A Summer with My Bitter Rival - Chapter 3
Chapter 2.1 – Night of the Yacht Party (1)
Emeline was born into the House of Duke Delzeor, a family that valued dignity and carried royal blood.
Raised to pursue perfection from a young age, she became the flower of high society, envied by many. But her life, for all its privileges, felt like a gilded cage. She had to give up pursuing her own dreams just to become the perfect bride, which spoke volumes about her situation.
Her dull, routine life was carefully controlled by her father’s rules.
She recalled her father’s parting words that morning.
‘You’ll attend the yacht party tonight with Count Renier. Be sure to keep him pleased. The bank owned by the Reniers holds great value. I trust you understand the importance of securing this marriage.’
As the servants busied themselves dressing her, Emeline looked up and examined her reflection in the mirror. Her glossy black hair, cold ocean-blue eyes, and elegant features stared back at her.
She was dressed more beautifully than usual, in preparation for meeting her fiancé.
Tonight’s party would be where they publicly announced their engagement.
‘After tonight, I’ll finally start to forget Zenon Trantium.’
As she made this resolution, Emeline frowned, suddenly remembering the dream she had the night before. The memory of that shameless, arrogant man’s hands and lips on her skin still left her feeling uncomfortable.
With a sigh, Emeline finished getting ready and pushed the memory aside before leaving the room.
The man who had come to escort her was waiting outside, right on time.
“Lord Renier, you’re here early.”
Emeline approached him with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower, wearing an expression of warm welcome.
The man, upon seeing her, flashed a smile in return.
“I was so eager to see you, Lady Emeline, that I rushed over. I apologize if I intruded on your time.”
“No, not at all.”
Emeline replied politely as she took his hand and climbed into the carriage.
Count Matisse Renier. He was officially her fiancé.
Although they were engaged, their relationship wasn’t built on love. It was simply a transaction between their families for mutual benefit.
Still, for Emeline, it wasn’t a bad arrangement.
His family had a prestigious reputation, which would enhance her own status. Besides, Matisse Renier had a decent personality and was fairly handsome.
Though, as her father had put it, it was uncertain whether he could truly understand someone as “peculiar” as her.
As the carriage sped along and the ship gradually came into view, Matisse suddenly spoke as though he’d just remembered something.
“Come to think of it, Lady Emeline, are you acquainted with the younger son of Marquis Trantium?”
“…The younger son of Marquis Trantium?”
Another familiar title for Zenon.
She was momentarily caught off guard, but Emeline did her best to stay composed.
Everyone knew about the political rivalry between the Delzeor and Trantium houses, so she had to maintain a neutral reaction.
“Yes, we were… classmates.”
“Ah, I see. I heard that he and his fiancée will be attending Count Bruno’s yacht party tonight. He’s been away studying abroad for the past four years.”
Emeline’s eyes widened before she could stop herself.
Zenon was going to be at the same socialite party as her and Matisse— and with his fiancée, no less.
“He has quite the reputation as a reckless playboy, so I’d advise caution,” Matisse added in a calm tone. Emeline forced a smile and nodded, even as her lips trembled slightly.
After four years, she was about to face her first love, the man who had left her behind.
Emeline locked eyes with Matisse, her gaze firm.
If she couldn’t avoid this encounter, then perhaps this strange coincidence was actually an opportunity.
A chance for her to prove that her past with him meant nothing.
After all, wasn’t the whole point of attending tonight’s party to publicly announce her engagement?
Emeline quietly studied Matisse.
With his neatly styled dark brown hair, he exuded grace and quiet confidence. His manners were impeccable, and his noble bearing mirrored her own.
He was everything Zenon Trantium was not.
That man had been frivolous, impulsive, and utterly lacking in sophistication.
‘You’ll help me erase him from my life.’
Feeling more certain of this, Emeline directed her anxious gaze out the carriage window.
They were slowly approaching the party venue in the faint distance.
̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊
As they stepped aboard the luxurious yacht, where the party was already in full swing, several people recognized them and greeted them with warm smiles.
“Lady Delzeor, Lord Renier! It’s been a while. We had heard rumors of your engagement, and seeing you both here together confirms it.”
“Yes, I’ve been enjoying a wonderful relationship with Lady Emeline,” Matisse replied, flashing a polite smile as he looked at her. Emeline responded with a shy smile.
As prominent members of young nobility, they were the center of attention, exchanging pleasantries with many guests.
But as Emeline casually glanced around, taking in the number of attendees, she suddenly found herself wondering.
‘The ship is supposed to depart soon, so where is he?’
Among the many people on board, the man Emeline was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
She scanned the crowd again before shaking off the thought.
‘Actually, this is for the best. Not seeing him would be the cleanest outcome.’
To clear her mind, Emeline gently tugged on Matisse’s arm. He turned his attention to her, even while in the middle of a conversation.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just wanted to get a closer look at the ocean.”
“Well then, let’s move to a better spot.”
Matisse politely sent the person he’d been talking to on their way and led her toward the ship’s railing.
Emeline felt a wave of relief as she followed him across the deck.
But just then, a commotion erupted behind them.
Curious, she turned around.
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