Chapter 6: Strangers

Arthur felt that Cecilia’s silence was her answer, and the pain in his chest only grew stronger.

“Cecilia… won’t you come back with me to the Ashford Ducal House? If you dislike the royal capital, the territory is fine as well. I heard that you did not even accept my letters. I know you resent me… but now that I know you have been neglected and mistreated even by the servants, I cannot leave you here like this as your brother…”

Arthur could not forgive the fact that Leonhardt had neglected Cecilia and that even the servants had mistreated her.

No matter how much he had believed the rumors and misunderstood her, Cecilia had been a ducal lady.

She was not someone who should be looked down upon by mere servants.

With his face twisted in anguish and suppressed anger, Arthur pleaded with Cecilia, saying, “Please… allow me to make amends…”

Hearing Arthur’s words, Leonhardt felt a deep sense of guilt, his chest aching painfully.

“As your brother… that is unnecessary. I have no intention of returning to the Ashford Ducal House at this point.”

Cecilia looked straight at Arthur with eyes that showed no emotion and clearly rejected him.

As he caught sight of Arthur lowering his head in further anguish from the corner of his eye, Leonhardt asked something that had been on his mind.

“…Earlier, you said you were staying in a separate residence… How are you managing your living expenses? And you are not entering and leaving through the mansion gates, are you?”

“There is no need for concern. I have not touched the budget of the margrave house. I have placed magic so that I will be notified if anyone comes to visit my room, and when I receive notice, I return there using teleportation magic to respond.”

She added, “I was somewhat occupied earlier, so I was delayed in coming.”

Cecilia was, at least in name, allocated a minimal budget as the Margravine.

Leonhardt had not been aware of whether she was using it or not, but since Hans had made no report, he had assumed she was keeping within the budget.

However, even the Margravine’s allowance would not be enough to rent a separate residence and cover living expenses.

Yet Cecilia had clearly stated that she was not using the margrave house’s funds.

That meant she had another source of income, but Leonhardt did not press further.

…No, he could not.

A heavy silence filled the room, but Cecilia remained completely unaffected.

Seeing the three of them like that, perhaps thinking it was going nowhere, she let out a sigh and began to speak.

“Your Highness and the young Duke have both said you wish to make amends, but…”

“I do not trust or believe in the Ashford Ducal House, the royal family, or even the other nobles—save for a few exceptions. Therefore, your words mean no more to me than dust.”

Those words pierced deeply into the hearts of everyone present.

Cecilia paused there, then elegantly lifted the teacup Hans had prepared during the conversation, took a sip, and continued.

“When His Highness publicly declared the annulment of our engagement, I felt nothing in particular. At most, I thought, ‘As expected.’ Since long ago, the Duke and Duchess of Ashford, the young Duke, and even Your Highness… have all accepted everything Lady Clara said without question, judging matters without seeing with your own eyes or hearing with your own ears.”

“W-Why would you refer to Father and Mother like that…?”

…Was the person before them truly Cecilia?

Both Heinrich and Arthur were shaken by how different she was from the Cecilia they knew, and by the words she spoke.

The way she spoke of them made it seem as though she were talking about complete strangers, and Arthur, forcing out a strained voice, cautiously asked,

“…Why?”

“Why, you ask? The Duke and Duchess, the young Duke, and Lady Clara… are nothing more than strangers now, are they not? To be precise, even before my marriage, they were merely family by blood alone, but now that I have married into another house, they are simply strangers who happen to share blood.”

At that answer, Arthur’s face turned deathly pale.

It was not just because of the annulment that she resented them—he had never imagined that she had already given up on them long before that.

Each word Cecilia spoke became like a blade of ice, piercing deeply into his chest and tearing it apart.

Cecilia took another sip of her tea, then gently returned the teacup to the saucer without making a sound and turned her gaze to Heinrich as she spoke.

“Now then, what will become of Lady Clara? Before such a large audience, the engagement was annulled, and she was immediately named as the new fiancée. Since the ducal house and the royal family formally agreed to the engagement, it cannot simply be dissolved again, can it?”

The sharp gaze Cecilia directed at him pierced Heinrich painfully, and he averted his eyes as if trying to escape it.