episode_0020

According to Amelia, it seems that upon arriving at Delchi City Castle, it is customary to first visit the highest ranking person staying at the castle and say hello.

That’s understandable. It’s the same in the world I lived in.

It’s not just because we’re nobles, but for example, when we go to a friend’s house, if the parents are staying with them, wouldn’t it be natural to say hello to the friend’s parents?

However, if there is something a little different about this situation, Prince Evan is staying in Delki City.

Although they are similar in age to us, Prince Evan is higher than Baron Delkisi in terms of location, so Amelia had to go say hello to Prince Evan as well.

Therefore, the place where Amelia and I had a conversation was not in my room in the castle, but inside the carriage on the way to the castle. I asked the driver pulling the carriage to go a little slower, and sent a messenger first to announce my visit in advance.

It was to buy time to get to the castle, understand the situation, and come up with a solution, but it seems that what I did is not something that can be covered up so easily.

“Can’t I explain that it was just a misunderstanding?”

“That’s difficult. If you say something like that in a situation where the other person has already decided that it’s courtship, it only looks like you’re scared and making excuses.”

“… … .”

I’m so tired.

After listening to Amelia’s words, I could think that the situation was likely to be misunderstood.

However, if it is a misunderstanding, shouldn’t it be dismissed as such the moment the person who said it explains that it was a misunderstanding?

“Ah!”

As I was lost in thought, an idea suddenly occurred to me.

“What if the prince hates me?”

What if you think you never want to marry me? If you hate me so much that you don’t even want to be in the same space, wouldn’t marriage at least be a story of passing things?

“That’s dangerous.”

But Amelia once again refused.

“You know that people who sit on the throne of kings sometimes have multiple wives, right?”

“I know that.”

What does it matter if you never get married in the first place?

“Marriages between nobles often begin without love in the first place. It would be fortunate if love developed after marriage, and it would be good if a friendship blossomed that would at least respect each other as human beings, but there are many cases where this is not the case. In the worst case, they separate from each other. As I write, I say that there are times when I live as if I were someone else.”

Amelia calmly explained to me, who still couldn’t understand the situation after hearing those words.

“On the other hand, there are often times when people hate each other or one side hates the other. However, the bond formed by the Supreme Doctrine God cannot be destroyed.”

ah… … I think I know roughly what you’re talking about.

In fact, if you want to have a ‘God-made’ fortune, I would like to say that noblemen you don’t like in the first place should not get married, but as everyone knows, marriage between nobles is not ideal.

They decide on marriage by weighing each other’s status and assets and judging the political synergy when the two come together. Since marriage cannot be concluded so easily, the effect is doubled. It is like a negotiation that one never intends to break.

If the status of the two is similar, it is possible for a couple to fight in a situation where they hate each other. Since one party cannot be pushed unilaterally, even if someone slaps the other, they cannot clearly destroy the other.

However, if one party’s status is clearly lower.

In such a situation, the lower side takes notice of the higher side.

If the higher one is the wife, even if the husband is unilaterally disadvantaged, it will not be very serious. Because the wife is a ‘woman’, it is almost impossible for her to cheat or have another man. For women, legitimacy is needed, but for women, that legitimacy is shattered the moment they cheat.

However, if the higher one is the husband, it is a different story.

The husband can bring in a new wife, and he can just confine his existing wife somewhere in the mansion and leave her unattended.

The wife’s family only needs to keep the terms of the initial contract, because that’s what the marriage was for in the first place.

“Are you starting to feel discouraged now? On the contrary, if you hate me too much, the prince may say that you are engaged, and it could ruin your path to marriage and block your future.”

“… … .”

I thought about it seriously.

“Would the prince go that far?”

I asked that carefully.

Although I have read the villain story, I have not read the original work. Where I lived, the original work did not even exist in the first place.

It would have been different in the world where Amelia lived. There would be no villainous heroines that I read, and there would be that original romantic fantasy.

In the villain novels I read, the male protagonists only appeared very fragmentarily. Moreover, to some extent, they were in the position of an obstacle. In the first place, the novel was a story in which Amelia, the villainess, happened to be connected to the heroine of the original work.

So, Amelia will know much better about the personalities of the male protagonists. Of course, I will know the story about Brother Harvey more clearly.

“… … .”

Amelia frowned and worried.

“That much… … Maybe, maybe not.”

“… … .”

What is it.

In the end, you don’t know.

Amelia blushed brightly when she saw my expression.

“What is it? There’s something I don’t know.”

That’s what I said.

In fact, it seemed like he was embarrassed by the fact that he was blushing as he said that.

“Anyway, we need to do something about this situation now. So that we can definitely destroy the marriage story without overly offending Prince Evan.”

It looks incredibly difficult.

Well, even in the novel, it is Amelia who eventually overcomes whatever obstacles are in front of her.

To be honest, I don’t know why she came to me like this, but I do know that Amelia is a good person by nature.

It may not be a good idea to lean too much, but there is no need to refuse help given in good faith.

*

How much will Prince Evan hate Elsie?

He was the crown prince who even thought about taking Amelia into his royal family in order to destroy her.

After seducing Amelia and marrying her, he imprisons Amelia in a tower and takes a heroine as his concubine, gives birth to a child, and announces that it is the child he had with Amelia.

However, the Grand Duchy of Grattenmount in the Kingdom of Alwen was stronger than expected and was not an opponent for the Empire to easily deal with.

The Duke of Grattonmount truly loved his daughter. If he had really done such a thing, there would have been a war.

Above all, it didn’t end up that way because the good-natured heroine stopped her – and got a little angry – and begged her not to go that far.

Because he was a prince who could think like that, he is wary of the current ‘Prince Evan’.

But at the same time, I also feel that way.

It was because Amelia’s evil deeds were serious, but would she really go that far against Elsie, who didn’t really do anything wrong?

Moreover, they are both still young. Elsie is seven years old, and Prince Evan is ten years old. Would they make such a complicated plan at that age and try to execute it ten years later?

“… … .”

Everyone in Nanael City was caught up in their own thoughts, and the carriage was locked in silence until they arrived at Delki City Castle.

*

As soon as I arrived at Castle Delchisi with Amelia, we first went to see my father, Baron Delchisi.

In terms of status, he was Prince Evan, but this is the Barony of Delkisi. The highest person in the territory is the owner of the territory.

Of course, my father treated both Prince Evan and Amelia with respect, but they also treated them with respect.

“With Lady Amelia visiting our estate so often, I think the estate has become brighter.”

“I also visit with joy because I can often meet my close friend.”

Does ‘close friend’ refer to me?

Well, I don’t think it’s an extremely serious thing to say. But that doesn’t mean I can say, ‘I’m not that close to your daughter.’ If you look at the way Amelia treated me, she still seemed quite comfortable.

“That’s a happy story. If there’s anything inconvenient or lacking during your stay, please tell me. I’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you for just saying that.”

At Amelia’s words, her father nodded and said.

“A noble person is visiting our territory right now. I think it would be good for Amelia Estate to also exchange greetings with him. What do you think?”

“I would be happy to introduce you.”

“Okay. Then, Harvey—”

“—Baron Delkisi.”

My father was about to call my brother’s name, but Amelia opened her mouth first.

This was rude. It is said that the status of a grand duchess is equivalent to that of a princess of a small country, but that does not mean that the authority of a lord should be ignored. Because, in the end, the status of a grand duke is also a ‘lord.’

“… … Could you please forgive my rudeness?”

“No. If there is something you want to say, please say it.”

My father’s eyes were wide open, but he didn’t seem particularly displeased.

“I would like to receive that introduction through my close friend, Lady Elsie. Is that okay?”

Eck.