Fake It to Break It!

"It's a nice day today."

"It sure is."

I had been struggling to find a topic of conversation and ended up with nothing more than a trivial observation. He gave me the usual blunt response before we both fell silent again. I sighed quietly and turned my gaze from the sight outside the window to the handsome man sitting before me.

He was Phillip Lawrenson, son of Duke Lawrenson, as well as my fiancé. His hair was as dark as the night sky, and his amber eyes gleamed like shimmering stars. His face was so beautiful that he grabbed the attention of everyone who beheld him. Due to his reserved personality and impassive expression, he was called the Icy Noble, and his attractive looks made him popular in high society. He didn't seem to be bothered by the awkward atmosphere between us as he took an elegant sip from his teacup, his face as calm as it always was.

As the daughter of a viscount, I, Violet Westley, was hardly an equal match for him. If I had to list a positive quality about myself, it would be that I was a little prettier than average. However, even when it came to our looks, he had me beat.

One might wonder why we were even engaged to begin with. It had to do with our families' history. In the past, House Lawrenson had fallen on such hard times that the dukedom had been in danger of ending. A fortune teller, and then daughter of House Westley, had been the one to save them. Thanks to her instructions and advice, House Lawrenson had been able to survive.

Duke Lawrenson wanted to thank her, and in response, she'd said, "One day, when our families produce two children of the opposite gender within the same year, please have them marry each other." That was her only request. After a hundred years had passed, Lord Phillip and I were the first ones who'd finally met those requirements.

It seemed that House Lawrenson felt gratitude toward House Westley. I was born a month after Lord Phillip, and a few days after that, they'd asked for my hand in marriage. There was no reason for my family to reject it. Thus, my engagement to Lord Phillip was arranged in the blink of an eye.

"Um, Lord Phillip," I said.

"What is it?" he replied.

"Could you ask Duke Lawrenson to reduce these meetings back to once a month?"

Ever since we were children, without fail, the adults would set up a monthly meeting for the two of us to spend time together. These days, all we did was sit across from each other, drink tea, and exchange very few words. I was the one who did most of the speaking, while his replies were limited to "Yes" or "I agree." It made these meetings a painful affair.

He never was the talkative type, but whenever he was around me, he became even quieter. He'd always been this way. Every time I met with him, I prayed for the clock to tick faster. However, a few months ago, we suddenly started having these meetings twice a month. I didn't know what Duke Lawrenson was thinking, but there was no bigger waste of our time than this. In particular, Lord Phillip was a very busy man. The other day, I'd asked Lord Lawrenson myself if we could go back to having monthly meetings, but he'd rejected my suggestion with a smile.

"Why?" Lord Phillip asked.

I'd assumed that Lord Phillip wanted the same thing I did. So I was baffled when he replied with that query.

"Wh-Why?" I echoed, dumbfounded. "I'm sure you're busy with other things, Lord Phillip."

"I don't have a lot of spare time, but our meetings only last for a few hours. It's not an issue."

If that was his reasoning, then the only thing I could say was, "I understand."

After another moment of silence, Lord Phillip opened his mouth.

"I've been invited to an acquaintance's soiree next week. Would you be willing to accompany me?"

"Yes, I would."

There weren't many opportunities for me to appear at social gatherings as his fiancée. He only invited me in situations where my presence was absolutely necessary. Every time I went, though, he would only give the bare minimum of greetings and then try to leave. This happened every single time I accompanied him. The other nobles had told me that Lord Phillip didn't do this when he went alone. Was he that embarrassed to be seen with me in public?

Personally, I was worried about passive-aggressive comments from the noblewomen in love with Lord Phillip, so I hardly ever went to social gatherings alone. I was on the verge of becoming a shut-in. I'd received strict education from an early age to assist Lord Phillip in all his endeavors, but the title of Lady Lawrenson would be much too heavy a burden to bear.

I finished drinking the umpteenth cup of tea for the day and set it back down on the saucer. Knowing that what awaited me was yet another stifling silence, I started to count the growth rings on the wooden table.

***

"Thank you very much for today. I shall see you next week at the soiree," I said.

"Yes," Phillip replied.

It seemed that Lord Phillip had something he needed to attend to later, so our meeting ended a mere thirty minutes after his invitation. No matter how busy he was, he always found the time to escort me back to my carriage. I entered the carriage, and after I could no longer see him from the window, let out a deep sigh.

Now that I was eighteen years old, there was about a year left before our wedding. At this rate, even if we got married, I doubted that either of us would be happy. Surely there was someone out there who was much more suited to be Lord Phillip's wife. As for my family, even though my father was a viscount, we had plenty of money. We could survive even if the engagement fell through.

"I hate you, Lord Phillip!"

"I...hate you too."

A conversation from our past suddenly entered my mind. If I wasn't mistaken, that was when I was fourteen. Back then, Phillip's silence in our conversations hadn't felt nearly this awkward.

As the carriage continued the bumpy ride home, I absently wondered if there was any way to break off this engagement. Suddenly, the entire carriage shook, along with a mighty sound. The next second, the world flipped upside down, and I felt a hard impact against my head. That was the final thing I was aware of before I lost consciousness.