Feeling hollow and resigned, Alice decided to let the day pass without incident.
Back in her room, Alice sat on the sofa, clutching a cushion and burying her face in it as she voiced her frustrations.
As a noble daughter, she had accepted from the start that free romantic marriages were not an option. However, she had hoped at least to marry someone who would cherish her.
She didn’t want to be tied to someone like Lambert. She wanted to break off the engagement with the terrible prince immediately.
But proposing to end the engagement herself wasn’t an option—it would only lead to her being burned.
Convincing her parents was out of the question as well. They prioritized their connection to the royal family over their daughter’s happiness. She could already hear them telling her to “work hard to be a good fiancée.”
Alice began brainstorming for a solution.
(…That’s it. I just need him to dislike me.)
If she couldn’t end the engagement herself, she could make him want to call it off.
She knew exactly how to make him hate her: by excelling further, standing out more, and moving away from the traits he admired.
Careful not to provoke him enough to incur his wrath, Alice began her efforts to make herself intolerable as his fiancée.
* * *
“Alice!? What happened to your hair?”
In the classroom of the primary academy, attended by noble children, Lambert furrowed his brow, forgetting even his morning greeting. Alice’s pink-blonde hair, once flowing long, was now cut short at shoulder length.
“Good morning. I wanted a change, so I decided on something lighter. What do you think?”
“What do I think? Why would you cut it without asking—”
“Hmm? Do I need permission to cut my own hair?”
“Well, no, but… why cut it so short? It’s unbecoming for a noble lady.”
“Is it? Lady Flora has short hair as well…”
Alice tilted her head slightly, placing a hand on her cheek as if puzzled.
“…”
Bringing up Flora, the Crown Prince’s fiancée, left Lambert speechless. His expression soured visibly, and Alice smirked inwardly.
She knew Lambert preferred long hair, so she had deliberately followed the example of Lady Flora, who recently cut hers short.
(Now let’s see how long you can stand me.)
In contrast to Lambert’s sulky demeanor, Alice couldn’t help but smile as her strategy seemed to be off to a good start.
(This is working well. Let’s continue to gradually make him dislike me.)
Cautiously and methodically, she decided to begin by steering her appearance further away from his preferences.
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