Chapter 5

"Your eye for things is truly impressive."

"Ha! I wouldn’t have handed the business to Cadlen if it weren't."

As Viretta’s mother praised her husband’s discerning eye, Karlyn smiled with satisfaction.

While it was true that their engagement was arranged by the family, marriage ultimately depended on personal compatibility.

Though they hadn’t faced any strong objections from the children, it was still uncertain how things would go once they met.

Should things go awry, it could severely strain the relationship between both families, leaving the parents—the matchmakers—burdened with worry.

Even this morning, they had been anxious about potential problems, but to their relief, the two seemed to like each other, putting their fears to rest.

Cadlen and Monain looked on fondly at Iola and the now-absent Viretta.

What they didn’t know was that the engaged couple had agreed on a plan to peacefully break off the engagement by hunting a dragon together.

"Miss Viretta is the person I’ve always dreamed of."

Having resolved to hunt a dragon rather than go through a breakup, they were, in a way, a well-matched pair.

Even by afternoon, Viretta was nowhere to be found.

In the meantime, Iola had been walking around the house, gathering impressions of his fiancée from the servants.

"Miss Viretta? Oh, she’s a lively one. Always says the most amusing things. I mean, she has a way with words—more witty than serious, if you catch my drift."

"Viretta’s an active girl. By far the most energetic among my children. She wants to try everything—really, anything. But don’t worry, she’ll be back soon."

"She’s a free spirit, I’d say. Not one to be held back by common sense and quite the daring type. I’d imagine she’d be rather charming if one’s not too set in their ways."

"Is she strong? Ha, funny you should ask! She’s just like any other young lady. But, she never whines about anything, so she won’t need much looking after."

"She’s forever a young girl at heart, always running around and believing in fantastical things. Adorable, really. I’m sure you’ll get along."

Their descriptions painted a consistent picture: Viretta was lively, energetic, and adventurous—traits often associated with troublemaking and mischief. When someone describes a person as “bright” but trails off ambiguously, that’s usually what they mean.

Then again, the fact that the servants seemed so fond of her despite any past mischief spoke to her good reputation.

Iola sensed their affection. They treated Viretta like a lovable troublemaker, much like a younger sibling. They were also exceedingly kind to him.

Wondering what kind of trouble she might have caused, Iola was reminded of the idea of hunting a dragon and began to understand.

To possess such a daring nature with such a delicate appearance, she must have been both a headache and a cherished presence to her family.

‘Then...’

But if that were the case, was her talk of dragon hunting simply a childish fantasy?

Like a ten-year-old boasting about slaying a dragon and rescuing a princess, only to earn a grand reward.

It was a sincere dream but still, just a dream.

Without having seen Viretta today, he began to wonder if yesterday had been reality or just a dream.

“Mr. Iola, Miss Viretta is calling for you.”

A maid appeared from down the hall, gesturing for him to follow. Iola instinctively put his thoughts on hold and walked in the direction she pointed.

Opening the large doors, he stepped into a room bathed in bright afternoon sunlight. Standing in the midst of the light, a lady in a gorgeous dress turned to face him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Iola. Did you sleep well?"

"It’s a splendid afternoon. The words you shared with me made it feel like a dream."

"Oh, I’m so glad. I’m sorry we couldn’t share a meal—I was busy preparing and trying on the engagement dress."

Indeed, she was wearing something far more elaborate than last night’s evening gown. It appeared to be her engagement attire.

Viretta wore a dress lavishly dyed in a rare violet pigment, accessorized with ornaments that adorned her neck, wrists, and ears. There wasn’t a single spot left unadorned.

It was lavish, yet not overwhelming, a testament to the skills of the tailors and maids who dressed her.

"How do I look?"

"You look stunning. But—"

"I even brought a few more jewels. They’ll look perfect for our engagement."

Iola closed his mouth.

Viretta was beautiful, more than any noblewoman he had ever seen, dressed in a regal gown that would capture anyone’s gaze.

Even down to the sparkles on her eyelashes, she looked splendid—but wasn’t this engagement ceremony one that shouldn’t actually take place? After all, surely she had someone she truly loved…

"Rather than waiting for the engagement day, I thought it’d be nice to try it on with you. Would you like to try on your engagement outfit too?"

"No, that’s quite alright."

"I’d like to see it! Dress up like it’s the real ceremony, complete with all the accessories!"

"Please spare me. If my father finds out I’ve been playing dress-up, he’ll scold me."

"Oh, I’ll handle Lord Monain. Just put on all the expensive and cherished accessories. I’ll help you decide what suits you."

"No."

At this point, Iola had a suspicion.

There are people who simply give up with an ‘oh well’ when they can’t change things, and Viretta might be one of them.

He, too, had once given up on hunting a dragon.

So, he could understand. Iola took a step back, analyzing the situation with care.

Dragons aside, he had no interest in engagement outfits or the ceremony itself.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Iola."

Viretta, with her dress trailing lace everywhere, approached him and slipped her arm around his, pulling him down to whisper in his ear.

“Wear it because we’re running away in it.”

Iola’s eyes widened, and then he quickly regained his composure.

“If you put it like that, it’d be rude to refuse.”

He decided to change his thinking. She wasn’t just anyone.

Three days before the engagement ceremony.

It was easy to slip out of the house, bustling with preparations. With his outer coat over his outfit, all he had to say was, "We’re just taking a stroll," and no one questioned them.

If she had eloped alone at night, perhaps there would have been suspicion, but no one would ever have expected her to escape in broad daylight with her fiancé in their engagement attire.

Timing it perfectly, Viretta strolled through the city with Iola, arm in arm.

"I’m sorry I didn’t give you more time to prepare. But don’t worry; I already got everything we need this morning."

Skipping breakfast and lunch wasn’t without reason.

Viretta had woken up early to secretly gather what they needed for the trip and stash it in a hiding spot. Hauling heavy luggage would have drawn too much attention.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but are we really just... leaving?”

"Yes, if we don’t get caught, we should be over the wall by sundown."

"Are we really not telling anyone? Guests will be arriving soon for the engagement ceremony."

The ceremony was just three days away, and by now, guests from all over would have started their journey.

How rude it would be to make those guests come all this way only to tell them, "The engagement is off because the couple has run away."

Iola didn’t slow his pace but couldn’t shake the concern. As he tried to glance back toward the estate, Viretta firmly grasped his arm.

"Are you really going to let your father’s reputation be the reason you let this slide on the most important day of your life? If you wait until after the ceremony, it’ll be too late."

"You’re willing to bear the disgrace of being remembered as the rude woman who ran away from her engagement? Your father will be furious."

"Have some courage. At most, we’ll be talked about as the impolite people who ran away from an engagement for the next two hundred years."

Given that this was a Medleridge engagement, even though it was just an engagement, the number and scale of guests were considerable. To abandon them without attending would be an inexcusable breach of etiquette.

Still, Iola was momentarily stunned by her declaration that in two hundred years, they’d be forgotten.

He was flustered but then, regaining his composure, blushed with admiration.

"You’re so brave. I feel ashamed for only thinking about the immediate future. After all, even a tarnished name eventually fades like grains of sand."

Under the enthusiastic praise of her fiancé, Viretta found herself embarrassed, unable to meet his gaze. Though she smiled, a small drop of nervous sweat formed on the back of her neck.

She appreciated the compliment, but part of her had been hoping he’d say, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” and talk her down.

But if Iola wasn’t going to do that... there’d be no stopping things here.

"Exactly. If we slay a dragon, no one will be able to criticize us."

Ah, to heck with it. She’d figure things out once they got going.

With a firm step, Viretta moved forward, determined not to sink into the mire of doubts.