Chapter 6

The next day, Sandra immediately began searching for Orva.

First, she had to apologize directly for what happened yesterday and ask him once and for all what he thought about the future.

If she waited in a place where all the students would pass, she wouldn't miss him.

Incidentally, today Sandra had her hair in a braid, but she left a side strand and curled it. She wouldn't give up on the vertical roll, especially when she needed to put in extra effort.

While greeting the other students passing by, she saw a flamboyant group approaching. Among them, she spotted her fiancé, who was notably taller, and Sandra prepared for battle.

At that moment, Sandra heard that annoyingly sweet voice.

"Yesterday was really fun! If you'd like, can we go again sometime?"

None other than Aini, the novice saint, was speaking.

Her voice was high and resonated well, unlike Seraphina's, which seeped through and reached the ears.

However, more importantly, hadn't that woman just said something that couldn't be ignored?

(Yesterday...?)

Aini's words were being responded to by Eirik and Orva. This meant that Aini had been with these two yesterday.

Sandra took a deep breath and, knowing it was impolite, stepped in front of the prince.

"Miss Sandra?"

Without even looking at Aini, Sandra first bowed to Eirik.

"Excuse me, Your Highness."

"Ah, Sandra. Good morning."

"Good morning, Your Highness. I apologize, but I heard a loud voice from your direction just now. Did you go out yesterday?"

Sandra's question made Orva stiffen.

Unaware of this, Aini, as if glad to be asked, spoke up.

"Oh, that's right! Prince Eirik said he wanted a tour of the city, so the three of us—Prince Eirik, Lord Orva, and I—went! It was fun, wasn't it, Lord Orva?"

"Ah, ah..."

Orva avoided Sandra's gaze, looking only at Aini, who touched the hair accessory on her head with a delighted expression.

"This, Lord Orva bought for me! He's such a kind fiancé, Miss Sandra!"

Then Aini turned to Eirik and grabbed his sleeve.

"Let's go again, Prince Eirik!"

"Sure."

This story would surely spread throughout the school in no time.

That a novice saint had gone out to play in the city with the Crown Prince and a viscount's son.

Likewise, the young ladies who knew that Sandra had planned to attend a garden party with her fiancé on the same day would also hear about it.

Since the Crown Prince had invited them, Sandra couldn't blame Orva on the spot and later called him out alone.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, I couldn't just let the saint and the prince go out alone, could I? I was the bodyguard, the bodyguard."

Orva, perhaps emboldened by the time he had, was now acting confidently.

"If you're a bodyguard, there are professionals for that. Besides, didn't you know about this beforehand? Why didn't you explain or apologize to me?"

The rumor that Orva had stood her up and gone out with another woman had already spread throughout the school in a day. What a humiliation, Sandra gritted her teeth.

"If I had told you, you would have definitely opposed it."

"Of course I would. Even if it were three people instead of two, it's still a problem. Going out with two men who have fiancées is the act of a promiscuous woman."

The nobility is particularly strict about a woman's conduct.

While the saint is allowed to marry to preserve the bloodline, she is treated like a high-ranking noble and should be even stricter according to church teachings. It would tarnish her reputation and, most importantly, if she continued such behavior in the school, she might never find a husband.

Sandra heard a loud sigh and was taken aback.

The one who should be sighing and in a position to do so was Sandra.

"Really, how can you keep spewing such insults one after another?"

These are not insults! I'm stating the facts.

If you bring Aini here now, I'll say the same to her.

"No way! I can't let you spout such insults to the innocent Aini!"

Sandra wasn't spouting insults; she was pointing out the facts and giving a warning.

Then, glancing at Sandra's hair accessory, Orva continued.

"Aini is different from Sandra. She's pure and delicate. She can be happy with a hair accessory bought from a street vendor, without being adorned with expensive things. Don't compare her to you."

Sandra was left speechless as Orva, having said what he wanted, left.

The hair accessory Orva claimed to have given Aini was, by coincidence, the same white flower that Sandra was wearing today.

Sandra's was a three-dimensional barrette made of multiple white flowers, with small peridots embedded here and there.

It was of a different class from something bought from a street vendor.

Was it just belittled now?

Sandra looked at the emerald brooch in her pocket.

I also need to think about this...

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

If the idea of a stroll in the city came from the Crown Prince, Sandra argued that it should be said by Seraphina, but she remained unmoved.

If this continues, it won't do.

More and more people would be influenced by the novice saint's behavior, disrupting the school's discipline and causing rifts among the engaged couples.

Most importantly, the voices belittling Seraphina, the absolute queen, were reaching Sandra's ears.

Some even suggested making the saint a second queen to deepen ties with the church, and the romance novel-loving young ladies started saying foolish things like "The saint and the Crown Prince are the true love."

No way. How could a woman with a head full of cotton ever be a queen?

However, Sandra was also a little disappointed by Seraphina's inaction.

However, the situation changed dramatically.

"Speaking of love, I love this country. A queen is the mother of the country. What more is needed?"

Seraphina, facing the impolite novice saint, showed her firmness, integrity, and purity, demonstrating the difference in class.

She had never taken the saint seriously from the beginning.

What Seraphina desired was the future of this country, and the same was true for Eirik, the Crown Prince.

They were on a different level from the school's romances and factional struggles.

By firmly crushing the saint's plea and showing her good relationship with Eirik, there was no backlash in the school.

No one would oppose the legitimate future queen.

Sandra was also impressed.

"What a... What a noble person!"

She had always recognized and respected Seraphina's qualities as a queen, but she was even more than that.

As she left the greenhouse with Bernadetta, who had also faced the saint's attack, Sandra clenched her beautifully polished nails and declared.

"Miss Bernadetta... I've made up my mind!"

"Eh? What do you mean, made up your mind?"

Bernadetta, who usually received criticism from Sandra, asked hesitantly.

"I will serve this country and Seraphina for the rest of my life! Serving her is my duty as a noble born into this country!"

Bernadetta, who always saw Sandra with her lustrous hair and beautiful attire, thought she looked the most radiant at this moment.

And a new thought began to form in Bernadetta's heart...

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

"What do you mean, Sandra!!"

The large man... Orva, who suddenly burst in, made the young ladies at the tea party let out small screams, but the host, Seraphina, and the target, Sandra, did not flinch.

Sandra apologized to Seraphina for Orva's rudeness and then stepped forward.

"What is it, so noisy. You're too impolite."

"What... It's about the engagement dissolution, of course!!"

The word "engagement dissolution" made the young ladies at the tea party murmur.

"Ah, it finally reached you, Lord Orva. I have already received the approval of my parents and the Makelainen viscount's couple. All that's left is your signature, so please do it."

Sandra said this with a smile, showing no regret, and Orva looked at her as if she were a stranger.

"Why... Why..."

"Why? Reflect on your own actions. Can't you think of anything?"

Sandra laughed, calling Orva's head "blessed," and Orva gritted his teeth.

"If... If it's about Aini, I was acting as a knight..."

"How blessed you are... I received a proposal from Gerald."

"What!?"

It was after the Tylger Countess's garden party.

The 14-year-old Gerald, with a youthful face, had proposed to Sandra with a serious expression.

"That...! What is my brother thinking, proposing to his fiancée's sister!"

"He couldn't bear to see you neglecting me for the novice saint."

"But, but, he must have had ulterior motives for our family's inheritance!"

"Perhaps."

Sandra, who had said it, agreed, and Orva, looking puzzled, made Sandra hide her smile behind a fan. Today's fan was silver-edged with emeralds, a gift from Gerald.

"He must have seen an opportunity to take advantage of his brother's lack of fidelity. He is very wise."

Sandra was not a girl who dreamed of love.

She was prepared for a political marriage and understood that her partner would seek benefits from marrying her.

Gerald had whispered love to her, but she didn't believe it all.

"He accurately assessed the situation, acted promptly, and has excellent political skills."

At 14, he already showed great political ability.

He was studying the management of his family's territory and had the skill to acquire the Countess Tylger's early works.

"What...! Are you okay with this! A partner without love..."

"Was there ever love between us, Lord Orva?"

"!!"

Even as Orva's mouth opened to say something, Sandra felt nothing.

"Without fulfilling the duties of a fiancé, without a single compliment, and while being infatuated with another woman, choosing a better partner is only natural."

Every time they met, Orva criticized Sandra's attire, calling it too flashy, and praised the novice saint.

He was always late, stood her up, and when she confronted him, he would say that men have many things to deal with and act arrogantly. He even blamed her for his own shortcomings.

"Creating trends is a duty of noble women, yet you never tried to understand it and only spoke of your own convenience. I have finally run out of patience with you."

Sandra's family, the Aldini, dealt in clothing and accessories.

In this school, where noble young ladies gathered, Sandra was an important advertising platform and also gathered information.

The "tea party full of talk about accessories" that Orva despised was part of this.

Of course, dressing up was a noble lady's hobby, and Sandra genuinely enjoyed it.

That's why she had reached her limit with the constant criticism.

"Regarding the inheritance of the Makelainen family, it has not been decided yet, so please discuss it among your family."

Since Sandra would not be the one to inherit, it was a matter for the family to discuss.

Gerald had said he was fine even if he didn't inherit, but Sandra didn't know how much of it was true, so she decided not to get involved.

"I have already decided who I will serve for the rest of my life. I hope you find someone to dedicate your life to soon, Lord Orva."

With a refreshingly radiant smile, Sandra dismissed the dejected Orva.

Time passed, and the young king and queen ascended the throne.

The beautiful black-haired queen had an excellent lady-in-waiting who mastered the trends of the country.

And by her side, there was the figure of a husband who supported her.

This concludes the Sandra chapter.

It keeps getting longer... It's hard to fit it into three parts.

Gerald was 70% in love and 30% interested in the inheritance, but Sandra took his hand, thinking it didn't matter.

Next, we have the Bernadetta chapter, who is still a mystery.

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