A New Start

***

Evelyn is walking with the Crown Prince in tow.

She's staring daggers to the Crown Prince Edickart.

"This is not what we talked about, Crown Prince!"

The two were silently whispering to each other while the Crown Prince leads the way to the center stage.

"I also don't know what the King wants... I wasn't informed too." Said Edickart.

"You do know that I have the official letter from the Royal Family about the cancellation of our engagement, right?!"

Edickart smirked. He also knew and agreed about the cancellation of the engagement. But the King has a different opinion.

"There's nothing to smile about this, Crown Prince! Haaa~ I didn't know that the King doesn't give his word."

The Crown Prince laughs at what she said that the crowd whispers again when a lovely atmosphere surrounds the two.

But what they didn't know was far from being lovely.

"I also want to know what my incompetent King's plan..."

Evelyn jerked when she heard the Crown Prince talked bad about the King. She holds him firmly.

"Let's talk privately later. We should clear this "misunderstanding" about this engagement."

"... "misunderstanding" hah?!"

". . ."

"What if it's not really a misunderstanding, Lady Evelyn?"

She looked at him, while they arrive at the stage with a red carpet.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that, Crown Prince."

The two curtsy to King Langton III, Evelyn felt the shiver in her back. She felt that the King was looking at her with fierce eyes glinting with hatred.

'I changed it! So, why does it still follow the original story?! Why?'

Evelyn is complaining and cursing out the author.

'Don't tell me... I can't change my fate and I'm doomed from the very beginning?!'

"Child, don't worry too much. You have me..." Gil said, comforting Evelyn.

Evelyn breathes a deep sigh.

She will change her fate no matter what.

"Glory to the King of Kingdom of Livingstone, may the sun guides your path."

"Rise." The King said.

The two stand up and Evelyn faced the King.

"My... Look at the future Crown Princess. She's such a fine lady now."

Evelyn's eye shakes with the words spitting from the King's mouth.

'He's basically branding me as the Crown Princess!... NO! I can't let this happen!'

"With all due respect your majesty..."

But before Evelyn could tell what she has to say, the Queen, intercept and hold Evelyn's hand.

"Oh... What a wonderful day it is... to be blessed with a lady from the Emsworth. Truly a wonderful thing."

"Your Majesty... I can't accept this..."

*cough~

"Let us give a toast to the Crown Prince and his fiancee, Lady Evelyn."

*clap *clap

"No! Your Majesty, Please listen."

"We will take our leave..." The King and Queen said. Leaving the two who is dumbfounded behind.

Evelyn clicked her tongue.

'Wonderful, my ass! They won't give me the chance to talk!'

Evelyn then turns her head to Edickart. The Crown Prince only smiled, making Evelyn's anger rise!

"I'm not a bad choice, Lady Evelyn~"

". . ."

"... I'm the future King and if you marry me you'll be the future Empress, isn't that great of an honor?!"

"Crown Prince... I told you before. I don't want to marry you!"

". . ."

Evelyn steps closer to Edickart.

"Tsk! I will not be your Crown Princess!"

She bumped the Crown Prince shoulder making Edickart winch but at the same time laugh.

"I wonder why she hates me..."

The Crown Prince, Edickart said, looking at the back of Evelyn.

***

"Evelyn..."

I turn my head and I saw the Duke amongst the public. His face was neutral but you can see a frown that only people who were familiar with the Duke's expression can see the difference.

"Father..."

"I will talk to that bastard! How dare he turn back to his words!"

I was in a panic when I saw that the Duke was serious. His face was saying that he's ready to barge in the King's chamber and sliced the King's neck.

'No! That will lead to another death flag!'

I instinctively catch the hands of my father and called him to calm down.

"Papa..."

I looked at him with pleading eyes. It's the first time that I did this to the Duke.

He sighs.

"Let's go home..." The Duke said while I nodded.

I really want to get out of this whispers and blazing stares of these gossipers.

What Evelyn didn't notice was a pink hair girl, staring daggers into Evelyn's back.

***

The ride to the mansion was quiet. The Duke was fuming with anger that Evelyn feels she'll suffocate if their eyes meet.

After the long ride, the Duke and Evelyn were back into the mansion.

"Welcome back, your Grace and Lady Evelyn..."

The two just nod and head to their room.

The employees saw that the two were quite in a bad mood.

***

I went to take a bath and change my dress to indoor clothes.

"As expected I don't like parties..."

Before I go to bed I should talk to the Duke.

I grabbed a cardigan in my closet and went to the door to go to the Duke's office.

*click~

What came to my view was a red-haired young man, standing amicably in the front door. In a few months that he become an employee here, he became a head taller than me.

"Where are you going?" Gab said.

Evelyn broke out from her stupor.

"I'm going to the Duke's office..." She replied.

"I'll go with you...!"

"... Just stay here, Gab."

"I'm your knight, you know."

"I know... It's just the office, no need to make a fuss about it."

"...but!"

"Stay here...!" Evelyn sternly said.

*sigh~

"Fine..."

Evelyn walks to the direction of the Duke's office when he heard Gab yelling.

"Don't be nervous! Good luck, Eve!"

Evelyn chuckled and continued to walk.

"I'm sure he's here..."

*knock *knock

Contrary to her prediction, no one is there to answer Evelyn's call.

"Where is father?"

Evelyn saw the butler from the hallway, she calls Jede and asks the whereabouts of the Duke.

"He's in the main garden, Lady Evelyn."

"... in the garden?"

"Yes, Lady Evelyn."

"... this late?"

Evelyn went to where the butler said the Duke's location.

There she saw the Duke standing in the middle of the flower field like garden.

She was in awe about the Duke's appearance.

Shining silver-blue hair, his sapphire like eyes and the white shirt that accentuates the over all look.

She was reminded how OP his father with that look. She couldn't help but admired his father's look.

But what caught her attention is the melancholic expression in his face.

She walks closer but stops when the Duke turn his head to face him.

The Duke slightly smile that made a -pang to Evelyn's heart.

The Duke called her and she walks closer.

"What happen?"

". . ."

"Is it because of that bastard King? Don't worry... I'll go and settle it tomorrow."

". . ."

". . ."

The two went quiet and Gil talk to Evelyn inside her head.

"I thought your here to make plans with the Duke about your engagement?"

'Yeah... I just couldn't talk after I saw that.' Evelyn replied to Gil.

"About what?"

". . ."

She didn't reply to Gil's question and her lips slightly part open to talk to the Duke.

"Papa... Are you alright?"

There was a long pause before he answered.

"...I am."

". . ."

"Evelyn... Do you want to hear about your... Mother?"

Evelyn's eyes went wide with anticipation and shocked. She can't believe that the Duke himself will be the one to talk about it.

"Yes..."

***

It was a fine morning and Evelyn was just staring at the mirror.

Today is the day where she would go to the St. Prisch Academy.

Half a year has pass since the appointed 'engagement' of the Crown Prince and me.

The King didn't keep his promise... As of now, I'm the leading candidate for being a Crown Princess but what is good is that I'm not the only person who's in the choices.

Because there's a lot of aristocrat who wants there daughter to have a chance, they pleaded to the King to have a fair contest.

That way, their daughter has a chance. I didn't argue with that... as I saw Elise, the heroine of the story amongst the candidate.

Even though the beginning of the story has changed, I knew that Elise will be the winner.

I mean... She's the heroine.

I just shrugged at the thought of me competing with the noble daughters. I don't have to do that. So I'll just let them be.

For the time being, what I'm worried about is the dormitory life of the Academy.

In the story, this is the start of Evelyn's evilness. She started to harass Elise out of jealousy.

But because I'm not the old Evelyn. I won't bully her.

Then everything will be alright!

I just need to live a quiet life inside the Academy until Elise choose her love of her life amongst the Crown Prince and all the remaining male leads.

*knock *knock...

"Lady Evelyn, it's time to go."

"Yes..."

"...Let's go, Gab."