TONWF | Chapter 2

Episode 2

No matter how much others cast doubt on the results she had achieved, as long as Icanuel believed in her, Isabella could brush off the flood of prejudiced rumors from people without a care.

Holding onto that small hope, she arrived at Minerva Hall where the academic conference was being held. Because she had arrived early, only a few people were inside the hall.

“Phew. This time, I need to speak properly.”

To calm her nerves, Isabella stepped out onto the terrace and leaned against the wall, quietly placing a hand over her chest.

Just thinking about talking to Icanuel again after so long made her heart pound as if she had been running back and forth.

Had she stood there long enough for her pale cheeks to flush red from the cold winter wind?

She felt like she might catch a real cold at this rate.

Since it was about time for the conference to begin, she straightened her body from where she had been leaning against the wall.

At that moment.

Through the tightly shut glass doors of the terrace, familiar voices reached her ears.

“I heard junior Ledia was also invited to this conference.”

“…….”

It was none other than Icanuel, whom she had been waiting for so desperately, and his close friend, the second son of Count Glarim, Jenard.

Realizing that Icanuel was just beyond the glass, Isabella’s lips loosened into a smile.

Her heart, which she had tried so hard to calm, started racing once more.

Unlike her two hands, which had grown cold from the winter wind, her cheeks were burning with warmth at the thought of meeting the one she liked.

Should she greet him first once she went inside? No, maybe a casual “how have you been” would be better?

Just as she reached for the doorknob to open the glass door, her hand froze at the next part of the conversation.

“Judging by that look, you clearly didn’t know. Then why did you even take the role of student council president?”

“There’s no rule that says the president has to memorize the list of conference invitees.”

“Come on. Only 30 people are attending this conference… Why are you being so cold only to her?”

Even if you’re upper and lower classmen at the academy now, the two of you are formally engaged, you know?

Upon hearing Jenard’s pointed remark, Ikanuel let out a deep sigh.

“How would you feel if someone your sister Hailey’s age kept following you around, saying she liked you?”

“Could you stay still in front of someone you liked?”

“At seventeen, she should be old enough to understand the ways of the world. She must know what kind of rumors are going around about us.”

The annoyance in Icanuel’s voice was unmistakable as he responded to Jenard.

“You’re only two years apart. Excuses, excuses.”

“I never needed an engagement in the first place.”

To me, this relationship had always been sincere every moment.

But to you, it was nothing more than a bond our grandfathers forced upon us.

It felt like she had been rejected even before confessing.

Every time she swallowed, it stung, as if something were lodged in her throat.

Isabella pressed her hand against her chest as if to suppress a scream that seemed ready to burst out at any moment.

Jenard, too, reacted with shock.

“What if someone hears you! At least try to behave well today, for the sake of the junior who studied hard enough to be invited to the conference.”

“Don’t nag me like my grandfather. I don’t want to hear that from you too.”

“Seriously. This isn’t nagging— I’m pointing out your poor behavior. What exactly did she do so wrong?”

I don’t want to hear it.

Isabella didn’t want to hear Icanuel’s answer to Jenard’s question. She collapsed on the spot, covering both ears with her hands.

But unfortunately, his cold voice—like a blade slicing through skin—pierced straight into her heart.

“Just her very existence is burdensome and overwhelming.”

The moment she heard him deny her entire existence in front of the person she liked, Isabella could no longer process their conversation.

It felt as though the floor beneath her feet and the wall supporting her hands were swaying uncontrollably.

Foolishly, it was only after hearing it directly from his mouth that she finally realized.

Her relationship with Icanuel had always been a parallel line that could never meet.

The winter of Isabella’s seventeenth year remained the most dreadful winter of her life, even three years later.

And it was on a day in the spring of her twentieth year, just before Harta Night, the biggest summer festival.

For some reason today, her perfect fiancé had expressed a desire to meet her first.

Isabella was curious about his intentions… Well, maybe just a little. But she didn’t bother to say it out loud.

She just wanted to finish this meeting and return to the mansion as soon as possible.

“You said you had something to tell me.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Lifting her head, she looked at her fiancé whom she had once truly loved.

To be exact—her soon-to-be former fiancé, Icanuel.

Unlike before, Isabella could now meet his gaze directly.

The human heart is such a fickle thing—once the emotion called love, which had once consumed her entirely, melted away like snow, she no longer felt any fluttering or nervousness toward him.

For ten long years, she hadn’t even been able to meet his eyes properly or speak to him when standing before him, but now, she could finally face him calmly.

His navy blue eyes, carrying a clear light, seemed to sparkle more than usual.

Icanuel was displaying an uncharacteristically restless demeanor.

He kept clenching and unclenching his hands on the table, like someone who was nervous.

What in the world does he want to say that has him so tense?

It was obvious—he was probably here to finally end this dragging engagement.

Even Isabella had to admit it—just as people said, she was far too lacking compared to Icanuel as his fiancée.

In this empire, there were plenty of young ladies far more outstanding than her, from families well-matched to the prestige of the Duke of Raseles.

Now that Isabella had come of age, there was no longer any reason for him to continue this hollow engagement.

It was rather amusing to see Icanuel—who was always so good at disregarding people—struggling to bring up the topic of breaking off their engagement.

He would never understand how painful it was to be constantly ignored and rejected by someone you loved, all while pretending to smile through it.

How exhausting and hurtful it truly was—someone as high and mighty as the young duke could never comprehend.

Was he only now recalling all the wrongs he’d done to her?

She even considered taking this opportunity to get in one final, small revenge.

If it was her responsibility to end this ten-year-long one-sided love, then she should be the one to initiate the breakup.

They had dragged on this relationship for far too long—one that could have ended just by letting go.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s annul the engagement.”

“As for the wedding schedule moving forward—”

…A brief silence passed between the two.

Ironically, the ones reacting most were not them, but the people around them who were secretly eavesdropping.

“Gasp.”

“Did Lady Ledia just mention a breakup?”

“Oh my god. Is this for real?”

Unfortunately, the place they chose to meet was a café in the capital, and now all attention had turned toward Icanuel and Isabella.

Soon, the mismatched intentions in their conversation began to spread like wildfire among the spectators.

But Isabella no longer cared about how others reacted.

One person was talking about ending the relationship, while the other was talking about taking it to the next step through marriage.

Just like Isabella, who couldn’t hide her stunned expression, his face, too, was marked with confusion.

“Marriage?”

“Breakup?”

Icanuel’s expression was now deeply twisted in a frown.

As if he had heard something he absolutely didn’t want to hear, he looked extremely displeased.

But really, shouldn’t Isabella be the one feeling upset?

Regardless, she had already decided not to concern herself with his feelings anymore.

The only thing that mattered to Isabella was the breakup.

No matter what, she had to finalize it today.

“You heard me correctly, Young Duke.”

“You mean the breakup?”

“Yes. I’m honestly surprised. How could marriage between us even be possible?”

“Lady Ledia.”

See?

Even after ten years of being engaged—albeit without love—they still didn’t call each other by their first names.

He continued to firmly maintain the boundary by only addressing her by her family name.

From the first moment they met until now, not a single thing had changed between them.

If anything had changed, it was Isabella.

Rigid forms of address, ambiguous relationship, the gap between their families’ statuses—no matter how she looked at it, this engagement arranged by their grandfathers was never beneficial to either of them.

That realization only further solidified Isabella’s resolve to end it.

“Should I repeat myself in case you didn’t hear me clearly?”

“There’s no need. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

His shameless response that the engagement could no longer be annulled made her scoff before she could stop herself.

“I thought you weren’t the type to joke, Young Duke.”

“Did you just call this a joke?”

Isabella calmly nodded once, signaling affirmation.

At that, his usually neat, straight eyebrows slightly distorted.

Unlike Isabella, who sipped her lukewarm tea in ease, Icanuel looked clearly displeased.

His gaze followed her every gesture, sharp enough to sting her skin.

Clink.

The sound of the teacup being set down echoed through the quiet café, where even breathing felt loud.

“I should be the one asking. Marriage? Why?”

“…Because it’s a promise between families.”

“A promise between families? Ahaha!”

Isabella couldn’t suppress the hollow laughter that burst out.

Of all people, he was the one who had treated their families’ promise so lightly until now.

If he had even offered an apology, maybe she would’ve reconsidered. No—maybe the outcome would have been the same, just delayed.

She never expected him to apologize for all the disrespect he had shown her, so she wasn’t even disappointed.

“No. Young Duke Raseles. I’m going to ask you this once—and for the last time.”

Rather, his response felt like it was finally putting an end to a one-sided love where she had been the only one suffering.

[One, two, three! We are! The Venus! Hello, I’m Hae-yoon, the leader of VENUS.]

To go meet the lovely idol Haeyoon who had helped her finally break free from this dreadful love.

So, just for today, Isabella had no intention of hesitating. For the first and last time, she would lay bare her honest heart.

“Isabella Ledia formally requests an annulment of engagement from the Young Duke Raseles.”

Before she could leave for South Korea to see her beloved idol—this was the first thing Isabella had to do.