The End of First Love - Chapter 4

“Lady Elizabeth, please wake up! Today is the day Lady Iris and Lady Miranda are coming to visit. I reminded you last night before you went to bed, didn’t I? It’s almost lunchtime already. At this rate, you won’t make it in time for tea!”

As usual, the voice of Elizabeth’s personal maid, Milia, echoed through a room in the Baker Ducal household. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Elizabeth reluctantly sat up.

“Milia, can’t we just cancel…?”

“What nonsense are you saying?! They’re coming to visit because they’re worried about you! If you don’t get up now, you really won’t make it in time.”

Ever since William had announced their engagement annulment, Elizabeth had shut herself away in her room. The members of the Baker family had left her alone out of consideration, but a few days ago, Milia had finally snapped. Her furious shouts had shaken the once-quiet Baker household.

Seeing Milia fuming, Elizabeth couldn’t blame her. She knew she had been taking advantage of Milia’s patience. Over the past few weeks, she had remained secluded in her chambers, relying on Milia’s unwavering support.

Milia’s mother had been the Baker family’s wet nurse, and because of that, Milia and Elizabeth had grown up like sisters. It was only natural that Elizabeth had always depended on her.

“Lady Elizabeth! I have lost all patience with you. The very woman once praised as the ideal noble lady is now wasting away in bed day after day. All this over being dumped by the second prince? Show some spirit—at least enough to aim for the crown prince instead!”

“M-Milia, wait! That’s disrespectful to His Highness!”

“Then at least show some resolve to make William regret his decision. Otherwise—”

“Otherwise, what!?”

Defeated by Milia’s threat, Elizabeth finally stepped out of her room for the first time in weeks.

♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢

A fragrant scent of blooming seasonal flowers filled the sunroom, nestled in a corner of the garden. As Elizabeth stepped inside, she took in a deep breath.

(Where could they be?)

Glancing around, she soon spotted her friends, seated at a white table set, engaged in cheerful conversation. A smile naturally graced her lips.

“Lady Iris, Lady Miranda. Welcome, and thank you for coming.”

“Elizabeth!”

Both ladies turned at the sound of her voice and rushed toward her. At the sight of them, Elizabeth felt tears welling in her eyes.

(I am truly fortunate.)

Despite withdrawing from society for weeks, she still had friends who worried about her. That simple fact filled her heart with warmth.

“I’m so sorry to have worried you all.”

“Not at all. After what happened, we can only imagine the distress you’ve been through.”

“Truly. To think that His Highness would act so outrageously! And with that fox of a woman, no less…”

“Miranda! Enough. That’s not a topic we should bring up.”

“Oh… I apologize, Elizabeth.”

“It’s all right, Lady Miranda. While I was in seclusion, I had plenty of time to reflect. I’ve realized that my feelings for His Highness were always one-sided. As his fiancée, I failed to win his heart. That was my shortcoming.”

“No! Lady Elizabeth, that is not true. You bear no fault in this. It is Baroness Maria who shamelessly seduced an engaged man. Of course, His Highness is even more to blame for being so easily swayed.”

“Miranda, enough!”

“But it’s just so unfair to Lady Elizabeth…”

Iris gently scolded Miranda, but Elizabeth understood why she was so upset. Miranda herself had once been a victim of Baroness Maria. She, too, had been forced into an engagement annulment after her fiancé had been seduced away.

However, in a fortunate turn of events, Miranda had since become engaged to Kyle Subalph, the crown prince’s right-hand man and the commander of the royal knights. Their deep affection for each other had become a favorite topic of gossip in high society, with many speculating that they would marry before their engagement period was even over.

Elizabeth, having witnessed Miranda’s past struggles, was truly relieved that her friend had found happiness.

“Lady Iris, you were talking about the rumors in high society, weren’t you?”

Though she had withdrawn from social circles, rumors still reached her ears.

“Lady Elizabeth… you’ve heard about them?”

“Yes. The ones claiming I was entirely at fault for the annulment. Apparently, there are rumors that I was involved with multiple men, that I bullied lower-ranking noble ladies excessively, and even that I used my influence to ruin entire noble families. The conclusion being that I lack the virtue required of a future princess. Does that sum it up?”

Iris and Miranda exchanged painful glances before giving a silent nod.

Elizabeth understood at that moment.

William had never intended to keep his promises. To justify his engagement to Baroness Maria, he had crafted Elizabeth into the villainess of the story. And if it was William, pulling off something like that would have been effortless.

(Hilarious… How utterly ridiculous.)

Even though she had accepted that he had never loved her, a small part of her still clung to the illusion that he had.

Her heart ached at the realization.

If the rumors were this widespread, they must be even worse than she imagined. The troubled expressions of her friends told her as much.

William wasn’t content with just ending their engagement—he wanted to exile her from society altogether. But why go to such lengths for Baroness Maria?

Or did he simply despise Elizabeth that much?

Tears threatened to spill over, blurring her vision.

But she couldn’t cry. Crying here would mean admitting defeat to them. And she refused to lose.

(I will not cry!)

Suppressing the tears, she forced a smile.

“Lady Iris, Lady Miranda. I’m sorry for making you say such difficult things. It’s time for me to move forward.”

“That’s right. His Highness is not the only man in the world.”

“Exactly! Lady Elizabeth, you are still the belle of the social scene. Many suitors would be delighted to have you!”

“Indeed. For example, Lord Heinz of the Schwein Ducal family is still unattached…”

Hearing that name, Elizabeth barely managed to maintain her composure.

(Good grief… I nearly forgot about him.)

Though he was a duke’s heir, his personality was so off-putting that no woman wanted to marry him.

(Well, his marital prospects have nothing to do with me. But then again, my future isn’t looking much brighter either.)

With her reputation in ruins, it was unlikely any respectable nobleman would propose to her. Her only path would be to serve as a pawn in her father’s political maneuvering—married off as a second wife to some questionable noble.

(At this rate, perhaps becoming a nun would be a better fate.)

A few days later, Elizabeth was summoned to her father’s study. There, she was informed that she would be sent to their estate for an indefinite period of “territorial retreat.”