Chapter 92
If you Don’t Love Me, I Will Die
âAnia Brontë?â
Ania met Edward by chance at Marquis Montecristoâs ball.
Next to him was a woman, quite elegant and beautiful.
Of course, she wasnât as beautiful as Ania Brontë.
However, the two of them looked like a very affectionate couple.
They looked like a perfect couple, linked arm in arm, leaning on each otherâs shoulders.
Ania called out to Edward in a desperate voice.
âEdward.â
âLong time no see. How have you been?â
âUh⦠fine.â
It was a face she hadnât seen before, and she couldnât tell which family she belonged to.
As Edward stared at Ania, he suddenly realized where she was gazing.
âThis is Elia Floren, the third daughter of the Floren family. My fiancée.â
âFiancéeâ¦.â
âOh, arenât you Miss Ania Brontë of the Brontë family?â
Cold impression.
Noble bearing on an animated face.
She certainly wasnât an extraordinary beauty, but she had a charming face.
And his fiancée.
A promise for the future with Edward.
Aniaâs world began to fade away.
âHow have you been lately? I heard your engagement didnât go well again.â
Edward spoke to Ania as if he were talking to an old friend.
Not knowing what kind of feelings Ania had as she stood there.
Ania couldnât say anything.
It was too late.
When she hesitated and was afraid, Edward fell in love with another woman.
âAnia?â
âHas my expression stiffened without my realizing it?â
âAre you okay? You donât look well.â
âItâs nothing.â
Saying so casually, Ania left the ballroom as if fleeing.
She felt like tears could come out at any moment.
However, she held them back.
If she were to cry here, it would mean admitting that the image she wanted to deny was true.
Her heart fluttered as if it were constricted.
She needed fresh air.
Ania pushed open the ballroom doors, but she still felt dizzy inside.
âMiss?â
Ricktman, standing guard over the carriage, called out to Ania, looking surprised.
There was still time before the ball ended.
Moreover, Aniaâs expression was so distorted and serious.
âMiss⦠is there something wrong?â
Ricktman asked, seeing the face that seemed about to burst into tears at any moment.
But Ania bowed her head deeply and pushed her way into the carriage.
âLetâs go back.â
âMiss?â
âDonât ask me anything⦠Letâs go back.â
Ania couldnât have imagined that the end of her long and unrequited love would turn out like this.
Edward.
She had always thought he would look at her.
Looking back, she was foolish to think that such a wonderful man wouldnât attract women.
Why didnât she come to him a little earlier?
Why didnât she have the courage?
Ania barely swallowed the tears that were about to burst out and bowed her head.
***
Ania avoided food and drink for the next few days and didnât leave her room.
Of course, there were times when she was stubbornly entrenched.
After all, she was a very stubborn young lady.
However, there hadnât been many times like this before.
âAt most, it would only be for a week.â
âYeah. This time, Iâm really worried.â
The servants stood anxiously in front of Aniaâs room.
âWhatâs wrong this time?â
âI donât know. But according to Ricktman, sheâs been like this since returning from the ball.â
âWhat about her meals?â
âWe managed to slip them in somehow, but she hasnât eaten.â
While the servants fretted for ten days, Ania, locked in her room, was deep in thought.
At first, she loathed herself,
Then, she blamed herself for lacking the courage,
Next, she resented the world.
And in the end, she came to a drastic conclusion.
âIâll make Edward mine one way or another. Iâll make sure he never leaves me.â
After ten days cooped up in bed, Ania got up and walked to the mirror.
Her eyes were swollen from crying for so long, and her hair was disheveled, but she was still a dazzling beauty.
âJust make him love you.â
She was confident.
Any man, at the sight of her face, would fall in love at first sight.
From young boys to old men, no one could resist.
No one could just pass by Ania Brontëâs face without notice.
She even captured womenâs attention, so stealing Edwardâs heart wouldnât be difficult.
âOh, Miss!â
As Ania slammed the door and left, the servants asked with bright expressions,
âWould you like to have your meal?â
âWe planted some beautiful flowers in the garden. How about taking a walk?â
Meals and gardens⦠none of it was necessary.
Aniaâs eyes sparked with determination.
They were the eyes of someone longing for something.@@novelbin@@
Upon seeing her in such a state, the servants closed their mouths and left the room.
Whenever Ania had that look in her eyes, it was best not to interfere with her.
âGet a carriage ready to go to the Radner estate immediately.â
âOh⦠Yes, Miss!â
The servants hurried off.
Soon, the stableman brought a carriage, and Ania got in.
Edward.
If I canât have him, Iâll ensure heâll long for me.
With that determination, Ania gazed out of the window.
The sky was blue. It seemed to be cheering her on.
***
â⦠This canât be happening.â
As the sun set in the evening, a deep sense of defeat washed over Aniaâs face as she left the Radner estateâs main gate.
Is this even possible?
How could he be so indifferent to me�
Ania kept muttering.
âIâm sorry, Ania⦠I canât accept your feelings. I already have a fiancée.â
Upon arriving at the Radner estate, Ania requested to meet Edward.
She continued to appeal to him.
Her most significant weapon was her beautyâher beautiful face, her perfectly sized chest, and her smooth, slender legs.
But Edward didnât even glance at any of it.
He had no interest from the beginning.
Then, he stood up firmly and said,
âI understand your feelings, but I canât accept them. I already have a fiancée and am soon to be married.â
âRicktman.â
Ania called Ricktman quietly. Ricktman, trembling, responded, realizing the seriousness in her voice.
âYes⦠Miss?â
âAm I not attractive?â
âW-What⦠What nonsense. Who would say such a thing to you?â
âEdward did.â
âIs he a man with no eyes!â
âNo, Ricktman.â
âYesâ¦?â
âDonât curse Edward.â
â?â
Ricktman, unable to follow the flow of the conversation, just quietly replied, âYesâ¦.â
Even at a glance, Ricktman could tell.
The state Ania was in was not normal.
At a time like this, it would be best to be as diplomatic as possible.
âMiss, you are more beautiful than anyone else in the world. Thereâs probably no one who doesnât love you. Heâs just too shy to admit it.â
âDo you think so?â
âYes. Of course.â
Only then did Ania nod slightly, smiling.
***
However, had Ricktman known such an incident would happen, he wouldnât have said those words.
âAnia Brontë!â
One day, Elia Floren, the third daughter of the Floren family, burst into the Brontë familyâs estate unexpectedly.
âMiss Florenâ¦? What brings you here?â
âThat fox womanâ¦.â
âYesâ¦?â
âBring that vixen here immediately!â
That is how the situation unfolded.
Encouraged by Ricktmanâs words, Ania secretly went to the Radner estate and stormed into Edwardâs bedroom.
Then, she secretly tied up Edward and threatened that if he didnât love her back, she would kill herself.
Ricktman nearly fainted upon hearing those words.
âMissâ¦â
âBut Ricktman said so. Edward is just too shy, thatâs all.â
âEven if thatâs the caseâ¦the young lady from the Brontë family in a manâs bedroom without permissionâ¦â
âHmph.â
In the end, Ricktman knelt and begged Elia Floren to return home.
However, Ania visited Edward multiple times.
She was caught trying to undress him in his bed by a servant.
She was caught trying to secretly kidnap Edward by the guards, who then contacted her familyâ¦
Eventually, after her relentless pursuit, changes also came to the Radner family.
âHow can I marry you when such a woman is constantly chasing after me?â
Tired of Aniaâs dreadful obsession, Elia Floren raised the white flag.
The engagement between the Radner and Floren families was broken off.
âMiss⦠in the endâ¦â
As Ricktman sighed, holding his head, Ania did not. Instead, she smiled as if everything had gone well.
âWhat should we do next?â
âMiss Aniaâ¦!â
âDonât shout, Ricktman.â
âThis is too much. Doesnât the Brontë family have any dignity?â
Aniaâs expression stiffened at Ricktmanâs words.
Approaching Ricktman, Ania looked up at him.
âDignityâ¦?â
Then, with colder eyes than ever, she said,
âI donât need that. I just need Edward. Iâll do whatever it takes to make Edward mine. Iâll make sure he never leaves me, ever.â
Ania was sincere.
She was willing to do anything to win Edwardâs heart.
Authorâs Notes
What a terrifying womanâ¦