When I became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement! Chapter 11

Age 14 part 2

I waited after my family left.

I waited, believing that my brother would come to get me. Although people passed by, they seemed to sense something and didn't speak to me. They just passed by at a distance.

"The autumn wind is cold; it'd be awful if you catch a cold. How about we find a room in a hotel?"

Clew, being a fairy, shouldn't feel the cold, yet he was rubbing his arms.

There was a time when Clue suggested putting my remaining pocket money and important things into a space created by his spatial magic. Knowing how whimsical fairies could be, I hesitated a bit. But seeing Clew's serious look, I decided to trust him.

So, I wasn’t penniless. Clew, having shrunk them down, had also put in dresses I was going to discard, thinking it would be a waste to leave them. I had also given him the cooking utensils and ingredients I was struggling to store. Although I was reluctant at first, I found Clew's spatial magic, which also froze time, to be extremely useful as there was no deterioration in the items over time. It could hold an infinite amount and items could be retrieved immediately, saving me the trouble of searching. Recently, I felt like I had been leaving everything to Clew.

Thanks to that, I wasn’t thrown out without any money. But when I look back at why Clew suggested this, I couldn’t bring myself to be happy about it.

"Just a little longer. If no one comes, I'll give up."

In truth, I didn’t wish to give up. I wanted to wait for as many days as it took. But I knew that doing so would only cause more trouble for my family. I also understood that it was quite difficult for a child like me to find lodgings, so it would be wise to start looking early.

Even as the sun set, no one came.

"…Hey…"

"Yeah, I know. Let’s look for a place to stay."

I replied to Clew and started walking reluctantly. After walking for a while, a carriage pulled up beside me.

Startled, I looked at the carriage. It bore the Sennet family crest. My brother emerged from inside. Though he didn’t have his usual smile, I was so happy that I called out.

"Brother!"

Surely, my brother hadn’t abandoned me after all.

But that was a misunderstanding.

"I am not your brother. You know that better than anyone. This morning, while we were walking, I mentioned the dream about the fairy. There was more to it than that. The fairy told us that you and my sister were switched by a changeling fairy and that you had known about it for a year and deceived us. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to think it was a lie. But when you saw my real sister, you said 'Annette.' Do you understand how I felt then? Why didn’t you tell us when you found out the truth a year ago?"

My brother’s eyes were colder than I had ever seen and filled with hatred.

"Th-that’s because I didn’t want to be separated from my family…"

"Hah, do you expect me to believe that? You just didn’t want to go back to being a commoner. Did you think this would not come out just because it was something a fairy did? Because of you, my real sister had to take the academy’s exam as a commoner. If you had confessed a year ago, we could have helped her sooner!"

I couldn’t respond to my brother’s words and hung my head.

"Well, whatever. From now on, we’re naught but strangers. I’m relieved. I was embarrassed to have someone like you as my sister. I couldn’t even introduce you to anyone."

Startled, I looked at my brother. Come to think of it, he had never introduced me to his friends. Was his kind, doting brother act all a façade?

"Barrett will handle the paperwork. Get in that carriage over there."

I climbed into the carriage my brother indicated, my head still bowed. It was the most shabby carriage I had ever ridden. Barrett, my brother’s attendant whom I had known since childhood, was also there. He usually had a smiling face, but now his expression was stern.

"We are going to your real family now."

"Won’t it be a bother to them to visit at this hour?"

"What are you saying? They are your blood relatives. I'm sure they'll receive you with open arms. Besides, I informed them about this earlier, so there’s no need to worry."

It seemed he had taken care of that before coming to me. I wondered how the family reacted when an aristocrat appeared out of nowhere and suddenly told their child had been switched with a noble. According to Clew, Annette was a very capable girl, so they were probably saddened by her departure. Even if I, raised as a noble, appeared now, they wouldn’t be happy.

"But…"

"There’s nowhere else for you to go. You understand that you will never pass through the marquisate’s gates again, don’t you?"

With that, he thrust a paper in front of me.

The paper stated that I would no longer have any relation to the marquisate. It demanded that I swear to sever all ties in exchange for a sum of money.

"I don’t need any money."

"You say that now, but you’ll need it. Especially since you’ve never had to worry about money before. It would be troublesome if you sought help from the marquisate later. Sign it. Your real mother signed it immediately when shown the money."

Even though I had never met her, I felt strange anger at my mother being insulted. When living as a commoner, one might not have the luxury to worry about pride. It must be a headache, as Annette who had been earning money, was gone and replaced by me, a girl raised as a noble. 

When I hesitated to sign, Barrett let out a big sigh.

"Actually, we are not obligated to give you any money. We have all suffered because of the fairy’s mischief. But considering Annette’s feelings, we are making a concession. It’s in your best interest to sign while the money is still on offer."

It wasn’t about feeling of being sold off for money. Signing this would provide them relief. They just didn’t want to be seen as heartlessly discarding a daughter they had raised for fourteen years.

With trembling hands, I signed. Barrett then handed me the money. I had no idea how much was in the bag.

"This is your share, Anna. We gave your mother a separate amount, so you should manage this yourself. Even if they are your blood relatives, you haven’t lived with them before. Anything could happen."

Barrett’s face was expressionless, but I felt he might be a little concerned for me. When I stared at him, he averted his gaze and knocked, signaling the coachman to start moving.

After a while, Barrett spoke. He seemed hesitant.

"As for Lord Edmond, your engagement to him has been annulled. He will likely be engaged to Annette. We hope you do not make the mistake of seeking help from him."

I wasn’t surprised by the annulment. I had expected it since I was no longer a marquis’s daughter. There was no way I could ask for help even if they didn't forbid it.

"I won't ask for help seeing we won’t be seeing each other again."

"You’ll be attending the same academy, so you may see each other. Lord Edmond won’t speak to a commoner. Please do not act too familiar with him. You could be punished for this."

In theory, everyone at the academy is supposed to be equal, but I had been taught that opposing a noble could result in consequences without recourse. It wasn’t equal at all. Aristocrats are scary. I realized the precarious position of commoners only after my status changed.