Dumped After My Engagement: Becoming a Military Noblewoman

Chapter 104

The summer heat has faded, and the blowing wind feels a bit chilly.

In the gazebo within the Military School, Celestia relaxes with a book in hand, while beside her, Renato reads as well. Naturally, Silvio, Severi, and Renato's aides, Snow and Hale, are also present.

Celestia used to have lunch at the gazebo with Ellie and the others from different classes about twice a week, but after Renato and Silvio protested that it was unfair for only Ellie and her group to join, they started spending break time together doing whatever they liked. Though Celestia finds it strange that Renato and Silvio seem satisfied just by sharing the same time, she accepts it since they're happy.

It was a lovely afternoon as usual.

"Brother Roberto"

Celestia, who is always calm, unshaken by anything, and merely glances at Billy even when they're shouting beside her, speaks her cousin's name with a trembling voice.

"What is the meaning of this......?"

With a face as if betrayed by someone she trusted, she pointed at the item Roberto had brought.

It was at a time when the usual group was gathered at the gazebo, each spending the time as they pleased.

Roberto and Liam, Celestia's cousins who had become increasingly busy since entering their final year and could rarely attend early morning training, appeared with paper bags in their arms, wearing oddly serious expressions.

"Brother Roberto and Brother Liam? It's rare for you two to come here."

"Ah, yeah. We have something to discuss."

"Something to discuss?"

Closing the book she was reading, Celestia straightened her posture, wondering what it could be, while Roberto gave a wry smile and said, "It's not about you."

"The matter concerns the Second Prince, not Celes."

"Renato?"

"......Me?"

Renato, who had been reading a book next to Celestia, widened his eyes and tilted his head in curiosity as he looked up at Roberto. While Celestia inwardly swooned at his adorable gesture, she asked if she, Silvio, and Severi should step away if it was an important matter.

"No, stay as you are...... Hey, Liam, is this okay?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just as clueless."

"But you were asked to help with this too, weren't you?"

"Still, I don't know what I don't know."

"Sigh...... Why did I even agree to this?"

As Snow watched the exchange between Roberto and Liam, he asked, "Is this not a message from the royal palace?" to which Roberto awkwardly replied, "No......" while Liam just stood there expressionless. Unable to glean anything from their behavior, they decided to quietly wait for Roberto, who looked deeply troubled as he muttered, "How do I even explain this?"

"Here, take this......"

"A paper bag?"

"It's something sent by the Queen to Grandfather at the Fortress."

After much deliberation, Roberto seemed to decide to skip the explanation and hand over the item, extending the paper bag toward Renato. Normally, an aide like Snow or Hale would take it and check the contents before passing it to Renato, but since the sender was the Queen, the situation was different.

"From my mother?"

"To explain the process, it was sent from the Queen to the head of the Rotish family in their territory, then to Grandfather at the Fortress, and now it's here."

"For me? If that's the case, they could have sent someone directly to the Military School."

"No, it's not just for you, Renato. Apparently, there were portions for the head of the Rotish family and Grandfather as well."

"For the head of the Rotish family and the Marshal too? It feels quite light, though. What's inside?"

"Ah, you should check that when you're back at the dorm...... Hey!"

"Huh......?"

Roberto hurriedly tried to stop Renato, who had started rustling open the paper bag, but it was too late. Renato pulled out something square from inside.

"This is...... a board?"

"Second Prince, please put that away immediately!"

"Ah, this is Celes......!"

Though everyone had averted their eyes, thinking it inappropriate to show too much interest since it was from the Queen, they couldn't ignore what they heard and simultaneously turned their gazes back to Renato's hands.

"Amazing, look! There's a drawing of Celes on it!"

"......What?"

Renato held up the square board-like object for everyone to see, beaming as he said, "It's Celes!" Meanwhile, Celestia, sitting beside him, leaned closer to the board and was left speechless.

"There's more inside, it seems."

"......"

"Is this a bookmark to put in a book?"

"......"

"It's Celes and...... wow, there's me and my older brother too!"

"......"

Didn't her cousins say these items were from the Queen? Ignoring Celestia, who glared at Roberto with wide eyes, a certain man who always got overly excited about anything related to Celestia started making a fuss.

"Hey, what's that!? It's true! Amazing, it's Celes......!"

Silvio, who had jumped up from the ground with sparkling eyes, pointed at the board and bookmark in Renato's hands and pleaded, "I want those too!"

"No way."

Naturally, he was rejected in an instant.

Undeterred, Silvio asked Roberto how he could get them, only to be told it was impossible as Roberto shook his head.

"It's unfair that only the Second Prince gets them. I want a board and bookmark with Celes on them too!"

"They're made with incredible detail...... It's almost like the real person, isn't it?"

"Right? Don't you want one too, Severi?"

"I don't particularly need one, but if Sil wants it, why not have something similar made?"

"Oh, right, that's an idea...... Ouch! Celes, don't hit my back, it hurts!"

"Absolutely not. Don't even think about it."

"Huh, no way...... Ouch, that hurts!"

"Severi, if you have something like that made, know that you'll never live freely again for the rest of your life."

"Understood. I swear I won't have it made."

"What!? Why don't you say that to the Prince!?"

"Puffing out your cheeks doesn't make you cute, you know?"

"......If it were the Second Prince, you'd be charmed by this. That's discrimination!"

Snow and Hale, quietly listening to the noisy exchange among the seniors, kept their mouths shut as they glanced at their master, Renato, who was blushing while clutching the paper bag.

They knew that if they said anything unnecessary and Celestia took the paper bag away, they'd be in big trouble later.

"Ah, well, we'll be going now."

With their task done, Roberto tried to quickly leave the scene, but Celestia wasn't about to let him off so easily.

"Brother Roberto, what is the meaning of this......?"

Unable to escape as Celestia grabbed the hem of his uniform, Roberto swallowed hard, looking down at her with lifeless eyes.

And so, the story circles back to the beginning.

"Why were things like this made......? Things like this, ugh."

"I understand very, very well how embarrassed you must feel, Celes. But this is, well, supposedly for promotional purposes."

"Promotional......?"

"You're going to inherit the Count family someday, right? Originally, you should have attended the Academy in the Royal Capital to build connections. But since you entered the Military School and distanced yourself from social activities, the Queen might be trying to create a faction for you in various ways...... or something like that."

"Might be......?"

"Do you think someone like me could fully understand the Queen's intentions?"

He had heard that these items were made under such a pretext, so it wasn't a lie.

However, Roberto forced a neutral expression, knowing he absolutely couldn't mention that there might be other reasons.

"I think Mother made these with good intentions. Sorry, Celes."

"Ah, no, Renato, you don't need to apologize. I'm sure there's some reasoning behind it...... This, really?"

"Celes, are you okay?"

"......I'm not okay, but since it's something the Queen has done, there's nothing I can do. Still, is it necessary to distribute these to Renato? I'll take care of them--"

"It is necessary! I'm going to become the Knight Commander in the future!"

"......So?"

"S-So, I need to be pulled into your faction!"

Though Renato's reasoning was unclear, everyone present panicked, thinking the items might be taken away.

"......"

"I'm part of Celes' faction too...... Is that not okay?"

Who could resist an angel looking up with pleading eyes?

Celestia, as always, is soft on Renato.

"If that's the case, I guess it can't be helped."

"Yeah......!"

"Make sure to keep it in the paper bag so no one sees it."

"......I'll do that."

Though Renato agreed while clutching the paper bag, everyone's inner thoughts aligned: (He's definitely going to display it.)

Silvio, who was dumbfounded that Renato didn't realize he'd likely build an altar for it rather than just keep it in a paper bag, muttered, "An altar, for promotional purposes," with a sly grin.

If I can't make it myself, then I'll just have someone else make it.

A fervent believer in Celestia who would definitely build an altar, someone from a family that could create and sell these under the pretext of spreading the faith to the people of their territory.

Moreover, aren't there people who Celestia can't get angry at?

"Hey, Severi. Ellie and the others would be thrilled if they heard about this, right?"

"......I'll pretend I didn't hear anything."

"Should I get permission? If it's the Second Prince, he'd probably agree to help without a second thought."

Unaware of the conversation between Silvio and Severi, Celestia tried to convince herself that it couldn't be helped......

Little did Celestia know at this time that, in the days to come, not only boards and bookmarks with her image, but also badges and colored paper devised by Ellie and the others for further promotion, would be sold from the main store of Ellie's family's large shop in the Royal Capital.