そして、ローザに向かって諭すような声を出した。
「ティリヤ伯爵夫人は『歩く王室典範』と呼ばれるほどの女性でな。王――つまり私のいとこの乳母も務めたことがある。これが大変な名誉職でな、彼女は今でもこの国で最高峰の貴婦人の一人に格付けされているのだよ」
何を言われているのかよく分かっていないローザに、父親が噛んで含めるように言う。
「彼女にたしなめられたのなら、王妃だって聞き分けなきゃならん。つまりお前は、反省してマナーの向上に努めなさい」
ローザは怒りのあまり顔が真っ赤になった。
「はあ!? あんなの正当じゃない、ただのイジメだったのに!?」
セラヴァッレ公爵は娘の怒り狂っている様子に、やや戸惑っているようだった。
「どうした? ローザらしくない。お前のいいところは、いつもにこにこして、どんな相手とも仲良くなれるところじゃないか」
「そ、それは......!」
ローザがにこやかなのは、ソトヅラだけである。自分の容姿がよく、にこにこしていれば大人が甘やかしてくれると気づいたのは小さなころだった。
相手が思い通りにならないときは、にこにこさせられた分、ただ働きをさせられた気分になって、余計に怒りが湧くのがローザの性分だった。
「それにお前は、伯爵家なら絶対に王族には逆らえないと思ってたのか?」
「だってそうでしょ? 何ランクも格下じゃない!」
「三文オペラの観すぎだ、馬鹿者。宮廷世界はそんなに単純じゃない。この機にしっかり勉強しなさい」
父親から叱られて、ローザは信じられない思いだった。
「辛抱しなさい。婚約破棄の経緯が経緯なのだから、しばらくはご婦人方からイビられるかもしれないが、仕方がないだろう。それが人から男を寝取るということだ」
「寝取っ......人聞きの悪いこと言わないでよ!」
「聞きなさい。こんなのは何でもないことだよ。宮廷人ならすぐに忘れるくらいの出来事だ。いつものようににこにこしていればいずれは溶け込めるようになるさ」
父親からそう諭され、ローザは煮え湯を飲まされることになった。
――ひどい! 私がこんなに傷ついてるのに、どうしてパパはひどいことばっかり言うの!? ファルコ様と出会うのがちょっと遅かっただけなのに、『寝取った』なんてあんまりだよ!
そうだ、姉よりも少し彼に出会うのが遅かっただけ。ローザは悪くない。悪いのは姉の方だ。性格が悪くて、嫉妬深くて、ローザが可愛いからといって嫌がらせをしてくる姉が悪い。嫌がらせなんかする暇があったら自分を高めたらいいのにとしか思えない。
ローザは次のお茶会で、友達にそのような内容のお説教を披露し、また周囲から好評を得た。
――ほらね。お姉ちゃんのことを嫌ってる人がこんなにいる。私は何も間違ってなんかない。
翌日、ルクレツィアは執事に連れられて銀行にやってきた。
始め、銀行員は身なりのいい貴族の令嬢がやってきたことに警戒気味だったが、ルクレツィアが祖国で懇意にしていた銀行員の男性の名前をあげて丁寧に私財を引き出したい旨を説明すると、最終的には分かってくれた。
「イルミナティに置いてきた金庫の中身も取り寄せたいのですけれど、そちらはいかが?」
「あれは特殊な金庫ですので、ご本人様の要請であってもわたくしどもが勝手に持ち出すことはできません。ご当地で引き出していただきませんと」
「そう。なら結構よ。いくらか現金もお願い。当面の買い物はすべてこちらに請求するようにするから、よろしくお願いね」
ルクレツィアは買い物の手筈を整えると、銀行員が去った隙を見て、大きく伸びをした。
「やはり銀行に来ると疲れるわね」
そばにいた執事に声をかけると、彼は優しく労をねぎらってくれた。知らない人間に私財に関わらせるのは少し怖かったが、彼は信用がおけそうだ。
ルクレツィアには母親から受け継いだ資産があり、その管理を行う代理人がひとりついていた。ふだんは彼に面倒な手続きをすべて任せているので、銀行にみずから立ち寄ることもまれだったが、今日は仕方がない。
――代理人にも連絡して、こちらに移ってもらわなければね。
ルクレツィアの私財を管理する事務所はイルミナティにある。不便なので、事務所ごと移るのがいいのだろうが、肝心の婚約がまだはっきりと確定していない状態だ。移動したとたんに破談になって、またイルミナティに戻ることになっては困る。代理人には当面の間、二国を行き来してもらうしかなさそうだ。
――彼に来てもらったら、まずはセラヴァッレ家のわたくしの名義で雇っている使用人を丸ごと解雇して、お父様の方に請求をするように要請しましょう。
もう嫁ぐのだから、実家に支援を続ける必要はない。
ルクレツィアはちゃっちゃと決めて、また執事に声をかける。
「ドレスを何着か仕立てたいのだけれど、仕立て屋を呼んでくださる?」
セラヴァッレ公爵が異変に気づいたのは、パーティでさんざん飲み食いをし、酔っぱらって朝帰りをしたある日のことだった。
帰宅を告げ、いくら呼んでも、使用人が来ない。
わざわざ執事を探し出して言いつけても、言葉を濁すばかりではっきりしない。
「食事だ、食事。なんでもいいから持ってこい」
「それが、料理人がストライキを起こしておりまして」
「なぜだ? 待遇を悪くした覚えはないが」
「それが......」
セラヴァッレ公爵は執事から渡された請求書の数々を見て、目を見張った。
「......なんだ、これは?」
「使用人たちの雇用費でございます」
「それは見れば分かる。なぜそれが今来るんだ? 雇用契約の更新時期はまだ先だろう」
「ルクレツィアお嬢様の代理人を名乗るお方から、雇用主の変更手続きの書類が来ておりまして、閣下にサインしていただけない場合は退職金を払った上で即日解雇とするということでございました」
セラヴァッレ公爵は酔いと眠気でぼんやりする頭をこすりながら、執事の言うことを理解しようとした。
「ええい、面倒くさい。こういうことは全部ルクレツィアにやらせておけばいい。ルクレツィアはどこだ?」
「お嬢様はすでに屋敷をお出になりました」
その瞬間、セラヴァッレ公爵は酔いと眠気が一気に吹き飛んだ。
娘のルクレツィアを追い出したのは他ならぬセラヴァッレ公爵自身である。
Then, he turned to Rosa and sounded admonishing.
"Countess Tiriya is a woman who is known as the "Walking Royal Standard". She was once the nanny to the king, my cousin. That is a very prestigious position, and she is still ranked as one of the highest-ranking noblewomen in the country."
The Duke of Serravalle persuaded Rosa, who didn't quite understand what was being said, to bite down and endure it.
"If she scolded you, even someone like the queen has to listen to her. In other words, you should reflect on your behavior and work on improving your manners."
Rosa's face turned red with anger.
"What?! But that wasn't justified, that was just outright bullying!"
The Duke of Serravalle seemed somewhat perplexed by his daughter's angry outburst.
"What's the matter? It's not like you to get angry, Rosa. What's good about you is that you're always smiling and getting along with everyone you meet."
"T-that's......!"
The only reason Rosa was smiling was because it was her outer appearance. It was when she was a little girl that she realized that if she looked good and was smiling, adults would spoil her.
It was in Rosa's nature to feel like she was being made to work for free[1] when she didn't get her way, which made her even more angry.
"And you, you thought that if she was just a countess, she could never go against royalty?"
"It's true, isn't it? Her rank is inferior to me!"
"You've been watching too many "Threepenny Opera"[2], you fool. The court world is not that simple. Take this opportunity to learn."
Rosa couldn't believe that her father had scolded her.
"You must be patient. The ladies may tease you for a while because of the circumstances of the broken engagement, but there's nothing you can do about it. That's what it means to steal another's lover."
"Steal.... don't talk nonsense!"
"Listen to me. This is nothing. It is something that others will soon forget. Just keep smiling like you always do and eventually you will blend in."
Rosa's father reprimanded her, and she was soon left in her own anger.
'How terrible! Why do you keep scolding me when I'm hurting so much? I only met Falco-sama a little late, but to call me "stealing him" is just too much!'
Yes, she just met him a little later than her sister. Rosa wasn't to blame. It's her sister who was bad. She had a bad personality, was always jealous, and constantly harassed Rosa because she was cute. She could only think that if she had time to harass her, she should have improved herself.
At the next tea party, Rosa told her friends about what happened and was again well received by those around her.
'You see? There are so many people who hate my sister. I did nothing wrong.'
The next day, Lucrezia was brought to the bank by the butler.
At first, the banker was a bit wary of the arrival of the well-dressed noblewoman, but when Lucrezia politely explained that she wanted to withdraw her personal funds, by giving the name of a banker she had known in her home country, he eventually understood.
"I would also like to retrieve the contents of the safe I left at the Illuminati, is it possible?"
"I'm afraid not. Because that is a special safe, we cannot take it out without permission, even if you request us to do so. You will have to withdraw it at your original location."
"I see. That's fine. Please give me some cash. Also, make sure that all of the immediate purchases in the future are charged to me. Thank you."
Lucrezia made arrangements for her purchases, and when the banker left, she stretched out her arms.
"Sure enough, it's tiring to come to the bank."
She called out to the butler who was standing nearby, and he gently thanked her for her hard work. She was a little afraid to let a stranger get involved in her personal finances, but he seemed trustworthy.
Lucrezia had assets inherited from her mother, and she had an agent to manage them. Normally, Lucrezia entrusted him with all the complicated procedures, so it was rare that she stopped by the bank herself, but today, she had no choice.
'I'll have to contact the agent and ask him to move over here as well.'
The office that managed Lucrezia's personal finances was located in the Illuminati Kingdom. It would be inconvenient for her, so it was better to move the entire office, but her engagement was still not clearly fixed. She didn't want them to move and have to go back to Illuminati if it's cancelled. It seemed that she will have to have the agent travel back and forth between the two countries for the time being.
'When the agent comes, let's first request that he dismiss all the servants employed under my name in the Serravalle family, and then I will file a claim against father.'
Since she was already married, there was no need for her to continue supporting her family.
Lucrezia decided quickly and called out to the butler again.
"I'd like to have some dresses made, will you call a tailor for me?"
The Duke of Serravalle noticed something was wrong one day after he had drunk and eaten too much at a party and went home in the morning.
No matter how many times he called the servants, they didn't come.
He went to the trouble of finding the butler and asking him, but the butler's words weren't clear.
"I need to eat. Bring me anything."
"But, sir, the chefs are on strike."
"Why? I don't think I've ever mistreated them."
"That's...."
The Duke of Serravalle looked at the many bills handed to him by the butler, and was stunned.
"...... What's this?"
"It is the cost of hiring the servants."
"I know that, but why are you giving it to me now? The employment contracts are not due for renewal yet."
"A person claiming to be Miss Lucrezia's representative has sent me the documents for the change of employer, and if you do not sign them, the employment contracts will be terminated immediately with severance pay."
The Duke of Serravalle rubbed his head, dazed from drunkenness and sleepiness, and tried to understand what the butler was saying.
"It's too much trouble. Let Lucrezia take care of all these things. Where is Lucrezia?"
"The young lady has already left the mansion."
At that moment, the Duke of Serravalle's drunkenness and drowsiness were all gone.
It was none other than the Duke of Serravalle himself who had sent away his daughter Lucrezia.
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