Chapter 138: an end and a new beginning

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: an end and a new beginning

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The fountain murmured quietly nearby, its steady rhythm filling the silence neither of them seemed eager to disturb. The evening breeze stirred the branches overhead, scattering patches of golden sunlight across the stone path.

Anthony stopped near one of the benches.

"Would you like to sit?"

Vivienne looked toward the bench before giving a small nod.

"I would."

They sat with a respectful distance between them.

For several moments, both remained looking ahead.

Anthony folded his hands together before looking toward her.

"You said you wanted to talk."

Vivienne nodded.

"I did."

She drew a slow breath.

"I’ve spent the last few days thinking about what you told me."

His expression grew solemn.

"I imagined you had."

"At first, I thought I only needed time."

"Time to accept it."

She lowered her eyes for a brief moment before continuing.

"But the more I thought about it..."

"The more I realized something."

Anthony remained silent, waiting.

"Our engagement..."

"It was never really our decision."

He gave a small nod.

"Our grandfathers."

"Yes."

"They hoped we’d become a family one day."

"They did."

Vivienne smiled faintly.

"I think they only wanted us to be happy."

Anthony looked at her quietly.

"I don’t think either of them would have wanted us to stay engaged simply because they once hoped we would marry."

Another gentle breeze passed between them.

She finally lifted her eyes to meet his.

"So..."

"I’d like us to end our engagement."

Silence.

Anthony simply looked at her.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he lowered his gaze.

Anthony lowered his gaze before letting out a quiet breath. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than before.

"If this is because of what I told you on Monday... I’m sorry." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

He paused briefly, searching for the right words.

"I never intended to hurt you. I spoke more harshly than I should have. I was trying to be honest, but perhaps honesty wasn’t kindness."

He looked back at her, guilt evident in his eyes.

"I was still prepared to honor our engagement. I never meant for you to think I was abandoning my responsibilities."

Vivienne lowered her eyes as a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Anthony’s apology wasn’t unexpected. In fact, it only confirmed what she had always known about him. Anthony Ashford was an honorable man. If nothing changed, he truly would honor the engagement.

Unfortunately...

She knew something he didn’t.

The story had already begun moving forward.

She had seen enough to know that.

There was no reason to wait for its ending.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"I know."

"And I know you meant every word."

Anthony slowly lifted his eyes.

"But..."

"It isn’t only because of Monday."

She folded her hands together on her lap.

"What you said forced me to think."

"Really think."

"And after I did..."

"I realized something."

She smiled softly.

"It’s unfair to you."

Anthony frowned slightly.

Vivienne continued before he could answer.

"But it’s unfair to me too."

She smiled, though there was sadness behind it.

"If we marry because we genuinely chose one another... I think that’s something beautiful."

Her gaze lowered to her folded hands.

"But marrying because we’re simply continuing a decision made for us..."

She shook her head.

"I don’t think either of us deserves that."

He remained silent.

"You deserve the chance to choose the person you’ll spend your life with."

"And..."

"I’ve been thinking about myself."

"I’ve realized I’d like to fall in love."

She laughed softly, almost at herself.

"That sounds rather silly when I say it aloud."

Anthony remained silent.

"I’d like someone to ask me out after class. To walk through Saint Albion with me without either of us being in a hurry. To argue over something completely unimportant, like where to have dinner or which café serves the better tea."

She smiled.

"And perhaps..."

"To insist on carrying my books even after I tell him they’re not heavy."

She looked away, cheeks faintly warm.

"I know."

"I’m terribly romantic."

She looked back at him.

"But I am."

"I’ve always been."

"I like those things."

"I’d like to experience them."

Her smile gradually faded into something quieter.

"And..."

"I don’t want either of us tied to a future we didn’t choose."

"I’d like the person standing beside me to be there because he wants to."

"And..."

"I’d like to stand beside someone because that’s where I want to be too."

Anthony fell silent.

He could picture every little scene Vivienne had just described. Waiting outside a lecture hall after class. Walking beside her through the streets of Saint Albion. Carrying her books after she inevitably insisted she could manage them herself.

None of those things sounded difficult.

In fact, they seemed almost... ordinary.

Then another thought quietly followed.

If they had remained engaged...

Would he ever have wanted to do those things?

The answer should have been obvious.

After all...

She had been his fiancée for years.

If anyone should have imagined those moments naturally...

It should have been him.

Yet...

He never had.

The realization left him strangely unsettled.

When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than before.

"I understand."

He let out a slow breath.

"I think..."

"I understand."

Neither of them spoke for a while.

The fountain continued its steady rhythm nearby.

Eventually, Anthony broke the silence.

"Our grandfathers..."

Vivienne nodded.

"I’ll speak with Grandfather Beaumont."

"And I’ll speak with Grandfather Ashford."

"They’ll probably want us to explain."

"They probably will."

Anthony nodded.

"They’ll be disappointed."

"They will."

"But..."

She smiled gently.

"I think they’ll understand."

"They wanted us to be happy."

"I don’t think they ever intended for either of us to feel trapped."

Anthony considered her words before nodding once.

"I think you’re right."

Another quiet silence settled between them.

Then Vivienne looked toward him.

"So..."

"Between us..."

"We’re no longer engaged."

Anthony understood what she meant.

Not publicly.

Not before their families.

But here.

Now.

Between the two of them.

After a long pause...

He nodded.

"No."

"We’re not."

Vivienne let out a slow breath.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Lighter than before.

She stood.

Then, after a brief hesitation, extended her hand toward him.

Anthony blinked in surprise.

"We’ve known each other for years."

She laughed softly.

"But I don’t think we’ve ever met as simply Anthony and Vivienne."

He looked at her questioningly.

"We’ve always been introduced as fiancés."

"But..."

She smiled.

"I suppose we’re simply Anthony Ashford and Vivienne Beaumont now."

For the first time that evening...

The corner of Anthony’s mouth lifted.

Only slightly.

He rose to his feet and accepted her hand.

His grip was warm.

Steady.

"Anthony Ashford."

She smiled.

"Vivienne Beaumont."

For a brief moment...

Neither of them let go.

Then their hands quietly parted.

Vivienne tilted her head.

"So..."

"Hypothetically."

Anthony looked at her.

"If someone asked me on a date..."

"I could say yes?"

He blinked.

"...Already?"

The word escaped before he could stop it.

Vivienne couldn’t help smiling.

"I said hypothetically."

"I’m simply making sure."

Anthony looked away for a brief moment.

An odd feeling settled quietly somewhere inside him.

Was she serious?

Or...

Was she merely making certain they both understood what this conversation meant?

He honestly couldn’t tell.

When he looked back, she was waiting patiently.

"If we’ve agreed to end the engagement..."

"I don’t believe I’d have any grounds to object."

Vivienne nodded.

"I thought so."

She glanced briefly at the hand that had just shaken his.

"Well..."

"I suppose that settles it."

Anthony inclined his head.

"I suppose it does."

For another quiet moment, neither of them moved.

Then Vivienne smiled.

"Thank you."

"For listening."

Anthony returned the smile.

"And thank you..."

"For telling me."

She inclined her head one last time before turning toward the path leading back to the Foundation.

Anthony remained where he was, watching her disappear into the evening crowd.

Vivienne walked slowly beneath the rows of old trees lining the streets of Saint Albion.

Students passed by in pairs and small groups, laughing as they made plans for the rest of the weekend.

For the first time since arriving in this world...

She wasn’t Anthony Ashford’s fiancée anymore.

The thought should have hurt more than it did.

Instead...

She found herself drawing one long, steady breath.

It was over.

The future she had always known...

Would no longer be hers to endure.

Perhaps...

That was enough.

She smiled faintly to herself and continued walking.

Behind her, Anthony remained standing beside the bench.

He had always believed that, if the engagement were ever to end, he would feel relief.

Instead...

A strange feeling settled quietly inside his chest.

Not regret.

Not exactly.

Nor relief.

Only...

Loss.

Small.

Unexpected.

Difficult to name.

After all...

Vivienne Beaumont had been his fiancée for as long as he could remember.

Now...

She wasn’t.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain...

The evening suddenly felt much quieter than before.