Cracks in the Porcelain Vase

In the novel, although the main character wasn't a noble or a person from the fancy world, his best friend was.

So recalling the novel, I remembered how this interaction between the two families was to play out.

It was customary that when a couple is to meet for the first time after getting engaged, the family is to speak to each other first.

The fiancé and fiancée are to not speak to anyone.

Only after the two families excuse themselves from the room, leaving the couple alone, are they allowed to speak.

I noticed that Ichiko kept her eyes on me, observing me, probably analyzing every facial twitch, every reaction I had to anything that was being said.

When I looked at her, even though she recognized my gaze, she didn't look away.

She wasn't bashful nor was she wasn't embarrassed despite getting caught.

Kimi told me, 'Your fiancée, her elegance is simply perfect. I've been trying to see if there's any flaw in her. So far, nothing.'

Her gaze on me wasn't rude and even though she never looked away from me, I didn't feel like I was a zoo animal being observed.

I simply felt like I was in the presence of someone who knew their value and was trying to see if her engagement partner would increase that value or ruin it.

The guilt inside me grew even larger.

Not only was I going to be wasting years of her life as a fiancé that had no intentions of actually marrying her, but I was also going to leave her as a lady with a broken engagement.

On Earth, this wasn't really a big deal but over here, where a lot of medieval values still had a significant impact on society despite the setting being modern, she could be seen by others as a broken vase.

Father and Gonkuro were just discussing the dowry.

Father was trying to lower it as much as he could because we were so rich that we didn't really need it.

But since it was customary, he might as well have it as low as he possibly could.

I reckon another factor in his motivation for lowering the dowry was that he knew my true intentions and didn't want the Asano to feel like they were entitled to the engagement because they had given a lot in dowry.

Gonkuro on the other hand was trying to raise the dowry amount as much as he could in order to express his gratitude for the unification as well as to send a message that we needed to treat his daughter extremely well because he had given a lot up in the dowry.

It was a battle between two different mindsets and eventually, with the help of the wives who got the two men to see the middle, that's where the dowry was eventually set at.

The middle; not too expensive, not too cheap.

As soon as the dowry was set, the two family heads looked at each other and with a subtle nod, agreed that it was time.

"Alright, let's leave the couple alone and go have breakfast," said Father.

"Let's do that. Two families, together as one family," said Gonkuro with a smile.

As everyone was leaving out the front door, Cyro gave me one last look, and with two thumbs up, he mouthed, "Good luck."

"Thank you," I silently mouthed in response.

Luck was definitely something I needed.

I know her outside personality quite well now but now that we were going to be alone, it could be a whole different story.

I didn't know which one I preferred. If her outside and inside personality was the same, it'd be easier to navigate how I should act around her regardless of who's around.

If her inside personality is "worse" and more carefree, I'd be more comfortable being around her as she would just seem like another modern girl rather than a noble plucked from the old ages.

But comfortableness can also lead to recklessness and I may expose too much of my flawed self to her.

As soon as the doors closed and we could hear the sound of the cars driving away, Ichiko was the first to break the silence.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Bell Agnus," she said with a smile that could've made boys all around the world faint.

'So she's the same even when we're alone.'

Taking her extended hand, I followed this world's tradition and gave it a little peck.

"Nice to meet you too. How would you like me to address you?" I asked.

"Ichiko is fine. We are engaged to be married after all," she said.

That last part didn't sound resentful. Most people would hate to hear that they're engaged out of nowhere but perhaps she's the kind of person who had prepared herself to give up everything for her family so she didn't mind.

Which would explain how she lost her life in the feud with a rival clan.

"Then Ichiko it is," I replied. Gesturing towards the living room, I asked, "Shall we take a seat?"

The two of us walked towards the couches and the room was strangely perfectly lit as a soft glow of the rising Sun bathed the surroundings.

With my back straight and my demeanor poised, I tried my hardest to exude an air of confidence so as to not embarrass myself in front of Ichiko who had perfect posture even as she sat on a soft couch that tempted people to slouch.

With a radiant smile, she looked around the room with movements as graceful as a swan.

"I have heard much about the Agnus mansion. Pictures don't do it justice," she complimented the place.

"I've also heard rumors about the Asano home. People say that the Sakura season never ends over there."

"They jest," she chuckled. "It's certainly a beautiful place to live but the beauty of this place feels otherworldly."

I wanted to test the water.

"Indeed the beauty of my home is something I can look at for hours on end but I must admit, Ichiko, it pales in comparison to your elegance and beauty," I responded.

As I watched her cheeks flush ever so slightly and this rosy hue grace her porcelain complexion, I thought to myself, 'She must find Bell's face appealing.'

Dipping her head in a modest gesture of gratitude, she said, "You are too kind with your compliment, Bell."

"No need to be humble. No amount of praise would be enough to describe your beauty," I told her.

I was able to finally see a tiny crack in the perfection she had shown me.

As she opened her mouth to say something, the rosy hue grew a little more, and she closed it.

Changing her mind, she simply told me, "Thank you."

'How's my acting so far?' I asked for my artifacts.

'This is a wonderful performance so far master, but you can't falter now. Keep the momentum going!' responded Liona.

As the rosy hue cooled off, her eyes suddenly had this look of sincerity on it.

"Bell, I heard from my father that you weren't aware of this engagement until yesterday."

"Indeed. It was certainly a surprise I could've never expected in a million years," I chuckled.

She smiled in response before turning serious once again.

"I'm sorry for how abrupt all of this must've felt for you," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I—"

"No," she said, shaking her hand. "It's alright. I won't feel offended by it. It's okay to admit that you weren't expecting to be engaged to a stranger out of nowhere."

"I mean... that is the case but isn't that the case for both of us?" I asked.

She looked at me with these guilty eyes and she shook her head.

"No. I was aware of the discussion since it started. In fact, I was the one who recommended it to my father," she confessed.

"Oh... really?"

Why did it have to be the Agnus family then? If she was the one in charge of her own engagement then surely she could've chosen anyone else to be her fiancé.

There were plenty more families who were just as powerful or nearly as powerful as us.

'Is it because Bell is her type?' I questioned.

It was a wild question to propose considering how elegant the lady in front of me was but recalling her reactions, it certainly wasn't a farfetched thing to wonder.

"That's why I'm sorry. Because I stole your freedom of marriage away from you," she said.

"It is—"

Before I could even respond, she continued on and more cracks in her perfect self began to show itself.

"If you truly want your freedom back, I'm sorry but I can't do that," she told me. "I initially came here looking to see if my fiancé was the right one and if he wasn't I was going to request an annulment of the engagement."

'Wait what?'

"In the short interaction that we've had so far, I'm confident that we will complement each other perfectly. We were meant to be engaged."

'Wait what!?' I screamed, watching as my wish to be single vanished in front of me like a mirage.

"Rest assured Bell. Our union will bring nothing but prosperity to both of our families."

Her eyes met mine and we had a moment of shared understanding, a silent vow that passed between the two of us.

Obviously, I was just acting on my part.

The gaze Ichiko held had this unwavering intensity that sent chills up my spine.

Her eyes sparkled with a depth of understanding and ambition that went beyond her years.

As she stared at me with a smile, a flicker of curiosity danced within her, prompting her to inquire something about me.

"Bell, I heard rumors of a crime that you had committed before in the past which in truth, was the work of the demons. Is that correct?" she asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Yes."

She then spoke with a voice of genuine interest, "Bell, my dear fiancé, is the part where you had a crush on that poor girl true?"

'She's a little scary,' said Liona.

The other artifacts, excluding Vaulheshia, agreed with her.

My lips purposely curved into this thoughtful smile as I contemplated her question.

"Well, it most certainly was true in the past."

"In the past?"

"Yes. I did have a crush on Diana but... I guess we just weren't meant to be. When I think of her, I don't really get that same heartbeat I once did. No... all I get is a sense of guilt," I confessed to her.

"I see," Ichiko nodded, her gaze never wavering from my face. "It's a tragic love story but thankfully, it's all over now."

"...Yeah."

She just continued smiling as she grabbed the tea that was prepared for the two of us beforehand.

Taking a sip of the tea, she let out a sound that would've sounded adorable like a small animal to others.

But to me, it sounded like something out of a horror movie; like a possessive woman drinking a glass of lemonade after killing her ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend.

'Please let me be wrong about this feeling,' I thought to myself as I grabbed my cup of tea and took a sip.