The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 3

The story goes back nearly a month.

“Deborah! You are not worthy of being my bride! Therefore, I am breaking off our engagement!”

The Crown Prince of the Mammut Kingdom, Aaron, suddenly raised his voice against his fiancée, Lady Deborah Mauzy.

It was during a small evening gathering held at the mansion of Marquis Palm, who served as a general. The guests at the gathering, though surprised, watched Aaron and Deborah with keen interest, not wanting to miss the unfolding events.

Until now, Deborah had been quietly supporting the unruly crown prince. To ensure he didn’t neglect important documents, she would sort through them in advance and prioritize the important ones. When Aaron’s behavior during inspections or visits was poor and he was looked down upon by local lords or church priests, Deborah, who accompanied him, would lighten the mood by engaging in conversation and even preparing small gifts.

Of course, without saying “who it’s from,” she hands over the souvenir and immediately smiles sweetly at Aaron. The other person mistakenly believes it was arranged by the crown prince and thinks that his haughty attitude is to maintain the dignity of a future king. Aaron himself does not deny this misunderstanding. It seemed that Deborah’s support was considered a natural thing for a fiancée.

So Deborah took Aaron’s statement this time as well (Oh, the prince is saying something strange again…) and said it without changing her cold, beautiful, doll-like face at all.

“Well, Prince Aaron. Saying that I am unworthy of being the crown princess. On what basis?”

A nobleman somewhere cleared his throat awkwardly. While Aaron said she was unworthy of being “my wife,” Deborah didn’t just parrot him back; she said she was unworthy of being “the crown princess.” The nobleman probably almost laughed, thinking, “Isn’t it Aaron who is unworthy of Deborah?”
Unlike the local lords and church officials who rarely meet Aaron, some of the nobles residing in the royal capital are vaguely aware of Aaron’s true nature.

“If you need evidence, here it is. You bullied this Fiona, didn’t you?”

With those words, a graceful young lady steps forward beside Aaron. It is Fiona, the baron’s daughter, who was just called by name.

“Lady Deborah… please tell me the truth honestly! You did something terrible to me!”

“Fiona, that’s enough. Leave the rest to us. You did well to hold on.”

Aaron lovingly pulled her shoulder closer. Fiona, who was embraced, smirked at an angle that only Deborah could see. Finally, Deborah realized that the crown prince’s foolishness this time was at a level that could not be covered up. It was no longer a matter of covering up but rather of protecting herself.

“Bullying Lady Fiona? That’s completely unfounded. There’s no way I would do such a thing.”

“Still playing dumb, huh? You wicked person! We have witnesses here too!”

Seeing the arrogant yet somewhat foolish crown prince effortlessly weaves together a string of insults, Deborah surmises that he must have practiced beforehand. And considering this, all her doubts about tonight’s ball were resolved.

Tonight, there was no one here who openly supported her. That’s right. Not a single person.

For the sake of Deborah’s honor, let me clarify that this is not due to her lack of virtue.

She was sometimes perceived as cold and strong-willed due to her appearance and limited range of expressions, but fundamentally, she never behaved in a way that would be considered shameful for a crown prince’s fiancée.

Many noble young ladies admired her for always maintaining a fair attitude towards those around her and for her unwavering dedication to self-improvement.

Why is it that we find ourselves in such a situation?

Her parents, her reliable and outstanding older brothers, and even her relatives and the young ladies and gentlemen close to Deborah were not invited to this party.

Deborah naturally had doubts about being the only one invited, but since the Crown Prince had told her, “It’s a gathering for insiders only. You must absolutely attend as my fiancée,” she obediently complied. However, when she arrived at General Palm’s mansion, she found not just insiders but quite a number of nobles with considerable power gathered there. Moreover, apart from Aaron, there were no other members of the royal family present.

And the general’s son was a candidate for the crown prince Aaron’s aide… in other words, one of his entourage.

The main culprit, along with the prime minister’s son, who was also a representative of the entourage, appeared behind Aaron and Fiona.

“I saw it! I saw Lady Deborah bullying and pushing Lady Fiona!”

“I saw it too! The Maudie Duke’s daughter breaking Lady Fiona’s belongings.”

The two testimonies are, of course, completely fabricated. Moreover, every time they testify, they glance at Fiona with a smug look. To be honest, the two followers also seem to be as foolish as Aaron.

Deborah lowered her long eyelashes and let out a small sigh.

(…In other words, this entire party was planned from the beginning to frame me for a crime and break off the engagement.)

Her figure, while exuding an ennui-like atmosphere, was as beautiful as a painting.

That’s right. Deborah is a beauty who could represent the country. However, Fiona didn’t fall short of her in looks.
Compared to Deborah, who possesses a beauty akin to a crimson rose with an intimidating presence, Fiona has a delicate charm reminiscent of a pale pink freesia. It is difficult to determine which of the two beauties is superior. If there were someone who could make that decision, it would merely be a matter of personal preference.

The problem is that both the crown prince and his potential aides had a severe bias in their preferences.

They got so deeply entangled that they became Fiona’s puppets, easily giving false testimonies.

Deborah regretted not noticing it and, more than anything, her own naivety in not taking action against the foolishness of the crown prince and his entourage. However, she did not show any sign of regret on her face.

With a cold smile, she pointed out the contradictions in their testimonies and countered them.