Chapter 2

The carriage jolted *clunk clunk clunk* as Chloe, the daughter of Duke Serenite and former fiancée of the First Prince Red Rio of the Karufear Kingdom, sat listlessly in her seat, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

Her demeanor now seemed far removed from the brazen and shameless attitude she displayed during the condemnation drama in the grand hall of the Holy Church. It was as if a possession had been lifted from her. However, Chloe had been arrogant and brazen from the moment they met, so perhaps it was more accurate to say that she was now under some kind of possession.

"Are you tired, Miss?"

The concerned voice belonged to Chloe's personal butler, Shin Purpleton. Chloe glanced at him and a self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.

"Well, yes, today has been too much... If I had realized this would happen earlier, I could have made more preparations. But still, it's good that you came with me. ...But Shin, are you really okay with this? Taking on the role of my guard like this?"

"What are you talking about? I will follow you wherever you go."

"......It's fine, I guess. Even so, you can't follow me into the convent, can you?"

From today onward, Chloe would be disengaged from her engagement to the First Prince, disowned from the Duke's family, and sent to a convent. The carriage they were in was for this very purpose.

◆◇◆◇◆

Chloe's chattering figure, swaying in the carriage, was reflected in a large mirror propped up against the wall.

The former fiancé of Chloe, the First Prince Red Rio Benando Karufear, who initiated the engagement's dissolution, his foster brother and the son of the Left Chancellor, Sei Bruno, the son of a general and a squire, Dai Nebul, and Chloe's brother, the heir of the Right Chancellor, Dark Serenite, watched her with either a frown or a blank expression.

They were monitoring the exiled former Duke's daughter, Chloe, through a magical brooch that Shin, who had defected to their side and became Red Rio's spy, wore on his chest. The images and sounds recorded by this brooch were transmitted in real-time to a receiving brooch in a distant location, which could be viewed using a mirror as a screen.

They were not pursuing the movements of the exiled sinner out of malice. This was solely to alleviate the concerns of their beloved true holy maiden, Momo Palette. If Chloe showed any suspicious behavior, they would immediately order Shin to capture her and send her to the executioner's block with irrefutable evidence.

(The false holy maiden can only be strong for now...!)

The sound of the First Prince clenching his teeth echoed in his private room.