Dear Ex-Fiancé, I Hope You Regret Everything - Chapter 30

Something’s definitely off about Nia lately.

That dress clearly doesn’t suit her figure, paired with that peculiar down hairstyle.

Her naturally curly hair has been painstakingly straightened by her maids over countless hours, resulting in something barely resembling straight hair.

The final straw…

“Hey, that…”

“Oh no… What happened to her?”

“Her foundation doesn’t match her neck color at all.”

Despite her naturally wheat-colored skin, she’s caked on stark white foundation.

Her hairstyle and overall appearance are eerily reminiscent of Lady Iris, sending chills down my spine.

Though this is supposed to be Nia’s coming-of-age celebration after turning fifteen recently, today’s protagonist is drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.

Of course, Crown Prince Skyford and Lady Iris are present as well.

Present, but…

(No way, this can’t be real?)

From Nia’s dress and accessories to her hairstyle, everything is almost identical to Lady Iris.

The young ladies are gradually starting to notice, and hushed rumors begin circulating throughout the venue.

Crown Prince Skyford and Lady Iris approach us to offer greetings, completely unaware of the situation.

“Nia, I’m delighted to see you’ve grown into a fine lady. From now on, you must consider your conduct as a member of the royal family in your daily actions.”

“Of course, Your Highness Skyford. I’m no longer a child. Please refrain from calling me by that childish nickname ‘Nia’ anymore.”

The Crown Prince scratches his cheek at Nia’s significantly changed manner of speaking, but smiles with an expression that suggests this might be for the best.

“And Lord Dragoark, I entrust Nia’s care to you.”

“Understood.”

Lady Iris smiles warmly and then says,

“Lady Nia, sincere congratulations on your coming of age. I’m truly delighted to be invited on this wonderful day.”

After saying this with a bow, she attempts to withdraw while linking arms with the Crown Prince.

Nia stands frozen with a peculiar expression, as if she’s been completely ignored.

“W-wait! P-please wait! Lady Iris, isn’t your dress exactly the same as mine?”

“Pardon? …Oh my, did you also have yours made at Salon de Reisha?”

“Yes, that’s right. Why are you wearing the same dress as me, the guest of honor?”

“…Well…”

The entire venue begins to buzz with excitement. We’re at the center of it all.

“Could you please provide a satisfactory explanation as to why you deliberately dressed in the same dress and accessories as me?”

“My apologies, Lady Nia. It wasn’t intentional, so please forgive me.”

She says this while bowing her head.

When she slowly raises her face, her immeasurable beauty reveals true nobility to everyone present.

“This is no joke. You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Do you want to imitate me that badly? You must admire me, don’t you?”

She points her finger sharply right in front of Lady Iris’s nose.

However, Crown Prince Skyford, who has his arm around Lady Iris’s shoulder, declares without changing his expression.

“…Nia… no, Nia, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I had this dress made for her.”

“Eh…”

“If it bothers you that much, shall we ask the designer? If they reused your design without any changes, I’ll need to reprimand them severely.”

“That’s…! There’s no need to go that far.”

“But you’re concerned, aren’t you, Nia? Iris, does it bother you?”

Lady Iris, still smiling, shakes her head.

“No… However, I certainly don’t wish to wear the same dress as the guest of honor either. I’ll go change. Lord Skyford, I’m sorry about the dress you went through the trouble of having made for me.”

“It’s fine. I’m actually happy thinking I can give you another present.”

They both leave gracefully.

Nia stands there with her mouth agape for a while, but eventually clenches her teeth and grips the hem of her dress tightly.

Life in Haira had settled down, and I returned to my hometown for the first time in ages for the engagement ceremony in Isac.

My mother, who greeted me at the entrance, immediately said, “Oh my, oh my! Are you okay with seasickness?” making me laugh.

“Mother, really. I’m completely fine with seasickness, please don’t worry.”

“Really? …Oh my, this is Crown Prince Skyford. You must be tired from your long journey.”

Actually, we traveled using spatial magic to near Isac’s waters, so the journey only took two or three hours, but that’s a secret I can’t reveal.

Lord Skyford is accustomed to such situations and skillfully deflects those kinds of questions.

“You must have been lonely without Lady Iris around? I’ll be staying nearby, so please spend some quality time with your family.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

When he says “nearby” and “discreetly,” he actually means he’ll be staying at Isac’s royal castle, which is like his second home.

Lord Skyford kissed my forehead.

“You must have been tense since coming to Haira? I want you to get some proper rest.”

After saying this, he bowed and left.

My childhood home after so long, and my room unchanged even by a millimeter since the day I left for Haira.

Memories of Theresa brushing my hair at this vanity table feel as fresh as yesterday.

Though the space has been kept clean, once I became aware, it was already too much to bear.

The maid who prepared me with malicious intent.

The vanity table, makeup tools, bed, desk… every single item seems imbued with Theresa’s spirit.

I thought I had been living without recalling these memories, but they pull me back so easily.

Seeing me appear clearly more haggard than when I arrived, my parents suggested I stay at Lord Skyford’s residence.

But it would be too pathetic if I couldn’t even return to my parents’ home because of something like this.

“As mother says, I might just be tired from the journey. I’ll take a stroll through the nostalgic townscape until dusk to distract myself.”

Taking Fonmi, who stayed behind with me, I headed toward the bookstore where I first met San Rucero.

The familiar paths I’ve walked since childhood carry nostalgic scents.

Fonmi looking around curiously is also quite unusual.

(I wonder if she saw something interesting?)

However, the maid is looking back with a furrowed brow.

“Is something wrong?”

“No…”

“Ah, that bookstore over there. I already know what I want to buy.”

My heart leaped at the sight of piled books after so long.

From the alleyway Fonmi looked back toward, an ominous presence seems to be creeping.

“If Iris has returned, I should properly greet her.”