The Story of a Modest Young Lady Who Formed a New Engagement the Day After Her Engagement Was Annulled - Chapter 2

The morning after I slipped away from the victory celebration venue. Since it was a public annulment of our engagement, rumors would likely spread quickly. Would they blame Lord Caius for unilaterally calling off the engagement, or me for failing to stop him? The judgment would be left to those around us.

It might be presumptuous of me, but since the broken engagement between a marquis house and an earl house was a topic that would interest society particularly the nobility. I could only hope it wouldn’t cause trouble for the royal family. In any case, I had to explain the situation to my younger brother and mother. Last night, right after returning to our townhouse in the royal capital, I called my family together and informed them of what had happened.

The next day, at high noon. My mother was seated beside the chair meant for the head of the Narcissus Earl House. My brother was also sitting on the reception sofa, looking up at me with concern. Early that morning, a messenger from the Hydrangia Marquis House had delivered a letter announcing the annulment of the engagement. As the Narcissus Earl House held a lower rank than the marquis house, we had no choice but to accept it.

“I’m sorry, Eleanora. The inadequacy of the Narcissus Earl House and ultimately, my own incompetence has caused you unnecessary pain.”

My mother called my name with a pained expression and bowed her head slightly. Originally, my father should have been the head of the Narcissus Earl House. But in the midst of the Twenty-Year War, he had unfortunately lost his life for the sake of the country and his territory.

He was a kind man. When the engagement with the Hydrangia Marquis House was decided, he had been overjoyed that I wouldn’t have to marry into some strange noble family. The current head of the Narcissus Earl House was merely a figurehead. That was because my brother had assumed the position far too early after our father’s death in battle. At fourteen, he was still immature and in the midst of his education as the heir, lacking the capability to fully carry out the duties of an earl.

Acting on my brother’s behalf were my mother and the butler, who had long supported the previous head.

Several houses lost their heads due to the Twenty-Year War, and with the loss of male members and a shortage of manpower, women sometimes took to the battlefield. The Narcissus Earl House, having lost our father, couldn’t afford to lose the next generation, my brother. So I went to the battlefield in his place.

Though I was no match for the esteemed next Margrave of Lotus, who was renowned for his achievements, thanks to the Narcissus family’s characteristic abundant magical power and ability to use magic, I was able to contribute somewhat to the country. Though my rank was lower than that of my former fiancé, Lord Caius, I was recognized for spotting enemy mages on the battlefield and received a medal and a small pension from the royal family.

Losing my father had been painful, but I took pride as a noble in having been able to serve the royal family, however modestly… Yet as a noble lady, I had been thrown into the mud. But my own situation didn’t matter. The problem was whether the Narcissus Earl House would be viewed unfavorably by society. And I hoped Lord Caius’s reputation wouldn’t suffer either.

According to my mother, the Hydrangia Marquis House had unilaterally announced the annulment. The speed with which the engagement was called off in just one night made me suspect there was something behind it, but it was too late to dwell on that now.

“Mother, I’m the one who should apologize. I’ve ruined our connection with the Hydrangia Marquis House. It’s the result of my own arrogance, mistakenly believing that my relationship with Lord Caius was going well.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been a better way. Should I have served him more attentively, like the charming Lady Annabella with her pink-blonde hair? In noble society, rank inevitably matters. It might be unavoidable, but it felt terribly one-sided.

“Sister, I’m sorry. If I had been more capable, this wouldn’t have happened…”

My brother stared at the floor, his clenched fists on his knees pale with frustration. The thought crossed my mind that if not for the Twenty-Year War, we might not have had to endure this.

But the reality was that the Twenty-Year War had happened. The Narcissus Earl House had lost our father, and everyone living in this country had lost something. What we gained from victory was a measure of peace. How much could we recover during this peaceful time? Broken things could be mended, but the dead would not return. Still, because we were alive, we had no choice but to move forward, taking each day as it came.

As if to dispel my own powerlessness, my inability to do anything but pray that my still-young brother would never have to set foot on that horrific battlefield. I sat down on the sofa beside him.

“Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll be fine.”

But I couldn’t say in front of my brother that I now had to find another marriage prospect. My next likely match would probably be as a second wife to an elderly man. The suitable marriage age for kingdom nobles was said to be between twenty and twenty-two or twenty-three, and I was twenty-one this year. My brother was a kind boy, so he would surely fret over me. He was already bearing the heavy responsibility of heading the Narcissus House; I didn’t want to cause him extra worry.

“I’ll attend many soirées and find a wonderful gentleman.”

I didn’t know if any man would be interested in my plain, unremarkable appearance with black hair and black eyes, but if I didn’t act, I would be left behind.

The chances of finding a wonderful man were slim, but fortunately, with the kingdom’s victory in the war, many celebratory soirées were being held. If there happened to be someone with unconventional tastes, perhaps they would marry me. I forced a smile as I patted my brother’s head, still bearing traces of childhood.