Abandoned talented woman decides to live a leisurely life with her family

“Mr. Anneliese”

As I pondered this, a gentle voice and the sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention, and a pure white handkerchief was tenderly offered to me. I glanced down, then suddenly looked up.

“…Elias, Your Highness?”

Before me stood His Royal Highness the Third Prince, Elias, the younger brother of Crown Prince Cain. He was a junior at this school and two years my junior.

Apart from Crown Prince Cain, the Baumgarden royal family included His Royal Highness the Second Prince Karl, and His Royal Highness the Third Prince Elias, who stood before me. By the way, His Royal Highness the Second Prince Karl and the Third Prince Elias were twin brothers.

Returning to the story, after meeting His Highness Elias’s gaze, I glanced at the pure white handkerchief he presented to me.

“Your Highness Elias, why…”

Before I could question why he was here, the handkerchief was gently pressed to my lips. My once clean white handkerchief now bore the stains of my tears.

“Women shouldn’t bite their lips so tightly or make fists. It would be bad if they cut their lips or dug their nails into the palms of their hands and scratched the skin,” he said softly. “Shall I hide those tears in my handkerchief?”

His concern brought me relief amidst the distant treatment from others. Tears welled up in my eyes once more.

“Look, it’s not suitable here. Let’s move,” he suggested, offering his back as a shield.

──Was his back always this broad when he was 16?

We hadn’t interacted much. By the time I entered the school, I was already engaged to Crown Prince Cain, so I kept my distance from other men. I only recalled hearing His Highness Prince Elias’s speech as a student representative during his entrance ceremony. At that time, he still bore the features of a child.

Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a voice rising above the crowd’s murmurs. A gap formed in the surrounding crowd.

As I saw the figure emerging from the room, my guard dropped, and tears finally streamed down my cheeks.

“Anne!”

Anne, my nickname, known only to my family.

“…Father!”

My greatest ally arrived, and the hardened expression on my face softened.

My father came to my side. Then, His Highness Elias stepped aside as my father gently embraced me.

“Dad, were you at work…?”

“I asked His Highness Elias for the details and hurried here. Your safety is my priority, Anne. As your father, it’s only natural for me to rush to your side. You must be too shaken to make a decision. Let’s leave this place and go home, alright?”

“Is that okay?”

I turned to my father, curious. He tilted his head in response.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been instructed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to terminate our engagement. However, our engagement was personally arranged by Her Majesty the Queen. While I don’t believe the engagement will truly end when it’s broken off, it might cause complications if you intervene to protect me.”

As I explained, my father shook his head.

“Don’t worry. Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness aren’t present. I doubt Her Majesty even knows about this situation yet. Besides, we can’t do much about it at the moment. Let’s head home and gather our thoughts before considering the future.

I nodded obediently at my father’s words.

Relief washed over me. I instinctively reached out to my father, just like I did when I was a child. He supported me with both hands and helped me stand up, enveloping me in a gentle hug.

My father’s embrace was comforting. His presence, one of the most dependable, brought me peace amidst turmoil. Glancing at His Highness Elias, who had been silently observing, and the tear-stained handkerchief he had lent me, I spoke up.

“Your Highness, about this handkerchief…”

Though I always saw him as a child, his calm and compassionate demeanor now, though still bearing a hint of innocence, reassured me.

“Don’t worry about it. You can dispose of it. I’ll inform my mother to prevent any rash decisions based on my brother’s whims. You can rest assured,” he assured me with a smile.

──This is your plea to those who impregnate another lady before marriage…

Though I thought it to myself, I refrained from speaking aloud.

“Still, the timing was impeccable.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father, the prime minister, was here at the graduation ceremony to assess potential civil servants.”

His Highness Elias exchanged glances with his father.

Upon hearing this, whispers spread through the crowd. Surely, these were sons hoping for civil service positions.

“I can’t say this situation was ideal, but perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. I contacted you immediately after the commotion began. You came to my aid. After all, your father is the more reliable choice, isn’t he?”

Did I detect a hint of sorrow in his final words? Though Elias-sama is kind, if I were to judge his reliability, I’d say…

Nonetheless, nestled in my father’s arms, my closest confidant, I felt relieved yet weary. I leaned against my father’s shoulder and closed my eyes.

“Damn…”

Prince Elias clenched his teeth in anguish, looking downward, but his reasons remained unknown to me. I, an upperclassman and daughter of a noble family, happened to be his brother’s betrothed.

Despite my confusion, my father decided to extend only the basic courtesies to the royal family and depart. Supported by my father, all I could do was bow my head, shielded from prying eyes by his imposing presence.