Love Doesn't Matter

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Chapter 58 – Anything Else To Sell?

The low setting sun dyed his sleek face a reddish hue. As if he had been working until just before, a sheet of paper hung narrowly from his fingertips. Shwaah~ The same wind causing rippling green waves in the vineyard slightly disturbed the dark hair above his forehead. He looked just like a child. Tired of playing, he fell asleep, defenseless…

Watching the man’s shirt go up and down regularly in the center, Emilia sat in an empty chair. It was really weird. At first, she was going to force him to wake me up. However, when she saw him sleeping soundly, her heart suddenly faltered.

Moreover, the small vial with an open lid made the blazing will to fight fade for a while. Because it looked too similar to the ‘tranquilizer’ the doctor gave her a long time ago when Charlotte often had seizures.

Hadius did not wake up for quite some time. Meanwhile, the shadows grew longer and the sky was colored with a darker light. The gaze that had been nailed to the man slowly drifted toward the terrace. It was a beautiful place, enough to cool down her boiling heart.

Starting with the cool water fountain, there was a small pond with long metasequoia trees stretching along both sides and full of water lilies at the end. A lovely footbridge crossed the small stream and led to the vineyards. The vast vineyard overlooking the terrace was a spectacular sight beyond words. She had heard the villa owned by the royal family was spectacular, but it was much more than that. Emilia, who had been staring blankly lost in thoughts, suddenly realized something strange.

‘Come to think of it, why is this man sleeping here? This place, which has been used as a separate palace for the royal family for nearly 100 years…’

“Did you do that to try to discourage me?”

Emilia’s head turned sideways at the sudden voice. Hadius had already woken up and was looking at her. Just for a second, her heart fluttered facing those drowsy eyes. She tucked her short hair behind her ear as if acting coyly.

“Do you think I cut my hair just to shake Young Master’s heart?”

“Is there any other reason?”

Hadius asked like that but had no different expression than usual.

‘I thought you’d pretend to be surprised…’ He looked like he didn’t care whether her hair was long or short, or she was being sarcastic or not. Oddly enough, that attitude only fueled suspicion.

“Why does it look like Young Master is pretending not to know?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about money. To be precise, this incomprehensible debt that my stepmother owes so suddenly and out of the blue.”

Emilia opened the pocketbook she was holding. Thanks to selling everything that symbolized her aristocratic acting, including her hair, her stepmother was able to raise all the money she had to pay back Ramsco. She, who was about to pay it back on the spot, changed her mind briefly and brought it all the way. All of this was to check whether or not that man had planned it or not.

“Young Master didn’t do it?”

Emilia asked straightforwardly, and Hadius blinked slowly. The man’s languid eyes roamed in front of the money pocket, then turned to her short hair again.

“…You sold your hair.”

“Yes, please, do not keep changing the subject and answer me now. Was it really a coincidence? Cavendish, the factory with overdue wages, my stepmother’s debt, is it really a coincidence that all these things happened at the same time? Exactly to what extent did the Young Master intervene?”

Sheo seemed about to go crazy from frustration, and unlike her, Hadius kept his mouth shut. Silently, Emilia just stared at him motionlessly.

The man wasn’t embarrassed at all. He didn’t make any snarky faces or make excuses. As always, they faced each other serenely.

“Was the Young Master’s deed… Right?”

“Why are you asking that? I think you’ve already decided on the answer in your heart.”

“…I’ll say it again.” Emilia swallowed and continued.

“Don’t get off the hook and answer me correctly. Right now I… I’m barely holding on.”

Hadius was not agitated even though he might have felt that she was on the verge of exploding.

“Come on.”

As she urged him, his mouth finally opened.

“Yeah.”

“…!”

For a moment, Emilia felt as if she was falling off the edge of a cliff. Feeling despair cutting deeply into her bones, she closed her eyes tightly.

“I will admit one thing. Young Master is a genius in that area. How did you even manage to make my stepmother’s factory… How did you even coax Aunt Rosie…?”

Emilia fell into despair beyond her anger.

“Actually, for people like the Young Master, it must have been easier than breathing. You said you would protect me and my family. But then you make us take a loan with high interest?”

She realized it while talking. It was nothing else that was twisting her chest painfully now.

Disappointment.

Emilia was so disappointed in him that it made it hard to breathe.

“I can’t believe you made my innocent stepmother beg at a place like ‘Ramsco’… Truly shameful and dirty.”

Facing Emilia with her clenched fists tightly, Hadius stood up. The blanket dropped, revealing his stout upper body. A long arm reached out and picked up a water bottle. Emilia watched the whole process as he opened the lid, poured water into a cup, and gulped it down. Her heart was boiling again. As if determined to pour oil, he asked the wrong thing.

“You must have taken Beppy Dilson with you, right? When you went to Ramsco.”

“…Can’t you see?”

Emilia answered bluntly and pointed to the middle-aged man sitting inside the room.

‘But no way! That Mister is dozing off!’

“Continue.”

“…What?”

“Where did all this money come from? Hair alone would not have been enough.”

“I sold everything that made me look like a pathetic noble lady. The money I’ve saved so far and the money I’ve received from Mr. Haspel are all in there.”

Suddenly tears welled up. Emilia barely swallowed the hot lump that filled her throat.

“You know what? That money was Mitch’s new uniform. It was savings to send Charlotte to a school for the blind. It was also a farewell gift for that good Mister and a wedding present for Laura. Above all, it was the first money I ever made on my own.”

With trembling lips, she struggled to force out every word, when suddenly a glass of water was held in front of her. His nonchalant behavior made her grit her teeth, and once again, something churned upside down and seemed to explode. Emilia pressed her nails into her palms, holding back the boiling emotions. Every time she got angry, something terrible happened.

‘From now on, I will become a person as cold as ice.’

“I was wondering what the hell a bordello was, and it turns out it is a place where money can buy women. The Young Master is trying to do that now. To make me a prostitute…”

Hadius did not deny her words and watched Emilia silently.

“Do you think I can give in so easily? How much money is this? Hurry and take it. It pays off the principal plus interest.”

The gaze on the top of her head was so intense that she had to hold her trembling hands tightly.

“…Then, what if I say this?”

A low, wet voice ran down her spine. Emilia slowly raised her head. She met the man’s gaze and froze.

“What if you had to pay back more money?”

The shock suffocated her.

“Then what are you going to do? You cut off all your precious hair. What are you going to sell now?” His drowsy eyes stared at Emilia languidly. Emilia understood at once what the darkened gaze meant.

She felt nauseous. Her body started to tremble.

“What can you really sell?”

She thought of screaming. She was about to call Mister Beppy, putting all her strength in her lower abdomen. The loud cry was about to rip open her throat and come out.

“Don’t worry, Emilia. Not now.”

Hadius suddenly changed. As if he had never said anything shocking, he drew an elegant line and moved away from her. After a while, the glass of water was pushed back once more.

“Drink. Before you faint.”

‘Could this be a dream? Or a play?’

‘Maybe I’m watching a two-faced lunatic…?’

When Emilia didn’t move, he grabbed her trembling hands and wrapped them around the glass of water. He even supported the glass with his hand in case she dropped it. In the whole process, the man’s hands were damn warm. The glass wrapped around her palms slowly revived her frozen senses.

Emilia took a sip of water and moistened her dry lips. In her heart, she vowed to keep her cool over and over again.

“I’ve always thought about it. Can I really buy you with money? How far can I go if I do? Things like that.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Right, it is.”

Emilia, who had lost her mind for a moment at the sound of his light chuckle, stared at the empty medicine bottle again. She waited for the beating pulse to subside, then opened her mouth calmly again.

“I… will never trust the Young Master anymore. No matter what you say or do.”

Hadius looked at the solemn gaze for a long time. Then he suddenly passed her and left the terrace. His steps stopped in front of Mister Beppy. As expected, he shook Beppy to wake him up. He looked up blankly at his master in amazement. Hadius said something, and Beppy’s shoulders slumped down helplessly. Subsequently, the large hand scratched the back of his head.

‘Are you being scolded?’ While she stood blankly, thinking, Hadius returned to the terrace with Mister.

“Mister?”

Beppy stood stiffly behind Emilia.

“Now sit down.”

Hadius slowly leaned back on the sunbed. Emilia looked at him with her back straight.

“What kind of joke is this?”

“Beppy Dilson is watching over you. So sit comfortably.”

“No.”

Emilia shook her head.

“I don’t believe you. After all, Mister is Young Master’s person. So, obviously, he will do what the Young Master tells him to do, not me. You make me believe this but in a critical moment…”

Suddenly, a roar erupted from behind her.

“Beppy is a good servant! Protect Emilia! Protect!”

Emilia was a little startled and turned to look at Beppy.

‘How should I accept it?’

The man’s burning eyes looked sincere, but the problem was his owner, Hadius Meyer.

“You still don’t know? Beppy Dilson is really yours.”

Speaking sternly, he looked back at Beppy.

“What did I just say? Repeat it to the Lady.”

“If Emilia is bullied, you punish. Punish Hadius too. Also a gun.”

He really had a pistol in his hand. Emilia was shocked once more.

“I told Beppy. If someone touches you carelessly, hit the bullet right there. Including me. Right, Beppy Dilson?”

Beppy nodded and tucked the gun in his waistband. Then he covered it with the hem of his jacket so it wasn’t visible. He looked pretty skillful at handling a pistol. When did he learn…?

“So Emilia, please keep quiet and look over there.”

He pointed to the sky over the vineyard. She could guess what he was telling her to see. A majestic sunset, the crimson sun staining the vineyards with blood. The marvelous scene created by nature was seducing Emilia. But she never turned her head. Distrust was deeply rooted in her heart.

“Go ahead and tell me. How much money do I have to pay you back?”

Slightly cold eyes stared at Emilia for a long time.

“Please. If you still have any good feelings about me, please tell me. How much more money did my stepmother borrow? At Ramsco, they definitely said that I only needed to pay this much back. Where the hell else did she borrow money from…?”

Her heart was pounding anxiously. The confidence that soared up to the sky as she walked around all day today and piled up money bit by bit was about to disappear like a mirage.

‘Yeah, Hadius Meyer is too humorous. Is not a person to set a trap for the said prize.’

‘How much would it be? Will I be able to repay it? Why is my stepmother’s debt so large?’

The unpaid salary was only three months’ worth, and nothing special had happened in between. When ordinary people suddenly go into debt, the only reason is gambling or because someone is ill. Or someone set a trap…

“How much money do I have to pay back?!”

Hadius turned his head slightly at the loud shout. He lifted the pocket of money that had been left on the side to her eye level and said,

“About twice as much.”

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[tl/n: Hello guys! This is Gina, as you may know, sadly, Miki dropped this series after doing chapter 57. I was offered to continue so~ here I am. I’ll take the lead from now on, and hopefully, you’ll keep supporting this novel and our work! Thank you as always!!]

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