Chapter 68

I staggered like a small boat battered by a storm and collapsed into my chair. My head lolled weakly, and my forehead thudded against the table.

 

Elena had met thugs, just like in the original storyline—but Evan had been with me. So it seemed she’d met Piote instead.

 

I flicked my eyes up to check Piote’s reaction. That scene was supposed to be the episode where the two of them developed feelings for each other.

 

Piote and Elena had known each other for a long time.

 

‘Then… did feelings develop between them?’

 

But last time, Piote said he liked someone.

 

I studied him closely. There was no way Elena had fallen for Piote, right?

 

“Well, the moment I accepted Evan’s confession, the situation already changed, but… brother. I’m asking this seriously.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What do you think of Elena?”

 

“…….”

 

Piote narrowed one eye, trying to dissect the intent behind my words.

 

“You said you have someone you like.”

 

“Why is that coming up all of a sudden?”

 

“No, it’s just… you seem close with Elena, so I was wondering.”

 

“…….”

 

Huh? If I wasn’t mistaken, Piote’s earlobe looked just slightly red…?

 

Come to think of it, he did seem to look after Elena more than usual.

 

When I stared at him, he noticed and cleared his throat lightly.

 

“Then what about you?”

 

“What about me?”

 

“You ended up going to Evan. You caused a whole scene last night too.”

 

My face turned bright red. I’d insisted it wasn’t like that, but in the end I’d admitted it.

 

I’d asked Piote for help, only to go running straight to Evan. On top of that, last night all my past blunders came flooding back, and I’d kicked my blanket over and over in bed.

 

“Th-that’s…”

 

Even when Piote looked at me like I was something else entirely, I had nothing to say. I fidgeted, touching my fingers together and pulling them apart.

 

“So you’ve decided to admit it for real now?”

 

I silently nodded.

 

“You used to say that just watching him from his side made you happy.”

 

I remembered Evan getting angry when I handed him the annulment papers, Evan coming all the way to my house with teary eyes, Evan waiting endlessly for me to stop being stubborn.

 

And the words he’d spoken when he finally laid his heart bare.

 

I scratched my cheek. If he said he was happy just to have me by his side, without blaming me for the pain he’d endured, then all I could do was act as I always had.

 

“That hasn’t changed even now. But I don’t want to push my opinions if it means making the person I love cry.”

 

The reason I’d thought that way was because I was afraid of loving alone and getting hurt alone.

 

But when I looked into his eyes, it was painfully obvious that he loved me.

 

And honestly—truly—I was happy.

 

How could I not be, when my favorite character liked me back?

 

‘I never expected to hear a confession that intense… I was shocked too.’

 

His sincerity was enough to drag me out of the shell I’d been hiding in. There was no room for doubt.

 

I refused to look at Piote’s face across from me. Just from the clink of the teacup, I could guess his expression.

 

Probably a look of utter decay, mixed with our father’s face asking if this was really how he’d raised me.

 

“Evan likes me. There’s no way I wouldn’t like him back.”

 

“When I told you before that Evan liked you, you didn’t believe me at all.”

 

I ignored Piote’s remark and smiled contentedly.

 

If I thought about it, wasn’t I a successful fan? The ending was very different from what I’d imagined, but still….

 

Piote rested his chin on his hand and muttered like he’d given up on everything.

 

“I don’t want to admit it, but… with devotion like that, I suppose I can entrust you to him. And he’s strong. He’s the only one who’s ever beaten me. If he were weak, I’d have told him to knock me down and take you—but he can’t be dismissed like that.”

 

Piote clicked his tongue, saying it was truly regrettable.

 

Ah… yes. I nodded with a conflicted expression.

 

“Want an example? If Father said he wouldn’t let you go until sand got in his eyes, that guy would grab a handful of sand and throw it at him.”

 

“…….”

 

I gave him a sour look that clearly said Evan wouldn’t do that. Evan was incredibly respectful toward elders.

 

Piote just shook his head.

 

“That’s how serious he is. Well, if you’re happy, that’s what matters.”

 

Piote reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

 

“Don’t worry about anything anymore.”

 

“I am worried. It means officially becoming the fiancée of House Weiss. And you didn’t read the paper, did you?”

 

“Huh…?”

 

“Here.”

 

Piote handed me a newspaper he’d set aside. I tilted my head.

 

It was strange enough that Piote—who never read newspapers—had one at all, but what did it have to do with worrying about me…?

 

And then I read it, and my eyes widened.

 

“Wh-what is this?!”

 

A silent scream clogged my throat. The contents of the paper were absurd.

 

 

***

 

 

Evan leisurely twirled his quill, humming softly.

 

Seeing how good his mood seemed, Liman and the others finally let out their breaths.

 

Thinking of the flood of articles about Evan lately, they rubbed their chests in relief. Especially since there had been so much gossip among the servants.

 

Recently, a coachman had claimed to witness Evan and Lepina fighting with his own eyes.

 

No—more precisely, Lepina’s heart had already left, while Evan was clinging to her.

 

The incident spread like wildfire, and even rumors of annulment leaked out.

 

Everyone took it for granted that Evan and Lepina were breaking off their engagement.

 

But Liman had never believed it.

 

The annulment uproar and the story of Evan being kicked out by Lepina were true, but the two he’d seen with his own eyes were lovers who cared deeply for each other.

 

Who was breaking up with whom?

 

And just looking at the atmosphere surrounding Evan now made that clear.

 

Liman cleared his throat to announce his presence and gently set a teacup beside Evan.

 

“You seem to be in good spirits. Come to think of it, you returned quite late last night. May I ask what happened?”

 

Evan looked up at Liman and smiled faintly.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? It was resolved well. For a while, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but….”

 

He tapped the paper lightly with his quill.

 

Like black ink spreading across the page, the fear that Lepina might leave him had grown steadily.

 

When even what he thought was his trump card—tears—failed, it became worse.

 

It hurt, feeling like he was the only one panicking, like the sky was collapsing.

 

That night, unable to sleep, his anxiety had been unbearable. She probably didn’t know.

 

But what mattered was that things had worked out in the end.

 

“About the newspapers…”

 

“I achieved my goal. Tell the press to pull everything. Tell them if they keep spewing that kind of nonsense, I’ll ruin them.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Thanks to the newspapers landing a massive scoop and racing to publish it, it was no exaggeration to say every noble in the capital knew.

 

‘My breakup with Lep? Nonsense.’

 

The news of their separation spread quickly, stirring endless gossip.

 

Some nobles had taken it for granted all along.

 

They said the engagement was finally broken, that it made sense now that the Weiss heir was cured, that she’d left knowing her place.

 

The same nobles who had never spared them a glance before.

 

And along with that came marriage proposals—an impressively swift change of stance.

 

On the other hand, those close to Evan asked if it was true.

 

Naturally, Evan denied it.

 

But nobles who acted as if the engagement was already over saw it as their chance and shoved their daughters at him.

 

The piling papers were irritating, but he had no time to care about them.

 

No—more accurately, he was waiting to see Lep’s reaction upon hearing the news.

 

She’d subtly blocked other women’s advances before; maybe she’d show at least a little interest.

 

Could there have been other men bothering her?

 

Evan’s gaze turned vicious.

 

Even now, thinking back on her reaction yesterday felt strange—like she’d been struck right at the core.

 

As if she was avoiding the topic.

 

“Liman. Has Lep ever met another man besides me?”

 

Liman’s eyes widened, blinking slowly.

 

“Who would dare covet the young mistress? With the young master watching over her so closely—”

 

“Right. That’s what I thought too. But something doesn’t add up.”

 

Evan couldn’t forgive men who approached Lepina.

 

Neither could Piote nor Elena.

 

Yet Lepina spoke as if some other lover had called her annoying or insufficient.

 

When he realized that was why she’d tried to leave him, rage surged up.

 

Some worthless trash had made her misunderstand his sincerity.

 

He couldn’t understand why she tried to cut herself off from everything related to him.

 

It hurt, feeling like he was the only one in turmoil, like the sky was collapsing.

 

“Someone exceptional… who found her annoying? Her attention?”

 

It was a statement spoken with absolute certainty—something that didn’t come from a single experience.

 

“How dare they, when I’m desperate just to have her….”

 

If Piote had heard that, he surely would have exploded in anger.

 

Evan was genuinely curious what kind of deranged fool would say such a thing.

 

Too much strength went into his grip, and the quill snapped cleanly in two.