Askin rose from his seat without a word. As he stood by the window, his silhouette blocking the light, I was struck once again by how imposing he was.
He exchanged a few words with his lieutenant, Ben, who had just entered the room. A moment later, Ben returned with a heavy, wooden box. Askin slammed it onto the table and flipped the lid open.
It was filled to the brim with gold coins.
As if that weren't enough, he tossed an additional pouch onto the table. The heavy *clink* of metal against wood echoed in the quiet office. Through the gaps in the leather, I could see the unmistakable glint of even more gold.
"There. That’s all we have for now," Askin said, his voice flat. "I’ll ensure the remainder is delivered by the established deadline."
"..."
I was so stunned I nearly bit my tongue. I stared at the gold, then back at Askin. I remembered everything the book had said about him. Despite the landslide, the flood, and his sister’s illness, he’d somehow scraped this together. He was a man of unbending principles, a bamboo stick that would rather snap than bend.
For someone with his noble character, this kind of debt-induced humiliation must have been excruciating.
"You know, if you’d just agree not to break the engagement, you wouldn't have to do this," I said softly. "Why are you so determined to leave?"
"Are you really asking me that? Do you truly not know?"
"I want to hear it from your own mouth."
Askin’s eyebrows shot up. "I hate you, Charlize. I hate everything you represent. You see people as tools, and you’ve treated me—no, you’ve treated my entire family—as nothing more than leverage."
He let out a weary sigh. "I hate you more than anyone in the world for what you did to Aria. Even if the world ended and we were the only two people left, I would never spend a single second of my life with you."
I reached out and toyed with one of the gold coins, then looked him in the eye. "It wasn't all my fault, you know."
He gave me a look of pure disgust, as if he thought I was just making more excuses. I felt a pang of bitterness, but I pushed it down. The old Charlize might have deserved his hatred, but I was the one paying for it now.
"If you’d only understood how I felt, none of this would have happened," I added, channeling a bit of the original Charlize’s drama.
"If you're done, get out."
"No. I have a new offer for you."
Askin looked like he’d been expecting this. "Another trap?"
"Don't you want to be free? Truly free?"
"Not on your terms."
"Maybe. but the one who tied the knot is usually the only one who can untie it." I leaned forward. "One year. Give me just one more year. If you still want to leave after that, I’ll let you go. I’ll officially break the engagement myself."
"That’s a joke. I know you too well. You’ll just find another way to tie me down."
"We can make it a magic contract. I’ll put my life on the line."
"Your life?" Askin frowned, his skepticism deepening. "That’s nonsense. Even if you let me go, the debt will still be there."
"What if I clear the debt, too?"
"Then you’ll just be the new creditor. I’m fed up with this game, Charlize."
Talking to him was like trying to punch through an impenetrable shield. I let out a sigh. Charlize’s reputation was so bad that no one would believe a word she said. In this world, she was the ultimate credit delinquent.
"I’m serious about the contract. Meet me one more time, and I’ll bring it. Just once. That’s all I ask."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you do, and you realize I’m not lying, all your problems go away. And if I *am* lying, you’re no worse off than you are now. You’ll still break the engagement."
"..."
I stood up. "You need time to think about it. And think about this, too—hasn't it been strange? I’m suddenly obsessed with dates instead of causing trouble. I’m asking to meet you, but I’m not actually doing anything else. Don't you think that’s a change?"
I was trying to frame my behavior in a way that made sense to him. In the original book, Charlize’s "obsessions" usually ended in destruction for everyone involved.
"Quickly take the money and leave," Askin muttered.
But I saw it—the slight flicker of doubt in his eyes. For the first time, I’d actually managed to shake him.
'Yes! Just sign the contract, and I’ll leave you alone forever!' I thought, wanting to cheer.
I reached down to pick up the box of gold coins, but... it didn't move.
I groaned, my face turning red as I struggled with the weight. Askin was staring at me as if I’d grown a second head. It was a look of pure, unadulterated absurdity.
"...You should probably call a servant for that," he said flatly. "What are you even doing?"
"Ah... I was just... weighing them. Making sure it’s all here," I lied, straightening up with a shameless expression.
Askin’s look went from confused to genuinely strange.
"Are you actually worried about me? I'm touched," I teased. "Let's definitely stay engaged."
"...Stop talking nonsense and get out."
"You know, you’re even more attractive when you're being stubborn like this."
I gave him a wink, and he looked at me like I was a literal lunatic. Fortunately, a servant arrived just then to take the box.
"Alright, I'm going. See you later, pretty boy."
"Pretty... what?"
"You heard me. I think you're prettier than I am." I flashed him one last smile and followed the servant out. I caught Ben’s eye as I left; he looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
I reached the carriage, the servant carrying the gold coins behind me. I was about to climb in when I heard footsteps.
"Princess! Wait!"
I turned to see the children from earlier—the ones who’d been watching me in the garden. They were huddled together near my carriage.
I gestured for the knights to let them through. They approached hesitantly, looking around for the other villagers who were still standing a short distance away.
"Princess..."
I stepped toward them. There were four of them—two boys and two girls. They looked at each other, then one of them held out a handful of small, red berries.
"We picked these for you!" the oldest boy said.
"Yes! They're raspberries! We wanted to give them to you personally!"
The smallest girl, who looked about seven and was missing a front tooth, nodded vigorously. "You're... you're special!"
I looked at the fresh raspberries. They were bright and plump, clearly picked that very day. I took one and popped it into my mouth without hesitation. I could feel my knights’ surprise, but I didn't care.
"Not bad," I said, smiling as the sweet juice burst on my tongue. "Actually, they're delicious."
"We wanted you to have them!"
"Well, nothing is free in my world," I said, reaching into the pouch of gold coins the servant was holding. I handed a single gold coin to each child. "This is for the berries. Go buy yourselves some treats."
The children stared at the gold in their palms, their eyes wide.
"Wait, we didn't mean—"
"Shh. Don't let your parents see. It’s a secret between us," I whispered, winking at them. I took another raspberry and turned to the smallest girl. Her hair was a mess from running around.
I reached into my own hair, pulled out a small, jeweled pin, and tucked it into her hair.
"There. Much better."
"Oh! It’s so shiny!"
I smiled and gave them a gentle push toward their families. "Go on now. Fast."
As they ran off, I popped another raspberry into my mouth. They really were good. I offered one to the nearest knight, but he looked at me as if I were trying to poison him.
"Suit yourself," I shrugged.
I was just about to climb into the carriage when another one pulled up nearby. The door opened, and a figure stepped out.
I didn't recognize the crest on the carriage, and Charlize’s memories offered no clues. Was it a family she’d ignored? Or someone she hadn't met yet?
'Who is this?'