"…This is quite the predicament."
Claudia was feeling utterly lost in a corner of the party venue.
The luxurious décor, the extravagant food, the vibrant dresses, and the dancing—all of it perfectly encapsulated the glamorous world Claudia had always envisioned.
Claudia had turned eighteen that spring and was on the lookout for a husband.
Having left her family’s distant margraviate, she had traveled all the way to the royal capital to attend this soirée.
While the other young ladies her age had long since made their debut in society, this was Claudia’s first time at such a gathering, as she had spent her youth racing through the fields and hills of her homeland.
Though she had been able to attend thanks to her aunt’s connections in the capital, her aunt herself had gone off to mingle with her lady friends, leaving Claudia to fend for herself in this unfamiliar environment.
(Finding someone who meets all my criteria is proving to be quite difficult.)
Claudia leaned against the wall and picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She sighed as she watched the colorful crowd around her.
Her aunt had told her that soirées were hunting grounds, but it was turning out to be more challenging than she had expected.
There wasn’t a single person back home who caught Claudia’s eye, or rather, it seemed none of them even thought of her as a woman.
Claudia had three conditions for a potential husband, as she was destined to eventually inherit the margraviate.
He must be healthy.
He must be proficient in paperwork.
And he must not be overly muscular.
In her homeland, where martial prowess was highly valued, there were plenty of hot-blooded young men, all of them muscular. Having seen this all her life, Claudia had developed a preference for men who weren’t so brawny.
That said, being too frail wouldn’t do either. In a land deep in the mountains, often covered in snow, a man from the royal capital with a weak constitution would likely fall ill.
Moreover, Claudia wanted to make some changes to the management of her territory, which was plagued by a lack of financial acumen and filled with muscle-headed men who ran things without much thought. She needed someone intelligent as well.
In short, Claudia’s search for a husband was not going well.
(That gentleman over there… He’s been chatting up different women for a while now. He looks healthy enough, but he seems a bit shallow.)
(Hmm, with that physique, he’d be bedridden in two days.)
(Even if I observe them like this, there’s no way to gauge their intelligence…)
As Claudia tilted her head in thought, a lock of her black hair swayed. Her skilled maid had styled it, leaving a few strands loose around her ears, creating a seductive look.
Claudia was a young lady with jet-black hair, pale skin made all the more translucent by the snowy land she hailed from, and pink eyes. There were a few who glanced her way, noticing the slender dress that highlighted her unfamiliar figure in the royal capital, but for some reason, no one approached her.
The aura of dominance she unconsciously exuded made the men hesitate to come near her.
(I’d heard that when someone approaches you, you introduce yourself and engage in conversation… So this is what it’s like to be a wallflower! What a novel experience.)
Feeling a warm sense of excitement from this new experience, Claudia decided that, for now, she would focus on observing the people around her.
Just as she made this positive resolution, the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted.
"I've found my true love, Sylvester. I'm sorry, but our engagement must be annulled!"
A loud proclamation rang out from the center of the party. The voice was clear and carried well.
Unfortunately, since Claudia was stuck by the wall, she couldn’t see who had spoken.
As the commotion drew even more people, it became harder for her to discern what was happening.
Claudia placed her glass on a nearby table, then lightly kicked off the floor and soared into the air. Truly, she leaped high into the sky.
Only the nearby waiter noticed, his eyes widening in surprise.
◇◇◇◇◇
"What are you talking about, Lady Adele?"
In the center of the party, the young man known as Sylvester wore a bewildered expression.
With his light brown hair and green eyes, he was aware that he looked rather plain among the glamorous nobles.
Before him stood a couple who were clinging to each other. One was Princess Adele of this kingdom, and the other was a young merchant, recently rumored to be doing quite well for himself. The man was particularly successful in businesses dealing with the nobility, and there was gossip that he might soon be granted a barony. He was a flashy man with well-defined features.
From their intimate demeanor, it was clear to anyone that the two were romantically involved.
"I said, let's annul our engagement," Adele repeated.
"Our engagement was arranged by His Majesty the King," Sylvester replied.
"That can be changed if I so desire," Adele said with a dry smile, snapping her fan shut.
Adele, the first in line to the throne, was known to be doted upon by the king. This was common knowledge.
While the king had a second daughter with a concubine, there were no other sons. Having been spoiled from a young age, Princess Adele had grown up indulged by those around her.
Indeed, most things she desired would come to pass if she wished for them.
This was also true for Sylvester, who had been engaged to her since childhood and had undergone rigorous education to become the future consort.
"Are you serious, Lady Adele?"
"Yes. I've heard you've been acting quite arrogantly, using your position as my fiancé. I can hardly believe it."
"I don’t understand what you’re saying."
Sylvester was perplexed by the princess’s glare. While their relationship hadn't been perfect, he hadn’t expected to be met with such overt hostility.
"I know everything! I heard the chancellor was deeply involved in the recent embezzlement scandal at the Treasury… I was appalled."
"That is not true."
"You can say whatever you like! Oh, how dreadful. As of today, you’ve lost your position as a civil servant."
Princess Adele, having spouted baseless accusations, then swayed dramatically, as if about to faint, and leaned into the man standing behind her.
The merchant gently supported her, whispering something into her ear.
"Oh, Daniel, you're so naughty," she giggled.
...Feeling as though he was witnessing something utterly absurd, Sylvester directed a hollow gaze at the pair.
His engagement was annulled, and his position stripped away. Though this had all happened so suddenly, it was clear that once she had declared it, there would be no reversing this decision. The king doted on her far too much for that, and, more importantly, the room was filled with nobles.
The fact that she had made this bold proclamation before all these whispering, gleefully observing nobles would not be forgotten. The scandal falling upon the Maltz Marquisate was met with nothing more than smirks from those around them.
"However, Lady Adele, it wouldn’t be right for us to be the only ones who are happy. We should consider Sylvester's feelings too."
The merchant, utterly brazen, made such a statement. Standing on the landing of a grand staircase, they were clearly looking down on Sylvester.
It seemed they were deliberately humiliating Sylvester, the son of the chancellor, in this public setting.
"How kind of you, Daniel."
Princess Adele gazed at Daniel with adoring eyes before twisting her lips into a wicked smile.
"...Oh, I recently heard something interesting. Apparently, the 'Bear Woman' of the Schönheit family is looking for a husband."
At her words, a chorus of cruel chuckles arose from the crowd.
The Schönheit family was a margraviate situated on the northern border. They were known, even in the royal capital, as a fearsome clan skilled in martial prowess. The legend that their daughter had killed a bear at the age of just eight was well-known.
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