The Price Of Breaking Up - Chapter 4
Translator and Editor: Lea and Aki
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Chapter 4
“I’ve been waiting for your call.”
He knelt at my feet.
Holding my hand in both hands, he kissed it.
He was very loyal to the Duke’s Princess.
“Is there anything you’d like for me to carry out?”
He asked.
“Yes.”
“Just command.”
“Can you spread a rumor?”
“A rumor?”
Ash asked again.
“Yes. First of all……. Indeed, I’d love to hear rumors that Marquis Lurhtella’s daughter has been kidnapping poor children.”
“It’s not difficult, but…… could I know what it is about?”
I handed him the letter I received from my father.
“Miss Lurhtella appears to be spreading awful rumors about me.”
Ash began to read the lines written on the parchment paper.
“One can’t just sit it through.”
The letter stated what rumors that young Lurhtella was spreading about me.
Ash had stayed a faithful servant of mine since I entered the Imperial City. It was only once or twice a year that we saw each other when there was something really necessary to be carried out.
But despite the low level of exchanges, I didn’t know what he was like.
“Such rumors don’t matter. She’s an important figure just from her very existence.”
“I see. But that doesn’t mean we can leave it at that.”
I recalled the greeting I had a few days ago with Miss Lurhtella.
Since I’ve thrown her out of this castle, she must have done something. However, I didn’t expect her to spread rumors about me.
“Okay. So, do you want me to change this gossip first?”
I nodded in response.
Ash appeared to be worried about something, but he soon gave me the answer I wanted to hear.
“The house of Marquis Lurhtella began to fall out of its position little by little because they kidnapped young girls and drank their blood three generations ago.”
Then, the current Marquis’ grandmother was a trembling figure. For gaining beauty, she allegedly kidnapped a young girl and drank her blood, which was an object of hatred and fear to the people.
“I think we’ll be able to spread the rumor referring to the incident.”
“It wouldn’t be difficult for you, would it?”
“Of course not.”
After further discussions, Ash knelt down with a look of regret.
As if he understood my situation, he shed tears before returning his way.
After I dismissed Ash, I burned the envelope just like I did with the documents.
The rumors that Ash would spread would be in effect because of the atrocities committed by the predecessor of Marquis Lurhtella.
The rumors being spread about me were of ‘what I do, what luxury I own, and how evil I behave toward my subordinates’, and so on.
Those rumors were only tantamount to a child’s prank compared to the provocative story of the seemingly immature daughter of Marquis Lurhtella kidnapping children in the slums.
I closed my eyes tight as fatigue rushed over me. With my lids down, I only saw darkness.
I was told by the Crown Prince to leave the Imperial City when I wanted to.
That would not mean I would stay here forever. He was telling me to leave when the time came.
I did intend to leave at the right time.
But not in this situation.
Now, it would only look like I was running away.
“If Ash steps up now, maybe a week or four days would be enough.”
Not only the commoners who live far away, but also the people in the Capital would gossip to find out whether such rumors about Miss Lurhtella were true or not.
In this way, Miss Lurhtella would become an object for the people to fear, whether the rumor was true or not.
“I’m tired.”
The tea I drank to warm myself up didn’t seem to help at all.
My body was tired, but I couldn’t sleep. Considering how late at night it was, I thought of it as stress.
I had a lot on my mind because of my unorganized thoughts.
I’ve been having problems falling asleep since the change of the oracle.
Unknown feelings continued to wander in my heart.
I never wanted to be the Crown Princess.
But I did my best more than what I was given.
I’d put a lot of time and effort into making it more valuable than anything since it was my seat.
Not that I think of it, I’ve only raised the authority of the Crown Princess for Miss Lurhtella.
***
Duke of Pesentria.
The name didn’t dare change anything.
The Duke of Pesentria, who had been firmly in place with the Imperial Family since the empire’s birth, was a sword, shield, and treasure defending the country.
And I was the only princess of the Duke of Pesentria.
Although my hair was pink, my eyes resembled my mother, and my nose and mouth were like father’s. My brother and I were told that we looked just like twins.
“It’s good that we look alike.”
When I was a child, I wasn’t really fond of my parents having different hair colors. It was because I thought we didn’t look like a family.
However, I remembered liking it when I saw myself resemble my parents as I grew up.
I sat on the bed while thinking of my childhood.
The early morning breeze was fresh.
Particularly due to the sweet scent, thanks to the tree planted right in front of the window. The scent was from the flowers of that tree, which was planted by the Crown Prince on one of my birthdays.
“…..Starting today, I’ll have to get ready.”
To leave this place.
It must have been a long time. Now, it finally was the time to take off the crown of Crown Princess and prepare to return to being the Princess of the Duke.
There was more to pack than I thought.
I must ask the Duke to prepare a carriage, call the maids to pack my belongings, and take time to visit the Emperor and the Empress.
Even if I prepared now, it would take about four days before I’d be able to leave.
“It will take a couple of days to reach the Duchy from the Capital.”
There were two important lands in the empire.
One of them was right here in the capital.
And the other was a place a little far in the islands, but it was full of valuable and buried resources: The Dukedom of Pesentria, which is under the rule of father and mother.
“Did it take about ten days by carriage?”
It’s been so long since I visited the Duke’s estate that I couldn’t recall.
Anyhow, it would be relaxing to travel after a long time.
After four days of preparation at the Imperial City, I would take a carriage for ten days to arrive at the Duke’s……
“I’ll be arriving on the day of the wedding.”
I muttered.
The date had been rescheduled.
The Imperial City would have been bustling by now. The people would have been excited and raised a toast, while the envoys from each country would have been visiting and carrying congratulatory gifts.
I would have been trying on several tailored dresses for my wedding day and wondering what would suit me.
I could have thrown off a little exciting visit to the Empress.
But now, I was preparing to return to the Duke.
A lot did change.
I covered my face with my hands, as if to wash my face dry.
My breath felt hot on my palms.
I didn’t want to show anyone a disorganized look.
“I should take a bath.”
I folded in my useless thoughts.
I folded it again and again. I folded it small enough for no one to pry, pushed it in the corner of my chest, and rose up from my bed.
I rang the bell, signaling for the maids to arrive.
I ordered the maid to prepare breakfast.
So, I filled my stomach with boiled potatoes and shifted to do what I had to do.
First, I called in the servants who were doing chores and told them to pack my things.
Later, I asked the Duke for a carriage and wrote letters to His Highness, the Emperor and Her Highness, the Empress.
Even then, I was clueless about what I’d do with the jewelry.
They were all rare and beautiful.
However, these jewels were presented by the royal couple to their daughter-in-law and were dedicated by the nobility to the Empress who would lead the country in the future. They were not for a Duke’s daughter.
I decided to leave them behind.
The choice was fully based on the jewelry’s nonexistent meaning to me.
It was only wealth. I didn’t want to let it go to waste.
“I’ll give this to His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
I picked up a ring among the jewelry pieces.
Then, I called in a trusted maid and gave her the box containing the ring.
“All right.”
The ring in the box was a valuable item that could not be exchanged for anything rare.
The ring was given to me by the Crown Prince. He had told me to put it on in place of the wedding ring until the marriage.
He told me to give it back to him after the wedding as he would give me something better. The ring was too precious to keep out of sight.
How upsetting it was when it didn’t fit anymore on my hands as I grew older.
“He asked for it to be given back to him after the marriage……”
I muttered to myself. My stomach churned at the thought.
Soon after, however, the maid I had sent came back with the ring again. Her face was flushed in embarrassment.
“His Highness, the Crown Prince has asked to personally speak to you…….”
“……”
She handed me the box.
I opened the box after receiving it.
The little ring sitting inside the container was pretty.
“Personally……”
The ring may not be mine, but it didn’t look as beautiful as before.
I needed no expensive jewelry or ornaments.
I had no difficulty in letting go of an artwork worth a castle that had been lost in the neighboring country.
The same had to be done with this ring without such a delay.
But why was he calling me in person? What else does he have to say?
If it were before, I would have happily responded. But now, I wasn’t even moved a little to hear his call.
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