Love Doesn’t Matter - Chapter 59 – Something You Can Trust

A pair of deep blue eyes lost their strength and fell into an abyss.

“I will pay you back. Somehow…”

She muttered in a frenzy with a devastated face.

“Everyone gives a grace period. Whether it’s a year or two, I’ll pay you back no matter what. It’s not even that much money when you think about it.”

Throwing away all her pride and sharpness so far, and looking at him like a gentle sheep. There was no time for pride or saving face. Emilia was dealing with a man who did not understand common sense.

‘Let’s lie flat for once.’

‘I didn’t just growl and fight with that guy all this time…’

However, Hadius’ face was growing colder. He was just like a different person. It was a ridiculous situation where the person who did wrong got angry, but there was no time to point it out. Emilia was going crazy over the money.

“I really don’t know… why the Young Master is doing this to me… You say you wanted to see ‘me’ in ‘Elver’… Then why… why the hell… why are you like this?”

Hadius looked coldly at the pleading face and turned away for a moment. Emilia barely swallowed the anger creeping up.

“Anyway, I will pay you back. I’ll talk to my stepmother and pay back everything as soon as possible. Then, the Young Master won’t treat me this carelessly again.”

“Will you pay me back as soon as possible? How?”

Emilia began to explain earnestly. From bookkeeper, to a maid, to a street vendor, all the things she could do flowed out of her mouth.

“I will make money now. I don’t think even the Young Master will interfere with that. Like you took care of Cavendish in advance… You won’t go that far…”

Emilia found herself falling more deeply into despair as she spoke.

‘Will it make a difference if I beg?’

He was the one who forced her stepmother’s factory wages into arrears in the first place. His purpose wasn’t money.

Suddenly, intransigence began to flare up.

“If the Young Master continues to do this, I won’t… I won’t stand still anymore. I won’t cope with it.”

“What are you going to do?”

‘I will visit His Majesty the King. Or visit the members of the Parliament. If that doesn’t work, I can go to the newspaper that wrote the article ‘Meyer’s Abandoned Fiancé.’ Another option was Congressman Darrenton Hockney. Whatever method I choose, it will be better than simply selling myself to that man.’

“When the Young Master foretold you would entrap me? So did I. I have been swayed once or twice, but I won’t be fooled. Do not corner me.”

‘Did the cold warning work?’ Hadius leaned on the sunbed without a word and looked up at the sky. The sun had set and dim darkness had come. Somewhere in the village beyond the vineyard, lanterns were lit one by one.

“Yeah, I’ll consider your willingness to raise money by selling your hair and let you have no debt for now.”

His tone was as dark as night, and he continued.

“Instead, spend some time with me in the future. Either you come here or I go. Think of it as a date.”

She slowly closed her mouth that she had opened to refuse. ‘From now on, you must be alert. You can blindly refuse him or foolishly believe him.’

“Again, I don’t trust the Young Master anymore. Like a joke… as if all this is very light… you say all that, but I will never be fooled again.”

“…”

“A date…?! Eventually, you’ll want to take my clothes off. Remember when you declared that you wanted to climb on me like a pig? How will I stop you without Mister Beppy?”

Hadius stared at Emilia for a long time, then suddenly stretched his arm toward the drawer.

“…Should I give you something you can trust?”

He pulled something out of the drawer. Something the size of an adult palm.

“Take it.”

It was a revolver. Shining coldly as his pupils.

* * * 

“A gun?!”

“Yeah.”

“You mean, those used for hunting, that kind of gun? To make holes in an animal’s body?”

Forgetting the seriousness of the situation for a moment, he chuckled at such a definition of the gun.

“Yeah, that gun. Today this Mitch Bern clearly saw it with my own two eyes. People at Hilden Farm are hiding guns.”

He thought Charlotte would hold her breath in surprise, but the child’s face was as calm as a grass-eating cow.

“What’s weird about that? Mister Beppy has three guns in the stable. Wild boars could come down.”

“Eiish, that’s a shotgun. Do you think the great Mitch Bern would be like this because of that shotgun? What I saw…”

Mitch’s eyes grew serious again, and Charlotte swallowed as she caught the emotional shift.

“It was a revolver.”

“Re…volver?”

“Yeah, they are much smaller and more agile than hunting shotguns. Something that can be held in one hand. It’s not for hunting. It was made… to kill people.”

“…Kill… people…?”

“That’s right, usually assassins and robbers carry them around.”

Only then Charlotte’s hand covered her mouth, astonished.

“Are you sure? Did the men at Hilden Farm really have a pistol?”

“That’s right.”

Fear sank silently over Charlotte’s face. Mitch realized that he was scaring his little sister too much.

“Don’t worry. They ain’t no bad guys like assassins or robbers.”

“How come? Didn’t you say that assassins or robbers wear things like that?”

Mitch cleared his throat to make a light voice.

“Do you know when I first saw the people of Hilden Farm? It was probably around last winter vacation. If those people were robbers, if something could have happened, it would have happened already.”

“Then what are they? What the hell are these people?”

“Can you keep a secret? Even from Mom and Older Sister?”

Of course, she wasn’t confident. But Charlotte was so curious that she nodded and said ‘ngh!’ Mitch seemed able to clearly see the two fingers intertwined behind his younger sister’s back.

“Forget it. I won’t tell if it’s like that.”

“Ah, okay. Okay. I’ll never say anything. I will keep it a secret.”

Charlotte spread her hands wide open as if to show. Still, Mitch kept his mouth shut as if he was not sure.

“For real! I swear on my name, I will never say anything.”

As Charlotte begged, Mitch rubbed his chin and confessed, as if he couldn’t help it.

“First of all, those people aren’t dangerous or bad people. I can bet on it. Nevertheless, the reason why I want to keep it a secret is no different though. Noona has been sick all the time, and Mom looked tired and upset, right? In this situation, let’s not worry them about trivial matters.”

“I understand. I don’t want to worry Sister or Mom either. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Okay then, let me teach you. The true identity of Hilden Farm, which Mitch Bern, the best spy, has discovered is…”

“Is…”

Charlotte gulped down her saliva.

* * * 

“Are you sure there are no bullets?”

Beppy nodded. Emilia took a deep breath, then with a trembling hand, she aimed at the pillar and pulled the trigger.

Click- There was only a sound so small that sounded absurd. Yet her heart was pounding wildly. After receiving the gun from Hadius, Emilia wanted to learn how to use it right away.

Of course, it wasn’t like she really focused hard on learning. Only her hands were moving drily as Mister Beppy told her, but her head was empty.

‘That man is a lunatic. completely insane…’

The feeling she had when they met at Laura’s house was just right. Meyer pretended to be a special being who only played in first-class water, but was no different from the mean, low-level wandering nobles of the Cavendish mansion.

‘What am I doing here right now? Why am I being played with by that guy’s weird prank?’

Although confused, Emilia clenched her trembling hands and straightened the shaking revolver

“I warn you, I will really shoot Young Master. I mean it.”

A peal of low laughter tickled her ears. It was the one who looked down from above, so anger rose.

“Yeah, that’s a good attitude. I hope you always carry it with you with that spirit.”

“Is it necessary? After all, there is only one person I will aim at.”

“I think it’s for self-defense. Forests are dangerous for only women and children to live in.”

She couldn’t hold back the burst of laughter.

“Then give me a shotgun. It’s not people that really threaten me and my family, it’s the wild boars.”

“That’s enough for Beppy Dilson.”

Before the man who refused to lose, Emilia sighed briefly and lowered the gun.

“What the hell is the matter with you?”

The grip on the gun suddenly felt creepy. Emilia held it only with her thumb and index as if it was a disgusting insect, then handed it to Beppy.

“Shooting is also popular among young ladies. Try to get used to it, too. If you’re nervous, you can just leave the bullets out at the beginning.”

‘Getting used to a revolver, that guy is really out of his mind.’ Still, Emilia just nodded.

“By the way, how will you explain it to your family? That hair thing.”

She rubbed her empty neck unconsciously. Even when she went to see the wig seller, tears filled her eyes. However, as the saying goes that time is medicine, she felt strangely calm now.

“Why do you think I didn’t tell my family?”

“If your family had known, they would never have allowed it.”

Emilia couldn’t answer as if her mouth was stuck.

“Yes, that’s true. Actually, my family doesn’t know yet. Do you want to know why? Everyone will be very disappointed if they find out what the Young Master has done. Especially Charlotte. My innocent little sister, whom the Young Master patted and gave a swing.”

‘If you have even the slightest bit of conscience, you will at least pretend to be sorry in front of the name ‘Charlotte.’ Nevertheless, Hadius didn’t change a single expression.

“Anyway, when I get home, I will tell the truth. Our family has no secrets from each other.”

Of course, it was a lie. Even at this moment, Emilia felt like her heart was burning, not knowing what to say to her family.

“Your stepmother must be very happy. To have such a kind-hearted daughter who sold her hair to pay back her debt.”

Emilia’s face flushed red again.

“For now, keep pretending you don’t know about your stepmother’s debt. I’ll take care of the money issue. Your stepmother will eventually think she paid it back on her own. Okay?”

Only then did the blood spurt through the cold, frozen body.

“Make your own excuses for the sudden haircut. Whether you suddenly wanted to be a man, or you accidentally burned down, or whatever.”

‘This guy isn’t joking right now, is he?’ Emilia nodded slowly.

“I hope you don’t expect a thank you? It was the Young Master who made things like this in the first place, so, of course, the Young Master must also resolve it.”

“Right.”

After a brief reply, Hadius turned around. With his back to Emilia, he spread his arms and leaned against the railing of the terrace. He lifted his head and looked at the completely dark sky.

Protection or destruction.

The heart was beating out of control, caught in both extremes.

‘Do I want to protect you or break you?’

The dark night fell heavily on the man’s clouded vision. And from far away, one, two, stars began to rise.