Chapter 05
Valerian’s blue eyes wavered restlessly as he looked at her.
Eve met that gaze without the slightest tremor.
If she showed even a hint of hesitation here, Valerian would try to persuade her.
So she had to cut it off as coldly as possible.
As he interpreted her words with a face frozen stiff like ice, an awkward smile slowly formed on his lips.
“Ah, Eve. If you’re very tired, it’s fine if we part ways for today.”
It was painfully optimistic thinking. Eve had expected that he wouldn’t easily believe this was a breakup.
‘It was so sudden, after all.’
Valerian was soft-hearted. When a comrade on an expedition was killed by a demon, he couldn’t eat properly for days.
If he reacted that way to a comrade, how much more would he be shaken when it was a fiancée?
She could already imagine how much her announcement would hurt him, but Eve firmly shook her head.
“That’s not what I mean.”
Then she delivered a breakup so clear that it required no interpretation whatsoever.
“As of today, let’s stop seeing each other. Valerian.”
At her words, the corner of his lips trembled. He understood. This was unmistakably a breakup.
“Eve, I still don’t really understand what that means…”
Eve continued to look straight at the man who shone as brilliantly as sunlight even in this moment.
Now that she had said it, her resolve only hardened.
It was right to tie the knot here.
“…I misheard you, right? Eve.”
“The annulment papers will be sent to your family soon, Valerian.”
From the beginning, they were never a pair that could truly exist together. Eve felt almost grateful that she could end it now.
“Eve, I don’t understand what that means. An annulment between us—”
Valerian’s blue eyes shook helplessly. He quickly replayed everything that had just happened. Had he done something wrong?
No matter how much he thought about it, they had been a perfectly affectionate couple as always.
“Eve, did I do something wrong?”
“No. You didn’t.”
“Then why?”
He covered the mask that was about to crack with an awkward smile. Desperately, he tried to recall Eve’s behavior lately.
If he had done something wrong, she was the kind of person who would firmly point it out.
She wasn’t someone who would express dissatisfaction through a breakup like this.
Eve quietly observed the changes in Valerian.
Shock spread across his face, then confusion, and finally a strange certainty flickered in his eyes.
“What happened, Eve?”
For a fleeting moment, a cold light passed through Valerian’s blue eyes. Eve didn’t notice.
She nodded without denying it.
“Yes. Something happened that means we absolutely have to break up.”
Namely, the fact that you are the hero of the original story, and I’m practically in the position of the Demon King destined to be executed by you.
Of course, she had no intention of telling him that truth. Trembling her lashes as if sorrowful, she slowly parted her lips.
“My family went bankrupt.”
“…What?”
Though confusion filled his eyes, Eve maintained her act to the end.
“So if you think of your family… it’s best we end things here. Take care, Valerian.”
After offering her final farewell, Eve turned lightly on her heel.
Clatter. It sounded as though something had fallen behind her, but she didn’t look back.
‘Money talks, after all.’
Engagement might be one thing, but marriage was business.
Especially if it was the notoriously cold-blooded Duke Ludwig—there was no way he would sit still after hearing this.
‘He’ll push for the annulment immediately.’
Then, in accordance with his father’s will, Valerian would have no choice but to let go of his feelings.
The heavy weight that had pressed on her heart felt lifted and refreshed.
‘This is a clean ending.’
Under that illusion, Eve returned to the Count’s estate.
Time passed peacefully.
Or rather, calling it peaceful would be inaccurate—Eve was extremely busy. She had to execute her second plan.
Once the annulment papers were approved by the authorities, she intended to take her luggage and head straight to the country house she had prepared in the countryside.
“This should be enough for now…”
Her belongings were surprisingly modest.
Since she would no longer attend social gatherings, she had excluded most of her jewelry and dresses, which made her luggage quite light.
Watching her from the side with visible displeasure, someone finally spoke.
“…Are you really going?”
It was her older brother, the eldest son of the Estella family—Noah Estella.
Though only two years apart, the two of them often wished to deny being siblings when meeting others. However, their appearances were so similar that people might believe they were identical twins.
The only difference was her red eyes and his amethyst-colored ones.
He had been away from home for some time under the pretext of work, and for someone who rarely returned once he left, he had come back rather quickly.
‘The kind who never comes back once he leaves.’
Since childhood, Eve hadn’t been close with Noah. Their parents had openly favored her.
And Noah had vented that resentment on her, throwing every bit of childish spite he could muster.
‘Well, that’s all in the past.’
Eve was more magnanimous than one might expect. She was generous enough to forgive such foolish past behavior from her brother.
With an elegant eye-smile, she said,
“Yes. You must be relieved, right? The sister who was such a thorn in your side is leaving of her own accord—how refreshing.”
At her words, Noah’s face twisted.
“Yeah, I’m absolutely thrilled!”
Though he looked as though he had more to say, he simply shot her a glare and turned his head away. Eve shrugged and resumed checking her luggage.
Then came a knock.
—Knock, knock.
“Eve, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
At her father’s voice, Eve responded. Her father and mother entered together.
She tilted her head.
“Is something the matter?”
“A letter arrived from the Ludwig family.”
“Oh, already?”
Brightening, Eve quickly took the letter her father handed her.
‘The annulment process must be speeding up.’
Perhaps she would be able to leave for the countryside sooner than expected. But as she unfolded the letter and read its contents, the smile slowly faded from her face.
“This… seems a bit strange.”
She reread the letter in disbelief. The contents remained the same.
[Greetings, Count Estella.
I am Paolo Astrea, financial administrator of the Ludwig ducal house.
…
By the will of the ducal house, as of today, half of the Ludwig family’s fortune shall be granted to the Estella count family.
The Empire’s finest legal counsel will oversee the procedure, so there is no need for concern.
His Grace hopes you will accept this without burden, as it is merely support to strengthen the bond between our families.
—Paolo Astrea.]
The letter was written in a polite and properly formal tone.
But Eve’s hand holding it grew damp with cold sweat.
Half of the Ludwig family’s fortune—known as the wealthiest house in the Empire.
It was a number beyond imagination.
“Here are the documents enclosed with the letter,” said Count Estella, handing her the papers.
Eve didn’t want to take them. A sense of dread washed over her.
‘What is this?!’
Why couldn’t they just quietly agree to the annulment?
This should have been a touching situation—but not under her current circumstances.
Reluctantly accepting the documents, Eve nearly fainted at the figure written inside.
‘Fifty million shillings!’
It was enough to buy up all the remaining land in the capital. A sum so enormous one could jokingly establish a small kingdom with it.
An insane amount that made her hands tremble.
‘They’re just giving this to us? Is this real?’
Duke Ludwig, you weren’t supposed to be this easy.
Instead of stopping his son’s marriage, he had promised half his fortune. Eve felt like crying.
‘How am I supposed to accept this “without burden”?!’
If she accepted this, the entire Empire would turn its attention toward her. Absolutely unacceptable.
“Could this have been sent by mistake?”
“Sir Rain Pedro personally delivered it…”
Rain Pedro—the aide to Duke Ludwig.
For some reason, Eve felt her face burning and looked away from the letter.
“W-What is this?”
“Eve, with this money, we could secure enough funds to attempt a rebellion,” Count Estella said, gently taking the documents from her hand.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
Eve gasped. Noah beside her had gone pale.
“I was going to follow your wishes at first, but the thought of you living your whole life as a fugitive tears at my heart,” the Count said.
Even her mother, who should have been stopping her husband, joined in persuading her.
‘This household is hopeless.’
Reeling, Eve staggered and dropped onto the bed.
“Noah, say something!”
“I… I don’t know.”
Noah frowned, clutching his forehead in confusion.
He had only just learned that she was a mage. Eve looked at him with a hopeful gaze. Perhaps he would put a stop to this madness.
“Maybe living like this would be better than you becoming a fugitive—”
“Are you insane?!”
Eve trembled in fury at his words. She had misjudged him.
“If we try that, we’ll all end up dead!”
Startled by her fierce reaction, the Count spoke again.
“I apologize for that, Eve. But reconsider running off to the countryside.”
He looked at her earnestly.
“How can that be called a happy life? Idling peacefully in the countryside? Borrowing dinner from the neighbors and laughing ‘ha-ha, ho-ho’? Isn’t that far from the life you once desired?”
“Right now, that’s exactly the life I want. The one I desperately wish for.”
Casting a cold look at her father’s sentimental expression, Eve snatched the donation documents from his hand.
“Ah!!”
“I’ll handle this myself, so please just stay out of it!”
