Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 193
When Cecilia stepped outside, Mary, who had been arguing with the coachman, ran up to her.
âMiss, the coachman is demanding double the fare and refuses to leave otherwise!â
She sounded like a child tattling, hoping to get the coachman scolded.
Cecilia responded weakly.
âGive him what he wants.â
âIf you permit me, I can find another coachâŚâ
âToo much trouble.â
â…Yes.â
Mary sullenly turned back and handed the fare to the coachman.
Cecilia let out a long sigh. Though she felt somewhat better than before Logan had caught her, her mood was still at rock bottom.
Their previous meeting had been meticulously planned. This time, it was an unexpected encounter.
In the face of chance, the foolish Cecilia inside her resurfaced.
âIf I had been prepared, it might have gone better.â
She had let her emotions take over and said far too much unnecessary things.
Regret washed over her like a tidal wave.
âThis must never happen again.â
There wasnât much time left anyway. Once she moved forward with Nigel and the duke, Logan would come to despise her.
He probably wouldnât even look at her again.
It didnât matter.
No, it was actually more comforting that way. It was better than continuing to act foolishly, unable to let go of an unquenchable emptiness.
***
Logan didnât stop the woman as she hurriedly walked away. He had expressed his thoughts clearly and answered her questions faithfully.
He believed he had done his best. He had suppressed his many doubts about her and focused solely on explaining. For someone like him, who was used to interrogating people, it was a rare occurrence.
âAnd yet, sheâs still unsatisfied?â
He couldnât understand it. If they broke off the engagement, Cecilia stood to lose far more. Her tricks wouldnât work a second time on Count Lasphilla.
Even if she felt burdened by the engagement with a man she barely knew, it didnât seem as though she planned to remain single for life.
A broken engagement would be a stain on her reputation. Loganâs grandfather would surely look into the reason for the broken engagement, and afterward, Cecilia wouldnât be able to show her face in the western region.
His grandfather was a man who cherished family but was merciless to outsiders. If Cecilia became Loganâs wife, everything in her past would be forgiven, and she would be cared for. But if she became a stranger, the Harper family would use the broken engagement as an excuse to bleed the Lasphilla family dry.
âIs she really suggesting breaking off the engagement, even knowing the consequences? …Is she serious?â
Is she simply too young to understand, or does she not know her place? Logan began to view Cecilia negatively.
Her inexplicable behavior started to seem like foolish arrogance.
It was human nature. Only a fool would cling to someone who was so cold and distant. He wasnât some pathetic man throwing his life away for a woman.
Logan smirked bitterly to himself. No matter how much he belittled her in his mind, he couldnât deny the excitement heâd felt moments ago when he rushed out upon hearing she was nearby.
Honestly, he felt a bit like a fool. By his own standards, at least.
âWhether Iâve fallen for her or am just drawn to her…â
He still wasnât certain.
But at the very least, he was undeniably drawn to her.
Normally, he would have stubbornly treated a woman like her as a younger sister, even if people called him old-fashioned. Maybe it was because her attitude seemed more mature for her age.
He wanted to have a proper conversation with her, one where they didnât clash. Just person to person.
He didnât expect things to turn out like this.
âI thought the atmosphere wasnât bad.â
But as soon as she mentioned some imaginary lover, the mood dropped like cold water had been thrown on them.
To him, it was an absurd, unexpected blow from out of nowhere.
He had no idea why she had such a ridiculous misunderstanding, but he felt he had explained everything he could. Every word that left his lips was completely honest.
Yet, she still turned her back on him. Throwing one frustrating question after another, only to leave, dejected and heartbroken.
What else did she expect him to do? Was he supposed to confess his undying love? Should he have presented her with flowers and declared he wanted to marry her immediately?
Even if the most beautiful woman in the world stood before him, he wouldnât behave like that. He knew nothing about her beyond the surface.
He didnât want to become the kind of man who feigned sincerity just to toy with someoneâs feelings. At the same time, he had no desire to cling pathetically, begging for her attention over a mere curiosity.
That was about the extent of his feelings. Considering theyâd only met twice, wasnât that appropriate?
If even that caused her anger, then maybe he had misjudged Cecilia as a person.
âI didnât think she was someone who lived in a world of romance and sentimentality.â
Was I wrong?
Today, she was far more emotional than during their first meeting. Whether for better or worse.
