Chapter 3: My Little Sister Also Thinks

My former fiancé was a man who lacked any sense of responsibility as a noble.

Since I was the same, I figured it was fine and accepted the engagement.

Though, to be honest, refusing was never really an option.

Apparently, influential figures in the faction our family belongs to wanted to use the port managed by his family.

However, because of the existence of that childhood friend, they did not want to offer their own daughters.

And so, our weak noble house ended up drawing the short straw.

To be frank, I thought I could handle that scrawny guy however I liked.

If he didn’t change after marriage, I would make him understand with force.

If I could present evidence of his infidelity and obtain usage rights to the port as compensation, then even divorce would be acceptable.

When I was left alone at a party by my fiancé and stood there awkwardly, I became friends with the daughter of a baron who worked as a lawyer.

Because of that, she has taught me various things.

Such as what should be decided before marriage and what to watch out for during a divorce.

It seems she had difficulty making female friends because she was too logical.

They act refined and call themselves “nobles,” but in ancient times, their ancestors were just survivors who seized land and rampaged wildly.

Everyone is a descendant of warriors, you know?

Acting all pretentious is just ridiculous.

—That was the kind of thinking my master had when teaching me self-defense.

So you can just think of me as some kind of throwback to my ancestors.

Even though I was born a noble, I have never been able to fit into modern noble society.

When the time comes, I will make that foolish man understand.

Rather than listening to my fiancé ramble about himself during tea parties, it was more meaningful to observe the servants of the house I would be marrying into.

Once I hold authority over personnel matters, deciding who to dismiss and who to keep… observing them with that in mind is not so bad.

My figure is slender, my eyes droop slightly, and my speech is a bit clumsy.

Servants who are fooled by my appearance and underestimate me will be dismissed.

Oh my, I should start by dismissing my fiancé’s personal attendant first.

If that so-called childhood friend barges in, I will slap her and make her understand her place.

If she behaves well, I might even give her an allowance as a mistress exclusively for my husband.

I could give her a place to stay and use her as a hostage.

“Do you not value her life?” I would say to my husband like a proper villain.

—Thinking about plans like that, tea time passes in the blink of an eye.

The sweets served were simple, but they tasted good.

They reminded me of the sweets I had at my master’s house, so if anything, I was rather pleased.

Just as I was thinking that, my reliable older sister firmly scolded my fiancé’s family.

Though I did get scolded for not consulting her sooner.

Mother and my older sister are well-versed in the battles between women.

I have lived my life avoiding such things.

Instead, I know a little about the world of men.

Men get jealous too.

When honor is involved, men can be frightening.

Some will even resort to ruthless methods.

I have exposed such things mercilessly before and socially destroyed someone.

At that time, my master scolded me, saying, “It’s dangerous to humiliate someone and earn their resentment. Devise ways to avoid retaliation.”

So I am not as sheltered as my older sister worries I am.

If I said that, she would probably forbid me from going out, so I keep it a secret.

Now that the engagement is gone, I resumed my strength training.

My older sister rushed over and interrupted me, saying, “You need to find a new fiancé, so what are you going to do if you become all muscular?”

Then she corrected herself, saying that the terms of the engagement dissolution were still being negotiated.

It seems the higher-ups of the faction have stepped in, making things troublesome.

They really want to secure the rights to that port no matter what.

Since my older sister will inherit the family, and there will be someone who marries into the family, I think it would be fine for me to live freely.

Rather than refining noble social skills, I would rather develop the skills needed to live as a commoner.

If we’re talking about suitability, I don’t think I’m suited to being a noble.

Or perhaps I could master martial arts and become a guard knight?

In that case, I would need to temporarily forget my master’s teachings and learn proper swordsmanship.

While I was thinking about all this, proposals arrived from marquesses for their sons.

From the Southern Marquess and the Eastern Marquess.

Even though the engagement has not been formally dissolved yet, word travels fast.

Although only a few people in the royal capital knew, the commotion over the broken engagement caused rumors to spread that I am the combative type.

My former fiancé tried to use violence, so I retaliated and beat him down.

After that, things quieted down, and the negotiations for dissolving the engagement progressed rapidly.

As expected, fists solve everything.

Even the commander of the knights offered his son as a match, but I would prefer to decline, as the knights in the capital are involved in flashy social events.

Living freely in the frontier does not sound bad, but the difficulty of returning home would be a major drawback.

My former fiancé has been removed as heir and is now confined to his territory.

Since he dropped out of the academy, he can no longer return to noble society.

I do not know whether the servant’s daughter followed him, but he will now be able to live leisurely in the countryside.

Thinking about it like that, I feel envious.

To do as he pleases and obtain a free country life… he really managed it well.

An environment where you can eat fresh fish must surely be paradise.

I wonder if there is a convenient husband like that lying around somewhere.