Love Doesn’t Matter

Chapter 14 – No Longer Pleasant

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“Please take it.”

Hadius glanced at the box and faced Emilia.
An unknown look flowed back to the box, and back again to Emilia.

She was still the same.

The child who got on his nerves a long time ago was still cold and unfriendly, along with her pride and stubbornness.

He knew that.

Even though he expected this, the reason why he did such a childish thing was because he wanted to break that unapproachable look that seemed to pierce the sky.
Is it like a childish, worthless, and petty feeling?

“The unwanted gifts end with Brave.
You don’t want to hear the reasons for refusing once again.
So please, just take it.”

She shook the box as if urging him.

Hadius was the one who changed.
Contrary to expectations, it is not very pleasant.
Feeling strangely fatigued, Hadius slowly opened his mouth.

“I shouldn’t put anything before my precious fiancée.
But Emilia, unfortunately, I am incredibly busy these days.
Standing here like this is a waste of time.”
“How long will it take to stretch those arms that are just staying still? One second? Two seconds?”
“Will you come closer then? To save time.”

The deep-blue eyes burned with anger.
For a moment, it seemed like a fire was starting in her withered heart.

Caught by a strange perversity, Hadius walked past Emilia.

“You mean you won’t take it? Then, is it all right to throw it away? Right here, right now.”
“Do as you please.”

Shrugging as if it was annoying, he slowly walked to the front door.
Every time his long legs stepped on the ground, Emilia’s face heated up noticeably.

A moment later, the box really hit the ground.
Perhaps Hadius would have laughed if he had turned his head right away.
He would have stumbled upon an Emilia who was even more surprised by the loud noise.

However, Emilia didn’t come here light-hearted.
Looking at the wide back of the man who abruptly stopped walking, Emilia made up her mind.

“If you keep doing this, I won’t stay still anymore.
The graduation ceremony or whatever, I won’t do it.”
“…”
“Are you listening? I am not going to cooperate obediently.
Should I not sign the breakup agreement?”

Hadius gracefully turned around.
His light gaze reached the box lying on the ground.
His eyes looked as if there was nothing as insignificant as that.

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Grozhang was staying still, watching his master’s actions from a few steps away.

Hadius stopped in front of the box and began to lean down.
The elegant and handsome statue-like body slowly fell towards the floor.
He lifted the box softly.
Then, he brushed off the dirt.

It wasn’t a big deal, but Grozhang’s heart pounded weirdly.
It seemed to be due to a memory that suddenly came to his mind.

When was it?

It must have been a long time ago when the Duke of Meyer was walking around on his two feet.

Back then, Duke Meyer, who had a good appearance, smacked his son’s head violently, out of habit.
The servants who watched were horrified, and there was a rumor that he was not his own son.

The moment he remembers the most was when Hadius was five years old.
The child simply leaned over to tie his loose shoelace.
However, Duke Meyer smacked the child’s head once again, with his big hand.
In front of everyone.

The reason was absurd.
It was that he leaned down carelessly, while the son of Marquis Valendorf was somewhere across from him…

“Damn it.”

Unconsciously, Grozhang jumped out of the carriage.
He is a competent aide before being a spy.
The reason why Caitlyn Meyer left Grozhang, and not a professional informant until the end, was because he did a great job at his primary function as an aide.

“Please give it to me, Young Master.”

Grozhang immediately received the box, as if he were stealing it.
The contents shook with a rattle.

Meanwhile, Emilia was approaching Hadius.

“You seem to think that such a gift will solve everything…”
“I clearly told you before.
I don’t think like that at all.”
“Then why do you do this? Do you have any problems? Is it that fun, forcing me to say no?”

Hadius smiled instead of answering.
It was a perverse smile, with an affirmative meaning.
Emilia was at a loss for words for a moment.

“One is right, and one is wrong.
Seeing your reaction was more amusing than I thought, but I didn’t think you would really hate it.
On the contrary.”

What does that mean? Blinking his eyes, the surprising words continued.

“You like small and weak things.
Family, Beppy, a small gift like this, a lovely dog, and so on.”
“Ha! Don’t put it that way.
The Young Master is just a strange person.
You are a rude aristocratic man who is bored to death and torments people for fun.”
“I don’t care what you think.”
“See, you only think of yourself.”

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“That’s right, I only think of myself.
Very selfishly.”

Emilia frowned heavily, thinking about how to retort his words.
Then, she drooped her shoulders for a moment.
She also seemed like giving up, as if whatever that had been burning had subsided.

“Mister Beppy.
The carriage.
Brave.
Those are enough.”

Emilia muttered, powerlessly.

“I promised.
I am willing to sign the breakup agreement.
So please, stop.”
“Why are you so serious? You know Meyer lives in a pile of gold.
What I gave you is meaningless, it’s just a ‘thing’.”

As Emilia lost the strength to fight, Hadius also quickly waned.

“I really want to wrap it anew and give it to you again, but you will refuse it.”
“Yes, thank you so much for coming to your senses.
Then, I will get going now.”

As soon as she finished talking, Emilia quickly turned around, fiercely.
Then she started walking in a hurry as if she were being chased by something.
At the end of her steps was Beppy Dilson.
He was fidgeting, crumpling his hat with both hands.

Just before Emilia got on the carriage, Hadius belatedly opened his mouth.

“I have one thing to ask you.
A woman that is my Mother will visit you soon.”

A woman that is his Mother?
Emilia slowly turned her head, trying not to frown.

“Why? Why is she coming to visit me?”
“To make sure.”
“Make sure… Of what?”
“Obvious and tiresome things.
If the petty country child is dreaming of the day she becomes the Duchess; or if the heir of the family actually has a different heart towards that child.”

His words continued.

“At first I thought about stopping her from going, but I’m just going to leave her alone.”

Leave her alone?

While Emilia was surprised and couldn’t shut her mouth, Hadius turned towards the arched iron gate.

As they were getting farther away, only the bright sunlight was falling between them.

***

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With curved eyebrows, Beppy once again glanced to his side.

The blank looking Emilia made him as nervous as the Emilia who was furious as soon as she saw the gift box.
His rough hand scratched his chin, the back of his head, and his chin again.

Emilia, who was sitting anxiously, noticed his behavior after a while.

What is wrong with him? He shouldn’t make the person next to him uncomfortable just because he is feeling bad.

Emilia forcibly raised the corners of her mouth towards Beppy.
Only then could Beppy face Emilia properly.

“I’m not blaming Mister.
You only did what you were told to.
Instead, promise me one thing.”

Beppy put a fierce look on his eyes, as if saying ‘anything’.

“Please don’t go to Young Master Meyer without saying anything, like that time when that Cavendish problem happened.
If anything happens and you have to go, you must tell me first.
Do you understand?”
“Tell Emilia first.
I must tell Emilia first.”

Beppy nodded vigorously.
How vigorously he nodded, that his hat fell behind him.
Emilia had no choice but to forget everything for a moment and burst into laughter.

Although he pledged so firmly, not even a day later, again Beppy did something his Master did not tell him to do.

“A stable? You are going to build a stable?”

Behind Beppy, who nodded, was a pile of wood, bricks, and tools.

“The horse will sleep and Beppy will sleep too.”
“Why? Mister… You can keep sleeping on the farm.”

After answering, she felt a little sorry that, in a way, it seemed like she was kicking him out.

Last night, Charlotte whined about wanting to stay with Mister Beppy all day long.
Their mother also felt sorry, saying she wished they had a side room when she was seeing him returning to the farm, late in the evening.

But, in the end, Beppy Dilson is Hadius’ person.

Emilia made up her mind.

“How about doing this? Sleep in Charlotte’s attic.
When you are too tired to go back to the farm late at night.”
“No.
Beppy make Beppy’s house.”
“But you will only be here for a few months.”

She swallowed dry and spoke quite firmly, but should she say he is slow-witted in that aspect? Beppy didn’t even pretend to listen.

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“Beppy make Beppy’s house.”

Emilia sighed.
Who can stop him? That extremely stubborn Mister.

A servant faithful to his words, Beppy was fixing a post to the ground, as he pleased.

“I don’t know why you’re going this far.”
“It is dangerous at night.
I protect Emilia.”

Protect?

The blue eyes blinked slowly.

“There are many vagabonds.
There are many beggars.
Beppy protects Emilia.
Protects Kallia.
Protects Charlotte.
The zelkova forest is dangerous.”

Well, this is a secluded forest, and that is not a very good condition for just three women to live here.
Charlotte also experienced something terrible a long time ago.

However…

“Who said it? That it is dangerous here?”
“Hadius.”

A strange feeling passed through her chest.
At the same time, she realized a strange fact.

The day Beppy first came here.

She was shocked because of Hadius and couldn’t notice it, but now that she thinks of it, that day, Beppy wasn’t lost, not even once, and found the way.

“Mister, have you ever been here? Before we met.”
“Once.
I came here to perform.”
“Perform?”

She realized it right away.

“It must have been to practice.
Not perform.”
“Right.
Practice, I practiced.”

Countless questions filled her mind.
Starting with ‘Hadius’ and ending with ‘Hadius’…

Of course, she didn’t ask anything.

Emilia’s life was going back to the usual.
She doesn’t want to do something like throwing stones into a peaceful lake.