Chapter 4

"Did I reject Prince Zachary, Your Highness?"

Faced with her father's unexpected interrogation, Iris couldn't help but ask back, uncharacteristically.

The truth was that Prince Zachary had broken off the engagement with Iris. If she were to be slandered as having been cruelly rejected, that would be one thing, but what did it mean to say she had cruelly rejected him?

"It's unlike you to believe such baseless rumors, Father."

"…Hmm. So, there is no such fact, then?"

"The engagement with Prince Zachary was broken off. But it was Prince Zachary who broke it off. I certainly did not abandon my duties as a noble."

Iris detested the idea of being seen as having abandoned her duties more than the dishonor of having the engagement broken off. This was her value system.

However, in this particular case, the Duke should not be focusing on that.

"Did you say that Prince Zachary broke off the engagement?"

"Yes. I heard it directly from his own lips. The official notification will come later, but please consider this a settled matter."

"So, you danced with another man out of spite for being rejected?"

"…What?"

That was not the case.

Prince Zachary, who had ended things with Iris, had boasted to everyone around him that he had broken off the engagement. However, it was unprecedented for a prince to break off an engagement with a wise maiden.

Everyone was at a loss as to what was happening.

When Iris appeared and started dancing with a prince from a neighboring country, she, who was known for never smiling, was clearly enjoying herself and laughing.

To anyone who saw them, they looked like a perfect match, and it didn't seem like Iris had been rejected by the prince.

—As a result, those present understood it this way:

So, the claim that the engagement with the wise maiden was broken off was just Prince Zachary's bravado, and he was the one who had actually been rejected.

"I find it offensive to be thought of as having abandoned my duties as a wise maiden. Would it be alright to protest to Prince Zachary later?"

"Stop rubbing salt in the wound."

Warned with a weary face, Iris tilted her head.

"Rubbing salt in the wound is just his just deserts, isn't it? Besides, if we let the rumors spread, it won't just affect me but also the House of Icefield, will it?"

"Prince Zachary is loudly proclaiming that he broke off the engagement, so there shouldn't be a problem. He's been put under house arrest for making too much noise."

Iris accurately read the implications in his words.

It was too foolish to let go of a wise maiden, who is a symbol of the country. If the rumor that the royal family had let go of a wise maiden spread, it could undermine the king's regime.

Therefore, the king decided to use the current rumor. By emphasizing that the prince had been rejected, he aimed to minimize the damage to the state.

The House of Icefield would go along with this story to curry favor with the king.

"You just told me to stop rubbing salt in the wound. But Father, you're the one who's going to dig into the wound."

"I'm just extending a hand to the king and currying favor. Don't lump me in with you, who are going for the kill."

"Is that so?"

The more Prince Zachary proclaimed that he had broken off the engagement, the more people would misunderstand and think, "The prince is so hurt, please leave him alone."

While the state's damage might be mitigated, the prince's pride would be shattered. Moreover, the prince, who was put on the front line, would be effectively abandoned.

(But, this isn't a bad situation for me.)

"I feel sorry that people might think I abandoned my duties—"

The Duke of Icefield fell silent, noticing that Iris, instead of showing dissatisfaction, seemed unusually cheerful.

"…What are you up to?"

"No, whether I rejected him or was rejected, I thought it might be inconvenient for the royal family if I, as a party to the engagement, continued to live in this country."

"…So, you're going to marry Prince Alvin?"

"Excuse me? Both Prince Alvin and Father seem to have a misunderstanding."

"Prince Alvin has a misunderstanding…?"

The Duke's comment was a light-hearted remark because he knew who Iris had danced with. However, he was confused by the unexpected response, but to Iris, it was a trivial matter. She firmly denied it, "That's out of the question."

She was furious at the idea of marrying a traitor who had betrayed her in her previous life.

"What I want is to be Fiona's tutor."

"…No, that's impossible, isn't it?"

The Duke of Icefield reflexively rejected it, but he wondered if it was really impossible.

Indeed, it was unheard of for a wise maiden to become a princess's tutor in another country. However, the Duke had never heard of a prince breaking off an engagement with a wise maiden either.

Moreover, a wise maiden is a title given to a female magician blessed by the spirit of magic, and wise maidens with exceptional power are granted a certain degree of autonomy.

In Iris's case, she was allowed to act on her own will except for marrying the prince. Therefore, now that her engagement had been broken off, there was no longer any restriction on her.

What Iris, freed from the chains of her duties as a wise maiden, would do was her own choice. The remaining issue was whether the Kingdom of Lemuria would accept her.

"Surely…?"

"Yes. Prince Alvin has agreed."

A dry laugh escaped the Duke of Icefield's lips.

"You move quickly. Did you plan this from the beginning?"

"No, that's not the case."

"But, you must have known that Prince Zachary had a mistress, right?"

"I did know."

She had accepted the engagement as part of her duties as a wise maiden, but she had no romantic feelings for Prince Zachary. Therefore, there was no reason for her to lament his having a mistress.

However, Helena, Prince Zachary's mistress, was a baron's daughter, and her status was not high enough to become the first princess.

Therefore, Iris had planned to fulfill her duties as the first princess and let Helena, who would be the second princess, satisfy Prince Zachary's heart and body.

She had not expected the engagement to be broken off.

"If this is your decision as a wise maiden, even the king cannot stop you. I, for one, would be more at ease if you didn't marry that dimwitted prince."

"…Father, that's a bit too much, isn't it?"

Even in a father-daughter conversation, there are things that should and should not be said.

Even if one thinks it in their heart, or even if they say it in a way that implies it, a noble should not say something that could be taken as a statement.

However, he seemed to be particularly frustrated and continued, "It's a foolish thing to let you go. …However, since this seems to be a desirable outcome for you, I have no intention of reversing the engagement break."

"Then, Father, will you allow me to go to the neighboring country?"

"Whether to allow or not, I don't have the authority to stop you now. Besides, you don't intend to return, do you?"

"Of course not. And… even without authority, you have influence."

She smiled softly, narrowing her eyes.

The Duke of Icefield was momentarily captivated by his daughter's gentle smile, which he had never seen before.

"What do you mean by influence?"

"Because you are my respected father. I would not dismiss the words of the father who truly loves and cherishes me."

"I thought you disliked me for forcing the engagement with the prince on you…"

"Well, that's not the case. While we did have conflicts of interest, you are still my respected father. I don't dislike you at all."

"Y-Yes…?"

Iris was unaware, but she had never shown affection like this before. This was clearly influenced by the innocent memories of Fiona.

Fiona had lost both her parents at a young age, so her affection for her father was particularly strong.

Moreover, the sight of the usually unsmiling wise maiden smiling softly was incredibly powerful.

"If you have any problems, come to me. Not as the head of the House of Icefield, but as your father, I promise to always be there for you."

Iris's eyes widened.

The Duke's words were essentially a declaration that he would prioritize his love for his daughter over his duties to the House of Icefield. Moved, Iris threw herself into the Duke's chest.

"Father, thank you!"

"Y-Yes. I'll also take care of persuading the king. So, be careful on your journey."

The head of the House of Icefield was overwhelmed by his beloved daughter's straightforward expression of affection. Thus, the wise maiden's permission to leave the country, with the Duke's cooperation, was granted surprisingly easily.

Her destination was Lemuria, the country where her previous self had lived.