Midnight, at the old lighthouse by the Silver Moon Canal.
The sea breeze tugged at Diana Dawn's hood, and a few strands of golden hair danced in the moonlight.
"You're here." When a tall, slender figure emerged from the darkness, Diana spoke, her voice laced with exhaustion.
Velin Klein stopped a few paces from her. "Count, arranging a private meeting before our official one... Forgive my ignorance, but I fail to see the purpose."
Diana remained silent for a long time, as if gathering the courage to speak, or perhaps battling with herself.
"Velin," she turned, her face obscured by shadow. "The Klein Clan's decision... I know this is a terrible humiliation for you."
She lifted her chin slightly, trying to maintain her dignity as a Count, but her voice trembled in the sea breeze. "The situation in the Dawn Territory is far more difficult than you've heard. I... I cannot let it fall while it's in my hands."
"But I'm not going to dissolve the engagement completely." She paused, each word a struggle. "I intend to take you as a 'consort'."
A consort was a special privilege commonly exercised by female rulers, for the purpose of bearing as many heirs with the bloodline as possible.
"This way," Diana avoided Velin's gaze, her eyes fixed on the churning, inky sea in the distance, "the Klein Clan can save some face. And the Dawn family will have an explanation for the outside world. As for me..."
She closed her eyes, her voice thick with suppressed humiliation. "I can also use this to buy myself a moment's respite and find allies who can support the Dawn Territory."
These words were less an act of charity and more a baring of her own raw wounds.
From her tightly clenched fists, Velin could read the clumsy goodwill.
'But... a consort? Before I transmigrated, I used to joke on the internet about 'not wanting to struggle anymore,' but now that the choice is actually in front of me, I still have to weigh the pros and cons.'
'Throughout history, many renowned scholars relied on their wives' support when they were still unknown—the classic freeloader. So being a boy toy for the Count and using the Dawn Territory's resources to research bloodline power isn't a bad option.'
'But... if my research yields results, who gets first-author credit? How will history remember me? As Lady Dawn?'
'Nope.'
'A real man can't live his life under someone else's thumb!'
'The engagement has to be broken. It has to be!'
'As for the next step... how do I sell myself for the best price?' Velin began to scheme.
'I can play the sympathy card, promise her the moon... The same tricks I used on my advisor should work.'
Seeing Velin's long silence, Diana's guilt grew heavier. Just as she was about to say something, Velin slowly began to speak.
"Diana," Velin's voice was low and full of concern. "When I heard the news of your parents' unexpected death, I was heartbroken for a long time. And you... having to shoulder the burden of the Earl's Domain at just eighteen, taking care of two younger sisters... I imagine your cousins from the Dawn family aren't making things any easier, are they?"
Diana's shoulders went rigid.
She had expected his anger, his despair, even his pathetic begging.
She never expected this.
'Even now... he's still worried about me?'
Velin looked her directly in the eyes, his voice choked with grief.
"For an 'unawakened waste' like me to become the Count's consort... that would be an even deeper humiliation than having our engagement broken."
Seeing that he had truly struck a chord with Diana, Velin pressed his advantage, dredging up fragments of memory about her.
"I remember," he said, taking a step forward. "You told me more than once that your dream was to become a hero like your father, to protect your people from the claws of a dragon."
"And right now, your sisters, the entire Dawn Territory, need that hero to protect them far more than I do."
Velin forced his tone to sound resigned, his 'sacrificial' act played to perfection.
Diana's defenses crumbled. Her eyes quickly reddened, shimmering with unshed tears.
A switch had been flipped.
"You don't know..." Her voice began to choke with sobs, the helplessness in her heart finally spilling out. "After my parents died, the entire Dawn Territory fell on my shoulders. Do you know how many nights I've cried myself to sleep over the ledgers? How many times I've had to grit my teeth and endure their impossible demands? So many of the decisions I've made... I had no other choice!"
As if grasping at a lifeline, she poured out all the vulnerability hidden beneath the shell of the Count.
Velin waited for her sobs to quiet before speaking softly, his voice gentle and coaxing.
"We're both trapped, Diana. You're trapped by a heavy title, and I'm trapped by the status of a 'bloodless.' We both long to break free from our chains and protect the ones we cherish." He paused, letting his words hang in the night wind before fixing his gaze on her, his tone turning incredibly solemn.
"So, let's dissolve the engagement. I don't want to be a burden to you, and I certainly don't want to be a disgraceful footnote on your future path to heroism."
Diana stared at him, stunned. The young man before her was at once familiar and foreign. When had he shed his immaturity?
"Do you... do you really mean that?" she asked, uncertain.
"Of course," Velin replied without the slightest hesitation.
He then moved closer, so close they could almost feel each other's breath. His direct gaze made Diana subconsciously take half a step back.
"But, Diana, I need your help. I've spent the last few years researching ancient texts and recently found a way to improve one's bloodline. I'm preparing to attempt my third awakening!"
Velin was getting into it now, letting his imagination run wild. "Do you remember my sister, Lilia? Ever since my awakening failed, the clan has had its eyes on her. Leonard has even used 'visiting' as an excuse to try and lure her into a secluded room on several occasions..."
Velin trailed off, letting Diana's imagination do the rest.
"We both need power, Diana. Help me!"
"I need ten grams of Original Blood Crystal powder." His voice was quiet. "Success or fail, this debt is something I, Velin Klein, will never forget! If I succeed in awakening, what the Dawn Territory gains will be far more than an incompetent consort! You'll have a true ally, a sharp blade to cut through the thorns for you!"
That's right—Velin had asked for double. The instinct of an experimenter.
Ten grams! Diana was taken aback. Fifty Golden Suns—that was the entire annual surplus of an ordinary Baron!
For a Count, the sum was a small matter, but the Dawn Territory's current situation didn't allow for such careless spending.
She watched Velin in silence, seeing the undeniable determination in his eyes—a fighting spirit she had once known so well.
The night wind ruffled Diana's hair as conflict warred across her face.
After a moment, she seemed to let something go. "Alright, I agree. Ten grams of Original Blood Crystal powder. I'll get it to you as soon as possible. Our engagement is hereby dissolved."
She paused, her voice softening, tinged with an emotion she couldn't quite name. "If... if you fail," she bit her lower lip, "the Dawn Territory still needs a knowledgeable scribe, and the domain's apothecary workshop needs experienced hands as well. As long as you're willing, there will always be a place for you in the Dawn Territory."
This was, perhaps, the last thing she could do for her former fiancé, and for the memory of a childhood romance long past.
After speaking, Diana pulled her hood tight, turned, and strode quickly into the night, as if she were escaping.
Velin remained where he was, head bowed, tracing the rough pattern on the Dawn emblem.
'Phase one experiment: research funding acquired.'