IYWHM Chapter 17

“I said to let Kisa do as she pleases.”

When the Count repeated what he had just said, the nanny couldn’t hide her surprise. Letting her do as she pleases was completely opposite to the educational principles he had applied to his daughter throughout her life.

“But Count! It’s not just about the dress. Miss is refusing to attend the charity banquet!”

At those words, when the Count turned to look at Kisa, relief spread across the nanny’s face, as if things were finally going right.

However, his next words were enough to shock the nanny even more.

“Kisa, you don’t have to go to the banquet. No, don’t go.”

The nanny’s jaw dropped.

“Father…”

Joy welled up in Kisa’s chest. She vaguely sensed why her father’s attitude had changed.

“If you have something to ask me, follow me to my office now.”

The Count left after saying those words. As Kisa hurried to follow him, a thought crossed her mind and she turned back.

“Nanny! You heard what Father said? That dress Daniel gave me – throw it away right now!”

The nanny just watched her Miss running down the corridor with a bright smile, her eyes filled with confusion. It seemed that changes she found difficult to accept had come to the Vansfelt household.

“Have you made up your mind?”

As soon as they arrived at the Count’s office, Kisa asked with a flushed face from excitement. The Count silently nodded while sitting at his desk.

Breaking off the engagement. Something that had seemed impossible just a few days ago was now presenting itself before her.

Her clenched fist betrayed her overwhelming joy. Though she wanted to shout with excitement, Kisa deliberately spoke calmly.

“So will you now notify the Lowens family about breaking off the engagement?”

“Some time is needed. Unlike marriage, an engagement can be dissolved if one party wishes it, but to break it off without complications, there are things to prepare.”

“What are they?”

“We need to make them responsible for the broken engagement. That way, there will be fewer troublesome issues later. Public opinion will also be on our side.”

Though the Count had adamantly opposed breaking the engagement before, now that he had changed his mind, he was almost ruthlessly proactive. Even his long friendship with Marquis Lowens didn’t seem to stand in his way.

‘Well, he’s the type who sees even his own daughter as a tool for expanding family influence.’

Thinking this aspect was quite typical of the father she knew, Kisa asked:

“Could Daniel’s close relationship with another woman, who isn’t his fiancée, be grounds for breaking the engagement?”

“Well, that depends on how we frame the story. Actually, after you first told me about this, I had someone follow him, and he was indeed going around quite a bit with that woman.”

“…I see.”

Though she had guessed he would investigate various aspects, having someone follow Daniel showed just how thorough he was.

“Thanks to him being so brazen about it, rumors are starting to spread.”

She hadn’t known that. Apparently, people weren’t just gossiping about Kisa and Daniel because of what happened at the Princess’s tea party.

“It would have been better if there were a love child or two with that woman, but this is enough material. Even if Daniel claims it’s purely friendship like he did here before, not many people would believe it. In society’s eyes, that kind of relationship is romantic.”

Her feelings were somewhat complicated. While it was satisfying that Daniel’s brazen behavior would be his downfall, it was bitter to learn that someone she once loved was so close with another woman.

Moreover, it hurt that the Count had been willing to accept Daniel’s friendship excuse despite knowing all this.

But there was no need to reveal these inner thoughts at this point.

“Anyway, you don’t need to worry about anything, Kisa. I’ll handle the engagement dissolution preparations in consultation with Duke Hillan.”

She didn’t want to pour cold water on the Count’s cooperative attitude.

“Thank you, Father.”

Count Vansfelt rubbed his brow upon receiving her thanks.

“There’s no need to thank me.”

His tone suggested he wanted to say: This isn’t for your happiness.

“Still, I’m happy that the engagement will be broken.”

“…Do you hate marrying Daniel that much?”

The Count looked up at his daughter’s face with dry eyes.

“That story about falling in love with Duke Hillan at first sight – it’s a lie, isn’t it? It doesn’t match your sensitive and cautious personality.”

Kisa remained silent, unsure how to respond. The Count didn’t seem to expect an answer as he continued speaking.

“Honestly, though I shouldn’t say this after already deciding to break the engagement, considering your personality, I think you’d be closer to happiness choosing Daniel over Duke Hillan.”

“Why do you think that? How could I be happy marrying Daniel, who associates with other women while having a fiancée?”

“At least you’ve known Daniel for over ten years. But you and the Duke just met a few days ago, and you don’t know what kind of person he is.”

The Count leaned back loosely in his chair.

“He may be showering you with passionate love now, but who knows when he might fall in love at first sight with another woman he happens to meet. I hear he’s known for his eccentric behavior.”

“Eccentric?”

“Yes, just the fact that after inheriting his title, he first appeared at an opera house rather than an official venue isn’t normal. And then throwing large sums of money at opera singers.”

“Se… Duke Hillan did that?”

“You didn’t know? Right after the performance, he went to the dressing rooms, said he was moved by their acting, and gave them 20,000 dini each on the spot. The lead got 100,000 dini.”

Kisa was stunned by the unexpected amounts. Just how much was that in total?

Even her allowance, as a member of the wealthy Vansfelt family, didn’t reach 10,000 dini. Though admittedly, the Count was known for being frugal among nobles.

“That’s not all. Yesterday, he went to an auction house and bought a small island in the Sysna region.”

“An island?”

As she heard the details, that island was apparently famous for being coveted by Margrave Godina, and a bidding war broke out during the auction, resulting in a final price more than double the estimated value. Kisa couldn’t believe her ears when she heard the final bid amount.

After listing several more of the new Duke Hillan’s eccentric behaviors – or in other words, wasteful spending – the Count clicked his tongue.

“Because of this, public perception of Seyard Hillan has become that of a reckless nouveau riche, a playboy unsuited to the noble House of Hillan.”

“I… I didn’t know that. I had no idea.”

Though she read the morning paper daily, she hadn’t paid attention to such gossip, and she had fallen out with Melissa, who had been her main source of social information. She essentially had no channel to hear news about Seyard.

It was surprising. But not disappointing. How Seyard used his wealth was his business, and Kisa was convinced he was acting.

The man she had seen with her own eyes was thoughtful and far from being showy.

‘This must be part of his script too.’

Thinking about it carefully, it made much more sense for a frivolous Duke Hillan, rather than a serious one, to propose to a woman he merely glimpsed at an opera house.

Though she hadn’t expected him to go this far, what arose in Kisa’s heart was admiration rather than bewilderment. How bold and thorough he was.

“I understand what you’re worried about, Father. But my feelings won’t change.”

Kisa met the Count’s gaze directly.

“My happiness lies with Duke Hillan, not Daniel, so please don’t worry anymore. I promise. I’ll live well with him.”

Until the end of our contracted period, Kisa swallowed these words. The Count didn’t need to know their marriage was based on a contract.

“…No, you don’t understand what I’m worried about.”

The Count suddenly lowered his voice.

“What concerns me isn’t Seyard Hillan’s childish behavior. It’s the fact that he’s Vischer Hillan’s brother.”

“What?”

“I can’t believe Vischer Hillan’s twin brother could be such a wastrel.”

For a moment, her heart skipped a beat. The Count seemed to sense something off about Seyard’s behavior. He truly was no ordinary person.

However, he was also someone who tended to believe only what he saw.

“Well, these are just my concerns. I might be oversensitive after worrying about this matter for days. Anyway, I understand your intentions clearly.”

Afterward, the Count dismissed Kisa, and she returned to her room.

And the conversation she had with her father that day strangely lingered in her heart.

****

On a certain day while Count Vansfelt was busy laying groundwork for his daughter’s engagement dissolution, Kisa went out to the bustling streets for the first time in a while.

Though she had avoided going out since learning Daniel’s truth due to the sadness and indignation building in her heart, today she had quite important business.

“Hmm, which one would be better?”

In a store specializing in handkerchiefs, Kisa contemplated between two pieces. Either would suit Seyard well.

She wanted to give him something in return for helping with breaking off her engagement and for the opera tickets she had received recently, and a handkerchief had come to mind.

The handkerchief he had given her when she was crying before.

Kisa had accepted it thinking she would return it after washing, but during their last meeting, she had been too surprised by his identity as Duke Hillan to think about the handkerchief.

Then while considering what to give in return, she thought of handkerchiefs again. What if she gave him a new one as a gift?

Actually, she felt embarrassed about returning a handkerchief that had been soiled with her bodily fluids.

‘There was snot on it too…’

Anyway, just as she was deliberating between the two candidates she had narrowed down…

“This one.”

A hand suddenly appeared from behind, pointing to the navy blue handkerchief on the right.

“This one suits me better.”

Daniel, who had somehow appeared behind Kisa, grinned.