My Second Engagement: Loved by the Duke’s Son and Thanked for My Healing Magic ~ My Selfish Sister Took My Fiancé, but Gave Him Back Because She Didn’t Want Him Anymore~ - Episode 1

“Reina, my dear sister… I can’t handle my fiancé anymore! Please take my place!”

“Huh? But Almia, you were the one who wanted to change my engagement. Why now?”

“Every time I meet him, he’s so annoying! He keeps giving me endless lectures… I really, really hate it!”

Oh, so it’s just another one of her selfish whims.

I, Reina Falrune, have always struggled with my younger sister’s selfishness.

Almia threw a tantrum until our parents finally gave in and forced my engagement to be changed.

The person I was engaged to was Julite Gress, the son of Duke Gress.

I had only met Lord Gress once, but he seemed kind, considerate, and polite.

That’s why I couldn’t understand why he accepted the engagement change.

Did I do something rude without realizing it and make him dislike me?

“What kind of things does he lecture you about?”

“Well… I saw a beautiful necklace worn by a servant, so I said I wanted it. But she told me she couldn’t give it to me because it was a gift from her fiancé. When I complained to Lord Gress and asked him to fire her, he got angry at me.”

Complaining about the meal menu, refusing to attend ballroom dance lessons, whining about how tiring the training to be a duchess was…

It was obvious that Almia’s selfish behavior was the reason why Lord Gress and Duke Gress scolded her.

If anything, it showed they were good people for trying to correct her behavior.

As for me… I had tried to correct Almia’s selfishness many times before, but now, I was in no position to say anything.

Our parents, who doted on Almia, always told me I was being too strict and that I should be more gentle and patient as her older sister.

There were even times when I was burned by their fire magic or frozen by their ice magic just for scolding Almia.

I felt that if this continued, my life might be in danger.

Even so, I had to speak up this time. I couldn’t let Lord Gress and his family suffer because of her.

“You must not take things that belong to others.”

“What!? Reina, you’re so cruel! My heart is already in shambles, and now you’re lecturing me too!?”

Oh no… this was bad.

Almia collapsed in tears and started throwing things around.

This is my room, though…

With a loud crash, Almia swung her arm and knocked over my precious ornaments.

The impact shattered them, and the broken glass may have even hit Almia.

“Are you hurt!?”

“It… it hurts! I’m bleeding!”

That was a nasty sound… She must have hit it with a lot of force.

Her hand was turning purple from the impact, and her ankle was bleeding where the glass had cut her.

I quickly tried to help her, but she refused.

“It’s all… all Reina’s fault! You’re bullying me when I’m this weak!”

This time, I couldn’t back down.

I wouldn’t mind if it was just me, but this involved others.

“This time, we need to hear the other party’s decision. I can’t do anything on my own.”

“Then I’ll ask Father!”

With that, Almia held her injured hand and left the room.

I gathered the scattered glass and sighed.

“Another lecture is coming… I just want to run away from the Falrune family…”

Since our parents spoiled Almia, they granted her every wish.

On the other hand, because of a certain incident, they no longer treated me as their daughter.

Even if I wanted to escape, I had received almost no noble education, learning most things on my own.

At sixteen, I had never attended a social gathering and rarely had the chance to interact with others.

All I did was stay home, cleaning and doing laundry. In my free time, I studied magic books.

I wanted to be able to use magic for the day when I finally escaped.

And perhaps… that time had finally come.

But this engagement change incident was about to change my life forever.

♢♢♢

“How dare you injure Almia, you worthless girl!!!”

“I-I’m sor—”

Before I could finish apologizing, my back was engulfed in flames.

My already tattered clothes burned away, exposing my bare skin.

It hurt, it was hot, and I had no magic resistance since I had never used magic before. I couldn’t bear it.

“Oh dear, if this continues, the house might catch fire again. We need to put it out quickly.”

Mother laughed as she mockingly cast an ice spell at my back.

The fire went out, but the pain didn’t change. It was burning and freezing at the same time, so much so that I could no longer tell the difference.

“How many times do you plan to torment Almia!? She’s such a poor, unfortunate girl!”

“Of course, I understand… Her magic is weak, and she will struggle in the future.”

“Exactly. And yet, Reina, you burned down our valuable family assets with your magic… Just thinking about it makes me furious! You are never to use magic again!”

“I understand. I have never used magic before.”

“Don’t lie to me!!”

Father’s furious voice echoed through the room.

I had never used magic in my life, nor had I ever burned anything down.

Magic is useful, but it can be dangerous. That’s why children under four must always be supervised by their parents to prevent accidental magic outbursts.

At five, they start training to control their magic to prevent accidents.

But when I was four, my parents left the house, and three-year-old Almia unknowingly released magic.

She set fire to the warehouse that stored the Falrune family’s valuables.

I was the first to notice, so I grabbed Almia and ran to safety. Someone else helped us, but I was too panicked to remember who.

Later, they blamed me for the fire.

Ever since then, my treatment worsened.

I was forbidden from using magic and had never cast a single spell in my life.

Meanwhile, Almia trained in magic, but her magical power was so weak that she couldn’t possibly burn down a building.

Even now, I still wonder how she had enough magic to start that fire.

But because of that, they accused me of blaming others and treated me even worse.

“I’d love to get rid of this worthless trash, but it would make Almia sad. I’ll let you go this time. But once Almia is married… be ready.”

“I’ll go call Almia now.”

“Almia is a kind girl. She still thinks of that cursed Reina as her sister… Because of that, we can’t punish her in front of her. You should be grateful.”

I wasn’t sure if Almia saw me as a sister or just a tool.

She pushed all her studies onto me and made me do all her writing assignments.

Most of the clothes and accessories I was given were taken by her.

The only thing she ever taught me was ballroom dancing, which I was truly grateful for.

Even though she threw tantrums, she had never physically attacked me.

I still thought of her as my beloved little sister.

I stayed because I hoped she would change and become a better person.

♢♢♢

Almia rushed into the room, immediately pleading with our parents to change her fiancé.

Her reasoning was exaggerated compared to what she had told me earlier.

Father and Mother listened intently, without the slightest hint of doubt.

“I see. This is a serious issue. However, we can’t simply cancel an engagement. The Duke’s house is offering a massive dowry, after all.”

“No way… So, I really have to marry into that family?”

Father turned a cold gaze toward me.

“We’re changing the engagement back to you, Reina, no matter how much you protest.”

“I don’t mind, but shouldn’t we consult with the Duke’s family?”

“There’s no need. The engagement was originally for you. They won’t object.”

For some reason, Father looked completely confident.

And so, my fate was sealed once again.