4.

Wesley’s loud voice from the dining room carried all the way to Leon’s nearby room. He was eating alone in his bedroom. It was Yvonne’s request.

“Could you eat alone today?”

She had asked him this a moment ago. She probably didn’t want Leon to hear Wesley’s ranting. Since Wesley only spoke words that hurt her pride, he immediately understood she was doing this for her own dignity. Understanding her feelings, he had no choice but to grant her request. Her effort to handle things alone was admirable. Though she would suffer, he hoped she would endure well.

Boom! Crash.

Outside, a fierce rainstorm was raging. With thunder and flashing lightning too. It was a scene that perfectly matched this atmosphere.

Why haven’t you signed yet?

Sign it right now. Can you even eat right now?

How did my brother raise his children for both of them to turn out like this?

His voice was so loud it penetrated through the sky-splitting thunder all the way to his room. What impressive vocal cords.

He must still be aggressively pressuring Yvonne right now.

He felt uneasy thinking about how Yvonne must be suffering right now.

The violent raindrops painfully pelted against the window pane.

***

“Is he treating you like a fiancée?”

Yvonne felt dizzy. The shouting entering her ears seemed to scramble her entire mind. If the goal was to prevent her from thinking straight, it was more than halfway achieved.

“You asked me to deal with you, didn’t you? Yet you’re running away like this? If you’re going to be like this, just break off the engagement.”

This wasn’t just testing the waters. He had ulterior motives to make things certain. Wesley felt newly impressed by his own cleverness. Well, when he made plans with schemes in mind, no one could match him. Mostly for bad things though. Wesley, believing they had no intention to marry, decided to pretend not to know and encourage it.

“Seeing how he’s acting, they’ll break it off soon. What does he take our family for. You should demand to break off the engagement first from your side.”

Uncle seemed to misunderstand Leon who wasn’t present here. Even though she had requested it. But she didn’t bother explaining. Just engaging in conversation was exhausting.

Yvonne sat quietly with a blank expression. Her most hated weather — a thunderstorm with lightning — was pouring outside. She could already feel her body starting to tremble.

It had been weather like this when her mother passed away, and often when Leon would drag her to the study. Perhaps this weather made people more cruel. That’s why she hated thunder and lightning. Moreover, uncle’s thorny words felt like they were being whipped at her like invisible lashes. He chose only the cruelest words to speak.

Wesley inwardly rejoiced watching Yvonne sitting frozen still with her eyes cast down in fear. It would be beneficial to make them break off the engagement as soon as possible. It was right to completely cut off even the smallest sprout while they could. It still bothered him that that man continued to exist under the title of fiancé. If they were going to break it off, they should hurry up and do it.

Leon too seemed to have avoided being present out of fear of him. To think he was such a coward. It was a very good development. Desirable.

It was almost within his grasp now. Everything would soon be wrapped up as he planned. Just get the signature submitted and make Yvonne break off the engagement.

After shouting for so long, he had gotten hungry. He hadn’t properly eaten these delicious things because he was deliberately yelling. Now it was time to slowly savor them.

While outwardly grumbling, Wesley’s hands moved busily as he secretly marveled at the melt-in-your-mouth meat.

***

“Eve. If I get a belly like uncle, will I be able to have such a loud voice too?”

Yvonne found Emil’s idea amusing. It was more admirable that he wasn’t too hurt by it.

The noise outside the window was still deafening. Knowing she hated this weather, Emil had come to her room at night. She had actually been a bit scared and trembling, but when the angel appeared at the door, it all disappeared.

Emil climbed onto the wide bed and lay down with Yvonne. On days like this, Emil would stay beside her like this.

“I was worried that uncle might make his belly cave in from yelling so much.”

Emil really meant that worry. He seemed to think uncle’s voice came from his belly. Though it wasn’t resonating like an oak barrel, Emil appeared to think so.

“Wouldn’t that be good? His belly would go down and he’d look better.”

Yvonne played along with Emil.

“Unless uncle himself thinks it looks good, I don’t think he’d like his belly going down just because we think it looks better.”

Ah. Is that so. Sometimes Emil’s thoughts were better than hers.

“Our Emil shouldn’t get a belly or shout loudly.”

“Okay. But aren’t there no other nobles who have such loud voices?”

Someone like that isn’t qualified to covet the title of count. Emil wasn’t saying this. Though ordinary people would mean it that way.

Shouldn’t you lower your voice if you want to become a count? This was Emil’s meaning.

“Emil. No. You absolutely cannot hand over the title of count. What did sister tell you?”

“Yes. You said I have to inherit it.”

“That’s right. So you absolutely must not sign anything. Even if uncle tries to force you, run away like a squirrel. Understand?”

“Then what about you, Eve?”

He still seemed worried about Eve.

“Don’t worry. Just run away by yourself quickly. Understand? Remember this well.”

Emil nodded despite looking gloomy. She hoped such a situation wouldn’t arise, but you never know. They had to be prepared.

“I wish I could grow up quickly so you could hide behind me.”

Emil started yawning gradually. Thanks to Emil, she could forget how noisy it was outside.

Just the thought was admirable. Yvonne put Emil to sleep first. He fell asleep right away, probably tired. His sleeping face still looked like a baby’s.

I’ll…… protect you.

No matter what happens.

If things get bad, they might really have to run away. Making this resolution, Yvonne slowly closed her eyes too.

***

Yvonne blinked her eyes as she woke up. The rain had stopped outside the window. But the sky was still cloudy.

Yvonne stretched big while recalling the dream she just had. She couldn’t remember the details clearly, but there was definitely a golden-haired baby angel flying and a giant frog with a round belly chasing her. And then there was a black demon with a crutch smiling wickedly up ahead. What was this? It seemed like they all got tangled up fighting at once. Who won?

She couldn’t remember any more. Her unsettled mind must have led to troubled dreams. To her, that demon was more horrifying than the frog.

She shook her head to shake off that unlucky dream and got up. Come to think of it, it was a bit strange that Leon kept leaving her alone. He seemed to be avoiding her because of the tension from her uncle’s arrival. In any case, it was fortunate that at least Leon wasn’t bothering her. She didn’t even hope for help, but it would be nice if they could continue living under the same roof without clashing.

Upon opening her eyes, she already knew Emil was gone. It wasn’t surprising. Emil tended to wake up early for a child. Especially after rain. He probably ran out happily because there would be more things to observe outside. Wonder what he’ll draw today.

Emil always managed to find something to capture in his drawings from places that seemed to have nothing special. At those times, he would be so absorbed in drawing that he wouldn’t notice even if someone approached close by. She often quietly watched how cute and lovely he looked at those times.

While they were all having breakfast in their own rooms, Emil was probably running around without eating.

After finishing the simple breakfast Eva brought, she hurried to get ready to go outside. She should go find Emil. She wanted to start the day pleasantly.

“You still haven’t come to your senses? What is all this? Didn’t I tell you not to do this?”

As she was coming down the stairs, uncle’s thundering voice pierced her head sharply again.

“No, you can’t. Give that back.”

When she heard Emil’s tearful voice, Yvonne rushed down the stairs.

At the entrance of the hall, uncle was dragging Emil in by his thin arm. In his hand was Emil’s precious, precious sketchbook. The small sketchbook she had cut and bound with string one by one. It was Emil’s number one treasure, but he was carelessly holding it and crumpling it.

“Stop.”

Yvonne called out urgently as she approached Emil.

She forcibly separated Emil from uncle and snatched away the sketchbook clutched in his hand.

“How dare you.”

Uncle’s hand stopped as it started to move forward. If there hadn’t been eyes watching, it would have swung down. She was so sick of people like this. Why were only such low-class men gathering around her? This was all the more reason why uncle absolutely could not become their guardian.

She returned the sketchbook to Emil and faced uncle with cold eyes.

“I told you to leave Emil alone, didn’t I?”

It was so embarrassing that this person was a relative and elder of the family. She would absolutely not lose to someone like this.