The Story of a Modest Young Lady Who Formed a New Engagement the Day After Her Engagement Was Annulled - Chapter 21

Eleanora was a plain, dull woman with black hair and black eyes—utterly unremarkable. Why had such a useless woman been assigned to me?

The Hydrangia Marquisate, with its low magical reserves, had taken notice of the Narcissus Count family, known for producing individuals with high magical potential, considering the state of the war. She was assigned to me as my fiancée from a young age, and my parents repeatedly told me to have many children until one with high magical power was born. They even said that a child with abundant magic could become the next head of the family, placing great expectations on me and Eleanora.

But then, the twenty-year war came to an end.

The engagement, originally formed to bring someone with high magical power into the Marquisate, lost its meaning with the war’s conclusion. What value was there in a plain, quiet woman who merely clung to a man’s side?

My acquaintances and friends attended soirées with glamorous women, enjoying themselves. I was frequently mocked within my circle for the mismatch between my looks and the woman assigned to me, making me feel as if I alone had been saddled with a low-quality woman. It was humiliating.

The turning point came about a year and a half ago, when the twenty-year war reached its final stages.

The royal family requested each noble house to contribute to the war effort whether by sending troops, conscripting citizens, or providing those capable of using magic. We were to choose one option and dispatch forces to the front.

The Hydrangia Marquisate was loyal to the royal family. With no intention of defying the royal command, and knowing that if the defensive lines were breached, we would suffer the consequences, we hired mercenaries, sent our own soldiers, and dispatched me, the next Marquis, to the battlefield. The Narcissus Count family, whose former head had died, sent Eleanora instead of her brother to maintain the direct bloodline, citing her magical power and ability to use magic as reasons for sending a woman to war.

I hated it. That a woman, physically weaker, could surpass a man’s worth through the mysterious power of magic. And not just any woman—a plain, dull, unremarkable one was chosen to be useful at a critical moment in the war. So, I strove desperately to achieve military feats to surpass Eleanora. I lost to the War God, but if not for him, I surely would have slain his mage.

And then the twenty-year war ended. I returned alive, having fulfilled my duty. My drinking increased, and I started paying for women. Everyone did on the battlefield but aside from that, life returned to normal. My comrades died protecting me. But I survived. It was as if God had told me to live, taking their lives in exchange. Yes, I survived, even after being tested by God.

With the war over, there was no longer any reason to desire a child with high magical power, so I annulled my engagement with Eleanora. I received permission from my father, the Hydrangia Marquis.

So, the day after announcing the annulment, I summoned the Narcissus Count family and tore up the contract. Afterward, my father and the Narcissus representatives discussed something, but I wandered the capital streets, savoring the refreshing feeling of being freed from that woman, and picked up some women.

—Yet. How did things end up like this?

That plain, dull Eleanora had already found a new man on the very day our engagement was annulled. And not just anyone—he was the one who led the twenty-year war to its conclusion, the famed War God, Fels Lotus, son of the Frontier Count. His family status could even surpass that of the Hydrangia Marquisate, and his house was currently the most renowned in the kingdom. In contrast, my new fiancée was a woman from the Raphrencia Marquisate—beautiful, but with no other notable qualities.

Unlike Eleanora, she constantly demanded dresses and jewels, and as a woman, she even insisted on premarital relations as if it were natural. In the few months since our engagement, my assets had significantly dwindled. If it were Eleanora, this wouldn’t have happened. Shaking my head at the sudden thought, I snapped back to reality. Right, I was still at the soirée venue.

Feeling an odd sensation on my arm, I turned left and noticed Annabella, who had been accompanying me, was gone. Where did that woman go? Searching for her was a hassle, but I was contractually obligated not to leave Annabella alone after our engagement. Breaking the contract would mean paying a penalty, so I clicked my tongue in annoyance and started looking. The people around me glanced my way, whispering among themselves.

“Hey, is that guy who challenged the War God really from the Hydrangia Marquisate?”

“Would someone from the Marquisate act so arrogantly? The woman next to him when he challenged the War God was from the Raphrencia Marquisate, right? I think…”

I heard someone say, “Wasn’t she the problem child the Raphrencia Marquisate couldn’t handle?” It couldn’t be true. Annabella, beautiful like a fully bloomed rose, couldn’t be the problem child they were struggling with. When I proposed the engagement to Annabella, my father hadn’t mentioned any issues. If she were an unsuitable match for the next Marquis, he wouldn’t have allowed the engagement.

Why did my father assign Annabella to me, and why did the Raphrencia Marquisate want to assign her to me…? It couldn’t be. Shaking my head again, I scolded my heavy feet and left the soirée venue to search for Annabella.

It was a bother, but I had to find her. My father had told me not to take my eyes off her if we loved each other, and I was obligated to escort her all the way to the Raphrencia Marquisate’s carriage.

I searched inside the venue building, but Annabella was nowhere to be found. Where could she have gone? The only place left was the venue’s garden… I really didn’t want to go. If I were in the mood, I might have enjoyed the garden with Annabella, but today I wasn’t. Still, I had to search. Dragging my heavy feet, I headed to the garden. In secluded spots, I sensed the presence of several couples who shouldn’t have been there.

As I scanned the garden, turning my head left and right, I heard Annabella’s voice, lost in pleasure.