"The Idea of a Woman Stealing Someone Else's Partner is Ridiculous," I laughed. But After Being Reborn, I Became a Victim of Such a Woman. However, My New Fiancée was Absolutely Amazing. - Episode 2

In the eastern island nation of Tendou Country—

About a thousand years ago, a giant beanstalk from another world grew near the dragon vein of this small island nation.

This tree, called the “Kaikitou,” spread its seeds, parasitized other life forms, and absorbed their life energy, turning them into monsters.

Cutting it down was difficult, but a divine priestess named Himiko successfully sealed it and completely stopped its growth.

The barrier she created was maintained through generations by her direct descendants, known as the “Mikado,” who served as the core of the seal to this day.

The Mikado is the ruler of Tendou Country.

The barrier has a hundred layers, and ten families, all sharing Himiko’s bloodline, manage ten layers each.

These ten families are called the “Guardian Ten Commandments.”

The five families protecting the inner layers are called Ichijou-no-Go, Nijou-no-Go, Sanjou-no-Go, Shijou-no-Go, and Gojou-no-Go.

The five families protecting the outer layers are called Rokujou-no-Go, Nanajou-no-Go, Hachijou-no-Go, Kujou-no-Go, and Juujou-no-Go.

The Yuukizaka family, where “I” was born, is a branch family of Kujou-no-Go.

It is said that the children of the central noble families, especially the girls, have higher spiritual power than men, just like the divine priestess Himiko.

The central noble girls mainly extract spiritual power from the dragon vein to maintain and strengthen the barrier.

Men fight against the “Kayou” with the support of these girls—for example, by infusing food with spiritual power or casting techniques to make spiritual power easier to absorb from the dragon vein.

The “Kayou” are beings formed from the miasma that escapes from the sealed Kaikitou and reassembles outside the barrier.

Even if they are born far away, they are drawn toward the capital, trying to break the barrier.

The Guardian Ten Commandments and the central noble families fight the Kayou to protect and maintain the barrier.

The outer Guardian Ten Commandments have no ranking order, but the inner Guardian Ten Commandments are ranked from lowest to highest.

Ichijou-no-Go, the highest-ranked family, protects the ten innermost, most critical layers of the barrier.

Nijou-no-Go protects the next ten layers, and so on. The smaller the number, the closer they are to the core and the more important their duty.

Well, my family is just a branch of an unranked outer Guardian family.

—Even so…

“So, the second son of the Arisugawa family has called off the engagement. That means we must now prepare to close the family house.”

“I… I am sorry.”

“You don’t need to feel bad. However, the rumors about you lacking virtue are troublesome. Well, if that’s the case, you should focus on work. Marriage… seems difficult now.”

“………”

In this life, my father is Yuukizaka Youhei. His wife—my mother in this life—was a terrible woman.

When I was twelve, she ran away with a male servant, taking all the cash, valuables, and even selling off the household furniture while my father and I were away at work and school.

Because of her, we lost everything—furniture, clothing, everything was gone.

We could no longer afford to hire servants, and I was at risk of dropping out of school.

My father pleaded with the Kujou-no-Go main family, who provided us with essential household items and financial aid for my education and living expenses.

A housekeeper from the Kujou-no-Go family prepared meals for us, and by the time I entered high school, we were finally stable enough to hire a servant again.

Then, at the start of my high school years, a proposal came from the Arisugawa family, a branch of the Juujou-no-Go family.

They wanted a girl skilled in spiritual techniques to marry their second son.

That’s how I, Yuukizaka Mai, was chosen.

But my so-called mother, who betrayed my father and me, not only ran away but even took out a loan under my father’s name two years later and dumped the debt on us.

There was no way I would let that horrible woman ruin our lives any further!

So, I worked incredibly hard to master spiritual control and magic!

Unlike my past life, these mystical abilities were fascinating, and I quickly became obsessed with them.

My academic studies were also easy since I had already learned similar subjects in my previous life’s compulsory education, making me seem “gifted.”

And as for the engagement, the reason my father hesitated to explain it clearly was because of that awful woman.

That idiot called me “a frog’s child is still a frog,” implying that I was just like my mother—an unfaithful, foolish woman.

Moreover, it seems like they are starting to spread such rumors.

It seems like Shirakubo Yuuna has a worse impression, but at least it seems like no one believes it.

But that only applies to those who personally know me.

If the rumors spread beyond my school, I may have to ask the Kujou-no-Go main family—or worse, the head family—for help.

However, for a minor branch family like ours, with only two members left, there is no reason for them to go that far to protect us.

When my father said, “We must prepare to close the house,” he meant that the Yuukizaka family would disappear.

Most likely, I would be legally adopted into a relative’s family, and we would no longer be father and child.

Because of those rumors, I would probably never be able to marry either.

Well, since I still have my past life’s memories, I have no interest in marrying a man, so honestly, I feel lucky!

But, of course, I keep that to myself.

I must act discouraged.

To my father, my inability to marry means he will never have grandchildren.

Thinking about that, I do feel guilty. That part is sincere.

“Anyway, I will report this to the main family. You should decide what you will do with your remaining year of school by tomorrow morning. The rumors could escalate into an issue between families. It will trouble the main family, but we must have them put a stop to it.”

“In that case, I will continue as usual. I am not like that woman. I will not hide in shame over false rumors. I will proudly attend school and graduate.”

“…I see. You’re right. You are not like Sae. Understood. I will inform the main family and request support accordingly.”

“Thank you very much.”