Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat in an Otome Game, So I Bought the Main Heroine with Money - Chapter 57: My Role

Chapter 57: My Role

《Clarice’s Side》

As the eldest daughter of the Everett ducal family, I was raised to understand my “role” from a young age.

My appearance, my lineage, my education—all of it was nothing more than a “tool” to maximize the ducal family’s benefit.

My father drilled that into me countless times.

At first, I couldn’t fully grasp what he meant. But as I grew older, I came to understand that this was simply how the Everett family operated—and that it was the fate I had to accept.

My father has always been a cold and calculating man.

He evaluates my worth and decides how best to use me. No, not just me—he sees everyone that way.

For a young child, that was terrifying. And at the same time, it was an undeniable reality. Expecting love was forbidden. Worse, desiring it would only become a weakness.

By the time I realized I could no longer seek affection, I met Cerios.

A boy completely different from me.

He had lost his mother and threw tantrums whenever his emotions overwhelmed him. While I lived every day under constant scrutiny, fearing my father’s wrath, he behaved recklessly, indifferent to how others perceived him.

In the end, Cerios was disinherited and abandoned by the king.

At first, my father had sought to gain favor with him. But the moment he deemed Cerios useless, he lost all interest in what happened to the frontier lands.

When the Margrave died in an accident, my father personally took over as guardian.

He intended to control the frontier as he pleased.

But Cerios changed. He defied my father and forced him to back down.

No one had ever opposed the Duke before. Not a single person.

That alone made Cerios different. It piqued my curiosity, and when he appeared at the academy, I couldn’t help but speak to him.

In truth, I should have prioritized my position as Prince Edward’s fiancée.

It was my most important duty—one assigned to me by my father.

As the bridge between the royal and ducal families, I was expected to be flawless. Failure was not an option. Every mannerism, every movement had been drilled into me to ensure I would become the perfect future queen.

But Prince Edward… he was nothing like I had imagined.

He was kind and had a sense of justice, but he was unreliable. Worse, he was infatuated with another woman.

He was nothing like the prince I had envisioned.

Even as his fiancée, I felt no desire to win his heart.

And then came the confrontation between Cerios and Prince Edward.

To be honest, it was pathetic.

A man who already had a fiancée was chasing after another woman, and when things spiraled out of his control, he had the audacity to seek help from me.

It was disgraceful.

To think that someone like him would one day become king…

It made me wonder—was this country doomed?

Instead of holding Prince Edward accountable, they turned me into the villain.

I was stripped of my title, disowned, and branded as a disgrace to the ducal family.

My engagement was annulled. The royal family accused me of bringing shame upon them.

If this was the true nature of the monarchy, then it was no wonder my father clung to power so desperately.

Entrusting the kingdom to rulers like them would never change anything.

But deep down, I had already accepted my fate.

If I was the only one punished, then at least Cerios was safe.

The boy I once knew—who threw tantrums and lashed out—was gone.

In his place stood a capable lord.

That’s why I had no regrets.

Because, in the end, I could no longer dedicate my life to someone like Edward.

Confined in isolation, my world had fallen into silence.

Day after day, I spent my time reading, embroidering—small freedoms that tethered me to myself.

But in those quiet moments, a name always resurfaced in my mind.

Cerios von Egrid.

As a child, he had been arrogant, looking down on others without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Yet, over time, he began to change.

He worked tirelessly to reform his territory.

At the academy, he devoted himself to his studies.

Step by step, he became someone different.

I could see it so clearly—he was trying to change.

And whenever I noticed that, I couldn’t help but smile.

I had wished for his happiness, for him to be surrounded by people who truly cared—Liese, Faina…

That was all I had ever wanted.

Yet—

One day, as I gazed out from my secluded estate, a familiar figure appeared outside.

Cerios. 

Why was he here?

The moment he noticed me watching from the window, he stopped in his tracks and looked straight at me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Because he noticed me. Because I had been thinking of him all this time.

He spoke. I couldn’t hear his voice, but I could read the words on his lips.

“I came to get you.”

Those words pierced straight into my heart.

I had never wanted to open my window more than I did in that moment.

But the windows in my prison couldn’t be opened. They had been sealed—to ensure I could never escape.

I could only stare at him through the glass.

His eyes held no doubt.

Was he truly thinking of me? 

That unwavering resolve in his gaze made me want to believe it.

A painful pressure swelled in my chest, an emotion I could barely contain.

I wanted to ask why.

Why was he doing this for me?

But the words caught in my throat.

All I could do was fight back the tears threatening to spill.

Even after he disappeared from sight, I remained by the window, frozen in place.

His words echoed in my mind, again and again.

“I came to get you.”

The more I thought about their meaning, the more my chest burned with emotion.

I had watched him grow all this time.

Somewhere along the way, I must have been drawn to him.

No… more than that—his actions had shattered the walls around my heart.

He was trying to save me.

Something no one had ever done before.

My father only saw me as a tool.

Prince Edward never even truly looked at me.

To him, as long as I fulfilled my role as a future queen, that was enough.

But Cerios was different.

He saw me as Clarice.

Every time I thought about that, my heart pounded, and a painful longing swelled inside me.

Perhaps my fate would never change.

And yet—just seeing him here planted a small seed of hope in my heart.

If he truly comes to save me…

Then I am ready to give him everything.

As long as I can stay by his side, nothing else matters—not my past, not my former life.

What can I do for him?

That was the only thought in my mind as I slowly closed my eyes by the window.

(Cerios… if your feelings are real, then I—…)

Wiping away my silent tears, I whispered his name over and over in my heart.

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[Afterword]

Hello, this is Iko, the author!

That’s all for today!

Also—thank you so much for all the New Year’s gifts yesterday!!

I was really, really happy to read all of your comments and reviews! Truly, thank you!!

I’ll be looking forward to more! (๑>◡<๑)