36 – Don’t Come Back
The next day, Irene and Noel met at the same time and place and headed to the Kristen residence. Fortunately, the second time was a little less stressful than the first time they had gone there. Noel still looked uneasy, but he respected Irene’s idea.
“Hello. Did you sleep well last night? The weather is nice today isn’t it.”
Irene smiled; the day had just begun.
This time, Irene entered the room alone. Even without Noel by her side, she did not waver. In an attempt to make small talk and initiate a conversation, she brought up a story about a mundane topic, but the Great Kristen still refused to look at Irene. He also refused to respond to any of Irene’s words, but she did not give up. She would not yield. She was well aware that the relationship between the Great Kristen and Noel was very much strained. Rumours had even reached her in the Chase mansion about their relationship. It would be a wonder otherwise, for Noel to have accepted Irene. Therefore, Irene knew that it must be hard for the Great Kristen to accept her.
Tick tock, tick tock.
The sound of the clock in the room proved that the passage of time had not stopped. Each tick was like roaring thunder in the thick silence. It built up the anticipation of the storm that Irene was trying so hard to fight against. If not for the clock’s sound, the room would seem like a space where time had stopped. There he sat and there she stood, each iron-willed in their own right. Today was the same as yesterday; the Great Kristen and Irene remained, painfully aware of each other without saying anything.
“Irene.”
Noel quietly entered when the sun had set. The look on his face said it all. Yet again, he was crushed. Not just because Irene had stood there for him, but in continuing, that meant his grandfather had still refused to acknowledge him. Yes, he knew that was essentially the equivalent.
I will not accept this woman. I will not accept you.
No matter how much he tried to persuade his grandfather, he felt even more uncomfortable and angrier now because Irene seemed to be suffering so much. It was one thing for him to be ignored, but for her to be subjected to this as well… Noel hated the fact that his grandfather hated him just because Noel had the blood of a commoner. Noel hated society. At the same time, he was filled with resentment at the fact this world would classify one to be tainted if they had commoner’s blood in them. Everyone was a human, they were all equal, why was this divide so strong? Why did he have to conform to a certain standard to prove himself? And at the core of it, Noel hated himself. He hated the fact that the one thing he needed to do, erase the low-born blood that coursed through his veins, was something he could never achieve. As these feelings of hopelessness surfaced, in him Noel sighed.
“Let’s go back now, Irene. This was useless to do.”
Noel tried to persuade Irene, but she was stubborn. The past two days could attest to this fact. Irene lowered her head toward the back of the Great Kristen. She knew he could not see her, but she still did.
“I’ll come back tomorrow. Good night.”
As soon as Irene said so, she turned around. Then, for the first time in two days, she heard the Grand Duke’s voice.
“Don’t come back.”