Up until this moment, guests of the royal family had been enjoying a lively evening party. However, every attendee soon fell silent as the prince abruptly declared he was breaking off his engagement.
In the middle of the luxurious banquet hall, a dignified young man with radiant golden locks cascading down his shoulders stood with his arms crossed. He was the king’s eldest son, Prince Elliott. Behind him stood a darling young lady, her red hair styled in pigtails. She wrapped her arms around the prince, and they both fixed their eyes on a young lady as the prince’s associates dragged her in front of them.
She was a demure girl, and she maintained her composure even in this situation, quietly allowing the prince’s associates to pull her forward. Her name was Rachel, and she was the eldest daughter of Duke Ferguson, and now the prince’s ex-fiancée.
Elliott shifted to stand in front of the young lady with the red hair, as if to protect her. She quivered behind him. He glared at Rachel as his associates restrained her.
“Rachel, if you have even a shred of decency, then apologize to Margaret!” Elliott said in a tone both critical and sharp.
“The game is up, you witch!” cried Sykes Abigail, the knight commander’s son, as he twisted Rachel’s arms. “We know you’re the one who provoked the other ladies of the court!”
Even Rachel’s brother, George Ferguson, joined in and denounced her. “Please, sister. Just be honest and confess your crimes. How much longer will you continue to drag the Ferguson name through the mud?”
Unfazed by their abuse, Rachel looked back at the prince, her expression cold. “I’ve done no such thing. There is no reason I should apologize to your girlfriend.”
Rachel was a beautiful woman with dark brown hair she kept tied up and clear, pale skin. Her almond-shaped eyes, a deep cobalt blue, shone with intelligence. Her lips were a light pink. The dress she wore was simple, and the color was subdued, a demonstration of class rather than gaudiness. Her whole appearance gave off an air of maturity, and though she was the same age as Elliott, her reserved manner and plain appearance made her seem years older than him.
Rachel repeated her denial in a quiet tone that fit her image perfectly. Compared to the prince, who’d spoken in anger, her attitude lent her words a certain gravitas.
The prince found that infuriating. In fact, one of the things that irritated Elliott the most was that she was acting no different than usual.
Why is she so defiant?! he thought.
Rachel was reserved, and she rarely, if ever, asserted herself. She was a model lady, there to support the men, which was probably why she’d been chosen as the prince’s fiancée. But despite her unassertive demeanor, she would still chide Elliott for his lack of composure.
Because of that, Elliott’s heart had drifted away from her. Or rather, he’d never managed to grow fond of her due to her attitude toward him. She always treated him like a child who needed reprimanding. Conversely, Elliott’s response was evidence that he still had a lot of maturing to do.
Elliott had always felt that Rachel was in his way, and now she had allegedly harmed the young lady he loved most of all. He had a strong desire to punish his ex-fiancée for refusing to apologize.
“Enough!” Elliott yelled. “Rachel, it seems I was wrong to give you a chance to reflect on your actions.”
The prince gestured with his chin, and Sykes began dragging Rachel off to the dungeon.
“Life is long, Rachel. Do enjoy your time in prison.”
He saw Rachel’s lips twist at his mocking tone, her first real reaction. However, it wasn’t the look of disgrace he had hoped for, but an ironic smile.
“Oh, I will, Your Highness. This is a rare opportunity, so I intend to enjoy it at my leisure.”
This was an unusual show of emotion—a look of scorn—from the duke’s daughter who was known for her placidity. But before the prince could dwell on what it meant, Sykes dragged Rachel from the banquet hall.
Rachel stared coldly at her fiancé as he arrogantly spouted his faulty logic.
This guy is utterly hopeless.
It was said that men were slower to develop mentally in childhood, but even taking that into account, Elliott was still far too dull. He was nearly an adult, and he was acting like this?
Rachel could do nothing but sigh. The idea that she would go out of her way to harass an inconsequential girl was absurd. It galled her that he thought she had that much time on her hands. Her supposed crime was risible, and the way he’d condemned her with that serious look made her want to laugh out loud. Did he have even the slightest conception of how difficult the education was for someone who was going to marry into the royal family? Did these people even have brains at all?
In all honesty, Rachel had no particular desire to marry Prince Elliott, nor did she especially want to become queen. She was merely doing her duty as a daughter of a ducal family. Why did she have to fight over this nitwit with a woman she barely knew, a woman who’d concocted this infantile scheme? Rachel had only played the role of fiancée out of a sense of familial obligation, and she was already sick and tired of this ridiculous farce. In fact, she was ready to throw everything away out of sheer apathy.
A snide voice brought her out of her thoughts.
“Life is long, Rachel. Do enjoy your time in prison.”
When that talentless prince uttered those uninspiring words with his inflated sense of self-importance, Rachel could no longer hold her poker face. She cracked a smile.
“Oh, I will, Your Highness. This is a rare opportunity, so I intend to enjoy it at my leisure.”
Oh, forget my noble duties. Who cares what happens to this buffoon?
The prince was reveling in what he thought was a sudden announcement, but Rachel had already heard about his plan from multiple sources. She hadn’t expected it to play out exactly as her informants had said, though. Still, he had torn up their engagement, so it looked like her preparations wouldn’t go to waste.
Elliott was so predictable that Rachel couldn’t stop the little smile that slipped onto her lips. When she caught herself nearly grinning, she relaxed her face and kept it as expressionless as possible as Sykes dragged her away.
The prince had kindly given the order. Now she was going to forget all about her lessons and enjoy herself.
Rachel was actually a little excited for this new lifestyle, shut away in the disused dungeons beneath the palace. Without the rigorous requirements of a future queen. Without a schedule planned down to the minute. Without a head maid to complain when she took a nap, or a tutor to strike her with a pointer when she slacked off to read books.
She would have all the time in the world. Teatime would be any time she pleased. If she wanted to, she could sleep the day away without anyone getting upset. It would be a slow prison life where she could amuse herself to her heart’s content.
Fighting the urge to start skipping, Rachel trudged out of the hall with heavy feet that belied her actual feelings.