Chapter 12

In the study on the first floor of the annex, Nazelbert sat alone, lost in thought.

How had things come to this?

Even now, he couldn’t help but regret his own lack of competence.

“If only I had been able to stop Her Royal Highness…”

It was Nazelbert’s own failing that he hadn’t noticed. He never imagined she would end up pregnant with another man’s child. It was a completely unforeseen turn of events.

As the second son of the Duke of Florescrus, Nazelbert had been raised with everyone telling him how brilliant he was. He had truly intended to put in the effort to meet the expectations of those around him. However…

—The one thing he had no freedom over was his engagement.

Princess Mia, the fiancé chosen for him when he was ten, was an unbelievably selfish and haughty girl.

“Hmph, so this is my fiancé? Well, I suppose his face at least meets the passing grade.”

He still vividly remembered being left speechless by those first words she ever threw at him.

To be honest, the Princess was not Nazelbert’s type, but the engagement was a royal command. He had set aside his own feelings and endured rigorous prince-consort education to ensure he would be a suitable partner for a royal.

While the King had a first-born son, the Prince was frail and almost entirely bedridden. The second prince’s mother was a commoner and had no backing whatsoever, so a movement had formed to push the Queen’s biological child—the loud-voiced Princess—as the next ruler. The second prince himself seemed to have no desire to fight his stepmother.

The Princess spent her time idling away with her inner circle of friends, mocking and teasing Nazelbert as he diligently pursued his studies. She had zero awareness of her role as the future Queen.

Even if Princess Mia was unreliable, Nazelbert told himself that as long as he remained steadfast and the country didn’t collapse, things would be fine. He threw himself into his studies even more seriously, and his opportunities to see the Princess grew fewer and farther between.

Most likely, she had used those gaps to deepen her bond with Robin, the illegitimate son of a baron.

By the time he realized it, it was too late…

“I was too naive. Though, looking at that selfish Princess, I wonder what the ‘correct’ answer even was.”

It was his own fault for underestimating Princess Mia’s sheer recklessness.

He had believed, without any real evidence, that while she was free-spirited, she wouldn’t cross that final line.

“…It was a burden too heavy for me from the start.”

Agnes had said things like “His Majesty will handle it,” but the prospects of that seemed slim. The Princess was already pregnant with Robin’s child.

Moreover, everyone at the party knew it. Princess Mia undoubtedly intended to have the child, and there was no place for Nazelbert in that future.

Nazelbert himself had endured everything up until now because it was a duty-bound engagement, but after being treated like that, he had no desire to settle in as Princess Mia’s husband at this late stage.

If anything, a part of him felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

The only thing that weighed on his mind was that he had dragged the uninvolved Agnes into this.

Agnes, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Eventail, was a girl ridiculed in social circles as the “Potato Lady.” Nazelbert hadn’t known the rumor himself, but it was apparently a famous story among the younger nobles.

When he first saw her, she was dressed in a heavy, oppressive dress, sporting a hairstyle and thick makeup he had only ever seen in paintings from several generations ago.

Seeing her struggle to walk while dragging her dress was pitiful, and he had stepped in to help when her hem got caught. He did it because the nobles nearby were only mocking her, and no one else would lend a hand.

However, his inability to look away had been his undoing.

The dutiful Agnes had shielded Nazelbert when he was struck by the soldiers, drawing Princess Mia’s ire.

Because of that, she had been ordered to marry Nazelbert in front of the public. An engagement to a criminal was the height of dishonor.

After being subjected to such an ordeal, she likely wouldn’t be able to find a marriage partner in the future.

Her future had been cut off because of him.

To make matters worse, Agnes had been disowned by her own family.

When he thought of her feelings, he felt so sorry for her he could hardly stand it. He was truly filled with a sense of profound apology.

Heading to Agnes’s side at that moment had been the right decision, as it allowed him to take her under his protection.

He had apologized for dragging her into the mess, but Agnes insisted she didn’t mind.

On top of that, she even began claiming that she was the one who felt sorry for him, as he was being forced to marry someone like her.

To be able to think of others before herself despite being in such a state—she truly was a wonderful young lady.

Agnes self-deprecatingly called herself a “Potato Lady,” but once the thick makeup was removed, her face was that of a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl.

For now, he had left her in the care of Kelly, a maid he trusted implicitly.

“…Phew, what should I do from here? For now, I have to wait for the official verdict.”

The Florescrus Duke’s house was split clean down the middle regarding this incident.

His father and eldest brother blamed Nazelbert for being “pathetic” and were preparing to kick him out to the frontier immediately. His mother and younger brother defended him, furious at the Royal Family’s lack of integrity.

As a way of taking responsibility, Nazelbert had moved his residence to the annex on his own accord.

Protecting Agnes had admittedly been unexpected, but since there were plenty of spare rooms, he intended to shelter her as much as possible.

He couldn’t simply throw a seventeen-year-old lady out into the capital at night.

Agnes seemed intent on going to a convent, but he didn’t want to drive her to such a place because of his own failings.

Convents supported by donations from royals and nobles often housed unmarried noble daughters who were temporarily placed there for the sake of political marriages.

If Agnes, covered in scandal, were to enter such a place, there was no telling what kind of treatment she would receive.

Running a hand through his deep red hair, Nazelbert let out a heavy sigh.

Just then, Kelly, the maid who had finished looking after Agnes, returned.

He had asked her to keep an eye on Agnes since yesterday. Even though Agnes acted strong in front of him, he was worried she might be pushing herself too hard.

“Lord Nazelbert, Lady Agnes has retired for the night without incident.”

“Thank you. How was she?”

“Despite the anxiety she must feel, she is surprisingly calm. She is a kind-hearted lady who treats even someone like me with great politeness.”

As he thought, Agnes possessed a heart full of compassion.

“Also, there is something that concerns me. When I removed Lady Agnes’s makeup, there were traces of internal bleeding on her face. It was hidden by the thick makeup when she arrived at the annex, and today I adjusted the makeup colors to keep it concealed while I monitored it, but the bruises hadn’t faded by nightfall…”

“She was injured?!”

“It wasn’t just her face. The blisters from her shoes that you treated were also severe. You likely noticed this as well, but perhaps as a result of constantly wearing cramped shoes, Lady Agnes’s big toes are distorted.”

“I noticed that too. Her skin was discolored, as if she’s suffered from blisters over and over again. Any other external injuries?”

“She has been wearing old-fashioned outfits that require tight corsets, so I was worried about the deformation of her ribs, but those seem to be alright. However, if she continued that lifestyle, eventually…”

Kelly was being unusually talkative, far from her typical self.

“Regarding the clothes and shoes, it borders on abuse. Is that why Lady Agnes was so unusually interested in the dress and shoes this morning?”

Nazelbert covered his face with his hand, overwhelmed with pity for Agnes’s circumstances.

In social circles, the Eventail family was mocked for “operating on century-old values,” but they were nobles trusted for their “clumsy but serious and honest work ethic” who had never caused trouble.

However, they might be a more problematic household than he had imagined.

“We should look into the injury on Lady Agnes’s face as well.”

“Indeed. There were two large bruises on her cheeks. It feels unnatural to suggest she simply bumped into something.”

“Understood. I’ll investigate the matter. I may need to reconsider my plan to persuade the House of Eventail to revoke her disownership and send her home.”

“Yes… I am of the same opinion.”

Due to the circumstances of being fired from her job at the Royal Castle and the nature of her magic, Kelly was blunt with everyone, but she seemed to have taken a liking to Agnes.

“Kelly, may I ask you to look after Lady Agnes again tomorrow?”

“Of course. You should get some rest soon as well, Lord Nazelbert.”

As the night had grown late, he followed Kelly’s advice. Stepping out into the hallway, Nazelbert looked up toward the floor where Agnes was staying before heading to his own bedroom with a weary gait.

“…I want to save at least Lady Agnes, somehow.”

No matter what verdict came down from the King, Nazelbert had decided he would protect her.

But to be honest, regarding his own future, he felt like throwing everything away.