The grandfather clock in the corner of the parlor ticked rhythmically, counting down the seconds of my life.
I took a sip of Earl Grey tea, my eyes flicking to the crimson timer hovering in the corner of my vision.
[Time Remaining: 48:00:00]
Two days. That was all I had left before the Academy Entrance ceremony and my scheduled execution. Most men would be pacing the floor or hyperventilating.
I was perfectly calm. In fact, I was checking the stock market on my obsidian phone.
"Young Master," the butler announced from the doorway, his voice stiff. "Duke Frost and Lady Seraphina have arrived."
I set the teacup down on the saucer with a soft clink. "Show them in."
A moment later, the heavy mahogany doors swung open.
Duke Frost walked in first—a stout, nervous man with a mustache that twitched when he was stressed. But my eyes looked past him to the woman following in his wake.
Seraphina Frost.
She was breathtaking, I had to admit. Long, flowing hair the color of glacial ice, porcelain skin, and eyes that were a piercing, cold blue. She wore a white dress that seemed to radiate a freezing aura, dropping the temperature of the room by five degrees just by entering.
In the game, she was the "Ice Queen"—the untouchable genius who despised weakness.
Right now, she looked at me as if I were a cockroach she had unfortunately stepped on. Her posture was rigid, her expression one of utter, undisguised loathing.
I felt a slight throb behind my eyes as I activated my new skill.
[Eyes of Truth: Active]
Violet light flashed across my vision, overlaying a digital interface on top of her figure.
[Target: Seraphina Frost]
[Role: Main Heroine / Fiancée]
[Affection: -60 (Disgust)]
[Current Thought: "Please, let him throw his tantrum quickly so I can leave. I have training to do."]
I suppressed a smirk. -60? That was impressive. She hated me more than the Hero did.
"Lucas," Duke Frost began, clearing his throat awkwardly. He refused to sit down. "We... we came here today to discuss the matter of the engagement between our houses."
The Duke glanced at his daughter, then back at me, bracing himself for an explosion. In the past, the old Lucas would have already been screaming, throwing vases, or falling to his knees to beg.
"I know," I said calmly.
I reached into my suit jacket and pulled out a sleek, black folder. I slid it across the marble coffee table. It stopped perfectly at the Duke's fingertips.
"I've taken the liberty of drafting the annulment papers myself," I said, my voice smooth and indifferent. "I've already signed them. I just need your signatures."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Duke Frost blinked, staring at the folder as if it were a bomb. Seraphina's icy mask cracked for the first time. Her eyes widened, shifting from the folder to my face.
"What?" she whispered.
"The papers," I repeated, leaning back in my chair and crossing my legs. "It ends the engagement effective immediately. No penalties, no scandal. We simply cite 'irreconcilable differences' and go our separate ways."
Seraphina took a step forward, her brows furrowing. This wasn't in her script. She had prepared herself for a fight, for a pathetic display of obsession. She hadn't prepared for... this.
"You... you're agreeing to break up?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "Just like that? What's the catch, Lucas?"
"There is no catch, Seraphina," I said, meeting her gaze evenly. "I have no interest in a partner who looks at me with disgust. A marriage without mutual benefit is a bad investment."
I saw a flicker of emotion in her eyes—insult. She was the most desired woman in the Empire, and I was talking about her like she was a declining stock option.
"However," I continued, turning my gaze to the Duke. "I am a businessman. I have invested time and reputation into this engagement. If I am to sign away my claim to the Frost family, I require compensation."
The Duke let out a breath of relief. "Compensation! Yes, of course. We can offer gold! Five million credits? Ten?"
"I don't need gold," I interrupted. "I have more money than God."
I tapped the table with my index finger.
"I want the mining rights to the Northern Sector Mana Mine transferred to Vayne Corp. In perpetuity."
The Duke choked. "The Northern Mine? But... that is one of our most productive assets! It produces high-grade Ice Crystals!"
"And it is currently under-managed and yielding 30% less than it should," I countered coldly. "That is my price, Duke. You get your daughter's freedom, and I get a mine. Take it or leave it."
Seraphina stared at me. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides.
"You're selling me," she said, her voice trembling with a strange mix of anger and disbelief. "You're trading our engagement... for a hole in the ground?"
I looked at her with my [Eyes of Truth].
[Target: Seraphina Frost]
[Affection: -60 (Disgust) → -10 (Confusion/Insult)]
[Current Thought: "I'm worth less to him than a mine? How dare he?"]
"I'm making a deal, Seraphina," I replied, my tone bored. "You wanted out. I'm giving you the door. Don't be angry just because I'm charging admission."
I looked at the Duke. "Well? Do we have an accord?"
The Duke looked at his daughter, then at the annulment papers. He knew he was getting fleeced on the mine, but the chance to free Seraphina from the "madman" Lucas was too good to pass up.
"Fine," the Duke gritted out. "The mine is yours."
He snatched a mana-pen from his pocket and scribbled his signature on the document. As he signed, I focused my gaze on him.
[Target: Duke Frost]
[Loyalty to Family: 85%]
[Respect for Lucas: 10% → 45% (Reluctant Admiration)]
[Thought: "The boy has grown… dangerously sharp."]
Seraphina hesitated for a second longer, staring at me as if trying to solve a puzzle. Then, she aggressively signed her name.
"Done," she snapped.
"Pleasure doing business," I said, standing up. I didn't offer a handshake. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for the Academy Entrance. You know the way out."
I turned my back on them and walked toward the window, dismissing them as if they were door-to-door salesmen.
I heard the heavy doors open. I heard the Duke's hurried footsteps.
But then, I heard a pause.
I glanced at the window reflection. Seraphina had stopped in the doorway. She was looking back at me, her brow furrowed, biting her lower lip. She looked frustrated. Confused. Bothered.
For the first time in her life, Lucas Vayne wasn't looking at her. And she hated it.
The doors closed with a thud.
Outside the parlor, I heard a servant whisper to another in the hallway: "Did the Young Master just… buy a mine by breaking an engagement?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down... but yes. The rumor mill is going to be spinning by nightfall."
I smiled at my reflection as a cascade of notifications filled my vision.
[System Notification]
[Relationship Status Updated: Single.]
[Plot Deviation Successful. Reward: +500 Destiny Points.]
[Asset Acquired: Northern Mana Mine.]
[ Major Emotional Shock to Key Heroine (Confusion + Insult) ]
[ Harem Seed Planted: Seraphina Frost ]
[ Bonus Destiny Points: +800 (First Heroine Reversal Multiplier) ]
[ Current DP: 1,400 ]
"Step two complete," I whispered.
The "Ice Queen" hadn't melted yet. But for the first time, she had cracked.