Chapter 4

Melissa visits the castle four times a week as a potential fiancée for the second prince, Christopher, while her brother Patrick goes as a potential aide to the first prince, Eldred.

On the rare occasions when their castle visits coincide, Melissa and Patrick sometimes travel together in the same carriage. Melissa secretly looked forward to these carriage rides, the only times she could be alone with her brother. They would talk about trivial things, like the books Patrick had read or the piano pieces Melissa was playing, but to Melissa, these were precious moments as siblings.

One day at the end of summer, when the mornings and evenings had become cooler, Melissa was scheduled to visit the castle at the same time as Patrick. She got into the carriage with him, expecting to be alone.

"Why is Amelia here?"

In the carriage, which she thought would only contain Patrick, sat Amelia, who shouldn't have been there.

"I complained that I felt lonely staying at the duke's house while you and your brother were at the castle."

"That's not true, it's not Mel's fault. Prince Eldred asked me to bring Mel to the castle. He had already heard about Mel from me and from Miss Jacqueline, and he became interested."

Why is Amelia being introduced to Prince Eldred, but not me? I don't really want to be introduced to Prince Eldred, but it hurts to see the special treatment Patrick gives to Amelia.

"I was so nervous about meeting the first prince that I couldn't sleep well last night."

"Mel's etiquette teacher gave us the go-ahead to visit the castle. Don't worry, I'll be there if anything happens."

"I feel much better knowing you'll be with me."

During the ride to the castle, it seemed as if a wall had been erected between them, as Patrick and Amelia continued their conversation, leaving Melissa out.

"Still, Mel, you and Miss Jacqueline are very close, aren't you?"

"Yes, she has been very kind to me."

"Prince Eldred and Miss Jacqueline are very close. If you can win their favor, your future will be secure."

"Brother! I'm not just being nice to Jacqueline because she might become the queen. I genuinely get along with her!"

Amelia puffed out her cheeks as she said this, making it seem as though she had no ulterior motives. Despite this, Melissa was impressed by her ability to navigate the situation and make it to the point of meeting Prince Eldred.

After consulting with her grandmother about Amelia and receiving a cold response, Melissa wondered why Amelia was isolating her. She finally realized that if Amelia had ambitious goals, it would be much faster and easier to use Melissa as a stepping stone to achieve her position rather than building a new one while maintaining a friendship with her. This realization made her feel dull for not seeing it sooner.

Amelia is ambitious, controlling, and skilled at maneuvering situations while keeping her ambitions hidden. This is the correct behavior for a noble lady. It's not something that would be criticized in noble society; rather, Melissa, who was easily manipulated by a former viscount's daughter, was in a position to be scolded.

Before getting into the carriage, one of Melissa's maids had expressed a desire to be reassigned to Amelia. This maid, who had seen the tea party from the same perspective as Melissa, was very ambitious. She chose to serve Amelia instead of Melissa after recognizing Amelia's hidden side. The way Amelia can show different faces to different people is frightening.

Melissa, who is just trying to be strong to match her status as a duke's daughter, stands no chance against her.

Since the face-to-face meeting with Prince Christopher at the age of six, where he was visibly disappointed, there has been almost no interaction between them because she is not his official fiancée. A kind castle maid told her that Christopher had been enchanted by her mother, Vanessa, when he saw her bring Patrick to the castle as a child and had been looking forward to meeting her daughter as his potential fiancée.

Amelia, with her golden hair and red eyes, and her bright, cheerful personality, resembles her mother. The thought of Amelia going to the castle and meeting Prince Christopher is not something Melissa needs to consider; the outcome is clear.

Melissa has had no interaction with Prince Christopher since the face-to-face meeting, and she honestly doesn't know if she likes or dislikes him. She even thought it would be better if the princess education ended so she could have more time to play the piano.

By the time they got into the carriage, Melissa had already given up on the idea of becoming Prince Christopher's official fiancée, believing it would be Amelia instead.