Chapter 4

Holding the letter written by Felix Tostmann, which exposed the fact that I had been neglected, I burst into the headquarters of the Bloom Trading Company, only to have my father and brother frown in confusion.

However, the moment they confirmed the letter in my hand, they exclaimed, "Well done!" The strong words promising to swiftly proceed with the annulment of the engagement, which had already been prepared, reassured me, and I returned home with peace of mind.

Upon returning home, I took a nap and then set out in the evening, saying I would have dinner outside.

My destination was a small alleyway beyond the dining district, leading to a single establishment.

The sign of "Amalris Dining" was illuminated by a small light. Feeling relieved by the warm glow, I opened the side door and entered.

"Welcome. Oh, Alicia."

"Good evening."

The voice that greeted me from behind the counter belonged to Emma, the proprietress of Amalris Dining. Her deep blue hair was tied up high, and the large floral hairpin suited her well.

Amalris Dining is a small place with two tables for two and four counter seats. It can only accommodate eight people at most, but when it's half full, Emma clears the empty seats. According to Emma, "I don't like being busy."

Today, the tables were empty, and there was only one person at the counter. When this person saw me, they moved the chair next to them away. Emma, who seemed used to it, cleared the chair at the end... and I sat in the moved chair. The space left was just enough for one chair.

"It's been a while, Noah. Have you been busy?"

"More or less. You seem to be in a great mood, though."

He is my drinking buddy, Noah. We met at this place and only meet here. I don't know if Noah is his real name or what he does, but I'm fine with that.

Noah has long bangs that cover his nose, making his expression hard to see. His wavy black hair looks messy overall.

He also wears large, black-rimmed glasses, which make his face even harder to read.

He always wears a loose sweater and pants, looking clean but not particularly concerned with his appearance.

"Indeed, something really good happened."

As I took off my coat and hung it on the back of the chair, my face must have been full of joy.

"Really?"

"My engagement has been annulled."

"...What?"

It wasn't just Noah who was surprised. Emma, who placed a mug of ale in front of me, and the usually expressionless Master, who was cooking in the back, also widened their eyes in surprise.

"Wait, wait, the annulment of your engagement is a good thing? Are you serious? Did you go crazy from the annulment?"

"That's a harsh thing to say. I wanted the annulment, so it's definitely a good thing. The procedures have just started, but it should be recognized soon."

"But, you... didn't you get engaged just about half a year ago?"

"You have a good memory. The wedding was supposed to be in another half a year, so it's a good thing it happened now."

Noah tilted his head in confusion and raised his mug towards me. I also picked up my mug, raised it like Noah, and drank it in one go.

Ah! Delicious!

After drinking about half of it, Emma smiled from the other side of the counter.

"It's good that Alicia is happy. What would you like today?"

"Whatever you recommend!"

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

As Emma turned to the Master, he nodded slightly. The Master, who is usually taciturn but dotes on Emma, had a gentle look in his eyes today.

"So, why was your engagement annulled?"

"The other party was cheating."

"...That must have been tough."

Noah, looking awkward, was at a loss for words, which made me laugh.

"It's fine. Thanks to that, I can get the annulment. Well, it was annoying that the person who cheated said, 'I'm breaking off the engagement!' so arrogantly. What do you mean by breaking it off? It's obvious who's at fault, and I'm the one who wanted to break it off."

"You're really angry, aren't you?"

With a wry smile, Noah nodded, and I nodded back vigorously.

Yes, I was so preoccupied with the joy of getting the annulment that I hadn't realized how angry I was. The sadness of being betrayed... was different. Why did they act so high and mighty, using their noble status to look down on me, a commoner? I couldn't stand being looked at like a discarded woman.

"I really wanted to be the one to propose the annulment. Well, since I brought it up today, it will look like the other party forced the annulment. But the person involved doesn't even think they did anything wrong, which is just ridiculous."

"Cal down."

After my rapid outburst, I drank the remaining ale in one go. Placing the empty mug on the counter, Emma prepared a refill with a laugh.

Along with the ale, a plate of rolled cabbage cooked in tomato sauce was placed in front of me. The bright red color, the green of the parsley, and the white of the cream were appetizing.

On a small plate were sautéed peas and marinated paprika.

After folding my hands in prayer, I immediately picked up my fork.

"Looks delicious. Emma, I'll have the rolled cabbage too."

"Sure thing."

While hearing Noah's order, I cut the rolled cabbage with my fork. The meat juices overflowed and were absorbed by the tomato sauce. The soft cabbage was easy to break, but I managed to get a piece of meat on the fork with the tomato sauce and brought it to my mouth.

"Mmmmm! Delicious!"

The deliciousness made my body tremble. The sweetness of the cabbage and the juiciness of the meat were wrapped in the tomato sauce. This goes well with ale.

As I was about to take another bite, I heard Noah laugh softly. When I looked at him, his thin lips were curved.

"...It's good that you can still eat."

"Did you think I wouldn't be able to eat because of the shock of the annulment?"

"More like the frustration of being neglected."

"That's true, but it would be foolish to miss out on delicious food because of that."

"You... Yeah, you're right. I'll treat you today. You can drink and eat as much as you like."

"Yay. Emma, bring me the expensive stuff."

"You, really."

Laughing at Noah's amused expression, I also laughed.

Despite the joy, a lingering anger and a slight heaviness remained in my chest, which I washed down with ale.