138. Shattered Dream of Becoming Crown Princess (1)

Right before departing for the imperial palace ball, Simons’s letter, which Caitlyn had ignored until the end, was well delivered to Darius.

At the moment when Caitlyn was stealing glances at Darius through the window, Darius instinctively knew he had caught an opportunity to perfectly ruin the moment the Pochet family had long desired.

The smile that had dazzled Caitlyn was a smile preparing for the downfall of the Pochet family.

Unlike Caitlyn, Darius kindly responded to Simons’s letter asking what on earth Caitlyn was doing in the capital.

〈Daniel, it seems young Marquis Simons will arrive here soon. But unfortunately, he’s a bit late, so I don’t think we can wait for him to go to the imperial palace together.〉

That was enough.

The perceptive Daniel certainly did not betray Darius’s expectations. After Caitlyn left, he immediately sent Simons, who had just arrived, to the imperial palace ballroom, while simultaneously whispering appropriate words into the unsuspecting Simons’s ear.

〈The Pochet family truly supports Miss Caitlyn wholeheartedly. From paying for all those enormous luxury items she buys daily in the capital, to even offering to hand over the southern cotton to our North.〉

It was entirely because of those words that Simons’s anger became so blind with rage.

“Selling the exclusive rights to cotton? Are you in your right mind?”

“I’m going to be crown princess, why should I care about mere cotton!”

“Who decided that on their own! I cannot allow selling all of next year’s cotton to the North! That decision is mine to make! I’m standing in for Father now!”

The crown princess selection ball was suspended due to Simons’s intrusion. The siblings continued arguing even after moving from the ballroom to an empty guest room in the imperial palace.

Daniel, who had safely escorted Simons to his destination as instructed, now stood quietly with his hands folded.

It was entirely Daniel’s achievement that Simons was able to enter the imperial palace ballroom after the entry time had passed.

He introduced Simons as Caitlyn Pochet’s younger brother who was inside, explaining that the young marquis had just arrived from the distant Pochet territory because he wanted to witness the glorious moment of his sister becoming crown princess, which persuaded the guards to open the doors.

“How fortunate that my name is no longer Anette Pochet but now firmly Anette Inkheart.”

Anette said with an incredulous face after seeing Caitlyn, who couldn’t control her temper, strike Simons’s face with a fan, drawing blood.

A sibling fight in front of all the nobles gathered in the capital.

It was fortunate that she had quickly changed her family register to Inkheart during the marriage registration; if she were still part of the Pochet family, she would have been too embarrassed to show her face.

“You didn’t tell me about this?”

“What a shame. I thought you would enjoy this surprise. Still, I’m pleased with the outcome.”

With Daniel still standing beside Simons, Anette couldn’t have missed Darius’s machinations. Darius joked in response to her sidelong glance.

“You cannot become crown princess! So I’ll tear up that ridiculous contract!”

Simons Pochet shouted, pushing Caitlyn forcefully. Anette and Darius reacted sensitively to those words.

“The contract is void?”

“What authority did Caitlyn have in the first place to sell southern cotton as she pleased? Only I can sell that; it was a condition Caitlyn had no right to even mention.”

“We Inkhearts came to the capital as Caitlyn requested and proved we are a married couple, and actively helped incorporate the Pochet family into the Golden Plate. We’ve already fulfilled our obligations, but now you’re saying the contract is void?”

Anette sneered.

“I’ll give you the original contract, why don’t you read it?”

Daniel immediately pulled out the document from his br*ast pocket. Simons’s heavy breathing soon subsided.

“It states that if this contract is broken, Caitlyn forfeits all rights as a marquis’s daughter.”

Caitlyn, who had been shouting and blaming Simons endlessly, soon felt a strange silence fall over the room.

“All rights as a marquis’s daughter?”

Simons read that part as if pronouncing an unfamiliar word.

“Simons?”

Caitlyn was suddenly terrified. Why is he looking at me with that expression?

“It’s a contract made with holy power by a priest. This is no joke.”

“If you still want to nullify the contract, although it’s clearly to our disadvantage, we’ll do so. The Great Temple in the capital will process Miss Caitlyn’s records.”

‘By removing her name from the noble yearbook,’ Darius added.

“Simons, Simons…… what are you thinking? It’s just cotton! Cotton grows every year…… it’s only one year’s worth. And I said we’d sell it for a proper price…… I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Caitlyn read Simons’s mind as he weighed something against her. She couldn’t believe this situation.

‘How can Simons look at me like that? I’m a Pochet, Simons’s family!’

“I’m going to be crown princess! Trust me, Simons! You ruined everything, but I can still fix this!”

Caitlyn’s wailing completely hardened Simons’s heart.

The territory was in danger, and his immature sister had no grasp of the situation.

“There’s one thing I’m grateful for, Sister.”

Simons realized one thing. There was a way to solve the monster problem that had been troubling him, the loan sharks chasing him, and the uprising of the people.

Since the rights to the southern cotton that Caitlyn tried to sell were in Simons’s hands, he could now negotiate with the Inkhearts using this.

“Let’s forget about the contract with Caitlyn. I accept the Inkheart punishment of removing Caitlyn, who caused this commotion, from our family register. And regarding the cotton that Inkheart wants, let’s discuss it anew with me.”

“Simons!”

Caitlyn screamed. Anette asked without batting an eyelid.

“Are you serious? Caitlyn giving up all rights as a marquis’s daughter means she’s now a commoner?”

“I’m serious.”

“If you’re serious, I’ll call a priest to proceed according to our agreement.”

“You’re removing me from the family? What does that mean? How am I supposed to live!”

Simons turned away from Caitlyn, who was crawling toward him on her knees, crying.

Darius stood in front of Anette. He was worried that the agitated Caitlyn might grab Anette next.

Soon after, the priest they requested arrived. Surprisingly, the priest who came to witness the contract was Margarita.

“I won’t deny that I came out of curiosity about all this commotion. But it’s also true that I have holy power and the qualifications to officiate sacraments.”

Having this level of ability beyond simply being devout was an unusual qualification for becoming crown princess. There must be special circumstances, but in the current situation, no one was curious about that.

To Caitlyn’s eyes, Margarita looked like a demon who had come to drag her down from her glorious position as crown princess.

She looked around as if seeking help, but Darius and Anette appeared indifferent, as if they thought this would end quickly regardless of the outcome.

Even Simons seemed more concerned with his own conditions than his sister’s fate, frowning and continuously muttering something.

Without hesitation, Margarita tore up the contract. Outwardly, nothing seemed to have changed.

“Do you think you can expel me from the Pochet family with just a piece of paper?”

“It’s a contract consecrated by a priest and nullified with my holy power. At the same moment this contract was torn, your name was erased from the noble yearbook kept in the Great Temple.”

Margarita spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal. Her tone was light, as if people lost their noble titles every week.

“Caitlyn. You are no longer a member of the Pochet family. Of course, you’re not a noble either. So please leave the imperial palace immediately. Today’s ball is only for those who are qualified.”

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be! This can’t…! Margarita, Simons!”

In her desperation, Caitlyn called out every name she knew. Of course, the names of Marquis and Marchioness Pochet were among them. Anette quietly watched Caitlyn, who was crying and unable to come to her senses.

“How does it feel to be abandoned by the family you trusted, Caitlyn?”

“Anette, you…!”

“It wasn’t me. It was Simons. Simons chose cotton over saving you from your predicament. It seems to Simons, you’re worth less than a year’s crop of cotton.”

Caitlyn had collapsed on the floor, crying. Looking at the fierce glare from her raised head, Anette felt exhilarated.

Yet she found it strange. Caitlyn was annoying, but there was no need to hate her this much. Of course, seeing Caitlyn and Simons reminded her of the step-siblings who had tormented the pre-possessed Anette, which was irritating.

But wasn’t it a bit strange to feel so happy that her heart fluttered when Caitlyn looked at her as if she wanted to kill her? It was the pre-possessed Anette who had been tormented by Caitlyn, not me after the possession……

“I was abandoned from the time father remarried your mother. With your birth, and then Simons’s birth, the existence of family grew more and more distant from me.”

‘Perhaps these are Anette’s emotions remaining in this body.’

Thinking that way, the emotions of her pounding heart felt natural.

“Don’t be too upset about ending up like this, Caitlyn. We’re family.”

Anette whispered in Caitlyn’s ear. Thinking that if the real Anette were here, she would have said something like this.

“There will be a day when I’ll show Simons and your mother the meaning of family as I know it. It will come soon!”