Please Don’t Remember Me - Chapter 1 Part 2. One Year Ago

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Her mother, Daniela, used to be the Queen’s personal maid. After giving birth to Princess Anna and Prince Ernesto, Queen Ginevilla became too ill to have any more children. She was unable to bear a child due to illness, and as the Prince was not able to support himself on his own, Patrizia, the daughter of an allied duke, became his consort. Patrizia gave birth to the princess Amarina and the second prince Auguste. However, the nobles still wanted to have another Prince just in case, and a fight broke out among the nobles for the position of consort. The King, who had had enough of this and was ready to abdicate, recommended Daniela, his most trusted maidservant, as his consort. By the time Clara was born, both the princes were in good health, and there was no further talk of a consort.

Daniela had always said that she was only the Queen’s shadow, and she had taught her daughter to do the same. Clara was never overbearing, and when she had to attend an official function, she chose a more modest dress than her sisters and stood a step behind them at the end of the line. In addition to her fair complexion and slender figure, she was rarely seen without greeting the guests and retreating quickly to the back of the house, which has led to her being regarded as a quiet princess, sickly and reserved.

In reality, however, Clara was a healthy princess who would mop the stairs energetically with her skirt rolled up. Daniela raised her daughter not as a princess but as a daughter. She was taught that she should not rest on her precarious position as the daughter of a concubine and that she should always be able to live on her own. She was careful not to take away the work of the maids, and always did her chores while laughing with everyone.

These happy days would be over in a month.

Clara had spent the morning in the garden with her maids washing the curtains. As she was rolling up her skirt to wash them, she heard a noisy voice coming from the house.

“Oh, look, brother! Look what Clara is doing with the maids again!”

“Ha-ha-ha, it’s cool, isn’t it, Clara?”

“Brothers!”

She ran up to them, brushing the soap lather from her feet.

“I’m sorry. I’m going to borrow her for a moment.”

Auguste waved amiably at the maids who were doing the washing up. The maids bowed their heads as their cheeks flushed. It was very unusual for the two Princes to be in the palace together in the morning. However, because they heard that Clara was going to get married, they rushed to the palace at once. Clara was a little embarrassed that everyone already knew about it. She was still feeling like a child in front of her brothers, so it was a little embarrassing for her to be told about her marriage.

“Yes, Clara,” Auguste said. We’ve come to stop your marriage.”

“What?”

Clara and Ernesto were both surprised at Auguste’s remark.

“Auguste, are you against this marriage?” Ernesto asked.

“Are you in favour of this marriage?” Auguste asked.

“If it’s all right with Clara.” Ernesto said.

“Seriously? The Duke has mistresses.”

“Well, there are some noblemen who have mistresses, you know.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You’re saying that Clara should be his wife?”

“Queen Ginevilla said that handsome men are righteous, but marriage is not like that.”

“Isn’t it the same for women?”

After returning to the royal palace, the three of them talked over the tea. Clara drank a cup of tea that she had brewed herself. And she understood how the two Princes acted because they were  just thinking about her own happiness.

“Are you sure that’s what you want, Clara?

Auguste asked, reaching for his tea, which was almost cold.

“I don’t care what it takes, as long as it’s for the good of our country.”

“You don’t have to think about that!” Ernesto shouted.

“We are well, and my sisters are doing well in their marriages. Clara, as the youngest child, you should think of yourself and not of the country.”

“That’s not possible. I am also a princess. I have to help my country in any way I can.”

Ernesto and Augusto look at each other in bewilderment.

“Oh, Daniela’s education has gone too far. Don’t you have a crush on anyone, Clara?”

“No, I don’t. I hardly ever go out, so I never meet anyone.”

“You didn’t go to ……?”

Auguste held his head in his hands, mumbling something that Clara couldn’t understand. Ernesto cleared his throat and straightened things up.

“At this point, Duke Kiega is probably the most likely choice. The King and Queen seem to have had a hard time deciding.”

“Yes, but I wonder if she can wait a little longer.”

“We can’t keep Clara alone in the mansion forever.”

They were talking in hushed tones, but Ernesto’s voice was so loud that she could hear him clearly. He made it sound as if there were other candidates for her marriage.

“I have heard that his mistresses get along well with each other, and I must confess that I am looking forward more to living happily with women of my own age than to married life.”

“If that’s what Clara says, then I suppose we have to support her.”

“…… I don’t think he’s a very good man.”

“No matter what you say, Auguste, it’s already decided. I’m going to Bajona next month, and I’ve been told that I’d better go early and make friends with the mistresses. I hope you will come to my wedding.”

“Of course.”

Auguste was unhappy to the last minute, but Ernesto dragged him back.

“I’ll be fine wherever I go.”

Clara opened a book on the history of Bajona and began to study for her wedding.

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