The End of First Love - Chapter 17

“Hey, Milia. Have I done anything since I returned from my estate?”

“No, nothing at all. You’re as lazy as ever.”

It had been nearly a month since Elizabeth had returned to the royal capital.

She hadn’t told anyone about that day—the day she was taken to the Schwein ducal family’s villa. Not even to Milia, her wet nurse’s daughter and closest confidante.

But knowing how sharp Milia was, she might have already figured it out. The sorrowful look on her face when she saw Elizabeth return to the Baker ducal estate the next morning was still burned into her memory.

Since then, Elizabeth had been summoned to her father’s study shortly after her return to the capital.

“Lady Elizabeth has agreed to her engagement with Heinz Schwein. Accordingly, we request that this acceptance be formally reported to His Majesty.”

Handed the letter from the Schwein family, Elizabeth was questioned by her father about its true meaning. Looking back, the fact that she hadn’t broken down in tears in front of him was proof that she had done her best.

(I could never say something like ‘I had relations with Lord Heinz’ out loud.)

The lie she instinctively came up with—that he had healed her wounded heart and she had unknowingly fallen for him—was something she was relieved her father believed.

(So in the end, is my engagement to Heinz official?)

Ever since that day, there had been no word from Heinz.

With how uneventful her days had become, it almost felt like that night had been nothing more than a dream. And yet, Elizabeth couldn’t shake off her gloomy mood. The problem was, she didn’t understand why.

Heinz was both the assistant chancellor and the crown prince’s aide. He had always been busy. The fact that he had even shown up at the Baker estate, taking days off from his duties, was unusual. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was now buried under a mountain of paperwork.

(But he could at least send a letter…)

“The air in this room is stifling, my lady. It was better when we were at the estate.”

“Milia, that’s harsh.”

“It is not harsh. I can see that you’re sulking because Lord Heinz has ignored you. But why let a mere man dictate your mood? You should learn to make him dance in the palm of your hand instead, my lady.”

Milia was right. Why was she sulking over just one man?

Her relationship with Heinz had never been good to begin with. Whatever his reasons were, he had forced himself upon her and coerced her into this engagement. Was she really going to let things continue as he pleased?

(If he’s ignoring me, then good! I should be the one charging ahead! Move forward, Elizabeth!)

“You’re right! I refuse to let him dictate my life. Besides, I’ll be rejoining high society soon. If I stay like this, I’ll have no defense against being called a ‘loser noblewoman.’”

“That’s the spirit, my lady!”

Since returning to the capital, Elizabeth hadn’t left the estate for a full month. She was completely out of touch with current trends, social circles, and even city gossip. If she wanted to make a comeback in the aristocratic world, she needed to gather information first.

(There’s no point in moping. I need to start by gathering intelligence.)

“Milia, let’s go into town.”

And so, during her outing, Elizabeth heard a shocking rumor.

“The cruel duke’s daughter was dumped by the second prince, who has now become engaged to his true love, Baroness Maria Castor.”

Rumors in the city often came with exaggerated details, but if they had spread this far, it meant that the same gossip was circulating in high society.

Realizing the situation was worse than she had expected, Elizabeth let out a deep sigh.

And to make matters worse, she spotted a theater poster advertising “The Heartwarming Story of a Kind Baroness Who Defeated the Wicked Duke’s Daughter and Found True Love with the Prince.”

The sight of it nearly made her legs give out.

“Milia, did you know about this? About William’s engagement?”

“Yes, of course. And about that ridiculous play as well.”

“You could have told me.”

“My lady, what are you saying? Do you still have feelings for that foolish prince?”

“I do not! It’s just… that baroness is the woman who was with William when he broke our engagement, isn’t she? But was she really the delicate, innocent type that William would fall for?”

The woman beside William on that fateful day had been anything but fragile.

The smile she gave Elizabeth as she left had been nothing short of a sneer.

(Delicate? More like a cunning little minx. She had the air of a predator, not a damsel. She doesn’t match William’s usual preferences at all…)

“Even bringing up that foolish prince means you still care, my lady. Attending Lady Miranda’s wedding party in such a state would be reckless. The prince and his baroness will surely be there, and if you show any weakness, you’ll be playing right into their hands. You need to go there with the confidence to put them in their place.”

“You’re right… absolutely right…”

If she didn’t show some backbone, she would be completely cast out of high society.

“Milia, I will do my best!”

And thus, with Milia’s strict training, Elizabeth underwent a transformation. By the time the day of her return to society arrived, she was a vision to behold—one that even rivaled her past beauty.