I Ended My Engagement With The Woman Who Despised Me

✦  Chapter 14 — Regret  ✦

「Translator — Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Unlike marriage, while an engagement carried weight, it wasn't an irreversible choice.

And unlike marriage, which officially announced a union,

An engagement was merely a declaration of intent.

Thus, even when engagements were broken for various reasons,

It was uncommon to make official announcements or undergo formal procedures.

'In my case, it was more than just a promise between Elysia and me.'

Since it was a promise between two Houses, they said it would be better to resolve it gracefully.

Perhaps it was because I felt such intense skepticism toward the North, including Elysia. By now, I felt neither emotion nor interest in the Northern faction, so I simply nodded in dry agreement.

'That would be better.'

The moment I might say I don't want to end it gracefully for the sake of revenge, a rumor war focusing only on negativity would begin.

And such actions would amount to nothing more than trying to tear down the other party while proclaiming one's own righteousness.

Regardless of the outcome, there would be no benefit, only damage to my reputation, so I judged it unnecessary.

'There's no need to engage in worthless actions.'

So I nodded to the family head's words and agreed.

When I indicated I would handle it quietly, the family head looked at me as if surprised,

And seemingly pleased with my response, added one more thing.

"If you wish, I can look into arranging a new engagement."

At the mention of a new engagement, I awkwardly smiled and declined with a shake of my head.

"I apologize."

𓇗

I left the family head's office and immediately headed to where 'Siren' might be.

There was no particular reason — it just felt improper to abandon someone I’d invited (or rather, abducted) to my home without checking on her.

As I was looking around places where she might be,

"Your hair is so beautiful. What's your secret?"

"I-I don't know."

"Born with it... I'm envious."

I heard Loraine and Siren conversing in the park.

It seemed they’d already grown close.

When I walked over, I found Siren nestled in Loraine’s lap, having her hair brushed like a cat.

'...This is strange.'

In the original story, Siren was described as cruel, a murderous demon incapable of understanding human emotions. And yet the Siren before me was nothing like that description — just an exceptionally pretty young girl.

As I stood there pondering this peculiarity,

The sun spirit in my embrace emerged onto my shoulder and started barking "myung-myung" at Siren.

Was it because she'd been experimented on by dark mages?

Or because she'd bloomed from consuming countless people's negativity?

The sun spirit expressed its hostility toward Siren with continuous "myong-myong" barks.

I stroked its head to calm it down as I approached Siren.

"...Ah!"

The moment I drew near, she latched onto me exactly as she had when we first met. With so many eyes watching, I tried to peel her off, but she clung stubbornly. I gave up and let her stay.

'Better this than outright hostility, I suppose...'

Considering the dignity and power that comes with being an Archmage, building goodwill would be better. While soothing the sun spirit that was still barking ‘myung-myung’ at Siren from my shoulder, I asked her,

"Are you feeling better?"

At my question, she glanced up at my face and calmly nodded.

Then spoke to me in a small voice.

"Because it's warm... I'm fine now."

Though her answer made little sense to me, what mattered was that she said she was fine.

I patted her head in acknowledgment and fell into brief contemplation.

‘I should keep her with me for now.’

If we sent her away from the mansion and she got captured by Dark Mages again, it could develop into a serious problem.

It seemed better to keep her with me until things settled.

The only issue was her inexplicably obsessive behavior toward me, despite having just met.

I concluded that this dependency was akin to a newborn chick imprinting on the first being it sees as its mother. Having suffered for so long, she likely viewed me — the one who rescued her — as something maternal.

Thinking it was due to her current mental instability,

I decided to leave her be for now, believing that just as a chick grows to become independent, she too would naturally overcome her dependent tendencies once her mind stabilized.

𓇗

Siren, the Archmage — the worst curse born from swallowing the despair of thousands.

Since in the original story, she was such a formidable enemy that she drove the protagonist's group to ruin,

Most descriptions focused on her strength rather than explaining who she really was.

While her goals and beliefs were mentioned, human aspects like her likes or food preferences were never written about,

So I had no idea how to treat Siren.

'Would it be enough to just treat her well?'

...I wasn't sure.

Some relationship advice videos (Shorts) argued that you shouldn't be too nice,

While some relationship books (blogs) suggested being extra nice since you could always cut off toxic people later — so I was quite confused.

As I carefully patted Siren's head, waiting for her to calm down,

Loraine beside me cleared her throat "ahem" and made a subtle suggestion.

"Um, Young Master, since Siren is new here, how about having tea together?"

I let out a small laugh at the question and nodded.

I had promised Loraine in the sewers anyway, and since one of tea's benefits was mental recovery, it might help.

“This tea is the only joy keeping me alive these days,” Loraine sighed contentedly beside me. Ignoring her dramatics, I handed a cup to Siren, still glued to my side.

“Want to try?”

At my offer, she carefully nodded and gingerly accepted the tea.

Though it should have been hot even in the teacup, she held it with her palms as if enjoying the heat and drank.

"...It's warm."

With those words,

Siren continued drinking the warm tea with a small smile on her face.

𓇗

Elysia glared at the hallucination tormenting her amid the bitter cold, her face contorted in a grimace.

[If only you had made the right decisions, our family could have survived.]

Ever since the snow began falling again in the north, the hallucinations and voices that had plagued her for years had returned.

Despite medications and magical treatments, they hadn’t faded — instead, they’d grown sharper. She’d desperately searched for tea like the kind Damian used to brew, the only thing that had ever dulled the visions…

Yet after trying hundreds of different teas,

She couldn't find anything that produced a similar effect, let alone one that came close to matching it.

As a result, her lips grew parched, her once-lustrous hair turned brittle, and shadows clung to her eyes like stains of exhaustion.

While one wouldn't call something living a corpse, when she saw her appearance — no different from that of the dead — she thought herself hardly distinguishable from a corpse.

'No, perhaps a corpse would be better. At least corpses don't see hallucinations.'

As she let out a hollow laugh at the thought that being dead might be preferable,

She could see the gently falling snow outside gradually growing more intense.

While it had been a long time since snow had fallen with such savage intensity,

Her breath caught as she knew all too well what results this would bring.

Many would be unable to leave their homes and starve to death.

Parents would steal food from starving children under the pretext of efficiency.

Death would become commonplace — this was the nature of endless blizzards.

Her mind grew chaotic as confusion mounted.

A severe headache struck as the hallucination before her grew clearer and screamed — 

[Y-Your Grace, the children are starving. Please, just help us this once!]

She gasped for air, clutching her chest, when officials burst into her office, voices overlapping in panic.

'Pull yourself together...'

If she collapsed now, everyone would die.

So, resolving to hold onto her sanity and press forward, she was walking toward the conference hall with many others when,

"Y-Your Grace, the children are starving. Please, just help us once!"

A woman clutching a pale-faced child burst into the mansion, pressing her head to the floor as she begged for help; the words were so identical to what she'd heard in the past, it seemed almost deliberate, leaving her frozen white and staring blankly.

Those beside her spoke with stern expressions.

"It’s pitiable, but we cannot help. The moment word spreads of aid, it’ll disrupt fairness—and soon, countless others will demand the same for their families.”

"Your Grace, please make a rational decision. A misguided decision will doom us all.”

They argued to cast the woman out, just as they had in the past. Soldiers dragged the wailing mother back into the freezing cold. 

Watching all this unfold, she couldn't help but face one question.

…What has truly changed since that day?

Despair crashed over her, stealing her breath. She’d sacrificed inefficiency for progress, yet nothing had shifted. Had any of it been right?

Nothing changes. Nothing ever does.

As she forced herself to breathe, dry heaving from the effort, a thought she shouldn't entertain bloomed in her mind.

If Damian had been here, would things have been different?

END of CHAPTER

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