Chapter 185

10 minutes ago.

It may sound sudden, but I was hit with a German Suplex.

I'm talking about the wrestling technique where you grab your opponent's waist with both hands, lift them up, and slam them headfirst onto the ground.

I don't know what this move is called in this world, but anyway, I was on the receiving end of it.

The person who did this to me was none other than Princess Yun.

"Whooooaaaah!"

With bear-like strength, she lifted me up and slammed me onto the wooden chairs arranged on the stage.

Crash!

"Urgh!"

The chairs were smashed to pieces, and I found myself buried in the debris.

I gasped, feeling no sensation in my throat. It seemed my back was severely injured too.

As I lay sprawled out, Princess Yun gave me a fierce look and cast a healing spell on me.

Really? Hurt me and then heal me? What's your class, Princess? Fighter or priest?

"There's no one who cheats in the North. Do you know why?"

After finishing the German Suplex and the healing spell, Yun looked down at me, sprawled on the floor, and dusted off her hands.

"Anyone who cheats, regardless of status, age, or gender, must suffer this."

"I'm sorry..." I stammered.

After announcing our engagement today, I had openly danced with another woman, as if to reject Princess Yun.

It had caused an uproar among the Northern Kingdom's diplomats. It was a major diplomatic faux pas.

The enraged people of the Northern Kingdom decided to 'punish' me in their own way, and this was the result. What a refreshingly straightforward country.

"Now, I think this should soothe your anger a bit," Fernandez stepped forward, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. His face showed a certain satisfaction.

"Marrying a scoundrel like my brother, someone with a bright future like Princess Yun, is such a waste."

"Actually, even in our Imperial Family, there was much talk. We feared that an arranged marriage with this troublemaker might be detrimental to Ariane Kingdom..."

Lark joined in as well. Being betrayed by my brothers felt somewhat sad.

The two princes placated the Northern Kingdom's diplomats and led them out of the banquet hall.

Since the strategic marriage had already gone awry, they must strengthen the alliance in other ways.

Princess Yun gave me one last disdainful glance before leaving. I waved at her back with a smile.

"Did Prince Ash cause trouble again?"

"It seems so. He's truly the empire's number one scoundrel."

"So what's the deal? Didn't want to marry the Northern Kingdom, so he danced with his old, impoverished former fiancée, whom he'd never even glanced at before?"

"Does he have any awareness that he's bringing shame to the Royal Family?"

"The Emperor must be deeply worried..."

As I monopolized the scorn of the other nobles remaining in the party hall, I narrowed my eyes.

Thanks to my well-established reputation as a crazy troublemaker, they might curse me, but they weren't too shocked.

'I've added another page to the legend of Ash, the scoundrel...'

Just as I'd resolved to live as Ash, I pulled off something like this. Perhaps I have quite a talent for mischief?

That's when Serenade finished her private audience with the Emperor and came out. I grinned and spoke to her.

"Did you resolve it well?"

***

"Let's annul our engagement."

After hearing that the conversation between the Emperor and Serenade had gone well.

It seemed Serenade had more to say to me, so I made the first move.

"..."

Serenade froze. I smirked wickedly.

Of course, I knew. I knew that this lady harbored affection for me.

But the thought of breaking off our engagement with Serenade had been on my mind for a while.

"Quite a few eyes are on us."

Our exchange on the party platform was drawing attention. I took Serenade's hand and led her towards the garden terrace.

"Let's talk over there."

Serenade followed me, her energy drained.

The garden was in the full bloom of summer.

The evening glow was still visible, and the green shade was clear. A refreshing summer scent pervaded the garden.

By the terrace, the last spring flowers were shedding their petals, one by one. They were pale blue in color.

"Why... is this happening?"

A tearful voice reached my ears. I turned around.

"Why are you trying to leave me again?"

Tears welled and rolled down her pale cheeks.

With tears streaming below her silver eyes, Serenade looked up at me.

I remembered the first day I met Serenade. She had looked up at me and cried like this too.

"My Lord, I simply can't understand you. After treating me coldly for years, you were so affectionate these past few days, and now, why... why are you proposing to break off our engagement?"

"..."

"Why did you treat me so warmly if you were just going to cast me aside? Once I've come to know warmth like this... I can't go back..."

"Serenade."

Approaching the sobbing girl, I sighed softly.

"Our relationship was flawed from the beginning."

The Imperial Family needed money, and the merchant family needed social elevation.

Ash and Serenade's engagement was the result of an alignment of these needs.

And for ten years, misunderstandings, misconceptions, and misdeeds piled upon each other... the relationship between the two crumbled.

Ash became a rascal, tormenting Serenade and exploiting her financially,

Serenade, needing Ash's lineage, hung on passively.

'A relationship between people is like a Jenga puzzle.'

You remove a pillar from between and place it on top, building a wooden tower.

The relationship between Ash and Serenade was like a precarious Jenga puzzle on the verge of collapsing.

The pillars were so thin and fragile that the slightest shock could send everything tumbling down.

They managed to stitch up the wounds temporarily and withstand greater crises, but there was no way to build upon this relationship.

The festering wounds would eventually burst. Sooner or later, the tower would crumble.

That's why- I decided to rebuild the tower from ground zero.

'Since I've decided to live as Ash.'

I will perform surgery on Ash's human relationships, as I see fit.

So, Serenade.

"Let's start all over again."

Serenade, who had been sobbing fitfully, looked up at me with wide, wet eyes. I grinned broadly.

Poor lady.

Her shortened hair was disheveled, her dress was torn, her stockings were run, and, barefoot, she had come all the way here to rescue me, a pitiful person.

We are on the same side.

I wouldn't abandon you.

"The situation of the Imperial Family, the long-standing wish of your house, I don't care about any of that. Let's disregard everyone else and start anew, purely between us two."

"..."

"First, as the Southern Front Commander, and in terms of our dealings with the Merchant Guild's head. As good business partners."

No longer would someone depend on another.

Equally, at the same eye level, they could walk while looking at each other.

"Starting anew. A fresh start. What do you think?"

Serenade, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, mumbled softly.

"...A dance partner too."

"Huh?"

"Will you continue to be my dance partner?"

Looking at Serenade making a snuffling noise, I burst into a chuckle.

"Of course. Partner."

The evening wind came. From the swaying branches above our heads, the last petals of spring spilled out.

Suddenly, a verse from a poem crossed my mind.

With a delicate touch trembling, one day when petals fall leisurely...

"..."

Spring ends, and summer comes.

We grow up a bit more.

As the poem said, there are relationships that mature through separation.

So...

I smiled and said,

"Let's break up."

Looking into Serenade's tear-filled silver eyes, I softly said,

"Let's move forward together from the beginning, Serenade."

Through the immature spring to the maturity of summer.

Together.

"..."

Serenade no longer cried.

Wiping her tears away roughly with the back of her hand, Serenade composed herself and bowed to me first.

It was a neat and beautiful gesture.

"It has been a wonderful time, My Lord."

It was the greeting after the dance had ended.

With a big smile, I slowly bowed back to her.

"It was a pleasure for me too, Serenade."

Swoosh...

After the greeting, after the wind died down, after the petal-rain stopped.

"...Er, My Lord... I mean, Your Royal Highness."

Correcting her address, Serenade smiled faintly.

"I know it's really shameful to say this after breaking up, but."

Her voice trembles. Her eyes turn red. She's truly a woman of many tears.

"Can you grant me one wish?"

"What is it? Tell me."

"Just once... Can you hug me?"

It was a voice that seemed to squeeze all her will.

I chuckled and spread my arms wide.

Serenade cautiously stepped into my embrace. I hugged her tightly.

"Tighter. Until I can't breathe. So tight that it crushes me..."

I gently gripped her fragile shoulders, which seemed they would break if I didn't hug her more firmly.

In my arms, Serenade sobbed.

This is how we broke our engagement.

This is how we parted.

***

Three days had passed.

The victory celebration party was over, the duel with the guardians was finished, the Silver Winter family was spared, and the independent stance of the Southern Front was guaranteed.

Everything seemed to have ended well, but that wasn't exactly the case.

First of all, after dumping Princess Yun at the end of the party, about half of the promised sponsors withdrew their support.

They said they couldn't trust such a frivolous man.

'Isn't it just that they don't want to part with their money...?'

Still, about half actually came to Star Palace and gave their sponsorship.

I wondered where I was, but one thing was for sure: my die-hard fans were a little scary. Every time I received a donation, I felt a chill.

Trying to spit while shaking hands was common, but what was with the bizarre requests like asking for an autograph on their butt, or to lick their eyeball, or demanding some sort of reaction? Why were there so many crazy people...?

Nevertheless, with years of experience as a streamer, I handled the patrons without much difficulty.

Those who crossed the line with their donations would simply be banned, and that was that.

The negotiations with the guardians seemed to have gone well, but I was summoned to the Imperial Palace every single day for additional meetings afterward.

The main discussions were about the production and stock of magical stones, and how much would be sent to the Imperial Capital.

Of course, the Imperial Capital demanded everything, and I strained myself to conceal the amount earned and sent only about half.

Half was still frankly too much, but I had to send a generous portion if I wanted to avoid becoming a human sacrifice in this terrifying place.

I could convince myself to send more than half, thinking I was saving lives. After all, there would be surplus magical stones from the mid-game onwards.

Delegates from the Northern Ariane Kingdom also visited me once. Surprisingly, Princess Yun had a bright face.

"Thanks to you, I don't have to get married, so I'm relieved, you know!"

She said she came to see me one last time, having finished preparations to return north.

The alliance had apparently been successfully concluded, perhaps Fernandez had played a hand in it.

I felt a bit sorry since this was almost like trolling on my part, but using others for political marriage as pawns shouldn't be done in the first place.

"Oh, by the way, I'm going to tell everyone in my country that I beat you in arm wrestling. That's fine, right?"

"Do as you please."

I could gladly grant that much. Go brag that you not only beat me but threw in a German Suplex.

"See you later, Your Highness. Next time, put on some more muscle. I think it'll suit my taste."

With that, Yun, before leaving, suddenly lifted her top to show me.

I, Yun's subordinates, and even Alberto, who was clearing tea cups, were shocked. What the heck?!

Yun's abs were proudly shining beneath her shirt.

"How about that? Cool, huh?"

With a cheeky smile, she left.

Well... it was impressive, but what was the purpose of showing that off before leaving?

After a few chaotic days, I sighed in relief, feeling exhausted.

"Phew, I'm tired."

With no more guests, I began preparations to head south.

"Your Highness, a new guest has arrived."

"Huh?"

With Alberto's guidance, someone visited.

I grinned widely at the familiar face.

"Hey! You're alive!"

"..."

Clad in a maid's dress with Sword Coffin strapped to her back, it was Elize.