IBGM 1

chapter 1

Let’s Break Off the Engagement

My gaze had always been fixed on him.

“I love Lady Belarus Jeraon.”

“…What did you say?”

The woman who had just been struck by those cruel words from her fiancé was Lebelina Asilius—the eldest daughter and sole heir of the Marquis Asilius family.

The man uttering those harsh words was Inferno Prinante, the Second Prince of the Prinante Empire and the man who had been in a long-standing relationship with Lebelina.

Today was supposed to be an important day. The engagement they had maintained for ten years was finally to be solidified into marriage. At the imperial banquet tonight, they were to officially announce their wedding date to the world.

And yet… what was this?

She had only come looking for him because her fiancé, who was supposed to escort her, hadn’t shown up even after a long wait. What she received in return was nothing but cold, merciless words.

Belarus—the woman he spoke of—was someone Lebelina had seen a few times before. Each time, she had felt that Belarus was oddly conscious of her, but she had dismissed it as her imagination…

Now, betrayed by the man she loved, Lebelina stood in shock as Inferno delivered the final blow.

“Let’s break off the engagement.”

“Break it off…?”

“Yes. Now that she has broken off her engagement with the Grand Duke of Speraum, I can no longer maintain my engagement with you.”

Belarus was the daughter of the declining Baron Jeraon family—a woman raised under a father clinging to nothing but the empty title of baron.

Even from a woman’s perspective, Belarus was delicate and beautiful, like a single blooming daffodil. Her blue eyes were praised as heavenly jewels, and her soft pink hair was said to look sweet enough to taste. Not to mention her gentle nature, which earned her the nickname of a reincarnated saint.

But even so, she was no match for Lebelina.

Lebelina was widely known as a graceful and wise woman, admired for her striking beauty. She was said to shine as brilliantly as a red sun.

Engaged to Inferno since childhood, she had long been destined to enter the imperial family as the future Crown Princess. She was beloved not only by the palace staff but also by the Emperor and Empress themselves.

She was not someone who should be hearing such words.

“I confessed to her,” Inferno continued. “I told her I loved her and asked her to be with me instead of the Grand Duke of Speraum… but she rejected me.”

“…What are you talking about right now…?”

“Not long after that, I heard she got engaged to the Grand Duke. So I gave up… and decided to focus on you. That’s why I proposed to you. But then…!”

Inferno’s voice grew increasingly agitated, his hands trembling. To Lebelina, he looked like a madman.

“And this morning, I heard she broke off her engagement. So I ran straight to her and confessed again. She cried… and gently embraced me. It felt like a dream…”

“Inferno… stop…!”

But he wasn’t listening. Lebelina didn’t even exist in his eyes anymore. All he cared about was Belarus, who was probably waiting for him somewhere in the banquet hall.

“Belarus has already accepted my proposal.”

“She… accepted it?”

Was that even possible? Lebelina let out a hollow laugh.

Ten years. That was how long they had been engaged.

Everyone in the empire knew that Lebelina was destined to become the Crown Princess. And yet Belarus had accepted his proposal so easily?

This engagement wasn’t just between two individuals—it was a firm promise between the imperial family and the marquis house. There was no way a mere baron’s family could wedge themselves into it.

Even if Inferno was a prince, he was only the second prince. He couldn’t simply break a marriage arranged by the Emperor.

She tried to convince herself it was nonsense—perhaps a drunken joke—but the determination in his eyes was unwavering.

Seeing her fall silent, Inferno spoke again, almost whispering.

“I thought someone kind like you would understand.”

No—she had never said she understood.

Summoning all her strength, Lebelina forced herself to speak.

“We’ve been engaged for ten years. We spent all that time together.”

“I know. That’s why… help me not lose the person I truly love, now that I’ve finally found her.”

“…Did all that time with me mean nothing to you?”

“Nothing. Not once did my heart ever race when I was with you. I never felt any excitement.”

His words stabbed into her heart without hesitation.

Why had things turned out like this?

If she were cast aside like this—if she became the marquis’s daughter who lost her man to a baron’s daughter—how could she ever show her face in high society again?

There had always been rumors: that the second prince bought jewels and secretly met other women. She had ignored them all, because she had never seen any proof.

She had never even seen him speak to Belarus.

And yet… all of it had been deception.

Once, when she finally confronted him about the jewelry, he had scolded her, asking how someone who would become Crown Princess could dare speak of such frivolous luxury.

And yet… it had all been for Belarus.

Her thoughts raced, but in the end, her conclusion was simple.

She couldn’t let him go.

Closing her eyes tightly before opening them again, she spoke.

“…I love you.”

“I don’t. Can’t you understand? I love someone else.”

His voice echoed mockingly through the stairwell.

“I’ve never seen you as a woman.”

“Inferno.”

“Don’t call my name anymore. Once the engagement is annulled, show proper respect to a member of the imperial family.”

‘How dare he say that to me?’

Ten years.

She was now twenty-four—long past the usual marriageable age—and had waited all this time. She had held back from even mentioning marriage because he said it was unladylike for a woman to bring it up first.

She had been trained strictly by the Empress, treated the Crown Prince like an older brother, and the princess like a younger sister. She had spent as much time in the palace as any royal.

And now… he wanted to break it off?

What about her time? Her effort? Her feelings?

Taking a breath, she spoke softly.

“Don’t do this, Inferno. We… we’re not meant to end like this.”

“Stop being pathetic. Don’t you get it? You mean nothing to me.”

“If you leave now, you’ll never see me again. Will you still go?”

“How many times do I have to say it? I’m going to Belarus.”

“You’re leaving me? For a baron’s daughter who just broke off another engagement?”

“Lebelina.”

His voice dropped in warning.

“I am the only daughter of a marquis in this empire. The House of Asilius is far above some baron’s family. Unless it’s Her Highness the Princess, no one can force me, and no one can treat me carelessly—not even you.”

“A mere marquis’s daughter dares to interfere with a prince?”

“A mere marquis’s daughter…?”

“Belarus may be a baron’s daughter, but she will soon become my wife and a member of the imperial family. She’ll stand far above someone like you.”

“How can you say that to me!”

Inferno looked at her with nothing but disdain.

Biting her lip—a habit he hated—she couldn’t help herself this time.

Blood nearly welled from her lips as his eyes turned cold.

“I, Inferno Prinante—prince of this empire—love Belarus, not you.”

“….”

“So step aside quietly.”

“…Step aside?”

“If you harm Belarus, even you won’t escape unscathed.”

“…Are you threatening me? After ten years as your fiancée?”

“You were only a fiancée, not a Crown Princess. And in ten years, you couldn’t even win my heart.”

He scoffed and turned away.

“Once you leave, you’ll never see me again,” she said, her voice steady. “Even if you seek help from the Asilius family, it won’t matter. Our relationship ends here.”

She couldn’t say “I love you” anymore.

That was her last shred of pride.

As she watched him walk away without looking back, her teeth clenched.

He climbed the stairs, leaving her behind.

Alone on the staircase, her shoulders trembled.

“…You bastard.”

Tears of rage and sorrow streamed down her face.