Chapter 23 - Engagement Annulment Ceremony (1)

[You killed them.]

[If only you had made the right choices... no one would have died.]

Could this be what an inescapable deep swamp feels like?

Elisia felt her condition worsening the more she struggled against the hallucinations.

She glared at the hallucinations and auditory hallucinations that had become so vivid they were now indistinguishable from reality and pressed her head hard.

...

Intense headaches and mental fatigue struck her.

Her mind had already reached its limit long ago... it was becoming harder day by day to endure, but because there were too many things piled on her shoulders, it was impossible to stop now.

So, pull yourself together.

Although it was becoming increasingly difficult to make normal judgments due to the headaches and fatigue messing with her head,

Thinking she could still endure this much, she bit her lip hard and fell into thought.

I only met Damian once before the engagement.

Their first meeting was when she coincidentally faced him at a party her father, the family head, had gone down to attend, aiming for central politics.

The Damian she saw at the party was far from a person of common sense.

He was violent, impolite, and his behavior was excessively rough, to the extent that the expression "delinquent" felt truly appropriate.

Seeing this, she ignored him, thinking she would never be involved with him in her lifetime, but…

— He said he wants to be your fiancé.

Not long after that, her father and family head, Lake Rick Wintreaven, forcibly tied the thread of a relationship that originally would not have connected between Damian and herself.

Now that everything had already passed, it wasn't such an important story anymore.

Nevertheless, the reason for bringing up this story was that the reason he liked her was simply because of her appearance.

For reference, this story wasn't brought up to make an issue of this.

Considering that the love many people shouted about included not only spiritual love but also physical love, this was just a natural human instinct.

Anyway, the important thing was that because of this, the North gained an opportunity to advance into central politics.

And she was able to remain in the North without being sold off to an external region.

In other words, her appearance was a product of considerable value to Damian.

So I have no choice but to sell it and gain an opportunity.

Until now, she had continuously rejected him to drive him away.

But now, unlike before, in addition to acting as a submissive woman, she would show that she truly regretted it, and then if she showed an appearance of craving his love, he would have no choice but to accept her reluctantly.

When humans are given what they've been yearning for so much, they are creatures that can't help but become interested again, no matter how much their interest has waned.

Of course, whether that interest lasts long is a separate matter.

As long as the interest lasted, if she could just make the engagement annulment ineffective, nothing else mattered.

I haven't done this kind of thing much, but I'm used to acting like I'm in love, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

So if she used this to retract the engagement annulment and then used Damian to bring warmth, unlike now, she would be able to exert strong influence on the North side, so it wasn't a bad gambit for either of them.

...Moreover, now she had to bring him back because if she didn't regain the warmth, it would lead to “the North's survival or demise”.

So while she was contemplating what method to use to make it work well, someone knocked on her office door and said,

"Grand Duchess Elisia. A reply has arrived from the Carsaril family."

It seemed the reply to the letter she sent asking to cancel the engagement annulment had arrived.

When she checked the contents of the letter, it contained, as expected, a rejection of her proposal.

This was the expected course. After such an extreme engagement annulment that couldn't be reversed, there was no way they would accept if she asked to cancel it now.

Nevertheless, the reason for sending such a letter was to express her will of regret and reflection, so that when they met at the engagement annulment ceremony later, she could continue the conversation based on this.

So, remembering that the real opportunity would be the moment they met at the engagement annulment ceremony, she closed her eyes.

***

I was sitting on a park bench, listening to Sister Lilia about the procedures for the engagement annulment ceremony.

"You move to a place near the central politics and officially get recognized and part ways. However, it's not that the engagement annulment is recognized as soon as you go there. Because you have to stay for a few days and proceed with mutual agreement, you'll have to stay there for a while."

At those words, I asked somewhat puzzled why they needed to proceed with an agreement for so long when it wasn't even a divorce.

Sister Lilia seemed to ponder for a moment before telling me, "Usually, when families of this scale get engaged, there are often all sorts of contracts involved. Um... yes, it's better to explain it like this. The engagement annulment ceremony is not to declare the separation of the two, but it should be understood as a place where families gather to see appropriate compromises regarding contract termination."

In other words, it meant they gathered to cut off the numerous collaborations and contracts that arose from becoming in-laws.

"So you, as the person involved, probably won't have much to do. So don't worry unnecessarily and just enjoy yourself there. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, our little one has grown up to even have an engagement annulment, oh how you've grown, how you've grown."

...?

The direction of the praise was somewhat strange, but I decided not to pay much attention to it and turned my gaze away.

A few days later.

I was on board something that looked like a train to proceed with the engagement annulment ceremony.

Actually, it's not a train but a golem.

Deciding to just call it a train since not only was its form similar to a train, but its interior was also quite similar, I looked at the two sitting in front of me.

"...It's my first time riding a mobile golem. It's fascinating."

First of all, Siren seemed quite happy to be riding the train, mobile golem, looking around here and there, unable to hide her excitement.

Loraine seemed somewhat familiar with such golems, showing no particular excitement and continuously savoring the tea I had made, enjoying it.

"As expected, the tea the young master makes is the best."

I smiled slightly at such praise.

Come to think of it, it is very luxurious.

For reference, this golem was owned by Elisia.

For my engagement annulment ceremony, the head butler, who was the family head's proxy, and the knights who would escort us were on board.

And in addition to that…

Damian's mother was riding in the front car.

Unfortunately, Damian's father, brother, and sister couldn't come due to schedule conflicts.

But even this much should be enough, so I just wanted to proceed with the engagement annulment ceremony quickly and carry out missions.

So I was thinking it would be nice if the schedule ended soon when the spirit in my chest escaped and started bickering with Siren.

"Myeongmya! Myeong!"

"Not a chance."

Why do those two fight every time I see them?

Thinking I couldn't understand the reason, I zoned out for a moment and watched them.

This time, I saw them sitting together amicably, munching on snacks.

...I don't know if they get along well or not.

Thinking I just couldn't understand, I spoke to Loraine, who was sipping tea beside me, "Come to think of it, Loraine, your romance novels..."

"Pffft."

Seeing Loraine spill the tea she liked so much, she must be very flustered.

Thinking I shouldn't have asked, I was wiping it off with a cloth when Siren, who was beside me, tilted her head and asked Loraine a question, "What are romance novels?"

Loraine, probably not expecting Siren to ask such a question, stammered and answered hurriedly, "T-there are such things."

"I want to see them too. I'm curious. Can't you tell me?"

Loraine, probably because she knew Siren had been through such cruel things, couldn't easily refuse and struggled before finally squeezing er eyes shut and slowly nodding her head.

"Later... I'll tell you."

"Okay, thanks. It sounds fun."

"Yes... it's really fun."

Looking at Loraine, who had turned pale and limp, I was leaving the impression, "Well, she's been used for a long time," when the mobile golem sent a departure signal.

With a rattling sound, the scenery outside gradually sped up.

...A year ago, I didn't know it would turn out like this.

I thought I could turn Elisia's heart around and even become a strength for her.

But far from achieving these things, I was rushing toward an engagement annulment, so it couldn't help but be ironic.

Still, I have no regrets.

I had already poured out all my emotions in dealing with her and sacrificed everything, so there was no room for regret.

So thinking that even if we met, I probably wouldn't feel much emotion, I blankly watched the scenery outside and closed my eyes.

After what felt like a long time had passed,

The first thing I saw was a pitch-dark tunnel.

As I was zoning out looking at this, the surroundings gradually brightened, and I saw a structure similar to a train station in the distance.

It seemed we had almost arrived, so I was stretching and preparing to go outside when a familiar figure caught my eye.

Snow-white hair connected to pale white skin.

In contrast, a woman with dark circles under her eyes was standing inside the building with an expressionless face.

...Elisia.

At that sight, I found myself frowning without realizing it.

Suddenly, Siren covered my eyes with her palm and said, "It's not good to look at something bright suddenly. I read it in a book."