Our Summer Isn't Over Yet - Chapter 40

Consumed by the thought of returning to the official residence, Mia left the room. Her small steps betrayed her impatience.

She had forgotten the need to maintain a constant pace and speed. Mia couldn’t even guess what kind of expression she was wearing as she got into the car.

Soon, the car slowly began to roll, leaving the palace behind. Mia felt stifled by the car’s steady speed, wishing it would go just a little faster. Of course, she knew that even if she arrived early, she wouldn’t be able to call Dylan right away. She also knew that the only thing she could do right now was calm herself down. ‘It’s just a misunderstanding.’ Hoping her racing heart would find its rhythm, she lowered the car window. The scent of summer strongly brushed against her nose. Mia closed her eyes, focusing on the scent and the sound of the wheels turning, trying to calm her excited heart.

As soon as she arrived at the official residence, Aaron appeared. He greeted Mia briefly and offered to escort her. Mia, trying to hide her confused state, raised the corners of her lips and walked with him to Dylan’s office.

“I received a report that you just arrived at Rhodia Station. You said you would contact us here immediately after returning to the residence, so it seems you only need to wait a little longer.” “Thank you, Sir Aaron.” Mia replied, trying to keep her lips and voice from trembling. After Aaron gave a brief greeting and left, Mia immediately entered Dylan’s office. The refreshing scent that always emanated from him brushed against her nose.

Normally, she would have smiled loosely and strolled slowly through the inner space until the phone rang, but not today. She went straight to Dylan’s desk and slowly opened the drawer where Walter’s letters were piled. It was an action driven by the conviction that she had to check what had been bothering her all along. The drawer opened smoothly, and Walter’s letters were there, just as she had seen them before. Mia picked up the letter at the bottom, presumably the first one, and removed the envelope.

The envelope, which had already been opened once, opened without much resistance. With a rustling sound, the neatly folded letter paper unfolded.

Without even feeling the stiff texture of the paper in her hand, Mia scanned the contents. She imprinted each word several times in her eyes, unable to suppress the breath that escaped her lips.

The content she read was utterly absurd. [You said you have no intention of fulfilling the contract. Explain exactly what you mean.] Frozen in place like a taxidermied specimen, Mia squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. She couldn’t believe what she had just read. “…I must have misinterpreted the letter.” But no matter how many times she re-deciphered the encrypted letter, the content remained the same. What she had tried to dismiss as a misunderstanding had become a reality, looming closer. Ignoring her cold, trembling hands, Mia checked the next letter.

[If you have no intention of fulfilling it, I will do it for you. You can step aside.] Walter, who was particularly concerned about Mia, who was about the same age as his dead daughter, seemed furious at Dylan’s words. [Dylan Richard, I’m starting to lose my patience. Do I still have to wait?

You’d better meet me before I tell your wife everything you’ve done.] It seemed that Walter had been sending letters urging Dylan for some time.

The letters, which had continued for several days, suddenly stopped one day. Mia chuckled in vain as she checked the contents, realizing that the date written at the end of the letter was overly familiar. It was a letter from a week after the declaration of the end of the war. That was the day Dylan had told Mia that he would not fulfill the contract, citing the obligations of a married couple. Even though her messy heart was tainted and disordered, Mia stubbornly tore open and checked the remaining letters.

Walter, who had initially offered to fulfill the contract in Dylan’s place, had eventually turned to his side. [Let’s join forces to break the contract from four years ago.] It felt as if everything before Mia’s eyes was shattering like a mirror. There was no need to think deeply about what their conversation meant. She just had to understand it as it was written. Dylan Richard had no intention of fulfilling the contract from the beginning. That meant he had betrayed Mia Blair.

…The question of why he had betrayed her could be found in the last letter Walter had sent. [Dylan, you really love your wife. Yes, you couldn’t do this if you didn’t love her. I could never act like this. I hope your love lasts forever.] Mia remained frozen, unable to move past the words that had welled up in her eyes. After a moment, a hollow laugh burst from between her teeth. “Ha…” It was a ridiculous situation.

She knew that Dylan had betrayed her, and even the reason for the betrayal, but her chest felt even more constricted. Walter’s letter, barely held in her hand, fluttered and landed on the desk. Mia stared blankly at her empty hand before lightly tapping her chest. When she felt an empty, chilly sensation, she struck it harder. But nothing changed. Just, “I can’t… breathe.” It was hard to breathe.

Even gasping with her mouth open didn’t help. It was as if someone had tightly blocked her windpipe.

Her head kept spinning. Her legs kept losing strength. Just as she grabbed the desk, feeling like she was about to fall, the phone rang loudly. Ring ring- The sound was enough to make her nauseous. Suppressing the urge to cover her ears, Mia fumbled for the receiver. When the noise that had been ringing until just before stopped, a moment of silence enveloped the office. Mia slowly put the receiver to her ear. Beyond it, as always, a calm voice flowed into her ear. Mia, I’ve just arrived at the official residence.

“…”

How was the banquet? I’m worried that I couldn’t dance with you. She found his pretense of affection disgusting.  Mia? She moved her parched lips a few times. “You don’t have to worry too much. I’m glad you arrived safely.” Mia thought and thought about whether her voice trembled differently than usual, whether it was consumed by anger. Contrary to her worries, the voice that squeezed out of her lips was endlessly gentle and benevolent.

-Mia, it seems that it will take some time to make the scented candles. The heart that had been pounding until just now became as calm as a night sea. – I told Aaron to pick them up as soon as they are finished, so you will be able to receive them soon. “Thank you for your concern.” – I think I will visit the capital again in about two weeks. “…Don’t overdo it.” Mia caught sight of her reflection in the window. It looked like there were tears welling up in her eyes. She hurriedly rubbed her eyes, but no water came off. Looking closely, it seemed to be raining outside. Tap, tap. Mia felt relieved by the raindrops tapping on the window one by one. She was so glad that she wasn’t crying, that she wasn’t crying because of Dylan Richard. “It’s starting to rain here. How is it in Rhodia?” It’s been pouring since earlier. Once the rain passes, the summer heat will subside a little.

Mia closed her mouth. She thought that her terrible summer would finally end, but Dylan betrayed her before summer was even over. Perhaps it was a luxury for her to dream of the next season. A dream that was too big and grand to have, considering she was the one who drove her parents to their deaths.

“I guess so. This year’s summer, too. It will be over soon.” Mia had lived in a hot summer for seventeen years,  It will be better to see the southern sea when it gets cooler. “I’ll look forward to it.” And it seemed that it would continue in the future. Only after exchanging meaningless words for a long time was Mia able to put down the receiver. When the mechanical sound that had been ringing in her ear and Dylan’s voice mixed with it disappeared, the office was enveloped in silence.

The rain, which had become thicker, was already pounding on the window. Streams of water slid down the glass pane without a break.

Watching the continuously flowing water, Mia felt as if the sky was crying for her, who couldn’t cry. Mia, who had been staring at the air for a long time, rubbed her face and looked at the messy desk. “…I have to tidy up.”

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