Arthas April 11, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
As I arrived at the mansion, the servants greeted me with their usual movements; their usual businesslike attitude, devoid of any emotion, secretly relieved me.
The first person I encountered as I entered was a man ascending the stairs.
Ian Winfred — the Duke's first son and a leading candidate to be the future head of the family.
He stared down at me and Diana from the top of the stairs with an expression as cold as ice; the same insufferable look of condescension I had seen countless times before.
"Father has summoned you."
With that, he clicked his tongue and turned his back on me without hesitation.
After handing Diana the small items I had picked up from the auction house, I headed straight to the Duke's study.
From Isabel's reckless borrowing to Luna's impulsive actions - the rising stress added weight to my steps.
CREAK—
I opened the door and entered. The Duke, wearing glasses, was sitting at his desk, working.
"What's the matter?"
"I heard you went to the auction house."
"News sure travels fast," I lightly scoffed, and the Duke let out a short sigh.
"I also heard Luna went there."
"Well, I suppose she did."
"...Where is Luna now? Did she not return with you?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Why? Because she's your sister, isn't she?"
"...Ha. What can I say."
Ah, here we go again.
I sighed inwardly, tired of even responding.
Still, I had to answer, so I threw out a question that was somewhat unrelated, "Anyway, could you please prepare the documents for the annulment?"
"What?"
"I plan to visit the Count's residence first thing tomorrow morning, so I'd like you to have the documents ready please. And I'll need the Head of House's seal as well."
Curiosity laced the Duke's tone as he inquired, "...What are you planning to do?"
The annulment hinged upon persuading Isabel, a condition I knew all too well.
Seeing my confident demeanor, the Duke was asking me how I planned to persuade Isabel. If I told him my plan of using Isabel's crazed actions as a pretext to request the annulment of engagement, he would not help me.
Instead, he would express concern about my plan.
He would spout nonsense about finding a more peaceful solution for the sake of the relationship between Winfred and Yustia.
Although the Duke could not bend my will now that I had even mobilized Geass, I had no intention of informing him of my plan in advance.
Engaging in conversation with the Duke was akin to a tiresome chore in itself, "Do I really have to tell you?"
His response carried a hint of skepticism, "That sounds like you're saying you don't trust me."
"Precisely. You've seen right through me."
"...Surely you're not trying to get my cooperation with that kind of attitude?"
"It's not cooperation, it's a deal. Does that bother you? Well, if you'd rather defy Geass and face the consequences, that's fine by me too."
CRACK—
With a sharp crack, the quill pen in the Duke's hand succumbed to the pressure, snapping in two. "...When Geass is over, we'll see about that", he growled the ominous warning, struggling to suppress his anger.
But I'm sorry, that won't happen.
By the time all the deals are done, I'll already have left this mansion.
"I shall take my leave now," I announced abruptly.
"Get out."
I skipped the formal greetings and left the study.
I could feel the Duke's piercing gaze, but I didn't pay it any mind.
'Yeah, once I get married, that's it.'
Once the annulment was finalized, I would never have to see the Duke again.
* * * * *
The following day, early in the morning.
The old butler met me in the hallway and handed me a stack of papers. They were the documents I had requested from the Duke the night before, necessary for the annulment.
I skipped my usual grooming and left the mansion as I was.
Upon arriving at the Count's residence, I was guided by a servant directly to the study.
When I opened the door and entered the study, a man with snow-white hair stared at me.
The Head of the Yustia family.
The owner of this mansion, where I was standing, stared at my face for a long time without saying a word.
"You said you had business with me."
The Count's face, which asked me what I wanted in a squeezed voice, was darker than usual.
What could have made the visage of this man, whose everything was abundant, darken so? Most likely, it was because of Isabel. That foolish girl who had extracted 300,000 Loups just to buy a ring, and even went so far as to sell the family name by taking out a loan.
He must be feeling quite gloomy, realizing his venture in raising a child has failed.
But that's none of my concern.
I took out the documents I had hidden in my arms and handed them to the Count.
"I request the annulment of the engagement."
A copy of the loan contract written in Isabel's hand; and all the necessary documents for the annulment of the engagement, along with Winfred's official seal.
As the count examined the documents, his lips sealed shut, as if lying.
Whether he was restraining his anger or had something to say, he repeatedly moved his lips.
Eventually, a deeply buried voice seeped through the slightly parted lips, "May I ask the reason?"
"What do you mean?"
"You acted as if you couldn't live without the girl, and now you're suddenly requesting the annulment of the engagement. What is the reason?"
"It's because I no longer love Isabel."
A momentary flicker passed through the Count's eyes.
"Is that all?"
"Well, you know better than anyone how fickle a thing love can be."
A deep wrinkle formed between the Count's eyebrows; he seemed speechless at my immediate answer, as if it had cut him like a knife.
I did not come here to engage in such trivial conversation so I stated the matter at hand in a calm tone, "There was a vow exchanged between the two families when the marriage proposal was first made."
"........."
"If one side's reputation becomes tarnished, the other side can unilaterally annul the engagement at any time."
"That was just a formality..."
"It was a condition that you yourself proposed, worried about the behavior of the scoundrel Kyle Winfred," I briefly dismissed his excuse.
The Count was left speechless, gazing at me blankly; deep bewilderment rippled in his eyes as he looked at me.
"Will you sign it? Or shall I take action myself?"
Either sign the annulment now peacefully, or wait for Isabel's reputation to be ruined and then reluctantly annul the engagement.
Faced with the hellish binary choice before him, the Count gritted his teeth.
After a moment,
a deeply sunken voice seeped through his tightly clenched jaw, "...I’ll sign it."
Scribble! Scribble—
He took out a quill and signed the documents.
The Count let out a deep sigh only after completing the signing, then swiftly pushed the signed documents towards me, “Here it is.”
It's over.
With this, Isabel and I have become complete strangers.
'Finally...'
I felt a sense of relief.
At that moment, the Count requested something from me with an unusually gloomy expression, "I heard the ring that my daughter bought with a loan was your property."
"That is correct."
"Could you not reduce the price a little? In return, we can forget about the compensation."
To sell the ring for a lower price, and to pretend the loan never happened.
The Count's request was simple.
'A debtor is a bit of a hassle, I suppose.'
Isabel Yustia.
The heroine at the core of the main scenario, the only woman who could purify the black mist devouring the continent — there was no need to excessively ruin her reputation from the very beginning.
Especially since I'm not even certain when I will find the Sacred Artifact.
But I have no intention of just reducing the price.
"I refuse."
The Count looked bewildered; it seemed he had not anticipated that I would reject his proposal.
"Why should I? I never requested or forced her to take out a loan."
"What do you mean..."
"Of course, I don't have a completely unwilling heart to reduce the price."
If the conditions are right, that is.
Sensing my underlying intention, the Count let out a short sigh, "What do you want then?"
The balance of a transaction must be evened out.
I smiled and murmured the conditions I had already thought of, "I heard the Count's manor has a lot of Moonstone."
Moonstone.
A mineral that can contain divine power.
"I'll take the payment in the form of moonstone."
Investments should be made in advance, you know.
* * * * *
The Count readily accepted my proposal.
From the Count's perspective, giving up the useless moonstone in exchange for a lower price on the ring must have seemed like a great deal.
But the one who truly benefited from the transaction was not the Count, but me.
In the distant future when the true value of moonstone is revealed, the Count's mansion will echo with the Count's angry roar.
I concluded the matter and left the Count's study.
The engagement has been broken, secured a bodyguard, and I've earned a sizable amount of money.
Now all that was left was one thing.
'I guess I'll leave tomorrow.'
Finally, I can depart this detestable ducal territory.
A faint smile naturally formed on my lips.
"This way, please."
As I opened the door and stepped out, the waiting servant personally guided me.
Just as I was leaving the Count's mansion with a comfortable mind,
"Miss! The Count explicitly warned last night that he is to be left undisturbed for a while!"
"Move aside!"
"Kyaaaa!"
A familiar voice rang in my ear.
I slowly turned my head towards the direction of the voice.
Shortly after,
"Kyle--!!"
My eyes met Isabel's, who was in the middle of a chase with the maid.
Arthas April 11, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
As I arrived at the mansion, the servants greeted me with their usual movements; their usual businesslike attitude, devoid of any emotion, secretly relieved me.
The first person I encountered as I entered was a man ascending the stairs.
Ian Winfred — the Duke's first son and a leading candidate to be the future head of the family.
He stared down at me and Diana from the top of the stairs with an expression as cold as ice; the same insufferable look of condescension I had seen countless times before.
"Father has summoned you."
With that, he clicked his tongue and turned his back on me without hesitation.
After handing Diana the small items I had picked up from the auction house, I headed straight to the Duke's study.
From Isabel's reckless borrowing to Luna's impulsive actions - the rising stress added weight to my steps.
CREAK—
I opened the door and entered. The Duke, wearing glasses, was sitting at his desk, working.
"What's the matter?"
"I heard you went to the auction house."
"News sure travels fast," I lightly scoffed, and the Duke let out a short sigh.
"I also heard Luna went there."
"Well, I suppose she did."
"...Where is Luna now? Did she not return with you?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Why? Because she's your sister, isn't she?"
"...Ha. What can I say."
Ah, here we go again.
I sighed inwardly, tired of even responding.
Still, I had to answer, so I threw out a question that was somewhat unrelated, "Anyway, could you please prepare the documents for the annulment?"
"What?"
"I plan to visit the Count's residence first thing tomorrow morning, so I'd like you to have the documents ready please. And I'll need the Head of House's seal as well."
Curiosity laced the Duke's tone as he inquired, "...What are you planning to do?"
The annulment hinged upon persuading Isabel, a condition I knew all too well.
Seeing my confident demeanor, the Duke was asking me how I planned to persuade Isabel. If I told him my plan of using Isabel's crazed actions as a pretext to request the annulment of engagement, he would not help me.
Instead, he would express concern about my plan.
He would spout nonsense about finding a more peaceful solution for the sake of the relationship between Winfred and Yustia.
Although the Duke could not bend my will now that I had even mobilized Geass, I had no intention of informing him of my plan in advance.
Engaging in conversation with the Duke was akin to a tiresome chore in itself, "Do I really have to tell you?"
His response carried a hint of skepticism, "That sounds like you're saying you don't trust me."
"Precisely. You've seen right through me."
"...Surely you're not trying to get my cooperation with that kind of attitude?"
"It's not cooperation, it's a deal. Does that bother you? Well, if you'd rather defy Geass and face the consequences, that's fine by me too."
CRACK—
With a sharp crack, the quill pen in the Duke's hand succumbed to the pressure, snapping in two. "...When Geass is over, we'll see about that", he growled the ominous warning, struggling to suppress his anger.
But I'm sorry, that won't happen.
By the time all the deals are done, I'll already have left this mansion.
"I shall take my leave now," I announced abruptly.
"Get out."
I skipped the formal greetings and left the study.
I could feel the Duke's piercing gaze, but I didn't pay it any mind.
'Yeah, once I get married, that's it.'
Once the annulment was finalized, I would never have to see the Duke again.
* * * * *
The following day, early in the morning.
The old butler met me in the hallway and handed me a stack of papers. They were the documents I had requested from the Duke the night before, necessary for the annulment.
I skipped my usual grooming and left the mansion as I was.
Upon arriving at the Count's residence, I was guided by a servant directly to the study.
When I opened the door and entered the study, a man with snow-white hair stared at me.
The Head of the Yustia family.
The owner of this mansion, where I was standing, stared at my face for a long time without saying a word.
"You said you had business with me."
The Count's face, which asked me what I wanted in a squeezed voice, was darker than usual.
What could have made the visage of this man, whose everything was abundant, darken so? Most likely, it was because of Isabel. That foolish girl who had extracted 300,000 Loups just to buy a ring, and even went so far as to sell the family name by taking out a loan.
He must be feeling quite gloomy, realizing his venture in raising a child has failed.
But that's none of my concern.
I took out the documents I had hidden in my arms and handed them to the Count.
"I request the annulment of the engagement."
A copy of the loan contract written in Isabel's hand; and all the necessary documents for the annulment of the engagement, along with Winfred's official seal.
As the count examined the documents, his lips sealed shut, as if lying.
Whether he was restraining his anger or had something to say, he repeatedly moved his lips.
Eventually, a deeply buried voice seeped through the slightly parted lips, "May I ask the reason?"
"What do you mean?"
"You acted as if you couldn't live without the girl, and now you're suddenly requesting the annulment of the engagement. What is the reason?"
"It's because I no longer love Isabel."
A momentary flicker passed through the Count's eyes.
"Is that all?"
"Well, you know better than anyone how fickle a thing love can be."
A deep wrinkle formed between the Count's eyebrows; he seemed speechless at my immediate answer, as if it had cut him like a knife.
I did not come here to engage in such trivial conversation so I stated the matter at hand in a calm tone, "There was a vow exchanged between the two families when the marriage proposal was first made."
"........."
"If one side's reputation becomes tarnished, the other side can unilaterally annul the engagement at any time."
"That was just a formality..."
"It was a condition that you yourself proposed, worried about the behavior of the scoundrel Kyle Winfred," I briefly dismissed his excuse.
The Count was left speechless, gazing at me blankly; deep bewilderment rippled in his eyes as he looked at me.
"Will you sign it? Or shall I take action myself?"
Either sign the annulment now peacefully, or wait for Isabel's reputation to be ruined and then reluctantly annul the engagement.
Faced with the hellish binary choice before him, the Count gritted his teeth.
After a moment,
a deeply sunken voice seeped through his tightly clenched jaw, "...I’ll sign it."
Scribble! Scribble—
He took out a quill and signed the documents.
The Count let out a deep sigh only after completing the signing, then swiftly pushed the signed documents towards me, “Here it is.”
It's over.
With this, Isabel and I have become complete strangers.
'Finally...'
I felt a sense of relief.
At that moment, the Count requested something from me with an unusually gloomy expression, "I heard the ring that my daughter bought with a loan was your property."
"That is correct."
"Could you not reduce the price a little? In return, we can forget about the compensation."
To sell the ring for a lower price, and to pretend the loan never happened.
The Count's request was simple.
'A debtor is a bit of a hassle, I suppose.'
Isabel Yustia.
The heroine at the core of the main scenario, the only woman who could purify the black mist devouring the continent — there was no need to excessively ruin her reputation from the very beginning.
Especially since I'm not even certain when I will find the Sacred Artifact.
But I have no intention of just reducing the price.
"I refuse."
The Count looked bewildered; it seemed he had not anticipated that I would reject his proposal.
"Why should I? I never requested or forced her to take out a loan."
"What do you mean..."
"Of course, I don't have a completely unwilling heart to reduce the price."
If the conditions are right, that is.
Sensing my underlying intention, the Count let out a short sigh, "What do you want then?"
The balance of a transaction must be evened out.
I smiled and murmured the conditions I had already thought of, "I heard the Count's manor has a lot of Moonstone."
Moonstone.
A mineral that can contain divine power.
"I'll take the payment in the form of moonstone."
Investments should be made in advance, you know.
* * * * *
The Count readily accepted my proposal.
From the Count's perspective, giving up the useless moonstone in exchange for a lower price on the ring must have seemed like a great deal.
But the one who truly benefited from the transaction was not the Count, but me.
In the distant future when the true value of moonstone is revealed, the Count's mansion will echo with the Count's angry roar.
I concluded the matter and left the Count's study.
The engagement has been broken, secured a bodyguard, and I've earned a sizable amount of money.
Now all that was left was one thing.
'I guess I'll leave tomorrow.'
Finally, I can depart this detestable ducal territory.
A faint smile naturally formed on my lips.
"This way, please."
As I opened the door and stepped out, the waiting servant personally guided me.
Just as I was leaving the Count's mansion with a comfortable mind,
"Miss! The Count explicitly warned last night that he is to be left undisturbed for a while!"
"Move aside!"
"Kyaaaa!"
A familiar voice rang in my ear.
I slowly turned my head towards the direction of the voice.
Shortly after,
"Kyle--!!"
My eyes met Isabel's, who was in the middle of a chase with the maid.
