Chapter 32

-Jealousy and Envy-

Afterward, I headed to the castle’s library.

I knew exactly what I was looking for.

Books on Tsoabella’s history.

I picked up a few relevant books and made my way to the library’s writing table.

Due to my unique magic’s effect, the royal guards stayed close behind me, as they’d lose sight of me if they looked away.

It’s incredibly inconvenient… but from their perspective, they can’t afford to take their eyes off me.
After all, to them, I’m an unknown entity.

(I need to find a way to prove my identity soon…)

With that thought, I sat down.

I opened one of the books I’d brought.

The one I chose was titled [The Woman Who Brought Ruin to Tsoabella].

Flipping past the first page, I skipped the preface—filled with the author’s opinions and commentary—and went straight to the main content.

[Agnes Frenzel.

The wicked woman who brought ruin to the Tsoabella Dynasty. Here, I intend to chronicle her life.

January, Holy Calendar Year 368.

Born as the daughter of the Frenzel Ducal House, she was, however, exceptionally frail. Moreover, she lacked the unique magic that symbolized the Tsoabella Dynasty.

This likely became the source of her inferiority complex.]

I continued reading.

The parts about Onee-sama and Felix-sama falling in love were clearly fabricated or speculative, but what I wanted to know was the latter half.

What happened to Tsoabella after I locked myself in that room?

Why was Onee-sama labeled a wicked woman?

When did Onee-sama start her connection with Arnold?

This book was apparently written fifty years ago.

Most of the finer details are likely unverifiable, and many parts probably differ from the truth.

What I want is the main story.

Why did the Tsoabella Dynasty collapse—

What were Onee-sama and Felix-sama doing at the time?

And what about Father and Mother?

[Agnes Frenzel fell in love with her younger sister’s fiancé. However, it was an unrequited love. Unable to give up on Felix, she asked Arnold Abercrombie, heir to the Abercrombie Ducal House and possessor of charm unique magic, to cast a spell on both herself and Felix. The charm unique magic was called the “Person of Fate” by the people of the time, and her plan succeeded.]

…This much, I already know.

The problem is what comes next.

As my eyes fell on the following passage, I—

[Felicia Frenzel, in her grief, took her own life.]

I couldn’t help but shout.

“…Haa!?”

(I… took my own life!? How did things end up like that!?)

Reflexively, my grip on the book tightened.

Startled, I glanced around, but fortunately, there was no one else in the library besides me (and the royal guards assigned to me).

Letting out a small sigh of relief, one of the guards standing behind me hesitantly asked:

“Is something wrong?”

“No… it’s just that this book claims I died by my own hand, so I couldn’t help myself.”

Aware that I’d let out an unladylike outburst, I forced a smile to cover it up.

But by now, I’d already come to terms with it.

Here, I’m no longer the daughter of the Frenzel Ducal House. At first, that filled me with anxiety and fear.

Being no longer the daughter of the Frenzel Ducal House means there’s no one, no family, to vouch for my identity here.

I was bewildered to suddenly become just Felicia.

But now, surprisingly—

(It’s not so bad, being just Felicia.)

In other words, I’m like a commoner now.

I realized I don’t have to be so rigid anymore.

As the daughter of the Frenzel Ducal House, I had to follow a predetermined path. No deviations were allowed, and I had to maintain appearances, wearing the mask of a perfect lady.

Failure was unacceptable, and above all, I had to uphold the lofty pride of the Frenzel name.

Any mistake I made would bring shame to the family.

I lived every day carrying the weight of my house’s honor.

Now that it’s gone… I feel a little—no, quite a bit—relieved.

I know I shouldn’t think this way, but it’s so much easier to breathe here than in Tsoabella.

With those thoughts, I traced the passage with my name using my fingertip.

At that moment, one of the guards behind me let out a confused sound.

“Eh? It says you died by your own hand? I thought you went missing.”

“Is that so?”

Turning around, a young man with chestnut hair and faint freckles on his cheeks nodded in response. His friendly, approachable face had a certain charm.

He seemed more cute than anything else.

He was probably around my age.

“…I didn’t even know Agnes Frenzel had a younger sister.”

The one who answered was another man standing beside him.

He, too, was one of the royal guards assigned to me.

He continued in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Tsoabella’s ruin came about because Agnes Frenzel’s use of charm magic threw the world into chaos. To correct that, Aaron Spender sparked a revolution… That’s what I was taught.”

His nearly black navy hair was slicked back, revealing his forehead. He wore black-rimmed glasses.

Behind them stood another man.

Three in total.

That was the number of royal guards assigned to me.

The chestnut-haired man spoke to the blue-haired one.

“That’s because you’re not interested in history, isn’t it?”

“Much about Agnes Frenzel is shrouded in uncertainty. Some say she died in madness, others that she attempted to flee into exile, or tried to die with her lover. The only thing certain is that her actions led to the collapse of the Tsoabella Dynasty.”

“That’s true, but… Lady Felicia, you’re Agnes Frenzel’s younger sister, right? Is it true that Agnes Frenzel and Felix, the last crown prince of Tsoabella, were lovers?”

The chestnut-haired man asked me curiously.