Ch.1313. Broken Engagement (Part 1)

For the past few days, Ember Hyde had been living in a nightmare. No, it was worse than that.

‘I should have gone to see him right away back then.’

When she found out that the “verbal warning” her father had recommended to the Royal Order through his junior had been inflated into a dismissal,

When she discovered that female knight Selin’s suspicions about Erick were part of a deliberate scheme, she should have acted immediately at that moment.

But Ember didn’t move at the time.

She had judged that Erick was isolated within the Royal Order.

Even her usual friends advised, “This is the time to distance yourself from Erick.”

Most of her friends were daughters of legal professionals or bureaucrats. While Ember desired elegant friendships with high noble ladies, that was far beyond her reach, so she inevitably socialized with friends at her own level.

“Your fiancé is finished. Do you know what dismissal from the Royal Order means? It’s not just about becoming unemployed—it’s about being socially stigmatized. The real retaliation will probably start after his dismissal.”

“40 billion? …Sigh, Ember. You don’t actually think Erick can keep that money, do you? Sorry, but he’ll be lucky to salvage even a quarter of it. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses everything and gets banished to a border territory.”

“All the bodyguards for the imperial family and grand dukes come from the Royal Order. With that network pressuring him, can your fiancé hold out? He’s a… commoner, after all.”

Having been raised under elite officials, they were quite adept at analyzing social situations.

You need to distance yourself from Erick for your own safety; if you chase after Erick just for his money, you and your family will be implicated; you should break off the engagement now so you can find another man without ruining your reputation—

At the time, these points seemed quite convincing.

Though her heart ached thinking about the 40 billion in Erick’s possession, her cold fiancé didn’t seem inclined to share that wealth anyway.

‘Yes. That’s right. Erick is already finished.’

As her friends said, even if he wouldn’t be completely stripped of his assets and driven to the brink, she thought he would at least struggle to live comfortably.

In the Empire, especially in the capital, turning the Royal Order against you was that dangerous.

But strangely enough.

As time passed, Erick showed no signs of being socially buried. Rather, evidence emerged from various places suggesting his position wasn’t as bad as expected.

“I heard Commander Waynelight sent letters in his own name to major houses? Apparently, he said he wouldn’t actively oppose if they wanted to recruit Erick. Though he was dismissed for his misconduct, it seems they don’t want him dead.”

“I heard he pressured the Guard Commander to increase patrols in District 18. Isn’t that related to how that Erick guy is using his Cordana money for relief work?”

“If that’s the case, why kick him out in the first place? Is he an idiot?”

“Well… it’s hard to say he isn’t. But don’t say it out loud.”

These were rumors Ember had overheard at a salon she had reluctantly visited a few days ago.

The Royal Order Commander was subtly looking after Erick? Protecting a member he had dismissed with his own hands wasn’t something a sane person would do. It was like cruelly stabbing someone with a sword and then tossing them a low-grade potion.

But regardless of the commander’s behavior, his influence was immense.

He was one of only three Masters, and among them, he had the highest social status and reputation. Not only was his personal strength outstanding, but he also had a solid foundation as the head of a powerful count’s family.

Though rumors suggested he was stupid, he was nonetheless a figure at the pinnacle of power.

‘If this is the case, then why…?’

She wanted to rush to the Royal Order headquarters and confront the commander, but that was impossible. Lufus Waynelight wasn’t someone a merely pretty unemployed woman could meet just because she wanted to.

Instead, she wanted to meet Selin, the root of all this trouble, but that too was impossible.

Despite ruining everything, Selin had left the capital under the pretext of saving her territory.

She couldn’t chase her all the way to Lankart territory, which was reportedly being trampled by lizardman legions. In the end, all Ember could do was pound her aching chest.

It felt as if the whole world had conspired to torment her.

Ember sank into despair as she felt Erick, with whom she was already distant, rapidly drifting further away.

She wondered why tears kept coming even though they weren’t particularly close, why the face of Erick, who had always treated her coldly, now lingered before her eyes, and where the 40 billion might be being spent now.

What awakened her from this solitary world was the welcome news her father shared with an excited expression.

“Is that really true, Dad…?”

“Yes. There’s still a chance, Ember.”

Thanks to her father, Ember regained her composure and immediately began preparing to meet Erick again.

To shed the impression of being greedy, she deliberately purchased modest clothes, and to evoke Erick’s sympathy, she decided not to apply any makeup.

She felt this would help sway Erick’s heart, even if just a little.

Above all, she resolved never to mention his wealth in front of Erick. After all, if she succeeded in restoring their relationship and they married normally, she could legitimately share in his wealth.

Soon, the day of action arrived.

Erick had finally moved to District 3.

Ember exchanged glances with her father and left home with a solemn attitude. She was determined to maintain a penitent attitude no matter what Erick said. Though she had no basis for it, somehow she felt things would work out well.

***

“Mr. Erick? There are guests here to see you.”

The maid I had hired just today called me with an awkward voice. I hadn’t even finished unpacking yet.

I had hired her to manage this large house alone, as it would look shabby otherwise. Her name was Amelia, a maid not yet twenty years old.

She wasn’t a complete stranger; she was a friend who had helped with administrative chores in the Royal Order. I wasn’t yet accustomed to employing people, so I didn’t want to bring in someone unfamiliar.

“Guests? I just moved in.”

“They introduced themselves as the High Prosecutor.”

A situation where prosecutors show up right after I move in. Obviously, they weren’t here to investigate me, so their identity was clear. Gregory Hyde, Ember’s father, and very likely Ember had accompanied him.

‘The first guests in this house are that father and daughter.’

It was annoying, but I had no reason to refuse. I also had something to say to them.

“Alright. Show them to the reception room.”

Shortly after, I was sitting face to face with the Hyde father and daughter.

A generally likable man in his late forties with a slightly hunched back, and a blonde, blue-eyed beauty holding his hand tightly while giving me a pitiful look.

They looked similar enough that anyone could tell they were father and daughter.

On the surface, they looked like an affectionate father and daughter, but to my eyes, they were nothing but backstabbers.

“Is she your servant? I’m sorry, but I’d like her to leave for a moment.”

“Ah, yes.”

As Amelia hurriedly tried to leave, I gestured for her to stop.

“No. Just stay where you are. Sit down if your legs hurt.”

“What? Ah, yes.”

I didn’t keep Amelia there for no reason.

It was to follow the lawyer’s advice: “Always secure someone who can testify for you.” If Ember were to claim I had sexually harassed her, it would turn into a mud fight. Not that I would harass his daughter in front of her father.

“Erick. The conversation we’re about to have doesn’t seem appropriate in front of a servant…?”

“I’m sorry, but please understand my position of not being able to trust you. Given your track record.”

“You? You’re saying ‘you’ to me now.”

Yes, you, I stared at the Hyde father and daughter.

Ember’s father seemed at a loss for words, his mouth gaping.

The lawyer’s second piece of advice: Don’t give them a chance to make excuses. If you listen to their lengthy explanations, you’ll end up arguing about who was right or wrong. Especially with legal professionals, he said not to engage in lengthy conversations.

Meanwhile, Ember stepped in.

“…Erick? What are you saying? No matter what, he’s my father.”

“Miss Ember, I’m sorry. But you must consider that my career as a knight ended because of the High Prosecutor’s disciplinary recommendation. Now I’m in a position where I have to live by handing out bread to children—how do you think I feel?”

“That’s… Of course I was wrong. But Erick, don’t exaggerate. From what I know, you’re on good terms with Commander Waynelight…”

“That’s correct. But that was only possible because I got on my knees and begged the commander. After leaving the Order, I swore I would live doing volunteer work, and he took pity on me. To be honest, my knees still ache.”

“That’s not something you should apologize for, Erick. If the Royal Order hadn’t been so petty in the first place—”

“If High Prosecutor Hyde hadn’t blown the matter out of proportion in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened. I was branded with the infamy of turning a village into ruins under the pretext of tracking a deserter, so the Order had no choice but to expel me.”

“……”

The Ember I knew should have become serious by now, but seeing her still looking at me with a sorrowful expression, I could tell she was quite desperate. Of course, I had no intention of hesitating whether Ember looked at me with tearful eyes or not.

Rather, I recalled the lawyer’s final advice.

– There are many fools in this world who want to quietly break off an engagement and offer compensation. But that’s the worst approach.

If you want to break up quickly, he advised making demands instead. Not an outrageous sum, but a very realistic amount.

I decided to follow that advice exactly.

“I won’t demand that you restore my honor. If you provide reasonable compensation, I’ll withdraw cleanly.”

“Compensation…?”

The faces of the Hyde father and daughter turned pale for a moment. I quietly presented them with the pre-calculated compensation amount.