I Was Watching the Crown Prince Break Off the Engagement with the Duke's Daughter as Someone Unrelated, but later I was shocked. - Chapter 7 - Crown Prince Albarto Part 2

The Prime Minister tilted his fingers made to represent a fan 30 degrees diagonally right, pinky raised, showing them off.

“Damn you.”

Then slowly brought those fingers to his neck like Cornelia did.

“Kill you.”

“Oh, do not worry. It does not mean taking your life, but socially. Ah, did a broken fan not fall after my daughter left? That means ‘Go rot in hell.'”

In the auditorium, Cornelia’s dropped broken fan, and countless other broken fans, fans, fans…

I finally understood the meaning of those countless broken fans, and let out a short shriek as I sat down hard.

The Prime Minister’s expression vanished.

“Even though I and the tutors and everyone around you told you to learn fan language, you did not learn a single thing…

If you had understood, when the ladies made fan poses, you may have noticed your mistake…But still, would you have continued your love…?”

“Mo-mother said…it’s important to convey feelings through words.”

That’s right, the queen of this country said so.

“Huh? Her Majesty merely gave up on learning fan language because it was too troublesome. We have even received apologies from royalty of the Yuganta Empire, saying that as a princess they spoiled her, resulting in her lack of fan language skills expected of royalty. Could it be you still took to heart what Her Majesty said to brush off her inability to do fan language when you were little?

Hey, Albarto. Did you dislike Cornelia that much? She was born promised to marry you. She is a daughter who worked hard from a young age to stand by you, support you. What bothered you so much about her?”

Cornelia…A beautiful, bright girl since we were young…Who always smiled…Better than me at everything…Trusted by those around her…Stealing my confidence and tormenting me…

That’s right, only Polar noticed my anguished heart, and kindly called out, staying by my side.

“Didn’t Cornelia fail to notice my suffering heart and stay by my side! Only Polar, only Polar noticed and stayed by me!”

That’s right, that’s right, it was all cold Cornelia’s fault.

It wasn’t my fault.

“Didn’t Cornelia often gently stroke the back of her closed fan with her right hand three times, or open the fan with her left hand and bring it to her chest?”

In the depths of my memories, young Cornelia, who at some point stopped moving her fan in front of me, certainly often moved her fan like that when she was young.

“It means ‘Are you okay?’ and ‘You’re wonderful’…Cornelia noticed your hurting heart.

As Crown Prince, you and Cornelia could not meet alone unless you wished it. She conveyed through her fan that saying words of concern or encouragement in public may hurt or shame you…

She wanted to support you. But was unable to after you banned fan language.”

“Huh?”

I recall her innocent, chubby-cheeked young self.

Cornelia moving her small hands along the fan…

That gaze…!

Ah, I was a fool to brush aside those kind hands…

But still, I…

“I want to be with Polar…”

“Yes, Prince Albarto. You are free to do so.”

I could see that the smiling Prime Minister’s eyes did not reflect me.

Ah, I see…I have been given up on already…

“By order of the King. Crown Prince Albarto Solridia is hereby stripped of the Crown Prince position and demoted from the line of succession. From this moment, alongside Viscountess Polar Helketra, your status is reduced to commoner. Your bloodline shall not be permitted to remain.”

The King’s emotionless voice echoes through the office.

“I humbly accept the King’s order.”

I softly placed my hands on the floor and deeply bowed my head…

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