The Marquis' Daughter, a Research Enthusiast, Fails to Notice Her Junior's Devoted Feelings After Her Engagement is Broken. - Chapter 1.6

Lately, high society had been buzzing with rumors, particularly among the nobility.

At the center of these whispers was Lady Frederica, but she remained unfazed, focusing on her research as always.

Even within the Ministry of Magic, I noticed people stealing glances at her, but she paid no mind to it.

“What if the rumors turn out to be true?”

“If anyone hurts Lady Frederica, I want to punch them in the face… but that’s not really an option. Not that I need an excuse—I already want to punch him out of pure jealousy.”

Peter and I discussed the rumors over lunch in the break room.

“But hey, maybe this will actually lead to their engagement being called off?”

“If that happens, I’ll be the first to propose!”

“Hah! Good luck with that.”

“I’ve never met him, so I don’t know… but what kind of guy is Prince Ernest anyway?”

Lately, there had been persistent whispers that Prince Ernest had become infatuated with a low-ranking noblewoman.

While no one could openly discuss it, as it would be considered disrespectful, royal gossip was always irresistible, and the rumors continued to spread like wildfire.

It all began with Prince Ernest attending the Razafest Royal Academy, where he had reportedly been flirting with Lady Everett, a baron’s daughter, since late last year.

Then, earlier this summer, Lady Frederica had attended a soirée alone.

At the same event, Prince Ernest arrived with Lady Everett, accompanied by his usual entourage of noble sons from the academy.

A fiancé escorting another woman while his betrothed was at the same gathering?

Even in the most strained of marriages, that was unheard of.

Typically, if a noblewoman’s fiancé was unable to escort her to an event, she would decline the invitation altogether to avoid embarrassment.

But Lady Frederica had attended anyway, seemingly unbothered.

After that night, the rumors escalated rapidly.

Speculations ran wild about whether Lady Everett would become a royal concubine, if it was wise to align oneself with the Baron Everett family before she rose in status, and whether the Lorenz Marquisate had silently condoned the situation since Lady Frederica had attended alone. The noble ladies engaged to the prince’s entourage were furious, and there was talk of a mass withdrawal of support. With so much uncertainty surrounding the prince, Lady Frederica, and Lady Everett, every noble family was watching closely.

Lady Frederica had never been particularly social, attending far fewer soirées and tea parties than other noblewomen.

Yet, for some reason, she had attended this event.

Was it mandatory?

Did Marquis Lorenz have a specific reason for sending her?

And now, thanks to these rumors, there was a tiny chance—however slim—that their engagement might be annulled.

From what I had gathered about Lady Frederica’s father, Marquis Lorenz was a pragmatist.

He valued profit above all else and was willing to accept alternative solutions if they proved more beneficial.

If he determined that breaking off the engagement was in his best interest, he would act accordingly.

Of course, in this country, it was normal for the king to have concubines, and no one condemned it. Even the current king had multiple official concubines. However, in formal settings, the queen was always given precedence, and concubines only attended events when the queen was unable to do so. Concubines were always secondary.

Right now, Lady Frederica was not being treated as the future queen. Had she already been married, she would have the right to protest. But as only a fiancée, her position was not strong enough to challenge the prince’s behavior.

In other words, as long as she was eventually married and recognized as the legitimate queen, then technically, there was no real problem.

For their engagement to be annulled, one of three things had to happen.

First, Lady Frederica could be demoted to a concubine. If that happened, Marquis Lorenz would have grounds to formally protest for breach of contract, and the royal family would likely pay a hefty compensation to the Lorenz family. If Marquis Lorenz only saw his daughter as a political tool, he might accept the financial and political benefits in exchange for allowing her to remain as a concubine.

Second, the Lorenz Marquisate could defect from the prince’s faction. This would mean switching allegiance to either the Second Prince (a concubine’s son) or the king’s younger brother, the Prince Regent. However, if only the Lorenz family withdrew, it would have little impact. For this plan to succeed, they would need the support of other noble families—specifically, the families of the noblewomen engaged to the prince’s close allies. If all of them defected together, it could seriously weaken the prince’s faction.

Third, the royal family could break the engagement. This was highly unlikely as it would result in a huge compensation payout, and the royal family wouldn’t willingly lose the Lorenz faction’s support. Unless the Lorenz Marquisate was found guilty of treason, such as spying for a foreign nation, there was no reason for the royal family to discard them. If that ever happened, the entire Lorenz family—including Lady Frederica—would be executed.

Logically speaking, keeping Lady Frederica as the future queen—even if only in name—was the easiest and most stable solution.

Thinking about it too much made me depressed.

But… until now, the chance of their engagement breaking had been zero.

Now, even if it was only 0.000001%, it wasn’t impossible.

And as long as there was even the slightest chance, I had no choice but to fight for it.

“Never give up. Never set limits for yourself.”

I had once spoken those words to Lady Frederica so easily.

But in truth, those very words had saved me countless times.

There had been so many moments where I doubted myself.

I had wondered if I lacked talent, if I had already reached my limit.

But every time, I reminded myself—I couldn’t go back on my own words.

I had come this far without giving up.

So I wouldn’t give up now, either.

If the day ever came when an opportunity presented itself, I would be ready.

And when that moment arrived.

I would seize it with everything I had.