Chapter 307: Voiding Betrothal Agreement
CH307 Voiding Betrothal Agreement
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"Indeed, I do," Alex said with a nod. "I want to dissolve the agreement made between your family and my father, in order to form a new contract—one between just the two of us."
The first half of his statement caught Eleanor completely off-guard. For a moment, her mind froze. It almost sounded like he was rejecting her. Her!
But before she could decide whether to feel insulted, offended, or simply shocked, the second half of his words landed—and she found herself thoroughly thrown off balance.
Alex went on, his tone steady and deliberate. "Since we are the two primary parties involved, I’m of the opinion that we alone should decide the terms of our marriage contract. It should not be based—or predicated—on external influences beyond ourselves. Therefore, I wish to annul the previous contract agreed upon between your family and my father."
From his suit’s inner breast pocket, Alex withdrew an envelope and slid it across the table toward her.
"In that envelope is a letter of recommendation to a new academy being established by a patron of the Golden Palace," he explained. "That letter guarantees your brother’s admission into the school."
He paused, watching her reaction before adding, "While the academy may seem insignificant for now, the Golden Palace is anything but. In a few weeks, its influence will reach heights where even royalty would offer it face. You can imagine the prestige an academy under its protection will gain."
He leaned back slightly, his voice calm but firm. "That letter is one of only a handful that guarantees full scholarship and patron protection. In our Empire, only the Imperial Sun himself could issue something of similar weight."
Alex’s smile softened just a little. "As long as your brother attends the academy, he’ll be beyond the reach of the jackals circling him. You won’t have to worry about his safety anymore. And with that assurance... your deal with my father is no longer necessary."
Alex spoke quickly, giving Eleanor no chance to interrupt until he was finished.
Eleanor stared at the man across the table, confusion flashing through her eyes. If the letter and the academy were truly as he described, then he had just thrown away the greatest bargaining chip that secured this union in the first place.
Even without arrogance, she knew her worth. If she so wished, the number of men who would line up to ask for her hand could fill the road from the Enclave to the Imperial Capital!
And many among them possessed far greater status and power than the young man now sitting opposite her.
If not for his father—one of the few living Legends with both the deterrence and the will to protect her brother—she would never have agreed to such an arrangement. Not to someone she had never met... and certainly not to an Earl’s son who, at the time, was weaker than herself.
Now, that same person was willingly discarding the very leverage that tied her to him.
She couldn’t understand.
"What are you after?" Eleanor finally asked, her tone sharp.
"If possible, marriage," Alex said plainly. "But at the very least—friendship. A true friendship. Not one born from having leverage over the other, but one forged through intertwined benefits and mutual respect."
"Intertwined benefits and mutual respect?" Eleanor repeated, disbelief colouring her tone. "You expect me to believe that you—a noble scion—would give up the guaranteed privilege of taking the hand of a daughter of the Imperial Clan? The so-called Flower of the Empire?"
Alex chuckled. "I was told you hated that title."
"I do!" Eleanor snapped, her teeth lightly gnashing before she caught herself. "It’s nothing but a shallow, demeaning label."
She straightened in her chair, her composure swiftly returning. "Don’t evade my question."
"I didn’t intend to," Alex replied calmly. "Daughter of the Imperial Clan, Flower of the Empire... what does that have to do with me?"
He shrugged.
’I’m already set to marry Lady Zora. If not for my family’s shenanigans, we wouldn’t even be here."
He met her gaze evenly. "You might be a daughter of the Imperial Clan, but you don’t hold much weight within it. In truth, your prestige is lower than even Zora’s—she’s the daughter of the DragonHold Enclave’s Tower Master, a peak Legend or beyond. Not to mention, she’s the Enclave’s majordomo in her own right.
"If prestige from marriage was what I wanted, marrying Zora—a woman I already share mutual affection with—would more than suffice."
His tone remained calm, almost detached as he continued, "And if I were here for your beauty... ask yourself honestly, can you truly claim to be more beautiful than Zora? Isn’t that one of the reasons you reject that superficial title—the ’Flower of the Empire’?"
Though Alex’s words sounded antagonistic, the way he spoke made it clear he wasn’t trying to belittle her. He was merely stating facts.
Still, it wasn’t pleasant to hear.
"Then why are you here?!" Eleanor’s voice sharpened, her composure finally cracking.
"I am here for you, Eleanor Ludevicus," Alex said simply, pointing to her.
"Huh?" Eleanor blinked, stunned.
"I am here for you, Eleanor Ludevicus. Not for one of many Imperial Princesses. Not for a title-bearer adored by the masses. But for you—the woman who studied and worked relentlessly to become a Tier III Healer. The woman who pored through compendium after compendium, brewed potion after potion to also reach Tier III as an alchemist.
"The one who, starting with a new name and little support, built one of the finest mid-level alchemy shops in the entire Enclave."
Alex’s tone softened. "That is the woman I’m here for. The one I would consider it a privilege to take the hand of in marriage—or at the very least, to build a relationship of mutual respect with."
He leaned back slightly, his expression calm but sincere. "That is why I’m here, Eleanor... That’s why we are here."
Eleanor was left speechless.
For most of her life, every conversation she’d ever had followed a predictable script—praise for her beauty and/or reverence for her lineage. Neither were things she was proud of. In truth, she loathed them both.
No one ever spoke of the things she had actually earned.
It was the first time someone—someone who knew her true background—had looked beyond the surface and praised her for her effort, her achievements, and her strength.
And it shook her far more than she cared to admit.
***