Love Doesn't Matter

Chapter 107 – Intensely Inept

In an instant, Bianca’s eyes widened and the image of a flash of lightning flitted through William’s mind.

No matter how much she pretended to be a male impersonator, Bianca was still a woman. And a young one at that, barely twenty.

“Master Meyer must have upset you, didn’t he?”

“No… it’s not like that.”

But Bianca’s look said otherwise.

“Confide in me. I am clearly on your side.”

True to her noble upbringing, with her high nose and strong pride, Bianca remained tight-lipped. And the more she withheld, the more certain William became. Something had happened between them that they couldn’t discuss openly.

“There’s one thing you need to remember. If your relationship with Meyer fails, it is I who will suffer the most. More specifically, it’s the many investors, including myself.”

“I am well aware of that. The alliance between House Hadius and myself is not just a merger of two families. I also know that it’s something we can’t undo at this point.”

“Yes. That’s why I find you so remarkable. You’re different from those spineless women who can’t tell the difference between business and marriage.”

As William, there was nothing wrong with having Lady Reinen rely on him.

Meanwhile, Hannes and Caitlyn were busy with their alliance, spinning their webs and rolling the dice behind her back.

William himself couldn’t help but consider his position after the merger.

There was something suspicious about Hadius Meyer in particular. No matter what, he was the heir and would eventually become Duke Meyer, swayed by his mother’s whims and desires.

Caitlyn Meyer always claimed that she could control her son well, but to William’s thinking, Hadius Meyer’s power had grown too much over the past few months.

Hadn’t they promised that the official succession would take place after their marriage?

But Caitlyn went ahead and handed over Meyer Steel. And for some reason, William himself felt constantly pushed aside.

Could it be…

William’s heart sank.

“Tell me. What happened between you two?”

* * *

She had spent the night plagued by nightmares.

Phantom figures with no feet approached stealthily, suddenly strangled her with their hands around her throat, and surrounded her with dozens of knife-wielding assassins. It was a terrifying dream.

Emilia thrashed frantically, screaming until her voice gave out.

Dahlia rushed over, calmed her, and changed the damp sheets.

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

But as soon as she closed her eyes, the crushing fear gripped her again, as if she were held in a vise. Emilia shivered in the faint candlelight and spent the entire night crouching, clutching her hands.

Books had given her a wealth of information about pregnancy and childbirth, but they couldn’t dispel the mysterious, irrational fear.

According to the prayer books, the fetus is firmly attached to the mother’s body and soul…

Emilia felt her chest burst with guilt.

Having heard about Emilia’s condition from Dahlia, Yvonne paid her a visit the next day.

When she opened the door, she found a well-behaved Rapunzel eager to listen.

Emilia claimed that she had been diligently reading books, even in the windowless prison, without a single complaint. She mentioned that she had eaten every meal, despite feeling nauseous, for the child’s sake, and that she hadn’t set foot outside the room.

Seeing Emilia staring blankly out of the window, Yvonne felt another pang of sadness.

“Shall we go to the lake for a bit?”

Emilia beamed with anticipation but soon said with a worried expression, “But… I’m not sure if it will work.”

“I guess I scared you too much,” Yvonne chuckled and spoke.

“That’s okay. Since the sunlight is nice, it would be good to take a leisurely walk. I have ordered a bed and a canopy to be prepared for you. Lie down there and rest while you enjoy some snacks. Is there anything else you’d like to eat?”

“Grapes.”

Emilia made her request in a cautious, yet yearning tone, causing Yvonne to burst out laughing.

“It reminds me of when we had Louis Bohr. I wanted fruit so much then… But you’re even better than me. You don’t want something impossible like apricots in the middle of winter, do you? Now get up.”

A few minutes later, Emilia was basking in the sun on the picturesque lakeside.

The clear and calm water reflected the blue sky and white clouds. The trees surrounding the lake were vibrant with the final brilliance of autumn, radiating a splendid array of colors. The cool and refreshing air, along with the warm campfire, embraced her body in a pleasant way.

Was it because she hadn’t been able to sleep last night?

Emilia finally felt a drowsiness settling in, as if a soft cream had been consumed, enveloping her in a sweet sensation. Unconsciously, she smiled and waited patiently.

For him to call her name again.

“Emilia…”

It was a deep, low voice that enveloped her entire body, a pleasant dream.

Emilia plunged into the sweet sensation. Without realizing it, she waited eagerly, still smiling.

Hoping he would call her name again.

Unfortunately, the pleasant echo dissipated before it came to an end, leaving only fragments in her ears.

Please continue.

Emilia pleaded.

Please keep calling my name.

Sadly, a cool breeze blew from somewhere, persistently trying to disturb her sweet slumber. Emilia quickly pushed her consciousness, floating on the surface of sleep, back into its deep depths.

Thanks to this, she didn’t notice anything at all.

Under the lace-adorned white shade, a disheveled man wandered aimlessly, not knowing what to do.

Hadius stared silently at the sleeping girl. With clenched fists, he struggled to control the tempestuous emotions that raged within him. Helplessly, he put his hand in his pocket, gripping it tightly, resigned to just watching.

The sleeping Emilia looked so childlike.

And this child had a child of her own.

Advertisements

His crimson eyes traced the curve of her slender waist, past her passionate breasts, and finally to her petite abdomen.

It felt as if his heart would burst in an instant.

Countless things had rushed at him during his relentless pursuit to this point.

But among them, only one terrifying fact remained.

Countless women give birth and die. One in twelve.

Damn it.

Hadius clenched his fist until it dug into his flesh.

Why did it have to end like this…

He ran his trembling hand roughly through his hair. The sun, hidden behind the clouds, pierced his blurred vision with pain.

When did it all start?

Deep in despair, his thoughts flowed in a deeply introspective direction.

Was it the first night? Or when we lay down together? Or maybe in the bathroom? … No, it could have been the day they lost themselves in each other, standing against the pillar of passion.

Not for a moment did they think about contraception. No, they couldn’t. They couldn’t hold back the things that should have been kept out of their bodies and instead exchanged them haphazardly.

Just a few months ago, Emilia had thought that the union between man and beast was something else entirely, the kind of woman she was.

But now she was pregnant.

Hadius wiped his face with his dry hands and looked again at her small belly.

Never in his life had he thought about having a child. He had never even seen a pregnant woman, let alone understood the relationship between parents and children.

Whatever being grew inside her, Hadius felt no attachment to it.

Only… may it not torment you…

May you not hate me for creating you like this…

His desolate eyes turned back to the lake. Two waterfowls glided gracefully across the calm surface.

Suddenly, he remembered the baby bird he had seen on the beach. The gaze of Emilia, looking down as if there were nothing more lovable.

Yes, you love countless fragile beings in this world. You will never hate the being that grows within you. So I too must do my best for it, no matter what it takes.

Hadius composed himself, fighting to subdue the tempestuous emotions that raged like a storm.

A gust of wind rustled the leaves, brushing against the tent and cooling his body.

The weather is quite cold…

As Hadius sighed and turned back to her, he suddenly regained his senses.

When did she wake up?

He found himself transfixed by her sharp sapphire eyes, staring intently at him.

The next moment, something even more shocking happened.

Her small, adorable eyelids began to quiver, and from there the spasms spread to her pale cheeks and narrow jaw.

Hadius stood as if struck by lightning, unable to do anything but watch silently as tears streamed down her face.

“By all means, Your Majesty, what… why… why are you behaving like this?”

“Ha!”

Josef sighed in frustration as well.

“I’m not wrong, am I? Isn’t she crying right now?”

Even Yvonne’s narrowed eyes turned to Emilia. Even though she was far away and couldn’t be seen clearly, the flicker of her eyes as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand clearly indicated crying.

“Why are you standing there like an idiot? You should go and hug her right now.”

Yvonne muttered in a pitiful tone.

“I seem to be worse than our son, Hannes.”

Yvonne’s voice trembled as she held her five year old youngest son in her arms.

“It’s my fault. I should have let her hear it first. Then maybe she would have given me a bouquet of flowers or something. I didn’t expect it to be so frustrating!”

“That’s right,” Josef murmured, licking his lips.

“I think I should be the one to step up.”

“What?”

“I should teach the young prince how to treat women. I’ll have a drink with him tonight and talk it over. Don’t forget, for our business to succeed, these two must be well connected. It’s not good for us if Meyer and Reinen are together.”

“That’s right. You’re right.”

Yvonne nodded quietly.

* * *

William Richards pondered the riddle during the entire carriage ride.

In the end, Bianca never revealed her true feelings.

“There is nothing wrong, milady. I just wanted to be sure. I wanted to know who is more desperate for this marriage.”

William mentally replayed every conversation he had with her. He dissected each meticulously, stripping away the polite veneer and leaving only one strange thing.

“That commoner woman. I thought of going to see her. It seems that Duchess Meyer deeply regrets how harshly she treated that child.”

Bianca’s eyes had trembled with intense emotion, clearly revealing her inner turmoil.

Yes, I should be careful. There’s nothing to lose.

Determined, he summoned his steward as soon as he arrived at his mansion.

“Go to Harel immediately and bring me someone.”

Harel was the den of criminals, a shadowy presence that performed all sorts of dark deeds for the nobles.

The steward, accustomed to the lord’s unpredictable visits, could only swallow hard before answering.