I AM NOT THE LOVE INTEREST!

Chapter 4: End of Engagement 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

—CELIA—

If I survived this breakfast, I deserved a medal.

Or at least a quiet room and a lifetime supply of food.

I walked beside Duke Blackwood in strained silence, focusing very hard on not stepping on my own dress or saying anything that might accidentally restart the plot.

He did not speak. I did not push it. It felt like the safest decision I had made all morning.

We reached the dining hall.

And I immediately understood something important.

This was not a casual meal.

The table was long enough to host a small political summit. The chairs looked like they had witnessed history. The atmosphere alone told me this was the kind of place where people made decisions that affected entire regions.

At the head of the table sat a man who did not need an introduction.

Duke Arthur Valen.

My father.

He looked up the moment I entered, and his entire expression softened immediately.

"Aria," he said, his voice warm. "You are late."

There was no anger in it. No reprimand. Just quiet fondness.

Ah.

So this was the situation.

Spoiled daughter.

Powerful father.

Very few consequences.

I straightened slightly and approached, trying to match the energy without overdoing it.

"Good morning, father."

He gestured for me to sit beside him, naturally, as if there had never been any question about where I belonged.

Of course.

Favorite child privileges.

I sat down carefully, aware of Sebastian taking his seat across from me. I did not look at him. That felt like a strategic choice.

Servants moved quietly around us, placing dishes on the table with care. The food looked incredible, which was unfortunate because I was too stressed to enjoy it properly.

My father glanced between the two of us.

"Sebastian arrived early," he said. "I assume that was your request, Aria."

I nearly choked on air.

Right.

I forced a small smile. "It seems I was... enthusiastic."

"That is one way to describe it," Sebastian said flatly.

I kept my expression steady.

Do not engage.

Do not escalate.

Do not die before breakfast.

My father, however, looked pleased.

"I admire your decisiveness," he said. "When you told me you wished to be engaged to Sebastian, I saw no reason to refuse."

I blinked.

There it was.

Confirmed.

The original Aria had not only wanted this.

She had insisted boldly with confidence.

With zero concern for long-term survival.

"I appreciate your support, father," I said carefully.

That felt like the correct response.

He smiled, clearly satisfied, and returned his attention to his meal.

Meanwhile, I stared at my plate and reconsidered everything.

This arrangement was not accidental.

It was built by this body’s owner. If only I’ve read the book properly and memorized every detail.

I glanced up briefly and met Sebastian’s gaze.

Big mistake.

He looked exactly as I...I mean, this original owner remembered.

Cold. Distant. Completely uninterested.

There was no affection there, not even tolerance.

I looked back down immediately.

Yes.

Avoiding him had been the right plan.

Unfortunately, I was now engaged to him, which made that plan... complicated.

I picked up my utensils, mostly to give myself something to do.

Think.

Adjust strategy.

New plan required.

If I could not avoid him entirely, then I needed to minimize interaction. No clinging, no unnecessary conversation, no dramatic displays of affection that would push him further away.

Basically, I needed to become the exact opposite of the original Aria.

That sounded manageable.

If so... should I end this arrangement?

The thought settled in, heavy but clear. If this engagement was one of the reasons everything went wrong, then keeping it made no sense. It was not just inconvenient. It was dangerous.

Suddenly, my father spoke again, breaking through my thoughts.

"You seem quieter than usual," he noted, studying me with mild curiosity.

I froze for half a second.

Right.

Character consistency.

That was important.

But there was also the small issue of my life being on the line, which felt slightly more urgent.

"I was thinking," I said.

He raised a brow. "About?"

I paused.

"...About the future," I answered.

That felt vague enough to keep me alive.

He nodded, seemingly pleased. "Good. It is time you took such matters seriously."

Sebastian did not react. He continued eating like this conversation had nothing to do with him, which, to be fair, emotionally it probably didn’t.

My father went on, "Now that your engagement is settled, we will begin formal preparations soon."

I almost dropped my fork.

"Father, about that..." I began, my voice coming out steadier than I felt.

Both men continued eating, which somehow made this worse. I was about to alter the course of a noble engagement, and they were calmly having breakfast like this was just another morning.

I took a slow breath, gathering what little courage I had left.

"About what?" my father asked, patient but attentive.

Sebastian remained uninterested.

I pressed my lips into a thin line.

Up close, I could see why the original Aria had insisted on this engagement. Sebastian was undeniably handsome. He is the kind of man who looked like he belonged in oil paintings.

There was a sharpness to him, an intelligence that showed even in the way he carried himself.

It was, objectively, a loss.

A very significant loss.

I let out a breath.

’...Unfortunately,’ I thought, ’I prefer being alive.’

I straightened slightly.

"If I may speak honestly," I said.

My father nodded. "You always may."

"I have been reconsidering the engagement," I continued carefully.

His hand stilled slightly, though his expression remained composed. "Reconsidering?"

"Yes," I said, committing to it now. "I believe I may have acted... impulsively."

That was the most polite way I could phrase that the original Aria had made a series of extremely questionable life choices.

I took a breath.

"If possible, I wish to dissolve this engagement."

The words left my mouth clearly, steadily, with far more confidence than I actually felt.

The effect was immediate.

Silence fell over the table. My father stopped mid-motion, his expression freezing in place as if he had misheard me.

Sebastian’s knife slipped from his hand and clattered softly against the table as he looked at me in shock.