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Chapter 36
“But you know, I found out that alimony can be claimed even after a broken engagement. So, I’ll accept your request to break it off.”
“What?!”
“By the way, I already signed and submitted the engagement termination letter the day you gave it to me. Today, the city office formally notified me that the engagement is officially over. In other words, from today, you and I are completely strangers.”
“What the—!”
Felix grabbed Freesia’s wrist as she turned to leave.
Freesia flinched, but fortunately, since Felix was wearing gloves, he wouldn’t be able to drain her magic.
Felix let out a bitter laugh as if exasperated.
“Hah. What is this? Why do I feel so… disgusting?”
“Let go of me, Felix, while I’m still being polite.”
“You’re really annoying. You actually dare to reject me just because your face looks a little better? Hah… unbelievable…”
‘What’s gotten into this crazy guy?’
Freesia glared at Felix, utterly dumbfounded.
‘Until now, I’ve managed okay on my own… but do I need PP’s help?’
But PP could only help her speak sharply, not make her physically stronger.
‘Why is everyone just watching! This crazy guy is using violence!’
Amid her confusion, Freesia suddenly shouted a word that came to mind.
“Salazar!”
Crack!
At that moment, bright red flames erupted like fireworks over Felix’s hand.
“Ahhh!”
Felix, terrified, let go of Freesia’s hand.
‘W-what was that just now?!’
Felix couldn’t believe what he had just seen.
Clearly, Freesia had cast a spell, and sparks had erupted on his hand.
As if Freesia had used magic…
‘But that’s impossible. Freesia has lost all her magic.’
She had poured all her power into him before, hadn’t she?
Suddenly, Felix’s recent memories flashed through his mind.
The times she had lacked energy, when her magic hadn’t been functioning properly.
He had just thought she was in poor condition lately…
“…You crazy girl.”
Sparks seemed to fly from Felix’s eyes.
“How dare you steal my magic?”
Felix threw off his gloves.
Just as he was about to grab Freesia’s neck with his bare hands—
“Ghk?!”
With a strange scream, Felix disappeared from sight.
‘W-what?’
Freesia froze as she stumbled backward.
Had he… suddenly vanished?
“Gyaaaah!”
At that moment, another loud scream rang out…
Thud!
Felix crashed from the ceiling to the floor.
“Kyaaah!”
“Good heavens! A person is falling from the sky!”
Panicked, people scrambled as Felix’s body shot back up toward the ceiling.
“Ahhh!”
And again he fell to the floor, repeatedly.
‘W-what is this?’
Felix was raining down like a human storm…
No one in their right mind would want to be hit by this “rain.” Freesia stepped back and watched the bizarre scene, dumbfounded.
“Ugh! Kyaah!”
People’s heads followed him from ceiling to floor, ceiling to floor.
Each time, Felix bounced like a rubber ball between the ceiling and the floor.
“Save… me… ghk!”
Felix screamed in pain, but no one could help him.
After countless crashes, Felix finally hit the floor.
But he lay there flattened like a pancake, unable to move.
“I… I can’t move… b-breathe… ghk…”
He reached out for help, but people recoiled in disgust, refusing to touch him.
“Ah, it must be possessed by an evil spirit!”
“My goodness! It’s terrifying!”
“F-Felix!”
Lorena shouted, her face bright red.
She had entered the graduation ball believing that Felix—her partner and lover—would be the most outstanding man there.
With his talent, appearance, and wealth, everyone would envy her for being with him.
She had been so proud as she entered…
‘What is this?’
Not only was he being thrown around like he was possessed, but now he was flattened like a squashed pancake!
“Felix! Get up! What are you doing?!”
Lorena whispered urgently, forgetting her refined tone.
Felix gasped as if he couldn’t breathe, reaching toward Lorena.
“Lo-lorenaaaah…”
His trembling hand reached for her, but she stepped back, startled.
His hand fell uselessly to the floor.
“…Ghk.”
With one last weird, strangled noise, Felix lost consciousness.
“Kyaaah! Is he dead?!”
“This is terrifying! Is he really possessed?”
Lorena watched the scene, completely flustered.
Felix lay sprawled on the floor, covered in dust, looking completely unheroic.
No one envied a man in such a state.
Naturally, as his lover, Lorena wouldn’t be envied either.
“I… gghk…!”
Lorena’s clenched fists trembled.
This was not the ball she had dreamed of.
But it was still okay.
After moving Felix aside, she could play it off as a mishap and charm everyone with her own skills.
She was confident in her ability to captivate people more than anything—more than her appearance.
‘Yes… it’s fine. For now…’
The ball had just begun.
As she put on her angelic smile again, someone began walking toward them from afar.
Step. Step.
A man approached.
“Hah.”
He stretched his wrist leisurely.
“Stiff.”
Freesia, turning to look, spoke in surprise.
Cayenne, dressed in a deep navy formal suit, looked as if he had stepped out of a painting.
His sharp, beautiful features glowed mysteriously under the chandelier lights. His unreal presence drew every gaze in the hall.
“…The Duke!”
Whispers spread through the crowd like waves.
“What?”
“The Duke? Could it be Duke Kreutz?”
“My goodness! It’s really him!”
The Duke Kreutz was famously reclusive except at the Mage Tower, so very little was known about him publicly.
One thing was certain since his appearance on the video globe: he was astonishingly handsome.
“That face! I definitely saw it on the video globe! It’s Duke Kreutz!”
“My goodness, to see him in person!”
“This is an honor for our family!”
Especially those who had watched the last video globe intently were wide-eyed.
Some even began pulling out magical devices to record.
Lorena was dumbfounded.
‘No way… Why would someone as important as Duke Kreutz attend a mere academy graduation ball…?’
Even though prominent figures occasionally attended debutante balls, the Duke was an exception.
He never attended any prestigious social event, graduation balls included.
Some even joked that the chance to meet Duke Kreutz was the greatest perk of working at the Mage Tower.
‘Why is he… here? Could it be…?’
A sense of foreboding swept over Lorena.
Amidst all the gazes, Duke Kreutz, Cayenne, walked toward one point.
As his long legs strode forward, people parted like the sea.
Finally, he reached…
“Hello, freshman.”
In front of Freesia.
Their eyes met in the air.
“…”
The vast hall became eerily quiet. No one watching dared to speak.
Cayenne’s gaze settled on Freesia.
His golden eyes, almost unnaturally beautiful, slowly dilated.
Freesia swallowed slightly.
‘Why… isn’t he saying anything?’
