Chapter 01: Exploited Saphir

I am Saphir Korandamu, the eldest daughter of the Viscount Korandamu family.

I have a younger sister named Ruby, who is one year younger than me.

My sister Ruby has dazzling strawberry-blonde hair and rare crimson eyes, inheriting only the best traits of our parents, making her extraordinarily beautiful.

Everyone calls her cute, and sometimes she’s referred to as “little angel,” a beautiful girl in every sense.

Our parents dote on Ruby.

However…

"Big sister, that’s not fair!"

To me, my sister Ruby is a greedy little devil.

Because she always wants what I have and takes it from me.

"Big sister has such a pretty hair ornament! That’s not fair! Give it to me, Ruby wants it!"

"This is mine. You already had one bought for you, Ruby."

"I want that one instead!"

"I picked this one. Didn’t you also choose what you liked?"

"Big sister, you’re so mean!"

Whenever I refuse, Ruby paints me as the villain and runs crying to our parents.

"Father! Mother! Big sister is being mean!"

And as usual, our parents scold me.

"Saphir, you are to inherit this house, but Ruby will marry and leave eventually. You won’t be together long, so be kinder to her."

"That’s right, Saphir. Ruby cannot inherit the house. Poor thing. At least give her the hair ornament."

Our parents always pamper Ruby while forcing me to endure.

And my mother always adds unnecessary words.

"That hair ornament suits Ruby better than it suits you, Saphir."

Ruby beams at my mother’s praise.

And I fall silent.

"…"

Yes, my mother always praises Ruby’s appearance while belittling mine.

Perhaps it’s because I resemble my grandmother, and Ruby resembles my mother.

An old maid once told me.

My paternal grandmother, the former Viscountess Korandamu, had strictly disciplined my mother when she married into the family.

So my mother may see me, who resembles my grandmother, and unconsciously project her difficulties with my grandmother onto me.

The maid encouraged me, saying my mother does not hate me; she only had trouble with my grandmother, so there’s no need to worry.

Even if my mother finds me difficult because of that, I cannot understand why my father sides with her, spoiling Ruby and oppressing me.

After all, I should resemble my father’s mother.

Was my father also uncomfortable around his own mother?

In any case, as the eldest daughter, I was raised strictly to become the heir.

Meanwhile, my sister Ruby was raised indulgently.

Because Ruby is the younger sister and cannot inherit, our parents spoiled her, saying she would only live in this house for a little over a decade before marrying and leaving, and so she grew up selfish and willful.

Ruby always wanted what I had, so I was constantly deprived of my possessions.

As a child, I envied Ruby, who was loved and spoiled by our parents.

I also sometimes resented her for taking my things.

But eventually, I realized the fault was not Ruby’s, but our parents’.

And I only realized this when we grew old enough for marriage proposals to appear.

◆

"Ruby’s match, Lord Sufen, is a duke’s heir. I hear he’s very accomplished."

When we reached marriageable age, proposals began to surface.

Ruby is a year younger than me, but whenever my own marriage prospects came up, our parents immediately started searching for matches for Ruby as well, sending proposals everywhere.

Of course, Ruby’s matches were always with heirs who could inherit titles, all higher in rank than my own potential matches.

"When she marries, Ruby will become a duchess."

Ruby proudly bragged about her prospects to me.

"That’s good for you."

I responded to Ruby with a hollow expression, like a desert fox in the wilderness.

"Your fiancé, Lord Armandin, is the third son of a count, right? Mine, Lord Sufen, is a higher rank. He is the heir to a duke."

"Yes."

"Lord Sufen is even friends with the prince. Once married, I’ll be friends with the prince too!"

"That’s good for you."

As the eldest daughter of the Viscount Korandamu family, I will eventually become Viscountess Korandamu.

My husband will be a son-in-law to the Viscount Korandamu family, so as long as he is from a suitably matched family, it’s fine.

Ruby, on the other hand, will be leaving her family, so the higher the title of her fiancé, the better.

However…

As I had expected to some extent…

Ruby’s engagement to Duke’s heir Lord Sufen was broken off.

◆

Even after her engagement with Lord Sufen fell through, Ruby had several meetings with other noble heirs.

Each one ended in cancellation.

Ruby is a beautiful girl.

Therefore, sending a proposal with a portrait usually brings a positive response.

Although the portrait often idealizes her appearance, most people are drawn to Ruby’s angelic beauty—strawberry-blonde hair and rare crimson eyes.

But as soon as they meet her in person, the engagement is called off.

Recently, refusals come even at the proposal stage.

After numerous meetings, Ruby’s character became known to many powerful families.

Her reputation may even be a topic of discussion at ladies’ tea parties.

Recently, Ruby’s suitors have been downgraded to sons of counts or lower.

Being a viscount’s daughter, suitors from families below the rank of count are suitable matches.

If refusals come as soon as proposals are sent, it likely means the other parties already know her.

If anyone knew what kind of person Ruby truly is, no family would wish her as their mistress…

"Miss Saphir, a flower has arrived from Lord Armandin, third son of Count Garnet."

"Oh!"

Meanwhile, my own engagement was decided smoothly.

I became engaged to Armandin Garnet, third son of Count Garnet.

Armandin, my fiancé, is the same age as me, kind, and a very good person.

Given my family is abnormal… perhaps just being normal makes someone seem kind and good.

But I consider myself fortunate to be engaged to someone I can have a favorable impression of.

I eagerly look forward to meeting Armandin.

Talking with him lifts my spirits.

I look forward to the day I can marry Armandin.

However, to avoid provoking Ruby, whose engagements keep failing, I took care not to show how well my engagement was going.

Ruby seems to want anything I treasure, so I began hiding the things I liked.

At family meals, when my parents asked if things were going well with my fiancé, I answered as minimally and formally as possible: "There are no problems."

But eventually, Ruby discovered something.

A brooch that Armandin had given me.

"Big sister, that’s not fair! Give me that brooch!"

Chapter 1: 1. Sapphire is exploited

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