Chapter 1: The Peach Blossom-Colored Mushroom Princess
WHEN Agnes opened her eyes, the room was already bright.
She sat up and stretched her arms as high as they would go.
“…Okay. Time to figure out what I’m going to do now…”
After that little scene she’d caused, no one would want to marry her now. She was damaged goods. But to be honest, she didn’t really want to get married anyway.
Still, she couldn’t just stay home like this, cluttering up the place and being a burden.
In actuality, Agnes was the daughter of Count Lefort’s younger sister. In other words, she was his niece. Her mother had married a commoner. So, until she was eleven years old, Agnes had been raised as one, too. After losing both her parents in a carriage accident, she’d been taken in by her uncle, Count Lefort.
Count Lefort’s wife had also been riding in that carriage, so he’d lost both his wife and younger sister in the same accident. Agnes was the sole survivor of that accident, and she was forever grateful to her uncle for taking her in when she had no other family to turn to.
Agnes was eighteen now and, over the past seven years, her uncle had showered her with love and affection, raising her to want for nothing. So, naturally, she simply couldn’t bear to do anything to inconvenience him.
Agnes’s birth father had been a foreigner from a neighboring country.
The Visage Kingdom was ruled over by the Visage royal family, who had dragon blood. But her father’s country was different. It was rife with divine spirits who protected the land.
Agnes’s peach-blossom-colored hair could be attributed to that part of her heritage. Her eyes were also a vivid green: the color of verdigris, another feature considered very unusual in the Visage Kingdom.
Agnes’s unusual appearance was considered unsightly in Visage, where the people were unfamiliar with the spirits. As a result, she drew unwanted attention toward herself and her family.
Women of the aristocracy wore their hair long as a rule, so Agnes couldn’t simply cut off her peach blossom locks. She’d tried dyeing it several times, but something always went wrong and the color didn’t take. Perhaps it was because of her hair texture.
Her younger brother, Kevin, would carry the family name, so Agnes was spared that burden. Still, she’d hate to do anything to jeopardize his recent, official entry into society. It was a very delicate time.
“…So, the best thing for me to do is return to common life.”
Having grown up a commoner, Agnes could do most things, like housework, herself. Even while living as a count’s daughter, she continued to help maintain the household. She was glad she did, too, when she’d caught her first glimpse of Philip’s foul temper.
Agnes had decided then and there to make sure she could always take care of herself, so that if, one day, Philip sprang a divorce on her in a sudden fit of rage, she wouldn’t be totally ruined.
“Still, I never expected this to happen during the engagement stage… I guess he spared me from experiencing it later…”
Philip had proven himself to be more of a fool than Agnes had ever expected. But then again, this was practically bound to have happened sooner or later. She might as well return to common life while she still had her health and youth.
Most aristocrats would faint in horror at the prospect of having to live as a commoner. In fact, they could imagine no greater punishment. But Agnes didn’t really mind at all.
And this way, she wouldn’t have to watch that cheater, Philip, live out his days. Yes, she’d be spared that particular eyesore.
This is actually the best possible outcome, if you think about it.