My Engagement Got Broken, But I Don’t Remember Getting Engaged in the First Place - Chapter 30

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Nora screamed instinctively.

Allan burst out laughing as he pulled away from her.

“How mean! What kind of prank are you up to?” Despite her resenting glare, Allan wasn’t intimidated.

“Compare it to what Elias did to you.”

“Oh…”

“You didn’t have to look so disgusted.”

“No, it’s not like I hate you.”

“What? S-stop messing with me.”

Allan seemed to be in a hurry and increased his pace. She wondered if it was because his face turned red, but she wasn’t quite sure because the road was rather dark at night.

“No, I mean it. I was just surprised because I felt a little ticklish.”

“Then, what if it was Elias?”

“I-I don’t want him to do it either…” She felt embarrassed just thinking about it, and could feel heat gathering on her cheeks.

Seeing her reaction, Allan lowered his brows in annoyance and chuckled.

“Looks like you already have your answer. But well, do your best and think it over carefully. If you really don’t like Elias, I’ll help you get away from him.”

***

“My friend is coming with me today to watch your performance, Nora.”

“Your friend? In that case, I’ll just head home alone once my performance is over so you can take your time with your friend.”

Elias had come to pick her up from her part-time job as per usual but her response got him sighing.

“Nora, didn’t I say that you have to be accompanied home by either me or Allan? Besides, I want you to join us for dinner.”

“Huh? But you’re having dinner with your friend, right? I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be there.”

“That won’t be a problem. He’s actually a fan of yours. He’d be more than happy to see you.”

“Does that mean Allan’s not coming?”

If Allan wasn’t there, she’d have no one else but Elias to accompany her home. And if they were going to eat together, that means they’d have to wait for her in the dressing room.

“He’ll be a little late but he’s coming. Even so, I don’t want you to go home.”

“But… I don’t know what to say to your friend.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to be there.”

He probably meant that he didn’t expect Nora to be a good conversationalist but the way he said it somehow made her feel embarrassed.

She shot a glance at Elias and noticed that his smile was charming. She shook her head and dismissed that thought. It was just a passing fancy, she told herself. She shouldn’t let it get to her, otherwise she’ll lose.

“Alright then.”

After she finished her performance, she went straight to the table where Elias and another man were seated. Despite sitting beside the dashing Elias, the dark-haired man didn’t look too bad himself. If Elias had the exquisite charm akin to a perfectly sculpted mannequin, this man had the captivating charisma of a gallant knight in the battlefield.

As the saying goes, “Birds of the same feather flock together.” I guess if you have good looks, you would also tend to be friends with other good-looking people as well.

On top of that, there was also a strange air of dignity around him. Kind of like the air of nobility around Elias and Allan as the sons of the Marquis but Nora couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly.

“A pleasant evening to you, the Azure Nightingale.”

As she looked at him closer, she recognized him.

“Good evening. Um, you often come to watch my performance, don’t you? I remember you always sit at the back, drinking grape juice.”

“Oh, you remember me? What an honor. I’m delighted.” His vermillion eyes squinted as he smiled.

In addition to the frequency of his visits to the restaurant and the fact that he always ordered grape juice, his good looks stood out. Nora often heard the staff gossiping about him and she had also seen him several times when she performed under bright lights or when she returned after her performance.

“What? You knew each other?” Elias urged her to sit next to him while the dark-haired guy sat across them. The other empty seat was probably reserved for Allan, making their table a congregation of good-looking people.

…Except Nora.

“Um, well, I think he’s been coming to watch my performance since the early days of this part-time job. I received flowers from time to time, and I remember one of the cards said, ‘I love your performance.’ It made me really happy.”

When she started performing with Flora, most people didn’t pay them any attention. So, she was extremely happy to see his note and remembered it fondly.

“You did that?”

“Isn’t that normal for a fan?” The man chuckled as Elias expressed his surprise.

Nora didn’t expect that the longtime customer was actually a friend of Elias.

What a small world, indeed.

“This is the first time we’re properly introduced, Azure Nightingale. My name is Thor Maier. A bad friend of Elias.”

“I’m Nora Kranz. Nice to meet you. You’re also a nobility, right? But despite that, you often came to our restaurant.”

He didn’t explicitly say so but from the way he dressed and acted, he was undoubtedly a nobility. These days, some nobility would visit the restaurant after hearing about “The Azure Nightingale”, but otherwise, they mostly serve commoners. Nora couldn’t help but wonder since she had no connection with them at all.

“I like to go around the city and visit various stores. That day, I chanced upon this restaurant and as soon as I heard your voice, I immediately fell in love with it. I’ve been a fan since then and I’ve recommended you to all my friends.”

“That’s kind of you, thank you.” It was flattering to hear that he had fallen in love with her voice, and Nora’s cheeks flushed slightly.

But for some reason, Elias’ face curled into a frown, putting Thor in an oddly good mood.

“I wish you’d seen Elias’ face when he first heard you sing.” Thor smirked.

T/N: The title of this chapter (類は友を呼ぶ、 美青年も美青年を呼ぶ “Rui wa tomo wo yobu, biseinen mo biseinen wo yobu”) is a Japanese pun. Basically it’s saying that birds of the same feather flock together especially if they’re attractive. But I figured I should give it a creative spin the way the author did.