Kays Translations

Chapter 56: Celestine Crocus Faces Adversity

Noble District, Royal Capital.

In the central area where several noble residences are lined up, there stood an exceptionally spacious and splendid building.

White exterior walls, blue roofs, and a garden filled with seasonal flowers.

Despite its extravagance, the mansion exuded an elegance that was not off-putting, but rather refined.

This meant that the owner of the mansion possessed not just wealth and power but also the dignity and prestige befitting their status.

The Duke Crocus Residence.

Velios Crocus, the head of the leading noble family in the Iwood Kingdom, holds the position of prime minister. He possesses everything—lineage, status, authority, wealth.

He is the second most powerful noble in both name and reality, with a position next to the royal family.

In the mansion of such a duke, from a window on the second floor, a young woman with a melancholic expression peered out.

"...It's almost time for school enrollment, isn't it?"

"...Yes, young lady."

In response to the woman's words, a maid standing in the corner of the room replied with a pained expression.

The woman's name was Celestine Crocus.

She was the only daughter of Duke Crocus, and the fiancée of the third prince, Rodel Iwood. In the entrance exam for the Royal Academy that she took recently, she scored a perfect mark and was chosen as the top student in the magic department.

Celestine was a perfect lady who had everything. Born into the prestigious Crocus duke family, she possessed talents in magic, academics, and physical activities. Moreover, she was endowed with a beauty akin to a diamond.

Her platinum hair reflected the morning sun, flowing beautifully like a waterfall. Her skin, as clear as white pearls. Straight nose, red lips resembling a rose, and eyes filled with a vivid amethyst color.

If she hadn't been chosen as the fiancée of the third prince since childhood, she would undoubtedly have received marriage proposals from royalty and nobility from surrounding countries.

However, despite being such a perfect young lady, Celestine's expression was dark.

There was one reason that troubled and clouded Celestine's expression.

Her fiancé, Rodel Iwood, the third prince.

"After enrolling in the academy, I'll surely have days of cleaning up after Rodel's mess... It's going to be days of restlessness..."

She sighed, not knowing how many times this had happened.

Rodel Iwood possessed exceptional magic talent, and there were high expectations for his future to become a sage. Unfortunately, besides magic talent, Rodel did not have a single admirable quality.

His personality was outright arrogant. Since childhood, every time they met, he showered Celestine with insults.

Recently, as he reached the age of adolescence, he seemed to have learned womanizing, causing problems by trying to approach maids working in the castle or attempting to bring favored noble daughters into private chambers.

Celestine had also been approached by Rodel. When she refused, as expected for premarital relations, she was almost subjected to violence.

Thinking that someone nearby happened to stop him, her spine still shudders at the thought.

(Why do I have to marry such a man...? If I enroll in the Royal Academy, he will undoubtedly cause trouble again...)

Even when Celestine was chosen as the top student, he became furious, shouting, "Why does a mere girl like you get ahead of me!" and went on a rampage, destroying the surrounding furniture.

If he enrolled in the academy, he would undoubtedly cause new problems. And... Celestine, as the fiancée, was the only one left to clean up after those problems.

(Really... I resent you, grandfather.)

The reason Celestine became engaged to Rodel was because of her grandfather, the former Duke Crocus.

The former duke was fond of people and, in particular, admired the queen dowager, Rodel's grandmother. 

The Queen Mother, who bore a striking resemblance to Rodel, doted on him. As she aged and faced the inevitable challenges of illness, she worried about Rodel's future.

For Rodel's future, the Queen Mother begged the former Duke to arrange an engagement with young Celestine.

The majority of the members of the Crocus Duke family were stunned by the engagement, which was concluded without the permission of Celestine or her father, the current Duke. 

By that time, Rodel was famous as the ``Selfish Prince,'' and it was obvious that even if she became his fiancée, the hardships would outweigh the benefits.

To make matters worse, the Crocus Duke family had entered into a magical contract that stated that the engagement could not be broken, so the engagement with Rodel could not be broken.

The current Duke was also disappointed in his father and banished him to a small mansion on the edge of his territory.

However, even with the former duke gone, the engagement did not break. Celestine, despite growing up, was left to be manipulated by the arrogant fiancé, and she had reached the age to enroll in the Royal Academy.

"It would be nice if he broke off the engagement from over there..."

"...I can sympathize with your feelings, milady."

Celestine and the maid sighed simultaneously.

Unfortunately, despite Rodel's verbal abuse towards Celestine, there was no sign of him breaking off the engagement.

He probably understood that the engagement with Celestine was crucial for his future.

If that's the case, almost everyone in the Crocus Duke family had the thought that he should treat Celestine even more better.

(If I can break off the engagement with him, I don't care who my next fiancé is... whether it's a commoner or a lower-class nobleman, and even more importantly, I don't care if there's another woman...)

As such thoughts crossed her mind, Celestine felt increasingly cornered like an animal in the wild.

Two weeks remained until enrollment at the academy.

Once enrolled, she would have to face Rodel and his mischief every day.

“Haa…”

With a sigh that felt like that of a condemned criminal awaiting execution anytime soon, Celestine expressed her feelings once again, not knowing how many times she had done so.

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