Chapter 7
Chapter 7
This is too cruel, no matter how you look at it!
“……………………..”
“……………………..”
At the garden terrace of the Scorpion Palace, while sitting opposite to my engagement candidate Lizbeth, my head was currently in complete and utter chaos.
No seriously, why the hell did my potential fiancée have to be that Lizbeth of all the people in the world??
I get it, she’s a young noble girl of the same age as myself, and if I, a member of Royalty, have to marry someone, they had to be of a certain status like a Marquis class family, I get that. I really do, but even so, this was just way too cruel man.
Is this world really telling me to just die!?
“Prince Rudolf, how is the tea?”
The tea in my cup was still filled to the brim and yet Maya asked that question. Her eyes were screaming “hurry up and start a conversation already” and putting pressure on me.
No, no, how the hell am I supposed to start a casual conversation with the girl who’s supposed to assassinate me in the future.
Also, isn’t Lizbeth supposed to have the future hero, Wilhelm, as her partner??
Even if this is a political marriage, and I am indeed desperate for some backing, this is impossible for me.
That said, I was the one who asked for a partner, so if I refused her now, I am bound to incur the wrath of the Emperor, and I’d be lucky if all he does is disinherit me and deport me out of the country. Worst case, he might just also choose to have me killed and get rid of me for good.
If that happens, I really won’t be left with any other route to take other than becoming a tyrant as history foretold.
And so.
“S-so…….Lady Lizbeth, when you heard that you may become my fiancée, were you perhaps surprised………?”
I squeezed out every bit of courage inside me, and tried to start a conversation.
How strange, I used to chat quite a lot with the first love of my previous life so I thought I was pretty okay at conversing with girls and yet, I ended up coming up with the most nonsense topic to start it off.
“Yes, when I heard about this from my father, I was truly surprised. To think someone like me would be chosen to become a fiancée candidate for Prince Rudolf. It is my greatest honour……….”
Her actions seemed to imply a tinge of embarrassment and yet, her expression was completely still, like she was wearing a mask that didn’t move or change.
I see. Perhaps it’s too great of an honour so maybe she wants to cancel our potential engagement instead?
I’d wholeheartedly agree with that to be honest but, if possible, could you be the one who delivers the rejection and refusal?
I mean, after asking the Emperor himself for this, I can’t exactly tell him that I wasn’t feeling it anymore, can I?
“A-ahaha………I suppose you wouldn’t want to get married to someone like me right? In that case, you can speak to Lord Fahlcrantz, and send a refusal through him so………”
“No, I don’t believe I implied that to be the case.”
The moment I tried to lead her towards suggesting her to reject me, Lizbeth instantly shot my idea down.
But, seeing her ice cold aquamarine eyes, I couldn’t help but feel that her words and feelings were on completely opposite sides.
Ah………perhaps I was too hasty and impatient, and maybe she’s implying that I need to show a little more tact towards this situation.
It’s true, to cancel an engagement like this, you’d need a good amount of reason as well as arrangements to make it happen.
“Is that so……….well, that’s good to hear.”
I put a hand on my chest, and feigned relief.
Anyway, I need to create a situation that’d make it easier for Lizbeth to ask for breaking the engagement while also making sure that the Emperor doesn’t find out about it.
“Th-then, let me start by talking some more about myself to let you know me better………”
From then on, I began to endlessly blabber about myself……..and then continued on, towards outright bragging and boasting about myself.
That said, there wasn’t much I had done to boast so I started exaggerating and outright mixing lies to continue on and on.
I’m sure even Lizbeth already knows that I have been nothing but a miserable prince so, she should quite easily figure out that all these things are lies.
Now with this, once news spreads that I am the kind of shitty person that can casually lie so much, she should be able to ask for breaking the engagement quite easily.
“………And so, everyone in this Scorpion Palace are all always praising my name. isn’t that right, Maya?”
At this point, I asked for affirmation from Maya who was standing behind me.
Now Maya, show the most displeased and disgusted look you can make, and just refute all of it to my face. Please, okay?
“Yes, it is indeed all exactly as Prince Rudolf has said.”
“Maya!?!”
“I’m sure you have already heard this Lady Lizbeth but, our Prince singlehandedly revealed a great series of frauds occurring inside this Scorpion Palace, and now a fresh new wind has begun flowing through this Imperial palace all because of him.”
Getting a completely unexpected reaction, I ended up exclaiming her name in shock.
Or rather, what new wind is she talking about? It’s more like a storm of laughter from the servants in this palace right??
“Prince Rudolf, you truly are a great gentleman it seems.”
“Wha, well, no, but, ahahaha–…….”
With a dry smile, hearing the cold tone that delivered the freezing words of compliment from Lizbeth sent a chill down my spine.
Damn you Maya, how dare you betray me. Once this meeting is over, I’m definitely going to punish her for this.
I don’t think I’ll be able to endure this atmosphere any longer so I desperately began to think of ways to change it somehow.
“By the way………Could you perhaps tell me more tales from your childhood instead, Prince Rudolf…….?”
With her cold expression still as it was, Lizbeth suddenly asked me that with upturned eyes.
But, as far as my childhood goes, I don’t think I have any stories that could be told for the sake of anyone’s enjoyment.
………no, perhaps from Lizbeth’s point of view, those kinds of stories may bring her more pleasure more than anything.
After all, she is being forced to have a potential engagement with me because of the Emperor’s order and is being made to go through this meeting with someone she clearly doesn’t like. Hearing the painful stories of that guy’s past might at least calm her frustrations.
I’m sure that’s why she asked to hear such stories from me.
So that she could later re-tell her beloved Wilhelm these as funny stories.
Fine, then I’ll simply play along and tell all sorts of stories in the most hilarious manner possible.
To the point that even she would forget her prim and proper lady-like manners and end up breaking into silly laughter.
I jokingly put my hand on my chest, and then gave a bow.
And then..
“Then, please do listen. They are nothing but humorous tales, some stupid, some pathetic. A comedy show that I call my childhood.”
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