Chapter 4 – Chapter 4  

The same engagement tonight took place at the royal soirée where in the story she was condemned by breaking off the engagement on Emi and for attempting to take the life of the Star Maiden.

In the story, Remilia had hired an assassin to make an attempt on the Star Maiden, but then the most likely major character rushed to her rescue and saved the day. It was Williard who helped Pina up that time, so that person is probably cutted down.

It is appalling that they call it「attempted murder」when the victim only suffered bruises and sprains from a fall down a flight of not-so-long stairs. Emi’s words were not heeded at all, and Williard packed her off as a foolish woman who had hurt the Star Maiden, and cut off Emi’s protestations of innocence, calling her「remorseless」and breaking off the engagement.

Emi, who had called His Highness Prince Williard “Will-sama” and thought she had established a solid relationship of trust with her childhood friend and brother-in-law, despaired of everything. In despair and strongly pessimistic about life, Emi sank into herself. Without me, Emi would have fainted and spent the rest of her life, as a doll, unable to speak. That is how strong was the despair that Emi felt.

With tears streaming down on my face, I speak to Emi, who has now shut herself away inside me. I don’t feel any of Emi’s voice or emotions that used to flow into my heart so incessantly. I vaguely realized that Emi must be in a deep sleep, unable to think anything at the moment, and I feel incredibly lonely.

I know better than anyone that you have done nothing wrong. So don’t worry, I will protect「Emi.」Just as the memory of Emi saved my young heart.

I will also take back「Remilia Rose Graupner’s Happiness」that Emi broke her for.

「…I wonder if His Highness, and my father approve of this?」

「Of course. We didn’t do this kind of thing without reason.」 「No matter how many times… that I have done nothing, you didn’t listen to me.」

「Now you are pretending something you are not? I have just confronted you with numerous pieces of evidence… the testimonies of the sons and daughters of the lower nobility who were ordered to commit the crimes, the letters bearing your coat of arms that were used to commit them, the corroboration of two of your personal attendants and three of your bodyguards, and you refused to acknowledge any of it… but you think you can get away with it now after an attempted murder in full view of the public the other day…?」

「I can only say that they are all fabricated with malice aforethought.」

「I thought the wayward… you were a more intelligent woman than this. We were also childhood friends, and I still have feelings for you because of our long relationship… If you sincerely regrets your wrongs, apologizes, and change your mind, I will accept—」

「No, I cannot falsely state in my name… that I admit a crime that Remilia Rose Graupner did not commit.」

「…With all the evidence so far. Ahh, I see. So you’re just going to keep it a secret?」

Horrifying, Williard’s mouth twisted as if to say that. The lady-in-waiting and the bodyguard, who were supposed to be in the service of the Graupner family, had long become their informants. They leaked the Duchess’ schedule, took personal items that were used to fabricate changes, and mixed evidence of her assaults on the Star Maiden with the Duchess’ personal items in order to falsely accuse her of the crime… I was aware of this, but had no way I could tell Emi. Emi had thought of them as her friends, even though they were from different backgrounds

After all the time he spent with Remilia… and Emi, there would be no point in exchanging any more words with this man who still believed the Star Maiden’s argument. I stopped resisting and waited for the news.

After moving to another room, His Majesty informs us that today’s soirée is an ultimatum for the Star Maiden to make her social debut, and if Emi changes her mind and apologizes to the Star Maiden, the engagement will be put on hold and not broken, depending on how things go from here. My father, sitting beside me, conveyed his disappointment.

However, I would never say that Emi did something she didn’t do.

「Is there anything you would like to leave unsaid at the end? Miss Remilia. You were to be my daughter-in-law and I’m sorry to see this happen to you.」

「…I regret that I did not request to chase the Star Maiden when she began to approach His Highness Prince Williard, as I had sworn an oath directly to the royal family to always keep several of them close to me, while keeping a watchful eye on each other in the shadows, where their faces are hidden from view.」

「……」

His Majesty said nothing. I felt a little bit of suspicion toward me, but I took advantage of it to make a bold and pathetic offer. I wondered if I had a smile that people loved like Emi’s.

「I have been informed that I will be confined to the countryside of the Duke Graupner’s estate with my noble title. I am not guilty of anything, and I am willing to be investigated, so please assign someone to watch over my life.」

「…I will think about it.」

「Thank you for your consideration.」

His Majesty finally seemed to have doubts here, but the anger from Father besides me did not go away. Either I did something foolish or I lost the manipulation, either way, the pawn I am is no longer of any use. Unlike the story, she was not stripped of her nobility, but a daughter imprisoned for trying to harm a Star Maiden would be worth nothing. Even though he had been so absorbed in the Star Maiden, unlike the story, he still had feelings on「his fiancée.」And the disappointment of a fiancée, who was also a childhood friend, who did ugly things out of jealousy. Tonight he was going to absolve himself in front of everyone and extract an apology from Emi… Remilia, and thereby end his hand. There were strong voices condemning the Dauphin’s fiancée for hurting the Star Maiden out of jealousy. Otherwise, even the royal family would not be able to unilaterally suppress the rebellion of the nobles. Contrary to expectations, Remilia not only did not admit her guilt until the very end, but also agreed to break off the engagement, which was probably not calculated for them.

「…Miss Remilia, are you sure?」

「I cannot in the name of Remilia Rose Graupner admit to a crime of which I have no knowledge with.」

His Majesty sighed at my words earlier, which seemed to follow Williard’s oath.

By the end of the session, I kept my back straight and did everything right up to the bowing out of the room…. Now I don’t have any cards on hand yet. Yes, I should be mature enough to back down here. There is still too much missing to let those who have made Emi despair get what they deserve.

「Liar.」「He says that the prestige of the dukedom has kept everyone quiet until now.」「Persecute the Star Maiden.」「Even the Dauphin’s fiancée would not tolerate this level of insolence.」「How can she make such a claim with this plethora of evidence and witnesses?」「How could she still get away with saying it wasn’t her?」

I have not forgotten a single word that was whispered around Emi during the evening party. I know whose voices are theirs, I will not forgive those who helped to lie and perjure her by being deceived by those lies, without taking any account of Emi’s past actions. It is clearly stated in the Kingdom Law that it is a crime to commit perjury to fabricate a crime. Let me prepare a suitable end for the criminal.

And I will make sure that this man who abandoned his daughter out of self-satisfaction, knowing from what I said that「Remilia」would never do anything to harm the Star Maiden, will also receive the appropriate retribution, as well my biological mother who reacts in the same way.

I will not forgive my childhood friends who betrayed Emi, even though Emi saved their lives. They had feelings for Emi even though she had a fiancé. Their fiancées were also dimly aware of it, but they knew it was not a major departure from loyalty and did not mention it, although it was so faint.

Claude, who should have spent the most time as a family member, was also deceived because he could not see through Pina’s hideous nature. You know better than anyone that Emi would never do such a thing.

Above all, there is Williard, the incompetent crown prince who has no discernment of people who has dropped by that woman while he was still in love with Emi. I had noticed that he had a sense of superiority, saying「I am so thought of that excellent and kind woman that she is jealous of her.」Although they resolved their rift after that discussion, Emi was more likely to attract attention in aristocratic society for her groundbreaking ideas against Williard, who was more frugal, albeit in a different field of specialty. I knew that he was dazzled by it while thinking,「I’m going to do my best not to lose,」but I never knew that he had such an ugly spirit that he would be glad to be jealous of Emi

Those men did this because they believed what they wanted to believe.「Remilia cares for me so much that she is jealous,」and they wanted to believe it was true, so that’s how they came to believe it.

Recently, they had been happily admonishing Emi for her deeds as they are told, without questioning whether Emi really did what the Star Maiden complained about. In the name of advice, I could see through their eyes that they were taking it very seriously, saying,「I know you like yourself, but this is too much.」

I don’t think they are victims of deception either. I will not forgive those men who knew Emi, spent time with her, built trust with her, and then betrayed her. I will take revenge in a way that they will regret the most.

Above all, that woman. Why did God give that hideous soul the body of a Star Maiden? Only you, no matter what happens to you, I will cast you into hell alive. Emi, who has a good heart, would be saddened if she knew, but I could not stop myself from doing so.

I would never do anything so lukewarm as to kill. She deserves to be in a situation where she wishes to die, where even death is a relief.

I made a detailed plan, prioritizing the actions I would take in the future. First of all, I have to call this man Duke Graupner, since Father… no longer has family ties to me, and I have been given discretionary authority over an area of the country house that was given to me. I took over the discretionary rights to the mansion and its surroundings and the deserted village it contained, which I had acquired from the Duke of Graupner.

In exchange for the rights to a product under my name that utilized the knowledge of my previous life, which Emi had developed in various ways and received royalties for. In addition, I also obtained a small amount of money to start a village. This is still good enough for now, and it will create enough groundwork for revenge.

I will be happy after restoring the honor of「Remilia, the Villainess」and taking revenge on all those who betrayed me. I must be happy.