“……You’re aware that it’s rude.”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Then, Fred interjected.
“Let’s not stand here doing this, let’s sit and talk. Okay? Bella, you sit here too. And I’ll…”
“Duke Fred.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Sorry, but I want to talk to the lady alone.”
“Is that so?”
Fred, who was about to sit on the sofa, quickly stood up.
“Ahahaha… Seems I’ve intruded without realizing. Well then, you two take your time to talk. I’ll just go for a walk-.”
“Father.”
Fred, about to leave, paused and turned around.
There stood Lady Bella, smiling at Fred.
Her lips smiled, but her eyes did not.
“Why, what is it?”
“We’ll meet for dinner, right?”
“Uh-huh….”
“It’s a must. Father. You can’t run away, okay? Hehe….”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
If Fred had a tail, it would have drooped.
Despite being a duke, he seemed pitiable.
With Fred gone, only silence remained between Bella and me.
Wendy, noticing the tension, began to clink as she prepared tea.
I was the first to speak.
“How long will you stand? Sit down.”
“……”
Bella just stood there, without a response.
As if she disliked even being in the same space, not even sparing me a glance.
Even her cold demeanor seemed incredibly beautiful.
Just as the original novel described.
It suddenly hit me that I was truly in the world I had so admired.
“Hm…”
“Why are you laughing?”
Bella asked, frowning.
“Did you come here to mock me? If that’s the case, then please leave immediately.”
I shouldn’t forget why I came here.
I composed my expression.
“I came to apologize for the last time.”
“What…? Apologize?”
“Yes. I came to apologize in person.”
Bella’s eyes widened, then narrowed.
“Hah… I see your scheme. Do you think I’ll be moved by your apology now and agree to marry you? Don’t be mistaken.”
She seemed to not believe that I was apologizing.
Considering Tristan’s image, her suspicion was justified.
I pulled my trump card.
“I will call off the engagement.”
“……What did you say?”
“As a sign of my apology, I’ll also cancel the engagement. Isn’t that what the lady wished for?”
Bella looked flustered, as if she hadn’t expected this at all.
“Are you joking right now?”
“No. I’m serious.”
“Please… have some tea…”
I sipped the tea Wendy had poured.
Hmm, it had a very nice aroma.
Unlike me, Bella seemed utterly unconvinced.
“It’s hard to believe… After all, you even threatened my father to engage me.”
“Threaten? That’s harsh. I merely requested the duke’s consent.”
“Such a shameless man…”
50 billion Kael.
The debt Izakhel owed to Ruelberta.
That was why Tristan, as a count, had power over Duke Fred.
+
Trait: Tycoon
Rank: S-
Details: You will possess immense wealth. You will see value everywhere, and your vaults will always overflow with gold and treasure. Those in debt to you will grovel at your feet. As a result, people will dislike and envy you. Feel unjust? Just bear with it, you wealthy soul.
+
The ‘Tycoon’ trait of Tristan, arguably his best quality.
There was enough money to rot.
Thanks to that, the engagement with the duke’s family was easily arranged.
Well, I plan to break it off now.
“We haven’t even held the engagement ceremony yet. So breaking off the engagement shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“……Hmm.”
By now, even Bella seemed to realize that I wasn’t lying.
Still skeptical, she asked me,
“What brought this change? You’ve been stalking me like a stalker for years.”
Indeed, that was true.
Tristan was obsessed with her.
The funny thing is that it wasn’t out of love.
It was
just due to the ‘Greed’ set in his initial traits.
+
Trait: Greed
Rank: SS
Details: You are full of greed. You are always captivated by the desire to possess. You will stop at nothing to obtain what you want.
*This trait is one of the seven deadly sins.
+
More than love, it was a desire to possess.
He just wanted to own the most beautiful woman in the empire.
His greed eventually led both of them to an unhappy ending.
I will not follow the same path.
“Bella.”
I looked straight into her eyes as I continued.
“I’ve spent the last week thinking hard. Even if we were to get engaged, you probably wouldn’t accept my feelings, right?”
Bella, still with a hint of skepticism, listened as I spoke, bringing a turning point to our conversation.
Bella gave me a look as if to say she had just realized something.
“That’s right. I dislike you. So what?”
“I intended to have you. I wanted to make you completely mine. I made efforts in my own way… but I couldn’t win your heart. Instead, we only grew further apart.”
“What? Who said I ever had feelings for you-”
“That’s why I decided to give up. I don’t like wasting time unnecessarily. Similarly, I don’t have enough time to invest in a hopeless love.”
I paused for a moment before continuing.
“Still… I enjoyed the times we spent together. Thank you.”
“Huh…?”
Bella was at a loss for words.
Swoosh.
The only sound in the room was me leisurely savoring my tea. But that didn’t last long.
“Don’t lie! You’re canceling the engagement for that reason?! Do you think I’ll fall for that?”
Hmph… she still doesn’t believe it.
Then, it’s time for the last resort.
“Believe it or not, that’s up to you. Oh, how about a cup of tea my servant brought? It’s really good.”
“I don’t need it!”
“Eek!”
Crash!
Wendy, who was serving the tea, stumbled and fell, hitting Bella’s elbow. It was as I expected; she had been nervous since coming to the duke’s house.
Yes, just as I expected.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m so sorry! I’ll clean it up right away!”
Wendy frantically started to wipe the spilled tea off the floor. Her small frame and curly hair made her look like a cute animal.
Bella’s expression softened slightly as she watched Wendy.
This should be enough.
I looked at the spilled tea and commented.
“It was a tea I liked. What a waste.”
“Ah! So, sorry! It was my mistake…”
“Don’t worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Thank you.”
“But Wendy, how much is your salary?”
“My salary?”
“Yes. I need to know so I can calculate how many years you’ll work for free to make up for this loss.”
“Hic?!”
Wendy turned pale and even started hiccupping. She looked like the most unfortunate creature in the world. Her trait, ‘Misfortune’, must have played a part in this.
“Stop it.”
The one who intervened was Bella.
“It’s my fault for knocking it over. Leave her alone.”
That was her character.
Always extending a hand to anyone, a busybody personality.
+
Character Profile.
Name: Bella Izakhel.
Age: 22.
Occupation: Lady of the Izakhel Duchy.
Traits: Purity, Justice, Peerless Beauty, Frugality, Noble Bloodline.
+
Bella is an important NPC in this game.
She’s a righteous Named who never overlooks injustice.
That’s why Bella does not forgive the villain, Tristan.
Eventually, Tristan fails to possess her.
Like water and oil.
Their relationship is inherently incompatible.
“Do you enjoy tormenting a young girl like this? I’ll pay for the tea, how about that?”
“20 million Kael.”
“What…?”
“That’s the cost of the tea she just spilled.”
I glanced at the spilled tea.
+
Name: Premium Orangju Mountain Herb Tea.
Description: Grown in the highlands of Orangju, a far eastern country. Difficult to grow and rare, it’s traded at a very high price.
Appraised Value: 20 million Kael.
+
“20… million Kael?”
“No. 20 ‘million’ Kael.”
“Ah…”
Bella sighed at the staggering amount.
“I didn’t know… that you drank such expensive tea.”
“This tea isn’t even that expensive.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“So, how do you plan to repay this debt? 20 million is too much, but this amount should be around 2 million.”
“Wait… please give me some time.”
Bella seemed troubled.
Even if she refused, there was nothing she could do, but she seemed genuinely intent on repaying me.
‘That’s Bella’s weakness…’
Too kind for her own good.
Always trying her best to be kind to those around her.
Though not as much of a pushover as her father, Duke Fred, she often gets taken advantage of in the original story because of this trait.
Of course, I didn’t come here to collect tea money.
“You don’t have to force yourself to repay it. I’m well aware of the duke’s family situation.”
“Put your pity away. I’ll sell something from the mansion if I have to.”
“No need. I came here today to apologize for last time, not to collect a debt.”
“……”
“If you really want to repay me, how about just doing me a favor?”
“A favor?”
Bella sighed and sat on the sofa, as far away from me as possible.
“I knew it was
too good to be true that you’d cancel the engagement so easily. Let’s hear it, but I’ll refuse if it’s something unreasonable.”
“Since being rejected by you, I’ve been restless and can’t sleep.”
“And?”
“I’m thinking of taking a rest cure. I heard there’s a ‘good place’ in the Izakhel duchy…”
“No way.”
Bella cut me off sharply.
“That place is a sanctuary. It’s not for someone like you.”
“That’s true. But if you guide me personally, it’s possible.”
That had been my plan all along.
Bella seemed to have realized that.
“What are you plotting? What’s your real goal?”
“Rest. Don’t lie! Do you think I’ll just guide you to ‘Eden’ willingly?”
I shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter if you refuse. I was planning to ask Duke Fred if you said no. He would kindly guide me.”
“You despicable…”
“So, what will you do? I’d appreciate it if my ‘former fiancée’ would guide me.”
Bella turned away from me.
I hesitated to continue as her shoulders trembled with anger.
“If that’s the case…”
She must have had no choice.
Bella reluctantly accepted my proposal.
“I’ll send a carriage in two days.”
“Thank you.”
“Do something strange there, and you’ll be cursed. You.”
“That’s terrifying.”
Bella sighed wearily.
“Whatever happens, our relationship ends here. Understand?”
“Understood.”
Of course, that was a lie.
Bella is a crucial character I must confront in a year.
She’s too important to avoid encountering, no matter how prickly her personality might be.
“Hey, why have you been staring at me?”
“Just… you’re still as beautiful as ever.”
“Huh?”
Bella responded with disbelief.
“You’re only realizing that now? My former fiancé.”
