A few days after deciding to open an ice cream shop, Alme finally finished tidying up the first floor that would become the store. Although there was still some interior work to be done, she put it aside for now as she had other plans for today. Leaving the house before noon, Alme was now walking down the main street. Her steps were heavy because her destination was the library - Julio's workplace. On the day her engagement was broken off, she had fled home immediately, so today she was going to retrieve her personal belongings that she had left behind. Her things were in Julio's workroom, so unless he happened to be away from his desk, she would have to face him... (Empty your emotions, stay calm no matter what he says... There's no point in getting hurt unnecessarily anymore.) Alme kept telling herself this in her head as she headed towards the library. Soon, the large roof of the library came into view. The building was situated on a corner facing the bustling main street. The pointed roof looked like it belonged on a tower. It brought up images of castles in Almes mind. When Alme first visited as a child, brought by her grandmother, her heart had raced with excitement. Now, far from being excited, she felt a heavy sadness weighing on her... Crossing the magnificent gate and entering the grounds, Alme walked into the spacious entrance hall. She consciously straightened her back, quietly psyching herself up. She headed straight for the counter and addressed the nearest staff member. Fortunately, this employee was a middle-aged woman she had gotten along with fairly well. "Good afternoon. I have some business in Julio Beatos's workroom. Would it be alright for me to enter?" "Alme-chan...! ...Hey, I heard about it. Did you come to talk things over with Beatos-san?" The female staff member leaned forward eagerly as soon as she saw Alme. It seemed the news of the broken engagement had already traveled around the staff members. Alme answered firmly with a dry smile. "No, I've already finished talking with him. I'm here today to retrieve my personal belongings. And to return my library pass. Since my connection with him has been severed, I can no longer work here." The female staff member lowered her eyebrows and sighed. "Oh... so you're really quitting, Alme-chan... That's such a shame. You had a reputation for being such a diligent worker." She then continued without pause, lowering her voice to a gossipy whisper. "Well, but I suppose it's for the best... Quitting is probably better for your mental health. Even we get heartburn just watching those two. They're all lovey-dovey during work hours, not caring who sees them." "Um... when you say 'those two', you mean Julio and Cambelina-san, right?" Alme asked, just to confirm. It seemed the pair had already become officially acknowledged in the workplace. "Yes, that's right. After you left that day, those two held a sort of announcement party after closing time... Julio introduced her saying, 'Today, I've officially welcomed Cambelina as my new fiancée, so from tomorrow, she'll be working as my right-hand woman.'" A headache began to form, and Alme found herself pressing her temples. Julio must have been caught up in the excitement, wanting to show off his cute new fiancée. (I suppose since his previous fiancée - me - was so plain, he felt an even stronger urge to brag about the adorable Cambelina-san...) The female staff member made a sour face and continued her hushed attack: "Those two are still inseparable this morning... Be very careful when you enter the workroom," the female staff member warned. "Yes..." Alme replied with a solemn expression. She decided not to inquire further about what exactly she should be careful of. After ending the conversation with the staff member, Alme left the counter and made her way towards the staff corridor at the back. This library was not only beautiful on the outside, but its interior was also as elegant and majestic as a castle. It was a popular spot among tourists. Alme walked quietly down the hallway for a short while until she reached Julio's workroom. Before knocking, she gently pressed her ear to the door. From inside the room, she heard voices that confirmed her unpleasant premonition. "Ah! Julio, stop it~ Someone might come in!" Cambelina's voice rang out. "Don't worry, no one's going to come," Julio replied confidently. "My, aren't you a naughty one, during work hours~" Cambelina teased. "Haha, I work efficiently, so taking a little break now and then is no problem," Julio replied flirtatiously. Alme moved away from the door and took several deep breaths to calm herself. (There's no point in waiting here forever. I have other plans later, so I should just get this over with quickly.) Gathering her thoughts with a distant look in her eyes, Alme made up her mind and knocked on the door. "Excuse me, this is Alme Titi. I've come to retrieve my personal belongings. May I come in?" she called out loudly. There was a slight rustling sound from inside the room. After a moment's pause, Julio finally responded. "Ah, please come in." "...Pardon the intrusion," Alme said as she entered.

Alme gently opened the door and warily entered the room. Julio and Cambelina were sitting side by side on the sofa. Their clothes and hair were slightly disheveled, but Alme chose to ignore it. She quickly walked to the back of the room and retrieved her small items and thin cardigan from the shelf she had been using. After swiftly completing her task, she was about to leave the room when, to her dismay, Julio called out to her. "Alme, I see you're still dressing so plainly. Since we're here, I should have added a stylish dress or two to your engagement cancellation compensation." "...I don't need that. Mind your own business," Alme replied curtly. "Now, don't be like that. I'm just concerned about your future. You don't have family to arrange new engagements for you anymore, right? So as your ex-fiancé, I thought I might help you find new opportunities." "I'd like to focus on my work for a while, so please don't trouble yourself." Alme wanted to say that if he was truly concerned about others' futures, he shouldn't have cheated in the first place. What kind of woman would want help from someone who had so cruelly discarded her? She wished he would stop being so ridiculous. (Was Julio always this arrogant? Perhaps now that we've separated and there's distance between us, I'm able to see things more clearly...) Sometimes, being too close can make it hard to notice certain things. Perhaps with their ties severed and their relationship now that of strangers, her rose tinted glasses had been removed. As if to shake off the conversation with Julio, Alme turned on her heel and left the workroom. Cambelina glared at Alme's retreating figure, her face distorted with hatred. In a voice so low that even Julio beside her couldn't hear, she muttered spitefully: "Huh? What? A dress? That plain bitch is so annoying... Just disappear from Julio's sight already." Cambelina gritted her teeth, continuing to glare at the door long after Alme had left. ■ Having somehow managed to safely retrieve her personal belongings, Alme returned her entry pass to the female staff member at the counter. "Alme-chan... Even though things have turned out so strangely, I'd be happy if you came to visit us again," the staff member said. "Yes, I'll be sure to come by when I need to use the library again. Thank you for everything," Alme replied. Alme exchanged farewells and left the library. As she was leaving, several other staff members called out to her. Given the chance she made sure to promote her ice cream shop along with a bright smile. She wanted to overwrite the image of "a woman abandoned due to infidelity" with the impression of "someone who chose a different path towards a new dream." It didn't sit well with her to leave behind such a negative image. Exiting the library grounds, Alme began walking down the main street again. (Now then, the next stop is... the real estate agency.) Her second destination for the day was the real estate agency. Originally, she had planned to give up her home when she married Julio and moved into the Beatos family house. For that reason, she had already contracted with a real estate agency to put her house on the market. Now, she needed to cancel those plans. After walking for a while, Alme turned onto a side street. She stopped at the corner of an intersection a short distance away. There it was, a small, local real estate agency. Alme entered, making the doorbell chime as she walked in. "Hello. I'm Alme Titi, the one who requested to sell my house," she said. "Huh? What's that?" The elderly owner inside the agency seemed hard of hearing. Alme had to raise her voice and repeat herself. "I'm Titi, the one who requested to sell my house! I'm sorry, but I've come to cancel the contract!" "Ah, yes, yes. Titi-san, right? Let's see... which house was it again? Oh, was it this one?" The old man pulled out a file from the shelf. However, it was for a completely different property. Alme's shoulders drooped as she pointed to what she thought was her file. "That's not it! Um, it's that one! That file over there!" "Oh, this one? Yes, yes, I understand. Now, what was it you wanted again?" "I want to cancel the contract! I've decided not to sell my house!! How much will the cancellation fee be?!" "Ah, yes, yes, yes. Well, you see~ This house hasn't caught anyone's eye yet. Obviously, there's no buyer because of that, so you don't need to pay any cancellation feeー" "Eh!? Is that really okay!? Isn't that too haphazard...!?" Alme became worried about the old man's overly lax response. Well, she was grateful for avoiding the costly expense. Deciding to wrap up the conversation before the old man changed his mind she said: "Um, so then, I'm correct to assume the contract will be canceled without any fees!?" "Yes, yes, that's fineー" "Thank you very much! So, we're back to square one, right?" "Yes, indeed. Please come againー" (Is this really okay?) Although Alme felt uneasy inside, she decided to trust the owner since this was a long-established real estate agency after all. As Alme rose from her seat, the old man waved his hand lazily to see her off. She had been prepared to pay several hundred thousand G in cancellation fees, so she was genuinely happy to have unexpectedly avoided this expense. Of course, these savings would directly be used for the costs of opening her shop.