An Early Engagement - Chapter 47
Sophie stared at Shirley’s face, which had turned from pale to ghostly white, and spoke hesitantly.
“Even so, no. I’m fine. I’m okay. I’ll be okay. So, no.”
“……”
“No one can know.”
“Huh?”
“This letter—no, this thing—no one can see it. No, I didn’t receive anything today, understand?”
“Yes, yes, but how can we—”
“I didn’t receive it! Just keep your mouth shut!”
Shirley screamed, her hair disheveled, startling Sophie into nodding quickly.
“O-okay, miss. Calm down. I understand. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“I just received a letter from Damian asking to reconcile, got it?”
“Of course, of course.”
As Shirley frantically crawled on the floor, searching for something, Sophie followed suit, dropping to her knees.
“What are you looking for?”
“The ring… I dropped it.”
“Wait a second, ah, here it is.”
Sophie reached under the sofa and pulled out the ring that had rolled away. Shirley snatched it from her hand, stuffed it back into the box, and hid it under a cushion.
“This is also a secret.”
“Yes, yes.”
“No one, absolutely no one, can know.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“If you don’t, I’ll… jump off the—”
“Don’t even say such things!” Sophie screamed in panic.
“If you understand, then just leave.”
“Alright. Miss, absolutely, don’t think about… that annulment, it’s nothing. In high society, there are enough men lining up to propose to the Lafez Ducal House to fill twelve carriages and more…”
“Get out!”
Seeing Shirley tearing at her hair again, Sophie bolted out the door.
*Thud.*
As the door closed, the room fell silent, filled only with Shirley’s ragged breathing.
Even after Sophie left, Shirley sat there for a long time.
Finally, she stumbled away from the sofa and made her way to the desk.
*Click.*
With her thin, trembling hands, she opened the drawer. Inside was a document box engraved with the crests of both the Lafez and Elpart families.
“……”
After staring at the box for a while, Shirley reached in and pulled it out.
She slowly inserted the key into the lock, and with a *click*, the box opened.
Inside was their engagement certificate. And alongside it, a box containing a ring.
Damian’s ring.
Shirley took it out and placed it next to the engagement certificate. Then, she added the ring Damian had sent back—her ring.
The sunlight streaming in through the window hit the large diamond on Shirley’s ring, casting a dazzling rainbow of colors across the engagement certificate.
It was a beautiful light, completely at odds with the situation.
Shirley slowly read through the engagement certificate, now bathed in the rainbow hues.
The vows, solemn and sacred, were filled with words of commitment and devotion.
Below the vows of engagement were their signatures—her own, written in a small, childish hand, and next to it, Damian’s name.
“……”
Shirley gently placed her hand over her name. Beside her clumsily written name was a dark ink stain.
The very stain said to bring misfortune to the one who signed.
Could it have foreshadowed today’s events?
Had she brought all this misfortune upon herself?
*Plop.*
A tear fell onto the engagement certificate.
She had hurt Damian.
She had doubted his feelings for her, lashed out at him, and thrown tantrums like a child.
She had acted as if she were the only one hurting, without ever considering Damian’s heart.
A selfish, spoiled fiancée.
That was Shirley de Lafez.
It was the moment she realized who she truly was.
As tears fell onto her name, the old ink stain smudged and spread further.
“No.”
In her panic, she tried to rub it away, but the stain only grew larger and more distorted.
“Why is this happening?”
The tears kept flowing, and the stain continued to spread. Until finally—
*Sizzle.*
“……”
The engagement certificate, soaked with tears, tore in half.
“What do I do…?”
Shirley stared in shock at the torn paper in her hands.
Our engagement certificate is torn. Just like our relationship.
She tried to piece it back together, but there was no way to mend what had been torn. After several futile attempts, Shirley ended up shredding the certificate completely.
“Ha, haa.”
The floor was now littered with scraps of paper, so mangled that their original form was unrecognizable. And as if that weren’t enough, she began pounding on the desk in frustration.
*Crack.*
A faint sound of something breaking reached her ears, and she felt a strange emptiness on her finger. Looking down, she saw that the glass ring she had been wearing had shattered. The rabbit’s ears, nose, and body were now scattered in pieces on the floor.
Shirley stared at the broken fragments in stunned silence.
Then, she wiped away the tears that had fallen. The broken ring couldn’t be helped. Damian had always said he could buy her a new one anytime, so…
“No.”
She couldn’t accept this. No matter what, she had to get Damian back.
***
“This is strange. What on earth is going on?” The Duchess of Lafez sighed deeply, resting her chin on her hand.
“Why is Shirley…?”
For days now, Shirley had locked herself in her room, refusing to come out, leaving the Duchess increasingly worried and frustrated.
