I stood before the dressing table, adorning myself with the new jeweled necklace I had acquired. The emeralds and diamonds sparkled beautifully. A gift from Lord Cariotte, each gem alone was worth as much as a merchant family’s annual income. Being able to wear such expensive accessories felt like a dream.
I felt completely prepared to become queen.
All that remained was for Lord Cariotte to inherit the throne and become king. And I would be his legal wife. First Queen Carla. I repeated the sound of it in my mind over and over. It was so wonderful it sent shivers down my spine.
I, a mere merchant’s daughter, had finally climbed all the way to queen. All my past hardships were finally being rewarded. As long as I stayed with Lord Cariotte, kept him happy and pleased, that alone brought me various rewards. Men are such simple creatures. Being queen was turning out to be an easier role than I had imagined.
All those struggles in the merchant life—working from dawn till dusk, watching customers’ moods, desperately trying to earn even one more coin. I never had to do that kind of work again.
I was lucky. I caught Lord Cariotte’s eye and made it this far. So from now on, I needed to be fully aware of my position and act without making mistakes. Carefully, yet boldly.
That’s what I thought as everything progressed smoothly, until…
One day, I saw Lord Cariotte walking quickly down the hallway. But he didn’t have his usual confident, dignified expression. His face was pale, frantic—like a cornered little animal.
Seeing him like that, a bad feeling stirred deep in my chest. Could something have gone wrong?
“What’s wrong, Lord Cariotte?”
I followed him and stood before his door. My heart pounded with dread. I didn’t want to hear it, but I had to. My future was at stake.
“Carla…”
The door opened, revealing his weary face. Then he invited me inside. One look at his expression made it clear this wasn’t good news.
“What happened? You look so troubled.”
I played the part of a concerned woman while waiting for him to speak.
“Father said he’s stripping me of my right to inherit the throne.”
(No, that can’t be!)
I barely swallowed the curse that nearly escaped my lips, desperately maintaining my worried expression. But inside, angry words overflowed.
(Why did this happen? Did you do something unnecessary to cause this?)
Losing the right to inherit the throne meant my partner couldn’t become king. A mere prince was meaningless. I was aiming for the very top, the summit. I wouldn’t be able to obtain the position of queen. I might not even be able to live freely in the palace. Or enjoy luxury. After all, I was originally just a commoner’s daughter. This is truly a disastrous situation.
Then, while pretending to be sympathetic, shaken, and confused, I listened to the details from him. On the surface, I emphasized my concern and offered comforting words, while inside I calmly analyzed the situation.
Hearing the circumstances, I clicked my tongue mentally.
Because he broke off the engagement with Murina? And it’s already too late to fix anything?
(I was too greedy, wasn’t I?)
Perhaps I should have acted more cautiously and humbly in that situation. I shouldn’t have given up on pushing for the second queen proposal and securing my position. I enjoyed watching that woman’s face when she refused the proposal and boldly declared the engagement annulment. I got carried away along with him. It was a complete miscalculation.
(I just wanted her to stay out of the way. She withdrew quietly once, only to show up again.)
It’s because that woman put up unnecessary resistance that things got so complicated. If she had just obediently accepted being second queen back then, we could have lived peacefully.
“That’s not all.”
Lord Cariotte’s next words completely halted my thoughts.
“We’re being expelled from the palace. We have to leave soon.”
“!”
This is becoming truly terrible…
They’ll apparently provide for our living, but that essentially means house arrest, doesn’t it? Even if we’re not heavily restrained, our freedom will be greatly limited. Forget the glamorous palace life, we might end up living quietly in some remote mansion. I hate that kind of life.
Everything had been going so smoothly until now. Where did I miscalculate?
“It’s alright, Lord Cariotte. I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.”
I gently took his hand and smiled encouragingly. But my mind was filled with entirely different thoughts.
(What should I do from here to secure the future I want?)
Wait, maybe complete failure isn’t certain yet. If Lord Cariotte can rally, there might be a way to turn this around. But looking at him in this pathetic state, I can’t really expect much. He’s completely disheartened.
In that case, rather than staying with him and getting dragged down, it might be wiser to escape early.
If I get caught up in further failures, worst case scenario, I could be executed as an accomplice. I don’t want to be executed. I’d hate to lose the status and privileges I’ve gained, but if I die, I lose everything.
Let’s take all the assets I’ve received so far and make a quick escape. That’s the smartest choice. I’ve accumulated plenty of jewels and gold coins, and with the business acumen I cultivated as a merchant’s daughter, I can survive using these as capital.
The problem is how to escape while minimizing damage. While desperately pretending to comfort him, that’s all I could think about.
“Carla, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Lord Cariotte gripped my hand tightly. So hard it almost hurt. As if saying he’d never let me go. The strength of his grip made me slightly annoyed. I want to get away quickly.
“I’m happy to be with you too, Lord Cariotte.”
I spoke lies. Staying with him in this situation would mean getting dragged down to ruin.
(I should have attacked Murina more aggressively back then. Spreading rumors, undermining her position in noble society—I should have eliminated her earlier. I was completely too slow to act. That was my failure.)
But there’s no use regretting it now. What’s done cannot be changed. The crisis management skills I developed as a merchant are sounding alarms at full volume.
(I wish you could handle this better. It’s foolish to just wait around for an unhappy future to arrive without doing anything.)
I quickly continued calculating my losses in my mind. Pack my belongings immediately and take temporary refuge at my family’s merchant house. From there, move to another country, create a new identity in some distant town, and start a new life. Fortunately, I have sufficient funds from all the gifts I’ve received.
“Let’s walk this new life together. And someday, without fail.”
Lord Cariotte looked at me as he spoke. His eyes still held the light of unyielding will for revenge.
(You plan to do something? I wish you wouldn’t do anything dangerous. If you do, I’ll get dragged into it too.)
I smiled and nodded. But inside, I was already preparing to part ways with him. Watching his words and behavior, it seems likely I’d get involved after all.
If I stay with him, I’ll definitely be ruined too. That’s absolutely what I must avoid.
Abandoning my current position is painful, but I can’t trade my life for it. As a merchant’s daughter, I don’t want to make mistakes when cutting losses. Pursuing profit is important, but when risks exceed acceptable limits, the golden rule is to withdraw quickly.
Lord Cariotte, my time with you was truly enjoyable. I’m sincerely grateful for all the expensive gifts you’ve given me. Thanks to you, I, a commoner’s daughter, was able to climb all the way to queen candidate. You let me see a wonderful dream.
But it seems our time to part has come.
When the ship is sinking, it’s best to jump off early. That’s business basics.
While returning his hand squeeze, I quietly bid him farewell in my heart. Pack my belongings without being noticed and leave the palace. Before he realizes, I’ll escape far away.
And in a new place, I’ll start a new life. This time, more carefully, more surely.
This attempt may have failed, but the experience and assets I gained are by no means wasted. Next time, I’ll do better.