“Happiness simply happens, doesn’t it, Lily?”
“My lady, did you hit your head?”
Sitting next to me in the carriage, my handmaiden eyed me with bewilderment. Her remark was rude, but I didn’t mind. It’d been a long time since I was last in such a great mood!
“Finally my promise to my brother has been fulfilled!” I told Lily, beaming.
She looked at me with uncharacteristic astonishment. “Truly?”
“Truly!”
“And this promise involved your freedom in some way?”
“Yes! I’m free!”
“My lady, did you hit your head?”
“Why are you asking me that again?!” I snapped. Once I could overlook, but twice?
I had not hit my head. If anything, my only discomfort was that I was hungry, since I’d left the party in a hurry.
“Well, it’s difficult to believe,” Lily said.
“Isn’t it?” I replied with a chuckle.
I’d never thought this day would come. This is like a dream, I thought. Maybe it is a dream. But I pinched my cheeks, and it hurt, so it had to be reality.
It’s not a dream! I’m no longer engaged to First Prince Clarke, heir to the Kingdom of Astarl!
I couldn’t contain the laughter building up within me. I didn’t want to. Lily looked at me with disgust, which, once again, was rude, but it didn’t matter.
Finally, I was being rewarded for my ten years of perseverance.
A decade earlier, when I turned seven, I was suddenly summoned to the royal palace and informed of my betrothal to the prince.
And the ten years that had followed were hell. Well, I had no intention of going to the real place, so I couldn’t exactly compare, but I was pretty certain that had to be what hell was like.
“We’ve arrived,” the coachman said, bringing me back to reality from my sea of thoughts.
I stepped out of the carriage. After leaving the party that evening, I’d headed straight for the residence of my family—House Dolman—in the royal capital. This residence was where, unfortunately, I’d been made to live since age seven.
As the fiancée of the crown prince, I’d had no choice but to move to the capital. I was no longer permitted to receive tutoring within our family’s territory, and I was to have dedicated instructors in the royal palace.
Before that, I was free.
As the firstborn daughter, I was given a lot of freedom by my father, a duke and the head of our family, who had doted on me a great deal. Since he hadn’t planned on arranging a betrothal for me anytime soon, I didn’t particularly need to meet with other nobles. As far as I knew, my studies as a noble lady wouldn’t need to begin in earnest until I reached the age of ten, the typical age at which education started for most aristocratic children.
As a result, my engagement at age seven came as quite the shock.
My father cried, my mother smiled, and my brother was elated. I don’t quite remember how I reacted.
Either way, from that point on, my daily life changed drastically. Like I said, at the time I was doted on and hadn’t received a proper lady’s education yet.
Suddenly, I was being given a princess’s education instead. My instructors were strict. A daily schedule I didn’t consent to was drilled into my mind. I had to live in a large manor, away from my parents.
I cried. I cried a great deal.
If I behaved in a way my instructors disapproved of, they were quick to raise their voices in anger. My sobs echoed throughout the halls. I wasn’t granted any time for play, nor any chance for a mental break, and over time I began to simply go through the motions. Looking back, it was truly a hellish experience.
The only reason I endured it all was a promise my brother and I had made.
Some time after my betrothal, unable to handle the strictness of my princess education, I’d asked my brother to promise me one thing. Oh, incidentally, my brother had come to live with me shortly after I moved to the royal capital. Personally, I’d have preferred to be with my father instead, but alas.
“Should Lord Clarke come to fancy someone else, you’re free to do as you please.”
My brother must’ve pitied me, miserable as I looked trying to push through my daily life. After a year of me begging him daily to make that promise, he reluctantly agreed.
From that point on, I worked very hard with that one goal in mind.
Hoping that someday my fiancé would take an interest in another woman, and inwardly spewing venom at those looking to find faults in me, I somehow persevered.
And today, finally, the moment I’d dreamed of had arrived! Thank you, Brie!
To be honest, my first impression of her had been that she was very annoying, but now I only thought she was a little annoying. Maybe we could get along, even if I found women like her a bit grating.
On second thought, maybe not. She was still annoying.
“Lady Leticia?” called my handmaiden, Lily.
I’d been staring, unmoving, at the doors to the luxurious estate I’d been forced to live in. I was so overcome with emotion over the idea of finally leaving that I was trembling.
In lieu of my parents, it was Lily who had been living at the estate with me as my attendant. I had other servants, of course, but she’d been with me for as long as I could remember. Having her around soothed my heart.
Although, there was just as much torment mixed in with the soothing, given that she’d been incredibly strict when it came to my education. I’d cried a lot over having a tutor—in the form of Lily—even at home.
I smiled as I looked at her face. She had nothing to worry about! I didn’t resent her. I knew everything she did had been under my brother’s orders!
Not understanding my smile, Lily looked at me quizzically. I didn’t feel the need to explain, however, so I simply opened the doors to the estate and stepped inside.
“Welcome home, my lady,” a number of servants said in unison.
“Hello, everyone,” I replied. “I’m moving out!”
The servants, bewildered, echoed my words. “M-Moving out, my lady?”
“I am! Lord Clarke and I are no longer engaged!” I explained, my loud, joyful voice echoing throughout the parlor.
My servants were clearly panicking.
“That...that can’t be,” one said.
“There must be some sort of mistake,” added another.
“Impossible,” a third chimed in.
They were all bewildered and in denial, for some reason.
“It’s true,” I cut in. “Today, Lord Clarke had a bursty... I mean, a busty lady at his side. His new partner, apparently!”
As I spoke, Lily chastised me for gesturing with my hands to indicate how full the lady’s chest was. I mean, it was so much bigger than mine!
“I couldn’t possibly win against a bosom like that,” I said.
“My lady,” Lily interrupted in a soothing voice, “breasts have nothing to do with victory.”
Aw, it’s okay, Lily! I’m not pressed about it! Just a tiny little bit jealous, is all!
“Either way, as I seem to not be to Lord Clarke’s liking, my brother gave me permission to move out earlier, so it’s all right! Now, please help me get ready! Chop-chop!”
My servants obeyed, despite their troubled countenances.
“Where might you be moving to, my lady?” one asked.
“To an estate in the village of Aberta,” came a reply—not from me.
“Why, brother!” I exclaimed. “You’re back so soon!”
“We have preparations to make,” he stated flatly, quickly retreating to his room.
What a cold man! This was his last day with his sister!
“Aberta Village, huh...” I mused.
I hadn’t exactly been planning to break off my engagement today, so I hadn’t had the chance to really consider where I’d be going now that I was free.
Aberta was a quiet, verdant farming community within House Dorman’s territory. I’d been quite the fishing enthusiast as a child and, since the village was by a river, I’d been to Aberta many times. A perfect place for me to move to! Leave it to my dear brother to know exactly what his little sister liked.
“Aberta it is! We leave at dawn, so let us hurry and get everything ready!” I told the servants, and they each quickly set about their duties.
I moved closer to my maidservant, who still stood beside me, and put on my best puppy eyes, saying sweetly, “Hey, Lily...”
“No, you may not have snacks this late at night,” she said flatly.
“Oh, no, that’s not it!” I denied emphatically.
Granted, I wouldn’t have minded a snack, per se, but that wasn’t the point!
“You see, Aberta is quite rural, and I’ll only be taking a few servants. I believe we’ll be living a great deal more frugally than we are now, and... Well, would you come with me, Lily?” I pleaded.
Lily blinked several times. “Of course I will accompany you, my lady.”
“Oh, Lily!” I exclaimed in delight, throwing my arms around her. “Stay with me forever!”
“Forever is a long time,” she remarked.
Denied...