Chapter 45 - Malicious Whispers and the Villainess's Trap
"Hey, did you hear?"
"You mean about the Marcel girl contracting with a Spirit of Darkness?"
"I heard the Crown Prince actually wants to break off the engagement."
"Well, it makes sense. Who'd want a fiancée associated with darkness?"
"Is it true that bad things happen if you get too close to her!?"
"Shh! Look, she's here."
The moment I opened the classroom door, the buzzing room fell into a sudden, heavy silence. Every day was the same. I didn't even know what kind of face I was supposed to make anymore.
The rumors had spread everywhere. The fact of my contract was being twisted with all sorts of malicious lies. His Highness was trying to find the source and settle the rumors, but the damage was done.
I had always been viewed from a distance, but now the isolation was absolute. People's faces would twitch with fear if our eyes even met. It was incredibly disheartening. Abbott-san stayed by my side as much as possible, but even I didn't know how to handle this situation.
I spent the day in a gloomy haze. When school ended, Abbott-san had a disciplinary committee meeting. She looked worried as she left, but I gave her a reassuring smile and waved her off.
I have to do something soon. I'm causing nothing but trouble for His Highness and Abbott-san.
I was packing my things, swallowing a sigh, when a voice spoke up from beside me. The suddenness of it made my shoulders jump.
"Rachel-sama, do you have a moment?"
"Katrina-sama..."
"I have something I'd like to share regarding those rumors."
Katrina-sama wore an elegant smile, her voice a low whisper in my ear. The rumors? My gaze sharpened with instinctive caution. She let out a soft, mocking giggle and covered her mouth with her hand. "My, what a scary face."
I debated whether I should even listen to her. My mind raced through the potential problems, but it was clear she had something specific to say about my current situation. I had already decided I needed to talk to her eventually; perhaps this was the right time. I gave her my consent.
She led me to a window seat in the cafeteria. Her twins, Willemina and Euphemia, were already there. They offered me saccharine smiles and gestured for me to sit. The cafeteria was nearly empty, with only a few students scattered in the distance. No one would overhear us.
We sat around the circular table. Katrina-sama maintained an inscrutable smile before her red lips parted to break the silence.
"I am simply incensed by those rumors. Everyone is saying such dreadful things, aren't they? But I simply can't believe it. To think that Rachel-sama would... contract with a Spirit of Darkness of all things."
She smiled sweetly and turned her gaze toward the twins. They nodded in unison, their smiles twisted with a hint of mockery. "Yes, truly dreadful."
"It must be so hard for you, Rachel-sama."
"I don't find it hard at all. On the contrary, I consider it an honor to contract with a Spirit of Darkness."
"Oh, come now. We're friends, aren't we? You can be honest with us."
Her words were loaded with hidden meaning. I kept my own smile in place, but my eyes were searching hers. She let out a theatrical sigh and rested her cheek on her hand.
"You and His Highness never seemed particularly close in the past, yet lately you've been quite affectionate. I wonder what happened?"
"His Highness is a very kind person."
"Yes, I'm well aware. It must be so lamentable for him to have a fiancée in such a position."
"...What are you implying?"
"His Highness is so gentle that he likely views his fiancée's problems as his own. The stress must be mounting. It breaks my heart... I wish there was something I could do for him."
"Are you saying I'm useless as his fiancée?"
I forced my face to remain calm. I knew exactly what she was doing. She was telling me to step down because I was a burden, implying she was ready to take my place at a moment's notice.
"My, how hurtful! I'm simply repeating what my mother tells me. She says that if anything were to happen to you, I would have to become the Crown Prince's fiancée. My magic may be inferior to yours, but in terms of lineage, appearance, and grace, I am second to none."
Just as I thought. The Marchioness of Higgins hadn't given up on her dream of making her daughter the queen. In my previous life, Katrina-sama had fanned the flames of malice against the Saint to get me removed. She was clearly trying to drive a wedge between me and His Highness again.
"And a black cat, of all things. Even a Spirit of Darkness can be quite cute, it seems."
"...Are you the one who started the rumors?"
Willemina could see spirits. She must have seen Kuro when he jumped out of the carriage. She would have reported it to Katrina-sama immediately, and Katrina-sama was never one to let an opportunity to undermine me pass by.
With her vast social network, exaggerating and spreading rumors throughout the academy would have been child's play. Her goal was to isolate me, spread word of a rift between me and the prince, and drag me down from my position.
"Oh, right! There's one more interesting thing. Something my father mentioned."
"The Marquis of Higgins?"
"Yes. He said... His Highness has been holed up in the Royal Library for quite some time. Apparently, he's been pouring over dozens of books on magic, investigating something."
"What..."
They were even spying on His Highness. Marquis Higgins was known to be more ambitious than his predecessor, seeking closer ties to the Royal Family. If that was true, it wasn't just the Marchioness who wanted the match.
"By the way, Rachel-sama. Are you familiar with the term 'mana depletion'? The mysterious phenomenon where one's magic simply vanishes?"
The world seemed to freeze. A sharp crack echoed in my mind. What did she just say?
She knew. I didn't know how the information had leaked, but she knew the general state of my condition. My smile vanished as I glared at her, my guard fully raised. Katrina-sama's grin only widened at my reaction.
"Tell me, Rachel-sama. Could you use that precious water magic of yours right now?"
She wore the innocent smile of a young girl, her voice trembling with suppressed laughter. "If this is true, then your position—which you only hold because of your high magic capacity—no longer exists, does it?"
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