HDBMTD 16

Chapter 16

The engagement annulment certificate, torn repeatedly in half, fluttered to the floor like withered flower petals.

Among all those stunned into silence, Nocturne was the first to recover.

“What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Aria replied in a calm voice. Nocturne stared at her for a moment, then spoke again.

“Lance, rewrite it.”

The aide who’d been addressed flinched and nervously pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. It seemed this aide was the mental-type Eshafe who had embedded Influence into the first document.

While he shakily redrafted the certificate, the room was steeped in a tension so thick it felt like walking on ice. Nocturne signed the newly completed document without hesitation. Tita could only suppress a sigh.

What a cold-hearted bastard.

Nocturne laid the new document atop the shredded pieces and spoke with a stiff face:

“Tearing the paper doesn’t change reality. Let’s end this useless resistance and sign it.”

“No.”

“Sign it.”

“I said no.”

The brief standoff ended with Nocturne sighing, clearly tired of the exchange. He loosened his posture and leaned back against the sofa.

“This engagement was never political. It wasn’t a union for our families—it was born out of love.”

The word love felt so incompatible with his cold face it bordered on mockery. Tita couldn’t imagine the two of them in love, but Aria responded quietly:

“I know.”

“Do you?”

Nocturne scoffed, the faintest of sneers flashing across his lips and vanishing.

“Then you should also know marriage can’t be done alone.”

“…”

“Why are you clinging to a meaningless engagement? Do you… enjoy being despised by a man who hates you? Is that your thing?”

Okay, that’s it.

Tita ground her teeth.

She was beginning to suspect that alongside his S-rank combat power, Nocturne’s tongue had been upgraded with lethal edge too.

The satisfaction she’d briefly felt when Aria tore up the document had completely evaporated thanks to his constant verbal jabs. In hindsight, there was no real pleasure in watching her lady desperately resist a breakup.

None of this matches what Her Highness told me…

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like Nocturne was distancing himself under pressure from anyone. He genuinely seemed to despise Aria.

If this was an act, he should quit the military and go straight to theater. Though being the only S-rank actor might destabilize the Empire…

Is Her Highness just in denial after being dumped?

Tita’s faith wavered—until:

“What do you even want?”

“First… can you dismiss the others? I’d rather not show this side of myself to subordinates.”

At Aria’s request, Nocturne ordered everyone to leave. Tita suddenly recalled a conversation she’d had with Aria earlier.

“As long as we’re being watched, Nocturne won’t show his real face. So I’ll act like I’m escalating things just as I told Padva. That should prompt them to leave. Tita, can you shield our conversation?”

“Leave it to me. That’s exactly what my ability is for!”

Their heated argument had felt so real that Tita had completely forgotten it was all part of Aria’s plan.

Could it be that Aria tearing up the document, and Nocturne’s cruel words, were all an act?

Still unsure, Tita lit a lantern and approached Aria as instructed earlier. She didn’t know why, but Aria had asked for the lantern before the room was cleared.

Just as she was about to hand it to Aria, Nocturne reached out and intercepted it. Tita turned to him—he was staring at it with a strange expression before setting it down on the table.

Snapped out of her daze by Aria’s signal, Tita gave a quick bow and left the room. Right before closing the door, her gaze fell on the lantern.

Did… did he take it because he knows she’s afraid of fire?

If so, then all those cruel things he said—could they have been fake?

Was he… a gifted actor the whole time?

She looked one last time at the cold but undeniably handsome man, now with a confused heart, and gently closed the door.

With everyone gone, the study fell silent.

Aria broke the silence:

“From now on, no one can eavesdrop on us.”

“…”

“I’ve blocked all intrusion with high-level mental defense. That means… we can be honest now.”

As Aria looked at him tensely, Nocturne sneered coldly.

“Then be honest. What is it you want in exchange for ending this pointless engagement?”

Despite being told the room was secure, Nocturne’s frigid tone didn’t change.

Aria kept her face composed, but internally she was troubled.

Something’s wrong.

She could sense Nocturne’s surface emotions—thanks to the restored Empathy ability awakened through the lantern Tita had brought.

And what she read was clear: anger and contempt.

Why?

She struggled to remain calm. She’d told herself to stay composed, but her thoughts were spiraling.

After seeing Nocturne long for her at his estate, she had believed that everything could be resolved with one good conversation.

But now, she had to face the worst conclusion:

Someone messed with Nocturne’s mind.

It wasn’t normal for a man who missed her so dearly to show such loathing when face-to-face.

The only explanation? Mental manipulation—either mind control or brainwashing.

“How about a reconsideration period? We’ve been together a long time—it’s worth being cautious.”

“You dismissed everyone just to ask for more wasted time?”

Dealing with his hostility while trying to think of a strategy made her want to scream.

I knew it was a possibility, but he really has been brainwashed…

She’d taught Nocturne countless ways to resist mental attacks. How had someone managed to trap the partner of an S-rank mental-type Eshafe like her?

Aria stared at the man before her. His elegant face looked paler than she remembered—perhaps due to the manipulation.

It’s not your fault, Turny. I left you alone as a royal fiancé and then fell into a coma for half a year. It’s my fault.

She pushed her bangs back in frustration and spoke softly.

“Don’t be so hostile. You’ll regret it later.”

Since his mind was under manipulation, anything Nocturne said could be dismissed as incoherent rambling. It wouldn’t hurt Aria legally or emotionally.

But he would regret it later. At his estate, he’d already shown deep guilt.

Still, he replied with only cold sarcasm.

“What a curious thing to worry about.”

…Is this really my brother’s doing?

Aria had felt reassured when she sensed Nocturne’s longing—convinced Padva hadn’t gone so far as to brainwash an S-rank.

After all, using Influence on a combat-type Eshafe like Nocturne, who was already prone to madness, was incredibly dangerous—not just for the Empire, but the entire world.

She had believed Padva wouldn’t do something so reckless.

Of course, she hadn’t expected him to try poisoning her either… so maybe this too had been naive.

But still—it didn’t fit. Padva had kept her alive precisely to control Nocturne. Why would he use mind control that made Nocturne reject her?

Was making Nocturne hate me the goal itself?

“If you really don’t want to marry me, why are you so obsessed with this engagement? Did you fall for someone else?”

“That’s not worth answering.”

“Don’t tell me it’s Minette.”

Aria kept her tone light, even teasing. She was trying to stay calm—and analyze.

Two possibilities came to mind:

1. Repeated light brainwashing, e.g., a subtle command like: “Whenever you enter the palace, you will feel disgust toward Aria.” This would explain why he missed her at the estate but acted hostile now.

   That kind of suggestion would wear off over time—Tita’s defenses could help protect him long enough for the effect to fade.

2. Conditional brainwashing, which only activated under certain triggers like “See Aria’s face = hate her.” This required deep subconscious manipulation and carried heavy risks of side effects.

That level of mind control? It was practically a criminal act.

That’s why it unsettled her. It felt far too extreme for Padva’s usual strategies.

First, I need to break the brainwashing.

She stared too intently at Nocturne, and he raised an eyebrow.

Aria sighed. If this were the past, she could have used Empathy to enter his subconscious and unravel the manipulation herself. But now, she was far too weakened—she’d already fainted several times just using the basic level.

It’s not like I don’t have options…

Even weakened, she was still a former expert in empathic psychology. She knew how to use advanced techniques, even now.

But for that, I need the right conditions…

Even low-level Eshafes could exhibit strong empathy if the target’s defenses were down. Academically, the three conditions for lowered defense were:

• Trust

• Time

• Physical contact

“…”

Recalling everything Nocturne had just said, Aria looked at him in dismay.

He called this a waste of time, an uncomfortable encounter, accused her of having a weird fetish for being insulted…

How was she supposed to build trust, spend time, or touch him now?

Aria swallowed hard.

If I want something… I’ll have to pay the price.

And there was only one thing she could offer him now.

She made up her mind and spoke:

“Fine. Let’s do it your way.”

“My way?”

“Let’s break up.”

The hand resting on the armrest twitched.

Despite finally getting what he claimed to want, Nocturne showed no satisfaction.

There was no triumph—only a hollow emptiness, like a pilgrim who had lost their destination.