My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - Chapter 9

“Enough! Get out!!”

As if talking any further would be a waste of time, my father waved his hand dismissively.

I simply watched him expressionlessly and spoke the truth he already knew.

“Father, you already know what I want to say. You also know what Mother wants to say, don’t you?”

And yet, he kept averting his eyes.

If he didn’t see it, it didn’t exist.

That’s what he wanted to believe.

To him, my mother and I were ‘inconvenient.’ Something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Because if he did, he would have to admit the truth.

That his treatment of my mother and me had been cruel.

That the cold and broken family ties were his doing.

He would have to accept it.

But my proud father would never do that.

So he pushed us away.

To maintain his own convenient world.

“Father, you are the one who should explain and persuade Mother. That is your responsibility.”

I spoke calmly, without any emotion.

Then, grasping the hem of my dress, I performed a lady’s curtsy and turned on my heels.

“Wait! Felicia!!”

Bang! The desk was struck with force.

When I turned around, my father was glaring at me, his face red with anger.

“What kind of tone is that?! And that look in your eyes!! What did you even learn in your etiquette lessons?!”

“In my etiquette lessons, I was taught to obey my parents without question. But I have no intention of being your puppet or a convenient pawn, Father.”

He must have been even more enraged by my words.

Before he could say anything, I continued.

“Neither Mother nor I are emotionless dolls. We are human beings with our own thoughts and feelings. Though it seems you never noticed.”

To him, it must have seemed like his obedient chess piece had suddenly rebelled.

I had no intention of being forced into submission.

So, I finally smiled.

A harmless, innocent smile, something only I, with my reasonably cute appearance, could pull off.

“Please do not misunderstand. I sincerely congratulate my sister and Prince Felix. After all, the crown prince of our kingdom has found his ‘destined one.’ I, too, think it is a joyous occasion. That’s why… I have also decided to seek my own happiness.”

If taken at face value, it would mean, “Like my sister and Prince Felix, I want to find my own ‘destiny.’”

Of course, my true intentions were different.

I simply wanted to search for my own happiness.

That was the truth.

But my happiness did not necessarily come from ‘destiny.’

Rather than being bound by concepts like marriage or love, I wanted to find my own path to happiness.

Happiness is not something given—it’s something you reach out and take.

At the very least, I had no intention of sitting around waiting for something uncertain to be handed to me.

☆

As I left the study and made my way to my room, I heard someone call my name.

“Felicia.”

My sister had not yet returned from the castle.

That meant there was only one person in this house who would call me by name instead of ‘Young Lady.’

I slowly turned around.

Standing there was a woman with the same pink hair as mine.

She must have stayed in her room, not expecting to go out.

A thin shawl draped over her shoulders, and her hair was tied in a single knot.

She was unusually tall for a woman.

She was my mother, the Duchess of Frenzel.

Patricia Frenzel.

“Mother.”

“You’ve returned. How was your talk with His Highness?”

She asked plainly.

What she wanted to know was the fate of my engagement with Prince Felix.

To my mother, my engagement to Prince Felix was a source of pride.

If it were to be annulled… she would surely be devastated, I thought.

My mother was a noblewoman through and through.

Even when my father’s visits to the theater became public and she learned of his mistress, she never raised her voice or displayed jealousy.

As a noble lady, she believed she could not afford to act without dignity.

So, she always quietly reproached my father with cold eyes, never speaking a word against him.

Even now, she still harbored resentment over Jennifer.

She never said anything in front of my father, but sometimes, she would let her true feelings slip in front of me.

(To my mother, Agnes is nothing more than proof of my father’s affair…)

She despised my sister to the core.

She had only met her a handful of times, and only when it was absolutely necessary.

For example, when my sister, due to her weak health, had to forgo her debut in high society.

As the duchess, my mother had to formally confirm my sister’s decision.

My sister knew my mother loathed her, so she was even more nervous than usual.

Her condition worsened, and my father blamed my mother, further straining their marriage.

‘The Ice Lady’—that was my mother’s nickname in high society.

She never smiled.

And because she was beautiful, her cold expression was all the more intimidating.

I hesitated for a few seconds, then decided to be honest about what had happened.

I told her that my engagement with Prince Felix would likely be annulled.

That my sister and Prince Felix would soon be officially engaged instead.

Upon hearing that, my mother furrowed her brows.

“What did you just say? And you’re fine with this?”

“Fine or not, it’s a decision made by Father and His Majesty. Besides, my sister is Prince Felix’s destined—”

“I couldn’t care less about that shallow reasoning.”

She spat the words out.

“Destiny? So what? Does destiny mean throwing away your emotions and reason? If that’s the case, then it’s not a blessing—it’s a curse.”