Chapter 3

It was a clear, crisp day.

Thin clouds drifted across the pale blue sky.

At the café where we were supposed to meet, I arrived early and ordered a set of cake and black tea. In the past, I would have waited for Lord Felix to arrive before enjoying the cake, but I figured it was fine to indulge while waiting, as he would surely be late.

The cake, adorned with sugar roses, was so beautiful that it almost seemed a shame to eat it. I gazed at it for a moment before picking up my fork. As I pierced it, the sugar roses cracked with a small, crisp sound, scattering like fallen stars on the cake. I cut a small piece and brought it to my mouth. – It was more bitter than I expected. The strong, bitter chocolate paired wonderfully with the sweetness of the sugar. It was so delicious that I thought I might invite Wendy next time.

I had the empty plate cleared and ordered a refill of my black tea. Lord Felix still hadn’t arrived, but that was nothing new.

At first, he used to come and pick me up at home, but I can’t remember when he started being consistently late. This, among other things, made it clear that Lord Felix was taking me lightly.

I took a book out of my bag, opened to the bookmarked page, and immersed myself in reading.

“What, you’re already here?”

At the rude voice, I looked up to see my fiancé standing there. His chestnut hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and his blue eyes were narrowed in displeasure. Even with his brows furrowed, he was still a handsome man.

I marked my page and stood up, bowing politely.

Glancing at my watch, I saw that it had been an hour past our agreed time. I was inwardly amazed that he could even say he had just arrived.

“Good afternoon, Lord Felix. … And who is this lady?”

Behind Lord Felix stood a young lady with honey-colored hair, adorned with green gems that matched her eyes. Her wavy hair reached her waist, and she looked uneasy, hiding behind Lord Felix when our eyes met.

Lord Felix ignored my question and pulled out a chair for her to sit. He sat in the chair next to her and lovingly smiled as he twirled a strand of her hair.

After they were seated, I also took my seat, thinking to myself that this was the end of our engagement.

“Alicia, I am breaking our engagement. I have decided to enter a new engagement with Miss Keira Fritsch.”

“Is that so? Has the Viscount been informed of this?”

“I haven’t told him yet, but my father won’t refuse. It’s obvious which one he would choose between a wealthy merchant’s daughter and a noble like Keira.”

“I’m so sorry, Alicia. It’s all my fault. I fell in love with Lord Felix even though I knew he was engaged to someone else…!”

“Oh, Keira, don’t cry. You did nothing wrong. Thanks to you, I have found true love.”

… What am I witnessing here?

I tried to keep my composure as I forced a smile.

This Miss Keira Fritsch must be the rumored love interest of Lord Felix. He has decided to break our engagement and enter a new one with her.

Honestly, I wanted to say, “Are you kidding me?” I wanted to lash out in anger, but I held back with the last bit of my self-respect. After all, there was no need to bring his mistress to break off an engagement.

If the Viscount Tostmann finds out about this engagement dissolution, he will surely reject it. I must get proof of Lord Felix’s dishonesty here. After being treated so poorly, I have no intention of continuing the engagement.

“Congratulations, Lord Felix. Of course, I will bless you.”

“So you understand. For a commoner to marry a noble like me is nothing but a fairy tale.”

You were the one who proposed the engagement, and you’re a noble. What do you mean by “commoner”?

“However, an engagement is a bond between families. I believe it will be difficult to dissolve it just between us.”

“Hmph, you’re trying to maintain our engagement by saying that. How despicable.”

“Alicia, it’s right for nobles to marry other nobles. I understand that you want to become a noble by marrying Lord Felix, but the worlds are different. It’s difficult, you know.”

I was angry.

I was angry at Felix Tostmann’s words, but I was also angry at Keira Fritsch, who pretended to be concerned while looking down on commoners. I stopped using honorifics for both of them in my thoughts.

“No, no, I understand very well. I will work for the dissolution of the engagement for both of your sakes. True love deserves support. So, could you write down that you are entering a new engagement based on true love and that you are dissolving your engagement with Alicia Bloom? With this, I can explain to my father, and Lord Felix can explain to the Viscount, and they will surely move to dissolve the engagement.”

As I spoke, I took out a notebook and fountain pen from my bag. I carefully tore out two sheets of paper and prepared them on the table for the cheating man to write on.

“Right. If I clearly state that Keira is the one suitable to be my wife, the Bloom family will surely give up.”

Felix nodded arrogantly and took the fountain pen. He wrote smoothly, but his handwriting was messy. When I first received a card with a gift from him, the writing was elegant, so he might have had someone else write it for him.

“Felix Tostmann is entering a new engagement with Keira Fritsch, his true love. Therefore, he is dissolving his engagement with Alicia Bloom. After the dissolution of this engagement, Alicia Bloom will not appear before Felix Tostmann or Keira Fritsch. – Felix Tostmann”

It’s not a dissolution but a termination.

By entering a new engagement, you’re saying you cheated, right? He’s not my brother, but he really is an idiot.

I kept smiling despite my inner frustration. He wrote the same message on the second sheet of paper.

“Miss Keira, could you also write that you admire Lord Felix? That way, the Viscount will recognize you as Lord Felix’s partner.”

“Right, I will.”

The cheating man’s mistress took the fountain pen from Felix Tostmann and eagerly wrote on the two sheets of paper. The cheating man lovingly watched her, twirling a strand of her hair and kissing it.

“Keira Fritsch admires Lord Felix Tostmann from the bottom of her heart. As his fiancée and future wife, I vow to support him. – Keira Fritsch”

Felix Tostmann smiled happily at the round, cute handwriting.

I left them alone, took one of the papers, folded it carefully, and put it in my bag with the fountain pen.

“Then I will take my leave. I need to proceed with the dissolution of the engagement with my father. Please be happy.”

This was a genuine blessing from my heart. I was grateful that the engagement could be dissolved so easily.

“Hmph. It must be disappointing to lose the support of a noble family.”

“Oh, Lord Tostmann, did you not know? My mother is from a baronial family, and my sister is married into a viscountal family. I don’t need the support of the Tostmann viscountal family.”

“H…?”

I smiled sweetly at my ex-fiancé, who was speechless.

“Then, good afternoon.”

I stood up and quickly left the café. My steps were quick, almost running by the end.