The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 4

“Did you see me push Lady Fiona? If that’s true, why didn’t you stop me right then and there? Surely, the one who prides himself on his bravery and courage couldn’t have been unable to stop my arm by force, could he?”

When she asked while showing her slender, white arms, the general’s son clearly panicked.

“I-I couldn’t stop it in time because I was too far away!!”

“But after that, you could have rushed over, spoken to them, checked if there were any other witnesses, and clarified the issue immediately. You did nothing at the scene, and now you claim to have seen it. What kind of reasoning is that?”

The general’s son was momentarily at a loss for words. Seizing the opportunity, Deborah turned her attention to the chancellor’s son.

“You say that I broke Lady Fiona’s belongings, but isn’t that just words? I can’t trust you.”

“N-No! We have evidence! This hair ornament definitely belongs to Lady Fiona! I saw Lady Mauzy take it from Lady Fiona and stomp on it until it broke!”

The prime minister’s son, breathing heavily, took out a broken hair ornament from his pocket and showed it. The silver ornament, which had once been shaped like a flower, was now crushed and in a pitiful state.

“How terrible… It was my favorite…”

Fiona places her hand on her face, her voice trembling.

However, no tears are flowing beneath her hand. Moreover, the hair ornaments and necklaces she is wearing are all made of gold and adorned with flashy jewels. It is hard to believe that a woman who claims to favor elegant and understated silver jewelry would wear such ostentatious pieces. Deborah looked at her coldly.

“Evidence that I broke it? If I had taken and broken her belongings, it wouldn’t make sense for it to be in your hands. I would never do such a thing.”

From among the guests who had been watching the series of exchanges from a distance, a strange groan of “kuh” arose again.

He then cleared his throat to cover it up. It was the nobleman from earlier. Deborah didn’t look over there, but she felt a sense of satisfaction inside at having elicited the expected reaction.

She thought that among him and the other guests, there were those who could grasp the meaning, so she deliberately said “if I” instead of “I.”

Deborah, who is known for her impeccable behavior, would never stoop to stealing and breaking Fiona’s hair ornament, even if there were exceptional circumstances that forced her to do so. Would she really risk losing her reputation for good behavior by making such a blunder? If she had to leave the broken ornament behind, risking it falling into enemy hands, she would rather smash it to pieces to completely erase its existence. If it were Deborah.

However, it seemed that Prince Aaron, his two followers, and Fiona did not notice the words that carried such intentions. On the contrary, a ripple of murmurs spread among the guests.

Looking at the lineup of this party, Deborah realized that while there was no one openly on her side, there were also not just complete enemies.

Some people love to spread irresponsible rumors, and the more distasteful they are, the more they enjoy talking about them. Aaron and the others probably called them to spread the rumor that “the duke’s daughter severely harassed the baron’s daughter,” but the rumor that “the crown prince and his entourage were infatuated with the baron’s daughter and tried to trap the duke’s daughter, who is his fiancée, but ended up being counterattacked” is much more distasteful and sensational.

“Your Highness, please keep your jesting to a minimum. I must reiterate, the claim that I am bullying anyone is completely unfounded.”

“No, no! That’s not true! You were afraid of Fiona and tried to eliminate her to protect your own position! Deborah Mousy, you don’t want me, you just want to cling to the position of Crown Princess! Didn’t you just say that yourself?”

“!”

The air trembled with a rustle.

How mischievous the god of fate can be?

The foolish Aaron, while making a statement that is tantamount to admitting his change of heart towards Fiona, also unwittingly adds words that hit Deborah where it hurts.

A woman clinging to the position of crown princess.

With that one word, Deborah felt the invisible shift in the atmosphere. She had thought that Aaron wouldn’t catch on, and so she had casually remarked, “Saying I’m not fit to be the crown princess,” but now those words were coming back to haunt her.

The gossipers who Deborah tried to manipulate will not let this opportunity slip by. At this rate, I will be amusingly spread as the “crown prince who cheats and falsely accuses to break off the engagement vs. the fiancée who, though innocent, has no love and clings to the position of crown princess at all costs.”

(There’s no helping it… I have to choose the best path here, even if it means cutting my losses.)

At this point, repairing the relationship with Aaron is difficult. If I honestly express my feelings, my persuasiveness will naturally increase. Deborah made up her mind.

“I cannot let those words go unchallenged. You say I am clinging to the position of Crown Princess? That is utterly unfounded. You yourself know very well that this engagement was decided by His Majesty and my father, don’t you? I am merely following the orders of His Majesty and my father.”

Aaron smirked.

“You said it yourself, right? In other words, if Father and Duke Maudie approve, there will be no objections to breaking off the engagement!”

“Yes, there isn’t. …However”

Deborah focused her gray eyes. They shone as if they had turned silver.

“I will never forgive you for trying to frame me and slander me just to break off that engagement! Don’t think for a moment that my father, who knows about this, or I will back down!”

“Hah, as expected, the position of Crown Princess…”

“No, Your Highness, I have no lingering attachments to such things! Rather, I feel relieved that I no longer have to assist you any further.”

“Hey! You!”

“However, Your Highness, for your own sake, I advise you to refrain from spreading any more baseless rumors. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Although her words were somewhat harsh, Deborah expressed her true feelings honestly and left the party venue, receiving mixed looks of surprise and sympathy from those around her.

With this, I should become the victim in the nobles’ gossip. Accepting the broken engagement is a negative, but if I had rejected it poorly, my honor would have been tarnished. Whether it can truly be annulled or not depends not on Aaron, but on His Majesty the King.

Moreover, would His Majesty the King silently forgive this scandal? In any case, if Aaron loses his position as crown prince, his father, Duke Maudie, would consider this engagement meaningless.

Even in isolation and without support, I must have somehow made the best move… Debora thought at that time.