The room was excellently furnished, much more so than one would expect of a normal resting room. Was this prepared in advance for Katarina and Jeord in consideration of their high rank? I had never heard of such a thing, but maybe the customs had evolved in the past seven years.
I was intrigued, but I would not want to ask and risk being labeled a plebeian. I kept silent while helping Mary sit Katarina on the room’s gorgeous sofa.
Katarina still had enough energy left in her body to walk on her own feet (with some help), but the alcohol had made her ecstatic, and she kept on talking about food.
“You must try the desserts here! I’ve only tried the salad so far... That chicken looked so yummy...”
Once on the sofa, she closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.
I had now done all that I could hope to do. I had told Mary, who apparently was a friend of hers, that Katarina had drank too much. At this point it would be unnatural to say that Katarina had drunkenly harassed me, and, since Mary appeared near her just as she had finished drinking, my lies would not stand up to much scrutiny.
She may have even seen that I gave Katarina the glass... No, that should be fine. After all I mixed the drugs with grape juice so that it could look like Katarina spontaneously drank too much wine. And, since she drank it to the last drop, there was no incriminating evidence left.
However, there was something distressing about Mary right from the start. I wanted to get away from her...
“I will be on my way, then,” I said, trying to leave the room.
“Please wait. As I mentioned earlier, there is someone who would really like to meet you,” she said assertively. Her face had the elegant smile of a noblewoman, but her hand gripped my arm with no intention of letting it go.
Realizing that following Mary had been a mistake, I was assailed by fear. I was unable to speak; I merely listened as she continued with that same smile.
“Believe me, I would love to punish you myself for what you have done. Right now I am only following orders, so I will have to abstain from doing so, but consider this a promise... if you ever lay a finger on Katarina again...”
She closed the distance between our faces, and, with a menacing, low voice, said something that made me cower in fear.
“...You will regret it.”
Her expression was terrifyingly cold, and her words made it clear that she knew what I had done.
Scared, I tried to free myself from Mary’s grip by pulling her hand off my arm. It was then that the door opened and someone entered the room. This entrance was so refined and splendid that, despite my fear, I found myself fascinated.
“Marsha Catley... it has been a while,” said Prince Jeord with a beautiful smile.
“Y-Yes!”
Seeing him after all these years made my mind go blank. He came to see me! My prince! This must be like in the tales I read as a child. He is the dashing prince come to save me from my captivity in the countryside and bring me to the castle with him!
As I was fantasizing, the prince addressed Mary. “Thank you for bringing Katarina here. I will make sure to repay you properly.”
“I need no such thing. I did not do this for you, Prince Jeord, but for Lady Katarina.”
“Still, Katarina is my future bride. As her husband, I shall have to thank you for helping her.”
Jeord and Mary were completely ignoring me and talking amongst themselves... but they were not quite making sense.
“She may be your fiancée now, but who can tell about the future? Moreover, someone who is not there to help Katarina when she is in distress is not fit to be her husband.”
“That, as I have already explained to you, was part of our strategy. Most importantly, why is Katarina in this state? Had I not told you to prevent harm from befalling her?”
“Well... that is... Katarina moved more quickly than I had expected, and I... lost sight of her. I am very sorry. However, I have had people look into the drugs that would be used on her, and they were not particularly dangerous. I believe she will be fine.”
“Yes, I too had them researched. She will be fine.”
I stared at the two, whose conversation was getting further and further away from what I could hope to understand. There was one thing that caught my attention, however...
“Prince Jeord, I thought that you detested Katarina...”
She forced him into the engagement and kept him under her command, or so I believed. However, judging by his conversation right now, it would seem that he actually had feelings for his fiancée.
“Oh, you were one of those?” Jeord replied to my comment, before turning to me with the most stunning smile and speaking once again.
“I talk of my engagement with joy, and I advertise my love for Katarina at every occasion. Yet, for some reason, there are some people who still believe that I despise her. They are quite a nuisance, to be honest.”
“So... you are maintaining the engagement... of your own accord?”
And, he... loves... Katarina? But, she...
“But she is neither beautiful, nor talented, nor skilled in magic! She does not excel in anything! Why?!”
Upon hearing my words, Jeord’s expression changed into one so cold that he looked like a different person altogether.
“Someone who hears only what they want to hear and sees only what they want to see may fail to understand Katarina’s charm. That is a shame, but I do not care. What I do care about, and will not forgive, is harming my Katarina. Did you not hear from your father?”
Being spoken to with a tone more severe than had ever been used on me was terrifying, but I couldn’t fail to miss the Prince’s last remark.
“My... father?”
“So he really did not tell you anything. Or maybe you just did not listen to him,” said Jeord with contempt in his eyes. “You are the reason why your father was sent to the countryside.”
“What?!” I am the reason? Was it not just the fault of my father and of whatever he had done wrong? “...What do you mean?”
“Your father was removed from the capital to pay for your crime. The crime of spreading bad rumors about Katarina.”
“Because... I spread rumors about her...?”
The timing matched, but I had never thought that the reason could be... And more importantly...
“But who ordered it?”
I could not believe that it had been Katarina herself. Had it been Duke Claes, who so fervently loves his daughter?
Jeord interrupted my train of thought by coming closer to me with a smile. “Take a guess,” he said with lips curled upwards but eyes that showed no trace of a real smile. I looked into his eyes, and inside them I found endless cold... and the answer to my question.
Jeord ordered it.
“Ah... Ah...” Wordless sounds came out of my mouth.
Jeord, the perfect prince, the ideal prince, the prince of my destiny... All that I believed about him was crumbling.
“And to think that I had warned him that there would be no second time, and to make sure his daughter understood it...”
Indeed, Father had told me to behave myself once in the capital, but... who knew that something like that had happened? Why had he not told me? ...Or maybe he had, and, as Jeord said, I just did not listen...
“So, I will not excuse what you did to Katarina today.”
I could see in Jeord’s stare that he was utterly serious in his threat, and I started trembling. In front of me was not the prince of my dreams, but a nightmarish devil. I looked around for help, but the woman behind me was staring at me with eyes just as cold.
Nobody was going to help me.
My parents, in bringing me up, had never scolded or punished me in such a way.
“Ah...” Once again, I failed to produce any complete word. I was so scared that my feet felt glued to the floor, and I found myself unable to move.
“Well, well, how shall we punish you then?” said the devil with a sadistic smile, terrifying enough
that my face turned white.
Please... someone... save me, I prayed in my heart.
“Jeord, I think you should stop,” someone said loudly.
As I looked to the sofa in the corner of the room in surprise, I saw the girl who had been asleep up until now standing up and looking in this direction.
The devil in front of me also looked at the girl with widened eyes. “Katarina, are you already awake?”
“I think you should stop,” she said fiercely again, ignoring his question.
Her clear blue eyes stared into mine, as if to tell me that I had suffered enough and that I was free to go. I stopped trembling, and I could move my body again.
I ran away from that room as fast as I could. The devil looked surprised, but thankfully did not chase me.
I kept running to safety, with my heart beating madly. The prince I had loved turned out to be a devil. And that girl, who I had thought to be a devil...
★★★★★★
I sighed as I watched the girl run out of the room.
“She ran away,” I said, laughing bitterly.
“After how much we scared her, I doubt she will be a nuisance any longer,” Mary replied from behind me.
“Yes, I suppose you are right.”
After all, the girl had gone completely pale and had been trembling in fear. She would likely never bother Katarina again.
As third crown prince, I, Jeord Stuart, am surrounded by plenty of ladies just like Marsha. Because of my appearance and my skill at playing the part of a good prince, they end up falling in love with an idealized version of me. They think of me as the prince of their dreams, so that is all they see. They cannot nor want to see the real me, which is why, as soon as I show my true colors for just a moment, they become so shocked.
Weary of those ladies, I looked back at the sofa in the corner of the room. My beloved fiancée was sleeping so peacefully and comfortably that I could not contain a genuine smile. She never forces her expectations onto anyone. Her beautiful blue eyes look straight into me, the real me.
I do not consider myself to be a good person. If anything, I may be a bad one. But that is who I am, and it does not bother me. However, sometimes, I feel tired of these ladies and their self-centered adulation. The expectations that they have of me can be a burden.
And at times like those, I always long to see Katarina. No matter which side of myself I show her, what she shows in return is always the same innocent smile.
Her smile... looking at it is enough to take the burden off me. I cannot live without her by my side, and I will not allow any person to harm her.
All these foolish ladies chasing after the imaginary, perfect Prince Jeord are sure to be envious of her position as my fiancée. The very moment I announced my engagement, they began vexing her in every way they could.
Of course, I started dealing with these nuisances as soon as possible, but I would get rid of one just to be faced with another. There were so many that I was slowly exhausting myself.
I then noticed that Katarina herself was armored with a skin so thick that even the most ill-intentioned of remarks would simply bounce off of her. From then on, I focused on getting rid of those ladies that could potentially do her actual harm.
Marsha Catley was one of those ladies.
When Katarina became my fiancée, Marsha started spreading ill rumors about her. Thankfully, Marquess Catley had been involved in some questionable affairs, and I was able to use that as an excuse to send his whole family, including Marsha, into de facto exile to the countryside. (Not that I did it myself... I simply provided the right information to the right people.)
Before he left the capital, I also told the marquess that my fiancée should be left alone. Yet apparently that did not make it to his daughter’s ears, and the girl started her mischief as soon as she came back.
She had crossed the line for a second time, so minor punishments would no longer be sufficient. With the cooperation of Mary Hunt, whose face Marsha did not know and who would take no issue with my plans, I set up a trap.
Marsha behaved just as expected, and we easily led her into the room we had prepared in advance. I was eager to threaten her enough that she would never bother Katarina again, but...
“I think you should stop,” intervened Katarina herself, leaving me speechless. As her clear blue eyes stared into mine, I lost any will to continue. Why did she say that? Why would she stand on the side of someone who had just tried to hurt her? At the time, her words had me so confused that I even forgot to ask her these questions.
Usually, for me, knowing someone for a while is enough to understand their ways and predict their actions. But no matter how many years pass, Katarina still leaves me perplexed. Just when I start believing that I have finally figured her out, there she goes surprising me once again, like today.
How could one ever be bored in the company of such an interesting girl? As long as I have her by my side, no day will ever be dull.
I approached her and caressed her silky brown hair as she slept once again. I could feel Mary’s stare stabbing into my back, but I ignored it and whispered softly into my fiancée’s ear, so that only she could hear me.
“I love you.”
★★★★★★
“Lady Katarina. Lady Katarina! Please wake up. We should go back to the mansion.”
I woke up to Anne’s voice, and, looking around me, recognized a room I’d seen before. “Uhm? Where are we?”
“This room, young miss? Prince Jeord had the host prepare it.”
“Prepare it? Jeord? ...What does that have to do with me?”
Anne then explained to me that I had lost consciousness during the ball and was brought here by Mary, who happened to be passing by. I remembered absolutely nothing of it. The last thing I did remember was drinking the juice that someone had offered me.
“Wait, was that juice actually wine or something? Maybe my nose was stuffy and I couldn’t smell the alcohol!”
“You are not at fault this time, Lady Katarina,” said Anne, and then she also reassured me that Mother won’t hear about what happened. Phew.
I may have lost consciousness, but I felt alright now that I had slept for a bit. Refreshed, even. Now, however, I had to go back home, and I was told that we didn’t have time to stop by the main hall.
I was a little surprised that Mary, despite being at the ball, hadn’t come to greet me. She usually always rushed to do it... maybe she came in late? Oh well, I’ll just thank her the next time we meet.
I told Jeord that I was going back home, and left him alone at the ball. While in the carriage on the way home, I spoke to Anne about the nightmare I had while sleeping on the sofa earlier.
“A nightmare?”
“I had this salad, and I was looking forward to eating it... Then Jeord comes in and starts eating it. I tell him, ‘Jeord, I think you should stop,’ but he doesn’t listen and keeps on eating. I raise my voice and tell him ‘I think you should stop’ once more and only then he finally stops.”
“...What? Did you not say nightmare?”
“He was eating all of my salad! And he wouldn’t stop! If that’s not a nightmare, what is?” I explained to Anne, who silently gave me a blank, inscrutable stare.
We finally reached home, and, for once, Mother didn’t scold me! I did it!
I had kind of gotten used to balls. Sure, I may not shine like a star like Mary did, but, if I gave my best, I could hope to get to at least lightbulb-level.
There was just one thing that seemed a bit off...
“What is the matter, Katarina?” Jeord asked as he approached me, smiling. As soon as he did, that girl disappeared.
I wasn’t imagining it, then...
“Lately, whenever I go to a ball’s buffet, there’s a girl who prepares a tray with all my favorite dishes and brings it to me... but as soon as you come near, she just runs off. Do you have any idea who it could be? She’s a really pretty girl.”
At first I
thought that she could be a fan of Jeord, but if that were the case, she wouldn’t run away from him. And if she were one of my rivals, she wouldn’t be that kind to me.
“I think I’ve seen her somewhere...” I said pensively, and Jeord gave me a weird look.
Suddenly, Keith came in and started questioning him. “Jeord, has something happened? That Marsha Catley girl has been staring at Katarina, and now she has started bringing her food! What is going on?”
“Huh?! Keith, you know that girl?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about her!”
It turned out that that girl had introduced herself to me. What can I do? I’ve never been great at remembering faces!
Keith stared at me without saying anything. I know what you want to say... Forgive me, Keith... I wish I could remember people after greeting them just once, like you two!
While I was silently apologizing to Keith, I heard Jeord muttering. “I was not expecting this...”
Now that my brother had told me the name of the girl, I made a mental note to call her by name when thanking her next time.
“And now, to the buffet!”
It was finally time to go to my favorite part of any ball.
Chapter 2: Taking Care of My Little Brother
A few weeks had passed since I had forcefully dragged Keith out of his room, and now he looked at home with us. The magic tutor had finally made it here as well, and we could finally start training. My brother was giving it his best, and I was sure that he’d be able to control his powers in no time.
I also have to do my best and improve my magic! I at least want to be able to use something more powerful than Dirt Bump...
Keith wasn’t only skilled in magic, but in studying as well. He had never had a tutor before coming to our house, so he learned all he knew from studying with books by himself. Despite this, far from being behind me, who had always had personal instructors, he was way ahead...
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Volume 5 Page 4