The Problem Is, My Ex-Boyfriend and I Are Both Dating Other People - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 16

I counted off the days on my fingers. Mid-August now—if we married right after the Social Season ended, it would be precisely an average engagement period.
“Wait, you’re serious?”
“Yes. Let’s see. We’ll marry in early winter, maintain fidelity to our betrothed during the engagement period, skip the engagement ball, and—”
“Hold on, hold on. Stop writing and look at me!”
I’d been rattling off the terms when Noah’s outburst made me lift my head.
“You’re really going through with an engagement?”
God, your face is screaming it loud and clear. Get control of yourself. I outrank you. All right?
“No matter how long a relationship’s been, you have to observe the proper forms. If I say we can’t marry without an engagement period, they’ll accept it.”
“That’s not the point at all! An engagement isn’t like some adolescent romance. There’s no way this will end smoothly!”
“I suppose not.”
Even if Belluah were a duke, he couldn’t reverse an Imperial engagement the way you’d flip your hand. It would bring dishonor to the Imperial name.
Much less to humiliate Daimon, who’s expected to become the next emperor.
I understand what Noah fears. If Daimon becomes emperor, he won’t forget this.
He’ll be obsessed with finding some pretext to drag Belluah down.
But this was necessary to prevent that. There’s nowhere left to retreat to anyway.
A clean, amicable separation was already impossible. If that’s the case, I need to hold some playable cards of my own.
“If Daimon had a hand in siphoning off the Imperial Household Treasury, then there must be a ledger on his end too?”
I watched alarm bloom across Noah’s face and smiled.
“Well, that would stand to reason, but… no, wait. Are you saying you intend to take that ledger?”
“Yes. If I’m not going to be dragged around by Daimon, I need to hold something. Once I have it, I can find out where my father stole the Imperial Household Treasury funds and what he used them for.”
“But we don’t even know if such a ledger exists.”
“We had one on our side.”
At my words, Noah’s expression shifted to understanding. In situations like this, ledgers are typically shared—divided between them like a double-edged sword, each holding leverage over the other.
“How can you steal something when you don’t even know where it is?”
“I’ll figure it out as I go.”
Looking at Noah’s ashen, exhausted face, I shrugged. I could tell what he was thinking, but the situation isn’t quite as hopeless as all that.
‘It’s true I have nothing in my hands right now.’
As long as Daimon believes everything is going his way, he won’t question Belluah’s integrity. He’ll want to swallow Belluah whole, so he won’t do anything to diminish his value.
With enough time and the right opening, I can reverse this situation entirely.
“I just have to make use of the chance he’s giving me.”
Noah’s face twisted at my words.
“Is there even an end to this?”
I laughed at his pessimism.
“Your day with Asta will come. Don’t worry.”
Noah gave me a hard look, then shook his head repeatedly. He clearly thought I was just spouting whatever came to mind out of desperation.
“First I’d have to find her. There’s nothing I can do without that.”
“So you have been thinking about finding her?”
“What?”
“I thought maybe you were deliberately not trying very hard.”
“My sincerity was being doubted?”
Hmm. I shrugged.
Honestly, it was fifty-fifty. Half a chance that Asta was hiding too well for us to find her, half a chance that Noah was just going through the motions.
“Love over House, right?”
If it had been the latter, he would’ve just let his efforts slack during this crisis to curry favor with Asta. But apparently that wasn’t the case.
You really do have terrible luck with matters like this.
Noah caught the words I’d swallowed and clicked his tongue.
“If you have time to worry about someone else’s love life, go visit the Imperial Palace.”
“What?”
“The Social Season’s about to begin, as you said. We never found out how monsters started appearing in Hote Forest, and it’ll be a problem if the Hunting Festival goes ahead.”
I frowned.
“Ah. That does feel like something I forgot.”
“What?”
“Last time I went to the Imperial Palace to propose replacing the Hunting Festival with something else, but I came back without even raising it.”
“Why?”
“Because I couldn’t meet with Daimon.”
Noah nodded with an understanding expression.
“You’ll have to force your way in and meet him this time.”
“Right. Can’t very well host a Hunting Festival where monsters jump out instead of deer. Though it would be quite the spectacle.”
“Even as a jest, don’t say such things. In the worst case, the Imperial Family might step forward to manage the entire Hote Forest themselves.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
The Hote Forest was one of the primary sources of income for Belluah House. The forest itself wasn’t remarkable—what mattered was the mine beneath it.
“We’ll need to reach a decision before the Debutante Ball. Can you believe there are only a few days left until this year’s Social Season?”
“Which is precisely why you must hurry.”
I swallowed a sigh.
“Thank goodness the Title Transfer happened not long ago.”
“It gives us solid justification. To host such a major event right after receiving a title…”
“Exactly. For someone who’s just received a title to host something as grand as the Hunting Festival—the schedule is simply too tight.”
We traded lines like actors in a rehearsed play, practicing what we’d lay out before the Emperor before we actually did it: the reasons why this year’s Hunting Festival couldn’t proceed.
“Go recite it all just as we’ve discussed.”
I nodded.
This wasn’t the first time. Whenever some issue arose with the Hote Forest or when the Social Season overlapped with a Title Transfer, the estate’s circumstances were typically considered grounds to replace that year’s Social Season with an alternative event.
‘The court doesn’t care much—so long as it’s some amusement where the men can show off their abilities.’
I thought of several alternatives without difficulty. A boat race would suffice.
With my thoughts in order, I rolled up the paper listing the engagement as the priority and rose from my seat. Noah waved me off with an encouraging gesture.
“Don’t forget—pay your respects to His Majesty first. Don’t go to Daimon first and then get so annoyed you forget to mention the Hunting Festival.”
The man clearly thought I was some kind of child.
“Figure out how we’ll secure the boats.”
“Are you planning to replace it with a boat race?”
“It’s the safest option. The Rom River isn’t far. And the weather’s perfect for water activities.”
“Well, naturally—you won’t be falling in the water. Ugh, I hate getting wet.”
You’re going too? When I stared at him in disbelief, Noah seemed embarrassed and let out an awkward cough.
“While you’re at it, humble Daimon’s pride a bit for me.”
“With my fist?”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Watching Noah grin mischievously, I couldn’t help but smile back.
After all, I couldn’t afford to weep again.

* * *

At that same moment, Richard had been summoned to the Imperial Palace.
“How is he?”
“He regained consciousness early this morning. He’s well enough to converse.”
Richard caught the unspoken barely in the chamberlain’s words.
It didn’t matter.
Having decided as much, he nodded. But before he could step into the bedchamber, the door swung open.
“Sasha?”
Richard reflexively spoke her name, then immediately corrected himself.
“I wasn’t aware Her Highness the Princess would be present.”
As Richard spoke, his gaze fixed on the chamberlain—a clear rebuke. Before the servant could offer any excuse, Sasha burst into a brilliant smile and bounded toward Richard with cheerful hops.
“Richard! As expected, His Majesty is truly exceptional. He said you’d be here when I left the room.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. Listen—His Majesty has finally accepted me completely. When I showed him the proof, he was convinced. If I’d known it would be resolved this easily, I should have shown him ages ago.”
“What proof did you show him?”
“Ah.”
Sasha, about to answer, caught sight of the chamberlain’s expression and fell silent, her mood deflating. The answer came instead from behind Richard.
“It concerns a matter related to an Imperial secret, Count.”
“Right. That’s it. His Majesty also said I must never tell anyone, absolutely not.”
Richard regarded the two of them in turn, then nodded in understanding. He had no particular interest in prying into Imperial secrets.
Leaving Sasha behind, he strode into the bedchamber.
From the bed draped in long fabric wafted the acrid scent of approaching death.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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