Chapter 25 - Faded Happiness
(Tobias and Emilia’s story)
Tobias had been staying at the new house since the day after his engagement was broken off.
Emilia moved into the new house a day later.
The commotion surrounding the broken engagement had spread through the Merchant Guild and to the surrounding area.
Because it was rumored that she worked as a receptionist at Orlando & Co., it was decided that she should stay at the new house.
Tobias had been prepared for the criticism he might face for the sudden breakup of the engagement, but there had been no major opposition.
In fact, his mother had been more supportive of Emilia than Dahlia, believing there was a chance to establish a connection with Viscount Tallini. Tobias had always believed that his mother and Dahlia were close, so he was surprised by her change of attitude.
His older brother, who was away on business in a neighboring country, hadn't been around to oppose the situation. However, Tobias expected to be scolded when his brother returned.
After his wedding with Dahlia, he had planned to take a break for a while.
But with the breakup leading to a compensation payment, along with the costs of moving Emilia in, Tobias had decided to take on work as quickly as possible. He was in the workshop looking over documents.
He had previously left the task of summarizing purchase costs to Dahlia, but now, he couldn't do so any longer.
That said, it wasn't such a complicated task, and he figured he could ask Emilia to help. That way, he could spend time with her in the workshop. With that thought in mind, he called for her, who was in their room.
"I’d like you to help me tally up these figures. It’s just adding them up from the top."
"...I’m sorry, Tobias-san. I’m slow with calculations, and I’m not good at this kind of thing..."
Seeing her in such a troubled state, Tobias gave up asking her to help.
"Then, could you write the labels for those raincoats instead?"
"Uhm, I’m sorry, but my handwriting is awful... I don’t think I can write it as neatly as the sample."
The sample labels had been written by Dahlia.
The handwriting slanted slightly upward to the right, neat and meticulous. It might indeed be considered beautiful.
Emilia’s handwriting was more awkward, and she likely didn’t want it to be compared to Dahlia’s.
"The work of a magical toolmaker is too difficult for me to understand, so I'll wait in the other room so as not to get in the way..."
"I understand. Then, could you prepare dinner?"
"Dinner? Aren’t you supposed to hire someone to cook, or go out to eat?"
Emilia widened her brown eyes in surprise and asked back.
They had been living together for a few days now, and while she had made tea for him multiple times, she had never cooked dinner. They always ate out at restaurants.
Although she had been a mistress’ child, she was still connected to the Viscount’s family, so perhaps this was simply the normal mindset after marriage. Tobias decided he would have to consult her mother and request some assistance with household chores. With that thought, he watched Emilia leave the room, then gathered up the documents.
As he worked absentmindedly while making a magical hair dryer, he noticed that the polishing powder for the finishing touches was running low.
"Dahlia..."
He began to speak as he turned around, but was struck dumb with shock.
He had unconsciously called Dahlia’s name.
They had been engaged for two years, and for the past year, they had worked together.
It was natural for her to be there; perhaps she had become such a familiar presence without him even realizing it.
A bitter, deep sigh escaped him.
As he gathered his composure and tried to continue his work, a timid knock sounded at the door.
"Sorry to disturb you... but, Tobias-san, did you see an amber brooch among my things?"
"No, I haven’t seen it..."
"I thought I put it in the closet."
"Sorry, I don’t know about the closet."
Though he had bought the closet in a hurry for Emilia, he hadn’t checked what was inside.
"Maybe it got mixed up during the move...?"
"Did you mean Dahlia’s closet?"
"It’s a cheap one, and it was my fault for accidentally putting it in Dahlia’s furniture. I was so happy when you asked me to move in, I just put it in right away... Please, don’t worry about it,"
Emilia said, her shoulders slumping as she left the workshop.
Dahlia’s closet had arrived a few days before the engagement was broken off.
Since the day Emilia moved in coincided with the moving, it must have been inadvertently transported as well.
He had no choice but to go to Dahlia's place and talk to her.
Tobias sighed deeply for the second time that day.
・・・・・・・
Later that afternoon, Tobias stood in front of the Green Tower.
He tried to open the gate by touching it as he had before, but it didn’t budge, almost as if it was rejecting him.
He rang the bell next to the gate twice, and after a while, Dahlia finally appeared.
"Orlando-san, how can I help you?"
She no longer addressed him as "Tobias."
On the other side of the gate, Dahlia called him "Orlando-san" in a formal tone, treating him like a stranger.
After the engagement was broken off, everything about her had changed.
Her dark brown hair was now a striking red in a semi-long cut, and her bare face had been carefully adorned with makeup, making her look elegant.
Her loose, oversized gray dress had been replaced with a well-tailored white shirt and a black long skirt.
Most noticeably, her glasses were gone, and there was nothing now to obscure the glance from her eyes, which used to be downcast.
Seeing Dahlia so completely transformed unsettled Tobias.
And yet, the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her made him feel terribly pathetic.
“Dahlia, might you have taken Emilia’s amber brooch?”
"Huh?"
"Did you see an amber brooch in the closet?"
Dahlia narrowed her emerald eyes like a cat and looked at him.
"I haven't brought any brooches. I've only taken back the furniture I brought with me."
"Then, are you saying that the brooch was just a misunderstanding on Emilia's part?"
"Seems like it. I left all the clothes in the closet and the contents of the dresser in that house. If you don’t believe me, you can confirm with the notary public at the Merchant Guild. It was Dominic-san who verified it."
"You had a notary public involved for this?"
It was costly to hire a notary public, even for a short period.
Tobias couldn’t help but feel that Dahlia had been too thorough.
"It was Marcella-san's suggestion. He said there are many couples who argue over furniture and belongings when they break up."
She said as though she could see right through his thoughts.
Indeed, it had been a last-minute and too sudden breakup of the engagement.
Since it was a suggestion from Marcella, there was nothing he could do about it.
"Anything else?"
"No, that’s all, Dahlia."
"Orlando-san, please stop calling me by my first name. From now on, call me Rossetti. I don't want any misunderstandings with your new fiancée or anyone else."
"...Alright."
Once he finally said it, Dahlia, with a brief farewell, turned to head back to the tower.
However, she stopped mid-way and looked back at him.
In her emerald eyes, a fleeting shadow passed.
"I just remembered. The used bed will be my wedding gift to you."
She said it with a brilliantly sharp smile, then turned without looking back, heading back to the tower.
Tobias was left standing there, unable to say anything further.
・・・・・・・
Emilia Tallini.
She became aware of the world in a room of a workers' housing complex.
She lived with her mother, playing with the other children around them and helping with the housework, leading what seemed like a perfectly ordinary life.
However, since she was young, her mother often told her, "You were supposed to be a noble."
Emilia had never met her father, but he was said to be a viscount.
Her mother’s love for him, being a commoner, had not been accepted, and they were separated, she was told.
Her mother always kept a pendant with a family crest, said to have been given to her by her father.
As a child, Emilia didn’t fully understand what it meant to be a noble, but she was content as long as her kind mother was with her.
When she turned ten, her mother begged her to attend the primary academy instead of working in the store or as a servant to the staff.
"Emilia, you mustn’t end up like me. You need to find someone who will make you truly happy. For that, you must attend the academy."
Emilia's mother had never been able to be with her noble father.
Because of that, Emilia thought her mother must have wished for her to find a husband who could bring her happiness.
Though Emilia wasn’t particularly skilled at her studies, she eventually managed to enroll in the academy through sheer effort.
Once at the academy, she realized something: nobles were dazzling, radiant, and treated with special privilege.
The precious outfit she wore for special occasions couldn’t compare to the everyday clothes worn by noble girls or those from wealthy merchant families.
On their commutes, nobles arrived in luxurious carriages escorted by knights, while even those from affluent merchant families often had attendants. Emilia’s circumstances were worlds apart.
Tea parties, dinners, vacation villas, and trendy shops—everything she heard about felt like something she could never partake in.
Even though the academy proclaimed equality, the dining hall and gardens naturally segregated into groups of nobles, the wealthy, and commoners.
Even when she wanted to approach, she couldn’t. It felt like they lived in an entirely different world.
Looking back, Emilia thought that it was only then that she truly came to terms with her own circumstances.
Unfortunately, she didn’t find her studies very enjoyable. Every subject was average for her, and it was all she could do to keep up.
Ultimately, when her mother fell ill, Emilia decided not to attend the high academy.
She worried about her mother’s worsening illness and helped out at a nearby shop to make ends meet.
Though most people around her were kind, the work was grueling. The water stung her rough hands from washing dishes, cleaning seemed endless, and there were rude customers with vulgar jokes. Delivering goods on bad weather days was a challenge. .
When her mother passed away just over a year later, Emilia cried as much as she could but eventually resigned herself to the loss.
It had been painful to watch her mother suffer from her illness.
With the help of her neighbors, Emilia held a small funeral. She had harbored a faint hope, but her father didn’t come.
She consoled herself with the thought that perhaps he was already with her mother in the afterlife.
Her mother’s illness had depleted the savings her father had supposedly left for them.
In her search for a job that she could do from morning till night in order to make a living, she was introduced to Orlando & Co. The shopkeeper where she had worked vouched for her.
It was at Orlando & Co. that she met a man named Tobias.
He had soft brown hair and a composed, handsome face.
His almond-colored eyes radiated kindness, and he always had a faint smile on his lips.
Tobias, who worked as a magical toolmaker while being affiliated to Orlando & Co., immediately caught her attention.
When she greeted him, he always responded politely.
When she sought his advice, he never spoke down to her despite being on the employer’s side, and he always offered sincere guidance.
Unlike other men, Tobias never teased her with crass jokes nor tried to flirt carelessly.
He was always kind and courteous toward her.
Though he wasn’t a noble, Emilia felt sure that if she could marry him, he would make his wife happy.
However, Tobias was already engaged to another magical toolmaker.
Out of curiosity, Emilia had wondered what kind of beautiful, wonderful woman his fiancée must be. But when she first met Dahlia, she felt a pang of disappointment.
She wondered why someone so plain would be Tobias’s fiancée.
Although Dahlia seemed to assist Tobias with various tasks, she appeared more like a helper or secretary than a fiancée or lover.
Tobias, too, didn’t show any signs of affection or love toward her.
Eventually, Emilia learned that Dahlia was the daughter of Tobias’s mentor.
Their engagement must have been arranged because of their work as magical toolmakers. Emilia couldn’t help but feel sorry for Tobias.
Even so, there was nothing she could do.
She could only watch Tobias from afar and occasionally share a meal with him under the pretense of seeking advice.
She couldn’t do anything more.
When she heard that their marriage certificate would soon be submitted, she managed to have dinner with Tobias at a tavern after he had a sudden visitor during lunch.
That evening, Emilia had her first drink. She couldn’t clearly remember what they talked about or how the conversation went.
However, when she mentioned she had never seen a large house fit for a family, Tobias showed her his new home, saying it might inspire her for the future.
Before seeing it, she had been excited. The house’s size and its many magical tool installations greatly impressed her.
But the moment she said, "I’d love to live in a house like this," she realized something.
It wasn’t that she wanted to live in a house like this—she wanted to live in it with Tobias.
She fell in love with him.
She wanted to be protected and made happy by someone like Tobias.
Right then and there, she tearfully confessed, "I know about Dahlia-san, but I love you."
Thinking back on it made her blush, but Tobias had told her then, "I’ll break off my engagement with Dahlia. Let’s get married and live here together." They spent the night in that house.
Emilia felt incredibly fortunate.
She believed Tobias would make her happy forever in that house.
Overjoyed, she placed her clothes in the large closet and her makeup pouch in the beautiful dresser.
She also stored the pendant with the Tallini Viscount family crest, a memento from her father, in the dresser.
She harbored a faint hope that if Dahlia came to the house, her father’s name might offer her protection.
She hear that Tobias and Dahlia’s engagement ended without much dispute.
Soon after, Emilia began living with Tobias.
Their days in the new house were joyful, and Tobias was very kind to her.
However, during a meal out with Tobias, he casually called out to a woman on the terrace, addressing her as "Dahlia."
Emilia couldn’t understand how Tobias recognized her, nor did she want to.
To her, that woman seemed like a stranger.
When she realized the woman sitting there was indeed Dahlia, she was utterly shocked.
Dahlia’s plain hair was now dyed a vibrant red, and her previously oversized clothes had been replaced by expensive attire that accentuated her natural beauty. Her frumpy glasses were gone, and her face bore the refined makeup of a sophisticated adult, making her look like an entirely different person.
Dahlia had grown more beautiful and radiant.
A sudden fear gripped Emilia—what if Tobias went back to her? That fear moved her before she realized it.
"I’m so sorry! I’ve wanted to apologize for so long... for hurting you."
Her words were half-truths and half-lies.
While part of her truly wanted to apologize, her jealousy was stronger.
She was also terrified of losing Tobias.
"It’s not Emilia’s fault! I’m the one to blame."
That's why she felt immense relief at the sound of his voice as he defended her.
When she apologized for causing the engagement to end, Dahlia only said it was already in the past, her expression remaining unchanged.
Despite having lost Tobias and the happy home they were supposed to share, Dahlia didn’t even look down.
The man who appeared next looked like a prince straight out of a storybook.
Emilia had never seen such a stunning man in her life.
He was tall with a lean, toned physique, lustrous black hair, and porcelain skin.
His beautifully arched eyebrows and long lashes framed mesmerizing golden eyes.
The man, possessing a beauty akin to a painting, graced her with a refined smile on his thin lips.
He took Dahlia’s hand as though she were royalty and escorted her out of the restaurant.
Though Emilia and Tobias continued their meal afterward, she couldn’t remember the menu or how the food tasted.
The man was Volfred Scalfarotto, a knight of the royal castle and a member of the renowned Count family of Water.
Emilia couldn’t fathom the connection between him and Dahlia.
But she couldn’t stop wondering why someone like Dahlia would be with such a man or why he seemed to treasure her so much.
From that day, Tobias grew quieter.
An unshakable anxiety occasionally swept over Emilia like waves.
At work, she disliked being asked to help with tasks like labeling raincoats or inventory because she hated being compared to Dalia.
She was terrified that Tobias might find her lacking compared to his former fiancée.
Having only cooked in small kitchens, she felt overwhelmed in their home’s spacious one.
She reasoned that they could either hire someone to cook or eat out, which should be nothing for someone as wealthy as Tobias.
Yet, the growing distance in their conversations unsettled her. When she decided to offer him tea and headed to his workshop, she overheard him say Dahlia’s name.
He called out the name of a woman who shouldn’t have been there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Emilia couldn’t take it anymore.
Without thinking, she had lied, claiming she put her amber brooch in Dahlia's closet.
She thought that maybe Tobias would suggest buying her a new brooch or develop a distaste for Dahlia.
However, Tobias left, heading to Dahlia's place to ask her about it.
When he returned, he looked utterly exhausted and told Emilia it was a misunderstanding and to search again.
His eyes no longer seemed to look at her, and her anxiety deepened.
Just when Emilia thought she had finally found happiness, it all began to lose its luster.
Emilia just couldn’t understand the reason behind it.
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