Volume 3 Chapter 3: Captive Part III (2/2)

Selena opens her eyes wide.

“… No one has ever said anything like that to me,” says Selena, looking dumbfounded.

I smile widely.

“Then I’ll say it as many times as you want from now on. So, won’t you please become my friend?”

She spent all her time worrying about me even though she looked so much worse. She said that she didn’t care if she was thrown in jail if it was for the person she loved. She looks like a frail little animal, but she’s a gracious and strong girl.

Perhaps it’s strange for a kidnapper and their victim to become close, but I’ve begun to really like this girl called Selena during the short time we’ve had together.

I really feel like we’ve gotten closer after talking like this. I feel like we could be good friends.

I hold out my hand to Selena with a smile.

“… To say such things to your kidnapper… Katarina-sama, you truly are just like the rumours say…” murmurs Selena as she gazes at the hand I hold out.

Huh? What does she mean by rumours? Those rumours about how I’m an ‘unrestrained’ girl?

“… If you’re alright with someone like me, then I’d gladly become your friend,” says Selena, taking my hand in hers. She then looks back at me and continues, “… Katarina-sama… I think I should properly talk with Ian-sama himself without worrying about the people around me, like you said.”

“Yes, let’s start from there!”

“Yes.”

There were no longer any tears in her eyes, and while she still looked sickly, her expression was bright.

“But before that, I need to end this idiotic kidnapping I did. I need to repent for the crimes I’ve committed thus far.”

“I can keep it all a secret if you’d like.”

She didn’t do anything I didn’t like – actually, I had a rather heavenly experience. I can just say I got lost while out for a walk and no one will ask any questions.

Selena lets out a wry laugh.

“Just how kind can you be, Katarina-sama? But I’m afraid I cannot take you up on your offer. I must repent for the crimes I’ve committed,” says Selena with a brave expression.

Oh, this girl was really gracious and strong. She looks so adorable from the outside but her inner personality enthralls me.

“Well then, I’ll immediately return you to Jared-sama. I’ll go make preparations,” says Selena, standing up and heading to the door.

But the moment she places her hand against the door, she slowly collapses to the ground.

“S – Selena-sama!”

Before I could run to her to see what was wrong, I realize that someone had stepped in through the door.

“So you slipped away to somewhere like this when I looked away for a moment…Young mistress Selena, don’t cause me trouble by trying to end things early.”

He smiles incredibly beautifully as he puts a hand on Selena’s shoulder. Selena is still collapsed.

“W – what did you do to Selena-sama?”

It is incredibly obvious that he did something to Selena what with his timing and what he just said. I glare at the man.

“I’m just having her sleep for a bit. She still has a role to play, after all.”

“A role?”

“Yes. Her role is to take responsibility for this kidnapping and any other such crimes, then to disappear along with Prince Ian.”

I’m shocked.

“You have a role to play too. Lady Katarina Claes – I’ll have you disappear with Prince Jared,” says the lady-killer butler Rufus who had been serving Selena.

He laughs so very cheerfully.

************

I, Selena Burke, first met him when I was nine.

He was a handsome boy like no one I had ever seen before. I had been nervous enough just being in front of him, but at the sight of his face, I went rigid.

“N – nice to meet you. M – my n – n – name is Selena Burke.”

I had practiced my greeting so many times, but thanks to my nervousness it came out horribly. The adults around me snickered.

I was embarrassed – my face was warm. I was sure that my face was red. Realizing that, I grew even more embarrassed and unconsciously looked downward.

“Nice to meet you, Selena. My name is Ian Stuart. I look forwards to getting along with you from now on,” responded Ian with a serious face. He held out his hand to me.

He didn’t laugh at my greeting that everyone around us had snickered at, nor at my bright red face.

My younger self immediately fell in love with that warm hand he held out to me.

That was the first time I met Ian-sama.

I had been born into a Duke’s family, I was around the same age as the prince, and I had magic. For those three reasons, I, Selena Burke, was chosen as the fiancée of this country’s second prince, Ian Stuart. Our wants and desires played no part in the engagement.

But after meeting Ian, I fell in love. That young love that was born on that day just grew and grew. He’s earnest, works hard, and is awkwardly kind. Every time I met Ian, my love for him grew larger.

Today, over ten years since I became his fiancée, I now hold Ian-sama dearer than anyone else.

But despite how much my feelings grew, my magic – the very thing that had triggered our engagement – wouldn’t grow at all.

No matter how hard I work in my desire to stand by Ian’s side, my magic remains weak. No matter how desperately I throw myself into my studies, my grades don’t reflect my effort.

I was able to enroll in the magic academy with Ian and the others because I had magic, but I wasn’t able to become a member of the student council admired by the student populace.

Geoffrey-sama, Suzanna-sama, Ian-sama – they were all chosen, but I alone was a terrible student.

To make things worse, Geoffrey and Suzanna often spent time with each other and seemed pretty close… but Ian and I did not. Ian wouldn’t meet with me unless he needed something. He wouldn’t touch me unless he needed to, and even when we met, I felt like there was a distance between us.

Seeing the state of our relationship, everyone around us gossiped that Ian-sama hated his stupid, useless fiancée.

And when Ian and I graduated the academy, Ian’s younger twin brothers Jared-sama and Alan-sama entered it, along with their fiancées. Both of them were chosen to be student council members, along with Alan’s fiancée Mary-sama.

Jared’s fiancée Katarina-sama wasn’t chosen as a student council member, but it was said that she was loved by the student populace so much she had her own fan club.

After hearing the stories, my parents and other relatives began saying that it might be better for someone else to be the prince’s fiancée.

The wonderful princes and their fiancées… in that group, the only one who didn’t belong was me. Why am I such a failure? No matter how hard I try, I can’t do any better than average - it’s natural that Ian-sama would hate me.

Despite all that, I wanted to help him… no matter how, I wanted to pay him back somehow for all the trouble I’d caused him up until now…

That man appeared in front of me when I was thinking of nothing but helping Ian.

“I shall aid you with your desires.”

Saying that, he told me that there was something even I could do to help Ian.