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 4.8

It was a hasty departure without any farewells.

Since carriages were conspicuous and time-consuming, Emilia and Iris went directly from the mansion to the capital’s main gate on horseback. There, they quickly retrieved the spirit vehicle they had left in storage and boarded it.

After loading their luggage and getting in, they emerged before the main gate.

The two looked back just once.

“We’ll come again.”

“Next time, I’ll guide you slowly.”

The two leaned deeply into their seats and smiled at each other. The vehicle slowly began to glide down the slope. Considering the possibility of encountering Sieg coming up from the southern mountain road toward the royal capital, they took the northern route. They descended the gently curving mountain road at a considerable speed.

“At this speed, even horses shouldn’t be able to catch up. Even if it’s his spirit-possessed horse.”

“That’s right. Can we relax, I wonder…? Once we leave the duchy, the empire is just a stone’s throw away. Should we be worried about that instead?”

After all, making a horse run at high speed downhill is dangerous. Even if it’s possessed by a spirit, it’s the same. As someone skilled at horseback riding, Emilia felt a bit optimistic the moment they managed to depart without encountering Sieg. Rather, for Emilia, this was her first visit to a foreign country. That was what was on her mind, and her face stiffened slightly from tension.

“The imperial capital is quite close from the border with the kingdom, so I don’t think we’ll have much trouble. The border is just monitored; there are no checkpoints.”

“Is that so…? Is that okay? How does that work for the country?”

“They say they allocate personnel to monsters rather than humans because monsters are scarier. Intel from Mom.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

Iris’s mother, Rekka, is the leader of a great adventurer group that crosses national borders. Since it was her daughter saying it, Emilia listened obediently and felt reassured. The spirit vehicle, with almost no sound and no shaking, was comfortable… Even though she had slept plenty, perhaps because she felt settled, she started to feel a bit sleepy.

(Now that I think of it wasn’t Big Brother suffering from insomnia? Baron Moss, who called himself a sleep therapist… Lord Kismort seems to be in severe shock, though. I wonder if he’ll do his job. Ah. Speaking of Kismort…)

Emilia raised her face and stared intently at Iris beside her.

“Iris. Do you like Lord Kismort?”

“Bffft!”

Iris, who had just taken a drink from a bottle, sprayed it out spectacularly.

“Hey, are you okay? Iris”

Emilia took out a handkerchief and quickly began wiping. Iris put down the bottle, coughing quite a bit.

“Why would you ask that? Why would you ask that!?”

She seemed to have been scolded. Feeling it was somewhat unreasonable, Emilia pouted.

“If you were that friendly, I’d think so. What about it?”

“There’s nothing to it, it’s impossible. That person, even though his wife ran away, he’s still married because they haven’t divorced yet, right?”

(That makes that baron even more disgusting. Even though he’s still married, he acted that way toward Iris. Actually, Iris, you have strong moral principles. Honestly, I’m relieved compared to those men who talk about concubines and secondary wives.)

As someone reincarnated from modern Japan, Emilia felt relieved by Iris’s response, which aligned with her own values. Her expression softened, and she continued in a joking tone.

“Then, acting like that will cause misunderstandings. Especially in noble society, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Hmm… I’m not quite used to that part. I’ll be careful. But…”

However, Iris opposite her seemed somewhat dejected. Thinking she needed to follow up since it was a joke, Emilia looked up to see Iris staring at her with a serious expression.

“Are you… concerned, Lady Emilia? About whether I like Big Brother Kismort or not…”

“Yes, I’m concerned.”

Responding immediately to Iris’s hesitant question, Emilia tilted her head slightly.

“Wh-why, might that be?”

“If you fell for someone and got married, would I go to the empire alone? With my lack of talent, it would be like sitting on pins and needles. But then, I can’t turn back anymore either.”

Emilia answered smoothly. She had been disowned. That procedure was formally carried out with the kingdom to counter even “Emilia and Sieg’s marriage.” That meant she couldn’t return home. As for Iris, she hadn’t gone that far, so even if she changed her mind and returned to the barony, there would be no particular problem.

(Well, even after being disowned, I could have hidden somewhere in the mansion as a servant. That kind of thing would be possible. But to avoid causing trouble for the family, leaving the country was preferable. Iris didn’t need to go that far; just having the duke family’s protection over the baron family was enough. Even if she returned to the country, she would have gained some freedom, I suppose.)

Thinking this, Emilia leaned back into her seat. If she had wanted to stay, she might have been able to remain at her family home while avoiding Sieg. But that would tarnish her family’s decision. The act of them sending Emilia off with heart-wrenching feelings.

(That’s right. If I wanted to return, I could. I want to, but I mustn’t.)

I can’t be spoiled. Emilia murmured this in her heart.

“Ahh… I see.”

A deflated voice echoed. Looking over, Iris had also sunk into her seat.

“That’s right. What else did you think?”

“Nothing at all.”

She seemed sulky. Wondering if she had angered her, Emilia thought back but couldn’t pinpoint anything. What is it? Emilia also muttered a small complaint.

“…Before, Lady Emilia. You said you were jealous of me, didn’t you?”

After gazing out the window for a while, Iris murmured this. Emilia dug through her memories. It was right after they left the royal capital. Iris was doing everything for her, and she couldn’t do anything for Iris. The “muddled feeling” grew larger, and she couldn’t help but blurt out those words.

That feeling of “I’m jealous.”

Even now, it smoldered deep in her chest.

“Yes, I said that.”

“Why was that?”

When asked why.

Emilia found herself at a loss for words.

Iris probably wanted to ask why Emilia felt so indebted to her? She probably wanted to hear Emilia’s feelings.

She felt like she had an answer. She felt like she already knew.

But the true nature of that “muddled feeling.” Even though it was very important.

She simply couldn’t remember.

“No matter how kind someone like me tries to be, you don’t have to pay it any mind.”

“Because it bothers me so much it feels like my soul is burning. I get so ‘muddled’ I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Almost self-mockingly, but toward the dejected-looking Iris, Emilia answered honestly without thinking. After saying it, she thought: probably if she resisted the impulse of that “muddled feeling”… Emilia would truly go crazy. Her heart would burn fiercely, scorching her nerves, and she would cease to be herself—she had that certainty.

“I’m just a baron’s daughter, and Lady Emilia is a duke’s young lady.”

“I became a commoner, though.”

“Lady Emilia is ‘talentless,’ yet works so hard. Unlike me, who’s propped up by skills.”

“Though I ended up being able to absorb spirit tools. It’s like having someone else’s power added on top, that thing.”

“Why would you… someone like me… so much…?”

Even though she responded in kind to Iris’s self-deprecation, Emilia’s words didn’t seem to reach her. On this journey, Emilia had… grown much closer to Iris. Even though they were said to be close at the academy, even though they shared a room, there had been more distance. The difference in status, and the difference in talent, had created a great wall in their hearts.

That wall was broken by this journey.

(I see. What Iris is concerned about isn’t the wall existing, or having existed.)

Gazing at her profile as she looked down, Emilia narrowed her eyes, trying to see deeper.

(Why did I break the wall? Well, the commoner and spirit tool things were accidental results, but that’s not it. She’s questioning my intentions, isn’t she?)

When she met Iris, she had the destruction avoidance of an otome game in mind. At the same time, she was captivated by Iris’s dazzling talent. Calculation and admiration kept their distance from each other.

Emilia’s jealousy… that “muddled feeling” was surely also dissatisfaction with the distance between them. Emilia gripped the brooch at her chest, the “Dragon’s Tear” that matched Iris’s, symbolizing the beginning of hatred and bonds.

“I was wrong.”

“…Huh?”

“Rejecting Prince Sieg. That was a huge mistake. I couldn’t trust him, and I lost to myself.”

She said it with courage. Without looking away from her blue eyes as she turned.

“But you know. Having you take me out… that was absolutely right.”

“Lady Emilia?”

Iris’s eyes widened greatly. Meeting her probing, confused gaze, Emilia returned a smile.

“Yes. I had to separate and think about that. I shouldn’t have thought about the prince and Iris together. And then, if I were asked which to choose—”

“Lady Emilia?”

Emilia’s words caught.

Emilia’s gaze was fixed beyond the driver’s side window. The vehicle was winding along the mountain road, and in the direction she was looking was the capital. Meaning the mountaintop.

From there, straight down.

“A horse is coming down.”

There was a horse galloping down.

——It’s Sieg.

“Speed! No, if possible, go straight down!”

“Yes, Aiter! Go down where there’s no road!”

The two shouted, and the spirit vehicle responded. The vehicle left the mountain road and began racing straight down the slope.

Chasing after them, riding a horse.