“I, Crown Prince Judrich Floren, hereby announce the annulment of the engagement with Lady Mireille Gasstark, the Marquis Gasstark’s daughter!”

Announcing the annulment before a toast? The Crown Prince, who couldn’t grasp the atmosphere, pointed at me with a stern expression.

“Mireille Gasstark! You have committed numerous malicious acts against Baroness Isla Donovan! A despicable woman like you is unsuitable to be the Crown Princess. Therefore, I declare the cancellation of the engagement!”

This guy boldly imposed unfounded accusations. It’s so similar to lines from the game that it’s cringe-worthy. I’ve been acting differently from the game for two years, and yet, I never expected to be condemned with lines straight from the game.

“Mireille, kneel and apologize right here! Isla has been deeply hurt because of you.”

Simultaneously with His Highness’s voice, Isla timidly appeared from the crowd and stood behind the Crown Prince. With big, anxious eyes moistening, she looked at me with a frightened expression.

… Sigh. I felt like letting out a deep sigh.

“Malicious acts against Isla-sama by me? Specifically, what acts are you referring to?”

“You’re shameless, Mireille. You’ve been disdainful towards Isla, constantly showering her with heartless abuse!”

“I haven’t showered her with anything. Anyone among the present guests who witnessed me verbally abusing Isla-sama, please step forward?”

The students exchanged glances and nodded in agreement—of course, none of them had seen it.

“It seems no one has seen it.”

“That’s because it happened in a place where no one was around, and you were insidiously bullying her! In fact, Isla testifies that she was verbally abused. Committing evil deeds without leaving evidence, what a coward!”

“Your atrocities are far from over!” His highness chimed in.

“On the day of the second-year advancement party! While I was talking with Isla, who was my friend at the time, you interfered, causing a commotion about ‘infidelity’! Interfering in the friendship between the future husband and his friends disqualifies you as an engagement partner.”

“I didn’t interfere. You two were engrossed in something in the garden, so I quietly left. …After that, you and Isla-sama, His Highness, were the ones who detained me, making a fuss about a’misunderstanding.’ My friends can testify as witnesses.”

Three young ladies I’m close to appeared, breaking through the crowd. They supported me with a unanimous “That’s right!”

“Oh, Mireille, you’re so shameless! But you—did you steal Isla’s belongings!? We have witnesses for that and other wrongdoings!”

With a triumphant expression, Crown Prince Judrich raised his right hand. A dull-looking young man with bottom-of-the-bottle glasses, Baron’s son Jimmy Zindel, appeared. He was the third son of the Zindel Baron family and served as a general affairs officer on the student council.

“I-I, Baron’s son Jimmy Zindel, will testify… On March 1st, after school at 4 p.m., Miss Mireille Gasstark took Isla’s magic textbook from her desk in the classroom.”

Jimmy looks extremely nervous. The Crown Prince shouts, “Speak louder!” from the side.

“The testimony of Baron Zindel’s son has more to it. Now, continue.”

“Y-yes. On October 31st, after school at 5 p.m., I witnessed Miss Mireille leaving the student council room alone… Mireille had an envelope in her hand. The next morning, when I tallied the student council fees, there was a discrepancy of 3000 Janes, making it clear that Mireille had embezzled the funds.”

Stealing textbooks or petty cash like a marquise’s daughter? It’s ridiculous, but while I was trying to prove my alibi, memories resurfaced.

“Objection!”

A tall, handsome man appeared gallantly, the eldest son of the Prime Minister and former student council president, Lord Cromwell. He’s a character from a different route.

“I, former student council president Claude Cromwell, will attest to Mireille’s innocence. On October 31st, the end of the month, we were holding a regular meeting in the student council room, and the situation of ‘the student council room being empty after school’ did not occur. It’s easy to prove Zindel’s son’s falsehood.”

The former student council president stared coldly at Zindel’s son.

“Come to think of it, there was trouble with a 3000 Janes discrepancy in the student council reserve funds at that time. Zindel’s son, I’d like to hear the details later.”

“Uh…!”

From the bustling party venue emerged a wild-haired male student. He, too, is a target for a different route.

“If it’s about the testimony on March 1st, I’ll vouch for it. Mireille was having a celebration at a cafe with us members of the Petanque Club on that day. So, there’s no way she was in the classroom after school.”

He’s the genius Petanque player who turned the almost disbanded Petanque club into a powerhouse, Lord Guile Laveille, the son of the Knight Commander. By the way, it was I who, through coercion, made him join the Petanque Club for rehabilitation from his delinquent ways due to conflicts with his father.

… It’s a side note, but the Laveille family is the leading house of one of the three major factions, ‘Progressive Orchid.’

Being scrutinized by both Claude and Guile, Zindel’s son with bottle-bottom glasses trembled.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness! I’ll return the money you gave me. This role is too much for me… I can’t handle lying anymore.”

“Silence, you!”

Crown Prince Judrich covered his mouth with a fierce expression. …Did he just say ‘lying testimony’?

Sigh. I couldn’t help but sigh.

I had anticipated the possibility of fabricated testimony. That’s why I made sure to leave some alibi every day and increased the number of friends who would help me when needed.

In fact, some students confidentially informed me, ‘The Crown Prince asked me for false testimony, but I refused!’

The Crown Prince and Isla, who were enjoying themselves without consideration for their surroundings, were isolated without any decent allies. …Or rather, many students had long questioned the Crown Prince’s playing around with the Baron’s daughter.

“Damn it, Mireille, that’s cowardly!”

“What’s cowardly about it?”

“Isn’t it cowardly to seek support from others through behind-the-scenes maneuvers? Fight fair and square with your own strength!”

“No, actually, it was His Highness who first brought up witnesses.”

“Don’t talk back! I don’t like your insidious personality! Therefore, considering your personal flaws, I propose the annulment of the engagement!”

He seems determined to attribute the blame solely to me.

“If a woman with a distorted personality like you becomes the Crown Princess, the future of this country is in jeopardy! Isla, who is sincere, is more suitable for the Crown Princess!”

“Your Highness…!”

The Crown Prince proclaimed it with confidence, and Isla moved and teared up. It’s getting more and more annoying.

“In other words, Your Highness believes that the annulment of this engagement is because of issues on my part—and that you intend to re-engage with Isla as the suitable Crown Princess. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then please convey that intention to King His Majesty, not me.”

Crown Prince Judrich raised an eyebrow slightly.

“The engagement between the royal family and the nobility is a union of houses for the sake of the nation’s interest—requesting the annulment personally from me is out of the question. If it’s a royal decree, I have no room for objections. Therefore, why not persuade King His Majesty right away? …Of course, I cannot be certain if His Highness’s words alone have enough persuasiveness to convince His Majesty.”

Asking the fundamental question, I looked at the Crown Prince and Ayla with a cool gaze.

“How do you, Crown Prince Judrich, intend to elevate Isla, who is nothing more than a baron’s daughter, to the position of Crown Princess? She lacks the appropriate social standing, and she hasn’t received education befitting a queen, right? Don’t you think making such a woman the Crown Princess would hinder the governance of the country? How do you plan to persuade His Majesty, considering these aspects?”

Isla’s face darkened. It seems she’s aware of her lack of social standing and education.

But the Crown Prince reassured her by putting his arm around her.

“Hmph. I’m well aware of that. But I have a special plan! A secret strategy!”

Isla looked relieved and buried her face in the Crown Prince’s chest.

In the next moment, Eudrich said something outrageous.

“Mireille, normally, I wouldn’t even bother acknowledging your presence. However, I’ll give you some credit for your cunning. Therefore, after I ascend to the throne, I’ll accept you as a side consort. Consider it an honor!”

Excuse me???

The Crown Prince continued.

“Isla has the talent to understand pure hearts and manipulate people. However, with her status as a baroness and her lack of queenly education, fulfilling her duties as a queen will be difficult. So, in the future, I’ll welcome Mireille as my side consort and entrust all political matters to her! Work to your heart’s content.”

Um.

According to the laws of this country, only the king is allowed to have more than one consort. The first one is the ‘queen,’ and the second and subsequent ones are called’side consorts.’ Their status and authority are overwhelmingly weaker than the queen’s, but sometimes they may handle some political duties.

By the way, mistresses can be freely taken by both royalty and nobility, but they are not granted political authority.

“You will become a side consort and use your intelligence to support the kingdom and me. With this, there should be no problems!”

As Crown Prince Eudrich, he can only be engaged to one woman at a time. Therefore, he wants to annul the engagement with me but keep me in the role of a side consort as a labor force…?

(What is this?)

In the game, there was no mention of ‘side consort statements.’ Why did the Crown Prince turn out to be such a disappointment?

Both I and those around me are utterly disgusted. Even Ayla, who is being embraced by the Crown Prince, is giving him a bewildered look as if to say, “Huh?”

“…To make me a side consort? Have you lost your mind, Your Highness? This is quite insulting to House Gasstark. Uttering such things in public will only alienate the hearts of your subjects, you know?”

Surprised, the Crown Prince glanced around. Whispers like “The Crown Prince is the worst…” and “This is just too selfish…” could be heard here and there.

“Why not!? There’s no better plan than this…!”

Where is the good idea in this, foolish Prince? Pushing aside an unhelpful Crown Prince, now he wants to keep me as a side consort. Isla, who was being held in the Crown Prince’s arms, also stepped forward.

“Milady Mireille, you really are a sly person! This isn’t about me now; it’s about whether Lady Mireille is suitable to be the Crown Princess, right?! Don’t change the subject!”

She forcefully brought the topic back.

“Lady Mireille is not a suitable woman to be the Crown Princess! After all, she trampled and discarded the flowers I gave her!!”

Here it comes. I’ve been expecting to be called out for this. Even in the game, the topic of the bouquet was brought up as one of Mireille’s follies.

“Ah, I’m so sad…”

“As for that matter, I have already apologized.”

The Crown Prince smirked and interjected, “Isla hasn’t accepted your fake apology! Trampling and discarding flowers is a behavior below that of savages. An uncultured woman like you is not fit to be the Crown Princess!! It should be more than enough reason to annul the engagement with you.”

Suddenly, a cold gaze was directed at me from the audience. Indeed, I committed the emotional act of refusing and trampling her flowers and then throwing them in the trash.

One foolish act versus two years of accumulated good deeds.

Which way will the scales tip?

Normally, the two years that benefited everyone should be more advantageous.

But what is right doesn’t always receive the proper appreciation in the world. Myths and traditions often hold a persuasive power that defies logic.

If some strange political power comes into play, I might be pushed into a disadvantageous position at once.

At that moment…

“Calm yourselves, everyone. What is the commotion here?”

A solemn voice echoed at the entrance of the party hall.

The King, who shouldn’t be present at the graduation party, stood there.

All eyes widened in astonishment, and everyone kneeled.

Following the King into the hall was a person who, when I saw him, furrowed my brows.

(… My brother?)

Accompanying the King’s entrance was my older brother, Marquise Mireld Gasstark.