I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

It’s been 10 years. It was already 10 years since she left the empire, as if she was being sold. Although it was later than expected, fortunately, she was able to arrive at her brother’s wedding in time.

Violla Kaien Raeviesh walked through the capital with an unknown expression. She dared to get off the carriage and walked for one reason. Because she missed this empire.

It hasn’t changed much. Just like ten years ago, the capital was still lively and busy.

Viola Cayenne Rabiesch walked through the capital with an unknown expression. There is only one reason to get off the wagon and walk. I missed you.

“Oh my! Look there. Who is she? I think I saw her somewhere.”

“Who?”

“Excuse me! The woman in the burgundy dress!”

Violla looked at the whispering women and indifferently passed them. It wasn’t surprising if anyone recognized her. She used to be the number one flower in this empire. 

When the flower is broken, it’s over. There was a time when her life, which was compared to flowers, was once happy. However, she, whom everyone praised, was too easily broken. And they must have forgotten her after ten years.

It’s just nice to look at, but the fate of flowers in full bloom to whiter and disappear for the new buds to bloom later. She had endured and been patient all her whole life for the same moment. However, what was the result?

Violla was completely plucked out by a man who wanted to have the flower. She had no choice but to hold onto her skirt and reassure her crying brother. She turned her back on the excuse that she didn’t know what harm might be done to her brother if she didn’t leave.

She was actually afraid to continue living in this empire. She wanted to run away from her uncle, who used her as a hostage to suppress her brother. Tears constantly flowed from her eyes as she walked, but she never looked back.

Thus, she was handed over from the empire’s flower to the kingdom’s flower. She withered and soon faded. She thought her life would end like that. Until her brother came to the bloody battlefield.

The moment she faced her younger brother, who had been pushed back by their wicked uncle, she hardened her heart. She loved her brother too much to let everything go like this. And she felt sorry for him.

Her heart broke when she saw her brother greet her abandoned sister with an expressionless face.  She promised to protect her brother somehow. Even if she became eviler than her uncle. Now she has become a tree with deep roots that won’t wither even after ten years.

“Lady! Stop eating! Did you forget that the day after tomorrow is your wedding?”

Just in time, her eyes were drawn to the noble lady passing by and the person who appeared to be that lady’s maid.

“It’s just a marriage, so why are you making a fuss?”

Arrogant way of speech. It was the typical way nobles from the Harpion Empire spoke.

“Your fitting for the dress is finished, but if you keep eating, your clothes won’t fit!”

“It doesn’t matter if Lady starves for two days.”

“What? Do you understand what you are saying now? What’s the point of marriage if I have to starve? Isn’t it crazy?”

That’s an interesting thing to say. Violla stopped walking and looked back at the lady. Fair-white skin, silver hair, tall stature, and grumpy expression. Looking at her again, that lady was a typical noble of the Harpion Empire.

If a woman missed something like this, wouldn’t it be strange? But it’s just a little strange. It’s only a marriage… Has the marriage culture of the Harpion Empire changed? Well, ten years were worth changing.

Even ten years ago, marriage was a woman’s best interest and only opportunity. A beautiful woman or woman from a powerful family would be a good marriage partner. If a woman married into such a good family, they would have to live as a hostess for the rest of their life.

Yesterday, women could be their friends, but today they had to become a lower person to please their husbands.  For women, they were a person who changed according to their husband’s status. Their goal was to marry into a good family or a better family than their friends.

Marriage was the most important thing in a woman’s life. However,

“It’s just a marriage.”

Those words made her look back again.

“Do you think I’m doing it because I want to get married? I do it because I have to!”

“Lady is going to do it anyway, so it’d be nice if Lady showed your pretty self.”

“Who cares if I’m pretty or not! Is he going to cancel the marriage just because the dress won’t fit me?”

“Lady keeps saying something like this!”

“Yes, I will stay like this.”

“Lady!”

The woman shouted in a manly manner on the side of the street, or that maid who talked back to her master, was not ordinary. Don’t they even feel the gaze around them? Violla moved her feet again. She was on her way to see her mother after a long time. She had to hurry to stop by her mother’s favorite tea house.

* * *

“Then, it’s really over now, right?”

“I hope so. I didn’t know it was this hard to prepare for the wedding! I can’t do it twice!”

I nodded as I acknowledged Madrenne’s complaint.

“Yes, that’s right. So are you going to be single for the rest of your life? Well thought out. Getting married only makes you suffer.”

“Yes? Why did it turn out like that?”

And why can’t I do it when Lady does it? Madrenne had a lot to say but only muttered it inside her head since she couldn’t say it.

When they entered the duchy hall, Sebastian approached as if he had been waiting.

“You’re here.”

“Yes. You must be busy too. I’m sorry. Let’s hang in there for two more days.”

Rather than a bride who should look forward to her wedding more than anyone else, Arianne was more like a knight who was ready to go into battle. The more he looked at her, the more unusual the lady was. Sebastian took Arianne’s coat and delivered the news.

“Baroness, Queen Britana is here.”

“Ah.”

Is it finally my first meeting with my sister-in-law? During my stay in Borness Mansion, most of the conversation among the maids was swearing. Most of them were against their husband and their husband’s family.

“Is it true that you hate a sister-in-law who annoys you more than a mother-in-law who beats you?”

“That’s right! Does she even know how hard I’ve been buying the things I want? She would say, ‘Oh my gosh, how did you know I wanted this and bought it for me? Thank you~’ Is she crazy? I’m buying the precious things of course for myself.”

“It’s your fault for showing off your new things in front of your sister-in-law.”

“Shut up! I hate everything she said and want to rip her mouth off!”

“Somehow, I don’t know why every sister-in-law is being like that.”

Will I finally meet my sister-in-law, whom everyone treats like an enemy and hateful? I gulped at the unknown tension.

“I will take you to the parlor.”

Sebastian escorted me to the parlor with polite and elegant movements. To the world where my in-law was, which was so scary. And at where my in-law was… I mean in the parlor room.

“Huh? Why are there two Mothers here? Am I so tired that I hallucinate?”

Pfft. Sebastian twitched his mustache at Arianne’s words, trying to hold back his bursting laughter. Even though he fully understood her reaction, it was hard to bear because it was such an honest response.

“Keheum. The one on the left is Lady Violla, the Queen Britana, and duke’s sister,” Sebastian whispered in Arianne’s ear as he managed to stop his laughter like a professional butler.

“It surprised me.”

In fact, Sebastian was also surprised.

Violla Kaien. She was a miserable woman. Although she was born with a noble lineage, she lost her father at the age of 11 and lived under the care of her wicked uncle. At the age of 17, she was forced to leave to Kingdom Britana even before her debutante.

Violet returned to her hometown after 10 years had passed. The lady he saw after 10 years wasn’t the lady she used to be. Although she resembled her mother, the lady, who had a gentle personality, soft smile, and somewhat melancholy atmosphere, now possessed great dignity and inexplicable sharpness. It was probably because she had a hard time in Britana. Even though he was glad to see her, somehow he felt sorry for her, so he couldn’t hold back and shed tears.

I, who didn’t know the circumstances, was surprised to see her resemblance with Madam Kaien. At that time, madam found me and welcomed me.

“Come here. This is Violla, Charter’s older sister.”

Violla turned her head, looked at me, stood up from her seat, and approached. She looked at me with a quick gaze that I couldn’t even tell what she was trying to do, and she greeted me with a smile.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Violla Kaien Raeviesh, Queen of Britana.”

Are you sure… you’re happy to see me? It was scary for her to say hello with a smiley face.

I wondered if this was her absolute momentum. She was the Britana queen, so she couldn’t be ordinary. But I wasn’t the one who would show my weakness.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Arianne Devit, Baroness of Harpion.”

My status was very low compared to a queen, but I boosted my proud status, which I gained by myself. I put on the skillful smile I had honed over the years.

“…Baroness?” A look of doubt appeared on Violla’s face.

“Why don’t we talk about it over a cup of tea together?”

Violla was surprised to see her mother’s calm reaction. Is it really true? A woman really became a baroness? In this Harpion Empire? What the hell happened in those 10 years?

* * *

At that time, Charter was spending time with his nephew, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“You’ve grown a lot in a while.”

“I’m still a long way off. My age is only 10 years old.”

The last time Charter saw him was when he was 5 years old. His cute appearance at that time was nowhere to be found, and he was a little shocked by his nephew’s appearance, which was like the boy version of his sister.

The atmosphere became awkward. What should I say at times like this? In the past, his nephew constantly talked and clung to him, but now he was disappointed to see his attitude, which was like an old man, let alone acting cute.

That’s right. Let’s give him a present. It is said that no child doesn’t like presents. Charter brought a long box prepared in the corner of the room and held it out to his nephew.

“It’s a present. I prepared it before, but now I can deliver it to you.”

Was it a big mistake if he expected a child to jump at the word ‘present’? His nephew, who opened the box without any reaction, bowed his head very politely.

“Thank you.”

“…Yes.”

But… that’s it? Really?

It was a sword he was proud of because it was a masterpiece that took several months to make by ordering it from a blacksmith who was said to be the best in the empire… Should he have bought him a gun instead of a sword?

Though Charte couldn’t describe the feeling of dejection and disappointment, his face was still expressionless. Turning his head away to hide his feelings, he missed the fact that the boy’s gaze didn’t take off from the sword.

* * *

That night, Violla sat face to face with Charter. She, who had been sitting silently for a while, opened her mouth first.

“Is this marriage really necessary?”