C140
"Let's postpone the engagement... What does that mean?"
Liena's expression stiffened at Mikhail's unexpected suggestion.
"Exactly that."
"If we postpone it, how many days? A week? 15 days?"
"I'm sorry. I can't answer that yet. I want to postpone it for now and then think about it again."
"What do you want to think about again?"
"I'm sorry. But I think I made the important decision to commit too hastily."
"Do you no longer love me?"
"Why would you say that? I just want to get married and receive blessings from my parents if possible."
Mikhail felt embarrassed by Liena's sad eyes and tried to comfort his lover.
"Because my mother is against it, and my father is not in favor either."
"But His Majesty the Emperor said nothing."
"That's because he's willing to accept a huge dowry from your family. He called the duke not long ago and discussed it."
Mikhail paused for a moment and then asked carefully.
"Liena, are you okay with this? Cassius's dowry should be huge."
He remembered what Ethel said in the greenhouse. Liena didn't sacrifice anything for Mikhail.
Mikhail really couldn't refute those words.
This is because he couldn't think of anything that could be called Liena's sacrifice.
"But, but..."
If Liena tells him now that the dowry is not a loss of money.
She feels sorry for her family, but if she says it can't be helped since it's crucial for her relationship with Mikhail.
Mikhail was willing to do everything to persuade his mother to approve the engagement.
It could also completely erase the doubts about Liena that had blossomed in his heart.
Above all, the two were lovers who had known each other for a long time and had been in love for more than ten years.
"What, is it just because of that?"
As every second seemed like a year to Mikhail, Liena finally spoke.
"What else can I say? Suddenly, I wondered why you were like that. Of course, it's fine!"
Mikhail was filled with joy at the words, "It's fine." As expected, Liena...
"Don't worry! Once His Majesty likes me, I can quickly recover the dowry!"
"...what?"
"Mikhail is very cute and kind too. You even worry about my dowry."
Liena smiled and wagged her index finger.
"But there's no need to worry! Just wait and see. I will be loved by His Majesty the Emperor and receive a portion of the dowry."
Her words didn't end there.
"I, Liena Cassius, am a person who never engages in business losses."
"Business...?"
A dizzying shock overcame Mikhail.
It seemed that his engagement with Liena was no different from a business.
"Eh? What's happening? Your face doesn't look good."
Liena looked at Mikhail with a blank face, as if she knew nothing.
In hindsight, it wasn't unreasonable for Liena to misunderstand Mikhail's intention behind the question.
Before talking to Ethel, he only felt sorry for Liena about the dowry issue.
Furthermore, if it were the same as in the past, he would have thought that Liena's meticulousness was also cute.
But not now. He couldn't go back to the old times when he had no questions. Never.
"How..."
While Mikhail wondered, he also brought up another topic that had been on his mind.
"How can you be sure? That you will start to please my father."
"Oh! I told you sincerity prevails. Don't worry, I will definitely please him."
Liena spoke confidently with the cute face that Mikhail had always loved.
It was a moment when the sense of distance that had been growing in his chest became even greater.
"Then, now that your concerns have disappeared, will the engagement ceremony proceed as planned?"
"No, it would be better to postpone it indefinitely."
"What? Why are you saying this again? What's the problem this time?"
"My mother is sad. I'm sorry."
Mikhail couldn't express all his feelings, so he only left brief words and tried to walk away.
"Wait a moment! What will happen if we do this?"
Liena grabbed his arm as he tried to pass by.
"There's less than a week until the engagement ceremony. I chose a location and even sent out invitations."
"I'm sorry."
"You were the one who arbitrarily announced the engagement in the first place! But now you're saying you're going to postpone it?"
"I'm sorry, I have nothing more to say about it."
"This is too much! Why are you so selfish?"
"... I can accept anything you do, but you can't."
A mocking light appeared in Mikhail's eyes.
"We could also take some time to think about it."
"A time?"
"Please, think carefully if it's okay to promise eternity to a selfish man like this."
"Mikhail!"
"I have work to do, so I'll be out of the palace for a while. Goodbye."
"Wait, Mikhail!"
Mikhail didn't look back despite Liena's lament.
As he said, Mikhail postponed the engagement ceremony for the couple.
Mikhail's cold attitude, never encountered before, made Liena regret her words and actions.
She didn't intend to accuse Mikhail of being selfish, but she had been nervous about other things that had been bothering her recently.
"That woman, Ethel Lucibiu, is nothing but a businessperson without a sense of decency. She is revolutionizing the market by selling top-quality magical stones at a low price."
Cardinal Morton, who had been negotiating with Liena as a representative of the temple, said arrogantly.
He immediately rejected Liena's suggestion to lower the price of the temple's magical stones.
As individuals conveying God's holy will, they cannot compete on a secular level or something like that.
"It's no problem for you, right?"
Liena's teeth chattered.
The temple, which had been benefiting from monopolizing the highest quality magical stones, seemed to have decided it would be more profitable to wait for Ethel's discount period to end rather than lowering the price of the stones.
However, due to the contract, Conejito had to buy magical stones from the temple at a high price, saddening Liena.
To compete with other merchants buying magical stones from Ethel at a low price, Conejito also had to lower the price of its artifacts.
As a result, although the products continued to sell, the business recorded losses every day.
Moreover, a new guild named Matima appeared, irritating Liena.
The guild, founded mainly by former members of the Iver guild, sold some of Kais's inventions, whose contract with Liena had ended.
"Kais, did he really reject me and join hands with Cecil Iver? When did these two people become so close?"
Of course, in the past, Kais's inventions were handled in Iver, so Cecil had many chances to speak with his alter ego.
However, the relationship was established with Liena at the center, but the two secretly grew closer.
The sense of betrayal from Liena deepened.
"It's fine! I don't care!"
Liena, muttering to herself and writing on her stationery, finally threw her pen.
The ink dripping from the broken pen stained the floor carpet a black color like a wolf's mouth.
"Liena, what's wrong?"
Isaac, who was working high in the study, approached Liena and asked.
"Uncle! It's very difficult for me. There are so many things to worry about, and I even have issues with Mikhail."
"Don't you want to write letters?"
Liena was writing a long letter expressing her apologies to Mikhail.
"I don't know why I have to apologize. I may have been a bit harsh, but Mikhail was the one who made the mistake first."
These days there has been a lot of talk in social circles about the sudden postponement of the engagement.
From saying that the opposition between the emperor and the empress is very strong, to saying that their relationship is in trouble.
Initially, Liena was willing to bow to Mikhail first, but every time she heard stories like that, her will to apologize diminished.
Moreover, Mikhail did not respond to the letter Liena sent three days ago and did not meet her when she visited.
"Oh, my dear niece. That's too much."
Isaac gently brushed Liena's hair, who had her face buried in the desk.
Then Liena calmed down a bit.
In times like these, she couldn't express in words how helpful it was to have a kind uncle by her side.
He took care of Conejito on behalf of Liena, who couldn't concentrate on her work due to Mikhail's recent issues.
"I think the only thing I can rely on is my family."
All other family members who arrived in the capital also stepped forward and invested large sums of money in Conejito.
"Uncle, I have to go home."
Liena, who had been powerless, got up.
The engagement was postponed, and unless Mikhail returned, there was no reason to stay in the imperial palace.
In that case, it would be better to return to Cassius and take the hearts of the duke and his two brothers back into her own hands.
Liena packed her bags and headed to the Cassius residence.
"Oh, my lady!"
"Has she returned?"
Employees were surprised by her sudden appearance and rushed out.
There were quite a few faces she hadn't seen before, but with the joy of returning to her long-lost home, Liena dismissed it, thinking they had chosen a large number of new employees.
"Yes, I'll stay at home now. What about Dad?"
"A guest has arrived, and he's in the living room."
"I have to go quickly and greet him."
The fact that a guest was visiting did not stop Liena.
Because her return would be the greatest joy for the Duke.
"Dad! I'm here..."
However, when Liena entered the living room, she was paralyzed.
"Hello, Liena."
Ethel smiled cheerfully and greeted Liena.
"Liena."
And the duke, who was sitting across from Ethel, looked at Liena with significant eyes.
Finally, his eyes turned to the seat next to Ethel.
There was someone there who was both familiar and unfamiliar.
"Miss Angela..."
Liena uttered that person's name into the void.
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