Chapter 8: I Don’t Want to Make Anyone Unhappy

Yesterday, Elvira was unusually absent, so the conversation flowed smoothly.
The topic ended up centering on Bernhard’s younger brother, Neige.
At the same time, Elvira had been having tea with Ludmila.
Rather than at the breakfast table, the head butler and Rinsue had visited Faustina’s room in the morning to wake her and confirm the time.
Because of that, Elvira had not known about the visit.
Recalling the commotion at the dinner table, Faustina let out a tired sigh while Rinsue brushed her hair in front of the vanity.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was remembering yesterday’s dinner.”

“Ah…”

Rinsue gave a wry smile as she continued brushing Faustina’s listless hair.

“You handled things properly today, didn’t you?”

When Faustina nodded and replied, “Yes,” Elvira cut in, asking what they were talking about.
When Ludmila explained that Bernhard had visited from midday, Elvira—

“That’s awful, Sister!”

“Eh?”

“Elvira?”

At Elvira’s sudden loud accusation toward her sister, Ludmila, Kane, and the servants all looked startled.
Citrine was absent, having sent word that he would not be returning today.
Even Faustina, the target of the blame, could only let out a weak sound.

“You didn’t tell me that Lord Bernhard was coming again today!”

“Tell you or not… Elvira, you said this morning that you’d be having tea with Mother in the afternoon, didn’t you?”

“If I’d known Lord Bernhard was coming, I wouldn’t have had tea at all!”

Faustina glanced at her mother.
Ludmila looked slightly pale, as if shocked by her beloved youngest daughter’s words.
Just earlier, while having dresses designed, the two of them had seemed so close and cheerful together.

Faustina swallowed a bite of steamed carrot and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“Elvira.
When you address His Highness Bernhard, you must properly use ‘Your Highness.’
And whether you’re told or not, His Highness is simply deepening relations as my fiancé.
You were not summoned.”

As soon as she said it, she realized internally—ah.

Her tone was calm, but this was the same situation as last time.

According to Faustina’s memories, next would be—

“H-How cruel, Sister!
I only want to get along with Lord Bernhard…!”

Tears spilled as Elvira became the injured younger sister, trembling as she cried.
Her pitiful 모습 made Ludmila rush over at once and hold Elvira protectively.

“Oh, don’t cry, Elvira.
Faustina, there’s a way to say things.
Choose your words more carefully.”

“With all due respect, Mother,” Kane stepped in.

“Fauna’s wording may have been harsh, but Elvira bears responsibility as well.
I’ve been meaning to say this for some time…
Elvira, whenever His Highness the Crown Prince visits, you skip your lessons with your tutor and go to see him, don’t you?”

“Th-That’s…”

“Mother.
You know that Elvira has been skipping her tutor lessons, don’t you?”

“…Y-Yes.”

(So she did know after all.)

As Faustina silently acknowledged this, she watched her brother—quietly angry even from behind—
and Elvira, who turned pale despite not being scolded directly.

“His Highness has only consulted me about Fauna not coming,”

“Guh—”

“He’s also asked why Elvira comes every time.
At this rate, it’s impossible to tell which of you was chosen as the Crown Prince’s fiancée.
And you must attend your tutor lessons properly.
Otherwise, you’ll never become a proper lady.”

“～～～!”

Unable to say she didn’t want to meet him regardless of Elvira’s presence, Faustina had used Elvira as an excuse, saying it was hard to go because Elvira was there.
Now, choking slightly on water, she coughed.
Elvira puffed out her cheeks in frustration and glared tearfully at Faustina behind Kane.

How did Faustina appear in those ruby-red eyes…?
Having finally begun to calm down, Faustina still did not look at Elvira, so she could not know.

“Kane, you don’t have to go that far.”

“…Mother.
Please don’t overlook Elvira skipping her tutor lessons.
She will one day marry into a high-ranking noble family.
If things stay as they are, Elvira will be the one who suffers.”

“I understand.
Elvira, starting tomorrow, let’s do our best with your tutor lessons, all right?”

“……”

Even as Ludmila met her gaze and spoke gently, Elvira’s sulky expression did not change.

“Okay?”

“…Yes.”

At Elvira’s reluctant nod, Ludmila sighed in relief and returned to her seat.
Elvira faced forward again, and Kane resumed eating after finishing his lecture.
The servants around them also breathed sighs of relief.

In the uncomfortable atmosphere, Faustina chewed her carrots until they lost all taste.

The scene at yesterday’s dinner overlapped with the past.

Just recalling Kane scolding Faustina for crossing an unforgivable line at the very end—
and apologizing for not being able to save her—made her chest ache.
He had repeatedly criticized Bernhard for neglecting Faustina in favor of Elvira,
and Elvira for standing beside a man who already had a fiancée,
defending Faustina until the very end.

‘Faustina committed a crime, and she is certainly at fault.
But the one who created the root cause was you, Your Highness the Crown Prince.
And Elvira as well.’

‘Mother, before blaming Fauna, you should reflect on your own faults.
You should have stopped Elvira’s actions, but instead you even assisted her.
Do you have any idea how hard Fauna has worked all this time to become Crown Princess!?’

(Big Brother…)

Her eyes grew hot.
She did not know her cause of death, but being disowned by the ducal house and then likely dying soon after weighed heavily on her mind.

Bernhard and Elvira likely went on to become Crown Prince and Crown Princess together.
What happened to Kane, who kept defending her, and to the servants, including Rinsue?
There was no way to know now that she had returned to the past.
But remembering it—

“M-Miss?
What’s wrong?”

Rinsue’s bewildered voice called out to her.
Tears overflowed, and even wiping them with the towel Rinsue hastily handed her did not stop them.

They would not stop.

“Miss?
Does something hurt?
Or are you feeling unwell?”

“N-No.”

—I absolutely, absolutely will not make the same mistake.
I don’t want to end things by making Big Brother, Rinsue, Her Majesty the Queen, or Prince Neige sad ever again…!

“Rinsue!”

“Y-Yes!”

“I’ll do my best.
I really will do my best!”

“Y-Yes, I’m not sure why, but you are doing your best, Miss!”

“That’s not it!
But I will do my best!
So I can annul my engagement with His Highness!”

“Eh…?”

Wiping her face firmly with the towel and stopping her tears, Faustina declared with fiery resolve blazing behind her.
Rinsue stared at her in shock for several seconds.

Annulment?
His Highness?
With the Crown Prince?
Why?

“…Um, Miss?”

“Come on, let’s wash your face once more and go to the dining hall.”

“Y-Yes, that’s fine, but—no, it’s not fine!
What do you mean by annulment!?”

“I want to annul my engagement with His Highness!”

“Why!?
And besides, your engagement to the Crown Prince was ordered by the royal family, wasn’t it!?
That’s absolutely impossible!”

“That’s where—
His Highness will fall in love with someone else.”

“What is your basis for that?
Even from a servant’s perspective, His Highness seems to like you very much.”

That was only for now.
As time passed, Bernhard would definitely fall in love with Elvira.
Faustina tried to be careful, but things still aligned with the past.
Last night’s dinner was a perfect example.
The same lines flowed out smoothly.

If she mentioned Elvira by name, others might misunderstand and think she was using Elvira as an excuse to avoid seeing Bernhard, so she had avoided saying it.

“Once we enter high society, he’ll have more chances to meet ladies far more charming than me.
When that happens, someone like me, with nothing but the title of duke’s daughter, will be cast aside.”

“That’s not—”

Rinsue looked over her young mistress, gazing up with determined pale yellow eyes.
Faustina’s sky-blue hair, inherited only within the Wittgenstein family, shone as beautifully as the open sky under sunlight.
Her pale yellow eyes were equally rare, with no one else sharing that color.
She possessed a charm Elvira lacked, who had inherited Ludmila’s glossy black hair and ruby-red eyes.
Because of the family’s circumstances, Faustina had long been educated as the most likely candidate for a royal marriage.
Kane, as the next duke, had begun his training even earlier.

Rinsue had often seen Faustina glance longingly at her sister enjoying tea and desserts with their mother during breaks between lessons.
To her, this engagement to the Crown Prince had been the sole chance for Faustina’s efforts to bear fruit.

Yet Faustina herself wished to annul it.
Rinsue did not need to ask to know that this desire was part of why she had been crying earlier.
Why did Faustina, who worked so hard through strict education and lessons, want to annul her engagement?

Rinsue wanted to oppose it.

…But if that would make Faustina happy.

“Haa…
Miss.
I oppose annulling your engagement to His Highness, but if that will make you happy, I will support you from the shadows.”

“Rinsue…”

“I will not cooperate at all, though.”

“Why not!?”

Supporting her did not mean cooperating.

Knock, knock.

“Fauna?
Are you still getting ready?”

“Ah, I’m coming now!”

Responding to Kane, who had come to call her, Faustina returned the towel to Rinsue and hurried out of the room.

Today was the long-awaited day they would go out to Mistle Lake.