My engagement to Ash-sama was, as a member of the Schteizen house, part of a political strategy.
I had no intention, by any means, of exercising the right entrusted to me by Otou-sama on the basis of romantic feeling alone.
Of course, there was pressure from the royal family who were stalling my engagement.
Even so, I entered an engagement that would sufficiently serve the interest of my family and the Kingdom.
... Or so I thought.
"Haa..."
I never imagined that he would make my heart flutter like this, it was almost as if this was a love-match...
I never thought I'd feel this way.
Even the breath I let slip felt tinged with passion and warmth.
It felt both embarrassing and delightful.
I need to pull myself together again. My life at the Royal Academy begins today.
I was not here to play, after all.
In the future, I am marrying into the Margrave Baltzrein house, which guarded the kingdom's defense from the Great Northern Forest where magical beasts roam.
Just because I'm marrying into the frontier does not mean I can neglect my ties with the capital.
If anything, in order to deepen my ties with the capital and the various noble houses, and to use my position as a duke's daughter so that I might, in time, become a strength for the frontier.
I had to spend my days at this Academy with that strong sense of purpose.
In attending the Royal Academy, my objective had become "how to use this to the advantage of the Baltzrein house."
Had my betrothal with Prince Leonhardt gone through, I would surely have been busy securing my footing in the capital.
To be worthy of His Highness's fiancée, to be worthy of the future queen.
I would have been studying, honing my conduct and building relationships.
The current me was a far cry from such a course, and was beginning to walk a greatly different path.
My relationships with those around me will surely be different as well.
Of course, the future where I become Prince Leonhardt's fiancée no longer existed.
How will people around me see me?
... For example, those who saw my interaction with Ash-sama.
A relationship that seemed to feed the curiosity of the female students. Honestly.
Yes, I was asked about it endlessly, about my relationship with Ash-sama. It was incredibly embarrassing.
"The duke's daughter is doted on by the Margrave." Unexpectedly, that was how my school life began.
Now that I've made connections at the Academy, rumours about Prince Leonhardt have also reached me.
Apparently, His Highness is still not engaged to anyone.
Nor did he arrange a betrothal with the other duke's daughter, Sandika Lordic-sama.
Sandika-sama, and the Lordic house, have decided to "wait."
Since the Crown Prince's fiancée had not been decided, one could say that was a reasonable decision.
It was possible her betrothal had also been stalled like mine, but I can't say for certain.
Who would Prince Leonhardt choose as his fiancée?
In noble society, particularly in our generation, this drew much attention, and was often spoken of.
Surely there were many, not just Sandika-sama, who wished to take that seat, and many houses who wished to seat their daughters in it.
I had stepped out of that contest early, and had found my "good man."
So, from here on... right.
"First, I shall train my body. And I must keep up with my magical training, too."
So that I won't be a burden in the battles against the magical beasts. Fortunately, I had a talent for magic.
I'm also fairly athletic and I learnt that I could move quite well with the help of body enhancing magic.
But, my body was not fully developed yet, so I have been avoiding overly intense physical training.
Even so, I intend to keep up my regular sword training and stay active.
"Good morning, Angelina-sama."
"... Misha. Good morning."
The one who had spoken to me at the Academy was... Misha. Misha Treimel, the daughter of a viscount.
A female student with unremarkable brown hair and matching brown eyes. She has been my "friend" for quite some time.
"School life has finally begun, Angelina-sama."
"Yes, Misha. So it has, but..."
"Yes, Angelina-sama."
There was something I needed to confirm with her.
Because my situation was significantly different from what Viscount Treimel had anticipated.
"Misha. Is it all right for you to be at my side? You understand the situation, do you not?"
"... Yes, Angelina-sama."
Misha's family, the Treimel house, was a "vassal house" of the Schteizen house.
Noble society had factions. A house of higher standing served as the "patron house" providing backing to the "vassal house."
Had the betrothal between His Highness and me gone through, the daughters of our vassal houses would surely have surrounded me as my entourage.
I would have been spending my school life encircled and protected by many such people.
But the present me was someone known to be marrying into the Baltzrein house.
Although I am a duke's daughter, those who aspire to rise in the capital see little benefit in currying favour with me.
This makes building relationships a little more difficult. It comes down to the differences in our goals and the sense of camaraderie.
The duke's daughter will eventually leave the capital and would appear less at social gatherings.
How close should one draw to such a person?
Of course, the Margrave holds authority. No one wants to make an enemy of the house I am marrying into.
If they're associating with me to get closer to the duke's house, then there were certainly benefits to be had. But whether they should prioritise that above all else...
"... That is the situation, do you understand, Misha?"
"Yes, Angelina-sama. Of course, I am aware."
The reason I was bringing this up with her again was that I've started to worry about her.
I've known Misha for quite some time now.
We were both noble ladies, of considerably different family standing, so saying this might sound strange but...
You could say our relationship was something like that of "childhood friends."
That said, she has never behaved as though we were of equal standing.
We're both the same age, and we entered the Royal Academy in the same year as well.
And what I was worried about was not just the closeness that comes from having known each other for so long.
"Misha. I hear you haven't gotten engaged yet."
"... Yes, that is correct. Angelina-sama."
"I'm sorry, Misha..."
"There is nothing for you to apologise for, Angelina-sama."
"That may be so, but..."
I do feel bad about it. I can't help but feel guilt.
Misha Treimel has loved someone for a very long time.
He is a noble's son, a man of higher social standing than her, a viscount's daughter. So he was out of her league.
The man Misha loved was Dennis Colden, the son of a marquess.
His father, Marquis Colden, served as the "Prime Minister" of the Kingdom of Beltsuri.
Dennis-sama was the third son of the Marquis house, "the Prime Minister's son," and a man whose talents were highly regarded.
He was the same age as us, and had also entered the Academy this year as a first-year.
He apparently had connections with Prince Leonhardt through his father, the Prime Minister.
There are rumours that he will be the one who will succeed the Prime Minister role in His Highness's generation.
I had only seen him from afar, and had no direct dealings with him.
He was a difficult prospect for Misha since she is a viscount's daughter.
But, as I said earlier, she was the daughter of a Schteizen vassal house.
And I have known her since I was small.
... That meant, "if I had become Prince Leonhardt's fiancée."
As a friend of the "future queen," I could have arranged a match between her and Dennis-sama.
If I had not given up on my betrothal with the royal family, perhaps she would have found happiness.
I now understand all too well the happiness of being with the one you love.
And the fact that I couldn't give her that happiness.
"... It is fine, Angelina-sama. It had been a one-sided love from the start."
"Misha..."
It was true that she has had feelings for him since we were little, and she has made advances towards him too.
Even where I did not see, too. But until now, he had never glanced her way.
"Besides, recently, far from any talk of a betrothal, I seem to have somehow drawn Dennis-sama's displeasure."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"... In fact, it seems he does not even want me to look at him from a distance. I have been forbidden from even approaching him."
"What? Why, to that extent...?"
I had no idea that things had come to this with Misha.
"I don't know. Perhaps Dennis-sama has somehow learned of my feelings. Perhaps he took offense to it... and the Marquis house instructed me not to approach. Ah, but it doesn't seem like they were harsh about it. My father told me it was just a gentle warning."
"I see..."
That must have been a great shock. Misha has loved him for a long time.
There is a significant difference in their social standing and it was difficult to arrange a betrothal between the two. But even though Dennis-sama is from a marquess house, he is the third son.
To put it bluntly, there was no title for him to inherit. Of course, he could make a career for himself as a civil official.
The future Prime Minister role is not guaranteed, but if he has the talent, he could certainly become a civil official.
In that case, however, he should be granted a "bureaucrat peerage," which falls below the standing of a marquess's son.
Depending on the position, posting, and responsibilities he was assigned, he would receive a one-generation barony or viscount equivalent rank.
Had it come to that, a betrothal with Misha would have been fitting.
If only they both felt the same way about each other, it would not have been entirely out of the question.
I, who couldn't help taking Misha's side, couldn't think of the right words to say to her.
Of course, Dennis-sama must have had his reasons. If he had actually asked the Treimel house to tell her to stop pursuing him... then his feelings weren't directed towards Misha.
A political marriage was one thing, but it was painful to get engaged because you love someone and they don't feel the same. So in a sense, it might have been better for Misha to be flat out rejected if he doesn't feel the same way.
... But that is not something I can say to Misha, whose heart has just been broken.