The Hated Ducal Lady – Chapter 3

The 2^nd Prince and I.

「――You bumped to me on purpose didn’t you. You may think that you are being deceptive with that meek behavior, but I am no fool! 」

The one in front of me saying such words were none other than the 2^nd prince himself.

Zianno Barshake, a name that is a little hard to pronounce. He sported an indigo colored hair and amber colored eyes, a beautiful young man, save for the fact that he is a pompous one.

That 2^nd prince himself is currently glaring at my direction, because I accidentally bumped into him while I was walking in the academy corridors. What total misfortune for both him and I.

「……My apologies, your highness. I wasn’t paying attention where I was going. I will be excusing myself.」

To be perfectly frank, there’s not even a single percent of me who wants to get involved with this person. Just like the crown princess, I do not even have any formal interactions with the 2^nd prince either, but he also hates me all the same. Perhaps, even to the point that he doesn’t even want me in his line of sight. Even I would be hurt if someone looks at me like I’m sort of insect.

That aside, it is quite fortunate that this person did not become the crown prince. Those who do not even have the attitude to match their appearance would just lead this country to ruin. But then again, even though the actual crown prince may smile at me, his stare still felt horribly cold.

「You say that now, but you’re aiming to be my wife. I will not be deceived!」

「I would not even dare to dream of becoming his highness’ wife.」

Rather, who in their right mind would want to be the wife of this prince? After all, he’s clearly a troublesome man, no matter which angle you look at him. He is pompous and proud, and although those who brandish their self-imagined greatness may attract other ladies, I am not one of them.

However, with the surrounding noble ladies chattering so much in his presence, he must be considerably popular.

On top of it, he also has the position of a prince to back him up. But as disrespectful as it may be, I couldn’t help but feel like it was exactly due to the surrounding people extolling him so grandiosely that he became such a hopeless person.

「Hmph, say whatever you want.」

—–but as incredibly puzzling as it was, the crown princess and the 2nd prince himself seems to be awfully certain that I am aiming to become his wife.

With the prince gone after bowing my head for a while, I took a relaxed breathe. Because I didn’t want to be a spectacle for the surroundings to gossip about, I hurriedly left the corridor immediately.

Although we were allowed to take a personal attendant from home with us, they were still not allowed to be in the academy premises. The one to attend our needs while we are at the academy grounds were the employees of the academy itself. They, who act at the behest of the noble students can be seen moving around the academy. Because I also receive the cold glares even from them, I knew immediately that my high noble society life is over.

Whatever the case, I headed towards a garden with no people.

Actually, there was a time when there was a proposition for marriage between I and the 2^nd prince. It seems that the king personally convinced his 2^nd son to become my future husband because even though I am ostracized by the higher nobilities, it still doesn’t change the fact that I am a ducal lady.

However, the 2^nd prince treasures the crown princess terribly and follows all her words blindly. Hence he had refused the proposal saying he does not want to be betrothed to a villainous lady like myself.

Well, personally that’s much better for me. I would also get depressed if I were to be engaged to him. That being said, I do not know just on what basis are they on but it is widely believed that I hopelessly desire to be engaged to that him that I begged my parents for it, which obviously, isn’t true at all.

The 2^nd prince seems to find the crown princess ideal. An ever gentle person beloved by everyone else, the Fairy Princess. Because of these ideals, the 2^nd prince have not yet found a marriage partner. Apparently, the crown princess had told him incompressible things more particularly, reassuring him that the one fated to be with him will come to his life very soon.

There were also numerous chosen gentlemen who were told the same thing by the crown princess, which also happens to include my older brother. To be honest, the fact that my brother decided to not find himself a fiancée or a lover even though he’s about to inherit the house while he waits for his “fated one” makes think that he’s a little odd.

Naturally, with the 2^nd prince putting his search for wife on hold, numerous ladies would end up thinking that it could be possibly them he was waiting for. In result, there are numerous noble ladies who have not secured themselves a husband yet. Nevertheless, there are ladies who do not clung to such flimsy dreams and are already married.

For me, the noble ladies who found themselves life partners and are on the move to secure their futures are much more admirable than ladies who believe in an incomprehensible thing as fate, waiting to be chosen by the 2^nd prince.

That said, it’s not like either of them would choose to associate with me either.

In any case, I am not able to find myself a fiancée because the offers keep getting refused. However, that caused some people to think that I chose not to have any partner because I desire the 2^nd prince for myself.

Although there are those who are willing to be engaged to me, they are either in the same age as father, or have some other similar special circumstances. However, my parents who deeply wishes for my happiness would never allow such marriage proposals to push through.

Still, I can see it happening by the time my older brother becomes the head of the house, hence I must become a commoner and cut formal ties with the house before that happens.

Which is exactly why I have to learn more ways of the commoners!