29 - side story

Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! side story 29

Marquis’s Daughter’s Grief 2

“How do you do, Miriallia-sama”

As Crown Prince and his fiancée withdrew, the mood of victory celebration party turned peaceful.

At that venue I was called out, as I looked over my shoulder a single woman stood there.

A woman in the prime of her youth I’ve never seen before. She’s wearing a blue dress that emphasizes her body lines.

Slender but with plump chest, constricted waist, it’s a figure any woman longs for.

The woman smiled charmingly and said to me.

“I wonder if we could have a little talk?”

Her attitude stank of utter confidence that she wouldn’t be refused.

“I do not know who you are”

Being addressed so familiarly by a person I’m meeting for a first time – moreover by a woman whose family name and peerage I don’t know, is unreasonable.

I turned my gaze away thinking associating with her would only be a waste of time.

But, she was completely unfazed by that attitude.

“I will not particularly lose anything by not talking with you. I do not like Duke Vivoir’s daughter too much. You appear to be the same, aren’t you? So, I thought we could be friends”

“… I do not understand what you are talking about”

The woman saying that means she saw me go mad with jealousy.

Having noticed that, I felt like running away.

I tried to somehow deceive her, but she easily avoided it.

“Stop lying. You should understand. Yes, you and I are the same. That woman is a hindrance. Don’t you think so?”

“Such a thing! I do not think that!”

Unintentionally my voice roughened.

That’s right, I don’t think she’s a hindrance.

If Crown Prince chose her then that’s it. I don’t have qualifications to say anything.

That’s why I shook my head to say it’s different.

“I wonder? Without that woman, you might have been chosen as Crown Prince’s Princess Consort? I wonder if you do not feel vexed thinking so?”

“… That”

It’d be a lie if I didn’t think that a little. Because of that, my response was delayed for an instant.

There, the woman showered me with questions in one breath.

“Hey? My reason and yours are different, but even so we both find that woman undesirable. I do not particularly intend to harm her. I just want her to experience a little scare as a revenge. Hey, don’t you think we could cooperate in various ways?”

“Cooperate…”

Feeling a strange chill from her words, I asked back unconsciously.

The woman laughed fufufu with an alluring smile.

“I do not mean to ask you of anything particularly difficult. Rest assured of that”

“I have not said a single word about cooperating… Moreover, if Crown Prince is okay with her, I will follow that”

Although I certainly felt hesitation in me, I somehow managed to declare that.

The woman laughed as if she anticipated that.

“Truly? Well, fine. Supposing your opinion changes, contact me. If you wrap it around a tree branch at your mansion, I will immediately know. I am waiting for the contact”

She pulled out something like a dark turban from her bosom and pushed it onto me.

Feeling uneasy I tried returning it right away, but the woman didn’t accept it back.

“… I do not need something like this”

“Never mind, keep it. You will surely use it”

“But…”

“If you do not need it, it is fine to just not use it, right? Of course, it is your decision, I do not mean to coerce you”

After all, it is you who will decide.

The woman pointed at my chest, and saying so easily tried leaving.

“Ah, name…”

“If you contact me, I will teach you at that time. Then, Miriallia-sama, farewell”

This time without stopping her feet, the woman disappeared into a crowd.

I was left behind dumbfounded, with my mouth agape.

“It is not my place to say anything this late…”

Even so, it’s the truth the appearance of his fiancée just now weighs on my mind.

There was a difference in degree of enthusiasm between her and Crown Prince.

How does she actually feel about Crown Prince.

I want to know the truth. The truth sufficient to give up on Crown Prince―――.

Grasping the turban that was forced on me tightly, I wished for just that.

◇◇◇

I want to meet her and confirm things first-hand no matter what.

Such a feeling swelled uncontrollably in me, so I earnestly requested a count’s daughter who’s close to her to let me accompany her to a salon organized by the duke’s daughter, and succeeded.

The day the salon was hosted.

The duke’s daughter who met me was a dignified, beautiful woman just as I saw during the victory celebration party.

Regardless of her proper manners, I harbored doubts about her knowledge, but before I could explain she easily recited from memory about Older Brother.

She appears to not be a simple sheltered young lady.

“Is it so strange I know about it?”

Her expression as she asked that was provocative, I couldn’t see her as a feeble young lady at all.

I do not care what she thinks of me. Thinking so, to see how she’d react I brought up the subject she wanted to avoid on purpose.

From then, the talk turned to getting information out of her with Crown Prince as the focus, but partway through I regretted asking her.

It was because her state as she spoke of this and that about Crown Prince was completely embarrassed.

Because I more than enough understood Crown Prince loves her, that was enough for me.

I cannot think of him finding her a hindrance.

But, what about her. I wonder if she thinks of Crown Prince properly.

Her doubtful behavior at the victory celebration party bothered me, I wanted to know that no matter what.

And then, by looking at her, who’s his actual fiancée, I was convinced by the time the tea party came to an end.

Both love each other properly. Then that’s enough.

No matter how painful it is I pray for the happiness of the person I love.

On the way back, by chance it became just two of us, so just to be sure I intended to ask truly one last time.

Do you love Crown Prince – of course I love him , I expected her to answer like that.

Then, as long as I’ll have heard that, I’ll stifle my feelings and later marry per my Father’s instructions , is what I thought.

And yet, this woman.

“I still can’t answer clearly”

What a ridiculous thing to say.

What is she saying, I thought. She spoke fondly of him so much.

She talked about Crown Prince with such a face, and yet with the same mouth she informed me she doesn’t love him.

… Don’t screw with me.

From the bottom of my stomach anger welled up.

She’s loved by Crown Prince so much. She was granted the ‘King’s Flower’ I so desperately desired.

Even so. Wanting more time, don’t give me that nonsense.

Even though she loves Crown Prince, she doesn’t understand even that, I can’t forgive her.

Don’t make fun of me.

I thought so reflexively.

She easily crushed my feelings and yet.

Despite this, the person herself is saying half-hearted thing, yet she’s loved.

There’s only one thing I wish for.

I just want you to say you love Crown Prince.

I only want you to show there’s no gap in your feelings for me to enter.

Otherwise, I’ll never be able to forget Crown Prince no matter how much time passes.

Sorry for having such a painful emotion.

Unable to look at her face, I boarded the carriage with quick pace.

A devil gently whispered to such me.

―――― Rather in that case, she should be frightened.

In that case, no matter how thickheaded she is, she will come to realize the direction of her feelings.

If I don’t do this much, surely that woman won’t realize her feelings.

It was a frightening idea, but for the current me it appeared like the best method.

With trembling hands, I secretly took out the dark turban from my bosom.

In the end I couldn’t throw it away and kept it for all this time. I unwrapped it and watched it intently.

Although I was a little irritated thinking that it turned out exactly as that woman said that I’d certainly use it, I muttered.

“… Very well, I will cooperate”

You should experience something a little scary and then get comforted by Crown Prince.

Then quickly cling to him and show off your happy state.

If that happens, I feel like I’ll be able to put an end to my fruitless first love.

If it’s for that reason, I can cross a somewhat dangerous bridge.

Despite thinking so, after all I felt resistance against joining forces with somebody I don’t know.

I wonder what she’ll do… No, that woman said she doesn’t intend to cause harm.

Then, it should be okay.

“… Haa”

I slowly took a deep breath.

… I should’ve resolved myself, yet the anxiety in my chest wouldn’t disappear no matter what.