Chapter 316
At this moment, Bernard looked at Estelle and suddenly realized something.
All these years of being pursued had indeed left a mark on his heart.
There was a trace.
That was, he had already grown accustomed to being pursued.
Now that Estelle no longer chased after him, he instead felt a sense of being abandoned after a fleeting romance, as if he had been cast aside.
He was rather sad.
He was unwilling to admit to this sudden surge of emotion, yet as he stood at the entrance with the cold wind howling, he could distinctly feel that something was different.
Bernard scrutinized Estelle for the first time.
Estelle’s facial features were somewhat similar to Margaery’s, but while Margaery had round eyes, Estelle’s were long. Margaery radiated a gentle elegance, whereas Estelle naturally exuded a hint of cool allure.
That feeling was quite unique.
However, when this appearance was paired with her previous temperament, it only made her seem more arrogant.
Now, she was a little better, not quite as arrogant, but still carried an air of being unattainable.
So, was he being disliked and abandoned?
Bernard took a deep breath, shook his head to clear his mind, and turned to Margaery. “It’s cold out here; let’s head inside ind talk.”
Let’s go. Margaery glanced at Estelle, her expression unusually complex.
She was innately sensitive, and after years of reading people’s expressions, she immediately noticed the subtle changes between Estelle and Bernard.
Bernard’s habitual disregard for Estelle was still present, but beneath that habit, something else seemed to be taking root
The fleeting glance and the shift in his tone made it clear: for a brief moment, Estelle had managed to open a crack in Bernard’s heart.
Margaery’s lips curled into a subtle smile,
Although she barely knew Estelle, her natural cheerfulness made her genuinely happy when good things happened to others; their joy and good fortune always warmed her heart.
She did not like conflict, nor did she enjoy sad stories.
She gave Estelle a gentle tug, and the three of them entered Bernard’s courtyard together.
Inside, all sorts of strange things appeared.
There were things in the courtyard that resembled birds but had metal wings, as well as other peculiar vessels. Faint strains
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of music drifted from the house, reminiscent of a harp, yet not quite.
Yet inside the house, no one was playing an instrument.
“What is that sound?”
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Estelle had intended to ask Bernard, but due to a strange sense of awkwardness, she found it difficult to speak and instead turned to Margaery.
It seemed that, in contrast to Bernard, Margaery had become much closer to her.
Margaery looked embarrassed. “I don’t know either. We’ll ask Bernard when we go in.”
She had come specifically for this thing.
The three of them entered the house.
“Please, have a seat.” Bernard was unlike any other noble son; he was very casual, greeting them as he would ordinary friends, treating Estelle no differently.
Likewise, he differed from other young gentlemen in that he did not ask anyone to serve drinks, but made it himself for the two of them. His movements were skillful, yet still somewhat careless.
There was little ceremony; he simply placed the drinks in front of them and sat down opposite.
‘Explain in detail.” He looked at Margaery, ignoring Estelle, but strangely, a sliver of his attention uncontrollably drifted toward Estelle.
Another voice echoed in his mind: Have I been rejected? Abandoned?
Yet outwardly, nothing could be discerned.
Margaery glanced at the object emitting the sound and asked Bernard, “Here’s the thing. I would like to borrow that device of yours to use at the palace banquet on New Year’s Eve this year.
‘Do you have any extras of this device?”
Margaery’s eyes sparkled; she was eager to go up and ask what exactly it was.
Bernard was taken aback. He reached out and brought over the small speaker. “This? If you need it, I have seven or eight more. Are you planning to play this for the King?”
His expression was a bit strange.
The King wouldn’t have her handle this matter, would he?
Margaery shook her head. “It’s not for the King. It’s for the guests.”
She described her plan in detail, capturing the attention of Estelle and Bernard, whose eyes sparkled with interest
“Are you planning to use the empty city stratagem?” Bernard was stunned. “So you’re going to let others think everyone is inside, detonate the bomb when they assume they’ve succeeded, and push them into making an irreversible pustake?
Margaery nodded. “This is our backup plan. We’ll still check the secret passage ahead of time. But as the saying goes, a clever rabbit has three burrows. I don’t want to underestimate my opponent, because that often leads to mistakes”
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“You are certainly careful, Bernard admitted, momentarily at a loss for words. “Alright, when the time comes, I’ll hand everything over to you. I’ll follow your suggestion and add some other sounds, but it might require everyone’s cooperation. You’ll need to discuss this with the King.”
He hadn’t expected that, having never managed to film a period drama in the modern era, he would end up making one in ancient times.
It was simply too absurd.
Margaery nodded. “Alright, I’ll speak to the King about this.”
Out of curiosity, she couldn’t help but ask Bernard, “Did you make this?”
Bernard looked a bit embarrassed at her words and shook his head. “I can’t make it. A friend gave it to me. I tried, but it requires a lot of raw materials, which I don’t have.”
The conditions of this era did not allow it.
Margaery was puzzled by what she heard and was very curious about his ‘friend.‘
But she was too embarrassed to ask further.
Bernard handed her a small object that emitted sound. “This is called a speaker, but it also has a recording function. I’m not sure if you can understand what I mean.”
Margaery didn’t understand, but she grasped the general idea. “So, this can store sound and then play it back?”
Bernard nodded. “Smart!”
Margaery smiled. In fact, the reason she came to ask for his help today was precisely because of this feature.
She had already noticed it last time at Pero Cela.
“Although I don’t understand the principle, I still find it marvelous. It’s a very good thing.”
Margaery smiled, and under Bernard’s guidance, learned how to use the thing.
Estelle watched from the side, saying nothing.
“Alright, then you can come with me to the palace to help with the arrangements. I have some other matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb you further.”
Margaery remembered she had important tasks to handle that afternoon, so she stood up, intending to find Phillipa.
Bernard wanted to stay and chat for a while, but with Estelle present, he found it difficult to speak.
He nodded, “Alright, I’ll wait for your message.”
After seeing them off, he stood at the main gate, watching the two get into the carriage.
Throughout the entire process, Estelle said nothing and left.
This was the outcome Bernard had hoped for.
Estelle had finally stopped pestering him.
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Yet, as he watched her departing figure, he felt something was amiss, as if an emptiness lingered in his heart.
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He thought of her impending journey, leaving her familiar homeland for distant Emberfall, and felt even more unsettled.
Upon returning to the house, he encountered Randal and couldn’t help but follow. “Father, is marriage alliance the only option between us and Emberfall?”
Randal was taken aback, turning to look at him in surprise., “Where did you hear that?
“Recently, there hasn’t been any news of activity from Emberfall.”
Bernard hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, “Perhaps it’s just an excuse made up by someone else.”
He hadn’t expected Estelle to use such an excuse just to draw a clear line between them.
He wondered if Estelle began to dislike him.
What did he do wrong?
Bernard walked toward his own courtyard, his emotions inexplicably growing more complicated…
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
