My Engagement Got Broken, But I Don’t Remember Getting Engaged in the First Place

Chapter 24: Flora Kocco’s Objectivity

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“Did you hear about Elias and Nora?” Allan, who had come to the restaurant by himself, called out to Flora. She found it strange to see him there since Nora had no scheduled performance and Elias wasn’t there either. Having just finished playing the piano, she sat across Allan.

“They’re finally together. It seems temporary though.” Allan was eating grilled fish with herbs. Flora had noticed that he had been ordering it a lot so he must have taken a liking to that dish.

“They’ve been really sweet. Have you heard about what happened after?” Since her performance was over, she ordered some fruit liqueur. Since she’s drinking on an empty stomach, she felt more intoxicated.

“The moment they became temporary lovers, Lord Elias had been bombarding Nora with kisses. Nora felt overwhelmed so after some negotiation, they settled with him promising to kiss her thrice a day at most, except on the lips.”

“Bloody hell! Allan put down his fork and picked up a glass of wine. He was drinking one of the most expensive in the restaurant.

As she silently thanked him for his patronage, Flora also refilled her cup.

“He might be like that, but he’s a good guy deep inside.”

Although it was somewhat vague, she could understand what he meant.

“I’m not sure what you meant but I think I understand.”

“You do?”

“Like he’s a beast with a tender heart?”

“Absolutely. His collar had been removed and he’s now out of his cage, but he’s still warmhearted inside.”

“I think Nora’s unaware of that.”

“Well, I think she ought to take responsibility and just try not to get eaten in the end.”

It was surprising to hear that Allan was giving them his blessings.

“You’re really fine with that?”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you also liked Nora.”

It didn’t sound like he was trying to get in between them, but she thought she still had to lay it on the table.

“Well, I do like her. But it’s not love. I just find her quite interesting… Er, why are we talking about this?”

Feeling awkward, he put his glass down on the table.

“Well, what about you, Flora?”

“I don’t want a handsome yet dangerous guy like Lord Elias for a husband.”

“No, I’m not talking about Elias. I meant, don’t you have any engagement proposals? You’re already at a marriageable age, after all. I reckon that’s why you’re so concerned about Nora.”

Having been asked the same question multiple times, Flora felt tired.

“Well, I’m not closing my doors.”

Allan looked at her with great interest and urged her to continue. She didn’t think she needed to open up, but couldn’t find a reason not to either. Flora sighed, feeling resigned to it.

“What can I say? I may come from a Baron house but we have plenty of money. Even so, everyone, from the commoners to the lower nobilities, they all offer proposals on the pretext of nothing but expanding their wealth. Although, I do think I look prettier than most girls my age.”

“Flattering yourself, huh…”

“I was taught that managing a business would be tough if I didn’t have discerning eyes for people.”

Allan seemed convinced.

“In that case, I’d be able to find a good prospect as well. If they have the same way of thinking as Nora, then we’d click well together.”

In other words, he meant that Elias had a good judgment of character. Allan probably hasn’t realized it but he had already come to like Elias. And that’s why his inferiority complex had crumbled down.

“Nora’s household is financially different, but she’s strong-willed and that’s what I like about her. She’s skilled in buying fruits, turning them into juices and jams, and selling them. She’s unlike other aristocratic ladies. And she’s a great singer.”

“Aside from singing, aristocratic ladies normally wouldn’t need those skills.”

“It’s better to be skilled in something than nothing. What about you? The next successor remains to be unnamed. And you need a suitable marriage partner for that.”

After all, he’s from the House of Marquis Callum, one of the most prestigious and oldest aristocratic clans in the country. Plus, he’s got exceedingly good looks, especially among his peers. Aristocratic ladies and their parents must have been eyeing him a lot. There might have been bad rumors circulating around due to the fiasco from the cancelled engagement but Flora knew that the benefits of marrying him far outweighed his tainted reputation.

“It remains unnamed for now, but I’m sure it’ll be Elias. He’s more than suitable. I do need to get married, but I don’t need to worry about it for now.”

“Will the wound from Sophia’s betrayal heal?”

It must’ve been disheartening to learn that the girl you loved only approached you for your title.

Alan shook his head and smiled bitterly. “Probably not, but I think it’s more because I had hoped to succeed the title but couldn’t live up to the expectations.”

It seemed like to Allan, Elias was really the next choice as the future Marquis.

“You’ll remain single all your life and will have to be fed and supported by Lord Elias?”

“Are you crazy? Of course, I’ll be helping him run the estate.”

He gave such a strong and deep impression when he boldly broke his engagement in public. Speaking of which, Allan was also one of the handsome twins, and son of the highly respected Marquis Callum. Although Elias was kind and twisted, his qualities were good after all.

On the other hand, Allan was not only the son of a prestigious aristocrat but also had knowledge and experience in business management even though he’s not the successor. He had good looks, too. Because of that, he seemed a fairly good prospect for Flora. As soon as she realized it, she hurriedly dismissed the thought and shook her head in panic.

Allan was someone who had been seduced by Sophia. He didn’t seem like a bad person but she still felt hesitant. And although he’s gotten better, his inferiority complex towards Elias could be quite troublesome. After all, there’s a huge difference in their status, and he might not see Flora as a woman in the first place. Even Flora didn’t quite see him as a man before.

No matter how good his qualities are, there’s nothing I can do if he doesn’t look at me favorably.

When she reached for her glass to cool her head, she accidentally knocked it down. The glass fell to the floor and shattered. Good thing it was almost empty.

She went to pick up the shards but her hand was stopped. The next moment, she found Allan’s face in front of her looking so serious. His lemon-colored eyes were beautiful and sparkling up close.

“As a pianist, you shouldn’t touch the broken glass. You’ll get hurt.” Allan began picking up the shards. One of the staff immediately came to help so they were cleaned up in no time.

“Flora, are you all right?” The manager, who had heard the commotion, hurriedly came. Flora worked as a pianist but she was also the daughter of Baron Kocco, the owner of the restaurant. For the manager, she was both an employee and a boss. He couldn’t help but be plagued with worry.

“I’m fine. I accidentally broke the glass. I’ll pay for it, so just give me the bill later.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. Your face is red. Did you drink a lot? How rare.”

“Perhaps I have. I’ll go get some fresh air.” She stood up and left through the back door. She leaned against the door and heaved a deep sigh.

She finally understood why Nora kept being mesmerized by Elias’ looks. He really had good looks. She never cared about it until now, but when he saw his face up close, he looked stunningly handsome. Caught up in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize Allan had held her hand. She hurriedly let go.

Let’s think objectively. He’s just worried about a pianist’s hand. It was nothing but a gentleman’s gesture.

It’s nothing special.

She tried to convince herself but the heat from her blushing cheeks didn’t fade away.

T/N: The next chapter will be a new arc. Also, good news! The author added more chapters again this September! ^^