I Will Break Off the Engagement Because I'm Jealous - The Untalented Villainess Who Rejected the Prince Searches for a Safe Haven with the Cheat Heroine - Chapter 1.4

Summoned by the prince and informed of their engagement’s annulment, Emilia continued her accusations. Driven by an uncontrollable “festering” within her, and to escape from it.

To sever the ties of the love she had believed in.

“I heard you had Iris work for three days straight, staying up all night, to draft that manuscript for a mere four silver coins? Considering the response it received, the compensation should have been at least three digits higher.”

“W-well, if I had been the one to announce it! Its value would have been recognized for sure! What worth do the words of a woman from a baron’s family hold!?”

As Emilia spoke provocatively, Sieg, who had already lost his composure, shouted in a manner that was almost amusing. The unrest in the hall grew. Many looked at the prince with disbelief in their eyes.

“Oh? The girl they call the ‘Maiden of Acclaim’ receives invitations from research institutions abroad. If it had been known as Iris’s work, the audience would have been dozens of times larger.”

“So what!? I am the prince!”

(So that is your true heart. That position alone is your foundation.)

A sharp, twisting pain throbbed deep in her chest.

The talented heroine, his entourage, the servants and soldiers—the title of “Prince” that made so many people bow before him. Her heart ached terribly.

“And with that attitude, I hear you had others yield their credit for subjugating monsters to you?”

Sieg glanced shiftily at the young lords flanking him. Those he looked at shook their heads. Emilia found it so absurd she couldn’t help but let out a soft, choked laugh.

“I didn’t hear it from them. It seems there are others who hold grievances. Many others, in fact, dating back to your childhood.”

The prince swallowed hard. It seemed he had no rebuttal. In contrast, Emilia spun her words of accusation with eloquence.

“They say you had substitutes take the confirmation exams for the prince’s education, multiple times. I heard you even threatened the instructors. And what about the exams here at the academy?”

Intense stares gathered on him, and the murmuring grew louder. It was originally a trivial matter… but at the academy, it was a serious problem. There were students who had “exchanged” exam results with him. One of his entourage averted his eyes.

“Th-this…!”

Emilia touched the brooch at her chest and smiled. She stared fixedly into the prince’s wandering blue eyes.

“‘Tear of the Wyvern.’ Literally, the crystallized tear of a Wyvern, a monster second only to dragons in power. They shed these when laying eggs, but normally the hatchlings consume them, so they rarely see the light of day. There’s a legend that a brave man would gift this to a woman as a token of his affection. But as a result of you sending people to acquire this.”

Remembering the testimony she had heard, Emilia’s expression turned grave.

“…I heard there were injuries, even deaths, and in the end, a whole village was destroyed by the Wyvern’s retaliation. And recently, you had them obtain another one, causing significant losses to the knight order, didn’t you?”

“I-I know nothing of that!”

“Now you do. What are your thoughts?”

The grand hall fell silent, utterly still.

Everyone waited for the prince’s response.

He…

“If they served my purpose, then they must have found peace in that!”

His eyes darting, breathing heavily, he spat out the words.

“I see. So, obtaining the ‘Tear of the Wyvern’ served your purpose. It helped you ensnare the daughter of the Persicam ducal house, whose movement for independence was gaining momentum. Is that it?”

“I-I just wanted to give it to you, the one I loved!”

Even as he said this, Sieg’s eyes weren’t looking at Emilia. She felt her memories shatter with an audible crack and understood that the festering inside her was growing larger, stronger.

“You needn’t play the fool. Those of us receiving consort education are forbidden from making advances… basically, during our training, we cannot associate with members of the royal family or the sons of nobles. Lord Sieg, who shouldn’t have even known of my existence, when exactly did you come to love me?”

“Th-that is…”

(If only he’d say something plausible like he saw me earlier…)

Unable to refute her, Prince Sieg was met with scornful gazes, while Emilia received looks of sympathy and curiosity from throughout the hall.

Being watched made the “festering” deep inside her body swell.

“You gave the same thing to Iris as well. Was it to possess the ‘Maiden of Acclaim’…? Ah, but. If what you say is true…”

Pushed on by the “festering,” Emilia forced out her words.

“You loved her. Over me, your fiancée. That’s what you’re saying, correct?”

Watching the prince shake his head, Emilia steadied her breath for her final declaration.

(What arrogance. In the end, this person never had any love. Those around him are merely pawns for his own convenience. Me, of course and even that brilliant protagonist of this world! I won’t forgive this.)

Because he was the prince. Sieg had been forgiven.

Even if people died. Even if he repeatedly committed wrongs.

Even if he forced hardship and suffering onto others.

Even if he toyed with Emilia’s heart.

Because he was the prince.

——He was forgiven, without having to make any effort at all.

She hated that.

She loathed it.

“I will annul the engagement. Because I am jealous.”

She was unbearably jealous.

The “festering” that Emilia named “Jealousy” spread to every corner of her body. It crawled beneath her skin, making her want to claw at her entire body. The itchy, irritating sensation made her breathing slightly ragged, her heart pound loudly, her eyes bloodshot.

“You are jealous of me!? It’s true I am a man overflowing with talent, worthy of being king! So, you were jealous of me and spouted all those earlier lies!? Emilia!”

Looking at him shouting so foolishly.

A smile stuck to her face.

“It’s true I was jealous. But they weren’t lies, and I don’t care about your talent.”

“Wha—!?”

Emilia spread her arms wide and arched her back. Lifting her face, her eyes looked up at the chandelier. Those flickering little lights, looking like they might fall at any moment were dazzling and irritating.

Content with their high position, merely being up high, shining down on those below, looking down on them.

They weren’t even necessary as light. They didn’t warm the room. They were flashy, gaudy, and painful to the eyes. Annoying, annoying, annoying———.

Emilia lowered her gaze and looked at Sieg.

“Just because you’re the prince! You order people around with a flick of your chin! Sometimes you even drive them to their deaths! You trampled on the efforts of me and Iris! Content with your position, making no effort of your own, that laziness of yours!”

Failing to fulfill his duties, even resorting to corruption—he was.

No longer someone dear to her.

Just like an ornament.

” I a m j e a l o u s ! ”

He was in the way.

“What is all this commotion…!?”

A young lady in a dress entered from the inner door and cried out. The prince flinched, trembling, and looked at her with a pale face.

(So soon… Why?)

Gliding over to Emilia’s side was.

The Baron’s daughter——the heroine, Iris.

“I thought your dress fitting would take more time, but you’re early, Iris.”

Wiping the mad smile from her face, Emilia greeted her calmly. The hall, with her appearance, regained its buzz of murmurs.

“I sewed and fitted it myself. More importantly, Lady Emilia, I heard that because you bullied me, your engagement is being annulled.”

In response to Iris, who furrowed her brows with worry, Emilia nodded slowly.

“That is true.”

“What!? That’s completely unfounded!”

“Wh-what?”

At their exchange, the prince let out a foolish sound. Emilia looked at him with annoyance, let out a short sigh, and spun her words.

“I gave Iris new textbooks and a dress as gifts, and took back the old ones to dispose of… that’s all. Your friends seem to have quite the imagination. I wonder what kind of report they gave you after seeing me?”

“You hired Miss Iris and made her do menial labor, didn’t you!?”

“And many witnessed you scolding her!”

(My, what splendid friends you have. To think you’d be fooled by that level.)

Feeling encouraged by the entourage’s rebuttals, Emilia smiled sweetly.

“Knowing her family was in difficult circumstances, I accepted her offer to work and paid her a wage. During that work, if she were to ruin decorations or dresses, of course I would scold her. That is the employer’s responsibility.”

The young lords stared wide-eyed and fell silent. From their hands, worn-out books and a dress slipped and fell to the floor.

(…I scolded her deliberately where others could see, and disposed of the dresses and books discreetly. It’s true that I used people to spread the rumor that I was bullying Iris. But after over a month of setting this up, I’m glad they took the bait so well.)

“Why didn’t you tell me that it was a misunderstanding?”

Squeezing out the words, Sieg pleaded. To him, on the verge of tears, Emilia…

“Why didn’t you first ask me… if it was true?”

…formed a smile and responded.

“Just like when you tried to bind me with the ‘Tear of the Wyvern.’ You thought it was a chance to possess the ‘Maiden of Acclaim,’ didn’t you? Did you plan to annul our engagement, put a stain on my name, and acquire both Iris and me? Or perhaps you intended to hand her off to one of your friends…? I suppose after the positive reaction to the recent announcement, you judged that Iris could be useful.”

“Me!? That’s too much! Your Highness…!”

Even Iris began to accuse him. The entourage stumbled backward, landing on their backsides, while Prince Sieg himself looked like he might foam at the mouth.

And then he…

“W-wait! I take it back! The annulment!”

…made a foolish plea.

“By the time you first blurted it out, the servants had already run off. By now, His Majesty the King has likely been informed. There’s no taking it back.”

“Then! At least be my concubine! That’s it, I’ll take Iris as my official wife! You could become the prince’s consort! You’d be happy too, wouldn’t you!?”

(You think that would make it alright!?)

Receiving Sieg’s incoherent reply, the “festering” boiled up once more from deep within Emilia’s chest.

“I acquire the things I want by my own efforts. So, no thank you.”

“Iris!? Emilia! You’re jealous of me, aren’t you!? If you become my consort, even you——”

“Stop it. It’s making me sick.”

From the prince trying to approach her.

From the prince who should have been her beloved.

Emilia instinctively stepped back.

“Just because I’m jealous doesn’t mean I want to become the same. Rather, it’s precisely because I could never become like that… that hatred also wells up.”

“Ha-hatred!? That’s not it! You, towards me——!”

The thought of him continuing to speak was abhorrent. Emilia glared at Sieg. To the cowering prince, she hurled her words.

“I will never love you again. Let’s go, Iris.”

“Yes.”

The two turned on their heels and began to walk away.

Ignoring the prince’s cries begging them to stay.