Dear Ex-Fiancé, I Hope You Regret Everything - Chapter 31

Lord Skyford crouched down to peer at me as I made little progress getting ready before the vanity.

“Here, look up for me.”

When I raised my face somewhat shyly, I felt like I might get sucked into those large eyes of his.

His determined gaze, visible through his golden hair, was filled with unusual tenderness today.

“You’re beautiful, Iris. You’re always beautiful. But today, you’re exceptionally so.”

“Could you please refrain from such sweet words?”

“I can’t help it. When I look at you, the words just come out naturally.”

“Eek!!!”

Even though this is just a private engagement ceremony with family in my hometown, I wish he wouldn’t make me blush so much.

Lord Skyford is probably saying these things because he’s concerned that I seem down.

“Here, won’t you look at me more properly and listen to my words?”

“Enough! I’ll get ready right away! Please stop!”

I know. If I keep blushing at every little thing like this, what will become of our married life?

But apparently, I easily get flustered by just a few words from Lord Skyford.

Come to think of it, when I first read Saint Lucero’s novels, the reason I found myself strangely drawn to them might have been because of Lord Skyford’s choice of words.

With a sigh, I slumped against the stool, and surprisingly, the confident man himself had turned bright red too.

“…Don’t be so cute…”

“Huh?”

“Be aware. You’re just too adorable at every turn.”

“What a strange thing to say.”

“It’s because you’re blushing, sighing, and burying your face in the stool.”

“…Is it strange?”

“Anyway, don’t do it in front of others.”

“Am I showing you an unsightly side…?”

“…No, you can do it as much as you want in front of me.”

“Sigh…”

(I can’t understand this person’s sensibilities at all…)

My sister who married far away and my two busy brothers had all gathered, making the Dostoevsky household lively for the first time in ages.

My sister’s child had just turned three. Seeing my parents’ eyes crinkle with joy at meeting their grandchild, I felt genuine gratitude toward His Majesty the King and Queen for suggesting we hold the engagement ceremony in Isac.

The private engagement ceremony went smoothly, and the time spent relaxing in my family’s salon was precious.

As the men enjoyed the chocolate bitter orangettes we brought as gifts with brandy, and the women savored them with tea, my niece Tiana came pattering over.

“Aishu, garden come.”

“Oh, alright then, let’s play.”

My still-tongue-tied niece calls me “Aishu.”

I let myself be pulled along into the garden, but she didn’t stop there.

“Tiana, we’re playing in the garden, right? What shall we play?”

“No, come.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

If we continued like this, we’d leave through the gate, but I still allowed myself to be pulled along.

Tiana’s steps were so determined that I sensed she had some clear purpose.

The moment we hurried through the gate; a voice came from the shadows: “Thank you.”

(This voice…)

When I turned around, my former fiancé was there.

“Lord Cain.”

“Hey, Iris. Oh, my… you’re so beautiful.”

“What business do you have with me?”

“…I realized something. Just how devotedly you had been serving me all this time.”

He thrust a bouquet of roses toward me with a rustle. The careless way he offered it clearly showed he hadn’t reflected on anything at all.

“So, I want to properly propose to you. I’m sorry, Iris. I always made you anxious. From now on, I swear I’ll love only you.”

“What nonsense! Our engagement was called off!”

“I never agreed to that!!!!”

His sudden shout made both Tiana and me jump. Noticing Tiana’s frightened expression, Cain crouched down and patted her head gently.

“Ah, sorry. I have to give you the promised reward.”

I hurriedly hid Tiana behind me.

“…Using such a small child…!! What did you do to Tiana!?”

“Huh? This kid? Earlier, before entering the mansion, I told her, ‘I’ll wait here forever, so when you get the chance, please call Iris out for me.’ Here, the promised candy.”

“Wow!”

Tiana’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the large lollipop.

“Actually, you’re the one to blame too, Iris. You were hiding that beauty of yours. It’s like you’re telling people not to like you.”

Unlike Lord Skyford’s words, I couldn’t accept this. There wasn’t a shred of consideration for others in Cain’s words.

Besides, using such a young child—Cain remained as selfish as ever.

I slapped the candy offered to Tiana out of his hand.

Cain stared expressionlessly at the fallen candy, while Tiana burst into tears.

“Tch, how annoying. People will come.”

“I’ve finished my engagement ceremony. I’m officially Lord Skyford’s fiancée now.”

“Hey now, we were originally engaged too.”

I shook off Cain’s hand as he reached for me and glared coldly.

“The reason I served you devotedly was because you yourself were so degenerate that I had no choice. I never loved you, not even once.”

“Iri…”

“That’s right, how’s your academy life? Must be tough submitting reports without me, isn’t it?… Or don’t tell me you actually failed?”

Cain hung his head, face red as if enduring something.

How pathetic.

(I thought it couldn’t be true, but with his face that red, did I hit the mark?)

“I-It’s your fault, Iris…! You didn’t bring me the reports you promised, did you!? Because of that, I…!! Take responsibility!!”

“How absurd. You sound like a man who got a woman pregnant. You should take responsibility for your own life. So Lord Cain, please don’t interfere with my life any further.”

He looked utterly shocked. But it was too late for him to realize anything now. Our lives had each steered in completely different directions and would never cross again.

The bouquet fell with a rustle.

Taking one step back, then another, Cain turned and ran off.

“Hey! What happened!? What’s going on!?”

By the time my brothers and Lord Skyford arrived, having noticed the commotion, Cain had already disappeared into the distance.