Chapter 15
From the very beginning, as the La Celles young duke, people had always been the ones to approach him first.
Whether in conversation or relationships, he had always held the initiative. Because of that, he had taken it for granted—and he had also assumed Isabella’s behavior was no different.
“About my earlier rudeness, I apologize, my lady.”
“I accept your apology, Your Grace. May I take my leave now?”
Only belatedly, Ianuel realized how thoughtlessly he had treated Isabella. He shook his head slowly.
“We haven’t had the chance to properly speak, have we?”
“You’re asking me to make time for you just because you want to talk to me? In a place like this, where everyone’s attention is focused on us?”
“That’s not what I meant. Why do you keep twisting my words?”
Rubbing his brow with his fingertips, Ianuel let out a sigh. Unlike his usual rigid demeanor, his face now clearly showed confusion and fatigue. In contrast, Isabella remained utterly composed.
Meeting his eyes, she remained silent for a moment.
“Twisting your words…”
How shameless could a person be? Repeating his words inwardly, Isabella finally spoke.
“I see. I chose my words poorly.”
Her unexpectedly compliant response made Ianuel’s hardened expression soften slightly. As expected, he thought—she had simply been upset yesterday. Even the talk of breaking off the engagement must have been spoken in a moment of hurt.
If she had felt ignored all this time, then he could simply start listening now. Having found what he believed was a simple solution, Ianuel even allowed himself a gentle smile.
“Then perhaps we should move somewhere quieter and talk properly.”
Isabella tilted her head slightly, as if considering it.
“No, Your Grace. I have no desire to speak with you any further.”
But what came back was still a cold refusal—one he had not anticipated.
He hadn’t expected her to completely forgive him overnight, but her firm rejection was far stronger than he had imagined. Ianuel could not hide his surprise.
“What…?”
“You had plenty of chances to speak with me before, but you always refused.”
“…”
“So I will refuse as well. There’s no reason I should be the only one who can’t refuse you, is there?”
If he had even a shred of remorse, he would never behave so shamelessly. Isabella, pointing out his arrogance and recalling the past, let out a self-deprecating laugh. As Ianuel struggled to respond, she delivered the final blow.
“Do I need to repeat myself? I don’t want to waste any more of my precious time on you, Your Grace.”
“Even so, I believe we should resolve the misunderstandings between us.”
“Misunderstandings?”
Isabella was thoroughly tired of his attempts to steer the conversation. Folding her arms, she replied sharply.
“What misunderstandings? We were never close enough to even have any in the first place, Your excuse is rather poor, Your Grace.”
How much more did he intend to humiliate her? For the past ten years, nothing had ever existed between Isabella and Ianuel. Which meant there was nothing that could even be called a misunderstanding.
“That… is not—”
Only then did he seem to grasp her meaning. He opened his mouth as if to explain, but closed it again.
Seeing this, Isabella gave a faint, mocking laugh.
“So you assumed I called off the engagement because of some misunderstanding. You really haven’t changed, have you? Still just as self-centered.”
“…”
“Do we need to continue this conversation?”
“…”
“…I’m sorry.”
At his repeated apology, Isabella turned away without another word and left the park.
Back at her estate, Isabella sat motionless at her desk, still in her clothes.
“It’s already going to be all over the rumors by now…”
Even if she didn’t want to be involved anymore, her so-called fiancé kept forcing himself back into her life, giving her a splitting headache.
While helping her change clothes, Selly approached cautiously, sensing the gloomy atmosphere.
“My lady, did something happen?”
“Something? A lot of things happened…”
Isabella muttered blankly, then turned to meet her gaze.
“Selly.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“If a person suddenly changes, does that mean they’re about to die soon?”
“…I suppose so?”
Otherwise, there was no explanation for Ianuel’s sudden change. In fact, his newly compliant behavior felt almost insincere.
A single apology could not heal the wounds formed by ten years of indifference.
What Isabella wanted from Ianuel was only one thing: a dissolution of the engagement.
But no matter how she thought about it, it seemed unlikely he would agree so easily. A heavy sigh escaped her lips again and again.
“Milady!”
“Hm?”
Selly, who had gone to fetch the mail, returned excitedly and handed her a letter.
It was from her younger brother, Ryan.
He rarely wrote to her, so Isabella looked at it in surprise before opening it.
“Why is Ryan suddenly sending a letter?”
Inside were dense lines written in his familiar, straightforward handwriting.
To Isabella.
It spoke of his excitement about returning home for the school break, what he had been doing at the academy, and when he would arrive.
Unlike usual, he wasn’t returning to their family estate first but heading directly to the capital mansion.
“A respected senior is personally going to train me during the break, so I’ll go straight to the capital.”
Isabella tilted her head at that line.
A senior training him during vacation?
After reading to the end, she let out a small sigh of disbelief.
“Selly.”
“Yes?”
“We need to prepare to receive a guest within two days. For about a month.”
“What?! Suddenly?”
It seemed her peaceful break was already over.
The letter fluttered in her hands, irritatingly cute in the way only a troublesome younger brother could be.
Before she knew it, time passed quickly as preparations for her brother’s return consumed her days, and the day of Princess Elena’s rabbit hunt finally arrived.
Before dawn, Isabella was already awake and preparing to leave. Her half-lidded eyes betrayed her fatigue as Selly shook her shoulder.
“My lady, you need to get up.”
“I don’t want to go…”
She felt like she was walking straight into a tiger’s den.
“Come on, it’s the Princess’s invitation. You can’t refuse it.”
“That’s true…”
“Nothing bad will happen.”
“I really hope so.”
The hunting grounds were part of the imperial estate about twenty minutes from the capital. Isabella checked Elena’s invitation carefully before speaking.
“Let’s go, Selly.”
“Yes, my lady!”
Dressed in fitted black trousers and a beige long-sleeved shirt suitable for movement, with her hair tied high, Isabella checked her reflection once more.
She reviewed her schedule.
“The hunt should end by early afternoon… what time did Ryan say he’d arrive?”
“Master Ryan said after five, according to the head butler.”
“Good. I should be able to return before him.”
Selly left the room with luggage in hand.
Left alone, Isabella pulled out her smartphone.
『 First Mission: “Purification” 』
▶ Mission status: On hold
“I hope my guess is right.”
Over the past two days, she had formed a few theories.
First, her innate ability had not yet activated on people.
Second, it seemed to be constantly active.
And finally, the “contamination” mentioned in the mission likely had another meaning.
Even cleaning the mansion with her ability had not completed the mission.
It was as if the system was giving her another chance.
Coincidentally, she was now attending both Princess Elena’s birthday event and the rabbit hunt.
“Then… the person I need to use this ability on is Princess Elena?”
If she met Elena today, she planned to use her ability under the guise of a handshake.
“Ugh… I really don’t want to go.”
But if it meant meeting her favorite idol—
‘Haeyun, I’ll do my best!’
For the sake of returning to Korea and living her happy fangirl life, this was nothing.
Praying things would go smoothly, Isabella boarded the carriage with Selly and headed to the hunting grounds.
