A month before the wedding, his fiancée suddenly burst into the study and shouted, “Let’s break off the engagement!”
If the Duke had been home, the entire estate would have been turned upside down by the commotion. But the Duke was currently away in the duchy.
Alto let out a sigh.
‘I guess that’s a small relief.’
Alto and Viviana had spent three years living under the same roof for her bridal lessons, but because of the Duke’s outdated views on women, they had barely ever looked each other in the eye or had a proper conversation.
Still, they said that seeing someone's face repeatedly made you grow fond of them, and he didn’t want to see Viviana act so impulsively and be scolded by the Duke.
‘I need to find out what on earth caused this; I should listen to what she has to say.’
And if she had any complaints, he intended to resolve them as best he could. With his thoughts roughly settled, Alto spoke politely to Viviana.
“Please, have a seat first.”
Even as he spoke, Alto was secretly nervous that Viviana might cause a scene. After all, she had suddenly appeared and shouted, “Let’s break off the engagement!”— so it wasn’t impossible she’d throw a tantrum, yelling, “I have nothing to talk about with you!” if told to sit down.
However, it didn’t seem to be such an irrational situation, as Viviana quietly sat down on the sofa. Alto swallowed a sigh of relief and rang the bell, signalling the maid to bring some tea.
As the two faced each other, neither spoke first, and a heavy silence passed between them. In fact, since both were generally quiet, such situations weren’t uncommon.
But for the first time, Alto found the silence uncomfortable.
‘What on earth is she thinking?’
Alto found it almost surprising how anxious he felt because his fiancée was acting differently than usual.
Unable to bear the discomfort any longer, Alto parted his lips to speak just as the maid appeared carrying a tray with several types of tea leaves and a kettle of warm water. As Alto reached to scoop some tea leaves, Viviana snatched the tea spoon away.
“I’ll brew the tea.”
“I…”
“I know, even without you saying it.”
“...”
It was the first time Viviana had cut him off mid-sentence, so Alto closed his mouth with a slightly displeased expression. Her claim that she knew him wasn’t false.
The type and amount of tea leaves she scooped out matched Alto’s taste perfectly.
More surprising than the fact that she knew his preferences exactly was her tone of voice. Alto blinked in astonishment.
‘She’s changed. Maybe I should say she’s become more confident.’
The fiancée who could never make eye contact and always kept her head down was looking him directly in the face today. Not only that — she even shouted at him.
[You and I! We’re not sexually compatible!]
Just recalling those words made Alto’s head throb and ring. He felt momentarily dizzy and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
‘What kind of compatibility? Sexual compatibility?’
Just as Viviana had diligently received sex education except for actual sexual activity, Alto was equally well-versed in the knowledge.
‘So, sexual compatibility means the level of satisfaction between a couple, right?’
But he only knew the literal meaning of the word. Alto had been told repeatedly by his own grandfather that he must not indulge in such pleasures.
[Finding joy in physical relations is the behaviour of lowly beasts. It’s a sin. You must stay far from it.]
[If you ever harbour such feelings for your fiancée, repent immediately.]
He also made sure to deliver a spine-chilling warning.
[You must never try to see beyond that.]
There was a real reason behind that warning: a reason why Alto Fortuna must not indulge in pleasure, which Viviana Lorentz probably didn’t know.
“Here you go.”
“…Ah, thank you.”
As Alto recalled his grandfather’s teachings, the sound of a teacup clinking was heard as it was placed before him. Alto lightly expressed his thanks and picked up the cup. He intended to take just a small sip to moisten his dry mouth, parched from various shocks, but unexpectedly, the tea tasted so good that his eyes widened in surprise.
“What’s wrong?”
It wasn’t just the right ratio of tea leaves; the amount of sugar added afterwards was also exactly right. Blinking, Alto took a few more sips before answering in a calm tone.
“I’m surprised by the fact that you know my tea preferences.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that? I’ve lived here for years.”
“...”
Alto fell silent.
‘She’s been saying strange things for a while. She’s talking as if we’re already married, and claiming our sexual compatibility doesn’t match even though we haven’t even been intimate yet.’
As he thought through it one by one, there were more than a few strange parts. It was almost as if she had come back through time.
Many doubts surged within him, but being cautious by nature, he didn’t voice them. After careful deliberation, this was what he finally said.
“…All this time, I thought you had no interest in me.”
At Alto’s words, Viviana’s face flushed bright red. Perhaps he’d struck a nerve, for she retorted in a loud voice instead.
“T-To be honest, yes, that’s true. But you weren’t interested in me either! Don’t suddenly try to make me out to be the bad one!”
“I wasn’t trying to blame you. I just said it because I genuinely found it surprising.”
Even so, Alto continued to feel a sense of unease. Since Viviana began living at the Fortuna ducal house as his fiancée, had they ever had a conversation this long?
‘No, never.’
Which only meant that whatever was happening now was far from ordinary. Keeping various possibilities in mind regarding his fiancée’s condition, Alto asked in a cautious tone.
“I’m very surprised that you suddenly brought up breaking off the engagement. What exactly is the reason?”
“What’s there to be surprised about? Once I’m gone, you’ll probably bring home another fine fiancée soon enough. Though I’m not sure if she can really handle wearing leather panties and still go through with the marriage.”
"...Your vocabulary has changed a lot in just one day."
“I went through something no sane person could endure.”
‘So, what exactly happened?’
Alto wanted to hear more about that, but Viviana crossed her arms and cut off the topic.
“Anyway, please break off the engagement.”
Alto furrowed his brows. Aside from how serious breaking off the engagement was, he also doubted whether she fully understood her own situation.
‘The dowry has already been transferred to our family, and since she was the one who first demanded the breakup, my grandfather will likely refuse to return it, citing it as a penalty.’
Moreover, she had spent three years living as the fiancée at Duke Fortuna’s estate. After living there so long, if the engagement were broken off, she wouldn’t be able to find a new match. It also didn’t seem likely that the Lorentz family would accept a daughter who returned home in disgrace.
Genuinely worried about Viviana, Alto asked.
“What do you intend to do after you leave here?”
But her reply was sharp.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Well…”
Alto couldn’t understand why Viviana was acting so hostile toward him. They weren’t close, but he had thought they weren’t on bad terms either.
Viviana spoke bluntly, as if there was no longer any need to hesitate.
“I’ll be satisfied as long as I can leave Duke Fortuna’s estate. I don’t care if it’s entirely my fault — just break off the engagement as soon as possible.”
“We’ve spent a considerable amount of time together, so it’s hard to accept such an unreasonable reason.”
Angered by those words, Viviana slammed her palm down on the table and raised her voice.
“What’s unreasonable about that? Plenty of couples get divorced because of bedroom issues. It’s a clear-cut reason for divorce.”
She had been saying strange things from the start. Tilting his head, Alto asked again.
“But we haven’t even shared a bed yet, have we?”
“T-That’s…”
Viviana’s face flushed scarlet. Her eyes darted around nervously, and the way they fluttered caught Alto’s attention.
‘Her eyelashes are long.’
Her golden eyelashes, the same colour as her hair, sparkled as if dusted with gold powder. But despite that pretty face, the words she spoke were utterly cold.
“I don’t even need to try to know. You and I don’t match on anything from one to ten. You believe that married couples shouldn’t spend more than ten minutes together in bed, right? Am I wrong?”
“...”
Alto swallowed hard, struck right where it hurt. To be precise, it was the belief of his grandfather, the current duke.
[Keep your distance from women. Even your own wife shouldn’t be trusted. In fact, the closer the relationship, the more distance you must keep.]
There was a reason his grandfather had so strictly restricted sexual relations. After a brief pause, Alto asked cautiously:
“Is physical intimacy really that important in a marriage?”
Viviana’s answer came out immediately.
“Of course it’s important. Sex between a married couple isn’t just for pleasure. It’s a form of communication that conveys deep, indescribable emotions.”
‘How does she know all this so well?’
Even though he knew it couldn’t be true, Viviana’s resolute attitude quietly stirred doubt in him.
“…Have you perhaps found another man?”
“You really haven’t changed, have you?”
Viviana scrunched her nose and gave a wry smile, as if swallowing bitter medicine.
“I don’t want to spend my life bored, having a dull marital relationship with you. So please, let me go.”
Her attitude, as if breaking off the engagement would solve everything, made him let out a hollow laugh.
In the first place, the current Duke Fortuna, Alto’s grandfather, would never allow the engagement to be broken off. As he thought of his grandfather, Alto’s face darkened.
‘If my grandfather hears about this, he might sternly discipline her, saying she’s been led astray. Of course, he wouldn’t hit her like he did to me…’
Alto spent his childhood isolated from the outside world, locked underground, and beaten by the current duke. The Duke called it ‘taming.’
[You must not become emotionally agitated. This is essential training for you to live as a duke.]
Alto slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. Then, in his usual indifferent and calm tone, he summed up the situation.
"It’s hard to accept being told to call off the engagement so unilaterally, based on a single statement."
“Then what?”
If he broke off the engagement as she wanted, and she later regretted it, he wouldn’t be able to undo it.
Alto thought that, for now, he had to hold onto her. So the card he pulled out was negotiating a compromise.
“Even if we are going to break up, shouldn’t we at least have a period to adjust our opinions with each other?”
And honestly, he wanted to understand why she was suddenly acting like this. But despite Alto’s repeated suggestions, Viviana’s sharp attitude showed no sign of changing.
“It’s meaningless. You have no intention of listening to what I have to say.”
“I’ve always thought I listened carefully to your opinions, so I don’t understand why you’re reacting so sharply.”
“You just didn’t oppose me. That doesn’t mean it was out of respect for me, does it?"
“Viviana.”
Perhaps realising that Alto wouldn’t back down easily, Viviana swept her lustrous golden hair behind her and, with a sigh, subtly revealed her true feelings.
“To maintain a relationship over time, both people need to put in effort. But I don’t think you’re the kind of person who can do that. That’s why I’m saying we should break up.”
At her words, Alto’s chest stung painfully. However, without showing it, he spoke in a stubborn, firm tone.
“I can do it too. The effort.”
"Is that so?"
Viviana made no attempt to hide her mocking expression. Alto clenched his jaw.
‘She doesn’t believe me at all.’
She had definitely changed. She was completely different from the Viviana he knew.
In fact, the change in her was visible from her appearance. Alto’s gaze shifted to the light, comfortable dress she wore, which was almost like a nightgown.
“So, the change in your outfit today was to express your intention, wasn’t it?”
"…You noticed?"
“How could I not? I didn’t realise the mansion even had clothes like that.”
“How do I look?”
"It suits you well. It looks light and cool, so it fits perfectly with the current season."
“...”
Though it was meant as a compliment, Viviana’s face suddenly twisted, as if she was about to burst into tears.
'Why does she have that kind of expression?'
It was certain that a heavy emotional burden weighed on her heart. Even if he couldn’t change her mind and they ultimately ended up on the path to breaking off the engagement, Alto wanted, at the very least, to resolve that issue.
Because he respected her as his fiancée.
“…Let’s do this. Let’s postpone the wedding.”
“Is that possible?”
If the Duke had been at the mansion, it would have been out of the question. But fortunately, he had gone down to the territory on business. If they sent a unilateral notice from the capital postponing the wedding, he might be furious, but there would be no way to stop it. And the excuse was just perfect.
“With the territory suffering heavy damage, it would be strange for me, the future duke, to hold the wedding as planned. If I use that as an excuse to postpone it, no one will object. My grandfather will probably return in about a month.”
Alto locked eyes with Viviana.
"Until then, how about using the time to resolve things between us?"
Viviana hesitated for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
"Alright. Let’s have a negotiation period."
“Very well.”
"On one condition."
Alto looked up. Viviana spoke in a serious tone, as if making an earnest request.
"Let’s truly promise to do our best during that time."
"Do you mean we should make an effort together?"
“That’s right.”
"Alright."
Alto nodded. Even as he spoke, he had secretly worried that she might say there was no need for a chance to adjust opinions, so he was relieved.
But it was premature relief. No sooner had he breathed a sigh of relief than Viviana said this.
“Then come to my room tonight.”
“What?”
“The reason for breaking up is that we’re not sexually compatible. So, shouldn’t we at least try to work on that?”
“…I see.”
To try and make their sex life compatible — what kind of effort did that even involve?
It was a strange feeling, a mix of curiosity and unease. Without letting his restless heart show on his face, Alto answered briefly.
“I understand.”
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