Chapter 9

Life at school without the heroine.

I don't need to play the role of the villainous lady, and the prince doesn't become any more serious either.

"You are truly a boring woman."

Every time we meet, I get sarcastic remarks, but I'm so used to it that it feels like a greeting.

Prince Baroque's misdeeds are only increasing. He not only makes girls serve him but also uses violence on the boys around him without any reason.

And all the complaints end up at my doorstep as his fiancée. It's really getting annoying.

I can't completely ignore it, so I occasionally give him a warning, but his delusions are so intense, saying things like, "Do you really want to get my attention, Viara?" It's reached a point where I just give up.

No one could stop the prince from becoming even more arrogant since he entered the academy. His entourage always agrees with everything, and the teachers can't be too strict with the only prince of the country.

All I can do is secretly order Sid to help when Prince Baroque uses unreasonable violence. In this state, the idea of a fulfilling school life or a wonderful youth seems like an urban legend. "What, does that even exist?" kind of thing...

Moreover, the prince is always flirting with various young ladies, and his good looks have long surpassed the point of being excused.

The young ladies he makes serve him probably think of me as "the pitiful woman who isn't loved by her fiancé." I can feel their contempt.

However, their faces change every month, so I decided not to take them seriously. The prince is easily bored.

Besides, any young lady who treats me badly inevitably faces retaliation from my family... Those who harass me disappear from the school.

Apart from Sid, there are other guards watching over me, and they report everything to my brother. I don't mind, but maybe it affects the dignity of the Marcus Duke family?

"Hey, Sid, do you know what my brother did?"

I asked hesitantly, and he smiled with a distant look in his eyes.

"No, nothing. Everything is done by the young men under Mr. Ethan's instructions."

I can only say, "Of course."

I should tell my brother to tone it down a bit.

Anyway, putting that aside.

Since the prince is such a disappointment, I want to avoid contact with him as much as possible, but I have to accept his escort for official events.

Even if he sends me an incredibly tacky dress (which is definitely harassment), my brother rejects it by saying, "It didn't arrive," so it's not a problem.

What is the problem, though, is that the prince comes to pick me up in a carriage, and when we're alone, he tries to touch me. Trying to touch a fiancée he clearly dislikes is just crazy.

I don't like being stared at either, so long-sleeved dresses and thick fabrics have become my norm. The dressmakers are happy about this (because it increases the cost of materials and allows for more design options), and for the past two years, this style of dress has been in fashion.

"Miss, did you put on the ring today?"

"Yes, of course."

On my left pinky finger is a defensive ring made by Sid. This ring, with a purple stone, was made to make the prince fall asleep.

With this, the prince falls asleep within thirty seconds of getting in the carriage. He doesn't have time to touch me, and he stays asleep until we arrive.

It would be nice if Sid could ride with me, but Prince Baroque says he doesn't want a commoner, even a guard, to ride with us. Sid understands, so he rides alongside the carriage. The prince's guards surround us, and there are no particular conflicts between Sid and them.

Thinking back, when the prince first tried to touch me, I resisted desperately and rolled out of the carriage, and everyone felt sympathetic. Everyone agreed that "the prince was in the wrong," and they even advised the king, so I wasn't punished.

It's really helpful to have everyone on my side! (Probably because they're all bought off by my family.)

Today, I get the formal escort and get into the carriage. I sit across from the prince, who is sitting with his arms crossed.

The hem of my red dress is layered like rose petals, and it's very beautiful.

The scenery outside the window is dyed by the twilight. Glancing out the window, I see Sid's figure diagonally behind the cavalry.

He looks incredibly cool.

I never used to think that way, but since I realized my secret crush, I can't help but follow his movements with my eyes.

Unfortunately, my fiancé is the drooling, sleeping Prince Baroque.

I gently stroke the ring on my pinky finger.

"If only Sid were my fiancé."

Life doesn't always work out the way you want it to.

I gazed out the window absentmindedly as the carriage headed to the party venue.