IDTRAFTML 30

~Chapter 30~

I Don’t Do Romance Counseling for the Male Lead!

“You broke off the engagement? Why so suddenly?”

I had only thought maybe they argued or fought, so hearing about a broken engagement shocked me.
Sure, no one knows until the wedding day—but still, this was unexpected.

“It just… happened somehow…”

Sophia avoided my eyes and hesitated.
She had wished for something, but it hadn’t worked out.
Maybe that was why she took such a long vacation—to sort out her feelings.

Whatever the reason, comforting her came first.

“Sophia, if it’s too hard, you don’t have to say—”

“His parents opposed it.”

“Huh?”

That was so sudden.

The maid, who had been quietly cleaning until Sophia arrived, suddenly burst out with this revelation.
Her tone was angry, maybe even rude toward Sophia.
Still, I checked Sophia’s reaction first.

“It’s alright, my Lady. I only felt guilty talking about it right away, since you went through so much. I was planning to tell you slowly.”

Kind Sophia even smiled shyly.

“What’s there to feel guilty about! But… is it okay if you tell me?”

“Yes, of course. It’s nothing big. When I went to meet his parents, the first thing they asked was if I knew how undeserving I was of this marriage.”

“Seriously.”

So even in this romance fantasy world, in-laws acted the same as in reality.
The “meet the parents” routine always started like that.
And I could guess what came next without even hearing.

“Then for three hours, they bragged about their apple farm and about their son.”

“Ugh. That’s exhausting in its own way.”

Just hearing it secondhand was tiring enough.

“After that, they lectured me on what I should do as a wife and how to treat my husband.”

“They didn’t tell you to quit your job, did they?”

“Oh my, how did you know?”

“How could I not?”

When they start with “the family this, the husband that,” the next line is always obvious.

I’d seen it in dramas and heard the same stories from customers during romance counseling.

They think without a wife’s total devotion, their precious son will wither away, so of course they pressure the woman to quit her job.

And usually, they add one more thing—

“They must’ve also said something about how children need their mother, right?”

“Exactly! They said the same thing! Did someone already tell you this?”

“No. This is the first I’ve heard it. I guess doing so many romance consultations lately makes me good at predicting.”

“So I wasn’t the only one who went through this…”

Sophia looked genuinely sad at my casual answer.

Clearly, these suffocating in-laws existed even here—probably in abundance.
And behind situations like this, there was always another villain.

“But what made me angriest wasn’t their words. It was that fool who brought me there and stayed silent the whole time.”

“If he’d said anything in the middle, you wouldn’t have had to sit through all that.”

Just as I expected, the groom-to-be was the biggest villain of all.
Even if he had stopped his parents, the marriage would have been shaky. But to say nothing at all?

No wonder it ended in a breakup—it was entirely his fault.

“So it was Sophia who asked to end the engagement?”

“Yes. After a big fight, I lost all feelings and didn’t even want to see his face again.”

“Good job, good job. Very wise of you.”

Strong-willed Sophia deserved applause.

Many people in her shoes wouldn’t have had the courage to walk away and would have gone through with the marriage.
Her decision was refreshing.

But then, Sophia’s calm face darkened with worry.

“I’m happy to be free, but… my mother was so delighted when she heard about the proposal. I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry. Your mother wouldn’t want you to marry someone like that anyway.”

“You’re right. I’ll tell her soon.”

“Or you could just marry someone else instead!”

The one who suddenly spoke was the same maid who earlier revealed the reason for the breakup.

She had been quietly listening until now, then jumped in again with another bold comment.

‘Well… it’s not the worst idea.’

It was sudden, but not wrong.
They say the best way to get over a breakup is with a new love.

“Meeting someone new right after breaking off an engagement… isn’t that too soon…”

Sophia’s words sounded like refusal, but to me, it didn’t seem she hated the thought.

There was still a heart floating above her head.
Maybe someone had already caught her eye.

If that was the case, then my role was clear—help her new love grow.

I winked quickly to check Sophia’s “affection list.”

System
You Can See Their Affection!
o((>ω< ))o

1. Eric Gray

2. ♥ Affection 27%

“Huh.”

The moment I opened the list and saw Eric’s name, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Before, the only name there had been Sophia’s ex-fiancé.
But now, that spot had shifted to Eric.

No wonder things had felt unusual during Eric’s “flirting incident” last time.

‘If this is where things are headed, I have to check Eric’s affection list.’

Feeling dopamine rush through me, I looked straight at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Mmm, nothing. Just look outside the window for a bit.”

Puzzled by my sly smile, Eric still turned to look out the window.

That was my chance. Just like with Sophia, I winked at him—the one with a heart floating above his head.

System
You Can See Their Affection!
o((>ω< ))o

1. Sophia Nina

2. ♥ Affection 44%

Yes! That’s it!

Seeing Sophia proudly take the number one spot, I cheered inwardly.

Their affection levels weren’t that high…
But the important point was that each had only the other on their list.

“Eric, how old are you this year?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Then you’re at a good age for marriage, right?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

His straightforward answer made me smile with satisfaction.

From what I’d seen, Eric was responsible, reliable, and honestly a very good man.
Plus, he was only three years older than Sophia—perfect.

“Hoho. Soon, I’ll be hearing news about your marriage, Eric.”

“Sorry, but I don’t plan to get married. Nor to date anyone.”

“What? Why?”

His affection score was higher than Sophia’s!
Yet here he was, flipping the whole table.

His words completely contradicted the situation so far, but his face was firm.

“If I had to say… I guess I’m more of a celibate.”

“You? A celibate?”

“Sir Eric, you’re a celibate?”

I asked in disbelief, and Sophia echoed me in shock.

At our double question, Eric calmly nodded.

“I did think you weren’t interested in that sort of thing… but I didn’t know you were actually a celibate.”

Sophia didn’t react too strongly, but I sensed faint disappointment.

And honestly, I was even more disappointed than she was.

Finally, two people I cared for seemed like they might work out—
but no, of course Eric had to ruin it.

Eric, you killed the mood. You better take responsibility.

I glared at him for no reason.

“For now, that’s how I feel.”

But then he added those words, and suddenly the “hope circuit” in my brain switched on again.

It must’ve been because he saw Sophia’s disappointment.
That was the only reason his resolve would shake.

“Right, right. I understand. For now.”

He didn’t even know his own heart.

Seeing through his true feelings, I decided I’d help these two no matter what.

System
Target Locked!
(∩๑•ㅂ•)⊃→

Would you like to become the Cupid of ‘Eric Gray’?

Yes
No

“Perfect timing.”

A notification popped up, giving me the chance to become Eric’s Cupid.