I Ended My Engagement With The Woman Who Despised Me

✦  Chapter 9  ✦

「Translator — Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Unlike the North, the South was warm.

The air was filled with comfort without any effort on my part, and everywhere I looked, abundant crops flourished.

It felt strange coming here from a place where barrenness and desolation reigned, where snow was all one could see.

As I pondered this peculiar sensation, the carriage came to a stop, and the coachman hurriedly stepped forward, politely knocking on the door.

"Young Master Damian. We have arrived."

Thus, after several days of travel, we finally reached the House of Carsaril.

𓆩♱𓆪

"Damiannnn!"

The first to welcome me at the mansion was a woman wearing an elegant dress.

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure who she was.

The novel only vaguely mentioned the villain's relationships when describing him, without providing a detailed character relationship diagram.

'But considering how informal she is, that she appears slightly older than Damian, and seems extremely close...'

I suspected she might be Damian's sister who was occasionally mentioned in the letters.

As I stood there, bewildered by the unfamiliar sensation of being embraced and showered with such unbridled affection, someone nearby smiled and began calming Damian's sister.

"Sister, you're going to suffocate Damian at this rate."

"But our baby brother is home!"

"Please calm down."

The moment she released me from her embrace, the man who appeared to be the older brother carefully hugged me and said, "Welcome back. Do you know how disappointed we were when you just left after announcing your engagement?"

“…I’m sorry.”

Not knowing what else to say, I apologized.

My simple response left the two of them staring at me in shock.

A moment later, they began fussing over me, their hands pressing against my face as if inspecting me for any injuries.

"Come to think of it, his face does look thinner."

"I've heard the Northern cold isn't something humans can easily endure."

"Or perhaps the broken engagement left deep emotional scars?"

"That must be it."

As I was thinking that their hands kneading my face like rice cake weren't entirely unpleasant, a woman who appeared to be Damian's mother approached from inside, calling out to me.

"Damian. You've been through so much. Come inside, dear."

She came closer, gently patting my back while examining me, then spoke with a deeply concerned expression, "Don't worry. Even if they are the Wintravens, they can't harm the House of Carsaril."

"...Yes."

"Now, let's get you something to eat."

This was such an ideal family dynamic that it was hard to understand how Damian had gone astray.

As I nodded, I realized this was the first time since coming to this world that I had felt warmth from others.

𓆩♱𓆪

The hallway was nothing short of refined elegance, a level of sophistication that only the term antique grandeur could describe. Every corner, every detail, exuded wealth and restraint.

As I followed my family deeper into the estate, maids and butlers lined the halls, bowing respectfully as we passed.

Yet, their faces betrayed them.

Beneath their polite masks, I caught fleeting glimpses of fear and unease spreading like ripples.

Though I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason behind their reactions, it didn’t take much to guess. If Damian had earned a reputation as a scoundrel before his departure for the North, then it was safe to assume he had caused considerable trouble in the past.

‘What in the world did he do to make them react like that?’

Compared to those in the North, these servants were clearly highly skilled professionals. For such well-trained servants to fail at maintaining their composure, Damian must have done something truly outrageous.

'I should ask Loraine about this later.'

She'd probably spill everything over a cup of tea.

With this in mind, we reached the dining room.

I let out a small gasp at the countless dishes laid out on the table. In the North, the harsh environment had limited culinary development, resulting in few varieties of food.

But here, an incomparable array of dishes was spread before us.

"Your father will be here soon, so please take a seat first."

I nodded and, after reading the atmosphere, chose my seat. The moment I sat down, those I presumed to be my sister and brother began asking various questions.

"Baby brother, how was the North? Was it bearable?"

"Your physique has changed quite a bit - you must have trained a lot there?"

Interest shown is an expression of goodwill.

As I received such attention for the first time — except from Loraine — since coming to this world, I smiled awkwardly and spoke.

"Yeah, it was fine. I did lots of training."

Though I wasn't sure how Damian usually treated his family, based on the occasional letters they'd exchanged, I could tell he had been good to them. So I responded with appropriate familiarity.

"Our youngest... actually giving proper responses? My goodness."

"You've grown so mature."

However, their responses were completely unexpected.

'What exactly did he do?'

Loraine had once told me that young master was 'somewhat' of a troublemaker, but judging by the reactions of family and servants, it was far more than just 'somewhat.'

As I pondered what Damian could possibly have done in the past to earn such reactions from his family and staff, the door to the dining room opened slowly.

'...A monster?'

The man who entered exuded a presence so sharp it felt like a blade cutting through the air. His demeanor carried the refined discipline of someone who had spent years on the battlefield, and his aura was so overwhelming it made me question if he was even human.

Without any words being exchanged, I instantly recognized him as Dominic Carsaril, the head of the Carsaril family.

He looked at me with calm, piercing eyes and spoke in a quiet, steady tone.

"You've changed quite a bit."

Those two words sent a ripple of shock through the room.

Damian’s mother, sister, and brother all turned to Dominic, their expressions a mix of disbelief and amazement.

"D-dear, what did you just say?"

"Wait... did Father just compliment our youngest?"

"Eh, eh? He did!"

I stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening.

To hide my confusion, I forced a slightly embarrassed smile, scratched my cheek, and acted as though I was simply flattered by the compliment.

Dominic walked to his seat, sitting down as he continued speaking.

"When I heard you'd only lasted barely over a year before returning, I thought you'd be the same as before. But looking at your condition, it seems you've cast aside your past arrogance and insolence, and worked quite hard. You must have been through a lot."

In the North, aside from Loraine, no one had ever acknowledged me. To receive recognition now, and from a man like this, felt almost surreal.

A quiet laugh escaped me as I realized my efforts hadn’t been entirely in vain.

Bowing my head slightly, I spoke earnestly.

"Thank you."

“There’s no need to thank me. I simply evaluated your efforts for what they are.”

His blunt response struck something deep within me, an ache I couldn’t quite name.

It was an unfamiliar sensation, one I didn’t fully understand, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Keeping my head bowed, I nodded quietly, allowing myself to sit with the strange warmth that lingered in the wake of his words.

𓆩♱𓆪

After the meal, I had a conversation with Damian's mother.

"We've sent a representative to the North, so the terms of breaking off the engagement should arrive soon. Don't worry too much about it."

"Yes."

Apparently, there was a proper procedure to follow for formally breaking an engagement.

Given that this wasn't between minor nobles but rather two prestigious houses, it was proper to dissolve it smoothly to maintain political reputation and mutual relations.

As she finished speaking, she leaned forward and embraced me once again, her arms warm and reassuring. She patted my back several times before whispering softly,

"You've been through so much."

"..............."

This warmth wasn’t something I had created, but something given to me freely — by someone else.

Even though I knew this kindness wasn’t meant for me but for Damian, I couldn’t help but feel the cracks in my lingering doubts begin to heal.

Everything felt so gratifying that I smiled calmly, causing her to repeatedly say how much I'd grown up. Then, as if remembering something, she brought up one matter with a serious expression.

"However, there is one piece of bad news. To formally break off the engagement, you might have to meet them again. Would that be alright?"

"Yes."

Perhaps because we'd become less than strangers now, I nodded, realizing I no longer felt anything particular about it.

I nodded, and she reached out to gently ruffle my hair before standing up.

"Then go back to your room and rest well. If you still have energy, you might want to play with your sister and brother who are probably eavesdropping outside."

Her words made me chuckle awkwardly.

As I opened the door to my room, the sight of my older sister and brother crouched by the doorway, ears pressed against the wood, greeted me.

They froze, looking up like children caught red-handed, and I couldn’t help but think, What an amusing family.

𓆩♱𓆪

After briefly sharing a bit about my time in the North with my siblings, I lay down on the bed, only to find myself waking to the morning light.

I would’ve preferred to sleep in, but the habits I’d picked up in the North — waking early to head to the training grounds — lingered in my body. Without much thought, my feet carried me toward the training grounds.

The Carsaril estate was massive, and I ended up wandering aimlessly for a while. Still, by sticking to the outer edges of the property, I eventually stumbled upon the training area.

"Young Master?"

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Loraine waving enthusiastically at me.

Apparently, the tea I had given her had brought her closer to a breakthrough. She’d mentioned that she now had a clear sense of what it would take to reach the level of a Swordmaster and was diligently training alongside me in the meantime.

"Will we be sparring today as well?"

"Of course."

"I thought so, so I prepared the equipment in advance. Please prepare the tea, Young Master."

Come to think of it, where was the kitchen here?

Thinking it was likely near the dining hall, I was about to head in that direction when I ran into Damian's brother at the training ground entrance.

"Coming to train so early in the morning? How admirable."

He addressed me with the warmest expression imaginable.

When I nodded with an awkward smile, he patted my back and smiled.

"Let's do our best together. Ah, if you ever need anything, just let your brother know, and I'll help."

The warmth of his hand lingered as I continued walking down the hallway. Almost instinctively, I found myself lightly pressing my shoulder, as if trying to hold on to that unfamiliar but welcome feeling of kindness.

As I made my way toward the dining hall, I caught sight of Damian’s older sister practicing swordsmanship in the garden.

Her movements were graceful yet powerful, her technique a blend of beauty and deadly precision. I couldn’t help but pause and watch, captivated by the sight.

But as I stood there, admiring her skill, an unpleasant memory rose to the surface — one I had momentarily forgotten in the chaos of the engagement’s annulment.

⌠Damian’s descent into darkness began in earnest after the assassination of his sister.⌡

END of CHAPTER

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