「え? もうルクレツィアの嫁ぎ先が見つかったの?」
ルクレツィアがすでに再婚約し、追放されるかのように出発済みだということを聞かされ、ファルコは驚いた。
「そう! しかも、相手はあの有名な醜悪公なの!」
大笑いをするローザ。
ファルコはさすがに可哀想に思った。
「ひっでえことすんなぁ......」
「なんで!? お姉ちゃんの相手にはぴったりじゃない! いつも暗くて何考えてるのか分からないような女、誰も欲しがらないでしょ?」
「そうかもしれないけど」
しかしファルコとしては、ルクレツィアのことが憎いわけではなかったので、不幸になってほしいとまでは考えていなかった。
「やっぱり? ファルコ様もそう思ってたよね!」
上の空のファルコは、いいことを思いついた。
――しばらくしたらルクレツィアのところに遊びに行こうかな。で、キモい醜男と結婚させられて悲しんでるルクレツィアを慰めて......
ルクレツィアは、素顔はローザに似てそれほど悪くない。後腐れなく遊ぶ相手としては最高だ。
ファルコは金髪碧眼で見栄えは上々だから、少し優しくしてやればルクレツィアもきっと乗ってくるだろう。
――可愛くて癒されるローザは本妻で、暗くて退屈なルクレツィアは身体だけの愛人。それって最高じゃない?
ファルコは当面の間、ローザの相手をしながら、ルクレツィアとの再会を待つことにした。
『醜悪公』ラミリオ・パストーレは、落ち着きなく自室を行ったり来たりしていた。
何しろ彼はつい先日、六度目の婚約破棄をされたばかり。
――もう、俺のところに嫁ぎたいと思う女なんていないんじゃないか。
弱気になっていた矢先に、七件目の縁談が飛び込んできたのである。
セラヴァッレ公爵の送ってきた書状には、『わが家は先王の弟に連なる血筋で、娘にも相応の教育を授けており、教養のほどは公妃としても申し分ない。しかし婚約者が妹に心変わりをしたので不要になった。誰でもいいからもらってくれる人を探している』とあった。
ラミリオは公爵令嬢に同情してしまった。
彼自身、六度も不条理な婚約破棄を食らっているので、捨てられる者の気持ちはよく分かる。
きっとその娘も自信を喪失しているに違いない。
どんな娘であっても受け入れる心積もりで話を進めていったが――
本日、先方から肖像画が送られてきたのである。
何の気なしにカンヴァスを保護する布を解いて、腰を抜かしそうなほど驚いた。
銀を基調に、咲き誇る大輪の薔薇のような美少女が描かれていた。
美化されて描かれることが多い肖像画だが、いくらなんでも誇張しすぎだと思うほどの美貌だ。宣伝用の素材を必要としている女優だって、もう少し慎み深く自身の肖像画を描かせるだろう。
「......偽物じゃないですか?」
思わずラミリオの側近・ボスコもつぶやいたほどである。
「現地では、『白髪令嬢』というあだ名で呼ばれているようですよ。どこかの詐欺師が娼婦と組んで、王家の娘に成りすまして潜り込もうとしているのではありませんか?」
「妹の方がさらに魅力的だっただけで、本人に瑕疵はない、というのが公爵の説明だったが......」
「にわかには信じられませんね。本当なら、こんな田舎にまで勧誘の手紙を送らずとも、大国から引く手あまたでしょうに」
「お前もそう思うか。実は俺も詐欺じゃないかと思い始めているんだ」
それほどまでに、肖像画はすばらしかった。
もしも『白髪令嬢』がこの肖像画の半分も美しかったのなら、ラミリオは相当にラッキーな男だと言わざるを得ない。六度の婚約破棄がなんだというのだ、最終的に女神が嫁いできたぞと、大手を振って自慢できるではないか。
しかし、現実というのはそれほど甘いものではない。ラミリオは容姿のせいで辛酸をなめ尽くしたので、世間の厳しさには少々詳しかった。
「......もう少し慎重に行こう。情報を集めるんだ」
「その方がよろしいかと思います」
側近に命じて、令嬢の人となりを探ることにした。
イルミナティ王国に人をやり、待つことしばし。
『白髪令嬢』というキーワードを頼りに噂話を集めてみれば、出るわ出るわ、元帥子息との婚約を破棄したいきさつが尾ひれをつけて出回っていた。
いわく、『白髪令嬢は少し心を病んでいる』
いわく、『元帥子息は白髪令嬢の相手に疲れて、心の美しい妹に参ってしまった』
いわく、『婚約破棄のときに、白髪令嬢は嫉妬に狂って元帥子息と父親を殺害しかけた』
いわく、『妹への嫉妬が抑えられず、日々彼女の礼儀作法などにケチをつけ、ひどくイジメていた』
しかし一方で、彼女がいなくなってしまったことを惜しむ声も聞かれたのだった。
どうも彼女は、語学的な才能を元帥夫妻に気に入られて、早期から宮廷に出入りし、通訳として外交の手伝いまでしていたらしい。そちらは国家機密も絡むようで、深いところまでは探れなかった。
――勝手なものだな、噂話など。
出回っている噂話のすべてに目を通し、ラミリオはますます同情してしまった。
彼もまた『醜悪公』などという不名誉なあだ名をつけられてしまった人間だ。噂話にとんでもない嘘や誹謗中傷が混じることがあるのは、身をもって体験している。領内で起きている猟奇殺人はパストーレ公の仕業だという噂を立てられて、辛く、眠れない夜もあった。
――きっと『白髪令嬢』自身は、聡明な少女なんだろう。心無い中傷のせいで、さぞ傷ついているに違いない。
「婚約破棄と、白髪令嬢の再婚約先を探しているという話はどうやら本当のようだな」
「そのようですね」
「手紙も本物で間違いない......か」
「肖像画は、美人に描きすぎただけの可能性がありますね」
それだけであれば問題はない。ラミリオだって容姿では苦労した。娘の容姿でとやかく言うつもりはない。
ラミリオはしばし考え、結論を出した。
「なあ。ひとまず俺は、求婚してみようかと思う」
「いいですね。七度目の婚約破棄祝いは少し奮発させていただきます」
「破棄を前提にしないでくれないか」
「相手は美少女なのですから、あまり気を落とされませんよう」
「馬鹿を言うな、今更落ち込むわけがないだろう。俺のはいわば賑やかしだ。求婚者の列に一人でも多く並べば、彼女の気も休まることだろう」
ボスコはなんとも言えない表情で彼を見た。
「なんだ、俺は変なことを言ったか?」
「いえ。ただ、このお優しさの何分の一かでもお相手のご令嬢に伝われば、今ごろはとっくに結婚できているのではないかと思うと不憫で」
「うるさいぞお前」
さほど不憫そうでもない口調で言われてしまい、ラミリオはイラッとしながら会話を強制終了した。
求婚はしたものの、最初から、ラミリオが選ばれるとは思っていなかった。
だから後日、公爵から『もう領地に向けて出発させた』という報せを受け取ったときには、開いた口がふさがらなかった。
寝ぼけているわけではない。何度読み直しても手紙にはそう書いてある。
『宮廷では噂で持ちきりのため、娘は精神的に参ってしまっている。一刻も早く療養にやってしまうのが娘のためだと判断した。あとは頼む』
もっともらしい理由も添えてあった。
しかし、いくらなんでも非常識すぎる。
まだ婚約の取り決めなど何も交わしていないのに送りつけるなど、正気の沙汰ではない。
極端な話、もしもラミリオが猟奇趣味の変態だったらどうするつもりなのだろう。娘に何かあってからでは遅いのではないか。
そしてこのメッセージが早馬で届いているということは、彼女も数日以内に到着するだろう。
"What? You've already found a marriage partner for Lucrezia?"
Falco was surprised to hear that Lucrezia had already gotten re-engaged and had left as if exiled.
"That's right! And it's to that famous Ugly Duke!"
Rosa laughs loudly.
Falco felt sorry for Lucrezia.
"What a terrible thing...."
"Why? Isn't he the perfect partner for my sister! Nobody wants a woman who's always gloomy, right?"
"That may be true, but..."
But Falco didn't even hate Lucrezia, so he didn't want her to be unhappy.
"I knew it, Falco-sama thought so too!"
Falco absent-mindedly thought of an idea.
'I think I'll go visit Lucrezia after a while to comfort her.... She must be sad because she was forced to marry a creepy, ugly man.'
Lucrezia's face is not so bad, much like Rosa's. She's a great person to play with without any repercussions.
Falco is blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and good-looking, so he's sure that if he's a little nicer to her, Lucrezia will certainly fall for him.
'Rosa, who is cute and soothing, is his wife, and Lucrezia, who is dark and boring, is his mistress, but only for her body. Wouldn't that be great?'
For the time being, Falco decided to wait for his reunion with Lucrezia while keeping Rosa company.
Ramilio Pastore, the "Ugly Duke", paced restlessly back and forth in his room.
After all, he had just recently broken off his engagement for the sixth time.
'I don't think any woman wants to marry me anymore.'
Just as he was feeling weak, a seventh marriage proposal came in.
The letter from the Duke of Serravalle said, [My family is descended from the brother of the previous king, and I have given my daughter a good education, and she is well educated enough to be a princess. However, since her fiance changed his mind to her younger sister, I no longer need her. I am looking for anyone who will take her.]
Ramilio felt sympathy for the daughter of the Duke.
He himself had been the victim of six absurdly broken engagements, so he understood the feelings of those who are abandoned.
The girl must have lost her confidence.
He was prepared to accept any daughter, but...
Today, a portrait was sent from the other party.
Without a second thought, he unwrapped the cloth protecting the canvas and was so surprised at the picture.
The portrait depicted a beautiful young girl, with silver hair, looking like a large, blooming rose.
Portraits are often portrayed in a beautified manner, but her beauty was so astonishing that he thought it was an exaggeration of her beauty. Even an actress in need of publicity material would have their portraits painted with a little more modesty.
"...... Isn't it a scam?"
Even Bosco, Ramilio's close aide, mumbled unintentionally.
"The locals call her by the nickname "The White-Haired Lady". Could it be that some swindler has teamed up with a prostitute and is trying to sneak in by pretending to be the daughter of a royal family?"
"The duke's explanation was that her younger sister was more attractive, but there is no flaw in the person herself......"
"I find that hard to believe. If it were true, he wouldn't have to send a letter of invitation to such a rural area, but would still be sought after by other aristocrats."
"You think so too? I'm actually beginning to think it's a scam myself."
The portrait was that wonderful.
If "The White-Haired Lady" was half as beautiful as this portrait, Ramilio must be a very lucky man. After six broken engagements, he could boast with pride that he had finally married a goddess.
However, reality is not that sweet. Ramilio was a bit familiar with the harshness of the world because he had suffered so much because of his looks.
"....Let's go at it a little more carefully. Gather more information."
"I think that would be better."
He ordered his aides to find out more about the daughter's personality.
He sent people to the Illuminati Kingdom and waited.
When they gathered up rumors about the "White-Haired Lady", they found that the story of how she broke off her engagement with the marshal's son was circulating with a trail of rumors.
They said, "There seems to be something wrong with her mind."
"The marshal's son is tired of dealing with the white-haired daughter and has fallen in love with her beautiful sister."
"When the engagement was broken off, the white-haired daughter went crazy with jealousy and almost killed the marshal's son and her father."
"Unable to suppress her jealousy of her sister, she used to pick on her every day, criticizing her manners and bullying her severely."
However, there were also those who regretted her absence.
Apparently, she was favored by the Marshal and his wife for her linguistic abilities, and from early on she was in and out of the court, even assisting in diplomacy as an interpreter. They couldn't probe deeper into the matter, as it seemed to involve state secrets.
'It's all just gossip and rumors, isn't it?'
After reading through all the rumors circulating, Ramilio became increasingly sympathetic.
He, too, had been given the humiliating nickname of "Ugly Duke". He has seen firsthand how gossip can be laced with outrageous lies and slander. There were nights when he couldn't sleep because of the rumors that Duke Pastore was responsible for the bizarre murders that were taking place in the territory.
'The "White-Haired Lady" herself is probably a bright girl. She must have been hurt by the mindless slander.'
"It seems that the story of the broken engagement and the search for a new engagement partner for the white-haired lady is true."
"It would seem so."
"And the letter is authentic too, no doubt....."
"It is possible that the portrait was just painted too beautifully."
If that's all there is to it, there is no problem. Even Ramilio had a hard time with his looks. He doesn't have any intention to complain about the duke's daughter's appearance.
Ramilio thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion.
"For the time being, I think I'll go ahead and ask for a marriage proposal."
"That sounds good. Celebrating the cancellation of the 7th engagement will be exciting."
"I hope you won't assume that it's going to be annulled."
"I hope you won't be discouraged by the fact that she is a beautiful girl."
"Don't be silly, there's no way I would be discouraged now. My offer is just to liven things up, so to speak. If my presence can add even one more suitor in line, she'll feel better."
Bosco looked at him with an indescribable expression.
"What, did I say something strange?"
"No. However, I pity the thought that if even a fraction of this kindness had been conveyed to the young lady, she would have been married by now."
"Shut up, you!"
He said it in a not-so-pitying tone, so Ramilio became annoyed and forced to end the conversation.
Although he had asked for her hand in marriage, from the beginning, he had not expected to be chosen.
So when he later received news from the duke that she had "already left for his territory", his mouth was agape.
He wasn't sleepwalking. No matter how many times he reread the letter, it says so.
[The rumors that have been circulating in the court have caused my daughter to have a mental breakdown. I have decided that it is in her best interest that she be sent for medical treatment as soon as possible. Please take care of the rest.]
There was also a plausible reason.
However, it was too insane.
It was insane to send her when they have not yet exchanged any kind of engagement agreement.
In extreme cases, what would they do if Ramilio was a pervert with a bizarre hobby? Wouldn't it be too late if something happened to his daughter?
And the fact that this message was delivered so fast means that she will arrive within a few days.
My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Forced to Marry the Ugly Duke
書籍・漫画化／妹に婚約者を取られてこのたび醜悪公と押しつけられ婚する運びとなりました～楽しそうなので張り切っていましたが噂が大げさだっただけで全然苦境になりませんし、旦那様も真実の姿を取り戻してしまい
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/my-sister-took-my-fiance-and-now-im-forced-to-marry-the-ugly-duke/
Action Adventure Romance
Aristocracy Arranged Marriage Broken Engagement Calm Protagonist European Ambience Family Conflict Female Protagonist Hard-Working Protagonist Hated Protagonist Multiple POV Nobles Sharp-tongued Characters Underestimated Protagonist Wealthy Characters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3436hc/
くまだ乙夜