Chapter 1: Tuning Pages
…It hurts.
The first thing I felt was the pain. Up till that moment of time, I was still in my slumber, and it was the pain and drowsiness that awaken me.
…Even if it was just a little, I wanted to wake up earlier.
I was thrown on the ground in front of a crowd, and there were a number of men who were holding me down. Even if I wasn't a girl, anyone would start to struggle.
If this was a kidnapping, maybe a Prince riding a white horse will come and save me…but what kind of sweet dream was I dreaming about? This place is the "Place of my condemnation". Other than the victim, there is no way a perpetrator like myself would have any salvation.
By the way, since this situation was one I, myself created, let me explain how this came to be:
My name is Layla, Layla Estelle. The first child of a Duke Estelle of the kingdom of Sparks. A blooming young lady who's currently 18 years old. My father is the Prime Minister and mother, being a daughter of a General, also has parents with superior lineage. I am a bine fine young lady and, in this kingdom, my lineage only comes second to the Royal Family.
The story took place in a world similar to Europe during the middle ages. The capture targets were: The second Prince, Zen Distalia; the son of the knight's general; the PM's son, my brother Leo Estelle; and the son of the pope. Their character template is exactly the same as the story: overly confident, hot-blooded, cool and mysterious. Well except Leo, you'll why as you read.
Now then, the evil witch in this story is the fiancée of the second prince, Alice Breach, the daughter a military general.
"If you have any excuse, let's hear it now, Layla. Regarding all this time you've harassed Alice."
The sound of Zen's pained voice resounded in the area. He was looking down with eyes full of scorn.
"…Can you let go of me?"
I spoke to the guy who was holding me down, but he ignored my words. The son of the Knight leader, Grey Willem, is really strong and the place on my shoulder where he was holding hurts.
Grey ignored my words and strengthened the hold on my shoulder instead.
"It hurts, so let me go…You, the son of the one who serves as the knight leader, Grey, who is supposed to wield his power for the sake of the weak; to think you would do something like using brute force to hold down a weak girl."
When I said that, he showed some reaction by twitching. As I thought, no matter where it is, the schooling of a knight is the same.
"You, a weak girl? Please stop joking and think about what you're saying carefully".
And the person who was laughing through his nose while he said that was Adam, the first hair of Pope. The way he's smiling sarcastically really annoys me.
I could see Leo's fist-shaking, wanting to just go and hit until all of those teethes droop off. That said…although it's frustrating, there's no other choice but to intentionally make a bad movie.
"It is true that I did harass the daughter of Breach. Alice Breach. I admit it".
"You sure did admit it quite readily, didn't you?"
"That's right. Because it is obvious that everyone in this place already knows what has happened, I thought of spare you of your time. Consider it as my good will."
"Why?"
"Why, is that something you should be asking?"
…I can't associate myself with such farce any longer. After all, this is the part where Ed and his merry companions would try and vent their frustrations. The part where they justify her as the victim. If I don't avoid that scenario, I won't be able to escape being under house arrest… There's already nothing left for me to do in this place.
"…Since I will not be able to meet everyone from now onwards, I will take this opportunity to say my farewell. Everyone, thank you very much for everything so far. To be able to attend this academy with all the other students, and to those who had treated me well, you have my sincere gratitude. Farewell, everyone".
Since I probably will not have a chance to go out into polite society in the future. I probably won't need to come back to this academy.
"Layla, wait…!"
After finishing with a pleasant feeling, I wanted to leave this place but Zen detained me. He can't read the atmosphere, can he…I wonder, how did "I" come to like this kind of man.
"Before you leave, apologize to Alice".
Seriously, I really wonder why did I've come to like this kind of guy for a period of time? Ah, on the other hand… I think I've misheard it, but I seemed to have heard something strange.
I, a daughter of a Duke, apologize to a daughter of a Breach in front of everyone? I really wanted to voice this question loudly.
…I'm not saying this just because of resentfulness or pride. However, daughters are nevertheless daughters. How I conduct myself will highly reflect upon our Duck's House, which has great influence among the aristocracy.
"…I will not apologize. As for the things I did, I did them with dignity and self-respect. Even if it leads to the complete destruction of this body in the future, I will not yield".
I was resolute when I did those things, was what I wanted to implicate.
"…Alice. I wonder if you're still going to continue to deprive me any further. My fiancé, my position…"
Here, I let my tears flow down. The feeling of a tragic heroine. Oh, with the turn of events, pleasant feelings were directed towards me. Although I was treated as the villain a little while ago, right now I am the victim.
"That said, I am who I am, and there are some things I won't let go of. Pride is one of them. If I apologize, it will be identical to agreeing to trample over myself. Therefore, I will not apologize. I will not allow you to take anything away from me any further."
I've declared it all… Ah, I feel refreshed. While feeling refreshed and cheerful, I left the place. The expression on Ed's face remained somewhat dissatisfied. On the other hand, the heroine had a blank look on her face and a question mark above her head, as though there was nothing but a bed of flowers inside her brain.
After I stepped away from that place, I have reached the outskirts of the academy ground. …Although it might be a little odd, I trusted my good younger brother to make the preparations. As I expected, my younger brother had already contacted the house to have someone pick me up.
I boarded the luxurious carriage alone. …As for my luggage, the house will probably arrange for it to be brought back or disposed of.
"Did you ever consider to be in drama? With the act, you put just now I'll say you'll have a lot of fans, my dear sister."
"I surprised you snuck away so early, Leo".
"Well, I hit my limit".
"You were going to break Adam's teethes. Weren't you?"
"No, I wanted to rip…whatever "it is" which pumps that evil dark slut in his body".
"You mean his heart".
"You saw him, he doesn't have a heart".
Foo… I blew out a sigh. The farce has ended… The story only reached up to this point. After this, there is no longer an outline. Above all, the next part is to have a face-to-face meeting with the "Last Boss," my father. To be frank, I've been feeling quite tense since while back.
While the carriage continued its way towards the Amelia residence in the Royal City, the atmosphere inside the carriage became heavier and heavier.
"You could have taken a leave of absence, you know".
"I could have but that would not have broken my engagement with Prince Zen".
"Why break it off? I remember you saying that you fell in love with him".
"What's the point? Why love someone who doesn't even love you to begin with".
"Sis…*Foo* are you going to be alright?"
"I should be asking you that. After all, you were the one who told Zen that I was harassing Alice".
"Yes, and it brocks my heart in doing so. I won't bother a bit if you didn't ask me to".
"It was crucial. You know that already".
"Crucial my ass. That good for noting moron better keep his word. I can handle Mother but Father…it's beyond me".
"Oh, don't worry. Father will not kick you out of the house. He loves you enough to let you stay".
The residence of the Duke of Estelle… In our house here in the Royal City is where father, who cannot leave the Royal City due to his job title of being the Prime Minister, and mother, who likes sticking with him, lives. And because of that, the house was unexpectedly luxurious. Judging from the knowledge of my previous life, the house is more than large enough to be considered as a mansion.
"…Young mistress…!"
"…Oh, Tanya. I'm home."
Entering the room filled with tears was my maidservant, Tanya. Despite being a commoner, she has perfect manners, and at the same time, she also has beautiful features.
"How can you stay so composed…! As for me, I'm so vexed and frustrated…"
When I see her looking ragged while shedding tears, it really warms my heart. But at the same time, I feel really apologetic for causing her inexcusable worries.
The commoner, Tanya… is a girl whom I picked up from somewhere generally known as "the slum" when I went to town incognito. It was a time when I felt the heavy weight of having the title "the child of a Duke." It wasn't just at home but even amongst the aristocratic circle. The other parties found it difficult to speak to me with ease because of my lineage. When I went to town, I found her lying on the side of the road. While thinking, "Maybe if it's this child, she can become my conversational partner…" and calculatedly picked her up. She, however, since that time, felt really thankful and decided to serve me very, very well.
If you ask me, it isn't an exaggeration to say that Tanya is family.
"Please calm down, Tanya. It is still not the right time to wallow in sorrow and cry."
"…It is as you say. Please pardon me. As for Master, it seems like he will be returning in the evening."
Tanya has a good head on her shoulders. In addition, she can also cope with any situation immediately. Even now, I wonder what happened to all her tears, she has already regained her composure.
"…Is that so. Well then, could you please bring me a drink to relax with?"
"As you wish."
"…Tanya."
"What is it?"
"…Thank you."
"It might be presumptuous of me, young mistress. However, I do not serve the Ducal House of Amelia, but rather, I serve the young mistress, is what I think. Therefore, even if it's someone part of the royal family, I will never forgive Edward who betrayed the young mistress. As for the young mistress' meeting with the Master, I will be behind young mistress all the way as your ally."
"How fortunate I am."
"No, it is I who is. Also, I'm not the only person in this house who feels the same way, young mistress, so please do not forget it."
That right. In fact, in addition to Tanya, I have picked up others. I was considerably strange while I was growing up. Back then, instead of getting presents, I asked to pick up children who, like Tanya, have no relatives and wanted those kids to stay by my side… This was something I begged my parents to do.
The scary thing was, it was cheaper to feed commoner children than receiving a gift. My parents reluctantly agreed, and every year, a child without relatives who was the same age as I would be picked up. This was not introduced in the game's setting. If I was affected by the memories of my previous life sooner, I might not have remembered this at all.
When I was talking to them, I was able to forget for a moment that I was a daughter of a Duke, and it was a precious time for me. However, as years slowly went by, the pressure from the surroundings expressed that it wasn't appropriate to clearly establish our standings. Although the relationship between us is similar to my relationship with Tanya — Master and Servant — they are nevertheless very special to me.
"…However, Tanya. Please put your own happiness first before anything else."
When she heard my words, Tanya had a dubious expression on her face. No, in actuality, she's pretty much expressionless… However, having spent a really long time with her, I can pretty much guess what she's feeling.
"Because of my wilfulness, I ended up dragging you guys into a destitute world. At any time, if any of you desire it, you may be free from all this and I will not oppose. Or rather, when I think about what lies in the future, this would be for the best…"
"Young mistress, please do not say any further than you already have."
Unexpectedly, Tanya interrupted my words.
"I would have died at that time. And it was a young mistress who saved me from that situation. From then on, my life belonged to you. The only time I will leave your side is when either this life of mine has come to an end… or when you decide that you no longer need me."
"Goodness. If that's the case, then I suppose you will never be able to leave my side unless you die, Tanya"
"I wonder if there is any greater happiness than this."
"I don't want to be rude but can we get tea now". Leo intercepted and brock our moment. "You seem to calm down too, Sis", He added.
"Hmm, maybe it's because I'm back home".
"Even after knowing that expressionless monkey is coming".
"Father will cry if he heard you say that, Leo".
"Then I could call him the crybaby".
"Leo thanks you for cheering me but you don't have to. I'm fine".
However, in this condition, it seems like she'll follow anyway… Hanh, as I thought, I should somehow try to get an upper hand on father.
With a new determination, I drank the tea Tanya served. …Yup, it's delicious.
"…Young mistress."
When the atmosphere in the room calmed down, a different servant knocked on the door.
"Please, come in."
"…Please excuse me."
The person who came in was the head maid, Mira. Wearing stylish maid clothing without a single opening, giving the impression that she is the real thing.
"…Young Mistress. The Master has called for you."
"Oh, it's time already? If I'm not mistaken, the father doesn't return usually return unless it's night-time…"
"Because of the matter regarding young mistress, he seemed to have returned as soon as possible."
"…Really…"
Foo, I spat out a sigh. Ah, where did the vow I made earlier go…? Somehow, it seems like my stomach is doing flip-flops.
"…Although it's imprudent of me, young mistress. Regarding the current situation, I think that the young mistress is faultless."
Because the usually strict Mira unexpectedly made a supportive declaration, my eyes involuntarily widened with surprise.
"Everyone in this mansion is an ally of the young mistress. Therefore, please meet with Master with a dignified appearance."
I had built a good relationship with all the people in the house. Naturally, it didn't matter whether they were nobles or commoners. …In other words, because of how much I was madly in love with Zen, I was driven by jealousy and held the heroine of the story, the daughter of a Breach, in contempt and made it a habit of slandering her.
Now that I've prepared myself as much as possible, Mira led me to father's study. And behind me was Tanya who came along.
"…Well then, young mistress."
"Yes, thank you. Mira. And Tanya, please wait for me here."
"As you wish."
Now then, I've reached the battleground.
Standing before the massive door, I swallowed my saliva and took a deep breath… and then I knocked.
"…Enter."
"Please excuse me."
While a solemn atmosphere filled the room, I sat down right in front of father. With a clever countenance befitting of someone with a job title as the Prime Minister, in addition to the sharp glint in eyes which he usually dons while working, making the atmosphere around him even heavier… And now, since it seems like it has increased to about twice the usual, it made me feel like running away.
"…I apologize for taking much of your time today."
"Hmm. So, you do understand that point at the very least."
"Not at all."
Although it was subtle, a vein on father's face twitched a little… or so it seems. That's why I said, it's really scary.
"Whether if it's regarding father's position as the Prime Minister or as your title of being a Duke, I do not think I've caused father any trouble. What I'm apologizing for is because the father is my father."
"Is that so…? And why is that?"
"In the first place, I only caused a rumour to spread out of mischief. There's also the issue of circumstantial evidence, so I don't think it'll affect father's position as the Prime Minister… Above all, our side belongs to a Duck House, and it will not fall to ruination just because of an engagement went wrong. Even in the academy, I handled things in a way that they were sympathetic towards me. This way, they cannot make a big problem out of it. No matter how much clamour Zen makes, it will only end up with a strict reprimand."
"…About what happened inside the academy, I've already heard about it."
"I have figured as much. And also, I apologize for saying this to the father, the Duke… But in the first place, wasn't father opposed the engagement between Zen and me?"
"Why, that's right."
"Because of my lineage, if it gets connected to the royal family through marriage, it might destroy the power balance of the royal family. Besides, apart from having a Duke and the Prime Minister father, the mother is also the daughter of the General. It will still be acceptable if a marriage is formed with the First Prince. However, with the Second Prince, sooner or later, the Kingdom will be split into two."
After listening to my words, for the first time since I arrived, father smiled… That said, it was one of those evil upward smiles along with sound effects that make one feel nauseated… Although the person in question probably doesn't have that intention… Therefore, as I thought, I feel really scared.
"If that's the case, why do you think I allowed your engagement with Zen to happen?"
About this question, I also thought about it considerably on my way here. If the situation calls for it, I would have definitely picked the former.
"…Because either one of them would be fine?"
"Exactly what do you mean by that?"
"Because if I got engaged to the First Prince, then young brother will also serve him and the First Prince's position will be firm. If my fiancé is the Second Prince, younger brother will be in the First Prince's faction. In that situation, I will be in charge of watching over the Second Prince to observe if he makes any unusual movements. Well… the former will probably take no time and effort, and truthfully, it's simpler, it would have been better for father."
It is actually quite common that the First Prince is the child of the dead legal wife while the Second Prince is the child of the current concubine. One would think that the First Prince will naturally become King even while he's still in his mother's womb, but the reality is not as easy as that.
The current concubine is a daughter of a Marquis, a House that's currently in the process of building up their strength, whereas the legal wife was a daughter of an Earl. Thus, when one looks at their family status, the legal wife's House is inferior to the concubine's. The King unexpectedly fell in love with the legal wife and used brute force to abolish all objections to making her his Queen, resulting in the current delicate balance.
And the aristocratic society who created that delicate balance is currently swaying and shaking, visible to the eye.
As for father, it's not inaccurate to say that he is serving the country and not the royal family. Serving as the Prime Minister, he is keeping a neutral position in the royal family's dispute. For example, if the situation was connected to the First Prince's faction, based on the law of the Kingdom, it is likely that he will be judged as inconsequential to the Kingdom and be cast away… If the royal family were to ever fight against each other, the government of the Kingdom will halt. If one thinks about it, it was the right decision.
"Nevertheless, younger brother is completely leaning against the Second Prince. Since that's the case, the father should have been aiming for the annulment of my engagement with the Second Prince. I'm delighted for you, father."
Since that's the case, when it comes to my affair, if it's father, he probably wouldn't disinherit me. If it's just that much power, our House also has it. I implied that I did what I did because it was something that father desired.
Father laughed looking really happy. However, even though he was laughing, I can only see him as a villain. If a third party sees him, they'll probably disintegrate completely.
"That's right. Certainly, I did wish to have your engagement with the Second Prince annulled. Although I have instructed to keep a distance from the Second Prince in case of a disaster… But that guy, he has completely forgotten his duty and is now thoroughly part of the Second Prince's circle… However, are you fine with this, Iris? Did you not fall in love with the Second Prince?"
"Love is something like a sickness. When it cools down, that's the end of it… Even I, myself, think that it's a good thing it happened earlier rather than later."
Besides, love of a hundred years will probably cool down as well.
"…Hmmm. However, Layla. This time, the current predicament is your blunder. Therefore, it is necessary that I take some measures."
"…Is that so…"
As I thought, I couldn't escape the "deprivation of social status, church confinement, and disownment" course… In addition, Tanya seemed adamant that she comes along; I need to somehow convince her to stay.
"I'll have you go back to the territory and then be under house confinement. Of course, since you'll be far away from the Royal City, what you want to do in that remote place doesn't concern me."
"…Eh?"
Doesn't that mean that anything I want to do will be "okay," and there won't be any confinement?
"Also, it'll be a waste if you just stay there and do nothing. Because I will be giving you the 'Feudal Lord Representative' position, so at the very least, govern the territory properly."
Feudal Lord Representative? …In other words, to govern the territory in place of the father.
I wonder what I should say in this situation… Having an unexpected piece of good luck? Casting pearls before swine? Ah, either one of those is incorrect! Because it happened so suddenly, I couldn't find any words to make sense out of it.
"…Feudal Lord Representative, wouldn't that role usually go to a younger brother who is the heir?"
"It doesn't matter since you'll be going to the territory anyway. And besides, that guy is currently experiencing the 'illness' you spoke of."
…Well, certainly. In order to experience being in love with the Breach's daughter, Alice, it is necessary for him not to distance himself from the Second Prince, but rather be part of his entourage.
If he stays in the Royal City, since its long vacation, a development will definitely happen… Because she now belongs to the Second Prince, it should be fine if he distanced himself. In my brother's mind, he probably wants to be in a position where he can protect the happiness of the person he loves and watch over her.
"…I shall comply. I'll show you a territory that will not quiver 'no matter what state' the Royal City ends up becoming."
"Oh, one more thing Father." She added. "Please don't be angry at Leo for reporting this matter to Zen."
"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.
"Because I asked him to do it. Oh and don't tell Mother, she won't be able to handle it."
"Layla, what in the world are you planning?"
"Something which I should have done three years ago."
When I said that, father nodded in acknowledgement and made a 'you may retire' gesture, and I left the room.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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