“If you don’t stop, I will break the engagement with you. Do you understand?”
“Fine.”
“Eh?”
“Well then, I will speak with Father. Excuse me.”
I was stunned until her light, honey-colored hair disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
―――Eh? … Did she just agree?
Even I thought I was sure that she would say “I’m sorry” with tears in her purple eyes as always.
―――Ehh?! I have no intention of breaking the engagement! Even though I love her!
I followed in a hurry, but I didn’t see her figure anymore behind the corner.
I had my attendant look for her, but he reported that she already returned home.
―――Tomorrow. I will have to resolve the misunderstanding tomorrow!
I lost my appetite, my condition worsened by the evening, I secluded myself in my room and spent the night laying down.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Hermina!”
The next day, I caught her towards the end of the classes.
“Elrind-sama, good morning.”
I immediately got lost for words. Even though she was happily calling me “Rind” just yesterday.
“… Do you have any business with me? Ahh, if it’s about the engagement then wait a little longer, please. I think the documents will reach Elrind-sama’s house today or tomorrow.”
She said with a smiling face.
“I’m sorry. That was a joke. I have no intention of breaking the engagement.”
“Eh?”
“I have no intention of breaking the engagement with you.”
“I don’t want to be engaged with you anymore.”
She was not smiling anymore.
―――Why is she looking at me with those eyes?
―――Why does she have such a cold tone?
―――Why, why, why,
“… Why?”
Kusukusu. She laughed in ridicule.
“I don’t have any intention of becoming your slave.”
“Slave you say, I never thought of that!”
“I mean, using such words as ‘Breaking off the engagement’ means that you think you can do as you like with me, right?”
“……”
“I have loved you. But, if something happened, each time you would say breaking off the engagement, breaking off the engagement. That’s all you said. I have let you do as you please with those magic words, but do you understand how I felt?”
“Wrong. You are wrong. It’s not like that. Please, listen to me.”
“It’s fine either way. It’s something that is already over. You see, I shuddered imagining that you would start using the magic word ‘Divorce’ once we got married.”
Fufufu, she laughed sweetly.
“That’s not something a faithful couple would do, right? In that case, rather than becoming your slave, I thought that ‘Political marriage of convenience’ would be much better, I want a marriage in which I could have a mutual trust with husband.”
She put her hand on her cheek and cutely tilted her head when she said that, she looked just like my fianceé until yesterday.
“I’m sorry. I will apologize, so please forgive me.”
“No way. I have pleaded you over and over again to stop saying ‘breaking off the engagement’ didn’t I?”
“I’m really sorry. I won’t say it anymore.”
“Could you stop lowering your head?”
“I want you to forgive me.”
To me who continued apologizing with my head down, she said with her cute voice.
“I have asked you over and over again. But, you didn’t stop. That’s why I’m going to break the engagement with you. Do you understand?”
―――I don’t love you anymore after all.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
The next day, the letter of disengagement arrived from her House.
I was startled because my parents didn’t ask anything, but they were disappointed rather than being angry with me.
The reason why I, the second son of an Earl’s House was engaged to her who is from Duke’s House is that our families are acquaintances. Both she and I have liked each other since we were young.
That’s right, our House is unable to refuse the “Breaking off the engagement” from her House. I wasn’t even able to argue back.
Why did it turn out like this?
But, when she said something selfish for the first time,
“If you are going to be so selfish, your engagement will be broken.”
Is what I said and she broke into tears while apologizing. I’m sorry. Please don’t come to hate me. She cutely pleaded. Her teary purple eyes that gradually turned red as well as her cheeks, the small hands grasping the sleeves of my clothes, I simply found her adorable.
After that, it became my scolding line for every of her “Cute selfishness”.
When was it since I started to use it even besides her selfish times?
The years passed and she became a flawless lady, she was showing me her smile, but
―――Her tear-stained face disappeared.
Because I knew the method to make her cry.
But, I, who wasn’t able to give up on her apologized many times, but.
One month later, she got a new fiancé.
That’s right, she is a Duke’s daughter. With her good family, excellent appearances, and education, she’s first on the wife-to-be list. The moment our engagement was broken, she was apparently flooded with marriage requests.
I graduated and was expected to move to our fief.
The many friends who were expected to come before breaking the engagement with her not a single one of them came. Was the Duke House’s power their objective? Or did they fear to be with me who did wrong to the Duke’s House?
Besides, I still don’t believe it.
I still believe that she will appear from that corner all of sudden, look at me and smile at me with a face full of happiness.