The Letter That Shattered Everything

The letter. What the hell is this?

I stared at the paper until my eyes burned, but no matter how many times I reread it, I couldn’t make sense of the situation. Beneath the short, neatly written sentence sat a vivid red heart. And stamped clearly below that was the unmistakable seal of the Grace family. A single line at the bottom listed the appointed time and place.

I will interfere as little as possible.

I will make sure I don’t become a burden.

Yet the very next day, this letter arrived as if those words had never been written.

…No. That’s right. There’s no way she wrote this herself.

Unless someone had pressed a blade to her throat and forced her, another person must have written it in her stead. There was simply no chance that woman would ever use such a friendly tone. If she truly had written it herself, that would be horrifying in its own way.

It can’t be. It absolutely cannot be.

There was no way the ever-dutiful Sebastian would play a prank like this…

What on earth is going on…?

“…………”

I didn’t know. Damn it.

I shook my head violently to clear the swirling thoughts, then shoved the letter carelessly into my inner pocket and left the room to begin the day’s routine.

Clang.

“Ugh…!”

A sharp jolt of pain shot through my hand at the same moment the wooden practice sword flew from my grip and embedded itself deep in the ground some distance away. As I clutched my tingling wrist, Sebastian—the butler who had been my sparring partner—came to a stop in front of me.

Normally, Sebastian was an endlessly gentle and diligent butler, but the moment training began he transformed into a strict instructor whose usual warmth was nowhere to be found.

“Young master. Forgive my impertinence,” Sebastian said, his eyes carefully assessing the condition of my wrist. Once he confirmed there was no serious injury, he continued. “Your concentration seems unusually scattered today.”

Beside me, Fred—who had come to our estate to study swordsmanship—watched me with a puzzled gaze. Fred was my peer and close friend, the third son of Count Raiden. Our families had maintained a close relationship since we were children.

“…Sorry. I’ll focus.”

“Did something unpleasant happen?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“I ask because I am truly concerned. Even in a spar, allowing your mind to wander during sword practice can lead to serious injury. Please be more cautious.”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, let us take a short ten-minute break.”

And so an early rest arrived sooner than scheduled. I flopped down onto the grass without ceremony. As expected, Fred soon approached and dropped down beside me.

I already knew what he was going to say.

“What’s the matter, my dear friend? Did something happen with your fiancée?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Not like that? It’s written all over your face.”

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Whoa, it really is? I was just guessing.”

“……”

So it had been a leading question. As usual, the guy was as slippery as a snake. Sometimes that trait actually came in handy.

“…It’s just that life isn’t going the way I want it to.”

“Why? Did you try to force yourself on a girl you liked and get rejected?”

“You think I’m you?”

Not to mention, the guy sitting in front of me was a rather infamous casanova. He was handsome and smooth-tongued; women flocked to him constantly. I’d even heard that his latest attempt at juggling two lovers had ended with him getting slapped by both of them.

“Then what is it?” Fred asked, deliberately furrowing his brow.

“I told you, it’s nothing.”

“Ah, come on. You’re so frustrating.”

I hesitated for a moment. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him, but since I couldn’t come up with an answer on my own, asking for someone else’s advice seemed like the better option.

“…Hey, Fred.”

I finally squeezed the words out.

Fred, who had been clicking his tongue in annoyance, turned back toward me.

“What?”

“If… if you wanted to break off an already confirmed engagement as cleanly as possible, how would you do it?”

“……What?”

#4. [POV: Leo]

The promised weekend had arrived.

I stood in front of the Grace family entrance, tapping my shoe against the ground without much expectation, waiting for Aria. Despite our mutual promise not to interfere with each other, the wicked woman Aria had immediately broken that vow by summoning me here. I had no idea what circumstances had led to this, but somehow the contents of that letter had reached my father’s ears. Left with no choice, I was kicked out of the house at the crack of dawn and dragged here.

If I waited a little longer and she still didn’t show, I could just leave. After all, there was no way that woman would arrive on time. I had waited until the exact appointed hour, yet the one who failed to appear was Aria. That gave me legitimate grounds to cancel our so-called date. And using this incident as an excuse could become the first step toward breaking off the engagement.

It was a brilliant plan that Fred had suggested and I had accepted. No matter how I looked at it, it was flawless. Only five minutes left. Just a little longer and…

“Hello, Lord Leo.”

“……”

She came out. What the…?

The mansion door opened slightly, and Aria stepped out with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠graceful strides, elegantly dressed. Every scenario I had imagined instantly collapsed, leaving my mind completely blank. There were still five full minutes until the appointed time.

I had deliberately arrived fifteen minutes early, planning to leave the moment the clock struck exactly on the hour. Instead, I could only stand there looking utterly dazed.

Aria’s outfit looked incredibly deliberate. She wore a pure white dress adorned with layers of frills that somehow suited her, paired with adorable round-toed pale pink shoes. Upon closer inspection, she had even applied light makeup. It was so natural that one might not notice unless looking carefully. Her neatly arranged, lustrous silver hair shimmered softly in the morning sunlight.

I hated to admit it, but she was beautiful. Beautiful enough to walk straight down the aisle and exchange vows right then and there.

That didn’t mean my heart, which had already left her once, would ever return. This was probably just part of the diplomatic performance between our families. There was no way she had dressed up like this just to look good for me. Realizing it was all an act made my stomach churn with nausea.

“I’m sorry. I kept you waiting too long, didn’t I?”

“Not at all. I didn’t wait long… I honestly didn’t expect you to actually come out.”

“Pardon…? Didn’t you personally send a letter saying you would arrive at our mansion by ten in the morning, Lord Leo?”

Yes, I had sent that reply. But I never thought she would actually show up. I had assumed she would make every excuse imaginable to avoid coming. I had even planned to use that as leverage in future negotiations with my father.

If you come out so obediently, what does that make me?

“…Shall we go?”

Having nothing more to say, I hid my awkward expression as best I could and spoke.

“……Yes.”

After that stilted exchange, we climbed into the Grace family carriage whose rear door was held open by a kind-looking butler. Somehow I ended up sitting directly across from Aria inside the carriage. Because of the carriage’s limited space, our knees were close enough to almost touch. Once the door closed and the carriage began to move, only the rhythmic clattering of wheels filled the silence.

It was unbearably awkward. The long silence I had anticipated stretched on. What on earth was I supposed to say in a situation like this? After desperately searching for something to talk about, I finally found one topic I could bring up with her. It wasn’t anything sweet that lovers might exchange, however.

“Ah, Lady Aria.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“That letter… Did you write it yourself?”

The letter that had thrown me into utter confusion a few days ago. The very letter that had completely unsettled my heart. I had decided I needed to get to the bottom of it.

Aria, who had been gazing out the window, turned her crimson eyes toward me.

“Letter…? What letter are you referring to?”

She tilted her head with a genuinely puzzled expression. It seemed she was going to play innocent.

“This. You didn’t send this to me?”

Anticipating this reaction, I had brought the problematic letter with me. I pulled it from my pocket and handed it over. Aria frowned slightly as she accepted it. She would have immediately recognized the Grace family seal stamped on the envelope.

Her large, deer-like beautiful eyes gradually widened. The moment she opened the envelope and read the contents of the letter inside, they filled with deep bewilderment. Her face flushed bright red in an instant. Then, in a tiny, crawling voice, she offered an excuse.

“T-this… I didn’t write this…. It seems one of our maids did something unnecessary.”

“Ah… I see. I had roughly guessed as much. There was no way you would write a letter like this, Lady Aria.”

“…Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing. So you’re saying you didn’t write it?”

“Y-yes….”

Aria gave a small nod, her face still burning crimson. As I thought. Something had felt off. Still, it was a relief. If she really had written it, I would have gotten goosebumps.

Wait a second. What if she had written it herself and was now pretending she hadn’t because she felt embarrassed…?

…No way. Surely not.

No matter what, even she had her pride. There was no chance she would send a letter with that kind of content while in her right mind.

While thinking that, my gaze unconsciously drifted to Aria’s face as she sat across from me. She wore an expressionless mask, as if deliberately erasing all emotion, and stared out the carriage window. Even with that blank face, her stunning beauty shone through. The long, straight silver hair parted neatly in the middle and flowing naturally down both sides. The spotless, smooth forehead. The fair complexion that showed no trace of the light makeup she wore. The elegantly arched eyebrows and the long silver lashes that fluttered delicately with every blink. The straight, refined nose and the small, plump pale pink lips. The slender jawline and the pure white nape that instinctively stirred protective instincts. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And above all, the generous volume of her full breasts visible through the slightly low neckline of her blouse, their white skin unmistakably declaring their presence.

Yet her waist was slim without an ounce of excess flesh, her shoulders delicate, and her hands ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠modestly folded over her slender thighs—all of it radiating the dignity of a noble lady. She was the very picture of a refined young noblewoman.

Even though the wicked contents hidden inside her were anything but.

I found myself staring at Aria’s face without realizing it. Just gazing blankly. I didn’t even notice that she had turned to face me.

“Lord Leo?”

“……Yes?”

Startled by the sudden puzzled voice, I answered a beat too late, sounding dazed. It seemed I had been lost in a trance without noticing. Aria’s deep crimson eyes were quietly studying me. Cold sweat suddenly broke out across my entire body.

“Is something wrong?” Aria asked.

“Ah, n-no… it’s nothing.”

My mind went completely blank for a moment. You idiot. What were you staring at? Anyone would misunderstand this situation. I could already imagine what would come next.

‘Hah, so you think I’m pretty…. Could you stop looking at me like that? It’s unpleasant.’

‘How disgusting. Pervert.’

‘What are you even saying, you ugly thing.’

“……”

Aria’s voice replayed over and over in my head on its own. Damn it. Whichever way it went, it was obvious I would suffer deep emotional wounds. I had no desire to be misunderstood by a woman I didn’t even like as having feelings for her.

After racking my brain so hard it felt like it would explode in that short ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment, the excuse that tumbled from my mouth was, even to me, ridiculously lame.

“I wasn’t looking at you, Lady Aria.”

“Pardon?”

“There was a stain on the carriage wall behind you, so I was looking at that.”

“?”

At my words, Aria reflexively turned her head to look at the wall behind her. Of course there was no stain. I had simply made it up on the spot.

“A stain… where?” Aria asked, tilting her head as she looked back at me.

Come to think of it, this carriage belonged to the Count Grace family. If there truly was a stain on the wall that the coachman had failed to notice beforehand, it would be the coachman’s negligence. Leaving such a flaw in a carriage that might carry esteemed guests would make him unfit for service to the Count’s household. In serious cases, it could become a major issue.

I couldn’t pin the blame on an innocent coachman, so I awkwardly glossed over it.

“Never mind. It seems I was mistaken. My apologies.”

“……”

Aria stared at my face quietly for a moment, then gave a small nod and turned her gaze back out the window without another word. It seemed she had decided not to press the matter further. I wasn’t sure whether that was fortunate or unfortunate. Perhaps she was inwardly thinking how pathetic I looked, staring at her in a daze. But she couldn’t say that outright.

In the end, no more words were exchanged between us. Only an awkward silence flowed on.

“We have arrived.”

Until the carriage came to a stop and the coachman’s voice sounded from outside, not a single word passed between us.