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Chapter 01
Louise, the foolish princess of Florence.
Although she was the fiancée of Duke Calix Westen, she was called both foolish and crazy.
Her obsession with her fiancé, Calix, had gone too far.
“That silver-haired lady over there… she’s your fiancée, right?”
The Crown Prince, Calix’s cousin, asked, pointing at Louise.
Being a free spirit, he rarely attended balls, so this was likely his first time seeing her.
“Can you really leave such a beautiful lady alone? What if someone else takes her?”
“Are you serious?”
“No.”
The Crown Prince’s light smile vanished, replaced with a sigh.
“The Emperor is truly cruel.”
Who would dare speak to Florence’s foolish princess—or rather, the so-called crazy lady?
As the Crown Prince said, Louise’s reputation was far different from her sister’s.
Her sister, the Duchess of Florence, had the dignity and elegance fitting their family name.
Louise, on the other hand…
“God really is fair, I suppose. She looks so pretty, yet she does nothing but shocking things.”
Usually quiet, she became wild whenever anyone approached Calix. She would pull hair, and even tried to hit someone with a candlestick.
“Can she really fulfill her role as the Duchess of Westen like this?”
“That’s a needless worry, Your Highness.”
Calix interrupted the Crown Prince’s concern.
“She couldn’t fulfill that role from the start. That’s probably why she became my fiancée.”
“I suppose….”
The Crown Prince sighed again.
The current Emperor wanted to prevent the Westen family from growing too powerful. To do that, he ordered Calix, who had been considering a match with the Duchess of Florence, to become engaged to her younger sister, Louise.
Calix had two choices:
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Refuse the Emperor’s engagement and marry the Duchess, enduring the Emperor’s lifelong scrutiny.
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Accept the engagement to the rumored foolish princess and remain free in other matters.
Calix, already busy and with much to worry about, chose the latter.
The Crown Prince felt pity for him.
“Huh? Calix?”
Louise, noticing their whispers, turned to face them.
Her bright smile looked like an angel sent from the heavens.
If only half of that face had been sane.
She stepped forward.
“When did you get here? Came to see me? You’re not as busy as before?”
Her endless chatter slowly tested his patience, but luckily the Crown Prince intervened.
“Hello, you must be Princess Louise of Florence, right?”
“…I’m Louise Florence.”
She didn’t seem to know who he was but was polite enough.
“You don’t know who I am?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
The Crown Prince seemed pleased by her honest reply.
“The Crown Prince, huh? The one who rarely stays in the palace, always wandering around.”
“So, you’re Calix’s cousin!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Louise seemed more interested in Calix than in his royal status, which displeased the Crown Prince slightly.
Calix felt the same and raised his glass to his lips, feeling thirsty from it all.
“Then, Your Highness… do you know what Calix’s favorite dessert is?”
Louise continued chatting with the Crown Prince, gathering information more than having a conversation.
A passing servant approached to see if anyone needed help.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
Calix excused himself and left the main hall.
Recently, Calix had been feeling uneasy about his engagement to Louise.
Of course, nothing could change now. He couldn’t revoke the decision.
‘If I break off the engagement with Louise, the Emperor will just arrange another match.’
The next fiancée arranged by the Emperor would likely be from a less prestigious family than the Duchess of Florence. So this was the best option.
As Calix walked through the garden, a commotion nearby caught his attention.
“How dare you try to take my fiancé and now act pitiful?!”
It was Louise.
Calix pressed his forehead in frustration. She had caused trouble in the short time he was gone.
Pushing through the crowd, he saw two women in a standoff.
“What did I do wrong, hic! It’s too much, Princess!”
Diana Wibel, looking like a drowned mouse, glared at Louise, who had apparently pushed her into a fountain.
“I just wanted to greet the Duke… hic!”
“You started it, yet blame me for everything!”
Calix stepped elegantly between them.
“Miss Wibel, don’t cry.”
Diana, embarrassed, took his hand to stand, and he helped her steady her ankle after falling.
“C-Calix! I… this is…”
“Later.”
Louise tried to protest, but Calix interrupted.
“We’ll talk later, Louise.”
They both knew they wouldn’t bring up today’s incident again.
After settling Diana Wibel’s matter, Calix sat on the sofa with a sigh.
‘How many times has this happened now?’
Calix disliked being restrained. Marriages among nobles required trust and mutual understanding between families.
Although this engagement was arranged suddenly by the Emperor, Louise shouldn’t have to beg for love by lowering her dignity.
‘I shouldn’t see her anymore for now.’
Louise seemed harder to control the more he let things slide. He needed to set boundaries.
Some time later, Louise had an accident in a carriage. While not seriously injured, Calix had to visit.
“It’s been a while, Louise.”
“…Calix.”
Her expression was indifferent. Calix expected happiness but got a cold response.
“Calix Westen… Please break off the engagement with me.”
Her words were like throwing a stone into the calm lake of his heart.
