Chapter 92
Don’t Call My Name Recklessly.
“Marican, wait a moment.”
Petrica pulled Marican aside and lowered her voice, careful and hesitant.
“Your Highness the Crown Princess… is Risha really the Crown Princess?”
“I’m truly sorry. I never meant to deceive anyone from the start. It just… happened that I couldn’t say anything. As you know, my leaving the palace was supposed to be a secret. I planned to tell Marican before the royal ball, but the preparations took over and I never found the time. Are you very angry?”
Marican smiled at Patricia’s genuine apology.
“No, Your Highness the Crown Princess. I’m not angry — just a little surprised.”
“I’m so sorry. Even if you wanted to cancel our sworn-sister bond because you’re upset with me, you can’t do that now.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone already knows we’re sworn sisters — the nobility of this empire, the Emperor himself, even Chancellor Alomand. So canceling it isn’t possible anymore.”
It felt strange.
Back in her viscount’s household, good things had never happened to Marican. Everything had always been Lucianne’s, and she’d never once suspected anything wrong with that… but since the day she left the viscount’s home and came to the duke’s household, only good things had been happening to her.
Olivia and the household staff told her she looked healthy; Ruan said he didn’t care what she looked like so long as she was well; Zelda and the people of Phenomenon village appeared when she’d lost all will, becoming a different kind of family; and Patricia— whom she’d met only two or three times — had given her a token when they pledged to be sworn sisters and somehow made her feel like a princess, arranging her marriage to Ruan.
It all seemed like something out of a romance novel, and Marican could hardly believe it.
Was it okay to accept all this as if it were ordinary?
Why were such kind people gathering around her?
What if all this evaporated the moment she woke up?
Marican was so happy in each passing day that the thought it might be a dream made her uneasy. But if this were real… if perhaps the gods had taken pity on the Marican who had suffered at the viscount’s house and sent these people to her, then she would never let them go.
She clasped Patricia’s hands tightly and smiled.
“Your Highness the Crown Princess, of course I won’t retract it. My sister is so capable — I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I can marry Ruan.”
“Really? You’re not angry because I lied to you?”
“Of course I was surprised at first, but not angry. And you did tell me why — that it was hard for you to reveal your identity outside the palace. I don’t think I would have been able to say it either.”
Patricia hugged Marican tightly.
“Thank you. Today I told Lara about Marican’s family situation. It must have been very hard and upsetting.”
“Huh? Before the wedding it really was terrible, but I’m okay now. I found people who care for me more than my family did. And instead of losing one sister, I gained two who cherish me.”
“Right? Now Zelda and I are your sisters. If anyone hurts our younger sister, we won’t stand for it.”
“Now that you’ve cleared that up, Your Highness, why don’t you go to the Crown Prince who’s waiting for you over there?”
Ruan’s voice coaxed, and Petrisha, reluctant, stood.
“Oh. I should go?”
“Of course. The royal couple who host the ball must dance first to start the festivities, right?”
“There are so many strange customs in this empire. See you later, Marican.”
Patricia waved and hurried to Harmon.
“Patricia, where have you been?”
“Harmon, sorry. It took me a while to explain things to Marican.”
“Risha, shouldn’t you explain that to me as well? Let’s talk while we dance.”
Harmon smiled softly and signaled to the steward, who cued the musicians. A gentle melody filled the hall as Harmon drew Patricia close and murmured into her ear.
“Now, tell me about your new sister.”
“You know I sneak out of the palace once a month, right? Recently —”
Patricia began to tell Harmon about meeting Marican, and Harmon listened, dancing in time with the music.
.
.
.
“This feels like a dream.”
Earlier, when Lucianne had come out to discuss customs, Marican had worried she might not be able to marry Ruan.
“This is no dream, madam.”
“You knew?”
“Knew what?”
“That my pendant was that kind of pendant. So when I first showed it, you looked at it so seriously.”
“I saw one when I went to Allomand to suppress the rebel forces. Prince Raphael had such a pendant then, and he explained its meaning. At first I intended to confront Your Highness about it. I thought the pendant could be used to manipulate you politically.”
“Politically? What value could I possibly have?”
“You have enough value. You are the only one who can move me.”
Ruan’s words flushed Marican’s face.
“Ruan.”
“Ruan swore he wouldn’t use that kind of tactic. He said he truly regards you as his sister. But I never expected the pendant to be used this way.”
“Still… am I really allowed to marry like this? Royalty of the Alomand kingdom… I was so flustered before.”
“The chancellor himself recognized it, so no one will be able to challenge this. And besides, we are sworn sisters now. Stop worrying and let me bring you something to drink.”
Ruan smiled and went to fetch a drink for Marican.
“Mar— wait, I need to speak with you!” Lucianne, who had been waiting for Ruan, suddenly appeared and roughly grabbed Marican, dragging her outside.
“Viscount’s daughter, let go of my hand!”
Pulled into the garden beside the hall, Marican wrenching her hand free from Lucianne, shouted back.
“Mar— do you actually believe you’re royalty of the Allomand kingdom? That’s absurd. No matter what others say, you’re still my sister — my real blood sister! The idea that you’re royalty is laughable!”
My sister?
Is someone who only appears when convenient still my sister?
Marican stared at Lucianne’s increasingly brazen behavior and felt bewildered.
“Viscount’s daughter — weren’t you the one who told His Majesty, when you handed over those papers, that we had no relation? Whether I’m a commoner or royalty shouldn’t concern you.”
“Mar, Mar. Pull yourself together. Don’t you know why the Crown Princess gave you that pendant and made you into royalty? She’s trying to get close to the duke because the duke means everything to the Crown Princess. She wants to make the duke into the Crown Prince’s dog. You shouldn’t be smiling that you can marry the duke while being so clueless!”
“Viscount’s daughter — watch your words! Don’t call me the Crown Prince’s dog!”
Lucianne sneered at Marican, who had looked on with seriousness.
“You always refused to listen when I offered good advice. When you looked unwell, I told you to lose weight, but you didn’t listen. Even when you became the Duchess, I said the position wasn’t yours, yet you craved it and returned to take it. Don’t you get it? You shouldn’t be wearing such expensive dresses and necklaces here. Your place is not here but in the countryside running a sandwich shop — that’s where you belong.”
Marican suppressed a laugh and answered coldly.
“Viscount’s daughter. Since I returned to the duke’s house, I’ve been learning the empire’s etiquette. Even among sisters, titles and forms of address change when positions change. When I was a commoner, I didn’t care what you called me, but that’s not the case now.”
“What?”
“As the Crown Princess just established, I hold a rank equal to the Allomand kingdom’s royal family. So don’t address me carelessly. Only those I permit may call me by my name. Do you understand?”
“Don’t tell me not to use someone’s name casually?”
Marican met Lucianne’s astonished gaze and spoke slowly, enunciating every word while looking straight into her eyes.
“Isn’t that obvious? A lowly viscount’s daughter dares to use the name of Alomand royalty and even speak to me condescendingly. I have tolerated much out of consideration for you, but not any longer. Use the proper form of address.”
Lucianne, who habitually called Marican stupid whenever she opened her mouth, didn’t look particularly clever in Marican’s eyes either.
She schemed to trouble Marican, but her plans were always sloppy — one look and Marican could tell they were meant to harass. Marican had often let things slide when the situation risked involving Penelope; she paid the price privately so as to avoid a bigger scene.
Marican regarded Lucianne, whose face had gone pale at her warning.
Lucianne must wish to kill me now.
She would never accept that someone stood above her in rank.
Marican glanced around; the hall outside the garden was nearly empty now that the festivities had begun. There were few observers here, so normally no one would assume anything had happened.
Still, Marican felt a flicker of caution and turned away.
If Lucianne stopped bothering her or interfering in her life, Marican thought she could simply ignore Lucianne and Penelope from now on.
She would forget all the wrongs done to her — for now. But if not, this time she wouldn’t just take it.
Marican turned and counted slowly in her head.
One, two, three!
“Mar, are you seriously threatening me? Don’t be ridiculous. Whatever you are, you’re only a stupid woman who knows how to eat!”
At the count, Marican spun around and took a step back. As she’d expected, Lucianne ran at her, screaming and losing her footing, and fell headlong.
“Tsk! The viscount’s daughter hasn’t changed at all.”
Marican’s voice was cold as she looked down at the fallen Lucianne. Lucianne, furious at being looked down upon, snapped back.
“Mar! Did you avoid me on purpose?”
Lucianne scowled into Marican’s steady gaze, anger rising.
I’m in this state because of that woman Mar. If not for her, I would have been the Crown Princess…
Lucianne glared at Marican with a crazed expression.
From inside the hall, a servant was carrying forks and knives; Lucianne noticed and, suddenly springing up, shoved the servant aside and grabbed a knife from the tray. She lunged at Marican.
“Die! Just die!”
At the moment Lucianne aimed the knife at Marican, Ruan — who had been bringing Marican a drink — saw the scene and rushed forward. He struck Lucianne’s wrist hard.
Lucianne felt an intense pain shoot through her arm and collapsed where she stood.
“Did she intend to harm my wife?”
“She started it! How do you always end up with the good outcome? You aren’t better than me in any way, yet everything works out for you!”
Marican watched Lucianne’s frantic shouting with a voice full of contempt. She had expected hatred from her, but not murderous intent.
“What do you want to happen to me, Viscount’s daughter?”
“Of course, you should have been sent to the countryside to live after this marriage. If that had happened, I would have been the Crown Princess. You—”
If only that damned duke hadn’t been spared…
Lucianne broke off and began to weep, unable to say more.
She cried with a victim’s face, utterly unaware of what she had done wrong, and Ruan turned to his guards.
“This woman attempted to kill my wife. Take her to the dungeon!”
Tried to kill her?
I didn’t even touch that woman…
Lucianne, sobbing, protested as the guards led her away, still insisting she had done nothing wrong.
