The Regressed Villainess Tore Up The Annulment Papers - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: My Fiancée Is Suspicious

The saying, "When things are too absurd, you don't even get angry," perfectly described my current state.

I glanced at the shredded pieces of paper scattered across the floor like puzzle pieces, then shifted my gaze back to the culprit.

"...What was that about?"

I had spent days agonizing over this.

Over writing that annulment document, over accepting our separation. Countless sleepless nights, consumed by doubt and indecision.

But now, the culmination of all that deliberation lay in ruins, reduced to mere scraps of paper.

Meanwhile, Aria, her red-rimmed eyes still brimming with unshed tears, glared at me defiantly, her voice unwavering.

"Annul our engagement? Why do you get to decide that on your own, Eugene?"

"On my own...? You've always wanted this, haven't you? To break free from this forced engagement, a union neither of us desired."

I laid out the facts plainly, hoping for a shred of understanding. Aria fell silent for a moment, then averted her gaze.

Like a puppy caught red-handed after wreaking havoc on the house, she desperately avoided my eyes.

"...When did I ever say that? Did you hear me explicitly say I wanted to break off the engagement?"

"What? Well, no, but..."

She had never explicitly stated her desire to end our engagement, but...

Her actions spoke louder than words. Her veiled hints, her endless excuses to avoid meeting, her stony silence on the rare occasions we did manage to see each other...

She couldn't deny the message she had been sending all this time.

Despite this, Aria clung to her denial, her voice laced with an almost brazen confidence.

"Regardless, I absolutely refuse to agree to this annulment. If you're that desperate to break up with me... just kill me right here, right now."

Her words, delivered with chilling conviction, sent a shiver down my spine. It didn't sound like a joke.

But I couldn't back down. Not now.

I didn't understand her sudden change of heart, her stubborn refusal to accept what she had seemingly desired for so long, but I refused to be manipulated any further.

What if I gave in now, and she reverted back to her old ways? It wouldn't be a simple matter to laugh off.

But...

"...Do you hate being with me that much? Are you that tired of me? Tired enough to break off our engagement?"

I had never seen her like this, her usually cold and composed demeanor replaced by a wounded, almost pathetic expression.

It was strange, but today's Aria felt like a completely different person.

Had something happened while we were apart? What could possibly have caused such a drastic change?

"Master, dinner is served."

The butler's voice, announcing dinner from beyond the door, broke the stalemate.

Both of us needed a break, a chance to cool down.

"Let's... have dinner first and continue this later. You must be hungry after your journey."

"No. I won't move from this spot until we finish this conversation, until you tell me you won't break off the engagement."

Grrrrrumble!

Right on cue, Aria's stomach growled, betraying her hunger despite her brave words.

"......Eep!?"

Her face, usually as impassive as a winter storm, flushed crimson. She frantically covered her stomach with her hands.

Her ears, peeking out from beneath her silken hair, were a matching shade of red, betraying her embarrassment.

"You want to eat, right?"

I had never seen my fiancée so flustered, so vulnerable.

I couldn't help but chuckle, a genuine smile spreading across my face for the first time that evening.

She nodded silently, her small face bobbing up and down.

***

We moved to the dining room and began our meal.

The kitchen staff, having been informed of our guest, had outdone themselves. A seemingly endless procession of exquisitely prepared dishes graced the table, a feast fit for royalty.

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the clinking of silverware.

It wasn't just that we had nothing to say. It was her sudden transformation, her inexplicable shift in behavior, that left me speechless and confused.

Aria, still embarrassed by the earlier encounter in the drawing room, remained silent as well. We ate in silence, our movements mechanical, our minds elsewhere.

'I'm going to get indigestion.'

I carved a large chunk of meat with my knife and forced it into my mouth, barely registering the taste.

The atmosphere was so tense, so strained, that even the food seemed to lose its flavor.

I glanced at Aria across the table. Unlike me, shoveling food into my mouth like a starving beast, she maintained a picture-perfect posture, her movements graceful and refined, savoring each bite like a true noble lady.

'This must be that "regional cultural difference" thing.'

Unlike the North, where the constant threat of invasion fostered a culture of speed and efficiency, the capital, where she had been raised, was a haven of peace and prosperity, a place where nobles could indulge in the finer things in life.

I still remembered the look of disdain in her eyes when she witnessed my less-than-refined table manners during our earlier encounters.

'It bothered me so much that I tried to change my habits. Though it became a moot point since we never had meals together after that.'

A wry smile touched my lips. I suddenly wondered how I appeared to her now, after all these years.

I looked up, meeting her gaze. She had stopped eating, her violet eyes fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"...Do you have something to say?"

I managed to maintain my composure, masking my surprise.

Aria, ignoring my question, stared at my nearly empty plate, then asked, "Eugene, you like meat, don't you?"

"Suddenly...? Well, I guess I do."

Who didn't like meat?

Aria nodded in understanding, then shifted her gaze to the small portion of salad and mushrooms remaining on my plate.

"Do you dislike vegetables?"

"It's not that I dislike them... I just don't reach for them as often."

"I see. Okay."

She smiled, a small, almost imperceptible curve of her lips, as if satisfied with my answer. Her motivations remained a mystery.

I had missed the opportunity to ask why she was so interested in my dietary preferences, so I simply continued eating.

Her expression seemed less critical than before, which gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe my table manners weren't as barbaric as she remembered.

By the time we finished our uncomfortable yet strangely peaceful meal, it was later than I had realized.

It was too late to continue our conversation about the annulment and send her home.

"It's getting late. I'll have a room prepared for you. You can stay here tonight. We'll finish our discussion tomorrow."

***

"This way to the guest room, my lady."

Aria followed the old butler, her steps confident, her demeanor strangely familiar with the layout of the mansion.

The butler was mildly surprised, but kept his observations to himself. They reached the room at the end of the hallway.

"Please, make yourself comfortable, my lady. If you require anything, simply ring the bell."

The butler bowed respectfully and retreated.

Click— Thud!

As the door closed, leaving her alone, Aria slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor.

"Sob..."

Tears, held back for so long, finally spilled over.

She covered her mouth with her hands, muffling her sobs, desperate to keep her emotions hidden.

Her mind replayed the moment she had finally come face to face with Eugene, her fiancé, in the drawing room earlier that day.

'It's been a while, Aria. I called you here because I have something important to tell you.'

Aria Floris, the villainess, saw an echo of the past in his expression.

It's been a while, Aria. I called you here because I have something important to tell you.

...Or perhaps, a premonition of the future.

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