After a few days, the duke once more summoned me. Well even if hadn't, I would've visited it anyway, the reason being that damn book which I got from that damn sketchy alley lady. That day when I returned back to my room.

As planned, I opened the book to continue reading from where I left off. I hadn't managed to get passed the second chapter due to how stupid it was last time. But now I've realized that I should've read on to prepare better for this.

So turns out. The book isn't completed. With each choice I make, fate changes, and so does the contents of the book. But up until now, all those choices have led to the fate of death. Like this one.

Apparently, once Sovine got engaged to the crown prince, she would go mad in love. That doesn't sound so bad right? But with my knowledge from the game, I know that when the real daughter comes in, she's supposed to get married to the crown prince and become empress.

And since in this world, there is a such thing as magical contracts it'd be impossible for the crown prince to just annual the engagement so easily and would require the elimination of one party.

'And you guessed it, I was chosen as the one to be eliminated. And no one stepped up to stop it.'

As expected. But since my original goal was to die anyway, I have nothing to lose here!

So due to this newfound information, I've been popping into the duke's office multiple times each day ever since the last time when he announced the engagement with the crown prince. Why would I bother with this when they have already finished the engagement?

Well, I had Ardeat do some digging, and apparently, the engagement hasn't been put in contract yet. I was somewhat upset to hear the news but there's no need to rush it.

They haven't informed the magic tower of it yet due to it being the engagement plans of a royal member which is supposed to be kept private from all individuals except for the families of those involved.

'Though, I wish that I hadn't asked the duke to break off the engagement back then, I'm sure they still won't break it off that easily.' I reassured myself taking a deep breath in as Petler announced that I had arrived.

'The reason the duke called me in today, is probably because he has gotten an answer from the palace.' 

It was the only logical explanation I could find for this. It's not like he'd just invite the child he blamed for his wifeks death into his office for a cup of tea or anything. And I don't think he's the kind of guy to get over that belief just from the last conversation we shared after the Marquis left.

"Greetings, your grace." I bowed as the duke refused to even glance at me and simply continued to write on his paperwork.

"... Uh... May I ask why you've summoned me?" I spoke up realizing he wouldn't tell me why so willingly if I didn't ask.

"... The letter regarding the request for your engagement's annulment has arrived from the palace." The duke announced after a moment of silence as my face visibly lit up at the news.

"Really?! What was their response to my request?!" I inquired as I basically ran over to the duke's desk unable to hold back my excitement.

But who could blame me? This was my chance to escape this horrible game and return back home! To my strict yet loving parents, my straight A's, my beloved fuzzy kitty, my annoying sisters, my electronics, and my poison-free meals!

Well, I wasn't so excited to go meet my annoying sisters again but even they were better than the bastards I was living with now. I waited impatiently as the duke sighed at my "indecent" behavior and brought out the letter bearing the Imperial family's seal.

"Here." The duke handed me the letter as I tore it open and brought out the letter holding the desired information.

"Hold on, Sovine." The duke spoke up preventing me from opening the letter as I raised a brow of confusion at him.

"Yes, your grace?" I questioned as he seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

"Well... Before you open the letter, I must have you agree to and carry out the next engagement I arrange for you despite who the other individual is if your request to annul the engagement with the crown prince is accepted." The duke declared as I couldn't help but allow my brows knitted together clearly displaying my displeasure.

'Well, I guess it can't get much worse than the crown prince... Unless it's a cranky old man again.' I debated on whether to accept the duke's condition or not but soon realized I didn't have much of a choice here.

Plus, I doubt the imperial family would even allow the engagement to be broken off since the Emporer is widely known to be quite a prideful man who refuses to go back on his word innany way. 

'That's probably why the crown prince deals with most of his affairs but they couldn't possibly have left out the Emporer on his son's engagement plans... Right?'

"Alright, I'll do it as long as the age gap is within reason." I agreed after much more debate as the Duke let out a sigh he didn't even know he was holding for so long.

"Then you may open the letter now." The Duke stated seeming satisfied with my answer, which began giving me second thoughts on my decision.

'There's no way they broke the engagement off that easily...' I reassured myself as I unfolded the letter and began reading through its contents.

'No way...' My mouth fell slightly agape as I gazed down at that one specific paragraph near the end of the letter with trembling hands.

There, it was written...

'"THOUGH USUALLY WE WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOW THIS, SINCE IT HAS BEEN DIRECTLY REQUESTED FROM SOMEONE WITH A TITLE AS HONORABLE AS YOURS, WE SHALL ALLOW THE NULLIFICATIO ANNULMENT OF THE ENGAGEMENT TO PROCEED."?! WHAT IS THIS?!' I internally sobbed as I clenched my hand crinkling up the letter in my hand in despair though I had honestly predicted this but attempted to fool myself into a delusion.

'SO BASICALLY THEY JUST ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE DUKE'S TITLE OF "GRAND DUKE"?! THEN WHY DID THAT DAMN BOOK MISLEAD ME INTO THINKING THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW THE ENGAGEMENT TO BE BROKEN OFF?!' I continued to drown in despair at the news though I would've probably found the answer if I just used my head a bit, which I was in no condition to do.

It was probably because the original Sovine wouldn't have asked for the engagement's annulment, since she had always been starved of love she sought out any little bit of love she could get from anyone. The book showed how things would've unfolded if it was the original Sovine in my place.

It was also pretty obvious that this hadn't just occurred due to the duke's title from what was written in the paragraphs above. It seemed to have had more to do with Sovine's reputation, the Emporer was basically concerned about the future of this empire considering that if this engagement continued into a marriage.

The future Emporer of this empire would be a ruthless tyrant killing his subjects and servants left and right for his own entertainment and would end up single-handedly decreasing the total population of the empire within as much as two years.

And the future Empress would be a good-for-nothing money-sucking leech who would drain the entire imperial treasury in the matter of a few months with her lavish nature with no concern or consideration over her subjects whatsoever!

Truly a match made in hell! The empire wouldn't even exist in history books due to how humiliatingly horrendous its end would be! So, in a nutshell, Sovine's reputation has basically once again ruined all my plans.

'Thanks a lot, Sovine! Your reputation has managed to royally screw me over!'

And so, as I was curled up in my own ball of despair, the Duke suddenly spoke up again pulling my attention to him only for me to glare at him. Can't he even let me be sad in peace?

"Sovine, have you finished reading?" The duke asked as I finally turned to him, I had had my back turned to him this whole time so that he wouldn't also make me insane after seeing my actions.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, your grace." I replied knowing that I couldn't blame him for sending in the request for the engagement to be broken off since I was the one who threw a tantrum about it, so I simply sent him a smile silently gritting my teeth behind it.

"Then we can continue on to the subject of the individual I have chosen for you to be engaged with." The duke swiftly changed the topic as if it were nothing.

"Hold on- What? You've already chosen someone?!" I exclaimed completely forgetting about my previous despair as I processed this new information.

"Well, of course. I wouldn't have had you agree to my previous condition if I didn't already have someone in mind." The duke responded seeming proud of himself as he spoke, he probably thought that I would be too delighted that he had managed to break off this engagement to care who it was.

"And who exactly might this oh-so-special mister you're setting me up with be?" I questioned my tone dripping with sarcasm as I crossed my arms over my chest yet the duke didn't seem to catch on to my sarcasm.

"This might be someone you already know quite well, but I think you both will get along just fine." The duke informed me with a warm smile that had managed to surprise me quite a bit, who knew he could smile even with Sovine in his presence?

"It is Anartis Romanus." The duke added a moment later revealing the identity of my soon-to-be fiance while my brain short-circuited.

"He is the only other grand duke of this empire other than myself, and he is also the master of the magic tower. So I'm sure you'll-" 

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

-----

In the end, since I had already agreed to accept whichever individual he chose for me to get engaged to, I couldn't say anything against him. I even suggested that he choose someone else, that's to how desperate I was!

But of course, the magic tower has the most power in the empire. That's why Anartis was given the title of grand duke when there had already been a grand duke presented in the empire. So why would the duke even consider choosing someone else? Exactly, he wouldn't.

"But your grace-" I spoke up once more in an attempt to convince him to consider choosing someone else but was cut off by the duke as he raised his hand.

"Enough, Sovine. You have already agreed to go through with this engagement, a true noble lady doesn't go back on her words. I will request for this engagement to be broken off even if you request for it now." The duke's tone was firm and reprimanding as he brought the discussion to a conclusion, it was clear that he had no intention of reconsidering his decision.

'... He definitely brought that true noble thing up because he knew just how hard Sovine tried to seem like a true noble lady, just to earn his love.' This only caused my rage to flare higher as I glared at him.

"... Fine." I stood up from my seat on the couch as I made my way to the door.

"Then I'll just make him break it off instead!" I declared glancing back one last time just to glare at the duke before slamming the door shut behind me.

'Just you watch! I'll make you regret this!' I declared to myself as I was about to go on the way back to my room when I suddenly noticed Avis and Vidoro hiding crouching there next to the door of the duke's office.

"..."

"..."

We all fell silent as the two sweat-dropped before Avis suddenly shot up to his feet and rubbed the back of his head with an awkward, and not in the slightest convincing smile.

"We were just-" "Don't play with me. You were obviously eavesdropping." I cut Avis off mid-sentence as he slumped down with a grunt of defeat knowing he couldn't argue with me on this after hiding in plain sight and being caught.

"Tsk, whatever..." Avis muttered rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment with a light blush painted on his face as he rested his other hand on his hip.

"Hey... What did you mean by "you'll make him" break off the engagement instead...?" Avis asked hesitantly seeming to fear the reply I would give now.

"Oh. Simple, I'll just become the mad woman of the century." I explained with a cheery smile as if this type if thinking was something totally normal, which it wasn't.

"WHAT?!" The door of the room next to the duke's office swung open almost crushing Avis behind it in the process as it revealed Luden who seemed as if he were about to faint.

"Brother?! You were listening?!" Avis and Vidoro exclaimed surprised that their most prime and proper brother, Luden, would engage in something like eavesdropping.

"So you were also included in this?" I asked raising a brow at Luden to add fuel to the fire which would assist me in getting out of here quietly later on.

"N-no!" Luden denied in quite the defensive tone which only made him seem even more guilty.

"At least you hid properly, unlike the other two." I side-eyed Vidoro and Avis who simply avoided eye contact while staring at the floor beneath them.

"Either way, you heard what happened. So farewell." I turned on my heel and continued making my way to my room as Luden tried to explain himself to his other two brothers who seemed to have lost a slight amount of respect for him after this incident.

I already knew that Luden probably only came here to tell me off because of what I did a few days ago in the duke's office after I had left the duke's office but he then probably saw Avis and Vidoro eavesdropping on my conversation and got concerned so he began listening in from the other room too.

Avis was most likely listening because he was worried I'd climb onto the window sill and throw a tantrum again if it turned out that the palace had refused my request for an annulment of the engagement, and Vidoro probably just tagged along because he was curious.

'Well! That's got nothing to do with me now!' I thought as I skipped back to my room to prepare stupid things to do to scare Anartis off with the reassurance that they could deal with their own problems kept in mind.

To be continued...

Did you like it?? 🍬🍬

I forgot "annulment" was a word so I just kept writing "nullification" at first bro 😭😭