Chapter 3
The sunshine in the southern resort was warmer than anywhere else in the empire.
Wide green fields, grass swaying gently in the wind, and beautiful flowers of various colors.
Enjoying this peaceful scenery from the villa’s balcony, Marquis Labyrinth sipped his warm tea.
It had been about two months since he came down to the south for travel. It was about time to return to the capital.
‘Tsk.’
Thinking of the mansion in the capital, Siella came to mind. The Marquis’s face instantly turned displeased, and he clicked his tongue.
Although she had some frustrating aspects, she was a daughter who generally listened well. But from some point, perhaps due to late puberty, she started to gradually diverge from him.
And then she finally declared her rebellion.
“I want to break off the engagement with Duval.”
‘That insolent girl.’
Break off the engagement? Absolutely not.
How did Labyrinth, which was nearly ruined, come this far? He couldn’t afford to fall out with Essite now.
‘I should set the wedding date as soon as I return.’
He felt his anger rising when he thought of Siella, who had vehemently protested that she would never marry a cheater.
Even though he had planned to let her choose the timing of the marriage since she was the only direct descendant of Labyrinth. But with her constant talk of breaking the engagement, it seemed easier to just marry her off quickly.
Essite also seemed to want Siella to join their family as soon as possible.
‘Duval is a fine son-in-law candidate.’
Despite some scandals, he’s tall and good-looking. His personality is also decent enough. Once he has a stable family and cute children, his habit of meeting other women should be corrected.
The Marquis imagined cute grandchildren who would resemble Siella.
‘Siella’s first child will inherit the Labyrinth ability.’
For this, the Marquis had already sought understanding from Count Essite. He had told him that Siella’s first child would definitely be brought into the Labyrinth family.
The Marquis planned to register that child as the adopted child of Gerald, who, although adopted himself, would inherit Labyrinth.
This way, the Labyrinth ability would be passed down to future generations without issue.
Their wealth would also become more solid through the union with Essite.
He felt pleased with this flawless future plan. Marquis Labyrinth drank his tea with a satisfied expression.
“Would you like more tea?”
Isabella, Gerald’s birth mother and the Marquis’s second wife, approached with a teapot.
As his tea had just run out, the Marquis gladly accepted her kindness.
While doing so, he shared the plan he had just made.
“I should marry off Siella as soon as we return.”
“Oh my.”
Isabella’s eyes filled with joy.
It wasn’t from the news of Siella’s marriage. This joy came from the fact that her son Gerald would finally become the heir.
In truth, the succession issue in the Labyrinth Marquis family had been complicated.
It was because Siella, the only direct descendant who inherited the Labyrinth’s special ability, was engaged to Duval.
Until now, when the person with the special ability in Labyrinth was female, they would bring in a husband from another family and give him the Labyrinth name.
But Essite,
“He’s my only son, so absolutely not.”
He stood firm without an inch of compromise.
Fearing that falling out with Essite would ruin the family he had worked hard to save, Marquis Labyrinth eventually remarried Isabella to gain another heir.
And he adopted Gerald, Isabella’s son who was three years older than Siella.
When the retainers belatedly learned of this, they strongly opposed, saying there had never been a Labyrinth head without the special ability.
So the Marquis couldn’t make Gerald the heir, and thus the position of Labyrinth’s heir remained vacant for a long time.
But that was about to end now.
“We should book the wedding venue as soon as we get back.”
Isabella, unable to hide her excitement at the prospect of her son becoming the young Marquis, poured the tea.
The Marquis, mistaking this excitement as genuine celebration for Siella’s marriage, nodded solemnly.
That’s when it happened.
Flutter.
Suddenly, a yellow bird flew in and perched on the railing. The way it sat there, staring blankly even at the sight of people, suggested it wasn’t a wild bird.
The Marquis, looking at it curiously, belatedly noticed a small note attached to the bird’s leg.
It was a messenger bird.
“……?”
He thought he had taken care of all important matters before coming down to the south. Even so, he untied and unfolded the note.
And he was silently shocked.
“W-what is this?”
Isabella, who was looking at the note beside him, was equally astonished.
The hand holding the teapot trembled, and finally, the precariously balanced teapot lid fell to the ground.
Crash!
The porcelain collided with the hard marble, breaking with a loud noise. A shard even grazed her exposed ankle, leaving a thin cut.
But no one paid attention. They didn’t even look at the injury.
‘Siella’, ‘Duval’, ‘Engagement cancellation’.
They could only stare blankly at the note with its unbelievable content.
*** *** *** *** ***
“Are you crazy? Cancel it immediately!”
Duval, who had come at the crack of dawn, was shouting at the top of his lungs at the entrance. How many days had this been going on?
I slightly frowned, then quietly spoke while adjusting the robe over my pajamas.
“Today is the last day I’ll tolerate this, Young Count. Know that from tomorrow, I’ll report you to the security force. Leave now.”
“What? Young Count? Young Count-?”
Duval, enraged by the changed title, rushed forward.
However, when I glared at him with intensity, perhaps afraid I might open the labyrinth, he stopped at a distance and just ground his teeth.
“Do you think I’ll let this slide? I don’t know who you bribed at the government office to pull this stunt, but I’ll make sure you pay dearly for underestimating Essite.”
“What nonsense.”
I laughed at the absurd statement.
“You think the annulment document was accepted because I bribed someone?”
“I never signed anything!”
“You might not have signed, but you did say you wanted to break off the engagement. Don’t you remember?”
It seemed he finally recalled the time he said he wanted to break off the engagement when he was with Tirielle.
Duval closed his mouth and breathed heavily with bloodshot eyes. I raised my hand, pointing to the main gate, ordering him to leave.
“Since I’m a kind person, I didn’t bother with an alimony lawsuit. I’ve done as you wished, so just leave. Don’t cause a disturbance at someone else’s house.”
“Someone else’s house? Ha, since when did we become strangers!”
“Here, look.”
I waved the document I was holding, meaning for him to face reality.
[Your engagement cancellation has been processed normally.
Argentime Government Office.]
“We’re strangers now.”
“Siella!!!”
Duval’s neck veins bulged.
Regardless, I continued speaking.
“Tirielle came to congratulate me on the annulment. She said she wants to get engaged to you quickly, and asked if we could look for engagement party venues together.”
“You are my fiancée!”
“No, I’m not.”
Duval, enraged to his core, snatched the document I was holding and tore it up.
Well, even if the document was torn, it didn’t change the fact that we were no longer engaged, so I watched his actions with a sense of futility.
In truth, I didn’t know the annulment would happen this quickly. Our engagement had been too long for that.
‘It had been over ten years, after all.’
Moreover, since Duval hadn’t signed and sent it, but rather a recording of his voice saying he wanted to break off the engagement was sent, I thought they would reject it on the grounds of uncertain intention to break up, or at least give a consideration period for reconsideration.
According to rumors, the widespread gossip about both Duval and I having lovers played a significant role.
And this might be just a baseless rumor, but someone presumed to be Tirielle apparently showed up at the government office and casually asked, ‘How is it going?’
“Come with me.”
Suddenly, Duval grabbed my wrist. He gripped it so tightly that my hand was going numb from lack of blood flow.
“Let’s go to the government office and cancel the- ugh!”
However, when I kicked his shin with all my might, his grip loosened helplessly.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
I clutched my throbbing wrist. Then, I threatened him in a low voice, filled with sincerity.
“Choose one of two options. First, you walk out on your own two feet. Second, you get dragged into the labyrinth and crawl out on all fours.”
“You…!”
“Decide within 3 seconds. If you can’t decide, I’ll choose for you. 3, 2-“
Grind.
Duval turned his back, grinding his teeth audibly. It seemed he was afraid of being dragged into the labyrinth, after all.
Still, he didn’t forget to throw a threatening comment.
“You think I’ll back down like this? Just wait. I’ll make you beg on your knees to get engaged again.”
As he walked out with heavy steps, he turned halfway, as if having some lingering attachment, and glared at me.
“It’s because of him, isn’t it?”
“Him?”
“That blonde guy. He’s the reason you’ve changed like this, right? You loved me until you met him.”
What nonsense is this now? I narrowed my eyes.
At that, Duval let out a derisive laugh and approached me.
Then he spouted more nonsense.
“What does he have that’s better than me?”
“Huh.”
“Tell me. Okay, I’ll admit his looks. But other than that? I heard he’s just a low-ranking nobleman from the countryside. What good will marrying such a guy do you except make you struggle?”
Duval, full of sarcasm, started insulting Raynous.
Judging by the amount of new information I was hearing, beyond the false information I had spread through Rader, it seemed he had been digging quite thoroughly through information guilds.
I felt a surge of anger as if I had been insulted myself. I clenched my fists tightly.
“Shut your mouth. I might really throw you into the labyrinth.”
“Did I say anything wrong? It’s true, isn’t it? I heard he’s about to be kicked out of the knights’ order soon. Then you’ll spend your life as the wife of a mere country nobleman-“
Smack!
Suddenly, a leather glove flew and hit Duval squarely on the back of his head.
Duval, who nearly fell over, turned around with furious eyes. Then he flinched for a moment.
Raynous was standing there with an expressionless face, having arrived at some point. Unlike usual, he was dressed in his knight’s uniform, with one hand missing a glove.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in me.”
Huff, Raynous exhaled coldly and roughly ran his hand through his hair.
“Should I be honored?”
And he muttered as if grinding his words.
“Or should I tell you to shut up.”
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