ㅤChapter 40: Sieg Hart
ㅤThe Raidenberg Marquis House’s long-cherished desire was to be elevated to a Duke House.
ㅤEven though they were a family of royal blood, that was a story from many generations ago. It was a reason far too antiquated to maintain their family status.
ㅤThey were looked down upon by the higher-ranking Duke Houses, and the lower-ranking but accomplished Count and Viscount Houses would whisper behind their backs, calling them “a sham nobility in name only.” From a young age, Sieg Hart grew up experiencing the two-faced nature of people to a sickening degree. “I’ll become greater than those who ridiculed me and make them grovel at my feet.” He devoted himself to his studies in solitude, harboring such twisted thoughts.
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ㅤIt was when he was sixteen that his father rushed into his room, exclaiming, “Rejoice, Sieg Hart! You have been chosen as the fiancé of Princess Ruby! With this, our house’s elevation is certain!”
ㅤTo obtain the family status not through his own power, but through the power of others…… It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy, but it was a complicated feeling.
ㅤFirst Princess Ruby was eight years his junior and still young. He didn’t feel the reality of marriage, but from that day on, he began visiting the castle as a 『good older brother』.
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ㅤPrincess Ruby had a bright and warm personality, like the sun. She was always smiling and gentle, treating everyone kindly, whether they were nobles or servants. People naturally gathered around her.
ㅤEveryone was captivated by Ruby…… but there were times when Sieg Hart found her too dazzling. She was too much for someone like him, who carried shadows in his heart. This girl and he were from different worlds. He felt a knot in his heart as he pasted a smile on his face beside her.
ㅤAnd then one day, he realized something. Second Princess Aquamarine, who was always watching her older sister from a step behind. The smile she wore was exactly like his own.
ㅤ”――Princess Aquamarine. Would you like to talk with me for a bit?” He found himself calling out to her.
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ㅤWhile he went to see Princess Ruby, many people gathered around her, so even if he didn’t talk to her, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Naturally, the time he spent conversing with Princess Aquamarine increased.
ㅤ”Onee-sama has everything, you know. She’s always surrounded by the best things without even trying. Isn’t it unfair?” ――Those words pierced his heart. That was precisely the feeling he had harbored towards Princess Ruby. She was a royalty by birth, constantly surrounded by people, and everyone he asked praised her, saying, “Princess Ruby is kind and gentle.” She possessed everything he could never obtain, no matter how hard he tried. Being next to her made him feel pathetic.
ㅤ”Yes…… The world is unfair. Princess Ruby will never understand someone like me, will she?” When he muttered in a gloomy voice, Princess Aquamarine pouted her lips as if to encourage him.
ㅤ”That Onee-sama. Leaving Sieg Hart-sama aside and chatting happily with the Royal Knights. How awful!”
ㅤ”Ahaha. That’s alright. I enjoy talking with Princess Aquamarine as well.”
ㅤ”Is that so? Sieg Hart-sama is also skilled in magic, right? Since it’s a waste on Onee-sama, how about becoming my fiancé?”
ㅤ”Even as a joke, that makes me happy. If Princess Aquamarine ever has any trouble, please tell me anytime. I will help you as your brother-in-law.”
ㅤ”I’m serious. Don’t regret it when I become an exceptional beauty!”
ㅤPrincess Aquamarine and he shared the same complex. Although there was an age gap between them, he could strangely be himself around her. It was the first time in his life that he experienced such a peaceful time.
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ㅤHowever, the situation changed drastically two years later. Princess Ruby, who had turned ten, awakened to her Heavenly Star as a 『Poison User』.
ㅤThe King was furious, and the Queen wept. It was understandable how they felt, finding out that the daughter they had cherished was a monster. However, somewhere in his heart, Sieg Hart couldn’t help but feel a sense of delight, thinking, “There’s no such thing as a life where everything goes well.”
ㅤOn the other hand, he also felt an intense rage at the dishonor of having his engagement broken off by Princess Ruby. Naturally, the elevation to a Duke House was canceled. The Raidenberg Marquis House once again fell to the position of being ridiculed by society.
ㅤHe thought she deserved to be confined to the tower. When he heard that the Magic Division he belonged to was setting up a magic barrier to prevent her escape, he volunteered. He layered the barrier multiple times, as if to vent his hatred.
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ㅤA year later, when it was discovered that Princess Aquamarine’s Heavenly Star was that of a 『Saintess』, Sieg Hart was truly happy. Aquamarine, who had shared the same suffering, would finally see the light of day. He enjoyed seeing her smile happily as she was given what had been taken from Ruby.
ㅤAs time passed, the young Aquamarine grew into a beautiful woman. Before he knew it, Sieg Hart had fallen in love with her.
ㅤMany people gathered around her, the beautiful Saintess, and the opportunities to see her face-to-face disappeared. For years, he could only gaze at her from afar, but he was confident that he was the only one who truly understood her deeply. He was thinking that if the right opportunity arose, he would ask the King for Aquamarine’s hand in marriage or to be taken in as his son-in-law.
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ㅤTherefore, when he received a request from Aquamarine’s messenger to “find the former Princess Ruby, who married into the Langley Empire, and bring her back to Belheim,” he clenched his fist, seeing it as an opportunity. Not only that, but Princess Aquamarine invited Sieg Hart to her room. “It’s been a while, Sieg Hart-sama. I’m so overwhelmed with nostalgia……” she leaned against him, and they ended up in her bed, spending the night together. It was a dreamlike time, one he had dreamt of countless times.
ㅤ”If you bring back Onee-sama, I can make you a Duke. Then…… no one will be able to complain about us being together,” he can’t forget Aquamarine’s voice whispering softly in his ear.
ㅤ”It’s a chance to make Princess Ruby apologize for ruining my life and to win Princess Aquamarine’s heart, killing two birds with one stone.”
ㅤFailure was not an option. He would definitely seize this opportunity.
ㅤWith determination in his heart, Sieg Hart set off on his journey to the Langley Empire.