Chapter 9

"The Crown Prince might draw his sword... Please, calm him down!"

Cecilia looked at the maid, who raised her voice in distress, with a cold gaze.

Cecilia had some doubts about the maid's attitude, who immediately came to her for help.

Was it really appropriate to have Cecilia try to calm Logan down?

If Cecilia were loved by her parents and they would listen to her words, it might make sense.

But that wasn't the case. Even before her memories from her previous life returned, similar situations had occurred multiple times, and each time, Cecilia was harshly scolded.

She felt like she was being used as a scapegoat to deflect blame.

"…Please lead the way."

However, the desire to confirm the content of the engagement annulment, which was not a peaceful matter, overcame her.

When Cecilia nodded, the maid, looking relieved, began to guide her.

Their destination was the palace where the Second Prince resided.

For Logan to be angry about the annulment of his daughter's engagement, did it mean he had even a little affection for her? Cecilia, though it was about herself, thought about it as if it were someone else's matter.

Adeline's father must have been angry about the annulment of his daughter's engagement.

But Adeline had passed away without being able to confirm that.

Thinking that Logan was one of the culprits, Cecilia felt frustrated that she had messed up her own engagement and had no right to be angry.

"Stop talking nonsense about an engagement being decided! What about Cecilia? An engagement annulment is unacceptable!"

In the palace, Logan's shouts echoed down the corridor.

Cecilia, feeling exasperated at his audacity, approached the room where the shouting was coming from.

"What are you talking about, brother? Gilbert and Cecilia are not engaged."

A calm voice interrupted, and Cecilia stopped in front of the door.

It was the voice of the Second Prince, James.

The words she heard were unacceptable. What did he mean by "not engaged"?

"Didn't you say before that you would have Gilbert marry Cecilia in the future!?"

"That was just a possibility. Besides, even if you said it, it doesn't mean there was a formal engagement, so it has no effect."

Cecilia felt a headache coming on as she listened to the conversation between Logan and James.

It seemed that the engagement was just Logan's delusion.

A formal engagement required a written agreement. The fact that he thought it was established without one was troubling.

"But still...!"

"Moreover, to say that an engagement annulment is unacceptable is quite a statement. Have you forgotten the poor young lady who took her own life?"

James's cold voice cut off Logan's attempt to argue.

Cecilia, feeling a tightening in her clenched hands, waited for the conversation to continue.

It was undoubtedly about Adeline.

"No... but she was in league with the enemy..."

"Firstly, the neighboring country of Lovary is not an enemy but an ally. Moreover, there was no evidence that the young lady was in league with the neighboring country. You and your brother are just saying that. Besides, whether she took her own life is also questionable..."

"What... Are you saying I killed her!?"

"I'm not saying that. However, if the previous Duke of Roseblade hadn't met such a fate, a thorough investigation might have been conducted. In that case, whether you would still be the Crown Prince is uncertain... Perhaps your only royal quality is your bad luck."

James seemed to be in control of the situation, and Logan looked flustered.

Moreover, James was openly mocking Logan, showing no effort to hide his contempt.

It seemed that James also knew the truth about Adeline but had no intention of correcting it. Probably, there was no advantage for him in doing so. While it was frustrating, she understood the need to avoid getting too involved.

Furthermore, something had happened to Adeline's father at the time. If Adeline's father had been alive, her wrongful accusation might have been cleared.

But that didn't happen. The thought that Logan might have harmed Adeline's father crossed Cecilia's mind.

"Let's get back to the topic. Gilbert will likely succeed to the throne in the future. He has been matched with a young lady from the Morales Marquess family, who will be a suitable queen. She will be a good support for Gilbert."

"J-Just a marquess's daughter. Cecilia is a princess."

"Yes, a princess with no support, that is."

James's cold remark left Logan speechless.

"Your queen is from a mere baron's family. My queen is from the prestigious Howard Marquess family, and my son will be connected to the Morales Marquess family... Which noble will support whom, I wonder?"

"What... Are you aiming for the throne!?"

"No, no, the future king will be Gilbert. Just that the timing might be sooner."

The current view is that Logan will be the next king, followed by Gilbert.

But James was suggesting that Gilbert would become king, bypassing Logan.

Logan's hesitation in responding indicated that he was aware of his lack of support.

"Such... Such a thing... That's it! Make Gilbert my adopted son! That way, the order won't be disrupted. It's the right way for the throne to pass from father to son, and then to the next generation. Gilbert was supposed to be my son-in-law, so this is just correcting the natural flow."

"That's not acceptable. I refuse."

Logan's desperate suggestion was naturally rejected.

Cecilia, who had been listening, now understood why Logan was so angry about the annulment of her engagement.

He was afraid that if Gilbert slipped out of his control, his own position as king would be jeopardized. It was never about Cecilia.

"Well, that's all. Please leave. ...If you had married the daughter of the Duke of Roseblade, you wouldn't have such worries."

"Damn... Remember this!"

Logan spat out a threat and stormed out of the room.

He then encountered Cecilia, who was standing by the door.

Logan looked surprised for a moment but quickly glared at her.

"If only you were a boy, you wouldn't have to endure such humiliation! You useless girl!"

As expected, Logan vented his frustration on Cecilia.

"Helena is also detestable...! It's her fault that she couldn't give birth to a prince! If there weren't such ridiculous restrictions on divorce and remarriage, I could have..."

"Enough."

Cecilia interrupted Logan with a cold voice.

Logan, taken aback, retracted his words and stared at Cecilia. He seemed surprised that Cecilia, who had always been quiet and never talked back, had spoken up.

"You..."

"Be mindful of your surroundings. You never know who might be listening. Refrain from careless remarks."

Cecilia firmly advised him, and Logan's eyes darted around, unsure whether to yell and scold her. In the end, he remained silent, stomping past Cecilia without a word.

Watching his retreating back, Cecilia felt more emptiness than anger in her heart.