BAM!

A man slammed his fist onto the table and shouted.

“This is absurd! First, you forced me into an engagement, and now you want to break it off?”

His voice brimming with frustration, he didn’t even give his father—the head of the family—a chance to speak before continuing his outburst.

“I know! I know that as a family member, I have a duty! As the second son, I have fewer ways to contribute to the family! But… but this isn’t right!”

“Lower your voice. You are being rude and arrogant.”

“Yes. Since you wish it, I will comply. After all, am I not the obedient second son?”

The man responded with a voice that had not diminished in the slightest. He was the fiancé of Lady Mifaro, whose engagement had been decided as swiftly as lightning striking a tree, and his tone dripped with sarcasm.

“That is precisely why I called you here—to explain this turn of events.”

His father, already plagued by a headache, grew even more exhausted as his son caused yet another commotion. He spoke in a placating manner.

“You must already know. The daughter of the Mifaro family and her knight…”

Before he could even finish speaking, an incredulous voice interrupted.

“Surely, Father, you don’t believe that absurd rumor either?”

“I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

“There’s nothing more to hear, is there? My fiancée supposedly fell in love with a mere knight and eloped. So, you’re telling me our engagement can no longer continue, correct?”

“It is fortunate that you understand.”

As his father nodded, his son firmly shook his head.

“No.”

“What?”

“Father, do you take me for a fool? I’m asking if you see me as an idiot.”

“If I did, I wouldn’t have bothered sitting you down and discussing this with you.”

Indeed, despite being born the second son, he was no less talented than the first.

He had been passed over as heir because he did not outshine the eldest enough to surpass him.

“When you commanded me to get engaged, I didn’t sit idly by. I investigated my prospective fiancée myself.”

Just as much as Lady Mifaro, he had been bewildered and frustrated by their marriage’s sudden and hasty arrangement.

Although he had always understood that, as a noble, he would one day be bound to someone in a political marriage, facing the reality of it was difficult to accept emotionally.

However, he also knew that privilege came with burdens, so he did not waste time whining about his distaste for the engagement.

Instead, he gathered information about his intended partner from multiple sources.

Even if it was an arranged marriage, he wanted to love the person he would spend the rest of his life with.

“Lady Mifaro? I’ve never heard her described as elegant, but she’s said to be lively and cheerful.”

“Ah, the young lady of the Mifaro family. I have some acquaintance with her younger brother, but… Hmm. I wouldn’t say she has any particularly notable qualities worth mentioning.”

“She seems fine. Beautiful, and I hear she’s easy to talk to.”

Just as he was beginning to feel reassured by the generally positive remarks—

“Isn’t she the lady rumored to be involved with her knight? Honestly…”

“A rumor?”

“Yes. People say they’re madly in love.”

His scalp tingled.

Yet, rather than blindly accepting the gossip, he investigated further.

“Hm? I heard about it as a rumor as well.”

“Did you ever witness anything yourself? Now that I think about it, there’s no actual account of anyone having seen anything.”

His caution was rewarded—the rumor was nothing but baseless chatter.

It was the kind of forbidden love story one might expect in a cheap novel or fairy tale, spun by those who delighted in spreading tales.

Thus, he calmly prepared for their future together, researching her likes and dislikes.

“You put effort into the strangest things. You’ll be engaged regardless, so why go to such trouble?”

His already-married older brother frowned, unable to understand, but he simply replied evenly.

“This engagement is happening in a rush. Lady Mifaro must be just as confused and displeased as I am, so I’d prefer we get along as well as possible.”

He genuinely believed this.

Since they were to marry, it would be far better if they were good to each other.

Moreover, the Mifaro family had even presented them with exceptionally generous terms, so it was only natural that he should make an effort for her.

And so, he carefully prepared for their future together, believing she would naturally stand beside him in due time.

Though their engagement had started abruptly, the days passed without issue—until a few days before the ceremony, when he received unbelievable news.

“Absurd rumorr? How can you be so certain?”

He clenched his jaw at his father’s sharp question and stood from his seat.

“No matter what I say, you won’t believe me anyway. So, what’s the point of speaking?”

“Sit down! You insolent—!”

“If she didn’t elope for love, then something must have happened to her. Either she got caught up in an incident or… something terrible befell her. I will find my fiancée myself.”

Ignoring his father’s enraged shouts, he left the mansion alone.

***

Meanwhile, as Lady Mifaro’s fiancé charged forward like a horse with its tail set ablaze in search of his missing bride—

“What did you say?”

“Lady Mifaro has been formally disavowed…”

Startled by the young lady’s unexpectedly intense reaction, the maid hesitated but repeated the words.

“Today? So suddenly?”

“Yes. The other family sent a message to the Mifaro family and even made a public announcement.”

It was completely over.

Given how hastily the engagement had been arranged, it might seem natural that the breakup happened just as quickly, but the timing was far too convenient.

This meant that the Mifaro family and the other side couldn’t dismiss the rumors of an ‘elopement’ as mere nonsense.

There must have been various dealings behind the engagement, and the Mifaro family had likely made significant concessions.

And yet, for them to declare a breakup so abruptly…

Raylin, feeling a headache coming on, pressed her closed eyelids firmly. Just then, her maid spoke, offering some news that eased her frustration.

“But you see, my lady, her former fiancé said this was unacceptable and left to search for her!”

“…What?”

It was something she hadn’t expected at all.

“He insisted there was no way this was an elopement and declared he would find her even if he had to do it alone… My lady? What are you doing?”

Unconsciously, Raylin clenched her fist and struck a triumphant pose, signifying that there was still hope in the world. She smoothly lowered her hand and spoke elegantly.

“It’s nothing. Did you happen to see anything?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Her exceptionally perceptive maid tilted her head as if she had seen nothing at all.

With an unspoken agreement, Raylin’s momentary loss of composure was erased from existence. The maid, having been dismissed, soon left the room.

Tap, tap, tap.

Raylin spread a blank sheet of paper and held her pen, but instead of writing, she only tapped the pen against the surface.

By the time black ink had begun to seep into the paper’s corner, she had listed “1” and noted down everything—Lady Mifaro, her escort knight, her disappearance, and the surrounding reactions.

“There isn’t an answer to this.”

At least, her fiancé—whom she hadn’t been particularly fond of—had stepped up.

But without the support of his family, what could one person, an outsider to the inner workings of the situation, possibly accomplish?

On top of that, he was someone she couldn’t control or cooperate with.

Ultimately, she would have to proceed as if he didn’t exist.

The best action would have been for the Mifaro family to push for an active investigation, but that was already off the table. With the engagement broken, there was no further obligation.

The only ones who would dedicate time and effort to finding her were…

Raylin suddenly felt drained.

Why was she so desperate, struggling to resolve this when even the missing woman’s own family wasn’t making an effort?

Sure, they were acquainted, but not close enough to warrant such anxiety. And yet, she was the only one restless and frustrated.

“…Ha. So this is what they call karma.”

With a deep sigh, Raylin slumped onto the sofa and let out a dry chuckle.

In her previous life, she had turned a blind eye to Lady Mifaro.

Of course, she hadn’t known what kind of trouble the woman was caught up in, so she could justify it as unavoidable.

And really, wasn’t that the logical conclusion?

Who was she to save every person from misfortune?

Even gods couldn’t do that.

Her rational mind advised her to let it go, but her heart refused to accept it.

She might not be able to prevent every misfortune, not even all the bad things happening to those around her, but at the very least, she had to act on what she knew.

Just like how, when seeing a drowning person, even if she couldn’t jump in to save them, she could at least call for help or throw them a lifeline.

Even before experiencing the absurdity of reincarnating into a novel’s world, and even now, after all that, she still held onto that basic level of decency and conscience—her code.

After her regression, her biggest reason for disrupting the original storyline was revenge against Catherine, who had continued to rise without opposition.

But ultimately, she resolved to actively twist this world’s events to reduce the collateral damage she had once ignored, believing it necessary to reach the end and secure her future freedom.

“…Sigh, I have no choice.”

Having made her decision, Raylin picked up her pen, determined to move alone so others wouldn’t suffer. She decided to reach out to a powerful ally.

Since the letter was to be sent to the imperial palace, she chose the finest paper and began writing without hesitation.

“Send this to the Crown Prince’s palace.”