Chapter 70: An Unexpected Arrangement

Erwin was genuinely struck by the beauty of the girl standing before him.

Although he remained unaffected by that strange, magical charm that seemed to emanate from her, he had to admit that this girl was the most beautiful person he had ever encountered in both his lifetimes combined.

While Cho and Hermione were also outstanding in appearance, being among the most attractive students at Hogwarts, Fleur possessed an otherworldly perfection.

Her delicate facial features, graceful figure, and ethereal presence made her seem like a fairy stepped out from the pages of a magical storybook.

However, Erwin quickly gathered his composure.

Now wasn't the time for such distractions, especially when this girl seemed to harbor some sort of grudge against him.

Although he found himself puzzled by her apparent hostility, Erwin refused to become one of those simpering admirers.

Even if her appearance could be described as breathtaking, he wouldn't allow himself to fall for someone who treated him with such obvious disdain.

"I see," Erwin responded coolly, acknowledging her presence with detached politeness.

"!" Fleur bristled with indignation.

How dare this boy respond to her with such a dismissive attitude?

At Beauxbatons Academy, Fleur never lacked for admirers.

Male students would become tongue-tied and flustered just from catching a glimpse of her, often talking excitedly about their brief encounters for months afterward.

Yet here was this boy who, despite showing initial surprise at her appearance, had immediately adopted an infuriatingly cold demeanor.

Perenelle and Madame Maxime watched the tense exchange between the two young people with barely concealed amusement dancing in their eyes.

Perenelle suddenly interjected with a gentle but firm tone.

"Erwin, Miss Delacour is visiting us for the first time. You should show her around the castle."

Upon hearing the elderly woman's suggestion, Erwin felt reluctant to comply.

However, he couldn't bring himself to refuse such a request in front of so many people, particularly when it came from someone he respected.

He nodded his agreement with visible resignation.

"Miss Delacour, please follow me. I'll give you a tour of the grounds," Erwin said, addressing Fleur before walking toward the back door without waiting for her response.

Fleur clenched her teeth in irritation, mentally berating Erwin for his complete lack of gentlemanly behavior.

Nevertheless, she found herself following him, unwilling to appear rude in front of Madame Maxime and their hosts.

The two walked through the living room and began wandering around the expansive castle grounds.

Nicolas Flamel's castle was truly magnificent in scale.

Even after spending considerable time there, Erwin had only managed to familiarize himself with most of the major areas and passages.

By his estimation, the castle covered at least half the area of Hogwarts, though without the extensive Forbidden Forest that surrounded his school.

Erwin began providing Fleur with a comprehensive tour, pointing out various rooms, corridors, and notable features of the ancient structure.

Throughout their journey, Fleur remained largely silent, listening to his explanations without offering much in the way of conversation.

However, Erwin couldn't help but notice that she kept stealing glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

There was something peculiar in her expression, a mixture of curiosity and what almost seemed like embarrassment, that left him thoroughly confused.

‘I have never met this girl before? Why does she keep looking at me so strangely?' he wondered.

When the pair reached a beautifully maintained garden filled with exotic, magical plants, Erwin finally couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.

"Miss Delacour, we haven't met before today, have we? Why do you keep staring at me like that?" he asked directly.

Fleur didn't respond immediately.

Her dark blue eyes simply continued studying Erwin with an unreadable expression.

The silence stretched on until Erwin began to feel genuinely uncomfortable under her intense scrutiny.

Finally, she spoke.

"You truly don't know, do you? My fiancé…"

Erwin's mouth fell open in shock. His mind reeled as he tried to process what she had just said.

How on earth had he supposedly become Fleur's fiancé without his knowledge?

"Wait just a moment, Miss Delacour," Erwin said, placing his hand against his forehead and rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off an incoming headache.

He needed to clarify this apparent misunderstanding immediately.

"Are you saying that I am supposedly your fiancé? How did that come to happen?" he asked, hoping desperately that there had been some terrible mistake.

Observing his genuine bewilderment, Fleur began to believe that he truly had no prior knowledge of the arrangement.

Her initially hostile attitude softened somewhat as she realized he wasn't simply playing ignorant.

"I assumed you were aware of the situation. My grandmother has maintained a very close friendship with Perenelle for many decades," Fleur explained, her voice losing some of its earlier edge.

"Madame Perenelle sent a letter to my grandmother recently, proposing a marriage arrangement between us. My grandmother readily agreed to the match."

Everything suddenly clicked into place for Erwin.

The elderly woman hadn't been joking during that dinner conversation several days ago. This wasn't simply an introduction to a potential girlfriend; she had arranged for him to have a fiancée, and not just any girl, but the famous flower of Beauxbatons Academy, Fleur Delacour herself.

Despite acknowledging that Fleur possessed stunning silver hair, despite recognizing that she was already magnificently beautiful at such a young age and would undoubtedly become even more breathtaking as she matured, despite... well, despite many appealing qualities, he simply couldn't accept such an arrangement.

"Miss Delacour, I genuinely had no knowledge of this arrangement, but please don't worry. I'll speak with Madame Perenelle and explain that this won't work," Erwin said firmly.

However, his words seemed to have the opposite effect from what he intended.

This time, it was Fleur's turn to become visibly upset.

Women could be remarkably contradictory creatures, Erwin reflected.

If you showed them attention, they might dismiss you as overly eager. If you ignored them, they became rebellious and demanding.

"You don't find me attractive?" Fleur asked, her voice carrying a note of wounded pride.

Erwin felt completely bewildered.

How had she managed to focus on such a specific detail when that wasn't what he meant at all?

"That's not what I meant at all," Erwin explained patiently, trying to choose his words carefully.

"You're beautiful, in fact, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever encountered. But we don't know each other at all. How can we possibly consider ourselves engaged when we're complete strangers?"

Only then did Fleur nod with apparent satisfaction, clearly pleased by his acknowledgment of her beauty.

"Let's set aside the engagement discussion for now," Fleur said, changing the subject abruptly. "Madame Perenelle spoke very highly of you in her letter, describing you as an unprecedented magical genius. I'd like to challenge you to a duel to see if her praise was justified."

Erwin studied her determined expression and reluctantly agreed to the challenge.

He could see that she wouldn't be satisfied until she had tested his abilities for herself.

The magical duel began with considerable fanfare but ended almost immediately.

The gap in skill and power between them proved to be absolutely enormous. Erwin defeated Fleur so quickly and decisively that it hardly seemed like a proper contest.

Fleur stared at Erwin with a complicated mixture of emotions playing across her face.

He had defeated her without even drawing his wand, and when she demanded additional matches to prove it wasn't merely luck, he proceeded to defeat her three consecutive times with the same effortless ease.

For the first time, she truly understood what Madame Perenelle had meant by calling him an "unprecedented genius."

Seeing her dejected expression and the way her shoulders sagged in defeat, Erwin felt a pang of sympathy.

Despite her initial attitude, he couldn't help but want to comfort her.

"Don't be discouraged," he said gently. "You've been studying magic for several years now, and you did manage to make me consider drawing my wand."

Upon hearing this rather backhanded attempt at consolation, Fleur found herself laughing despite her frustration.

Was this seriously his idea of comforting someone?

"Hmph!" she huffed, lifting her chin with elegant indignation like a proud white swan displaying its grace.

After shooting Erwin a pointed glare, Fleur began walking forward on her own, clearly expecting him to follow.

Erwin scratched his head in confusion.

Was this her way of accepting his company, or was she simply too proud to admit she needed directions around the unfamiliar castle?

Although he remained uncertain about Fleur's feelings toward him, he found himself following her lead.

As they continued their tour, the atmosphere between them gradually began to shift in a more positive direction.

Fleur started pulling Erwin along with her, bombarding him with questions about various topics.

Some concerned advanced spellwork, others dealt with complex alchemical processes, but the majority focused on more personal subjects: his life at Hogwarts, his interests, his experiences with magic.

Along the winding paths of the castle grounds, an oddly harmonious rhythm developed between the girl's chattering curiosity and the boy's patient, if sometimes exasperated, responses.