FGFM 17

Chapter 17

Inside the drawing room, Fleur sat nervously, waiting for Count Hauser.

Today was her chance to see just how much she could twist her fate in this game through breaking the engagement.

“Fleur Valenne” was a strawman heroine created just to be tossed around by capture targets. To break free from that personality, breaking off the engagement was essential—but the question was whether the system would allow it.

After all, it was already obsessed with shoving kisses on her at every turn. If she went through with a breakup, it might just reset everything entirely.

But since it was something she absolutely had to face, she steeled herself and clenched both fists tight atop her knees.

“Stop it, Aidan.”
“What? What am I doing?”

His shamelessness made her let out a dry laugh.

Stuck close beside her, Aidan began toying with Fleur’s brown hair. He twisted it between his fingers, brushed it across his cheek as if it were a broom, and even pretended to nibble it.

When she finally shoved at his shoulder, he didn’t budge an inch.

“Get off. We came here to break off the engagement. What would the Count think if he saw you glued to me like this?”
“He’d probably think I’m a fool still pathetically hung up on my fiancée.”
“Exactly. So move.”

Instead, Aidan went so far as to lace their fingers together.

With his other hand, he flicked the ruby earring dangling from her ear.

“Why’d you dress up so pretty today?”
“I’m meeting the Count. Of course I have to put effort in.”
“……”

She had thought coming in looking too cheerful for a breakup would be wrong, so she’d dressed carefully. But for some reason, he frowned and leaned even closer.

At this rate their lips would brush.

Deciding it’d be faster to move away herself, she began to rise—but Aidan’s arm slipped around her slender waist, stopping her.

“What about me?”
“…What?”
“Don’t you care how I feel?”

When he pouted, she pinched the back of his hand until he yelped.

“Ugh—!”
“Not in the slightest. So stop touching me.”

Her deliberately firm rejection made him glare resentfully before abruptly hooking his arm through hers and pressing his chest tight against her arm.

What’s with this sly, foxy flirting?!

“Wh-what are you doing? I said move away!”
“I’m still your fiancé. Until the breakup’s official, I’m going to enjoy myself.”
“Enjoy yourself how? Let go of me!”
“No.”

After that cheeky retort, he even leaned his head heavily onto her shoulder. No matter how much she shook him off, he stubbornly clung to her.

Just then, the drawing room door swung open.

It was the head of House Hauser—Wyle Hauser.

Anyone could see at a glance he was Aidan’s father: the resemblance was uncanny.

The difference was that Aidan had sharp black hair like a fierce black cat, while Wyle had silver hair that gave him the look of a snow leopard, his features more pronounced.

Simply standing there, his presence was overwhelming. Fleur hurried to rise and greet him, but Aidan held her in place, so her attempt looked like mere wriggling.

As Wyle stepped inside, his brow arched at the sight of them stuck together.

“Didn’t you come here today to draw up the breakup papers?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Yet the two of you look closer than ever.”
“This isn’t my choice.”

She furrowed her brows, signaling how troubled she was. With a faint smile, Wyle sat across from them.

“Aidan, I need to speak with Fleur. Let her go.”
“I’m not holding her mouth shut.”

Wyle only gave him a level, heavy stare. Aidan resisted at first, but under that gaze, his eyes dropped and he finally let Fleur go.

“Tch.”

At last freed, Fleur quickly straightened herself and stood to give a proper greeting.

“I greet Count Hauser.”
“This is the first time since the funeral. Have you been coping well?”
“Yes. I’m learning to adapt, to live on my own.”
“That is good to hear.”

After taking a sip of coffee brought by the butler, Wyle crossed his legs and leaned back against the sofa.

Just a moment ago, he’d seemed like a kindly neighborhood elder. Now, he carried the weight of an intimidating examiner.

“So tell me—how well do you plan to live, if you’ve come to declare breaking off the engagement with Aidan?”

He wasted no time with pleasantries.

The air in the room shifted instantly. Fleur swallowed hard, but she met his eyes calmly.

“Do you no longer wish to join the Hauser family?”
“No, sir. How could I dislike it? You never once pressed my family over our debts, even when House Valenne was collapsing.”
“Indeed. I cherished House Valenne to that degree. And yet, your answer is to break the engagement?”

His eyes, full of betrayal, pinned her.

“If I marry Aidan, House Valenne will vanish forever. This is only to preserve my family name.”
“I looked into it. You already own quite a large number of fields and businesses.”
“They’re growing quickly.”
“Until the funeral, you were timid, hardly ever stepping outside the mansion. When did you prepare all this? I was astonished.”
“Losing my parents in an instant made me realize I had to survive on my own. So I moved desperately.”
“Your growth is admirable, but such a simple reason is not enough for a breakup.”

Wyle’s gaze grew cold.

“The Hauser and Valenne houses have maintained this engagement for ten years. The entire Empire knows this. To break it now would bring enormous shame to both families.”

Fleur nodded; she knew this.

“If we abandon you now that you are alone, we’ll be branded cowards. And you will be pointed at all your life as the woman who was cast aside. Did you consider all this before deciding?”
“Yes. I intend to replace that label with something else entirely.”
“With what?”
“By becoming the Empire’s first female head of a noble house.”

Even after her bold declaration, Wyle’s expression barely shifted.

Most people looked at her like she was insane when she said she wanted to be a head of house. But he was different—perhaps because he himself was one.

Encouraged, Fleur smiled brighter.

Wyle returned the smile faintly.

“I understand. Losing one’s family at once can cause confusion.”

Ah. So he thinks I’ve lost my mind….

“Until you’ve fully recovered, we can delay the marriage. Perhaps you and Aidan should take a trip instead—”
“Before the breakup, I will repay the debt House Valenne owes to House Hauser, here and now.”

To prove she was of sound mind, she placed the prepared documents on the table.

“150,000 gold borrowed, plus 30,000 in interest. A total of 180,000 gold. Sign this and you can collect it immediately from the Imperial Bank.”

One of Wyle’s brows lifted.

“Did you sell off your mansion?”
“No. The Valenne estate is perfectly intact. In fact, I’ve bought up surrounding lands and expanded it.”
“Then you earned this much solely from business?”
“Yes.”

She nodded firmly without hesitation. The quick blink of Wyle’s eyes betrayed his surprise.

Heh. You haven’t seen anything yet. Fleur swiftly laid down the next document.

“And this is compensation for breaking the engagement. If you grant your consent, please accept it.”

It promised another 50,000 gold. Both Wyle’s and Aidan’s eyes wavered this time.

“The only condition: please inform the Imperial Palace that it was I who first proposed the breakup.”
“What? Fleur, no!”

That meant she would shoulder all the blame herself. Realizing this, Aidan quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

“There’s no need to go that far. Let it be said I was the one who broke it off.”
“No. I need the attention. That way, rumors about me becoming a head of house will spread further.”

She calmly pushed his hand away.

“And until House Hauser marries into another family, I will not accept another engagement either. If I break this promise, I will pay double the compensation.”

She had prepared terms so favorable that House Hauser stood to lose nothing.

She thought Wyle would accept right away—but surprisingly, he didn’t seem pleased. Instead, his gaze lingered on her with a touch of sadness.

“I was quite hurt that your very first request of me was for a breakup.”
“…I can understand that.”
“But seeing the lengths you’ve gone to, I see how much you’ve thought and struggled to protect your house.”
“Thank you for recognizing it.”
“In such a short time, you’ve grown enough to stand without anyone’s help.”

He smiled gently and extended his hand.

“Very well. I will accept your decision. The engagement shall be broken.”

At last, just as Fleur reached out to seize this chance—

BEEP—BEEP—!

A loud alarm blared, and a status window abruptly popped up before her eyes.

⚠ WARNING
Fleur dislikes being alone.
You must help her so she won’t be left by herself. A breakup that doesn’t fit the story may cause system errors.