Chapter 4
"He's Celestia's fiancé."
Since the maids had polished me up from the morning and dressed me in a finer gown than usual for indoors, I had suspected something was up—but I never imagined it would be a formal meeting with my fiancé...
"I am Floyd Armle."
"My name is Celestia Rotisch."
And of all people, it's Floyd Armle.
I curtsied toward Marquis Armle, who sat across from Father, and toward Floyd.
While Father proudly boasted about his daughter to the marquis who praised my curtsy with a "Such a beautiful curtsy," I sat on the sofa, half-exasperated, and quietly observed Floyd sitting across from me.
(Are we about the same age...? His cute features might take after his mother more than the manly marquis. He doesn't seem unhappy about the engagement, though...)
I was taught that noble engagements are decided based on the benefits to both families' status and territories.
It's rare for engagements to be broken once formed, and it's said to only happen if a family collapses or one party dies.
I recalled what Mirabel had said the other day and glanced at Father, who was still talking.
I don't believe in prophecies, but just as Mirabel had said, Floyd became my fiancé.
I wondered if she had overheard Father and Stepmother talking by chance—but even so, I couldn't imagine the head of a count's family discussing his daughter's fiancé without clearing the room.
But then, how did Mirabel get that information?
There's no way they'd talk directly to five-year-old Mirabel...
"Your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"
"......Yes."
I was lost in thought, trying to maintain a smile, and flinched when Floyd spoke to me.
"It seems the engagement announcement will be made at Celestia's birthday party."
"......I see."
"Since your eyes are red, I'll bring a bouquet of deep red roses."
"Yes."
Even though Floyd earnestly tried to talk to me, I was too distracted to respond with anything but vague answers.
And so came my seventh birthday party.
After the engagement announcement, I stood alone, holding a bouquet of deep red roses.
In the center of the hall, Floyd—who was supposed to be my fiancé—was dancing happily with my younger stepsister.
...What just happened?
After dancing the first dance with me, Mirabel had blushed and asked, "I want to dance with my future big brother," and Floyd readily agreed.
Even if she's my younger stepsister, she's still of the opposite sex.
From a common-sense perspective, dancing with someone other than your fiancé on the day of your engagement would be frowned upon.
And yet, Father, Stepmother, and the guests all watched the two dancing with warm smiles.
"Could it be... he fell in love with Mirabel...?"
I tried to deny it, but after the dance, Floyd left with Mirabel as if he'd forgotten all about me, ordered drinks from a servant, and the two began chatting happily.
"If I remember right, Mirabel said she'd heal and support him...?"
Noticing my stunned expression, Mirabel flashed a triumphant smile.
A few months after the engagement announcement.
I invited Mirabel for tea and gently tried to probe for hints about my future, only to be bombarded with outrageous statements that left me holding my head in despair...
'While you're away at the academy, Father will start doting on me a lot.'
'At the academy, you'll gather a huge entourage and act like a queen. The crown prince and the second prince who enrolls a year later will cling to you, and everyone will start to hate you.'
'And then, you'll bully me, who gets along well with Floyd.'
'At the academy graduation party, there'll be a condemnation event... oh, that's when your engagement gets broken off.'
'Since even the royal family will turn against you, Father will send you to a convent.'
The way Mirabel described everything in such vivid detail, as if she'd seen it all, was terrifying.
She insisted none of it was delusion but things that would actually happen, and I could no longer casually nod along or brush it off as fantasy like before.
Because every time Floyd visited our home, it seemed like he was there to see Mirabel, not me.
—My younger stepsister, smiling sweetly as she spoke of my dreadful future, looked like a demon.