the pillar.

It was Nathan. The old shoes stopped, unable to take the next step on the staircase.

What should she do?

There was no way to control her awkwardness, so Emilia tilted her head back, pretending to be drinking alcohol that she didn’t even have.

A different hand stopped her arm.

“Drink in moderation.”

It was Hadius.

“I heard. What happened at the salon.”

Oddly enough, her eyes got warm. Emilia took a deep breath, avoiding his gaze.

“… Don’t worry about it. I’ve been hurt by such immature people for a long time.”
“That’s right, you never ask me for help. It’s always been like that. Whether it’s the Cavendish or anyone, whatever it is.”

The gloomy voice twisted her chest strangely, but Emilia didn’t want to admit it.
She has only just arrived at the shore, and she has no desire of going up the current again.

“Everything is easy for the Young Master. There are very few beings who can freely roam around, whether it’s the river or the sea, the sky or the land.”

She couldn’t stop the sarcasm and continued.

“Did you know? People from the Young Master’s world keep pointing at me and saying strange things.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mistress.”

The creepy word just came out of her mouth.
She was confident that no matter what answer she got, she would not be disappointed or shocked. However,

“I don’t have a mistress. Not now, and not in the future either.”

Emilia doubted her ears.

The breakup, the merger with Reinen, Bianca…

Countless questions filled her mind.
But she didn’t ask a single word.

The curtain was lifted, and the musicians started playing music. A magnificent and beautiful melody permeates the ears.
It was really fortunate for Emilia. She was able to avoid his intense gaze by pretending to be interested in the instruments.

“I’ve been told that music is like wine that fills an empty glass. Now that I’m hearing it myself, it is true.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the butler opened the ballroom, and the young men and women lined up, holding each other’s hands. It was the beginning of the ball.

The first piece was the quadrille.

They had to dance in groups of four, but there were holes everywhere.
Hadius and Emilia were far from everyone in the ballroom, and Shayla was still sniffling in the arms of her partner Harriet. Nathan couldn’t be seen anywhere.

It was time for the party’s organizer, Odelia Lüen, to show off her skills. She went around diligently, filling in the blanks and boosting the excitement. She asked the musicians to play faster and more exciting songs.

Finally, the main piece, the waltz, was played.

The servants put lace over the lamps to dim the light and made the flower decorations hidden under the curtains pop out at once. Exclamations flowed from here and there in the romantic mood.

Hadius, who was watching from afar, reached his hand out to Emilia.

“Shall we dance to one song?”
“I don’t…”

Without waiting for an answer, Hadius pulled Emilia into his arms.
After resisting vigorously, the small hand dropped as if giving up. Then, suddenly, her chest was pushed out again.

After a small quarrel, they finally arrived at the middle of the hall.

“There is something that only comes into my hands when I twist it and break it.”
“In return, it will painfully stab the Young Master. Until blood comes out. Everything comes at a price.”
“I don’t care.”

The unwavering answer made Emilia frustrated, and, at the same time, it made her surrender.

It was different from dancing in the sand at the beach or in a tavern. The smooth yet hard floor, the magnificent melody, the sparkling lights…

Hadius moved around skillfully, but Emilia wasn’t like that at all.
She was never good at dancing, but her body felt heavier today. Inside the dress, her two legs kept getting terribly tangled up.

Whenever she brushed past him, the scent of roses that filled the hall and the scent coming from the man’s body numbed her sense of smell.

It was weird. Why do her legs keep floating? As if her body wasn’t hers.

At some point, she twisted her leg. If Hadius hadn’t grabbed her, she would have fallen ridiculously.

“Really… It’s a mess.”

Her eyes were spinning. She had a fever coming and felt dizzy.

Emilia rested her forehead on his chest without realizing it. Her senses were as becoming dull as a tongue that had gone numb.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”

No, she actually knew. She was blending into the man, like ink mixed with water.

His hot breath tickled her hair nonstop, and his broad, firm chest pressed against his ears.
The man’s turbulent pulse excited Emilia. As her chest, abdomen, and thighs were tightly pressed against him, Emilia found herself melting like wax.

Emilia was breathing hard without realizing it.

“Are you tired?”
“… A bit…”

He applied more strength into the hand that was supporting her back. Her body became hot as if gunpowder had exploded along her back.

She suddenly became unbearably angry. Her unexplained anger was about to burn everything.

“Stop it.”

The legs that seemed to move endlessly stopped for a moment.
Emilia stumbled violently. If Hadius hadn’t supported her with his arm, she’d probably have collapsed.

“Stop it now.”

He silently looked down at her strangely pale face and body that was constantly losing strength.

The next moment, she was seated in a chair. People were watching the two with slightly startled expressions on their faces.

“Hold on for a moment.”

Hold on? What?

Hadius disappeared somewhere before Emilia had time to come to her senses. After a while, the coachman, Roan, rushed towards her.

“I’m taking the Young Lady to the carriage.”

Hadius went to find Lüen immediately.

“Unfortunately, I think I will have to take my leave first.”

It was common for celebrities to leave early, so, although Mrs. Lüen was disappointed, she had no choice but to accept it.

“Oh dear, there’s no way to hide my sadness.”
“It was a great party that will be remembered for a long time.”
“I’m just thankful to you for saying that.”

A formal farewell was exchanged. The servant brought the coats, and the carriage was ready. Hadius Meyer and his fiancée disappeared from the party in an instant, leaving dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them.

*** 

“So you just dismissed the ball? So that nothing happens?”
“Yes, the breakup has been completed, so there is no need to take any risks.”
“Hm…”

Caitlyn tapped the document bearing the royal seal with her fingertips. It was a deed to withdraw the notarization of the letter and to allow the divorce.

Contrary to Caitlyn’s expectations, Hannes Reinen clicked his tongue, as if he were disappointed.

“Won’t there be a justification for breaking the marriage in the parliament if a scandal goes around? What if they do something weird?”

It was a trap. William Richards dared to betray them.

Caitlyn barely swallowed the words stuck on the tip of her tongue.
She shouldn’t talk carelessly when the facts haven’t even been confirmed. She feels like she’s stepping on thin ice from now on, so she must refrain from talking and be careful.

“His Majesty has promised that the parliament will take responsibility and prevent it. However, the breakup should be kept a secret for the time being. The parliament must never know.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. The breakup was accomplished. The letter in question was incinerated. In front of me.”

Hannes was still sticking out his lips, as if he were suspicious, but nodded his head as if he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Alright. I shouldn’t get greedy too hastily. It is something to celebrate anyway. To commemorate that, I’ll smoke another one.”

Hannes pulled a new cigarette out of the case, and Caitlyn rolled up the corners of her mouth. Everyone could tell that she was smiling.

“Why are you like that? Did something happen?”
“… Pardon? Ah, it’s nothing like that.”

Caitlyn smiled again and lit the cigarette.

“Sooner or later, I’ll have to call Hadius to encourage him. I’ll bring Bianca with me that day. I should also invite Assemblyman Richards.”
“Although it’s a shame, Grand Duke, why don’t we invite Assemblyman Richards the next time?”

Hannes stopped still, with the cigarette in his mouth, staring intently at Caitlyn.

“You mean for only us to meet? Are you excluding William?”
“Excluding? You are exaggerating.”

Caitlyn laughed lightly on purpose.

“Until His Majesty the King officially announces the breakup of the marriage, I think we should be careful. After all, isn’t Bianca and Hadius meeting the purpose of the gathering? There are so many people watching, there is nothing good about it. I will speak to Assemblyman Richards separately.”
“… Well, alright.”

Hannes nodded slowly but did not completely erase the doubts and ridicule contained in his narrowed eyes.

“I don’t know why the Great Empress Meyer is so wary of His Majesty, but there is nothing wrong with being careful.”

Caitlyn barely chewed on the discomfort that climbed up her stomach at the sarcastic remark and swallowed it.

At least one thing Hadius said was right.
She, who was praised as an empress, let such incompetent men use her and laugh at her. Perhaps it was because of Hannes and William that she became so obsessed with the issue of breaking up the marriage.
They only called themselves an ally and did not help her at all when she was struggling with the breakup. She won’t let it happen again in the future.

Caitlyn casually smoked the cigarette, quietly observing Hannes. With a smile on her face, she tried to find even the smallest hint of deception.

How much does that man really know? He may not know anything, or it may be the exact opposite. It is safe not to believe anything in this world.

But why?

No matter how much she thinks about it, she doesn’t understand why. The merger has not yet been established, and the loss far outweighs the benefits of breaking the alliance.

But why would he try to trap her with such a shallow move? Why is that?

Even after thinking about the same question over and over again for several days, in the end, she couldn’t quite figure out his place or his intentions.

Caitlyn pressed her throbbing temples.