This time, the story will be in the third person.
(It’s finally happened…)
Hearing the words “annulment of engagement” from the mouth of her fiancé, Elvan, even though she knew it was coming, Clara felt a pain deep in her heart, as if a thorn had pierced it.
The venue was filled not only with the relatives of the graduates but also with members of noble families with ancient bloodlines, gathered for Crown Prince Elvan’s coming-of-age. His sudden declaration caused a stir among the assembled nobles.
Among them, Patricia of the ducal house, who had also been informed and had never been scheduled to become queen, looked pale, but she also seemed somewhat relieved.
As for Karla, who alone seemed somewhat amused… if anyone could understand her feelings, no one would be struggling.
Clara had been resisting the fate of the “Otome Game” all this time. But those chains of fate had ensnared Clara’s heart, making her the “Villainess,” and now, just like in the Otome Game, Elvan was trying to end his engagement with Clara.
But this wasn’t the “world of an Otome Game.” It was a world where people with their own will lived, a world that changed with human hearts, a world inhabited by living human beings.
Clara, who had just regained her memories of her previous life, believed this world to be that of an Otome Game and was convinced that events would unfold strictly according to the game’s story.
Because of this, she believed she would suffer a terrible fate leading to her death, and fearing she would die young in this life as well, Clara, in order to eliminate the “heroine,” had stained her hands with the same evil deeds as the game’s Clara, and she was aware that she had troubled many people.
However, there were also people who stood by her side.
The former members of the Assassin Guild, whom she had initially taken in intending to use them, had come to believe in Clara and even risked their lives for her.
Her family, too, though there had been subtle misunderstandings, unlike in the game, had reconciled with her early on and understood that Clara did not wish to become queen.
And…
(El-sama…)
At this “graduation event,” seeing the pained look in his eyes as he announced the annulment of their engagement to his fiancées, Clara felt her heart tighten.
The Clara from the Otome Game had a weak heart. Due to her pride as a noblewoman, she tried to be perfect and, unable to rely on anyone, became isolated.
From the current Clara’s perspective, that itself wasn’t an evil deed. Concerned about what would happen if the former orphan heroine became queen to support the weak Crown Prince Elvan, she had debased herself into a “villainess” for his sake.
But there was no “love” there…
What Clara possessed was a sense of duty as a noble that gnawed at her heart, and this created emotional distance, unfortunately causing Elvan’s heart to drift away.
The Second Queen, Clara’s aunt, who shared the same sense of duty and resisted in the same way, had stopped at the final step, but the game’s Clara could not.
Clara in this life had a weak heart. The common sense she had from living as an ordinary person in another world made her weak. But because she couldn’t bear the pressure of being a noblewoman and showed that weakness, Elvan, who possessed the same “weakness,” stood by her.
That was a salvation for both of them. For those like Elena, a pure-blooded royal, or Karla, who lived to kill everything, it might have seemed like a pathetic display for nobles, but for Clara and Elvan, it was their only salvation.
But because of that weakness, Elvan had been ensnared by a “poisonous flower” disguised as a delicate one, and out of guilt, he began to distance himself from Clara.
In the midst of such a strange atmosphere in the venue, Clara clasped her hands as if in prayer.
(Even so… I believe in you.)
＊
(This is where it begins…)
Elvan mustered what little courage he had and steeled his resolve.
As Elvan turned to face the buzzing hall, the murmurs subsided slightly, and he began to speak, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room.
“Some of you may be wondering why I’ve suddenly said such a thing. …My former fiancées are not at fault. I began to think this way because of her existence.”
The “girl” at whom Elvan directed his gaze—Saintess Licia—responded to Elvan’s words with a gentle smile.
Captivated by her Allure, the nobles who recalled her presence showed understanding on their faces.
“She… Miss Alicia Melsis, enrolled in the Magic Academy last year and empathized with my heart as I struggled as a Crown Prince and a royal. She understood the suffering I had never spoken of to anyone and gave me the words I had always longed for.”
As Elvan spoke, the people grew quiet, listening intently.
The old noble families who believed Elvan, as the eldest son, should be Crown Prince, grimaced at the content but were convinced. The noble families who had sided with Elena, deeming him weak, looked suspicious, while the noble faction nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s alright for me to be myself… Such words, as if I were being guided, made me take notice of her.”
“El-sama…”
A murmur escaped Saintess Licia, calling him by a pet name unsuitable for a place where His Majesty the King was also present. But the moment people saw Licia, before they could frown at the disrespect, they sensed the deep connection between the two and let out something like a sigh.
“Even so, I felt I lacked power. Miss Alicia Melsis proposed something to me. I delved into a deep and arduous Dungeon, overcame hardships with my companions, and finally, as a result of those efforts, I was able to obtain a【Gift (Divine Protection)】.”
A stir went through the crowd at Elvan’s words: 【Gift (Divine Protection)】.
From the common perspective, “Divine Protection” was the stuff of fairy tales; countless heroes of the past had sought it and were said to have brought peace to the world with its power.
Had Elvan become a hero with the power of this Gift? If so, was he not indeed the one most suitable to be Crown Prince? Such thoughts crossed the minds of the nobles.
“And Miss Alicia Melsis also faced those hardships with me, and for this achievement, she was granted the title of ‘Saintess’ by the Holy Church.”
All eyes turned to Licia. A young Saintess aiding a hero… such words came to mind, and Licia smiled a little shyly at the people’s gazes, which resembled awe.
Anyone hearing this much would have no choice but to be convinced. Even if some felt a sense of unease at such a perfectly crafted story, just seeing the Saintess’s smile was enough to make such doubts vanish.
Stories of replacing a fiancée by disparaging someone else existed, but Elvan was stating his own reasons and trying to annul the engagement with sincerity. Though the act itself lacked sincerity, and sympathetic gazes gathered on his fiancées, it was still more favorable than forcefully changing fiancées by brandishing his authority as Crown Prince.
Everyone understood. This was a place for the “annulment of engagement” and a “new engagement.”
Then who would be the Crown Prince’s new fiancée? Who would be the next Queen Consort?
Politically, it seemed like a bad move domestically, as he would lose the chance to form ties with influential noble families within the country. However, if he were to form ties with the “Saintess,” who symbolized the popular will through the neutral faction within the country and the Holy Church, even neighboring countries would have no choice but to acknowledge it.
People’s gazes once again focused on Saintess Licia, and just as she, her eyes moist with emotion, was about to take a step forward—
“…Clara…”
Elvan knelt, not before Licia, but before the red-haired girl on the dais.
“This me, who is about to lose everything… but will you stay with me always?”
“…Yes. Yes, Elvan-sama!”
At his unadorned, genuine words, Clara descended from the dais without wiping away the tears that streamed down her face, and knelt to take Elvan’s hand.
Why was she taking the hand of the one who had just annulled their engagement? As everyone in the hall stood dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, and even the royals who had been watching Elvan with stern faces showed faint smiles, a girl’s whisper escaped.
“…………What is this?”
＊
It was a faint, hoarse voice, but it echoed surprisingly loudly.
Saintess Licia. Had it been her usual self, she might have noticed immediately and composed herself, but Licia didn’t even do that, instead pointing at Clara.
“Why her, Clara?! That person is not worthy of El-sama!”
Although she was a “Saintess” recognized by the Holy Church, Licia’s statement disparaging a high-ranking noble caused another stir in the surroundings. But Licia, with a faint smile, used the attention she had gathered.
“The Holy Church’s investigation has revealed that person has connections to the underworld and used her own forces to try and take my life! It’s impossible for someone like that to become queen!”
As people’s gazes gathered on Clara, she cowered, feeling the sympathy in their eyes turn to disgust due to the “Favorability” Licia possessed.
(What in the world is happening!?)
Licia, wearing a confident smile, called out to the “Devil” she had contracted with.
She had become the Saint just as in the game, and had raised Elvan’s Favorability to its maximum. She had known about the darkness in his heart from the very beginning. If she used all of it and affirmed him, he had amusingly danced in the palm of her hand.
The power of “Allure” Licia had obtained and the existence of the “Incubus.” With That Woman’s knowledge in addition to these, there was nothing she couldn’t do.
For that purpose, she had used Amor and Nasanitar as disposable pawns, interfered with the public consciousness using that power, and had perfectly arranged the steps for herself to become the Crown Princess.
Even so, the faint feelings he still held for her (Clara) should have been perfectly overwritten by Licia’s Divine Protection and the Incubus’s power.
And yet, why, at the very, very end, was Elvan not choosing her? As Licia reeled in confusion, unable to comprehend the reason, the Devil’s voice echoed in her mind.
<<–No problem–>>
The Devil said it had anticipated this outcome. For times like this, hadn’t she made the Devil investigate That Woman’s “Magic Stone,” used the “knowledge” obtained from it to have the Saint’s faction gather corroborating evidence, and, anticipating Clara’s final struggle, collected proof?
(…That’s right. Exactly.)
She couldn’t gather evidence for things that deviated from the game’s content, but if things went according to the game, even if the death penalty was difficult, she should be able to push it as far as exile.
Clara could not become queen. If that happened, Licia would be the only suitable partner. From the perspective of noble common sense and public opinion, if one thought rationally, it couldn’t be otherwise.
But—
“I don’t know if that’s true or not. There are probably some true things among them. But, if she is to be accused of a crime for that, I will bear the same sin.”
Elvan was not swayed by Licia’s words and strongly pulled the frightened Clara’s shoulder closer.
“El-sama…”
Licia narrowed her eyes as if glaring at the sight of the two gazing at each other. Elvan, with a complicated expression, bowed his head to such a Licia.
“…I am grateful to you. Although it has come to this, it’s true that your words saved me. But, the one I needed was Clara. Clara needed me as me, not as the Crown Prince. Besides…”
Elvan grasped Clara’s hand and looked at Licia with pity.
“You cannot become the Queen.”
At those words, those who revered the Saint became agitated. Licia, frowning slightly, put on a confident smile.
This “event” was also in the otome game. Originally, even if she was a Saint backed by public opinion, the heroine, being a viscount’s daughter, could not become queen. This was also due to the hidden setting where the current queen consort was a former viscount’s daughter, causing domestic political problems.
With Licia’s power of “Allure” and the “Incubus,” it was an event that might not have occurred, but conversely, because this event happened, she felt that the otome game was progressing normally. In that event, Clara was the one to say it, but in the current situation, it was a trivial difference.
“In that case, there is no problem. Because I am a daughter of the Melrose Family.”
Licia took out a “ring” from her sleeve, put it on her finger, and thrust her arm forward as if to show it off.
“My deceased mother was a member of the Melrose Family, and she left this ring to me! Isn’t that right, ‘Grandfather’-sama!”
Licia called out to the Margrave of Melrose, who was waiting beside His Majesty the King.
The “real” “heroine” didn’t exist. She didn’t even know if she was alive or dead, and if she were alive and knew her origins, a child who had been in such a harsh orphanage couldn’t possibly not dream of the noble world, and there would be no reason for her not to come forward.
In the “knowledge” within the Magic Stone, even the shape and color of “Melrose’s Ring” from the game were accurately remembered.
She was surprised by That Woman’s tenacity in remembering it, but because it was a game, even if there were slight differences in shape, no one should perfectly remember something from decades ago.
It was the Devil who had made it so that no evidence remained, but even if someone felt something was off about it, Licia’s “Allure” would negate it.
This power was truly the strongest. Even if she couldn’t match even an ordinary soldier in battle, as long as she was in civilized society, she, who could obtain the powers of “Allure” and the “Incubus,” was the “strongest,” Licia beamed with a wide smile. But—
“…What are you saying?”
To that call, Belt, her “grandfather,” showed open disgust.
“As if that ring could be genuine. The ‘real one’ has already been found. ‘Alicia.'”
At that call, a “girl” who was beside the princess stepped forward.
There were some in the crowd who knew that girl. As a reliable ally, as a detestable enemy, even if they recognized her as a beautiful girl, few held feelings beyond that.
But, the girl, clad in a black dress with a velvet-like sheen, her shining pinkish-gold hair tied up—her beauty was so overwhelming that people gasped involuntarily.
Those who didn’t know her also gasped at her beauty, and the nobles of their parents’ generation saw in her the image of the “Pink Hair” young lady they had admired long ago, narrowing their eyes as if seeing a phantom.
And the girl, with a dignified expression, showed off the “real ring” fitted on her own finger.
“I am Alicia Melrose.”
The new heroine, “Alicia,” finally announces herself!
Next time, “Condemnation.”
We didn’t quite reach the condemnation this time….
Book Volume 4 is also diligently in production! It’s the finale of Part One: The Large-Scale Dungeon Arc!
Look forward to it!