After Rozalia returned to her room in the dormitory, Miria immediately offered her a correspondence letter on a tray.
"Miss, a letter came for you from Master Rizik."
Rozalia frowned as soon as she heard his name. It was undoubtedly a letter from the family's head, with their Sertfell Family's crest clearly stamped on the seal wax.
"I don't like this. Maybe he might be thinking that I should give up on Sir Cade."
If possible, she would like to refuse it and send it back.
With a great sigh, Rozalia made up her mind and opened the envelope.
The content was concise. After reading, she quickly folds it again and hands it over to Gredior, who received it immediately.
Miria leaned forward with a frantic expression.
"Miss Rose, what is it about?"
"'Have you met with Folse? Have you discuss it yet?' is what it says in the letter."
Grandfather Rizik said that breaking off her engagement with Folse must be done soon if she wants to get married to the person she has in mind.
Of course, Rozalia thinks so, too, but these sensitive matters should be done in steps. It's still too soon to seek results when only two weeks have passed.
―Besides, I don't want to go out of my way for him.
Miria prepared the table before serving the tea.
There are also light snacks of scones and cookies aside from tea, and Rozalia reached out for the sugary financier from the varieties.
"I believe we'll come to an agreement soon. But first, I would like to prioritize getting closer to Sir Cade."
It is not easy to talk to someone who's on duty as a bodyguard, and her relationship with him doesn't have any progress in the slightest. Instead, it was Lutier and Cade who are getting closer to each other.
Folse, Alexis, and Gerald Alba are said to be the candidates for the next student council president. If Lutier happens to aim for Cade while captivating these many people, then...
―I have to take her on seriously.
Rozalia rubs her temples after she puts her cup of tea on the table.
"What's an effective way to get closer to Sir Cade? Should I show him a surprising side of me?"
She was better at studying than anyone else, but she's a beginner when it comes to love.
What should she do in order to convey her thoughts and to have the other person return the same feelings? Should she refer to romance novels that she'd read on a whim when she was young?
When Rozalia turned to ask Miria, who has similar zero experience in romance as her, Miria quickly suggested a plan with a serious look on her face.
"How about pretending to be a cruel and arrogant lady, but is actually compassionate and picks up an abandoned cat soaked in the rain?"
"...... I think I understand what you mean, but it would be very difficult to set the conditions prior to that scene."
It would be fine if they spoke ill of her right on the face. But the problem is the outrageous strategy Miria proposed.
First of all, it's raining, and then they have to find an abandoned cat on campus grounds. More than anything, they have to show that scene to Cade without fail.
It's quite impossible to put on a charade like that. Also, she'll have to take responsibility if it fails.
Then Gredior, who also had no experience in romance, opened his mouth after for so long.
"How about pretending to be a cold-blooded and arrogant lady but is actually clumsy and forgets her wallet while going shopping, or chase a cat with a fish in its mouth on barefoot."
"...... I don't carry my wallet with me, and why would I chase a cat with a fish in its mouth? I don't understand the reason why it would lead to that situation. As a lady from a Marquisate household, I can't behave in a foolish way even if it's just acting."
There are too many risks pertaining to the plan, such as running barefoot, and it seems reckless to deal with an agile cat in a state where she's unable to run in the middle of the rain. More so, when the cat was hungry and struggling to survive.
Rozalia was astonished at Gredior, who had similar facial expressions as her, because he made a disappointing statement when it's been a while since he last talked.
Rozalia rubs her temples because they couldn't come up with a great solution when all of a sudden they received a knock on the door.
Unlike in a noble's residence, there is no drawing-room for guests to wait inside the dormitory, so they'll have to deal with it directly. Miria hurriedly opened the door.
Rozalia could feel Miria's surprise on the other side of the door. She had a clear suspicion of who the guest was.
Miria, who promptly changed her look into a neutral face, comes to Rozalia's side and announced the identity of the guest.
"Lord Folse Meretzen is here."
Rozalia, too, quickly put on the mask befitting of a "Rose Princess" at a mention of his name, thinking that if her mask will slip off, she would surely be wrought with bitterness that she couldn't control.
"It's been a long time, Lord Folse."
A dark blonde-haired man with loose waves and olive eyes appeared before her. It was Folse Meretzen, who looked nervous and fragile.
The unfaithful fiance, who greeted her with a weak smile, looked a little more worn than before.
Perhaps after two weeks of agonizing, he finally decided to visit Rozalia. He had been out of touch with his fiancee and yet approached another woman with interest. It was only natural that he would be uncomfortable.
Rozalia stood up with a cold smile on her face.
"It is embarrassing to be alone in my private room. Shall we borrow a study room? Of course, Miria and Gredior will be with us."
As soon as she suggested this, Folse's brows dropped significantly. She had often spent a lot of time together with him in the Sertfell residence. But now, she didn't even want to be in the same room as this man.
"Ah... All right."
Seeing his fiancee's cold expression, which Folse had already acknowledged himself, it was as if he swallowed something bitter.
Since the dormitory is a shared room, the study room inside exists for those who want to study in a quiet environment. It was a private room that any students can borrow, so it was perfect for private discussions.
Rozalia sat across him on the table while Miria and Gredior stand behind her.
"There's only one thing I'd like to request from you. Please agree to annul our engagement."
For some reason, she felt a little bit of sympathy for the grim-looking Folse after she broke her silence.
"I have already received permission from my grandfather, who is the head of the Sertfell household. The only thing left is the permission from your family and pardon from the royal family. I will also ask help from Prince Renwild to break off our engagement."
Engagement is usually done to strengthen the connection between two families. However, Rozalia was confident that her being the "Rose Princess" wasn't welcomed by Duke Meretzen.
Since the Sertfells are a Marquisate household, they are lower in ranking than the Meretzens, but if they take the form of mutual agreement, it'll preserve both sides' reputation.
But the problem here is the intervention of the royal family at the time when they were engaged. It was His Majesty, the King who ordered their betrothal. Even though it is an engagement between two children before their debut, it is no longer just a matter for both families.
This is where her connection to the younger prince, Renwild, come to use.
Due to the public's treatment of her as the "Rose Princess", he will sympathize with her. If he became aware of Rozalia's cold relationship with her fiance, he might possibly advise the King to break their engagement. If that happens, the procedures for the annulment will proceed smoothly.
While she was consistently explaining the future course, he was moving his mouth wordlessly, as though he was drowning from her stream of words.
"Are you... fine with that?
Folse's olive-green eyes gazed straight at Rozalia while asking her in a hurtful voice.
―He really is kind.
Perhaps he feels guilty, but still, he couldn't just cut off his fiancee, who he grew up with like a childhood friend.
Even though this happened to them, the memories they spent together would not fade. The feeling of being cherished like a younger sister will be engraved forever in her heart.
"... If our separation will be both for our sake then I'm satisfied with that. However, I'm sure I'll never stop thinking of you as my family. Please be happy."
After hearing her words, Folse's face twisted as if he was punched.
―If you take it as sarcasm, I want you to think that you are to blame. Your insincere behavior certainly hurts me.
It was just a small act of revenge for leaving her hanging and made a fool out of her.
Rozalia left her seat and bowed gracefully before him.
"Lord Folse, the peaceful days when I was your fiancee made me truly happy. Thank you for everything."
Finally, after giving her blessings to him, she felt a weight lifted off her chest.
Folse remained motionless for a while but then stood up with his head down and dejectedly left the study room. There were no words left to exchange.
At long last, Rozalia can relax her shoulders as she sat back in her chair. She raised her lips slightly at the presence of her worried attendants.
"... Thank you. I was able to maintain my composure because you are both here with me."
Folse's innocent smile comes to her mind as they ran around the garden of the Sertfer mansion. At that time, she didn't have a single doubt of their future together.
Rozalia shook her head once and straightened her back with a determined look on her face. She still felt a tinge of pain in her chest, but now she can finally move forward.
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