ローザは父親に呼び出された。
部屋に入るなり、ローザはただならぬ雰囲気を感じ取る。あのローザに甘い父が――どんなときでも甘やかしてくれる父が、ローザをにらんでいるのだ。
セラヴァッレ公爵はいきなり張り手でローザを殴った。
ぱん、と甲高い音が鳴る。
「な......何をするの? パパ。怖い......」
ローザは本気で怯えた。
「ライ国大使のワジャ夫妻から手紙がきた」
セラヴァッレの抑えた怒声は、吹雪のように冷たくローザに降り注いだ。
「ただの手紙じゃない、国を挙げての、正式な抗議文だ! この意味が分かるか!?」
恐ろしくて口も利けないローザの頬に、セラヴァッレ公爵は手紙を叩きつけた。
「先日の会食で、お前、よりによって皇太子に『鷹はまずくて食べられない』と言ったそうだな!?」
「え......」
確かに言った。しかし、ローザには解せない。そんなの、皇太子だって笑って許してくれたではないか。
「わ......私、鷹が特別なものって、知らなかったから......」
「知らなかったで済まされると思うのか!?」
セラヴァッレ公爵の剣幕に、ローザは口をつぐんだ。
「おまけに、国章である月を貶し、ライ国と友好関係を取り持とうとしたルクレツィアのことも貶したそうじゃないか! おまけにファルコは妹君に......! ああ、口にするのもおぞましい!」
セラヴァッレ公爵の怒りは止まらない。
「一つ二つならばいざ知らず、いくつもの無礼が重なるのでは、そこになんらかの悪意が込められているものと解釈されるのも当然だ! 『貴国はわが国を格下あるいは敵対国として遇したいように見受けられた』と言っている! ライ国と戦争が起きたらどうしてくれるんだ!? ええ!?」
「ま......待って、待ってよ、パパ」
ローザはとにかく誤解を解こうと思った。
「戦争なんてそんな......私、全然そんなつもりじゃ......」
「まだ分からんのか?」
セラヴァッレ公爵は悔しそうだった。
ローザはショックで頭がぼんやりしてきた。怒鳴られすぎてうわんうわんする鼓膜に、父親の怒声が容赦なく突き刺さる。
セラヴァッレ公爵は怒りに任せて語る。イルミナティはアクセスのいい港町をたくさん抱えており、攻めやすく守りにくい立地にある。過去に、少なくとも四度、支配する国が変わった。そしてライ国は新型帆船と巨砲のおかげで軍事力が飛躍的に向上したため、イルミナティと戦争を起こして、港町のいくつかを割譲させようと目論んでいるのだ、と。
「開戦の口実を虎視眈々と狙っているところに降ってわいたのがお前ら馬鹿どもだ! まさかお前らがここまでとは私も思わなかったぞ! あのルクレツィアでさえ、ライ国とは無難に付き合っていたというのに!」
ローザは涙が出てきた。
少し会話しただけだが、ローザは皇太子に好感を持っていた。少々失言はあったかもしれないが、笑って許してくれる彼もまた、ローザに好意を抱いてくれていたのだろう、と、無邪気に信じていた。
それなのに、裏ではローザのことを馬鹿にして、利用していたなんて。
裏切られた気分だった。
「わ......私、悪くないよ......? ハメようとした皇太子が悪いんじゃん......ひどいよ......私、信じてたのに」
セラヴァッレ公爵は、娘の涙を見て、少しは頭が冷えたらしい。
大きなため息をつくと、先ほどまでよりも落ち着いたトーンで喋り始めた。
「国王は、私に、爵位を返還しろ、と言っている」
ローザはぎょっとした。
――爵位を返したら......私、どうなっちゃうの?
平民に落ちろ、ということなのだろうか。
「もうすぐ成人の王弟に爵位を譲る体で、自主的に返還させることで、ライ国の脅しに屈したという印象を与えずになんとか矛を収めさせたいんだろう。弱腰の国王らしい策だ。私に言わせれば愚の骨頂だが」
セラヴァッレ公爵は思いっきり国王を馬鹿にしてから、怒り冷めやらぬ顔でローザを再びにらみつける。
「来週、返還の手続きで宮廷に行く。宮廷に行くのはこれが最後になるだろう」
展開の速さに、頭が追いつかない。
「わ......私とファルコ様の婚約は......!?」
「ファルコは死罪を言い渡され、逃亡した」
――死罪......なんて......そんな......
ローザは現実感が湧かず、何も言葉が浮かんでこなかった。
「元帥夫妻は慌てて帰国してくるようだが、もう遅い。息子を勝手に殺されかけたのだから、あの二人も遠くないうちに国王を見放して辞任するだろう。元帥夫妻の手腕なしで、イルミナティがライ国の挑発をかわしきれるわけがない。国民は必ず戦争を求めるはずだ。私たちも、戦争が起きる前に逃げるぞ」
ローザは放心したまま、ずっとその場を動けなかった。
次の週明け、セラヴァッレ公爵は爵位を返上し、『イルミナティ王国公子アントニオ』の名誉称号を賜ったあと、イルミナティ王国から姿を消した。
その娘、ローザも、『公女ローザ』の称号を受けて以来、イルミナティの宮廷には現れていない。
Rosa was summoned by her father.
As soon as she entered the room, Rosa sensed an unusual atmosphere. Her father, who has always had a soft spot for her, was scowling at her.
The Duke of Serravalle suddenly slapped Rosa.
A high-pitched "bang" sound was heard.
"W-what are you doing.... ? Dad, I'm scared...."
Rosa was seriously frightened.
"A letter came from the Rai ambassador, Lord and Madam Waja."
Duke Serravalle's suppressed rage fell on Rosa as cold as a blizzard.
"It's not just an ordinary letter, it's an official letter of protest from the country! Do you know what this means?!"
The Duke of Serravalle slapped the letter on Rosa's cheek, who was too afraid to speak.
"I heard that you, of all people, told the Crown Prince at dinner the other night that "falcons taste like rotten food and aren't very edible"!"
"Eh...."
She did say that. But, Rosa couldn't understand. The Crown Prince even laughed and forgave her for such a thing.
"I... it's because I didn't know that falcons were special...."
"You think you can get away with not knowing?!"
Rosa shut her mouth at the Duke of Serravale's menacing look.
"On top of all that, didn't you also disgrace their national emblem, and Lucrezia's attempt to establish friendly relations with Rai?! What's more, what Falco did to the younger sister...! It's disgusting to even mention it!"
The Duke of Serravalle's anger was unrelenting.
"If it's one or two ignorant offenses, it might still be negligible, but when several disrespectful acts are combined, it is only natural that they should interpret it as a sign of some malicious intent! They said, "It seemed to me that you wanted to treat us as a lower-ranked or hostile nation"! What will you do if war breaks out with Rai? Huh?!"
"W-wait, Dad."
Rosa wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.
"War is such a.... I didn't mean it at all....."
"Don't you get it yet?"
The Duke of Serravalle looked frustrated.
Rosa's head was starting to go fuzzy with shock. Her eardrums were pounding from too much yelling, and her father's angry voice pierced through them mercilessly.
The Duke of Serravalle spoke angrily. The Illuminati have many accessible port towns, making them easy to attack and difficult to defend. In the past, the ruling power has changed at least four times. And now that the Rai state has dramatically improved its military power thanks to its new sailing ships and huge guns, it is plotting to start a war with the Illuminati to force them to cede some of their port cities.
"They've been looking for an excuse to start a war, and now you idiots just handed it to them! I didn't expect you to be this stupid! Even that Lucrezia was playing it safe with Rai!"
Rosa began to cry.
Although they had only conversed a little, Rosa had a favorable impression of the Crown Prince. There may have been a few slips of the tongue, but he laughed and forgave her, and she innocently believed that he also had a fondness for her.
And yet, behind her back, he was mocking and taking advantage of Rosa.
She felt betrayed.
"I-i'ts not my fault.... Isn't it because the Crown Prince's a bad guy..... It's terrible..... I trusted you."
The Duke of Serravalle seemed to cool down a bit when he saw his daughter's tears.
He sighed loudly and began to speak in a calmer tone than before.
"The king wants me to return my title."
Rosa was startled.
'If I give back my title, what will happen to me....?'
Does he mean that she should become a commoner?
"By having me voluntarily return my title, the king is probably hoping to somehow end the conflict without giving the impression that he has succumbed to the Rai country's threats. It's a strategy typical of a weak-kneed king. If you ask me, it's sheer stupidity."
Duke Serravalle mocked the king with all his might, then glared at Rosa again, his face still angry.
"Next week, I will go to the court for the restitution procedure. This will be the last time I go to the royal court."
Her mind couldn't keep up with how fast things were unfolding.
"M-my engagement to Falco-sama....?!"
"Falco was sentenced to death and fled."
'Sentenced to death.... how.... such a thing....!'
Rosa couldn't get a sense of reality and no words came to mind.
"The marshal and his wife seem to be in a hurry to return home, but it's too late now. They will probably abandon the king and resign in the near future since their son was almost killed without their permission. Without the help of the Marshal and his wife, the Illuminati won't be able to evade the Rai country's provocations. The people will surely demand war. We, too, will flee before war breaks out."
Rosa remained absentminded for the rest of the day.
The following week, Duke Serravalle relinquished his title and disappeared from the Illuminati Kingdom after receiving the honorary title of "Nobleman Antonio of the Illuminati Kingdom".
His daughter, Rosa, also hadn't appeared at the court since receiving the title of "Noblewoman Rosa".
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