Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 283

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?”

Nigel grinned mischievously and leaned in close.

“You’re the lover I have my heart set on. And my beloved couldn’t wait for even a brief separation and sent me a letter, overflowing with longing, oh! How could I possibly just let that pass by?”

“…So, you knew it was from me after all. There shouldn’t have been any trace of me on the recipient’s name or handwriting.”

“I never use an intermediary. Reading the market’s trends and making judgments is my job alone. So there’s no one presumptuous enough to send me that kind of advice except for you.”

“I figured you’d notice quickly. That’s why I sent it.”

“Your intent was just as clear.”

“…That letter wasn’t a transaction. It was a request. However you handled it was entirely up to you.”

“Right. I interpreted and acted on it as I pleased.”

He stepped back and crossed his arms.

“Aren’t you curious what I did after reading that letter?”

“I am. But you wouldn’t tell me honestly, even if I asked.”

“You really do know me so well.”

“At least when it comes to how you deal with me, I’ve got your patterns perfectly figured out.”

“Oh, is that so?”

That mischievous smile spread all over his face again. Cecilia felt the familiar sense of foreboding and took a step back, but couldn’t completely avoid the hand that suddenly reached out.

…His touch was still as rude as ever.

A hand pulled her close, leaving no space between them. Feeling the warmth through a thin piece of fabric, she startled before she could help it.

Nigel’s eyes gleamed, as if he had just mined a rare gem, at her startled expression.

“Did you figure this out, too?”

Cecilia dropped her head. She didn’t want to play the part of his toy, not even with an awkward gesture.

Careful not to let her breath sound like a sigh, she exhaled a thin stream of air between her teeth, then steadied herself and answered calmly.

“…I knew it would end right about here.”

Maintaining composure and feigning calm was the right choice. The face that had seemed like a boy of ten gradually took on the features of his true age.

Cecilia looked up at his now-hardened expression and, just as dryly, brought him back to reality.

“There’s no way you’ll marry me. It’s nothing more than the petulance and childishness of a man starved for his father’s attention, not any real feeling for me. Even if there is emotion, your rationality would always win out.”

She saw the lips that had appeared so relaxed twist. In the end, he was the one to break down, succumbing to her provocation once again.

“Who’s starving for whose attention? Petulance? Childishness? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. What, just because we got a little closer lately, you think we’re on equal footing? Don’t kid yourself, half-breed.”

“I’m not mistaken. I don’t even treat your games as anything more than tricks. Does that seem like the behavior of someone deluding herself? If anything, I know my place better than anyone.”

There’s no way someone like you would ever claim someone like me, not even for your own selfish desires. Your lofty pride would never allow it.

“The less that’s expected of me, the less likely I am to shrink away.”

“……”

I’m not afraid of your fists anymore. So this level of threat no longer frightens me at all.

Physical violence only becomes painful once you’ve started to analyze your relationship with the person and the meaning behind it.

Just think of it as unrelated to yourself. Believe that in the end, you’ll be completely indifferent. If that’s the case, none of this is anything, and neither of us means anything to each other.

Cecilia quietly finished her conclusion.

“A trifling romance is fine, I suppose. But marriage is too great a loss. The hyenas lurking by your side will never let the fruit of your rebellion fall into your lap for free.”