Fiancée No More: The Forsaken Lady, the Prince, and Their Make-Believe Love Volume 1 E-Book

Mari Morikawa

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Fiancée No More: The Forsaken Lady, the Prince, and Their Make-Believe Love
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 425

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Estelle Flozeth is the sister of a countryside earl, and her newfound ability to see others’ emotions through their mana has brought her nothing but trouble!

Her life drastically changes one day when her childhood friend and fiancé is swept away from her by the daughter of a capitalist. Heartbroken, Estelle attends a ball and winds up meeting Prince Arcrayne, a wicked man who soon finds out about her special power and decides he must have her for himself! To that end, he proposes to her and begins acting like a veritable Prince Charming, pretending he fell in love with her at first sight—a charade that might fool everyone else, but not Estelle and her perceptive powers. Yet in spite of everything, she gradually finds herself drawn to the prince...

Will their make-believe love blossom into the real thing? Find out in this reluctant Cinderella story fraught with political intrigue!

Leseprobe

Chapter 1: End of the Engagement and a New Encounter

The Kingdom of Rosalia was a nation situated on the island of Great Rosalia. This island stretched a long distance from the north to the south, and the climate was so different on its opposite ends that one would have thought it wasn’t even the same kingdom anymore.

The earldom of Flozeth, the place of Estelle’s residence, was nestled in a valley in the northern part of the island, and it was well-known as one of the few snowy regions in the kingdom.

In July, these lands were as green as they ever got. A green carpet covered the mountains, and the pigs and sheep grazing in the pastures made for a peaceful countryside scene. Dragons lived nearby and would occasionally cause major damage to the crops, but climate-wise the summers in Flozeth were nice and cool.

Estelle was the younger sister of Earl Flozeth, the ruler of this domain. The two were expecting guests on this day. She was standing at the window in her room in the earl’s mansion, gazing at the courtyard with nervous anticipation when at last she saw the coach arrive. It stopped in front of the entrance, and out stepped her fiancé, Lyle, and his father, Earl Wyntia. For a moment, Estelle looked overjoyed at their arrival—but her expression swiftly turned to a frown.

Her purplish-red eyes were gifted with a special power—the power to visually perceive the mana of living creatures.

Mana was biological energy found in nearly all living creatures. Some humans, who’d been born with vast supplies of mana, discovered that said mana granted them powers. People referred to them as the Awoken. Estelle was a type of Awoken; she could perceive a living creature’s mana—which was ordinarily invisible—as a mass of silver light swirling around its heart.

How an individual discovered they had powers varied greatly. For some, it was through training; for others, through having a brush with death.

In Estelle’s case it had been the latter. Six years ago, Flozeth had experienced a devastating scarlet fever epidemic, and Estelle had discovered her powers after she’d almost died of the disease.

Incidentally, there was a high number of the Awoken among nobles, who tended to be born with vast supplies of mana. There was a correlation between powers and mana; both were inherited at the same time. In order to maintain absolute power, the royal family brought all kinds of Awoken into its bloodline through marriage. As a result, the pedigree of royals far surpassed that of everyone else, since their family line could be traced back over five hundred years.

Estelle had become aware of her powers when she’d touched a mana stone after her fever let up. Mana stones were a special kind of mineral that absorbed mana and converted it into energy. They had a wide variety of applications, such as plumbing and mana-based furnaces.

As soon as she had touched the mana stone, she’d begun to see silver light flow to it, and she’d realized her sight was different from how it had been before her illness.

Her power wasn’t limited to simply the visual perception of mana in living things. After some experimentation, she’d discovered she was able to read the emotions of other people. For example, if someone in front of her felt delighted or happy, their mana would grow radiant; but if that person felt negative emotions—like sadness, anger, or hatred—it would darken instead.

Being able to see people’s emotions wasn’t always a good thing. Estelle could see the entirety of the other person’s mana like a halo around the sun. The amount of mana you could expect a person to possess highly depended on their social class; commoners typically had very little, and nobles had more and more the higher their social status. And given how much importance nobles placed on the amount of mana they possessed, being able to actually see it put extra pressure on Estelle, making her thoroughly averse to high society.

Still worse, this power was active at all times; it could not be “turned on and off” at will. It made you see even the things you didn’t want to see. In addition, even were you to close your eyes, you would still perceive the presence and emotions of the living things around you as light—though the range of such perception would be shorter than if your eyes were open.

Perhaps that meant the power did not originate with the eyes. Either way, it was a source of trouble.

The reason Estelle had frowned upon seeing Earl Wyntia and Lyle was the fact that their mana was utterly dark. Did something bad happen? wondered Estelle. She had a terrible premonition.

***

Earl Sirius Flozeth, the head of the Flozeth household, greeted the guests at the front door.

“We’ve been expecting you, Lord Cedric, Lyle.”

“It’s been a while, Lyle,” added his younger sister Estelle.

“It has indeed, Estelle,” replied her betrothed.

A month had passed since they had last seen each other. Lyle’s expression was stiff, quite unlike the happier one Estelle had grown used to. And his mana was indeed terribly dark. Estelle stared at Lyle’s face.

It quickly became clear that her premonition was on point. Once the guests had entered the parlor and settled in their seats, Earl Wyntia brought up the reason for their visit.

“Sirius, I hate to ask this of you...but perhaps it would be best if you pretended the engagement between Lyle and Lady Estelle never happened.”

Estelle’s vision went dark. All the sounds around her rapidly grew distant and muffled.

“This is quite sudden, I must say. What brought this on?” replied Sirius, quite bewildered.

Earl Wyntia began to explain the situation, albeit with frequent pauses and sighs.

“The damage caused by last year’s never-ending rain has exceeded all expectations, you see... And I am deeply ashamed to admit that we are in dire financial straits at the moment, given this event and my investment into a textile factory a year prior to it...”

The two earldoms of Flozeth and Wyntia were adjacent to each other. They had much in common, from their climates to their industries. Unfortunately, they also shared infertile land, on which few crops could be grown even in summer due to the cold nights. The people of these domains relied heavily on cattle and potatoes for their livelihoods, as well as those grains—like barley and rye—that could be cultivated even in cold environments.

The previous year’s constant rain had affected the earldom of Flozeth more than enough. It had gone on from spring to early summer, damaging the crops not only with cold weather but with flooding as well. Wyntia had not been the only region to suffer tremendous damages. A big part of what had allowed Flozeth to persevere was the vein of mana stones the earldom had been blessed with.

“I had to take out a significant loan from Pautrier’s to make up for the losses. At first I planned to gradually repay it over time, without any drastic measures...”

Pautrier’s was one of the prominent trading companies in the kingdom. It had amassed enormous wealth through trade with the eastern states, such as the Yang Empire and Gandia. The previous head of the family had earned the rank of baron, securing them a place among the nobility.

“But apparently the owner’s daughter fell in love with Lyle at first sight—and because of my debt, I have no choice but to arrange a marriage between them...”

Estelle heard Lyle clench his teeth as he sat in front of her. He was a handsome man with jet-black hair, mysterious purple eyes, and a strong, virile face; he gave off the impression of a man in control of his desires. It was no wonder Pautrier’s daughter had fallen in love with him at first sight.

“Why didn’t you come speak to us before things had progressed this far?” asked Sirius with a grim expression.

“You had your own share of problems, did you not? Besides, you inherited your rank at a young age, so I imagined this was your first time dealing with natural disasters on this scale... Forgive me. I did not wish to burden you.”

Sirius found himself at a loss for words. It was true that he was still inexperienced in this.

“Forgive me, Estelle,” continued Earl Wyntia. “I feel utterly guilty for asking to end your engagement this way...”

Seeing the two Wyntias’ grave expressions, Estelle knew she had no say in the matter—to them, it was already a done deal.

On this day, in July of the year 533 of the Rosalian calendar, Estelle lost her fiancé in exchange for a large financial compensation.

Lyle had been her childhood friend—a man three years older than her, with whom she had played countless times as they visited each other’s domains. He had been kinder to her than her own brother, and she loved him dearly. I’ve always dreamt about our wedding, and this is how things should end, she lamented. Estelle just barely managed to hold her tears in until she saw the two off, and then, at last, she let them burst out.

“Estelle...”

“Brother... It’s money that I’ve lost him to, isn’t it?”

The damages from the rain had been so extensive that the Flozeths couldn’t afford to financially support their neighbors. But I didn’t lose to Pautrier’s daughter as a woman, Estelle reminded herself inside her heart.

Seeing her like this, Sirius looked like he had something to say.

***

“Lady Estelle, a letter for you,” said Estelle’s lady's maid, Leah. She added, “If you ask me, it’s perfectly fine to tear it up and throw it away without so much as opening the envelope—but would you care to read it?”

Estelle knitted her brows upon seeing the sender’s name on the envelope. After opening it, she outright grimaced.

“Say, Leah. Is Pautrier’s daughter making fun of me, perhaps?”

Inside the envelope was an invitation to Lyle and Diana Pautrier’s wedding. No ordinary woman would dare have invited the former fiancée of the man she’d stolen from her to their wedding. Not to mention it was scheduled for June next year. That had been when she’d planned to marry Lyle, if only the Pautriers hadn’t thrown a wrench into the works.

Estelle and Lyle had made their engagement two years prior to these events, on the day she’d graduated from a girls’ school. The day of their wedding had ended up so distant because she had wanted to let Lyle graduate from university first. Had she known things would come to this, she wouldn’t have waited.

“She most certainly is, Lady Estelle. You have every right to be angry.”

Leah’s dismissive attitude at least seemed to bring Estelle some relief.

“Do you, perhaps, plan to attend?”

“Of course not.”

Estelle got up from the sofa, walked to the fireplace, and threw the invitation into the flames.

“How aggravating. I shall be sure to find someone even better than Lyle for myself. That will show her.” A crease appeared between Estelle’s eyebrows.

Four months had passed since her engagement had been broken off, and it was almost that time of the year when nobles started actively socializing. This period was known as the Season—it took place in Albion, the capital of Rosalia, and lasted from November to around May. The opening of the Season coincided with the sitting of Parliament, and since all hereditary peers held seats in the House of Lords, it wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say that nobles from all over the country flocked to the capital during this time.

Snow began to pile up at the beginning of December every year in the mountainous northern domains, so the Flozeths took to the capital before this, with the arrival of November.

At present, Estelle was staying in her family’s town house in Albion, together with Sirius. It wasn’t as big as their country house in the earldom. The Flozeth household wasn’t too wealthy; all they had in Albion was a small two-story detached house. And though it was situated on the edge of a high-class residential area, the lives of regional lords were modest in comparison to those of the wealthiest and most powerful, who usually owned several mansions.

There was no doubt that Diana enjoyed more luxuries than Estelle did. Baron Pautrier’s mansion in the center of Albion was well-known for its splendor. And while the Pautriers of days past might not have held as much influence in high society, in the present—as capitalists gained power—they had an advantage over the Flozeths there too. That made things all the more infuriating for Estelle.

Though she had so enthusiastically resolved to get back at Diana, it was very difficult to find a man more suitable than Lyle. Peers of the rank of earl or higher were in such high demand that practically all of them were already spoken for. This kingdom practiced agnatic primogeniture—a system in which all the inheritance generally goes to the firstborn son—but with a preference for the Awoken. Unless there was a special reason, such as one of the younger sons discovering powers or the heir apparent being in poor health, the eldest son would inherit the title and all property and wealth. Thus, younger sons had lower value, as they had to find success on their own.

Additionally, finding a better marriage partner than Lyle would require Estelle, who was rather withdrawn, to proactively engage with high society—a prospect that made her feel gloomy.

She looked down at herself, studying the mana in her own body. It was dark—likely owing to a mixture of her anger at Diana, her worries over what was to come, and everything else that was vexing her. Estelle adjusted the shawl on her shoulders, staring into the fire crackling on the hearth. That maddening invitation had already turned to ash. And yet, it did little to dispel Estelle’s melancholy.

***

Dressing up was a challenging task for a lady. Corsets were painfully tight, and makeup brushes were rather ticklish. But once Estelle had finished with that ordeal and looked in the mirror, she saw a much lovelier version of herself than usual.

Her lady's maid, Leah, had good taste in fashion. She’d neatly braided Estelle’s chestnut hair and adorned it with a pink ornament made out of the same cloth as her dress. The string of pearls around Estelle’s neck, as well as her pearl earrings, were mementos from her mother, and were made to give off a proper and elegant look. Estelle didn’t think she could compete with a truly stunning beauty, but dressing up made her more confident nonetheless.

She was also fond of the features she had inherited from her late mother. Many northerners had purplish eyes for genetic reasons, but Estelle and her brother, Sirius, had inherited their mother’s distinctive purplish-red eyes.

“Now you had best make haste downstairs. Lord Sirius is awaiting you.”

At Leah’s prompting, Estelle left her second-floor room.

On her way to the parlor, Estelle ran into her brother, who was already dressed formally and looked like he had been kept waiting for a while. He was to be Estelle’s escort at the upcoming soiree.

Her parents had already passed on. What had taken them from her was the scarlet fever epidemic that had ravaged Flozeth the summer of six years prior. She’d been attending a girls’ school in Albion back then, and when she’d come home for her summer break, she had caught the disease and found herself at death’s door.

Her only family member who hadn’t gotten infected was Sirius. He had been too busy with his assignments at the University of Albion and had managed to avoid the danger by staying in the capital by himself.

While the aforementioned scarlet fever had Awakened Estelle to her power, it had bereaved her of her parents without a shred of mercy. Afterward, Sirius left the university without graduating and inherited the title of earl at the young age of nineteen.

It must be stated now that Estelle had kept her power secret from her brother.

Though Sirius had the support of his uncle—his father’s younger brother—the sudden onset of an earl’s rigorous duties had quickly worn him out, and it had hardly been an appropriate time for Estelle to reveal her secret. But that wasn’t all there was to it: she was scared of him finding out she could see people’s emotions.

High society was rife with people who hid their sordid emotions behind pleasant smiles, and Estelle’s school had been no exception. Estelle’s eyes laid it all bare. When she had seen through the motives of her classmate, whom she had considered her best friend, it had hurt Estelle deeply. If she told her brother about her power and he distanced himself from her because of it, she felt it would bring her so much pain that she would want to end her life. He was her only remaining family in the whole world, after all.

Estelle’s fears had also been exacerbated by a romance novel that had been popular at the time. Its protagonist, a high-class lady, was loathed by her family for being able to read minds. She was locked up in the attic and abused. In the end, her childhood friend—who knew about her ability but didn’t resent her for it—saved her and they got married. It was a classic love story, but the fact that it depicted a mind-reader being the object of such intense hate hit too close to home for Estelle.

Additionally, were she to make public her new status as an Awoken, she ran the risk of being married off to someone other than Lyle. A noble child’s value was dictated not just by their family’s rank but—more importantly—by their mana and endowment with powers. Estelle had an average amount of mana for an earl’s daughter, but becoming an Awoken had greatly raised her value.

Because of the rarity of Awakening and the types of powers that could be inherited, royals and high-ranking peers coveted Awoken for their own lineages. And Estelle loved Lyle and didn’t want any great houses to interfere. Though in the end, Diana had come between them and taken him away from Estelle anyway—which had nothing to do with anyone’s powers.

Estelle recalled Lyle’s well-formed features, then lightly shook her head to chase the thought away.

Revealing herself as an Awoken was bound to make the search for a new fiancé easy. And while Estelle wasn’t looking to push her brother aside, it would allow her to become head of the family as a countess.

However, she couldn’t help feeling reluctant about revealing her ability to perceive mana and emotions. After some deliberation on the subject, she concluded it was best to keep her power hidden as before.

“There you are at last, Estelle,” said Sirius, looking bored.

“A women’s toilet takes time,” retorted Estelle with her nose in the air.

“Not bad, not bad,” Sirius replied after a moment. “Good luck. I know you’re not exactly fond of socializing.”

“You say that as though you were any good with evening parties yourself, brother. And I believe you’ll need that luck as much as I.”

Her comeback made Sirius fall silent. Just as Estelle had to find a husband, he had to find a wife for himself. He still hadn’t set his sights on anyone, swamped with work as he had been after inheriting the title.

As siblings, they naturally looked similar in face and figure. Sirius wasn’t as much of a looker as Lyle, but his features were shapely. And while his earldom was located in the northern countryside, he was still an earl. He wasn’t exactly a man few would want to marry, and yet...

The thought passed through Estelle’s head: I wonder if the first prince or Marquess Rogell will be there.

Perhaps there were more suitable young bachelors around. For whatever reason, Estelle’s brother seemed to be having trouble finding himself a wife.

I would choose him over a prince, thought Estelle.

He had an insensitive and ill-mannered side, but Estelle loved her brother nonetheless. And she preferred living a calm and quiet life in the Flozeth earldom to potentially marrying into some troublesome family, complete with the vortex of expectations she assumed went along with the royal life.

Estelle’s brother offered his arm to escort her, and she laid her hand on it and gently held on to him.

***

Outside the coach window, Albion bustled with activity. Lights powered by mana stones lined the main street, giving the evening an orange glow.

The earldom of Flozeth must’ve been seeing light snowfall right about now. It wouldn’t begin to pile up too much until December, but once it really started falling, everything would be buried in white—to the point that the snow would need to be cleared every day. As the snow made coaches unusable, the people of the earldom fastened sleighs to their horses to travel; but for the most part, they simply stayed home, waiting for the eventual thaw.

Meanwhile, in Albion, in the south of the country, snow rarely piled up. Coaches could be used all year round, and the city streets were bustling. When she thought about the big difference in life between the north and the south, Estelle felt bitter about the snow burying the place where she was born.

After they’d resolved to focus on socializing this Season—to find a new fiancé for Estelle—the siblings had left the management of the earldom to their uncle and headed for Albion. The two continued to worry for their people, however, with yet another of Flozeth’s harsh winters ahead.

I hope they won’t get much snow this year, wished Estelle.

All this on her mind, she gazed vacantly out the window. Sirius, who sat in front of her, spoke up.

“Estelle, tonight’s ball is sponsored by Marquess Rogell, who’s highly popular with the ladies. Hopefully you catch his eye.”

“Oh, the competition is too fierce.”

Marquess Rogell, also known as Claus Rogell, was a marquess at the young age of twenty-three. His staggeringly handsome features, ice-blue eyes, and silver hair had earned him the title of Lord Ice.

What’s more, House Rogell had both fame and history, having been around since the founding of the kingdom. Miriallia, the late queen consort and birth mother of the first prince, had come from this house. She was Claus’s aunt.

And yet, despite Claus’s looks and pedigree, there wasn’t a single amorous rumor about him; he still had no fiancée, which made him just as popular with the ladies as the first prince, his cousin.

Claus and Sirius had something in common—they had both lost their fathers at an early age and inherited their titles. What set them apart was that Claus’s mother was still in good health.

“Should we really go to this ball, brother?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this is the first time we’ve accepted Marquess Rogell’s invitation, is it not? Going to this ball would mean...”

“Are you worried we’ll be giving up our neutrality?”

Estelle shuddered—her brother had guessed precisely what she was thinking.

At present, the Kingdom of Rosalia was split among three factions in regard to the matter of succession to the throne. There were those who supported First Prince Arcrayne, others who supported Second Prince Liedis, and yet others who maintained neutrality.

As a general rule, the successor to the throne was chosen by the principle of agnatic primogeniture, with priority for the Awoken. Members of the royal family had an easy time Awakening, and both Arcrayne and Liedis had gained powers at an early age.

The public records at the time stated the Kingdom of Rosalia had eight Awoken in total. Five of them were royals.

The reason nobles disagreed on the subject, despite Arcrayne being an Awoken just like his brother, was that Liedis was of better birth and had better powers. The two had come from different mothers—after the demise of Arcrayne’s birth mother, Queen Miriallia, the king had remarried to Queen Truteliese, who’d given birth to Liedis.

Queen Truteliese had come from the family of Duke Marwick—a branch of the royal family that had split away three generations prior. A history of consanguineous marriage​s between this family and the royal one had allowed Prince Liedis to Awaken and gain the use of regular telekinesis—the ability to move objects without touching them—as well as teleportation.

As for Arcrayne, he could only use telekinesis, and he was even said to have a smaller supply of mana than his brother.

What further complicated things was that Arcrayne had by that point already achieved some success in official duties. He had graduated with excellent grades from Albion’s leading academic authority, the University of Albion; and when the king had claimed to be in poor health at the end of the previous year, Arcrayne had done a splendid job representing him for half a year. This had made the twenty-three-year-old prince’s presence felt more strongly in the kingdom.

On the other hand, Liedis was still only fifteen. A mere student.

Thus, the choice of the next king was between the affable Arcrayne, whom one could expect to reign with stability; and a young man of yet-unknown capacity for regnancy, but superior lineage and powers: Liedis. The law dictated the successor to be Arcrayne, but Liedis had a more powerful faction behind him, which prevented the king from holding an investiture of Arcrayne as crown prince. In Rosalia, this ceremony was a requirement for assuming the title of crown prince, and so the position of next king remained unsettled.

Up to this point, House Flozeth had remained neutral on the matter. In fact, the same went for most nobles living far to the north of Albion.

But now, this Season, Sirius had decided to accept Marquess Rogell’s invitation. This was a declaration of his intent to support the first prince henceforth.

“Brother, did you choose to side with His Highness Prince Arcrayne because Baron Pautrier supports his opponent?”

“I wanted to avoid running into that irritating upstart, so yes.”

“Are you sure that’s a good reason to ally yourself with the first prince, who has the odds stacked against him...?”

“Wyntia and Pautrier slighted us,” replied Sirius with anger written on his face. “I made this decision after consulting our uncle, so you don’t need to worry about it. We were close to the limit of how long we could keep up our neutral stance, anyhow. So this is fine. If His Highness Prince Liedis becomes the next king, the kingdom will be somewhat less hospitable toward us—that’s all.”

“Sounds like a big problem to me...”

During the previous year’s devastating rains, they had filed for a tax cut. They also had shipping costs of mana stones to worry about, and sometimes they needed grants to cull the dragon population. Losing favor with the kingdom could have an impact on things like that in the future. This was one of the reasons House Flozeth had remained on the fence up to this point, carefully determining the right candidate to support.

“Don’t make such a face, Estelle. Our allegiance wasn’t decided by your circumstances alone.”

“Lies.”

“I’m not lying. I had His Highness Prince Arcrayne’s personality in mind when I made my decision.”

“And what, pray tell, do you know of him, dear brother?”

“A few things. Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but I went to the same college as him.”

From the Royal College to the University of Albion—that was the ideal path of education for all noblemen. Both of those leading institutions only accepted male applicants and had high requirements for entry. Although Sirius had needed to leave the university early to inherit his domain, he had been on this education path until then.

Prince Liedis was attending the Royal College at the moment. It wasn’t as though all of its students could advance to the University of Albion, so people were keeping a close eye on his prospects. Even if he managed to enter the aforementioned university, he would need to have grades at least as good as those of his half brother to avoid criticism—a regrettable fate, common though it was among royalty.

Inside, Estelle rather sympathized with Prince Liedis. She stared intently at her brother’s face.

“I suppose you were a brilliant student.”

“I might not have been able to get in, had I been born two years later. When the prince took his entrance exams, they were incredibly competitive,” said Sirius with an awkward smile on his face.

Whenever it was made public that the queen had conceived, a baby boom occurred among nobility. The purpose was to try to put their children close to the soon-to-be-born prince or princess and follow them around. Lyle and Claus Rogell were both twenty-three, just like Prince Arcrayne.

“Were you on good terms with His Highness during those days?”

“No. We were in different years and participated in different club activities... I do remember briefly teaching him when he asked me how to hunt dragons.”

“Sounds like you were hardly acquainted.”

“Oh, be quiet. I know, all right? But His Highness looked gentle and kind in my eyes.”

“Don’t most royals act gentle and kind in public?”

In Estelle’s mind, royals always had smiles plastered on their faces and spent their time gracefully waving their hands at the masses.

“His Highness Prince Arcrayne might appear at this ball. You may get to dance with him if you’re lucky.”

Marquess Rogell was related to Arcrayne on his mother’s side and was a leading figure of the faction supporting him.

“You know, I’m not looking to become a princess!”

Such a position would be too stressful for Estelle, whose eyes could see what others could not. Even in regular high society, the numerous and varied expectations placed on Estelle wore her down enough.

She shook her head to reject her brother’s idea.

As the two continued to banter, their coach arrived at Marquess Rogell’s town house. Just as one would expect from a great house—a house from which many women had gone on to marry kings—the Rogell mansion was particularly large, despite being located within city limits.

“Shall we go, then? Your hand, milady.”

“It has been a while since I last had the pleasure, brother.”

A mischievous smile on her face, Estelle took Sirius’s hand and climbed out of the coach.

***

The dazzling ballroom was no less impressive than the mansion’s exterior. One could immediately tell that a major aristocrat lived here. It was a far cry from the small detached house the Flozeths had in town.

A luminous chandelier hanging from the ceiling, antique furniture—and everything was decorated with roses that must have been grown in the mansion’s conservatory.

The name of the kingdom, Rosalia, came from an archaic word that meant “rose garden.” The royal coat of arms had white roses on it, and Rosalia’s national flower was the rose. It was for that reason that the kingdom had roses planted everywhere. Additionally, using conservatories to raise different varieties of roses and make them bloom all year was a status symbol for the wealthy.

From the curtains to the tablecloths to the wallpapers, to the fine decorations throughout the room—everything here was extravagant yet refined. The walls were hung with landscapes hand-painted by famous painters, and display shelves flaunted porcelain made in the vast Yang Empire, which lay far to the east. Its smooth texture and milky color couldn’t be reproduced in this part of the world, which made the empire’s porcelain highly sought-after and very expensive.

Feeling timid after seeing Rogell’s lavish mansion for the first time, Estelle gripped her brother’s arm more tightly. She thought once again about how much she disliked high society. The ladies and gentlemen passing by her were all smiling and laughing, but many of them exuded dark mana. Though she was still furious at Diana Pautrier for stealing her fiancé, she had doubts as to whether she really could strive to accomplish what she had set out to do. Estelle was beginning to grow disheartened already.

This was a den of iniquity—she saw nothing but lies and fabrications, jealousy and spite. Everybody hid their true feelings behind a mask.

Suddenly Estelle felt an awfully bright mass of mana approach from behind her.

“Estelle?! It’s you, Estelle!”

As she turned around, the one she found standing there was her good friend from school—Keira Werny.

“Keira! It’s been a while.”

“Estelle, who is this lady?”

“She’s my classmate from when I attended Adulena Academy. Keira, this is my brother, Sirius.”

“Good evening, sir. I am Keira Werny, wife to a viscount.”

“Ah, that explains it. I am Estelle’s brother, Sirius Flozeth.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Flozeth.” Keira flashed a smile and curtsied to Sirius. “Estelle, I heard what happened with your engagement. You simply mustn’t lose heart,” she said with an anxious look, grasping Estelle’s hand.

“I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, but I’m not disheartened. And I wouldn’t have had a chance to reunite with you if it weren’t for that!”

Estelle returned Keira’s smile and clasped her hand back.

“Keira, I apologize for interrupting,” said a gentleman from behind her—her husband, Lord Werny. “May I borrow you back for a moment?”

“Sorry, Estelle, I must be going. I was so happy to see you I left my husband all by himself. Let us have a proper talk sometime in the future!”

With that, Keira left as quickly as she had first appeared.

“That was the first time I’ve met a friend of yours.”

“She got married right after graduating,” replied Estelle with a shrug. “Plus, she was in a different faction. We’ve only kept in touch through letters.”

Relationships change after one graduates. Keira had been estranged from Estelle due to differences in factions and circumstances. Still, Estelle was glad to be able to associate with her friend again now that she’d sided with the first prince.

As Keira waved at Estelle, Estelle waved back at her.

It happened then—a disturbance that could be heard up ahead. And at the center of it was an incredibly conspicuous trio.

“It’s His Highness Prince Arcrayne. He really did come,” murmured Sirius.

Estelle already knew the identity of all three. Though she had never spoken to any of these people directly, she had seen them from afar several times when she had attended events hosted by the royal family.

The members of the trio were the sponsor of the ball: Claus Rogell; Prince Arcrayne; and the prime candidate—or so everyone said—for the position of Arcrayne’s princess consort, Olivia Rainsworth.

If Claus’s blue eyes were like ice, Arcrayne’s were like gentle sunlight in spring, a perfect match for his handsome face. Vivid blue eyes like sapphire of the highest grade were common among royals. This color symbolized royalty, hence the name “royal blue.” In Rosalia, only royals could wear clothes and jewelry of this special color.

Olivia Rainsworth was here in the capacity of Prince Arcrayne’s partner. She was the youngest daughter of Marquess Rainsworth, who supported Arcrayne’s faction together with Marquess Rogell. Her coral hair and blue eyes gave off an impression of frail beauty.

Seeing the two’s faces and their mana, the thought passed through Estelle’s head: I wonder if Lady Olivia’s love is unrequited.

Arcrayne directed a gentle smile at Olivia as they had their pleasant conversation, but his mana was dark. In contrast, Olivia’s was shimmering. It was rumored their marriage was set in stone, but perhaps Arcrayne was an unwilling participant.

As Estelle contemplated such things, her eyes met those of Claus, who stood beside the two. He whispered something in Arcrayne’s ear, holding Estelle’s gaze. Then, the two parted with Olivia and proceeded to walk toward Estelle.

The sight of the two men walking together—one blond, one with silver hair, and each endowed with a different type of handsomeness—left a strong impression on her.

“Lord Flozeth, thank you for coming to our ball tonight,” spoke Claus once the two were in front of Estelle and Sirius.

“The pleasure is mine. Thank you kindly for inviting us.”

At Sirius’s nervous reply, Claus smiled coldly.

“I am glad you could come before the roses wilted.”

“Before the roses wilt” was a Rosalian expression; it meant “before it’s too late.”

Estelle could sense ill will in both Claus’s expression and his mana. Sirius’s eyes widened slightly for a moment before he put his sociable smile back on.

“Your words are music to my ears,” he replied. “I hope we are able to aid the roses in their glory.”

Seeing Sirius’s brazen attitude, Estelle felt she’d gotten a peek of a side she’d never known her ill-mannered brother had.

The reply must not have pleased Claus; his mana grew dark. Arcrayne’s, on the other hand, turned radiant. It appeared Sirius had managed to arouse the prince’s interest.

“Lord Sirius, it has been quite a long time since we last talked like this.”

“Your Highness, the young sun of Rosalia—it is very kind of you to speak to me.”

Sirius bowed as low as he could, while Estelle curtsied.

High society had an unspoken rule that one was not to speak to a superior without being spoken to first. That Arcrayne had addressed Sirius was equivalent to personally giving him permission to be here. Estelle felt the mana in her surroundings soften just a little, making the atmosphere slightly more bearable.

“Would this young lady happen to be your sister?”

“Yes. She is my younger sister, Estelle.”

“Allow me to extend my greetings, Your Highness, the young sun of Rosalia,” Estelle intoned. “My name is Estelle Flozeth.”

Once Estelle had formally introduced herself, she felt the mana of some people around her cloud over—primarily of the young women. Perhaps they didn’t take kindly to a newcomer speaking to the prince.

“Lady Estelle, the last time I spoke to you must have been when you were a debutante.”

Upon reaching the age of maturity—eighteen—daughters of sufficiently high-ranking families would debut to high society at a ball held at court. They were first presented to the sovereign, then to the rest of the royal family. It was not unusual that Arcrayne had spoken to her there.

“You remember me? It is an honor, Your Highness.”

To ensure she didn’t cause offense, Estelle pretended she was beyond herself with joy.

“Lady Estelle, it pains me to say my first dance is already spoken for. But would you give me the honor of dancing with you on my second one?”

No, reflexively thought Estelle. But she couldn’t turn down a royal’s request.

“Thank you for inviting me, Your Highness. I would be happy to oblige,” she replied, taking care not to let the look of utter joy disappear from her face.

Estelle heard people around her speaking in undertones.

“Oh my! Is that not the lady whose fiancé was stolen by the daughter of that upstart Baron Pautrier?”

“Her family was sitting on the fence until now, was it not?”

“Pautrier supports the second prince—perhaps that explains why they’ve come here.”

“I heard it wasn’t Lady Diana who stole her fiancé, but rather Lady Flozeth, trying to come between the two who were already in love...”

“Why, is that true? I wonder which rumor ought to be believed...”

Noblewomen excelled at gossiping in voices just loud enough that one could barely hear them. Thoughtlessly calling them out on it would result in being told, “How immodest of you to listen in!” A catty bunch indeed.

At any rate, Estelle thought, I know rumors get embellished as they spread, but to think some of them are even putting the blame on me...

“It’s not as though you did anything wrong,” muttered Sirius with indignation.

“Looks like scandals leave a stain regardless of who was in the wrong,” replied Estelle with a humorless smile.

The loss of her fiancé had brought down Estelle’s value. She’d had a hunch that that would be the case, but actually hearing what people said about her in high society still upset her. Even if Diana had suffered reputation losses as well, Estelle was sure she was hurt by it more.

“I cannot abide this. What say you I go on a rampage and ruin this ball?”

“Oh, please, it would be our family ruined next.”

Estelle was happy to have a brother who could sympathize with her and share her anger.

“Don’t worry! Your brother will find you a husband.”

“I’m counting on you, brother.”

“If there’s no suitable bachelor around, you may stay in Flozeth forever.”

“Now that sounds like you’re giving up before you’ve even begun!”

As Estelle pouted up at Sirius, the orchestra started playing music. The ball-opening piece was a quadrille, to which only the four highest-ranking pairs could dance. The first pair to begin dancing at the center of the ballroom were the two highest-ranked guests—Arcrayne and Olivia. Then Claus and his mother, widow of the previous Marquess Rogell, joined in. Finally, the last two pairs started dancing—both with leading figures of the first prince’s faction.

Once this came to an end, Estelle would have to dance with Arcrayne. Perhaps the prince was simply being considerate to them as first-time visitors, but she was so nervous she had butterflies in her stomach.

“Try not to step on His Highness’s feet.”

You say that like it has nothing to do with you, thought Estelle, glaring at her brother.

***

Once the quadrille had come to an end, Arcrayne headed straight back toward Estelle.

“I have come for you as I promised I would. Would you grant me this dance, Lady Estelle?”

“With pleasure,” replied Estelle, still feigning an overjoyed expression, and took Arcrayne’s hand.

Estelle’s height was average among noblewomen, but Arcrayne was tall for a man. Once they took position, Estelle found her eyes at the level of Arcrayne’s breast. She and Lyle had about the same difference in height. Reminded of her former fiancé, Estelle felt something bitter well up in her chest.

A refined and unhurried tune began playing with no regard for her feelings. As per the program written in the invitation, the second piece was a slow waltz.

Estelle danced to Arcrayne’s lead. Her dancing was average—neither good nor terrible. Arcrayne’s lead, on the other hand, was skillful, and Estelle was surprised to find herself lighter on her feet than her ability would ordinarily have allowed, even despite the height difference.

As she wasn’t fond of socializing, she always did the bare minimum of dancing at balls. Thus, she could pretty much only compare Arcrayne’s dancing to that of Lyle and Sirius. Lyle was like Estelle, neither good nor bad, and Sirius’s lead was rough.

Dancing with Lyle had been like following the textbook to a T. Sirius, on the other hand, was agile and could dance well, if he put his mind to it. When he danced with other women, he was courteous, but with Estelle he would be nasty on purpose. Compared to her experience with those two, dancing with Arcrayne was easy, and the bitterness she’d felt earlier grew less pronounced over time.

“I see you can dance well.”

“Only thanks to your wonderful lead, Your Highness,” replied Estelle with a smile.

Anybody would agree that Arcrayne was an orthodox prince. Not only was he handsome, he was also tall, slim-looking but in fact muscular, and his gorgeous soiree frock coat suited him well.

If not for Estelle’s power, she would no doubt have been able to enjoy the dance more—but the mana of the young women around her had been dark and frightening ever since she had started dancing.

Arcrayne’s mana was dim too. It had been that way ever since the quadrille with Olivia, and so Estelle wanted to believe it wasn’t her he found displeasing but dancing itself.

All of a sudden, after several steps and a turn... Estelle shuddered, sensing malice beyond comparison to the animosity of the women around her.

Among the guests behind Arcrayne stood a waiter with murky mana. He continuously stared at the prince.

He scares me, thought Estelle. She casually made a step in the opposite direction to distance herself from the man, guiding Arcrayne with her. What’s with that man?

As she continued to watch the waiter in secret, she noticed he was holding a handgun under his tray. Her eyes widened. The gun was pointed at Arcrayne.

She moved before she could think, shoving the prince away with all she had. The next moment...

Bang! rang through the ballroom, and a sharp pain coursed through Estelle’s left upper arm.

It hurts... It burns... She could think of nothing else. The screaming and shouting all around her began to grow distant.

“Lady Estelle!”

Estelle fell suddenly, and Arcrayne caught her in his arms. The smell of fresh bergamot tickled her nostrils—perfume, perhaps. As her vision grew dim, she saw Sirius running toward her, his face wan.

With that, Estelle’s consciousness faded into darkness.

***

It’s so hot... The thought was running through Estelle’s head as she came to her senses. She couldn’t understand why she felt hot in every part of her body. Have I caught a cold?

Around her was a place she didn’t recognize. She lay in the center of a fine-looking canopy bed. It was dim but not completely dark, thanks to a gentle, indirect orange light in the room.

Beyond the canopy, Estelle could see the dark brown drawing room furniture, likely walnut. Along the walls were serene rural landscapes, with Yang pottery on the shelves. The room had an elegant and calming ambience.

Where...am I...? she wondered.

As she tried to get up, sharp pain shot through her left upper arm. She collapsed in agony, at last remembering what had happened earlier.

She’d been shot. Right in the middle of her dance with Prince Arcrayne, at the ball held at Marquess Rogell’s mansion.

Estelle trembled in fear, belated as it was. Her body felt terribly sluggish and hot. She had heard one would get a fever when sustaining a wound, and that fact was now sinking in.

She inspected herself. Her wounded left arm was bandaged. The soiree dress Estelle had been wearing when she’d arrived had been replaced with a dressing gown, which was easy to take off and put on and felt highly pleasant on her skin. With this luster, it must be silk, she theorized. Between that and the exquisite embellishments on the sleeves and collar, it was clear the gown was of the finest quality.

The fever she felt likely explained the sweat she was drenched in. Her throat was dry too.

Estelle surveyed her surroundings, then began to sit up carefully, so as not to aggravate the wound. She reached out a hand toward a pitcher on the bedside table. However, she got dizzy in the process and collapsed on the spot. A loud clatter reverberated throughout the room; she must’ve knocked something down.

Someone who appeared to be a maid rushed into the room, crying, “Is everything all right, miss?!” She had probably heard the noise.

“I apologize. It looks as if I’ve knocked something over.”

“Please don’t worry about that. I’m glad to see you’re awake. You’ve been unconscious for a whole day.”

“Gracious...”

With the maid’s help, Estelle returned to the bed.

She resolved to ask the question that was on her mind. “Say, where might this be...?”

“The town house of Marquess Rogell, miss. You were shot protecting His Highness Prince Arcrayne at the ball last night. Perhaps you do not remember?”

“I do remember being shot.”

“Your voice is hoarse, miss. I will bring water and then clean up.” The maid gave Estelle a smile and left the room.

A little while later, the maid returned with a new pitcher. On her tray was also a spout cup, which she must’ve brought out of consideration, so that Estelle could drink while lying down.

“Please have some water first.” The maid brought the spout cup to Estelle’s lips.

The water inside was faintly acidic and sweet. It appeared to have lemon and honey in it. Once she saw Estelle start to feel better, the maid began cleaning up the floor.

“Um, thank you... Have you been taking care of me here ever since I was shot?” timidly asked Estelle.

“That’s right,” replied the maid with a pleasant smile. “The doctor said it was best not to move you. Lord Flozeth is staying here too.”

“He is...?”

Just like Sirius was to Estelle, Estelle was Sirius’s only remaining family. They had other relatives they could trust—their uncle and his wife—but siblings had a whole different level of significance. Estelle knew she must’ve made her brother worry.

“It’s late today, so I’ll let him know tomorrow.”

At the maid’s words, Estelle wondered what time it was. She looked at the wall-mounted clock, just visible in the indirect light, and noticed the hour hand pointing at one o’clock. Based on what the maid had said, Estelle inferred that it was one hour past midnight.

“The floor is all clean now, so I’ll be taking my leave. Please make sure to rest well, miss—you still have a fever.”

The moment Estelle had been left alone, she grew sleepy. Her body, beset by the fever, still required rest. Thus, she allowed sleep to take her.

***

Mana didn’t only power mana-based devices; it also affected one’s natural regeneration. Nobles naturally had large supplies of mana, so even if they didn’t Awaken to any powers, they still tended to be more sturdy than commoners. They also healed from wounds and illnesses more quickly.

Estelle was no exception. Come next morning, she had already recovered enough to be able to sit up. She couldn’t move her left arm and still had a slight fever, but her appetite had returned. After she’d eaten a meal that was easy on her stomach, had her bandage changed, and had the sweat wiped from her body while she was at it, she felt considerably better.

Another scar, she thought. When her engagement had been broken off, that had left a scar too, a scar that still hurt; now she had a physical one to go with it.

Disregarding the maid’s efficient attentions, Estelle gently touched her bandaged upper arm.

The Rogells’ family doctor had come first thing in the morning and told Estelle about the state of her injury. Luckily, the bullet had only penetrated the flesh of her left upper arm, so the wound wouldn’t take too long to heal. However, he had told her that it would most likely leave a scar, as the weapon the assailant had used was a mana pistol.