Abandoned by the duke's daughter - Chapter 0
“I love you. I want you by my side, forever”
“I am delighted… I hold great admiration for you too”
I happened to be passing by when I saw two young people holding hands and professing their love for each other.
They were sitting on a bench in a secluded spot of the academy garden, hidden away as if to avoid prying eyes. They were still engrossed in their own world, oblivious to my presence.
How passionate they are. I’m sure everyone would give their blessings to such a fiery romance.
That is, if the man were not my betrothed, and the woman, a stranger.
Well, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care. After all, my engagement to him was nothing more than a political arrangement. So, all I could think when I witnessed the scene unfolding before me was that he must intend to take her as a concubine.
I’m so cold-hearted, aren’t I?
Still, it’s not every day you come across a scene like this, so I might as well enjoy the show and eavesdrop for a little while longer.
Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?
My name is Martina Lera Raine.
I am the daughter of Duke Raine, a noble of the Glendia Kingdom. I am a third-year student at the Vendelgard Academy in the royal capital of Verte, and tomorrow I will graduate. A month from now, I am scheduled to marry my fiancé, who was just whispering sweet nothings to another woman right before my eyes…probably…or so I’ve been told…
My fiancé is His Royal Highness Christoph von Wendel Glendia, the Crown Prince.
He has dazzling blond hair and piercing blue eyes like gems. He is handsome, excels in both literature and martial arts, cares for the common people, and is looked up to by all as the future king. I can’t think of a single flaw in him – he is simply perfect. His Royal Highness and I were engaged when we were six years old, and we have been together for eleven years since then. During that time, I received a rigorous education in the ways of a queen, and I have strived to become a worthy future queen of the country. His Royal Highness has also acknowledged my efforts, and we have encouraged each other along the way, promising to support each other in the future.
However, lately, things have started to seem a little strange.
“I want to be by your side all the time, even when you’re working, Chris-sama”
Wrapping her arms around Christoph’s arm and leaning against him, the person speaking was Countess Juliana Heinmüller.
Her honey-blond hair flowed softly in the breeze, forming gentle waves. She wore her hair down to her waist, with small flowers pinned to the sides. Her eyes were a peachy-brown color, and she had a very cute smile. From the sound of her request, I’m afraid I can’t help but think that she might be a bit…well, let’s just say that I can’t agree with her.
“Juliana… I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Why not, Chris-sama…?”
“My work is not limited to my office. I also have many public duties, such as meeting with foreign royalty, conducting diplomacy, and visiting the country. I intend to carry out these duties with Martina, my future queen, from now on.”
Oh? His Royal Highness doesn’t seem to be so head over heels in love that he’s lost all sense of reason. It seems that, despite being caught up in the moment, he is still aware of his responsibilities as the Crown Prince of this country.
So, does His Royal Highness intend to make Countess Heinmüller his concubine? If that is the case, then it should not be a problem, as it is acceptable for royalty in this country to have concubines. As long as the proper procedures are followed, I will tolerate it. Of course, only if the proper procedures are followed. However, things seem to be getting a little out of hand at the moment, so I would like to advise His Royal Highness to correct his course as soon as possible.
However, it seems that I was being too optimistic.
Just as I had decided that there was no immediate threat to my engagement and was about to leave, I suddenly heard her say something that made me doubt my own ears.
“Then make me your queen. I’ll be fine. I’ll do my best! Everyone else says I should be your queen. You love me, don’t you, Chris-sama? If you’re worried about Martina-sama, I have a plan.”
“Juliana? What are you…”
“Tee hee hee. Everyone will help me. Chris-sama, you’ll help me too, won’t you? If it works, I’ll be able to be with you forever.”
“…”
“I’ve kept this a secret from Chris-sama, but Martina-sama tried to push me down the stairs.”
“Wh-what!? Is… is that true!?”
“Yes. Anselm-sama, the son of the Prime Minister, and Kamil-sama of the Bruno dukedom also know about it. They said they witnessed it and would testify.”
“Witnesses as well… I will have to question them directly tomorrow. Attempting to push someone down the stairs is a serious offense. I will not hesitate to take appropriate measures if necessary.”
I gasped and my throat tightened. It was a very small sound, but one of His Royal Highness’s guards noticed and looked back at me. Fortunately, it seems that His Royal Highness and the others did not notice me.
However, this is bad. alarm bells is clanging in my head. i could be caught at any moment. this is to be leisurely eavesdropping on their rendezvousvous with my lady-like demeanor.
Furthermore, I never attempted to push her down the stairs. No matter how many times I say it, it’s definitely not true. Why would she say such a thing? It’s completely absurd.
If His Highness were to believe her words, our engagement would be broken off without issue. I’m not attached to being His Highness’s fiancée or to the position of future queen of this country, so there’s no problem with the engagement being broken off. The problem lies in what comes next. If she puts my life in danger, I could end up being confined, sent to a convent, or even exiled, all of which are undesirable options.
I thought I would be taken to His Highness immediately, but the knight on guard froze upon seeing me and just stood there with wide eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure and, though he usually has an expressionless face, he gave me a sorrowful look and silently gestured for me to ‘run’. I was surprised by his actions, but I nodded deeply and quickly backed away from the secluded bushes in the garden without making a sound. I put some distance between us and then ran as fast as I could.
I love romance novels. It’s unfortunate that I’ve never experienced romance myself. My favorite stories are success stories about lower-class noblewomen. In such stories, a supporting character is the villainess.
The villainess is typically an upper-class noblewoman who looks down on those below her, is arrogant, haughty, selfish, and prideful. She constantly bullies the heroine, and even commits crimes to protect her position as the hero’s fiancée. Common forms of bullying include hiding the heroine’s things, throwing her into a pond, verbal abuse, and ostracism. Things gradually escalate until she resorts to violent tactics such as pushing her down the stairs, which could result in her death.
The hero comes to the heroine’s rescue and their love grows, leading him to denounce the villainess and break off their engagement. The hero and heroine then unite.
I had heard rumors from other students that coutess heinmuller had been close for several months now. problem, i never took any action. in fact, i had been watching it all unfold likea romance novel.
That’s because I believed that His Highness was an intelligent man who wouldn’t mix personal and public matters, and indeed, he had just made a statement that seemed to confirm that. However, His Highness’s last words seemed to indicate that he believed her….
I was deeply shocked.
There are no romantic feelings between His Highness and me. We both acknowledged and understood that. However, as the future leaders of this country, we had agreed to work together to improve the nation, and we respected and trusted each other. Yet I was betrayed. I was not believed. That hurt me deeply.
Sadly, I have been cast as the villainess.
I have never taken any action against Countess Heinmüller, and I have never even spoken to her. What witnesses? Why would she tell such lies….?
However, there is no time for such sentimentality now. I can do that later, after I escape.
Yes, I must escape. To change this situation.
If I remain here, my denial will be easily quashed, and I will be summarily condemned, helpless in the face of overwhelming power. Therefore, I must devise a plan and avoid being condemned tomorrow.
His Highness and the others will likely make their move at tomorrow’s graduation party. I must disappear without a trace before then. Moreover, I must escape in a way that makes me appear as innocent as possible, or there is no point in escaping.
I ran as fast as I could, left the garden, and finally began to walk again once I reached a place with a decent number of people. I sighed in relief. I had been careless. What was I looking at when I thought I was looking ahead? I had tried to act like a perfect noble lady, but everything had gone wrong.
We both fell on our butts because of the force of the impact. I suppressed the urge to cry and stood up, saying, “This is just what I needed,” while desperately trying not to cry. I apologized and reached out a hand to help the other person up.
“I apologize. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine…. Wait, Tina? What’s wrong? You’re so pale.”
The girl who stood before me was another young lady. She had straight, glossy, brunette hair that reached her waist, dark garnet eyes, fair skin, long eyelashes, and a beauty mark on the left side of her mouth that gave her an alluring air. Her figure was flawless and captivating, with curves in all the right places. She exuded an air of sultry elegance.
She was Countess Emilie Paula Lohenstein, my childhood friend.
Every time I see her, her overwhelming allure affects even me, a woman. It’s outrageous. Truly outrageous… I envy her.
However, I haven’t just been sitting idly by. I’ve worked hard. Yes, I’ve worked hard. And as a result of my efforts, I have managed to achieve a figure that, while not as good as hers, is still quite decent.
What was I talking about again? Oh, that’s right. I got sidetracked by her allure.
“Something terrible has happened, Emmy,” I said, taking Emilie’s hands and telling her everything I had seen and heard earlier. The more allies I had, the better.
By the time I finished explaining the scene I saw earlier in detail, I had completely calmed down. At the same time, I felt a little bit of anger towards His Royal Highness who had wronged me, thinking to myself, I could never be his princess consort!
“So what are you going to do now, Tina?” Emily asked.
“After being deceived like this, I don’t care anymore. From the start, I had no interest in becoming a queen or His Highness. But I can’t accept being falsely accused. So I’m going to run away for now. May I ask you to help me with that, Emily?” I asked, taking her hands in mine.
“Of course. It sounds like fun,” she said.
“…Emily,” I said, my voice laced with annoyance.
“Oh, I’m just kidding. Don’t glare at me like that,” she teased.
I shot her a glare. My life is on the line here, so I can’t help it.
Well, I’ve always known that Emily Rae only cares about whether something is fun or not, but it’s still frustrating to hear her say that.
I took a deep breath and told Emily Rae about the plan I had in mind.
“…Anyway, I think they’ll probably make a move at tomorrow’s graduation party. His Highness seemed calm, and I don’t think he’d make a spectacle, like condemning me in front of everyone, but if he does, I’m counting on you, Emily. Oh, and please don’t let your usual habits get the better of you.”
“Yeah, of course. But it’s too bad you won’t be able to see the look on their faces,” Emily said with a mischievous smile.
She had a cute smile on her face, but there was an unmistakable allure in her voice. I couldn’t help but wonder why. I also had a bad feeling about this, but I told myself it was probably nothing.
For now, time is of the essence. I don’t care what they think of me, so I gave her a cold reply of, “I’m not interested,” and quickly said goodbye to Emily Rae.
I had some things to take care of when I got back. I quickly made a mental list of things to do and items to prepare as I headed towards the academy gate.
If I had known then what I would learn later, I could have prevented the outrageous scandal that followed. However, lost in my thoughts, I was completely oblivious to the fact that Emily Rae was smiling happily at my retreating figure.