I Don’t Need Them Anymore — Abandoning the Family That Never Loved Me, I Find Happiness in a Neighboring Kingdom - Chapter 7

Since the letter was addressed to Father, I couldn’t possibly read its contents without permission. When I asked the maid waiting outside the drawing room to deliver the letter, Nana smiled and urged me to sit.

“Would you like to sit while you wait? I’ll prepare some tea.”

“…Thank you. Oh, um, Lady Edith, please have a seat too.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that offer.”

As I sat down opposite Lady Edith, Nana brewed tea for us.

The gentle, wafting aroma was that of the tea I drink when I want to calm my mind, so I felt grateful for Nana’s consideration.

“It seems you’ve at least tentatively accepted that I’m Edith, so before we leave here, there’s something I’d like to discuss. May I speak now?”

“What is it about?”

When I agreed, perhaps because it was a complicated matter, Lady Edith ordered the soldiers to leave the drawing room.

Once only Lady Edith, myself, and Nana standing behind me remained, he gave a wry smile and asked,

“Do you really dislike the idea of marrying me that much?”

“N-no! Absolutely not! Why would you say such a thing?”

“You tried to drink poison, didn’t you?”

I realized Lady Edith was referring to the contents of the envelope Nana had brought.

“Th-that was because my former fiancé demanded my death.”

“You were going to die for your former fiancé?”

“Well…”

“If Nana hadn’t been there, you might have drunk the poison. Even though marrying me could bring you relief, you chose death. Isn’t that because you dislike me?”

Even in such a situation, Lady Edith’s face was so perfectly sculpted that being stared at made my heart race.

The reason he never appeared in public wasn’t because he was ugly, but because he was too beautiful.

Perhaps because I didn’t answer, Lady Edith spoke in a stern tone.

“If you really couldn’t stand it, you could have run away.”

Hearing those words, I felt a dark emotion swirling in my heart.

Unable to contain my feelings, I spoke rapidly in protest.

“Isn’t choosing death a form of running away? I’ve been through such painful experiences that I wanted to die!”

“Choosing death means you were driven to that point, so I don’t consider it running away. But I don’t think it’s okay to die. There are things I want you to do before dying. Instead of choosing death, run away from the unpleasant place.”

Run away from the unpleasant place.

…Even so, in my case, what inevitably awaits isn’t just death.

“There’s no way I could run away from here and survive on my own! Even if I did that, I’d just die soon anyway! In that case, I wanted to find relief as soon as possible.”

Even though I’d resolved not to cry in front of others, tears overflowed.

I wanted to be loved. I wanted to be needed. But to most people, I was just an eyesore, an insignificant existence.

I’d foolishly thought that if I ended my life, maybe someone would understand my suffering a little and feel regret.

“My apologies for not explaining properly. You’re not alone, are you?”

“…Huh?”

“Wasn’t Nana your salvation?”

When asked, I looked at Nana and saw she had a very sad expression.

I see.

I wasn’t alone.

If I died, there were people who would grieve.

“I’ll ask you again.”

“…What is it?”

Not wanting him to see my tear-streaked face, I turned away, but Lady Edith made me face him. When our eyes met, he repeated the same question.

“Do you really dislike the idea of marrying me that much?”

“…No.”

“Then let’s get married.”

Lady Edith extended his hand to me and continued.

“I swear I’ll make you happy.”

Words come easily. Loin had also promised to protect me, but in the end, he cast me aside.

“How can you say that!? I’m just my sister’s substitute! Would you really take someone like that as your wife? I’m disliked by many people! How could you possibly make someone like me happy!”

“Many people means not everyone in this world, right? At the very least, I swear I’ll be your ally for life.”

Lies. It has to be lies that you’d be my ally instead of my sister’s.

“My sister is superior in both appearance and personality! It’s my sister who’s loved by everyone!”

“I’m talking about Dahlia. I don’t care about your sister.”

“…I was told to marry Lady Edith as my sister’s substitute.”

If I say any more, I’ll definitely be disliked. No, having said this much, the outcome is already the same. After Lady Edith breaks off the engagement, I’ll just be thrown out of the castle. My fate to die is already sealed.

As for Nana and the others I was worried about, since Nana has connections with Lady Edith, she and the other maids will probably be protected.

In that case, I decided to spill everything.

“My mother told me I was born for my sister’s sake. If I can’t serve as my sister’s substitute, I have no value in living.”

“Then why not decide to live for me from now on?”

Before I could ask what he meant, Lady Edith continued with a smile.

“I think since it’s your life, you should live for yourself, but do you need a reason like living for someone else to go on? In that case, instead of living for your self-centered sister, live for me, who’s going to be your husband.”

“…Lady Edith, that’s absurd.”

Nana sighed and spoke to me in a gentle tone.

“Lady Dahlia, would you listen to what I have to say?”

“…Of course.”

“Thank you. Speaking from my heart, no matter how much she’s loved by the people, forcing what she dislikes onto her younger sister is unacceptable behavior.”

“Could you stop calling me ‘what she dislikes’?”

Lady Edith protested to Nana with a sidelong glance, but she continued speaking without concern.

“I don’t think Lady Dahlia is inferior to Lady Ramula in any way. Furthermore, no matter what Her Majesty the Queen says to you, Lady Dahlia, you don’t need to be hurt by it. Even if they’re family, compatibility varies, and some people cut ties. I truly hope Lady Dahlia will marry into Lady Edith’s household and live authentically as yourself to find happiness.”

“…But I’m my sister’s substitute?”

“You’re persistent. You’re not anyone’s substitute. You are you.”

Interrupting my conversation with Nana, Lady Edith made a distorted expression on his perfect face.

‘You are you.’

Even though they were obvious words, my eyes grew hot and my nose tingled. Noticing my state, Lady Edith stood up, sat beside me, and touched my cheek.

“I’ll make sure you come to see yourself as the happiest wife in the world. So please don’t think about wanting to die.”

“…Is m-me… really okay?”

The tears I’d been holding back streamed down my cheeks, and my voice trembled.

“You’re fine. …Saying ‘you’ might be unclear. I want Dahlia.”

“Why do you value me so much?”

“I’ve heard various things from Nana. Also, a certain person recommended you over Princess Ramula. When I met you, you were more self-deprecating than I expected, but somehow… I find you endearing.”

Lady Edith smiled warmly and gave instructions to Nana.

“Let’s draw up a new contract for taking Dahlia as my bride. Include favorable terms that will allow Dahlia to be happy.”

“That’s fine, but what if the Kingdom of Yusers refuses?”

“In that case, let’s see. Like the prince in the stories, I’ll try to carry off my beloved princess from the castle, so would you come with me?”

Lady Edith wasn’t looking at Nana but at me when he said this.

All my hesitation gone, I nodded firmly.

“If I’m in the position of the beloved princess, of course!”

“Good.”

Lady Edith took a white handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped my wet cheeks.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it might be Father, I braced myself, but it was my brother who entered.

I was supposed to ask Nana to call for my brother, but I’d completely forgotten. Still, this worked out perfectly.

“My apologies for interrupting. Sister wants to talk.”

My brother stopped mid-sentence, pushed up his glasses, and stared intently at Lady Edith.

Then, flustered, he closed the door and approached Lady Edith to speak.

“Why is Your Highness Edith here?!”

This was the first time I’d seen my always-calm brother so flustered. Distracted by that, it took me a little while to realize that my brother knew Lady Edith.