As the Villainess Who Was Dumped, I Am Saved by My Childhood Friend from a Noble Family and Spoiled in the Frontier - Chapter 21

“You utter fool!!!!”

The Emperor’s—my father’s—shout echoed through the throne room.

This was the first time our normally gentle Emperor had ever raised his voice so loudly.

That’s how badly I’d messed up this time.

“That bride candidate was your own choice! You picked her yourself, without consulting me, the ministers, or anyone else just following your own selfish whims. Why? Why?! That girl has absolutely no awareness of what it means to be a future Empress!”

Damn it, how did it come to this…

“My deepest apologies.”

“True, you are the man who will one day lead this empire. Once you become Emperor, there will be times when you’re lonely and can’t rely on anyone. In those moments, it’s the Empress who supports you and helps steer the nation in the right direction. I thought I’d respect your wishes, at least when it came to choosing your Empress. Besides, Nina was too perfect. That’s precisely why I instructed everyone to take their time and thoroughly educate Mary.”

The Emperor values trust above all.

His decision to betroth me to Nina, the daughter of his most trusted duke, was largely due to Father’s personality.

“Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. A nation is built on trust alone,” he always warned me, over and over.

Trust.

That is the most crucial element binding a country and its people.

And the most essential quality for the Emperor’s successor.

I, who am supposed to be that successor, have betrayed the Emperor’s trust. That is what Father despises most.

“I overlooked your handling of the last diplomatic envoy, chalking it up to insufficient preparation. But this court event, you had ample time to prepare, didn’t you? Yet, how could your new fiancée participate with barely any grasp of etiquette, and to top it off, sulk and storm out? It’s utterly inexcusable!”

This event was one of the most important court ceremonies. Praying for the safety of the spring planting and beseeching the gods for a bountiful harvest. It was also meant to be the debut of my new fiancée, something that should have been significant for us.

Mary’s role wasn’t even that extensive. Despite that, she failed spectacularly, drew icy stares from everyone, and fled.

“What in the world have you two been doing this past month?! Even her tutors reported that Mary hardly attended lessons seriously and was always slacking off. Isn’t this due to your negligence in supervising her?”

“……”

I had no response to that.

To be honest, I’ve been avoiding Mary. All she ever did was pester me to play or demand things. That’s why I never imagined her preparation would be so lacking.

I was drawn to her free-spirited nature and kindness, but…

Was I just seeing greener grass on the other side? The doubt gnaws at me.

But Nina had her problems too.

If she hadn’t bullied Mary, I wouldn’t have had to do any of this.

It’s all Nina’s fault.

I desperately cling to that belief.