Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 30 The Fiancée Comes to Condemn Me

"A knight's wife fell in love with a nobleman at a banquet, but after their intimacy, she was driven away in the middle of the night. The angry knight argued with her and then threw her out. Now the whole capital knows about this."

"What will happen to that woman in the end?" Harry asked again.

"She moved back to her old house before she got married, and you've ruined her reputation."

Harry's face tightened upon hearing this, and he shook his head.

"I still don't know what this has to do with me."

"Harry, you've put me in a very awkward position." Veronica ignored Harry's denial and continued, "Nothing like this has ever happened at my parties. You're too considerate of your friend."

Harry was puzzled because Veronica seemed to be in a good mood when she said that.

"You seem to be in a good mood?"

"I had several dresses re-ordered this morning."

"I don't understand what's so great about this that makes you happy."

"These dresses were custom-made; I'll be wearing them for my baptism next month."

"You've started practicing religion?"

“It wasn’t just the beginning, it always has been.” Veronica paused here, her tone full of pride. “I told the Goddess that my father initially used the leopard as the family crest because of the connection between the leopard and the raven.”

Harry didn't answer, his confusion becoming even more apparent.

Veronica ignored Harry's reaction and continued,

"I also expressed my gratitude to her for the changes she made to the inheritance law, which enabled me to inherit the glorious family crest."

Harry still didn't answer; his eyebrows were almost touching.

"She said it was all thanks to the goddess's blessing. I even said I hoped I could become a devout believer in the goddess like her. And then..."

"And then what?" Harry finally couldn't help but ask.

"Then yesterday, after she finished talking with you and came out of the restaurant, she told me that she had chosen a white-robed archbishop to be my godfather. And, next month, the goddess will personally attend my baptism!" Veronica's words were full of excitement, and even her tone was a little higher than usual.

Upon hearing this, Harry felt as if all the bones in his body had dissolved. He slumped into his seat, completely drained of strength.

This was also what Harry found most unacceptable. With the powerful invitation from the goddess, Veronica was destined to thrive in the church. He could almost see her proud and smug face when the church's honor badge adorned her knightly armor.

However, this also puzzled him. His conversation with the goddess hadn't lasted long, and he hadn't agreed to help her find the bracelet, yet she still gave Veranika a large reward.

That means finding the bracelet was very important to the goddess, but Harry really didn't know anything about it.

Veronica later told Harry that she had written to her mother to tell her that Harry had returned to the capital. Her mother was very happy to receive the letter and said that she would cut short her vacation and return to the capital in a few days.

She asked Veranica to convey her greetings to Harry and expressed her hope to see him sometime.

Although he had complete control over his time in the capital and was not in a hurry to return to the magic academy, he still chose to leave before Veranika's mother returned to the capital.

Harry really didn't know how to face this kind elder.

When Harry's parents passed away, she eagerly helped him with everything. Now that Harry has returned to the capital, she is naturally very attentive to his needs.

The problem is that Harry's life at the magic academy wasn't as pleasant as he'd imagined, and she'd definitely make Harry tell her all about Orion's life.

Harry didn't want her to be sad for him if she found out, nor did he want to lie to her, so he figured it was better to leave the capital before she came back.

He has already booked a spot with a caravan and will leave the capital tomorrow.

Just as Harry was reminiscing, there was another knock on the door.

Harry opened the door and a big smile spread across his face when he saw who was standing there.

"Ovinia! What brings you here!"

But Ovinia on the other side was clearly not as happy as him. She looked serious. Harry invited her into the house and closed the door.

Ovinia is Harry's fiancée.

After Veranika's mother received a negative answer from her daughter, the matter between Harry and Veranika was never mentioned again.

However, Veronica's mother felt indebted to Harry, and she believed that the only way to get Harry out of his infatuation with Veronica was to make him fall in love with another girl.

So she then dedicated herself to introducing Harry to female companions.

Ovinia's father was a viscount who had previously served as the governor of a county. After retiring, he returned to the capital and purchased a castle in the south.

At a banquet, Veranica's mother met him through a mutual friend and learned of his desire to find a nobleman as a son-in-law for her daughter. Veranica's mother immediately thought of Harry.

Later, Harry's parents returned to the capital, and at a welcoming banquet hosted by Veronica's mother, Ovinia's father and Ovinia were invited.

Harry's parents quickly understood Veranica's mother's intentions; they were naturally willing to marry a viscount's daughter.

Ovinia was the youngest daughter in the family, and the inheritance of the title had nothing to do with her. Although she had never attended a knightly academy, she knew everything a nobleman needed to know, and her father was willing to provide a substantial dowry. In addition, Harry seemed to like Ovinia very much, so the two families began to have frequent contact.

Finally, when Harry's father was about to leave the capital after his vacation, Harry and Owenia officially got engaged. The banquet was filled with laughter and joy, and the two young people had a great time. Veronica's mother was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

When Harry returned to the capital, he visited Ovinia's castle, but Ovinia's father told him that Ovinia had left the capital to visit relatives in other provinces and didn't know when she would return.

Then Ovinia suddenly appeared, which was a huge surprise for Harry!

But Ovinia on the other side was clearly not as happy as Harry.

Ovinia knew that marrying a nobleman was the best outcome for her.

Endogamous marriage was prevalent in the aristocratic society of the Arcanus Empire, which was a major characteristic of aristocratic marriage. "Endogamous" meant that both parties in the marriage came from the same social class, or even from families that had already been related by marriage.

The term "endogamy" means that they rarely sought spouses in social classes outside of the nobility. Even wealthy merchants and emerging landowners rarely became marriage partners for nobles.

In short, in a highly hierarchical society, people of the same social class mostly marry people of the same social class.

The woman wearing velvet will marry another woman wearing velvet, and the woman in silver velvet will marry another woman in silver velvet.

Once a high-ranking person successfully marries another, both the man and woman's families will become even more prominent.

The man would immediately place the woman's family crest alongside his own family crest on tableware, books, shields, flags, window frames, and city gates as a symbol of the alliance between the two families.

In noble families, only sons can cultivate great strength and ultimately win the duel to inherit the title. Therefore, the relationship between father and male heir is particularly close, and the situation of a talented and only daughter like Veranica is very rare.

In order to raise their eldest son into a true knight and to dedicate himself to the family's interests, the entire family was happy to spend a great deal of energy and wealth on the male heir.

Therefore, the marriage of the eldest son of a noble family was a matter of family status and was always given special attention. Endogamous marriage within the same lineage was also most fully manifested in them.

Even when exogenous marriages transcended social class, they typically involved children without inheritance rights, and the social and economic circumstances of both parties were not significantly different. Such exogenous marriages only formed marginal intermarriage groups within aristocratic society.

Ovinia was the fifth child in her family. Her parents hoped that she would marry a nobleman, so they chose home education instead of sending her to a knightly academy.

They felt that sending their daughters to the Knight Academy would actually make it harder for them to get married. In fact, many nobles thought the same way, and they would not easily send their daughters there unless they had no male heirs.

When she learned that her parents were very interested in the marriage, she did not object. Although Harry was not handsome and was somewhat overweight, he was the only son in the family and would surely inherit the title in the future.

Unexpectedly, Harry left the Knights Academy to study magic instead. Veronica said it was because Harry lacked talent and was lazy.

Even if Harry eventually obtains a title through magic, marrying a wizard nobleman is far from what his parents expected, nor is it what he himself wanted.

During the two years Harry was away from the capital, Ovinia devoted herself to attending various social dances, and she made a good impression on some of the promising candidates, hoping that things would eventually come to fruition.

Through her efforts, a viscount's heir has become completely infatuated with her.

Moreover, this heir is handsome, and although his family's wealth is not as great, it is certainly greater than Harry's, and the title he will inherit is also more prestigious than Harry's.

Life is full of surprises. Someone broke Ovinia's heart, but the next person to make amends was even better than the first.

Harry's sudden return to the capital startled her. She had already discussed with her parents about breaking off the engagement with Harry, but she didn't want to say it to his face.

So when Harry came to see her, she had her father lie and say that she was visiting relatives.

After some time, she will send Harry a heartbreaking breakup letter, ending their immature agreement once and for all.

But to her surprise, Harry did something so despicable that she could no longer tolerate it. Her fiancé had seduced a knight's wife, which gave her an excuse to get rid of Harry.

After the door closed, Ovinia didn't sit down. She stood in the middle of the room, staring at Harry with her back ramrod straight and no smile on her face; she was clearly in a very bad mood.

Ovinia was around twenty years old, with a pale ivory complexion, the kind common among nobles, delicate but lacking in color.

Her hair was light brown, all combed back and coiled into a smooth and tight bun at the back of her head, without a single stray hair, revealing the clear outline of her forehead and ears.

Her eyebrows were slightly darker than her hair color and had a neat shape. Her eyes were light gray, not large, but looked very cute.

The nose is straight, the lips are thin and light in color, and the lines at the corners of the mouth are straight when the lips are naturally pursed.

Today she wore a red high-necked long dress made of soft, fine linen, without excessive embroidery or decoration, except for a few subtle patterns in the same color at the hem. The cuffs were fitted and trimmed with silver velvet, and a small, pearl-encrusted silver brooch was pinned to the neckline.

The color scheme of her outfit today was clearly carefully considered; she was determined to express her anger through her dress.

"Did you have fun at the banquet a few days ago?" she asked directly, without any pleasantries after a long time apart. Her voice was clear and cold, not like an inquiry, but more like an interrogation of a criminal.

Harry looked at Ovinia, whose expression was serious, and realized that she had come to find him because of the woman who had been driven away by the knight. He felt a chill run down his spine, but the smile on his face did not change.

"I'm so happy. You know, Veranica's parties never disappoint," he replied cheerfully. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon. I'm so glad, Ovinia!"

"Harry, I know about you and that woman. Everyone knows." Ovinia ignored Harry's attempt to change the subject, staring at him sharply, like an eagle eyeing a lone prey, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver the fatal blow.

"What are you talking about, Ovinia?" Harry pretended not to know anything, looking completely confused.

"Admit it, Harry. You kicked that woman out after you did that, you broke up a happy couple, and you betrayed my love." At that moment, Ovinia dramatically burst into tears.

She had already decided to break up with Harry, and there was no better reason than now. If she abandoned Harry, she would inevitably be blamed, but if Harry betrayed her, she could walk away unscathed and also make the heir cherish her.

So now, she has to play the role of someone who deeply loves her fiancé but has been betrayed, and she has to show her anger and grievances after Harry's infidelity. A few tears are definitely necessary.