I Will Not Accept It — Since He Said He Would Demote Me to Second Queen for the Sake of His Own Love, I Will Break the Engagement - Episode 15

I was desperately thinking of ways to escape without Prince Cariotte.

Having my royal succession rights stripped away was completely unexpected. But that didn’t mean everything was over. I still had my weapons.

I was still young, and my beauty was more than sufficient. Finding another powerful man should have been easy. The charm I’d cultivated as a merchant’s daughter, combined with the experience of interacting with high society through Prince Cariotte—using these, I should have been able to find a new partner.

Despite my optimistic thinking, reality wasn’t so kind.

Right after being informed about the loss of my succession rights, I was brought to this remote mansion half a day’s carriage ride from the royal capital. True, the building was splendid and the furnishings luxurious, but what was the point?

“In this countryside, there’s no chance of meeting a decent man,” I thought.

I glared at the boringly quiet rural landscape visible from my room window. As far as the eye could see, there were only fields, forests, and a small village. It was worlds apart from the glamour of the royal capital.

Opportunities to meet noblemen had drastically decreased. Even when I tried to slip away to find a man I could rely on, the servants’ watch was far too strict.

“Lady Carla, we must ask you to refrain from going out alone,” an elderly butler-like man would stop me with polite but firm words.

“I’m just going for a walk. What’s wrong with walking around the mansion?”

“My apologies, but we must accompany you.”

“I don’t need it! Don’t follow me!”

Even when I raised my voice, the servants’ expressions and actions remained unchanged. As if they’d been instructed from the start, they restricted my movements systematically and mechanically.

If I tried to slip out of the mansion quietly, I’d be noticed and stopped immediately. Once, I managed to sneak out, but I was quickly found and brought back like a fugitive.

“We couldn’t bear it if you were to get hurt,” they’d say with that excuse, but since then, the surveillance had become even stricter. I hardly had any time alone anymore.

This treatment was like imprisoning a criminal! It was too cruel. This wasn’t the life I had dreamed of.

I had envisioned living elegantly in a luxurious palace, surrounded by numerous maids, wearing beautiful dresses, reigning as queen yet reality was this house arrest in a countryside mansion.

The gap between my ideals and reality filled my heart with anxiety and irritation.

“Maybe I should consult my family,” I thought.

I asked a servant. Perhaps using our merchant network would reveal a good solution. My parents were skilled in business; surely, they’d know how to help me.

“Understood. We’ll send a letter immediately.”

At first, I was optimistic. They must just be too busy to reply, I thought. Our family business was fairly large. As the family of the crown prince’s lover, we’d gained attention and business should have increased.

But a week passed with no reply. Two weeks went by without any word.

“What’s going on? Still no contact?”

My voice was clearly filled with irritation.

“My apologies. We’ve sent multiple letters, but we cannot reach them.”

The servant’s troubled expression spoke volumes about the seriousness of the situation.

“Investigate more thoroughly! Send someone directly to the shop, ask the neighbors—there must be ways!”

“Yes, we’ll investigate as much as possible.”

Similar conversations repeated multiple times. Gradually, a bad feeling swelled deep in my chest.

A month later, the details that finally emerged were far more despairing than my worst fears.

“It appears the trading company has closed its shops, and the family has moved somewhere. Even when we asked neighbors and business partners, no one knows their whereabouts.”

The blood drained from my face.

“You’re lying? Look into it more! There must be some clue!”

But the more we investigated, the more the hopeless truth surfaced. The shop was definitely closed. All the household goods had been taken away. Neighbors testified they’d disappeared suddenly one day.

Probably—no, definitely they ran away. Leaving me behind.

“Scum… the worst!”

Alone in my room, I buried my face in a pillow and screamed.

Abandoned by my family. Completely abandoned by my own blood relatives!

How could such terrible betrayal exist? After all I’d done to elevate our family’s status as the crown prince’s lover. I’d generously shared gifts and rewards from Prince Cariotte with my family.

Yet the moment things turned bad, they abandoned me and fled!

“They’re the worst as people. Cowards. Ungrateful, terrible scum!”

In my heart, a stream of curses overflowed.

To abandon their daughter and run the moment danger appeared—as parents, as people, it was absolutely unforgivable. How much did they think I’d done for the family? How much had I leveraged my relationship with the crown prince to benefit their business?

I’ll find them and get revenge. I’ll make sure they pay.

But realistically, how could I find them? There were no clues, nothing. As for money, even if I sold the accessories I’d received from Prince Cariotte, it would only go so far. That alone wouldn’t be enough to live on.

I slumped into a chair by the window and gazed blankly outside.

My escape routes were completely blocked. I had no opportunities to approach new men. My assets were limited. And now, even the family I’d relied on had abandoned me.

I’d never understood the phrase “cornered” so keenly before.

And the option left to me was—

I had no choice but to rely on Prince Cariotte after all.

How ironic. The man I’d been so determined to discard was now my only path.

Prince Cariotte still seemed intent on doing something. Just yesterday, he’d shut himself in his study, intently examining some documents. He’d been deep in conversation with visiting nobles. His expression then seemed less like resignation and more burning with vengeance.

“Murina and that brother of hers, Aldian, are the root of all this.”

“If only Murina had handled things more cleverly back then, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Honestly, listening to his endless complaints was tiresome, but I had no other choice now.

I didn’t want to be dragged into his dangerous schemes, but this was no time for complaints. I could only pray for his success and bet on it.

To survive, I couldn’t afford to be picky about methods.

“I have no choice but to use Prince Cariotte’s love once more,” I sighed.

Having only one option was more miserable and humiliating than I’d imagined.

But pride was a luxury now. Survival came first.

This time, failure wasn’t an option. If I failed now, everything would truly be over.

I sat before my dressing table and studied my face. Though fatigue and worry had hollowed my cheeks slightly, my beauty remained intact. This face was my final weapon.

“It’ll be fine. I can still start over,” I told myself.

While repeating those words, I began preparing to visit Prince Cariotte’s room, the only person I could rely on now.