Chapter 1-3

amazon.co.jp

In the middle of a grand ball, my fiancé cancelled theengagement. The reason was…

I tried to avoid the cancellation of the engagement, but itwasn’t meant to be.

An unfortunate pitiful lady and a stubborn general.

New one. I couldn't let March pa.s.s with no updates!

Not as s.m.u.tty as 'Serious Thing' though, but I found it amusing nonetheless, hope you do too!

Details will be in the index.

1 An Abandoned Woman

?here was a pop in my ears.

It wasn’t very loud, but I couldhear it clearly over the din of the ball.

Was it the sound of stubbornness?

The sound of blood vessels bursting in anger?

No, it was not.

It was…

‘Very well, I agree to cancel theengagement.’ I said as regally as I could muster in these circ.u.mstances.

(Zuben: Why doesn’t anyone in theseengagement cancel novels show others some courtesy and break up in private?!)

I made a graceful curtsy to my formerfiancé, Eugene, and his new beau whose modest chest was plastered to his armand turned my back on them. Lifting the hem of my gown modestly, I walk awaygaining speed.

‘Isn’t that…?!’

Who said that stupidly?

No. No. It isn’t irrelevant to me.I must hurry.

Goodness, it was hard to run.

I grit my teeth at the unfamiliarfeeling of draft up my skirts and ran once I was out of the ballroom.

I did not look at the otherattendees, who were watching my escape with morbid curiosity. I wanted to reachmy temporary room as soon as possible.

Oh no! It is useless. I will notmake it!

Why? Why did I choose to weartie-side briefs? Why? (Zuben: Cos they are cute…and I feel you)

I had known about Eugene’s changeof heart. There had been rumours amongst Society, and there had been many kindacquaintances who had told me of his cheating without me asking. (Zuben: Werethey really kind?)

My engagement to Eugene had beenamusing, but I hadn’t been really interested. (Zuben: Ah Eugene, you appearagain as a bad guy)

Although he had been holding myhand, the scarlet woman made her move. Stealing someone else’s man, she wasn’t ashamed abouttelling others of her achievement.

To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t liked being engaged. I felt that Eugene and I were not suited. Though, his new love seemed to be acommoner but she seemed to have the ability to judge her surroundings.

But that was not important rightnow, the tie side panties I am wearing are…!

Why had I been so enthusiastic thismorning,

“I will go, I can still go.” I haddeclared without much thought.

Marie, my maid, had goaded me on, “Yes,you can!”

No, you should have stopped me,Marie!

In my family house, frugality wasour motto, but I still had a wealthy stock of undies! Why did we choose thisone? It was my favourite pair. I called it up in my imagination and saidinwardly, “Thank you for protecting my crotch till now!” It was better to letit go, I decided.  (Zuben: hahahaha, letit go)

I wasn’t looking where I was goingas I raced ahead, I didn’t want to be told I was being mannerless, especiallysince the knickers were now at my knees.

But I b.u.mped into something hard,

‘Oh my goodness!’ I exclaimed.

I guess I ran into a person. Aperson with such a firm body I rebounded.

‘Please pardon me, are you alright,my Lady?’ a very masculine voice asked from above my head

I rubbed my achy nose, and lookedup with teary eyes to see, I had run into Gen...General Brennan!

Since the founding of the country,the strongest warrior to be born here was General Volker Brennan. He leaneddown to look at me, his hand on one knee. This dignified general; his darkbrown hair had been slicked back with pomade and he was well dressed for the ball. But what I foundsurprising was he had gentle hazel eyes.

‘My Lady?’

I did not reply for a bit, thegeneral moved closer to me,

‘Oh I am alright, thank you.’ Ifinally said.

General Brennan sighed in reliefand straightened his large frame, for some reason his gaze was drawn away fromme.

On no!

My panties had made the finaljourney downward. I could feel the delicate ma.s.s hanging off my ankle. It seemedthat it was exhausted now. (Zuben: Send a prayer for the lost soul)

I wondered if I should blush. Orthrow everything and faint. It is what the fellow maidens of Society would do,it was usually quite amusing.

I’m leaving it to you, General!

I wish our first meeting isn’t asbad as I believe.ALLABOUTMYNOTHINGS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

2 Volker: Patience

?he lady moved and I noticed therewas a sc.r.a.p of cloth where she had stood, it looked like a handkerchief. Thecorridor was dimly lit, but I hadn’t seen the handkerchief in her hand when sheb.u.mped into me. (zuben: tis not)

‘My Lady?’ I called.

The Lady turned back to me andgasped as though surprised by something, then promptly fainted. I quicklycaught her falling body. She was so light, and she looked like a fairy. Herhair was down. It was like liquid sunlight, it fell in loose waves. Her skinwas looked soft and white. Although they were now closed, I had noticed longgolden lashes over bright eyes that were the green of a forest in summer.  (Zuben: Faint option selected)

Her face was cute. Her lips wereplump and lightly pink and slightly parted. Her neck was slender and delicate.My throat was suddenly dry and I swallowed. Beyond that delicate neck, was hercollarbones where a delicate necklace adorned. (Zuben: What is with Asians all overand collarbones? Must they be prominent, just visible or hidden?)

She induced such a need within me Iwas stunned. Why was I feeling this way to such a young girl?

Tonight’s ball was a marriage celebration;the age of most of the attendees would be about 16 to 17 year olds.

If so, then I, who was going to be35 soon, was l.u.s.ting after a girl who could be my daughter.

‘…’

There was a dull ache throbbing inmy chest, and I groaned.

What was this?

I lifted her and took a deep breathto shake off the strange thoughts that came over me. I did not forget to pickthe handkerchief up, and went in search of the butler to help me find the youngLady’s servant and rooms.ABOUTMYNOTHINGS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

♢

‘Oh no, my Lady!’

The lady’s maid was found beforelong. She had been running around with teary eyes. When she saw me with thelady, she ran up to me.

‘Oh how unfortunate.’ She said asshe took the hand of the girl in my arms and collapsed.

‘Does she have a guest room here?’

If she was a n.o.ble daughter, shewould have a guest room. Otherwise, it would be best to lay her on a couch fora little while. She was so slender.

‘Oh pardon me, my lord, I willbring you to her room immediately.’ She said as she quickly wiped her tears.

(Zuben: Young lady, no one stays ina faint that long. Have you fallen asleep?)

The behaviour looked extreme andoverwrought, I raised a brow.

‘Although, it seems dire now, sheshould be fine with some rest.’ I said trying to calm the maid.

If she needed medical attention,that could be arranged. But he thought, it would be better for the lady to resttill she woke up.

‘My lady has no chronic illness.But Milady’s engagement…she would not want to stay near someone who had behavedthat way to her.’

It seemed there were complicatedcirc.u.mstances, but the maid did not want to divulge all the information, so shecarefully chose her words.

‘Very well, let’s take her to hercarriage and send her home.’ I said to her maid and we started walking.

If I thought deeply, I realisedthat I would only be holding this softness for a short time more.

ALLABOUTMYNOTHINGS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

3 Although it is bad,it is far worse if one doesn’t have nerves of steel.

ℐ awoke in my own bedroom.

The familiar light chiffon canopywas blurry. I could not tell what time it was, but it looked like I woke up atmy usual time. I slept well and I feel refreshed.

‘Marie, are you there?’ I calledout as I rose out of bed.  I got a quickresponse,

‘Milady…’ Marie appeared, pullingback the canopy. She looked gloomy, her voice was sad. This was very out ofcharacter. She looked like someone had died.

‘What happened? Did somethinghappen?’ I asked.

‘….Are you alright?’ she askedholding my hands she fell to her knees before the bed. Her hands were cold andtrembling.

I took a deep breath and asked herwhat was wrong. Marie’s lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears.

On no! Something terrible must havehappened. Had father…had father died?!

How come? Before I left for theball, he had had been full of energy. The end of all existence was darkness.Well, there would be a plethora of things to do; it was a good thing that theengagement was now broken.

‘For such a terrible thing tohappen to young Miss. Being made a spectacle of: Your engagement being brokenin front of so many people, so callously. And then after...such a thing you…youwere attacked.’

I guess I was really pitiful forlarge tears fell from Marie’s eyes, dropping with a pitter-patter on the sheets.She looked rather adorable.

Then I remembered something. Panicset in.

But I was able to overcome it and Irestarted slowly.

‘Why do you think so, Marie?’ Iasked her slowly so she would calm down. But I already know the answer.

‘Because…because, my lady, yourknickers were not there!’

Well, yeah.

I ran into General Brennan andpretended to faint when my knickers were seen on the floor. But now I was in mynightdress, so Marie must have changed my clothes.

…I wonder though. I suppose it wasan a.s.sumption to make, even if one was a familiar husband, to see that under myskirts I had no knickers on. Well, it could not be helped. It did tear.

‘Well did you tell anyone?’

‘To the Master and the Mistress,and Mr Oliver,’ Mr Oliver was our butler.

This is why one shouldn’t show weaknessat home.

A frown marred my brow as I wentdeep in thought. I murmured to myself as I sank back into bed. Ah it was tootroublesome; I should just stay in bed for now.

My principle was to do today whatcan be done today, but this was also a huge conundrum. What to do? What to do?

I pulled the covers over my head.

‘Milady! Are you alright?’ Mariecried.

It was unusual for Marie to be thisdistressed. (Zuben: Something like that has never happened before)

Well, I suppose I should at leastexplain to Marie what happened. Her distress was all a misunderstanding. Ipushed my bedcovers away to find my parents and Oliver standing over me.

‘Oh dear…’LABOUTMYNOTHINGS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

♢

‘...and that is what happened.’

I concluded the recount of theevening. I was now washed and dressed in my day dress and brand new knickers,of course. This one seems very durable. (Zuben: Were you wearing your favouriteone all day erv’yday?)

‘Well, after this I hope you willbe discouraged from wearing your underwear till it is in tatters.’ My mothersaid. (Zuben: Indeed. But then I am rather like Young Lady, when they are a bittattered is when they are the most comfortable)

My father gave a small smile.

‘Are you sure you’re notdisappointed you didn’t get to dance at the ball?’

Oh what is this? I felt a bitlighter and was laughing easily, but was this subtle lightness because I was nolonger tied to that fellow? And because I didn’t have to dance? Eugene ended itbefore the dancing began.

Marie cried a lot, so much she hadto regain her lost moisture so she went with Oliver to prepare tea.

‘We were so distracted by themissing underwear- what will we do about the broken engagement?’

It had been an arranged marriage,the break up had wiped out an opportunity to join our family with a Duke, Icould not help but feel responsible and bemoan my charm as a woman. (Zuben:When one door is locked to you, a window might be open elsewhere)

If one listened to all that Societysaid, they would hear that our family bought our t.i.tle with money.

In truth, my great-grandfather wasa wealthy merchant, during a long war with one of our neighbouring countries;the country fell into financial ruin so my grandfather surrendered his wealthto help finance the army. Grandfather had been very rich, so the money had justbeen acc.u.mulating, he was able to help save the national budget, yo~

With his negotiating skills, he wasable to a.s.sist in bringing about a cease fire with conditions favourable to thecountry and eventually, the war ended.

The King was deeply moved by mygreat-grandpa, so he awarded him the t.i.tle of Viscount. This was met withrepulsion from the aristocracy, and with that we come to the present day.

My family was full of people whowere talented in business and good at making money. We are so rich, the gold prettymuch rots away for we are a family that like living simply and frugally (Zuben:Misers, you mean) However, this means the money keeps acc.u.mulating.

It was undignified in High Societyfor a t.i.tled family to work for their money. Yet, excess was the very essenceof n.o.bility.

And as the bride of a duke’s heir,I was only picked because I came with a hefty dowry, and they would beconnected to a financial power. I had been made painfully aware of that duringthe bride selection tea party by the other bride candidates, ever-so politelyof course. Yet, while there may have been gentlemen I admired, there hadn’tbeen anyone that I had particularly favoured, so I didn’t opposed theengagement. Yet for it to be broken now left me with a complex feeling.

‘For me to be engaged to a duke’sson and get discarded so publicly, I most certainly will not sell.’

At a ball, full of High Society, myengagement dissolved so flashily; my only recourse was to become a nun or bethe second wife of a lecherous old man. I would have really liked to be marriedat least once and become erotic newlyweds with my husband. Oh no! Was that too obvious?

‘Well, we won’t marry you off by force;you can work like a horse for the family for the rest of your life. It would bemore fun than walking behind some pompous Duke?’ (Zuben: She would have been ad.u.c.h.ess, though)

Father…

‘Oh well, we have Ernest as anheir, so do not worry about it. If need be, we can just get you a stud and getyou pregnant.’

Mother…

Both of them treat me like a prizedmare.

Ernest was my first cousin, a yearolder than me.

‘My lady!’ Marie rushed in and gavea shriek.

‘What’s happened?’

‘Ge-General Brennan wants to callupon you!’

What is this?!

ALLABOUTMYNOTHINGS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

How do you like it?

Index ♢