Veronica closed her eyes tightly.

She remembered the moment when she faced eyes that were gradually dying in a day full of despair.

The cries for help, mixed with tears and snot, echoed in her ears.

At the same time, she recalled herself left alone amidst people’s indifference. Even while shedding tears, Veronica desperately wished.

She reached out to someone unknown. For help. To please stay by her side. Anyone would do. Just one person…

“…I’m a person who’s already overwhelmed with my own affairs.”

She took a deep breath. It was difficult to utter even one word.

“I know that trust is trivial and unrewarded. I’ll say it again, I’m not a good person. Don’t expect me to help you if a situation like this occurs again. I’m struggling just to protect my own family.”

She had absolutely no intention of getting involved. Not even a little.

The reason she rejected the woman who expressed her desire to become close with her whole body was that she didn’t want to be entangled even by a single hair.

Knowing her future, the only generosity she could offer was to provide a place to stay. Even that, if it had dragged on, she would have eventually kicked her out.

She didn’t want to give any false hope. That resolution remained the same even now.

“So…”

This is… probably the last of countless returns to life. It was the only whim. A choice that will never happen again.

“This will be the last of the moments to come. Don’t expect me to do the same in other lives. I absolutely won’t…”

“…”

“I’ll help you.”

Magnolia’s eyes widened.

Facing the other person who was fearlessly trying to step into an unknown future, Veronica raised the corners of her mouth.

“If you need help from someone like me, that is.”

“Veronica!”

Magnolia hugged her tightly with a bright smile.

Veronica patted her back, which kept saying thank you, with an indulgent smile. That touch was very affectionate.

At that moment, footsteps quickly approached. The person who appeared beside them was Bry Cole. He glared at Magnolia, panting.

“Magnolia! What shameful behavior is this! Attempting suicide in front of everyone!”

“It, it’s not suicide. I was just trying to run away because you kept chasing me!”

Magnolia, hiding behind Veronica’s arm, retorted.

Listening to the situation roughly, it seems that just before the ceremony was about to begin, Magnolia said she wanted to break off the engagement again, and after arguing with Bry who said she couldn’t, the fall from earlier was the result.

“How dare you talk back? I liked your obedient and docile appearance that listened well, who taught you this? Is it that woman in front of you?”

His fierce eyes turned to Veronica. Veronica countered without backing down.

She showed no signs of fear. At this, Bry’s face contorted. She was an unpleasant wench every time he saw her.

“Fine. Let’s go back and hold the ceremony. It’s not too late even now.”

Bry knocked Veronica down and grabbed Magnolia’s wrist.

Magnolia looked back at Veronica in confusion. Bry pulled at such a Magnolia.

“Come with me right now! Hurry!”

“No! Let go!”

“Shut up! Unless you want to get hit!”

Magnolia struggled. She resisted with all her might, but it was not enough to overcome a man’s strength.

At that moment, a memory flashed through her mind. She moved her hand without realizing it.

“Let go-!”

A thud echoed. Magnolia’s clenched fist had properly hit Bry’s chin.

With a dull sound, Bry’s face turned sideways and he fell face down.

Bry, fallen on the ground, didn’t move. Magnolia made a frightened expression.

“Gasp. Is, is he dead?”

“He won’t die from just getting hit in the jaw.”

While dusting off the dirt on her skirt, Veronica looked at Bry. His chest was heaving, and faint groaning could be heard.

He wasn’t unconscious, just momentarily fallen from shock.

He’s probably lying there trying to figure out what’s going on. If he fainted from an untrained woman’s punch, there would be something wrong with Bry Cole too.

Soon after, Bry raised his upper body. When he removed the hand covering his face, a nosebleed dripped. It was even from both nostrils.

“Ma, Magnolia. How could you do this to me-”

Bry’s face was genuinely shocked. Magnolia didn’t know what to do.

His wrongs were wrong, but she seemed to think that hitting him might have been too much. Veronica clicked her tongue. It seems she will have a hard time becoming a tough person.

“I won’t let this go. You, and that wench next to you!”

“You bad guy! Don’t take it out on Miss Hardness, take it out on me!”

“I’ll do it to you too! I won’t let you or the Rinings go either! I’ll make you all become homeless and wander the streets!”

“Don’t touch our family either!”

When Magnolia rebutted to Bry’s words, it turned into a childish argument. It was unbearable to just listen quietly.

Veronica grabbed Magnolia’s shoulder to stop her. Then she looked at Bry again.

“What will you do if you don’t let it go?”

“I’ll ruin everything.”

It was such a cliché line that it made her want to yawn. Moreover.

“Good. I’m confident in that too. Ruining things.”

“What?”

“That’s my specialty. Dealing with trash like you is nothing. Should I reveal your messy private life on posters tomorrow?

No, there’s no need to put up posters. Today’s incident will spread among the nobles anyway. Rumors tend to spread more sensationally the dirtier the story. I’ll make sure to spread it in detail enough for even low-level noble families like yours to know.”

“…But Magnolia will be affected too if that happens.”

Bry made one last attempt. Veronica smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure to set her up with a good match. Unlike you, Magnolia is very clean.”

“…”

“Why don’t you worry about your own well-being? There will probably be rumors about who you’ve met. I can’t list them all, but there’s a noble lady among them, right? It would be a problem even if she’s an unmarried virgin, but if she’s married, it would be an even bigger issue. If they find out, will they protect you? Or will they shift the blame?”

I’m really curious. Whether they can embrace even a precious son if it tarnishes the family’s honor. Veronica added with a smile.

Bry finally bit his lip.

The sound of teeth grinding could be heard. A chilling tension settled in the momentary silence.

With a hardened face, Bry reached out towards Veronica.

Magnolia hurriedly blocked in front of him. However, Bry’s hand pushed Magnolia aside and grabbed Veronica’s hair.

The ribbon that had tied it in one knot loosened and Veronica’s body was dragged.

Veronica grasped Bry’s wrist that was holding her hair.

She tried to remove his hand, but even she couldn’t overcome a man’s strength.

Magnolia, who had suddenly stood up beside them, tried to stop Bry saying ‘Don’t do it! Stop!’ but it was not enough.

As the situation seemed to be turning in his favor, a vile smile hung on Bry’s face.

However, when Veronica’s face showed no fear other than slightly furrowing her brow when being dragged, his smile quickly disappeared.

“Hup!”

With a sudden pain piercing the back of his hand, Bry let go of Veronica’s hair.

He stepped back and checked the back of his hand, where blood was seeping out in a round shape as if something had pierced it.

What did she do? As Bry blankly stared ahead, he saw Veronica and Magnolia asking if she was alright.

And something long and thin flashed in Veronica’s hand. It was a blade short enough to be hidden in her palm.

Although Magnolia didn’t seem to notice, Bry standing in front could see it clearly. Veronica’s face, watching Bry as if intending this, smiled.

“You-!”

As Bry was about to utter a word, the sound of multiple footsteps approached from afar.

“Magnolia!”

“Bry!”

At first, it was the Rining family’s people.

They found Magnolia and scolded her, asking if she was alright and what she was thinking doing such a dangerous thing.

Next were the Cole family’s people. The Cole family surrounded Bry and then reproached Magnolia for her earlier actions.

While asking why his hand was like that, Bry didn’t say anything.

Viscount Rining and his wife tried to hold onto Magnolia and resolve the situation.

But when Magnolia declared again that she would ‘break off the engagement!’, the situation became even more chaotic.

The Cole family questioned Magnolia’s mental state, and finally, unable to hold back, the Rining family pointed out Bry’s debauchery.

Veronica watched pitifully as they raised their voices to secure their own interests.

“So this was the situation.”

“Father.”

Harry walked into the chaos.

He seemed to have come here after hearing about the commotion on his way back from an outing, intending to attend the wedding.

At Harry’s appearance, the noisy sounds all subsided at once. People looked around nervously, suppressed by his presence.

Harry’s eyes turned fierce in an instant when he saw Veronica’s tangled hair, but Veronica spoke first about what she needed to say.

“Father, I have a request.”

“My daughter. Tell me anything.”

His grinning appearance was too undignified, but.

“Please help the Rining family.”

“Of course.”

Harry accepted Veronica’s request without a moment’s hesitation.