Chapter 30

"Shina, I am disappointed in you. I will dissolve our engagement."

At the words of Duke Lector, my heart raced.

"Sindia, the daughter of the Ruruk Marquess family, is accused of attempted murder and will be exiled from the country. Leave the Glass Forest extermination team immediately! You are allowed to take your personal belongings, but you must return the robe and magic staff provided by the kingdom. These are the holy ornaments passed down in the kingdom."

The robe and magic staff, symbols of the Holy Maiden, were taken from the wretched commoner girl standing before me. What a refreshing sight!

Finally, I can remove this girl from my life.

Five years ago, she appeared and took away Duke Lector and the title of Holy Maiden from me!

It's obvious what will happen to a girl with only holy magic as her strength, thrown into the Glass Forest without a guard. The stains on my life will be devoured by the vicious monsters of the Glass Forest!

I hid my curved lips with the fan I held so that they wouldn't be seen.

◇◇◇

I was born into the Ruruk Marquess family of Daido Kingdom. As the only daughter of one of the most powerful noble families in the kingdom, I take pride in being the highest-ranking lady in the country.

I was considered a suitable fiancée for the third prince of Daido Kingdom, who was close to my age, and I was supposed to bring the noble blood of the royal family into my clan.

Prince Lector, the third prince, was admired by all the young ladies in the kingdom for his handsome appearance and gentle personality. He was also strong in magic and favored by the king, to the point where he was given the honorable task of leading the Glass Forest extermination team, surpassing the other princes.

From a very young age, Prince Lector and I had a close relationship and shared our hearts. I received a direct order from the king to be with Prince Lector, and we were treated almost as if we were already engaged.

I was also a rare user of holy magic, and I was supposed to officially receive the title of Holy Maiden upon adulthood, marry Prince Lector after he resigned from the Glass Forest extermination team, and succeed the Ruruk Marquess family.

The Ruruk Marquess family was supposed to welcome the royal blood and, with the new territory granted by the king for Prince Lector's success in the Glass Forest extermination, become even more prosperous.

But suddenly, everything was taken away by a commoner girl who was only strong in holy magic.

One day, my father, the Marquess Ruruk, and I were secretly summoned to the castle by the king.

Prince Lector, who was about to depart for the Glass Forest, was also in the audience chamber, and my heart raced. I thought that our temporary engagement would be formalized before his departure.

"Sindia, it's been a while."

"It has been a while."

Prince Lector, whom I hadn't seen in a while, seemed a bit down. Perhaps he was nervous about the upcoming departure.

Although I rarely saw the busy prince, we exchanged letters daily through magic. Even if we couldn't meet, our hearts were supposed to be connected, but today, the prince glanced at me once and then avoided my gaze.

"I think this will be a difficult conversation for you, Sindia, but can you listen?"

At the king's calm voice, my heart pounded uncomfortably.

The atmosphere among the king, Prince Lector, and my father, the Marquess Ruruk, was heavy. This was clearly not a celebration of our engagement.

"Wh-Why is that?"

Despite being raised to be a strict princess and future successor of the Ruruk Marquess family, I couldn't stop my voice from trembling.

"Prince Lector is to be engaged to the Holy Maiden, Shina."

"…!"

Unbelievable words reached my ears. Holy Maiden Shina? Such a young lady didn't exist.

When I looked at Prince Lector, he awkwardly averted his gaze.

"…Have I done something wrong…?"

"No, Sindia, it's not that! There's no way you could have done anything wrong!"

The king hurriedly denied it. His voice was full of compassion as usual, and I felt a little more at ease.

"This is all for Lector's sake."

According to the king, the plan was to include a commoner girl named Shina, who possessed extraordinary magical power, in the Glass Forest extermination team.

Strong healing magic is essential for the Glass Forest extermination.

The girl in question has a magical power equivalent to several healers, but she is only 10 years old and not yet an adult, so she cannot officially join the Glass Forest extermination team.

Employing a minor in the extermination team would violate the common law of the continent. If other countries learned that a young commoner girl was working in the Glass Forest extermination, a national project, Daido Kingdom would face severe criticism. Even with a strict gag order, there are base commoners among the soldiers, and it's impossible to know where the news might leak from.

"However, there is a case where a minor can be assigned a high-ranking position. That is the royal exception."

"Royal exception…"

At the king's words, I recalled the common law I had learned as part of my princess education. If it's a matter of national importance, minors in the royal family or those connected to them can be assigned high-ranking positions. The commoner girl is being made the prince's fiancée for this reason.

It's frustrating, but this is probably the least risky way to use her.

"Normally, it would be regrettable for a lowly commoner to be temporarily included in the royal family, but it is unavoidable. For the next five years, until the girl comes of age, I ask you to bear with this, Sindia."

In other words, once the girl comes of age, the engagement with Prince Lector will be broken. Once she is an adult, she can be used in any way.

"Even as Lector's fiancée, she will be treated as a low-ranking soldier in the extermination team. We don't want her to get too arrogant and think too highly of herself as a Holy Maiden."

The king's voice was full of disdain, and I felt a bit relieved.

However, even if I am considered a potential fiancée, if a commoner girl becomes Prince Lector's fiancée, people will gossip about me.

"Father, this is too harsh on Sindia. Can't we just secretly bring the commoner girl along?"

Prince Lector spoke as if he pitied me. Knowing that his heart still belonged to me, I felt warm. There's no way he would ever fall for a commoner girl.

"That's not possible. We cannot tarnish your record. This is a decision. The Marquess Ruruk has already agreed. In five years, we will definitely unite you. Can you endure for Lector's sake, Sindia?"

The king looked at me with a determined gaze. When I turned to my father, he nodded strongly.

The Ruruk Marquess family would never oppose the royal family. I bowed as a lady to the king.

"I understand. I will accept the king's words."

"Sindia…"

"Please don't worry, Prince Lector. As a daughter of the Ruruk Marquess family, I will endure for the sake of the royal family and for you."

After leaving the audience chamber, my father spoke to me quietly in the carriage on the way back.

In private, the king had given up on the sickly crown prince and decided to make the third prince, Lector, the next king. The second prince, being the son of a low-ranking concubine and leaning towards the minority reformist faction in Daido Kingdom, has a low chance of succession. Prince Lector needs to achieve success in the Glass Forest extermination to silence the powerful nobles who support the crown prince, leading to this difficult decision.

The Ruruk Marquess family intends to have the second or subsequent children of Prince Lector and me succeed them in the future.

Hearing my father's words, I was so surprised that I forgot to cry. Prince Lector was supposed to succeed the Ruruk family, but he will be the king of this country. And I will be the queen.

In five years.

At that time, I will be 18 years old. At that age, without a marriage or fiancé, I would be considered a spinster.

Taken away from the position of Holy Maiden and Prince Lector's fiancée by a commoner girl, I will be laughed at and ridiculed by others. I will be a damaged young lady.

But I will eventually stand by Prince Lector, no, King Lector, as his queen. Thinking about that, five years is not a long time. It's not even enough time to learn what I need to become a queen.

During the time I am away from Prince Lector, I must grow stronger. So strong that no one can mock me.

And someday, I will crush the commoner girl who, just because she has holy power, temporarily took my place.