Chapter 7

"Enough, please face reality!!"

Diana protested loudly, unbecomingly for a lady.

"At this point, what will killing Lady Catherine accomplish! The baron's family has already been contacted, so the palace must have been informed of the situation! His Majesty the King must know everything!!"

Diana had stepped forward to protect the crown prince from harm. However, the blade did not lower. Could it be that he, who had fled for his own safety, had not realized the meaning of harming Diana? The surrounding people were also pale with shock at his foolishness.

"Duchess Mornet, please step back!!"

Leonhardt, anxious, tried to step forward to protect Diana, but her pride would not allow her to back down, especially since she had stepped forward of her own accord. Moreover, the opponent was a low-ranking civil servant, not a knight, which made it even more difficult for her to retreat.

"I'm fine! You should step back!!"

"No, it is unacceptable for a lady to be harmed!!"

Neither would back down. They probably thought the other was being stubborn, but they did not realize it.

However, as a man, Leonhardt was stronger, and Diana inevitably ended up being protected. Despite the danger to her life, she felt her heart race at his dependable nature, willing to shield her.

Diana, who had never received a proper escort from her fiancé, who lacked any semblance of chivalry, was inexperienced. It was an indecent matter, but as the future Crown Princess, Diana, who had few opportunities to interact with men, had become infatuated with the strong and manly Leonhardt in an inappropriate setting.

No one noticed the turmoil in Diana's heart, and the stalemate continued.

"―What is all this commotion!"

The situation changed with the arrival of a certain person.

"Father!!"

"Duke Mornet"

Diana's father, Duke Mornet, who was said to be the king's closest confidant, appeared with a group of civil servants and knights in a solemn manner.

"Duke... Duke..."

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince. Could you please explain what this commotion is about?"

The Crown Prince, who had been speaking arrogantly, relying on his status, was one of the few people whose authority did not work on Duke Mornet. If the king were to make a wrong decision, the duke would not hesitate to offer stern advice. That was the kind of person he was.

"I was deceived by this vixen!! Deceived, and... to Diana..."

"The Crown Prince said he would marry this young lady and break the engagement."

Diana, who was not as kind-hearted as to allow him to say the decisive word "engagement break," said it herself. The duke, frowning in irritation,

"I have heard that you have not been fond of my daughter. Yes, let's proceed with the annulment. However, as a result, the legitimate heir to the Mornet dukedom will be Diana, so unfortunately, the adoption of Lord Mars, the nephew of Her Majesty the Queen, will no longer take place..."

He presented the consequences of breaking the engagement.

If Diana, the only daughter of the Mornet dukedom, were to become the Crown Princess, a successor to the dukedom would be necessary. The plan was to have the duke's niece marry a relative of the queen to continue the line, but with the engagement broken, Diana would become the successor. The Crown Prince, who was the queen's adopted son, born to a baron's family, would surely be hated by his stepmother after this.

Everyone present realized that the Crown Prince's future would not be bright if he were to be hated by the queen and the Mornet dukedom were to distance itself. The Crown Prince, like Catherine, collapsed to the floor.

The duke snorted and then turned to Diana and Leonhardt.

"However, Leonhardt, what is this resignation letter?"

"I apologize for the suddenness."

It seemed that the duke had not come to investigate the commotion but to look for Leonhardt. One might want to ask if he didn't care about his heartbroken daughter who had just had her engagement broken, but it was understandable that someone who had talked about giving up his title took precedence.

"Are you really going to quit? Everyone, including myself, values your work."

"Your kind words are much appreciated, but..."

In response to the question, Leonhardt weakly shook his head. At the point of submitting his resignation, it might have been possible to retain him if he had been persuaded to stay. However, after involving so many people and causing the Crown Prince to break the engagement, he could no longer tolerate the Meteor baron's family.

Leonhardt probably did not expect such a commotion. He must have believed that his real sister was a more reasonable girl and that the Crown Prince was more rational. Some third parties might laugh at his foolishness, thinking he had misjudged, but normally, the highest-ranking person, the Crown Prince, should have been guided to discuss the matter in private.

"The Meteor baron's family has caused trouble for the Mornet dukedom and many others. If I were to remain without any punishment, it would leave a grudge."

"But...!"

The Meteor baron's family intended to renounce their title before facing formal punishment. If he had consulted with Duke Mornet in advance, he might have smoothed things over, but given his inflexible nature, Diana did not think he would have agreed to such a deal.