The End of First Love - Chapter 27

Since that day when she stayed out without permission, Elizabeth’s life had changed drastically.

She was almost completely forbidden from going out, and whenever she had to leave for official business, several maidservants, including Milia, had to accompany her. Moreover, since that day, Elizabeth had been cut off from any contact with Heinz. Not even letters or gifts had come her way.

That day, her father hadn’t interrogated her, but it was highly likely that he had realized she had crossed a line with Heinz.

(Well, we’re going to get married anyway, so why can’t he just overlook it?! If a young lady with a fiancé does something like that, it’s bound to happen to some extent.)

Even in the strict society of the Kingdom of Glutenburg, engagements were sometimes overlooked when it came to meetings with one’s fiancé. Of course, there were young ladies who lost their purity before marriage. However, if the engagement were broken off, the woman would be at a disadvantage. Elizabeth understood this well. Thus, her father’s anger was justified.

But she didn’t regret it…

It was Elizabeth who had initiated the encounter with Heinz. Had she not made that choice, she never would have been able to take that step. She would still be making excuses and not moving forward.

Even if it was forceful, Heinz gave her the courage to move forward. But…

“Why can’t I meet him?!”

“Miss, please don’t shout. Your makeup will be ruined.”

“Ah… sorry.”

“I understand you want to see Heinz-sama, but it’s your own doing. It would be best to wait for the duke’s anger to subside.”

“I know that! But isn’t it cruel that not even a letter has come?!”

“As for the letters, it’s unrelated to the Duke. There are no signs of a breakup either.”

“Really?! Milia, is that true?”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

Could this be true? After two people had confessed their feelings to each other and couldn’t meet, not even a single letter… Elizabeth’s mind kept going in circles, recalling a famous saying: Once the fish is caught, the bait is no longer given.

(Could Heinz-sama be that kind of person?)

A recent rumor she had overheard suddenly crossed her mind, and her heart sank.

She wanted to trust Heinz. But her past experiences of being betrayed made her heart darken with fear. The voice of her past urged her to listen to it, pulling her into a deep abyss. If she listened, she feared she’d be trapped again by the phantom of William.

She couldn’t let that happen.

“Miss! Please don’t look like it’s the end of the world! Today is an important day, isn’t it? The tea party hosted by the Crown Prince’s wife, with many nobles from the Crown Prince’s faction attending. As Heinz-sama’s fiancée, you’ll be questioned thoroughly. It’s bound to be a storm of sarcasm. If you’re weak like this, they’ll devour you!”

“I know, I know that today’s tea party is important. I’m well aware of that.”

But Heinz-sama wouldn’t be there…

Heinz, who served as the Crown Prince’s right-hand man, had an overwhelming workload. Elizabeth understood that even though they were engaged, it wasn’t something she could casually ask him to escort her. But, for today, did she wish he would be by her side? Was that too much to ask?

“I understand how you feel, Miss. I know you’d like Heinz-sama to escort you today. But, is it okay to be so weak? As long as you’re by Heinz-sama’s side, there will be jealousy and envy. It’s not like what you experienced with Prince William. Heinz-sama’s popularity is immense.”

“Eh?! Heinz-sama is that popular?”

“…Miss, you didn’t know?”

Milia looked at her in disappointment through the mirror, and Elizabeth’s face turned red with embarrassment.

(Could it be true? Heinz-sama is popular?)

Indeed, his deep black eyes, shining black hair, and slightly neurotic aura—he was undeniably handsome. But with his sharp tongue, many ladies would be hurt by his words. It was hard to believe he was very popular.

At the balls, Elizabeth had thought the ladies around Heinz were just after his family’s status.

(Could it be they weren’t just interested in his family? Was there something more to it?)

As Elizabeth tilted her head in confusion, Milia delivered the final blow.

“Listen, Miss. No matter how bad Heinz-sama’s personality is, there will be plenty of young ladies surrounding him just because he’s the son of a duke. And unlike that foolish prince, there hasn’t been any scandal about him. There was once a rumor about him being involved with men, but now that he’s engaged to you, the social circles believe he’s okay with women. And with that handsome face, being the Crown Prince’s right-hand man and the son of a duke—such a catch. Any single young lady would be foolish to let him go, and any lady eager to marry off her daughter will be hunting him down.”

“I-I see.”

“Don’t just say ‘I see.’ Miss, are you ready to fight off those vultures and defend Heinz-sama? Until now, some ladies sympathized with you due to Prince William’s behavior. But that will change. If you remain weak, those vultures will snatch Heinz-sama away.”

“Eh, yes… I understand.”

“Listen up. You’ve been on your own this whole time. What’s it matter if Heinz-sama isn’t by your side today? At this point, think of it as ‘I’m the one who’s manipulating and leading Heinz-sama around,’ and take it on with that attitude!”

Right. Milia was right.

If she showed weakness here, it would be a disaster in the future.

“Milia! I’ll fight back before I get eaten!”

“That’s the spirit, Miss!”

With Milia’s encouragement, Elizabeth entered the tea party hosted by the Crown Prince’s wife.

“By the way, Elizabeth-sama, how is Heinz-sama? I heard at the Subaru Marquess’ ball that Prince William and that baroness were getting too close to Heinz-sama, but he came to your rescue.”

“I also heard that Heinz-sama declared you as his own or something like that.”

“I heard it was after that rescue that your relationship turned into love and eventually led to your engagement.”

As expected, the center of attention upon entering the venue was Elizabeth. She had anticipated it.

What she didn’t expect, though, was the rapid-fire barrage of questions. She felt like running away.

(I can’t shrink back here, Elizabeth!)

If she couldn’t handle this on her own, how could she stand beside Heinz?

“As you all have mentioned, Heinz-sama and I are engaged. However, the formal approval for the wedding hasn’t been given yet. So, our relationship is not so different from any other engagement. I believe Heinz-sama helped me at the Subaru Marquess’ ball out of duty as my fiancé. He is certainly kind, but…”

Even at a tea party hosted by the Crown Prince’s faction, Elizabeth couldn’t afford to speak her mind. In this social world, everyone was wearing a mask, searching for a way to tear each other down.

That’s why Elizabeth never spoke her true feelings unless she trusted someone.

“But… Elizabeth-sama, is a marriage between dukes really possible?”

It was clear that they all wanted to know about this. Honestly, she wanted to ask the same question herself.

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. I leave that to my father and Heinz-sama. It’s beyond my knowledge…”

Elizabeth vaguely answered and tried to cover it with a smile, hoping to get away with it.

As she smiled awkwardly, a voice from one of the ladies pierced through the conversation.

“By the way, I heard a rumor that Heinz-sama has been visiting a church in a certain town recently. I wonder if he has an interest in charity work?”

“Heinz-sama is the son of the Schwein Duke, so I believe he has several churches in his territory. It’s a lovely church, and I imagine the Duke has made donations there.”

“Yes, I’ve heard a rumor that he’s visiting a specific nun there. Elizabeth-sama, please be careful. Men can be fickle.”

The lady laughed behind her fan, as though she were suggesting there was smoke where there was no fire.

Everyone here was a potential rival, trying to tear Elizabeth down and forge a connection with the Schwein Duke’s family.

“Thank you for your advice, but please don’t worry. Heinz-sama isn’t the type to be distracted by other young ladies.”

Elizabeth managed to avoid the awkward situation, but the church rumor lingered heavily in her mind.

(There’s no way Heinz-sama would cheat…)

She wanted to believe that, but the small shadow that had settled in Elizabeth’s heart refused to leave.