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

When I returned to my room after talking with my family, my maid, Maria, was waiting, likely giving instructions to the other servants.

“You were the daughter of a baron in this country, right?”

Maria is an older maid who has taken care of me since I was a child. I’ve always thought of her as my older sister. So, although I want her to follow me, it wouldn’t be strange if she already had a good match. Would she be able to follow me to my new location?

“Hey, Maria. You heard about our relocation, right?”

“Yes, I heard it from the head maid. We have been instructed to keep it confidential, so we have not leaked it to anyone.”

“I trust you with that. So, what are you planning to do? Will you stay in this country? Your family is from a baronial family here, so I’d expect you to have marriage proposals…”

Maria shook her head as soon as I said that.

“My father said that I was inferior in appearance to my other sisters, so he did not offer me a proper marriage proposal. The only thing left is a financial arrangement with a merchant family…”

“Was it so…”

I didn’t know about this, and I regretted not being able to proactively arrange a marriage for her in our household.

In fact, Maria is so good-looking that it’s hard to understand why anyone would say she’s “inferior in appearance.” She is what you would call a cool beauty.

Her black hair and eyes may not be flashy, but her skin is as white and clear as porcelain, and her almond-shaped, slightly raised eyes exude intelligence. It tells a story of its own.

The more I looked at her, the more I couldn’t understand why she was still unmarried, even though she was supposed to be in her twenties.

“If you don’t mind, please take me with you as your companion, Anneliese, when you move.”

“No matter how accomplished my father is, we won’t have a high peerage rank initially. If that happens, the balance between your peerage and your family’s might be disrupted…”

“Miss, don’t say any more.”

Maria stopped my lips with her index finger.

“I said I would follow you anywhere. That’s all.”

I took both of Maria’s hands and squeezed them tightly, overcome with emotion.

“Thank you, Maria. Please stay with me at my new place. And once we’re settled, I’ll think about your marriage properly.”

“Well, that’s okay… I’ll think about it after finding a nice gentleman for you first.”

We smiled and held hands.

“Ah, that’s right. Miss, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you…”

“What is it?”

“What should we do with the gifts from His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Ah, those…”

I sighed unconsciously at the thought.

Until a year before Sarasa appeared, the Crown Prince and I had a good relationship, typical of betrothed couples. I had accumulated quite a lot of gifts from him, such as birthday presents, dresses, and jewelry for parties with the Crown Prince.

When we were engaged, my heart would jump every time I saw those items.

To be honest, the breakup of our engagement really hurt because we had spent so many years together. However, knowing I have a warm family and Maria by my side has healed the wounds in my heart.

I now feel strong enough to take a firm stance against the Crown Prince.

“I don’t need anything he gave me! I want to send it all back…”

“If we do that, won’t people suspect that we’re preparing to move?”

“Hmm. They did announce my banishment, but not the entire family’s. With Her Majesty away, it’s just her new fiancée and the Crown Prince, who is distracted, so it should be fine…”

When I said “distracted,” Maria burst into laughter.

“Then, let’s send it back. You can include a letter, right?”

“Yes, of course! I’ll include a harsh letter saying, ‘I don’t need this!’”

“Ah, there’s something incredible!”

I pulled out a matching necklace and earrings made entirely of diamonds from the hidden compartment in my jewelry cupboard. They shone brilliantly in the room’s light.

“Well! What a wonderful set. Did you just find this?”

Maria tilted her head.

“This was not given by the Crown Prince, but to the future Crown Princess, directly from Her Majesty the Queen. It’s a masterpiece acquired at an opportune time.”

“…Certainly, it’s too significant compared to the Crown Prince’s gifts.”

“That’s right. So, please forgive me for keeping it a secret.”

“No problem.”

Maria wrapped her arms around me and smiled kindly.

With Maria’s help, I organized my belongings: what to take to my new place, what to leave behind, and what to return to the Crown Prince.

Of course, I was careful to return the nearly fetishized diamond set to Her Majesty the Queen!