Chapter 1: The Morning After the Condemnation, I Chose to Go Back to Sleep

“Bernstein Eliana!
I hereby annul our engagement, here and now!”

The grand hall of the royal palace.

In the middle of a glittering evening ball, the clear voice of Prince Kyle echoed through the hall.

I could feel the surrounding nobles holding their breath.

Young ladies hid their mouths behind fans and cast cold gazes in my direction.

Mocking whispers followed.

At Prince Kyle’s side, a delicate baron’s daughter with pink-blonde hair clung to him while trembling.

He stepped forward as if to shield her and pointed straight at me as he declared it.

“You lack the drive befitting a future queen!
During official duties, you always keep a blank expression, and whenever I make a proposal, all you do is respond mechanically with ‘There is no precedent.’
A cold-blooded and boring woman like you has no right to become the mother of this nation!”

No drive.

Cold-blooded and boring.

The moment I heard those words, only one thought surfaced in my mind.

‘…Ah, it’s finally over.’

I felt neither sadness nor anger.

It was as if the burden that had weighed on my shoulders like wet mud had suddenly slipped away.

It had been over ten years since the memories of my previous life returned.

All those days spent enduring the role of the “villainess” and the excessive labor known as crown princess training.

I woke up at five every morning for embroidery and language studies.

At noon, I assisted the crown prince, fixing the budget plans he approved without thought and laying groundwork behind the scenes.

At night, I attended balls to manage faction politics.

My average sleep time was three hours.

And now, it was over.

I slowly performed a curtsey.

The reason my facial muscles did not move was not because I was cold-blooded.
I was simply so exhausted that I felt like I might fall asleep on the spot.

“…I humbly accept.”

My voice must have sounded surprisingly calm.

Perhaps Prince Kyle had expected me to burst into tears, because he looked slightly taken aback.

“Hmph.
At least you have the decency to acknowledge your own shortcomings.
Leave!”

“Yes.
Excuse me.”

Without raising my head, I turned on my heel.

Behind me, I heard voices saying things like, “She really has no love in her heart,” and, “How can she be so indifferent.”

I did not care.

No matter what they said, from tomorrow onward, I would no longer have to look at those mountains of approval documents.

The next morning.

In the living room of the Bernstein Marquessate residence, my father was shouting at the top of his lungs.

“You disgrace!
To have your engagement annulled by the royal family is a stain upon our house!”

A teacup flew through the air and shattered at my feet.

I stared at it with a blank expression.

A dark red tea stain spread across the expensive carpet.

What a waste.

“We cannot keep a daughter like you.
You will go to the northern convent and spend the rest of your life atoning for your sins!”

“…My sins, you say.”

“That’s right!
The sin of being incompetent enough to fail to keep His Highness’s heart!”

Incompetent.

That word made my chest ache just a little.

I truly believed I had worked as hard as I could.

When Prince Kyle proposed something as reckless as, “Let’s distribute bouquets to every household for the sake of the people,” it was me who ran around behind the scenes to prevent the national treasury from collapsing.

Even though I was scolded for being “unromantic.”

‘But it’s fine now.’

I sighed inwardly.

Even if I claimed that I had been supporting the country from the shadows, no one would believe me.

To them, I was nothing more than an unlovable tool.

“I understand.
I will leave this house.”

“Never come back!”

With my father’s words at my back, I left the room.

A convent?

Don’t make me laugh.

If I went there, I would just be forced into unpaid labor from morning till night under the guise of serving the gods.

I returned to my room and picked up the Boston bag I had prepared in advance.

Inside were a few dresses, jewelry I had bought myself rather than any keepsake from my mother, and a small pouch of saved money.

“Goodbye.
My hell.”

Without anyone seeing me off, I left the mansion through the back door.

Avoiding the main avenues of the royal capital, I walked through winding back alleys.

The uneven stone pavement sent vibrations up through the soles of my unfamiliar commoner-style shoes.

The air gradually changed.

Instead of strong perfume, it smelled of freshly baked bread, dust, and everyday life.

The lower town district.

A place scorned as a “dump” by the noble quarter, but to me, it was the perfect new beginning.

First, I headed to a pawnshop.

It was a discreet shop tucked away in an alley.

With my hood pulled low, I spoke as little as possible and laid out my jewelry and silk dresses on the counter.

“…These are fine pieces.
Stolen goods?”
“Disposing of unwanted items from my family home.
If you can make sure nothing leads back to me, eighty percent of market value will be fine.”
“You’re quick to the point.
I appreciate that.”

The shopkeeper grinned and handed me a leather pouch filled with gold coins.

It was heavy.

This weight would guarantee my freedom from here on out.

With my purse now warm, my next priority was a place to live.

I already had one in mind.

Two streets off the main road stood “Mina’s Bakery.”

I remembered seeing information during a past inspection report that the first floor was a shop and the second floor had rooms for rent.

Clang, clang.

As I opened the door, the rich scent of butter tickled my nose.

“Welcome!
If you’re here for bread, we’re already sold out!”

From behind the counter came a broad-built woman with her sleeves rolled up.

She must be Mina.

I lifted my hood slightly and spoke carefully, making sure to keep my polite manner of speech.

“I’m not here for bread.
I would like to rent a room.”

Mina looked me over from head to toe.

The fine fabric of my robe, my overly pale skin, my well-kept fingers.

Her eyes narrowed as if weighing my circumstances.

“…We don’t turn away people with baggage, but rent is paid in advance.
And don’t expect any fluffy beds fit for a noble young lady.”

“That’s fine.
I will pay three months’ rent up front.”

I placed three gold coins on the counter.

Mina’s eyes widened.

It was far more than the usual rate.

“…I won’t pry.
I’ll throw in breakfast bread.
Deal?”
“Thank you.”
“The room at the end of the second floor is vacant.
Here’s the key.”

I accepted the plain iron key.

The cold metal rested against my fingertips.

This was the key to my castle.

The room was about six tatami mats in size, furnished only with a bed, a small desk, and an old wardrobe.

Dust had settled along the window frame, and the floor felt slightly rough underfoot.

If I were still a noble, I probably would have screamed at the sight of it.

But to me now, it looked like the perfect space.

“…《Clean》.”

I murmured softly.

A faint flow of magic spread from my fingertips, gently sweeping through the room.

The dust rose in an instant and vanished out the window.

The musty air cleared, becoming fresh and clean.

My one and only special skill.

I was hopeless at attack magic, but when it came to the precision of this 《Clean》 spell, I was confident no one could beat me.

After all, I had been trained for years to remove dust from the royal archives without damaging a single sheet of paper.

…What a sad habit.

I collapsed onto the freshly cleaned bed as I was.

The sheets were a little stiff, but they smelled like sunshine.

From outside the window came children’s laughter and the sound of carriage wheels.

I checked the clock.

It was two in the afternoon.

Normally, this would be the time I was wrestling with piles of petitions.

The time I cleaned up after Prince Kyle whenever he said he was “tired” and skipped work.

But now, it was different.

I needed no one’s permission.

I did not have to watch anyone’s mood.

I did not have to worry about what time I woke up tomorrow.

“…I’m going to sleep.”

I murmured quietly.

Not the kind of sleep where you collapse like mud, but sleep while savoring happiness.

I buried my face in the pillow.

Just before my consciousness faded, I think my lips naturally curved into a smile.

Good night, my harsh past life.

And hello, my decadent new life.

…At the time, I still had no idea that this choice would become the spark for a massive upheaval that would engulf the entire royal capital.