Sandra turned bright red. Whether it was out of embarrassment or anger, I didn’t know.
That man is the heir to the Schletter family, Franz. He was the son of the king’s foolish cousin, and he’d inherited his father’s straight, chestnut-colored hair and slightly upturned blue eyes. But fortunately, his personality shared little resemblance to his father’s. Raised by a lady renowned for her talents, he was reputed to be intelligent. He was tall and had mature features, though he was around the same age as Sandra.
“It’s not like my father’s foolishness manifested for the first time today, but I never would’ve thought that you’d join him in disgracing yourself in public.”
“I just asked for a dance! What’s wrong with that?” Sandra argued, averting her eyes in shame.
“An unmarried lady does not beg a married man for a dance in front of his wife,” Franz said flatly, shutting down her argument. “Everyone present could see that you were aiming to become his mistress.”
“It’s far too late for that now. I’m already damaged goods. I can’t hope a respectable marriage proposal will fall into my lap.” Sandra looked down, her smile a mix of resignation and self-deprecation.
Even I had heard that a little over two months ago, the engagement between Marquis Hel’s successor and Count Baalke’s second daughter had been dissolved. On the surface, it had been an amicable annulment, but Sandra’s expression clearly said otherwise.
Seeing a beautiful young lady in sorrow would have roused most people’s protective instincts. However, instead of consoling her, Franz narrowed his eyes with disapproval. “Stop playing victim. The other party might have been in the wrong, but I’m hard-pressed to say you had no fault either.”
Sandra looked at him in shock. “He’s the one who had a change of heart, so why am I being blamed?!”
“I agree that your former fiancé was wrong. However, you also carried a torch for another man the entire time.”
“Aren’t I free to love who I want as long as I keep it to myself?”
“Yes, if you had kept it to yourself. However, you compared the two at every turn. Am I incorrect?”
“Well...”
As a spectator, I somewhat pitied Marquis Hel’s heir. The princess’s husband was so perfect that I couldn’t even feel jealous of him as a man. Being the strongest swordsman in the nation would have been plenty already, but he was also quick-witted and highly respected. Moreover, he was handsome in a way that was rare to find—competing against him was reckless.
Constantly being compared to a man like that? Yeah, that would be exhausting.
“To you, it might have been a loveless marriage of convenience, but even so, you should’ve endeavored to establish a relationship of trust.”
Sandra said nothing and bit her lip.
Marquis Hel had nothing to gain from tying a knot with Count Baalke’s family, so it is probable that their betrothal had been arranged because his son had fallen in love with her at first sight. Though the man entered with love in his heart, the woman did not. Then, the woman took his affections for granted, and eventually, his love ran out. As a result, he sought the comfort of a different woman. A typical romantic melodrama.
In addition, there are issues between their families. Marquis Hel’s fortune was built upon commerce. Currently, Prelier is the cornerstone of this nation’s commerce, so of course they would have business deals. Furthermore, in order to reach the capital from Marquis Hel’s domain, one must travel through Prelier. They absolutely do not want to make an enemy of Prelier.
However, Sandra’s family, the Baalke household, are blood relatives to Duke Schletter, who has trained them to be hostile toward the Prelier Duchy. If Marquis Hel’s son found a new lover of a suitable peerage, then his parents must’ve done everything in their power to break off his engagement with Sandra, as if they’d been eagerly waiting to do so.
“But it’s too late for any regrets. If my only option is to become someone’s second wife, then at the very least I want to be with the one I’ve always loved.”
“Ludicrous.” Franz looked at Sandra with undisguised disbelief. “You think you can wedge yourself between the Prelier couple? Do you truly believe you’re a match for that Duchess Prelier?”
She was stumped for words. Franz had just implicitly told her, “Know your place.”
I almost laughed out loud. He’s ruthless, but I agree with him. It’s mystifying that she thought she could rival the princess. She’s just a woman with a face that’s a little pretty...and her appearance she’s so proud of can’t even hold a candle to the princess’s. Why did she think she could compete?
“I know I’m no rival for her, but I just couldn’t bring myself to give up. I want Sir Leonhart to cherish me the way he does her...”
I see her point. The princess’s husband treasures her more than anyone else. I’m sure there are many women who yearn for him when they see what a devoted husband he is. Unfortunately for them, his obsessive love and desire to protect are reserved only for the princess. He won’t treat others like that.
“He would never cherish someone who was rude to his beloved wife. Sir Leonhart is a good-natured man, but I hear he’s merciless toward his enemies.”
They once called him the Black Lion, so there’s no way he would ever show his enemies mercy. If he deems someone to be the princess’s enemy, I’m sure he won’t hesitate to sink his teeth into their throat and tear it out.
Sandra’s face contorted tearfully when she remembered how coldly he had treated her in the hall.
“You should graciously accept defeat,” Franz said.
“Like you can talk! You’re still in love with her!” Sandra yelled as though she were trying to silence his constant barrage of sound logic.
I thought it was an irrelevant counterargument, but Franz didn’t deny it. He didn’t lose his composure either. “And what of it?” he replied calmly.
Conversely, Sandra was the one to become flustered. “Huh? Like... So...”
“I don’t have any foolish dreams of taking Sir Leonhart’s place. Because I know mine, I can contain these feelings and wait for them to disappear.”
Are you serious? Come on, princess, enough is enough. How many promising youths are you going to seduce before you’re satisfied? I looked up at the night sky, my eyes glazing over. I also heard about how she deprived that prince—the one who hails from an island nation to the far east—of his first love. She’s just living her life though, so nothing would come out of trying to hold her accountable, but still...
“Besides, with that as my father, I’m too ashamed to even face her,” Franz said with contempt, his eyes pointed to the ground. “Sometimes, I wish someone would bring him down and make him return his title.”
“H-Hey, you’ll be in a world of trouble if uncle hears that.”
Franz had remained emotionless while he’d made a radical remark. Flustered, Sandra admonished him, but he didn’t seem to care.
“I’d prefer it if he disowned me.”
“The son of a duke could never survive as a commoner.”
“Well, I’m sure it won’t be easy, but I’ve made preparations to a certain extent. I’ll make do.” When he saw Sandra’s flummoxed expression, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. “I’m joking. I couldn’t let him go unchecked.”
“Franz...”
“You don’t need to be confined to your home, so why don’t you explore other options? Marriage isn’t the only path to happiness for a woman.”
“It’s impossible. Practically nobody would hire a noble lady without any skills.”
Although we were trending away from a male-dominated society, there were still only a limited number of jobs a noble lady could work. The positions that immediately came to mind were palace maid and home tutor, but both were highly skilled jobs that required connections, so not just anyone could do them.
“Apparently, many unmarried women work in the Prelier domain. Regardless of whether they’re commoners or nobles, all the women there seem to be leading vibrant lives.”
Surprise flashed across Sandra’s face.
“Don’t just regard Duchess Prelier as your enemy—look at her properly. Then maybe you’ll understand why Sir Leonhart loves her so.”
Sandra lowered her head slightly at that. Though there was hesitation in her eyes, her expression was tranquil. The girl had been filled with reckless abandon mere moments ago, but clearly, something had changed.