*Shaaaaa.*
The rain was relentless. I stood there, facing Askin in the downpour, with nothing but the sky above me. His blue eyes were cold, devoid of even a shred of sympathy.
"Brother!"
Aria's voice cut through the rain. I could feel things spiraling out of control, but looking at Aria, I thought I still had a chance to fix this.
'Living in this body really is a fast track to an early grave,' I thought. In any other situation, people would listen to reason. But as Charlize, one wrong move and I was headed straight for the underworld.
Even now, I wanted to scream at Askin that he was blaming the wrong person. I wanted to curse him for being so stubborn. But I had to stay calm. My ten-billion-gold fortune was waiting for me. I had to play the game.
I opened my mouth to explain calmly, but an angry voice roared over the sound of the rain.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
A blinding light cut through the storm. I squinted, shielded my eyes, and heard the sound of footsteps. Someone reached out and grabbed my hand, and before I knew it, I was being lifted off the muddy ground.
I looked up and saw a knight in the Altsbeit uniform. And standing in the center of the light was my maternal grandfather, the Duke of Altsbeit.
"What have you done to my beloved granddaughter, Duke Lemut?!"
My grandfather’s shoulders were shaking with rage as he took in my disheveled, mud-covered state.
'Wait... Grandfather? Let's not get carried away...'
"Answer me! What did you do to her?!"
It was actually quite touching to see him so protective, but I couldn't afford to let this escalate.
"Are you not my granddaughter's fiancé?" he continued, his voice dripping with venom. "As a humble fiancé, you should be doing your utmost for her. How dare you let her roll around in the dirt like this?!"
"...I believe I already sent you a letter regarding the breakup," Askin replied, his voice flat. "Or would you like me to hand-deliver another one?"
"Shameless! I helped you when your family was at its lowest, and now that you're back on your feet, you think you can just discard us? You think the breakup will happen on your terms? If you treat my granddaughter like this, do you really think I’ll just let you go?!"
'Grandfather, stop! You’re making it worse!' I wanted to get up, but my body was shivering too hard, and my head was spinning.
"A breakup? Fine! But you won't walk away with a single cent. Return all the money you’ve borrowed immediately, along with ten billion gold in interest and penalties! And for this insult today, you'll pay quadruple interest for the rest of the month! If you refuse, I’ll see you in court according to the contract!"
"..."
"If that’s too difficult for you, then forget the engagement—just marry her and let the Lemut family be absorbed into the Altsbeits!"
The demands were staggering, even over the roar of the rain. His voice was so loud it silenced even Aria, who was still clinging to Askin’s arm.
"Put me down," I said to the knight holding me. He hesitated, but he let me go when I gave him a sharp look.
"...Your family really does see people as nothing more than walking bags of money," Askin spat.
"It’s funny you should say that, Duke Lemut, considering you're the one who came to us for that money. I will punish you for every moment you’ve devalued my granddaughter."
"Grandfather."
I stepped between them. I was still drenched, shivering in the pouring rain. My grandfather immediately held an umbrella over me, his expression full of concern.
"Grandfather, listen to me."
"My dear Charlize, are you okay? Did that man push you?"
"No. He didn't push me." I squeezed the water out of my hair and looked him in the eye. "I fell on my own. You’ve misunderstood the situation."
Doubt flashed across my grandfather’s face. I gave him a look that told him not to argue. I knew he seemed cold when he told me about the breakup, but seeing him now, it was clear he actually cared for Charlize—even if his methods were a bit... extreme.
Askin was staring at me, a look of pure confusion on his face. He was likely wondering why the woman who had just threatened him with a debt-trap was now defending him.
'I have to get those affinity points somehow,' I thought. Flirting was out of the question, so I just had to be reasonable.
"I have no intention of breaking the engagement, Grandfather. So please... stop talking to my fiancé like that."
"...Charlize."
My grandfather’s beard twitched. He looked at me, then at my muddy clothes, and finally sighed.
"You’re still so immature," he muttered, clicking his tongue. But he finally stepped back, ending the confrontation.
I looked back at the siblings. Aria caught my eye and let out a shaky sigh, as if she wanted to say something.
"Princess!"
Susan ran up to me with another umbrella. I handed mine to her and followed my grandfather back toward our carriage. 'Aria's a good kid. I hope she can talk some sense into her brother.'
I didn't feel any ill will toward Aria. If anything, I hoped this would be the start of a better relationship with her.
'Maybe we can even have a real conversation one day.'
I felt Askin’s gaze on my back, but I didn't look back. I just kept walking.
* * *
"Achoo!"
As expected, I caught a terrible cold the moment I got home. It wasn't just a sniffle; it was a full-blown, bone-chilling fever.
But money is a wonderful thing. My grandfather sent a high-level healing magician and a priest to oversee my recovery.
'Money really can buy anything,' I thought as the magician worked on me. This person was one of the best in the capital, someone who could reportedly regrow limbs, and here they were, being called in for a common cold.
"Hmm? For some reason, the Princess is... different," the magician muttered, tilting her head.
It seemed she’d been called in many times before to fix the aftermath of Charlize's "accidents."
The storm that night had been legendary. Apparently, the entire Lemut territory had suffered from severe flooding. 'I hope Aria is okay,' I thought, my heart aching as I remembered her huddled in the carriage.
By that afternoon, the magic had done its work, and I was feeling much better. No sooner had I stood up than I was summoned by my grandfather.
'He must have someone watching my every move to know I'm awake already.'
I went to see him, putting on my best "recovering" face.
"So, you’re awake?" he said, his expression stubborn. He was acting as if he hadn't just been my fiercest protector a few hours ago.
I smiled to myself. He was so transparent. When I smiled even wider, he looked genuinely confused.
"Grandfather."
"Don't think you're getting away without a lecture. Use your head for once."
"Thank you."
"..."
"Thanks to you, I'm feeling much better."
"...I can't have my granddaughter falling ill," he muttered, clearing his throat and trying to look solemn. "Now, let's talk about what happened that day."
"That day?"
"Why did you grab the Duke's sister by the hair?"
"...Excuse me?"
I knew I couldn't hide forever, but I hadn't expected the story to get back to him so quickly.
'Wait... how did he even know I touched her head?'
"Were you spying on me?"
"Spying? Ha! That young lady’s face is well-known. Anyone would have recognized her."
"..."
I felt a wave of guilt for Aria. I hoped her hair was okay. I resolved to buy her a really nice comb as a gift next time.
"Who else but you would start pulling hair in the middle of a hallway? You’ve always had a habit of bothering that girl."
It was a relief to know he hadn't been spying on me, or he would have seen that I was actually trying to help. But instead, the misunderstanding had only deepened.
"Hmm, well... I suppose I was just... interested. I’ve never had a sister before," I said with a casual shrug. "I guess I expressed that interest a bit poorly."
My grandfather frowned, clearly unable to process the idea of Charlize being "interested" in a healthy way.
"You want a toy? But that girl... she doesn't have long to live. If you want something pretty, I’ll get you something else. Don't waste your time on her."