<CHAPTER 02>
Not My Type
Around the time she turned seventeen, Evelyn realized that she had been reincarnated into a novel she used to enjoy reading in her previous life.
At first, everything was confusing, but she had no choice but to adapt to the original story in order to survive.
“Eternal Salvation Relationship,” the novel she had reincarnated into, was a hopeless mess with no dreams or hope.
It was the kind of story where male leads obsessed over the female protagonist in extreme ways.
Aksion, who had been a candidate for the male lead, ended up taking the regret route and naturally became the second male lead.
Even while knowing he could never end up with the female protagonist, he lingered nearby and eliminated obstacles one by one.
To him, even his own fiancée was not worth consideration.
The reason was simple.
She was an obstacle to the female protagonist’s future.
Under normal circumstances, Evelyn wouldn’t have cared what choices they made.
However, she could no longer watch this like a distant spectator.
Because the fiancée who would die at Aksion’s hands was none other than herself.
Seriously. Doesn’t loyalty count for anything?
How can he kill a fiancée he’s known for over ten years without any hesitation……………….
Of course, it wasn’t like she couldn’t understand his actions.
In the original story, Evelyn had a somewhat twisted and unpleasant personality.
The reason she bullied the female protagonist wasn’t just jealousy, but because she wanted to see her fiancé troubled.
Because of that, Evelyn searched for various ways to distance herself from death.
She even tried acting friendly to build a relationship belatedly and visited the ducal residence every day.
However, it wasn’t easy to fix a relationship that had already gone completely wrong.
Even now, it almost felt redundant to say it, but her relationship with Aksion was disastrous.
In the end, Evelyn completely gave up on getting along with him and resolved to break off the engagement before coming of age.
If they could reach an amicable agreement, she believed the relationship between their families would continue.
She planned to maintain the alliance between their houses while staying out of his sight to preserve her life.
After all, when distance grows, so do feelings fade.
She even created a plausible excuse to enroll in the academy.
Yet for some reason, Evelyn ended up spending three years at Coxen Academy with her fiancé.
Isn’t it about time to end this?
She had only intended to cut off this dreadful connection completely through a peaceful agreement.
But a marriage announcement……………… just what on earth was going on?
Evelyn wondered if this situation might be a dream.
Not just any dream, but a terrible nightmare.
Still denying reality, she pinched her soft cheek.
“Ow.”
“Miss, what are you doing!”
Unfortunately, it seemed this was not a dream, but reality.
She was able to meet Aksion again rather quickly.
The meeting place was the same café they had met at yesterday, where they had shared tea countless times over the past ten years.
The café had a warm and gentle atmosphere, but one particular table was radiating a chilling aura.
Of course, it seemed only Evelyn could feel it.
“I heard the news about you two. Congratulations on your marriage!”
“Thank you.”
At the congratulatory remarks from passing nobles, Aksion calmly nodded.
What? Thank you?
In this absurd and frustrating situation, a hollow laugh escaped Evelyn’s lips.
Perhaps sensing the strange tension between them, the nobles whispered among themselves.
“It looks like a lovers’ quarrel, doesn’t it?”
“Hehe, they must be in a good phase.”
Evelyn genuinely wondered how anyone could possibly see it that way.
Frowning at the situation she disliked, she silently glared at the man sitting in front of her.
Is he seriously enjoying this?
For some reason, Aksion Valentino clearly seemed to be enjoying the situation.
Taking a long breath, Evelyn tried to calm herself down.
Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.
Even after repeating it three times, she still had a strong urge to flick her fiancé on the forehead.
She placed the now even more crumpled newspaper on the table.
Then, suppressing her anger, she asked.
“How……………… did this happen?”
The man tilted his head slightly and replied in a low voice.
“Do I really have to say it out loud? Between us?”
What kind of nonsense was that.
Wasn’t he the one who agreed to break off the engagement?
Not intending to play along with his word games, Evelyn let out a deep sigh and asked.
“Are you doing this because you want to see me lose my mind?”
“Well, that wouldn’t be so bad.”
Aksion shrugged lightly and lifted one corner of his lips.
I’m one thing, but he really has a terrible personality.
Narrowing her eyes, Evelyn glared at him again and asked.
“Tell me. Who’s behind this?”
If there was a third party involved, that would be troublesome in its own way.
For example, the Duke Valentino couple.
Don’t tell me they heard about the broken engagement and released the marriage article out of anger?
Of course, she knew they weren’t the kind of people to do that.
Aksion answered calmly.
“Relax your eyes. No one else was involved.”
Fortunately, the marriage report seemed to be solely her fiancé’s doing.
That was reassuring, but……………….
Why is he doing this?
Evelyn felt like she was wandering through a maze.
Aksion Valentino was a pragmatist.
He never did anything that would put himself at a loss.
Even in the original story, he used any means necessary to obtain what he wanted.
Although he ultimately failed to win the female protagonist’s heart.
Hmm, I really can’t figure it out.
Even after maintaining their engagement for ten years, Evelyn still couldn’t understand what her fiancé was thinking.
Perhaps he had another objective beyond the mutual benefit of their families.
At that moment, a ridiculous thought crossed her mind.
Wait……………… does he like me?
Evelyn’s expression stiffened slightly as she suddenly became serious.
No way.
She had made the worst first impression when they first met.
“What are you looking at? I’m not for sale.”
“Why don’t you look at the ground instead?”
That day ten years ago, even though it was their first meeting, they had been like wild beasts fighting over territory.
But still, what if……………….
Is this one of those ‘you’re the first woman who treats me like this’ routes?
Ugh. That kind of cliché isn’t my type.
Shaking her head, Evelyn looked at her fiancé with pity.
As if he had read her absurd thoughts, Aksion frowned slightly and spoke.
“It’s not what you’re thinking.”
Caught off guard by his sharp remark, Evelyn awkwardly cleared her throat.
“Ahem, yeah, I thought so. That’s a relief.”
If it wasn’t, then it wasn’t.
Why was he making that face about it?
Her pride was slightly hurt, but she brushed it off and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Seeing this, it was clear that Aksion also had no desire to be entangled with her.
If he doesn’t like me, then……………….
It was far more convincing that he intended to use her as a means to obtain something.
Considering how Aksion was in the original story, that wasn’t a difficult conclusion to reach.
Losing patience with the unproductive conversation, Evelyn glared sharply at her fiancé.
“Aksion Valentino, I think I’ve played along enough, don’t you?”
