The noble district of the royal capital.
In the center of the quarter where numerous nobles had lined up their estates, there stood one particularly grand and spacious building.
White exterior walls, a blue roof. A garden bursting with seasonal flowers.
It was a mansion that, despite its opulence, somehow avoided being ostentatious and instead conveyed an air of refinement.
It signified that the owner of this estate was not merely a person of wealth and power, but one who possessed the dignity and prestige befitting such a station.
House Crocus.
The foremost noble of the Kingdom of Aiwood, its head Velios Crocus held the position of prime minister, possessing bloodline, status, authority, and wealth — everything one could ask for.
A great noble who ranked second to the royal family in name and in truth.
Such was the duke's estate.
From the window of a room on the second floor, a young woman gazed out with a listless expression.
"...The academy enrollment is almost here, isn't it?"
"...Yes, my lady."
At the young woman's words, the maid standing by in the corner of the room responded with a pained expression.
That young woman... her name was Celestine Crocus.
The only daughter of Duke Crocus, and the fiancée of the Third Prince, Rodele Aiwood.
She was a prodigy who had received a perfect score on the Royal Academy's entrance examination and been chosen as the top student of the Magic Department.
Celestine was a perfect lady who possessed everything.
Born into the prestigious House Crocus, which traced its lineage to the royal family, she was gifted with talent in magic, academics, athletics — every field imaginable.
On top of that, she possessed beauty like a diamond.
Her platinum hair reflected the morning sun like a beautiful cascading waterfall. Her pale, translucent skin was like a large pearl.
Her nose was straight and refined, her lips like red roses. Her eyes brimmed with a vivid hue so striking it could be mistaken for a deep purple amethyst.
Had she not been chosen as the Third Prince's fiancée in childhood, marriage proposals from the royalty and nobility of neighboring countries would surely have poured in.
Yet... the expression of this perfect young lady, Celestine, was dark.
There was a single reason troubling Celestine and clouding her expression.
The existence of her fiancé, the Third Prince Rodele Aiwood.
"Once I enroll in the academy, the days of cleaning up after His Highness Rodele's messes... they're sure to be days without a moment's peace..."
She let out a sigh, one she had lost count of.
Rodele Aiwood possessed exceptional talent in magic and was held in such high regard that many expected him to one day become a sage.
However, regrettably... aside from his magical talent, Rodele did not possess a single thing worthy of respect.
His personality was arrogance itself. Since childhood, every time they met, he had hurled insults at Celestine.
Recently, having come of age and taken to womanizing, he had been causing trouble — attempting to make advances on maids working in the castle, or trying to lure young noble ladies into private rooms.
Celestine herself had once been cornered by Rodele.
When she refused him, arguing that premarital relations were out of the question regardless of their engagement, he had nearly resorted to violence.
The thought of what might have happened had the person who happened to be nearby not intervened still sent a chill down her spine to this day.
(Why must I marry a man like that... Once we enroll in the Royal Academy, he's bound to cause nothing but trouble.)
Even when Celestine had been chosen as the top student, he had reportedly flown into a rage, shouting "How dare a woman surpass me!" and wreaking havoc by destroying the furniture around him.
Once they enrolled in the academy, he would surely cause new problems all over again.
And... the one who would have to clean up after those problems was none other than his fiancée, Celestine.
Even a man like that was still a prince. Neither by position nor by status was there anyone other than Celestine who could admonish him.
(Truly... I hold a grudge, Grandfather.)
It was Celestine's grandfather, the former Duke Crocus, who bore responsibility for the engagement between her and Rodele.
The former duke had been a kindly man who also happened to admire the queen dowager, who was Rodele's grandmother.
The queen dowager doted on Rodele, who bore a strong resemblance to her, and as age and illness made her realize the end was near, she grew anxious about Rodele's future.
For Rodele's sake, the queen dowager had pleaded with the former duke to arrange an engagement with the young Celestine.
The majority of House Crocus was left dumbfounded by an engagement that had been concluded without the knowledge of Celestine herself or her father, the current duke.
By that point, Rodele was already known as the "Whimsical Prince," and it was plain to see that becoming his fiancée would bring more hardship than benefit.
On top of that, the engagement had been sealed with a magical contract from which House Crocus could not withdraw, making it impossible to break off the engagement with Rodele.
The current duke, disgusted with his father, had banished him to a small manor at the far edge of the domain.
However... even with the former duke gone, the engagement did not simply vanish.
Celestine had been jerked around by an arrogant fiancé who never changed even as she grew, and now she had finally reached the age of enrolling in the Royal Academy.
"I wish he would just be the one to break off the engagement..."
"...I understand how you feel, truly. My lady."
Celestine and the maid sighed in unison.
Unfortunately... no matter how many insults Rodele hurled at Celestine, he showed no signs of breaking off the engagement.
He surely understood that his engagement to Celestine was an important thing for his own future.
If that was the case, then he ought to cherish Celestine more — that was what virtually everyone in House Crocus thought.
(If I could break off the engagement with that man, the next fiancé could be anyone... a commoner, a low-ranking noble — even if he had other women, I wouldn't mind...)
Celestine was so desperate that she had begun to think such thoughts.
Two weeks until academy enrollment.
Once enrolled, she would be seeing Rodele's face nearly every day.
"Haaah..."
With the feelings of a condemned criminal awaiting execution, Celestine let out a sigh — one she had long since lost count of.