《Akuyaku Reijō (Kari) No Funtō》 CH 1 The House of Marquis Howard: a long-standing aristocratic family, with a history dating back to the founding of the Kingdom of Lendor. They had the status, money, and connections to do most of the things they wanted. Furthermore, my father, the head of the family, was a shrewd man, who managed the estate well, and the happiness of the people in the estate- including the servants- is one of the highest in the country. I grew up in such a blessed environment, surrounded by the love and affection of my family. Looking back, I was always a strange child. I think the first strange feeling I had was when I was two years old. There were many servants in the house, and I couldn''t help but wonder why all the adults were bowing down to a two-year-old. "Rebecca is one of the most powerful aristocrats in the Kingdom of Lendor and the firstborn daughter of Marquis Howard, who has close ties to the royal family. It''s only natural." When I asked Martha, my nanny, about it, she gave me this reply. When I asked my parents the same question, they told me about the privileges and duties of the nobility. From my parents'' teaching, I understood that I was expected to be a respectable lady. I had a lot to learn about behavior, manners, and culture. I was surrounded by adults, and aside from my status as an advantage, my abilities were naturally at the bottom. CH 2 In the Kingdom of Lendor, those with magical abilities are given preferential treatment, and at the same time, are educated to use their powers for the good of the world. That educational institution was the Royal Remus Academy and in the temples around the country. According to the Kingdoms history, those who possess magical power have been the ones to help the country become prosperous as royalty and nobility. On the contrary, most of the population in the kingdom do not have magical power, and they do not struggle in their lives due to the lack of magic. It can be said that those with this magic, who are in the absolute minority despite their great power, escape the danger of persecution by being useful to others. So, if you think you are being used for good, you are not. Even for magicians, what they learn at the academy and the temple has an important meaning in their lives. Insufficient control of their magic causes their body to be unable to withstand the raging energy inside of them, and most people die in their teens. Moreover, proper training is required to master their magic, and it is essential to either practice to the brink of death alone or to request for a good teacher to train you. For those born with magic, the school and the temple are their lifelines, its a give-and-take relationship. Aside from such magical circumstances, sending children to the Royal Remus Academy is a kind of status symbol for the nobility. It is said that some families even go into debt just to send their children there. If you have a financial problem, you can study in the temple along with the magicians who are born to ordinary citizens in very rare cases, but if you are a nobleman, you almost always choose to borrow money. As long as you go to the temple, you can receive a proper education under the protection of the government, which is a win-win system, not only for your future, but also for the government to secure valuable human resources. So, why do they insist on the school? It was because, for the aristocrats, vanity and pride are important items that they could not get rid of. My Son/Daughter is attending the Royal Remus Academy. CH 3 The day of the graduation ceremony. On this day, the entrance to the women''s dormitory was allowed to be left open. This is because the man is to pick them up in front of their room. Naturally, my escort is my fianc, His Highness Prince Garrett. Hes supposed to anyway. "Due to various reasons, his highness is unable to pick you up. That is why Ive --- No, I will escort you, sister." Standing in front of my room was the 15-year old David Howard. He is, of course, the son of Marquis Howard and my younger brother. Due to our deep connection with the royal family, many of the Howards have magic, so my younger brother is also enrolled in this school. However, even siblings have completely different systems of magic. My specialty is water attributes and healing magic. David, on the other hand, has a talent for fire-type attack magic and is currently in training. Why my brother? I put my hand gently on David''s arm, easily concluding that it was a game correction. "Good morning, David. I will humbly take your hand. It''s good to see you." I smiled at David''s somewhat stiff expression. David, who seems to be in the midst of puberty these days, is so blunt that it''s a surprise that he used to be a big softie, and is hard to read. Even now, his lips are pursed as he turns his head to the side. Seeing my brother like this, I secretly said to myself, "It''s standard practice for my family members to be on the side of condemnation. But if he did, he would be objecting to the betrothal approved by the king. I don''t want to think that my brother is such a fool, but I don''t want to underestimate the power of the game. I wonder if he would be okay. " CH 4 Behind Sophie, in a corner of the dance hall, a romantic scene was unfolding. The star of the show was, you guessed it, Miss Charlotte. Her fingers crawl on His Highness Garrett''s chest, leaning on him sweetly. Her seductive gesture could hardly be described as that of a 15-year old girl in her lowest grade, and she was closely following his step, huddling close to him as if they were a couple. Despite the end of the song and the people around them changing partners, they made no movement of separating. When His Highness Garrett spoke to her with embarrassment, Miss Charlottes cheeks flushed red and she buried her face in his chest. I don''t know what he said, but judging from His Highness Garrett''s reaction, it seems to have had the opposite effect on her. While struggling to tear off Miss Charlotte from clinging onto him, they drifted into a second dance that should only be reserved for his fiance. How bothersome This was the impression I had the moment I witnessed the scene. Just as I was beginning to believe that I successfully avoided the confrontation, this scene began immediately afterwards. What annoyed me was that I had been so careless. Emma, my maid servant, and Peridot, had been collecting information from her fellow servants, and they all declared Miss Charlotte as a "crazy saintess candidate" and "a compulsive liar." There''s no way she''s normal in her school life or her personal life. It was naive of me to believe Miss Charlotte had any good sense. Usually, you can only dance with the same person once. The person with whom you dance two songs can only be your fianc, and only when you become husband and wife are you allowed to dance a third song. In other words, them going into the second song in front of me, his fianc, was a lot like challenging me. His Highness Garrett seemed to be in a state of shock, so I can only assume that he was unwilling to leave the room, but what would a prince do if he couldn''t handle a woman properly? CH 5 "Marquess Rebecca Howard! His Highness Garrett intends to break off his engagement with you! The firm voice of Miss Charlotte echoed in the dance hall. In addition to attracting attention, the performance dropped its volume as it entered the joints of the piece. The poor conductor looked pale, but I would like to give him credit for his professionalism and refusal to stop. In an otome game, this is where the fancy music would be played. But that was from Miss Charlotte''s perspective. The conductor was doing everything he could to avoid an awkward silence by selecting a soothing, soft song. On the other hand, His Highness Garrett, whose name was used without permission, was horrified at the content and volume of the lines uttered by the beautiful rose-gold haired girl standing next to him. He glanced around and realized that it was already too late, and let out a sigh as if he had given up. Baroness Silva. This is not the place to talk about such things. I snapped to attention as His Highness Garrett chided Miss Charlotte. --- He did not deny that he was breaking off the engagement. My memories of my previous life have returned to me, so I have no intention of getting married. If His Highness, Garrett, would like to be united with this unfortunate child, that''s fine with me. Personally, I don''t recommend it, but people have different tastes. I hope that he will be happy. That said, there is no need for me to be the bad guy. I can assume that His Highness Garrett was planning to follow the regular procedures and also has the affection of having spent time as a fiance. It''s natural for royalty to maintain their dignity, so I''ve decided to ask Miss Charlotte to take responsibility for enforcing the condemnation event without permission. CH 5.5 (Kimura-sensei got this question and decided to answer it by explaining with a short oneshot) Q: Why is Rebecca giving her subordinates goofy organization names and code names? A: It is a product of history. It seems to interfere with the story to put it in the main plot, so if you like, please read the following short story. Lady Rebecca, could you please explain more about Shadow? "Oh, Jade. You'' re a member of Shadow, aren''t you? You should at least know how the organization works. No, I''m talking about the fact that you agree that your nickname, Princess of the Moon, is embarrassing, but you''re not embarrassed by our code name, Shadow. Oh this is going to take a while. CH 6 "First of all, I would like to apologize to His Majesty the King and all the guests for causing such a problem at a public graduation party. Normally, I would have left the party immediately and resolved the matter between the relevant people, but when someone expresses a one-sided opinion about a completely false accusation, I have no choice but to respond. Since Baroness Silva has neither retracted her words nor apologized, I would like to ask for your time to prove my innocence here." The King himself gave me his approval when I asked for permission from those sitting above me with the politeness of a noblewoman. "Thank you." Now, its time for the counterattack. In the dance hall where no one was dancing, the famous song that reminded me of the calm before the storm was echoing solemnly. The orchestra''s professionalism in keeping the volume low enough not to interfere with the unfolding development of the story. Now that I''ve come this far, I''ll be able to play the role of the villainess for Miss Charlotte. "First of all, the "harassment" that Baroness Silva mentioned I only pointed out the most common etiquette known to all nobles. I''m sure you''re aware of that. Being friendly is a virtue, but only with the permission of those of higher status. Does this statement sound out of line? Please consider the feelings of a woman forced to watch her fianc cuddle with another young lady. This is a natural human consideration, isn''t it? CH 7 My name is Garrett Lendor. Second prince of the Kingdom of Lendor and a student at the Royal Remus Academy with my fiance, Lady Rebecca Howard. Perhaps it is because of my earthly magic power that I am described as secure, stable, meek, mild, and sometimes quiet, but I am also regarded as having exemplary abilities as a member of the royal family, whether it is in my studies or in my mastery of magic and magical power. Apparently, I am one of the most talented members of the royal family of all time. However, compared to my older brother, the Crown Prince, and my fiance, Rebecca, I inevitably come off as a slacker. Don''t get me wrong. I like them. I also respect him. My older brother, a brilliant and charismatic man, has always been proud of me; when I was a child, he taught me how to use a sword, ride a horse, and study. When I think back on it now, I must have been an annoying little brother, but my older brother never showed any displeasure as he went along with my selfishness and took good care of me. Thanks to him, my siblings get along very well. Rebecca, my fiance, and I are getting along well, although we are not romantically involved. Her family background is impeccable, and she has the intelligence behind her soft smile and the determination and strength of someone who stands up for others in her beautiful amethyst eyes. And yet, she is not conceited, and has everything a man of the royal family could want in a queen. Originally, I was supposed to be the one to protect the lady, but somewhere in my heart, I must have only thought that way. When the announcement was made that the royal family was to watch over the saintess candidate, Miss Charlotte Silva, for her "saint awakening" and support her if necessary, I couldn''t deny that my heart was racing. (the saint part is boring as shit) A saintess candidate is a woman who possesses the holy magic from a light attribute among those who possess magic power. In order to officially call oneself a saint, it is essential to be "awakened," and awakening means that the holy magic has taken root. However, it is not always the case that one becomes a saint upon awakening. There are some saint candidates who fall into darkness upon awakening. Just as light and shadow are two sides of the same coin, this is because the power of holiness is reversed and they become trapped in evil. The mere existence of a saint is a national benefit. The candidates were treated respectfully. CH 8 On the day of the graduation ceremony, I was on my way to the girls'' dormitory with the usual student council members. I was going to escort my fiance, Rebecca. Rebecca and I got engaged when we were 14 years old, just before we entered the academy. My older brother Ethan, who is three years older than me and is the Crown Prince, is engaged to a princess of the Kingdom of Shium. Rebecca''s engagement to me was also political in nature. Rebecca is the eldest daughter of the family of Marquis Howard, who have been loyal to the country since its founding. The Howard family has produced queens many times over its long history. In addition to political marriages, they have also had many passionate love stories with princes and princesses. Despite being one of the most prestigious aristocracies in the country, or perhaps because of it, they seem to have little interest in power struggles at court and tend to avoid holding important positions in the country. The current head of the family, Marquis Howard, is also a member of the diplomatic staff, but mostly stays in the country to manage his estate. It was a well-known fact that the Howard family had a princess, but unlike other aristocrats, the Marquis of Howard did not come to sell his daughter as a way to please the royal family. Therefore, when it was discovered that the "child" that Marquis Howard frequently took to various countries was not his son David, but Rebecca, and that she had steadily built up her diplomatic skills and personal connections, the shock was tremendous. Rebecca, the future Marquess, was known for her loveliness and cleverness through various foreign dignitaries (this is also sad). After that, my father and mother, who exchanged words with Rebecca in person, liked her very much and were eager to have her as my wife! I looked at her bleakly. However, Marquis Howard was not so keen. It is well known that he loves his daughter very much, and there is even a rumor that he even said, "If I marry her off to the royal family, I won''t be able to see her often. CH 9 After winning the (tentative) annulment at the dance party, I returned to my room in the girls'' dormitory and quickly moved into the townhouse, thanks in part to the good work of Emma, who was quietly preparing to leave the dorm. About half a month has passed since the graduation ceremony. I was currently enjoying a leisurely cup of tea at the Howards residence in the royal capital. The engagement termination was put on hold, since the royal family decided to carefully examine and confirm the facts. As for Miss Charlotte''s strange behavior and lies, I''ve written a report to her father in advance. I have physical evidence, and I should be able to get testimony from the royal guards dispatched by the palace, so I wont have too much trouble proving my innocence. Nevertheless, Miss Charlottes qualities as a new fiancee are lackluster, affecting the cancelation of the engagement. I can only guess as much since Ive been receiving flower gifts with messages that say, "Can you please go along with the fake engagement for now? It seems that his parents, His Majesty the King and the Queen, have tightened their grip on him. I guess he needs to buy time to re-educate Miss Charlotte, but if the way to do that is to continue the engagement, I am afraid I cannot help. In the past, I would have agreed to His Highness Garrett''s request, as if I were supporting my brother''s love. Now that I remembered my husband, I didn''t want to commit my future to anyone, even if it was fake. Fortunately, father is very active in dissolving the engagement. Leaving this matter to him, I was enjoying a graceful vacation---ostensibly. I really want to go back to the estate, but until the engagement is officially dissolved, I am the fiance of the second prince, and I cannot go out too freely. For the first week or so, I enjoyed my vacation because of the sense of freedom, but I quickly grew tired of it. (idk how she came to that conclusion but she''s talking about the end where the villainess is [email protected]*ed as one of the endings in a game) CH 10 (CW: Attempted Sexual Assault, Mentions of an assault) I accompanied Emma to a nearby park by carriage, only to be attacked when the area was no longer crowded. Since this was a secret trip, both Emma and I were dressed casually like town girls, the carriage was designed to look like a horse-drawn carriage, and there was only one royal guard in disguise (or so it seemed). A skilled member of the Howard family, dressed as a priest, shouted, "Take care of your life, my dear," and the royal guard, who had been told beforehand that it was a performance, seemed to be surprised and said, "Good work. The coachman (our elite) smiled as he jumped down from the carriage and said, "Well then, my lady! I wish you good luck! With these words of encouragement, he hurried the royal guards away like the wind. A few of the guards followed the rest, but I was sure that guards hidden throughout the area would be able to capture them and keep the royal guards from finding out that it was a real attack. When Emma and I showed up, the six or seven or so attackers, dressed like travelers, looked puzzled. We had planned the attack carefully, but the guards voluntarily stopped the carriage and abandoned their duties. The nobleman''s daughter came out on her own and didn''t seem to be frightened. It must have been a different story from the one they had imagined. After regaining their composure, the men pointed their swords at me with a lowly smile. "You''re the Moon Princess, aren''t you? No, sir. I have nothing against you, but huh? CH 11 This is a monologue from Fushigi-chan* (with her own added prejudices and interpretations). If you wish to skip, read past the parts that says "In my previous life I was ugly with a twisted personality, but I was reborn into a beautiful body and got excited...". Pinkish-blonde hair, soft and wavy. Smooth, white skin without a single blemish. Eyes that sparkle an aquamarine and lips the color of plump cherries. "No matter how often I look at you, you''re such a beautiful girl After all, a human''s happiness solely depends on their face. Being loved just for being there is a big difference from my previous life. That''s why, getting rid of Prince Garrett''s fiance, Marquis Howard''s daughter, and becoming a princess wouldve been an easy victory--yes, thats what I thought but How did this happen? It''s funny, I should be the winner, right? I, Charlotte Silva, was born into the Baron Silva family at the southern end of the Landor Kingdom. My parents married for love, but my mother was physically weak and could not conceive a child. Excited at my birth, she would spoil me at every chance she could. In my previous life, I was the second daughter of a very common middle-class Japanese family of four: my parents and an older sister two years older than me. Having inherited my parents'' blood, I suffered from unfortunate looks, by the standard beauty in modern japan, an ugly face. However, my older sister, who resembled my maternal grandmother due to some kind of maternal heredity, was a beauty with glowing eyes and a distinct nose, and a gifted mind. Being compared to her was a constant. I can''t help what I look like, and I don''t think it''s fair to compare my grades with someone whose hobby is studying. Besides, my sister is two years older than me, so it is only natural that she is better in many things. Yet no one appreciated me. Teachers, neighbors, and relatives. Even my parents favored my sister and never gave me anything new. My sister herself would say things like, "Everyone has their own good qualities," as if she felt sorry for me, which made me even more annoyed. She didn''t take me seriously just because I was ugly. Being around my sister made me realize that the world is all about looks. That''s why I hated my sister. The main character in the Otome game that my sister was into was a beautiful pink-gold-haired girl named Charlotte Silva---just like me now. When I saw the package, I thought to myself, "There''s no way she is one (Silva) with this hair color (laughs)," so I''m sure that''s why. In my previous life, I had so many things I didn''t have that it was hard for me to remember. I wasn''t smart. I wasn''t pretty, and I had the unfortunate constitution to gain double the weight of what I ate. I had no luck. Even when I died, I was on my way home crying when I found out that my first date with a high school classmate was the result of a punishment game, and I was involved in an accident that ended my life. After that, the matter of going to the temple was corrected for the game. They decided to accept the saint candidates at the school as well. When I heard this news, I was convinced that I would experience a reverse harem in school. The problem was that the Kingdom of Lendor had a monogamous system, so I had to make the final decision to settle on one person. I tried not to get involved with my sister too much, so I actually don''t know who the target of the game is. However, since these targets are usually the sons of high-ranking nobles or knights, I''m sure I''m going to get the best of both worlds. Mhmmm, the best! Moreover, since a saint is extremely rare, it was said that the second prince, who belongs to the royal family, would take care of me. A game fix, amazing. I realized that the world would adapt itself to me without me doing anything. Now I have to go after the prince! I don''t know anything about princes, but I''ve never heard of a capture target being a normie*, so the super-darling is def the one to go for. No matter how high my status, my family isnt that wealthy. Of course, Im now wealthier than the average person, but my standard of living is Because I lived in Japan, you know? I was used to a comfortable life. For me, a Japanese high school girl**, this world was quite inconvenient and boring. CH 12 The inn seemed to be frequented by people with special tastes, and the soundproof rooms were quite well equipped. In one of the rooms, I had a table set up and tea prepared for Miss Charlotte, who came to the inn with the full intention of gaining the upper hand. Miss Charlotte looked at me in astonishment as I relaxed. She had already lost her way and was unable to escape. Reluctantly, she took the seat I offered. Emma quickly brew a pot of tea with fluid hands. The tea leaves she brought from the townhouse were of the highest quality. The aroma wafted through the air. Miss Charlotte seemed uneasy, but relaxed a little when I took a sip of tea; unable to bear the awkward silence, she took a drink herself. Suddenly, she began to talk, saying that it wasn''t supposed to be like this, that it wasn''t right, that it was supposed to be different according to her memories of her previous life. "Hey, Emma. Did you put anything in our tea?" Emma tilted her head to the side, not at all offended. I just added in a special essence, its light and subtle enough that the young lady wouldn''t notice it, the kind that gets you in a good mood and makes you want to talk freely. DDThat sounds more like a truth serum. Miss Charlotte''s prattling continued. CH 13 Miss Charlotte and I share the same hometown in Japan, making us fellow compatriots. I fully understood what she was telling me about her previous life. I don''t know what kind of otome game this is, but if Miss Charlotte saw the game package in Japan and says that this is the world of that game, then I think it must be so. Naturally, as the heroine of the game, Charlotte must have had special blessings and many choices. It was up to her to make the most of them or lose them, but she seems to have ruined them successfully. Speaking of messing up, Miss Charlotte may have chosen the most difficult target to capture. That is how I saw it. Upon entering the school, she only had one year to spend with His Highness Garrett. In such a short time, would it be possible to nurture their love, eliminate his fiance, and even deepen their bond to the point that he would be willing to defy His Majesty the King? It could be possible. But it must have been a super tough scenario that made the game''s players cry. If she had looked at her surroundings carefully, she would have noticed the heir to a Duke''s family who has no fiance, the treasured son of the director of the Institute of Magic, and the second son of the Prime Minister. There is also the son of a baron who has amassed enormous wealth in a single generation, the son of a Viscount who has a fan club as the most handsome student in school, and the brother of a marquis who is loved by the gods and is sure to become a first-class musician in the future. Miss Charlotte is the only daughter of Baron Silva. It would have been safer to look for someone to be his son-in-law instead . No, no, no. It is easy to criticize after the fact, and this is just my personal opinion, the truth is still hidden. CH 14 Please be careful of Fushigi-chan''s disgusting behavior (fake crying, shifting the blame away from herself). Miss Charlotte looks very fragile as she spills tears saying that it wasnt her fault. In a previous life, she died while still in high school. She was not blessed with good looks, was compared to her older, more talented sister, and was betrayed by her boyfriend. If she had been beautiful, everything would have been different. This may have been the thought that consumed Miss Charlotte''s mind for so long. In fact, when she was reincarnated with beauty that was the envy of everyone, her parents doted on her like a butterfly with a flower, and even if she behaved selfishly, no one would blame her for it. Thats probably why Miss Charlotte came to believe that she would be loved unconditionally if she was beautiful. The circumstance that condoned this behavior was because of your parents'' biased educational practices that are highly problematic. I hope that this is an opportunity for you to face reality properly and make the best of your life in the future. I hope that these tears are not a ploy to turn things to her advantage I pray and reprimand them one by one. "No one told you that really?" Miss Charlotte looked at me with damp eyes. His Royal Highness Garrett repeatedly corrected you for your misbehavior. He is not a very eloquent man, and he is kind, so he was very restrained in his expressions. But did you think that he was not sincere in his complaints? Do you think that he was just saying, "I''m glad you are jealous of me, I don''t mind, it''s not true " and then he would just let it slide? (Kimura-sensei''s Note) Thank you for joining us. This is the end of the heavyweight development. By the way, Fushigi-chan won''t appear in the (planned) future, but I''m going to give her a surprise. *As in, their other crimes will be uncovered as things are investigated CH 15 After the second confrontation with Miss Charlotte was over, boring days followed. As always, His Highness Prince Garrett sent me a bouquet of flowers with a pleading message, so recently my room feels cramped. I cannot blame the sender, however, since I was applying healing magic to the dying flowers as part of my training in magic control. Combining the knowledge and magic I had cultivated in my previous life, some of them became preserved flowers, which only added to the excess. At any rate, I decided to give the preserved flowers I made to my aunt, who loves new things. If my aunt, who is a duchess, likes them, they will be a hit product with a high sales if I commercialize them. Ill consider starting up a new industry after returning to the territory. There are two career paths I am considering. One was to remain a spinster in the territory managed by my father and live a comfortable life in the countryside. The other was to move to the Kingdom of Shium and start a business from scratch. Father, the Marquess Howard, has several titles. One of them is the Viscount of Clay, which is not so big but has a rich barony. I have been in charge of managing the Viscount Clay territory for several years now, and have been working with the local people to develop a small business of producing and selling products based on my ideas. The first product was a cushion, a byproduct of my magic control training, improved and made available to the public. It all started when I was having trouble disposing of the beads of magic I had made as basic training and combined them with my embroidery, which is a favorite past time. The resulting cushion was fluffy and comfortable, and because it was mixed with my healing magic, it became very popular among my family members as a "cushion to bring your spirits up. Later, I received an order from my aunt who wanted to use it as a gift. CH 16 For those of you who were students during the 1990s, you might find some items nostalgic. This is longer than usual (1.5) Remembering my previous life, I was surprised to find that the way I dreamed was the same as before. The dreams I see are easily recognizable because of their phenomenal perspective. Whether they''re fantasies or mere reconstructions of facts, I am aware that they are dreams, and perhaps because I know that I am dreaming, I am somewhat calm and can remember the content clearly. It was the opposite of my husband, who was so realistic that he was swept away by his dreams. My husband''s dreams were colorful and full of realistic sensations that heightened his five senses, and he often had nightmares. When this happened, I would wake him up and force him to end the dream. Then, half-asleep, he would explain to me what the dream was about. -Ugh thanks If you hadn''t woken me up, I would have been killed Today I was attacked by some kind of zombie and I fought back with my friends and -"It was bad This time, we were hunting demons. Demons are so strong -My friends kept falling down. I was the last one to go My husband liked war, zombies, and other graphic movies and dramas, but I am not at all fond of such things and never watch them. I can''t help but wonder if nightmares are the reason I suffer from such images, but the timing is so random that I don''t see the relevance. My husband was frequently in mortal danger in his dreams, and each time I became his savior and woke him up. Such were my dreams, even when I was reborn as Rebecca, they took the same step back. Today''s dream was of my former life, of my husband. We were classmates in junior high school. We were in the same class in the third year when I exchanged words with him for the first time. Because it was in the countryside, the junior high school was a multi-level school made up of three elementary schools in the area. Children often took more than 30 minutes to walk to school, a lot of the students would commute by bicycles. Some of my friends complained, "The school in the next city is closer! At the time, there were nine classes of 40 students. It was possible that I wouldnt even know his face until the last day, but I did recognize him. He was the head of the kendo club. CH 17 Some creative liberties were taken with the setting of the social debut and the accessories (fan, bouquet, etc...). There may be some discrepancies in usage. Social debut. The event where the children of nobles are recognized as adults and are allowed to participate in events where famous families gather. Here in the Kingdom of Lendor, the children of nobles participate in the social debut at the young age of 18. Since an audience with His Majesty the King and Queen is required to become a full-fledged member of society, the Royal Capital is filled with young people from all over the country at the start of the social season. Even though I was not excited about the ball, the thought of meeting my seniors and friends from school made me feel a little more upbeat. On the day of the audience, I carefully prepared myself for my social debut. White dress and silver tiara. My gloves and shoes were also white, just like a wedding dress. I had no fiance, so my mother was my escort. She was more excited about the ball hosted by Queen Margaret than my social debut. When I stared at her with quizzical eyes, my mother gave me a look of disappointment. I don''t mean to belittle what you said about wanting to remain single, but if youre not averse to marriage itself, why are you so quick to jump the gun? You haven''t even made your social debut yet. It''s not like you to give up and run away at the starting line without making an effort to find someone you love." Mother''s point of view made me choke up. I used to think that even political marriages were the duty of a nobleman. The sudden declaration of celibacy must have caused discomfort, and it could be said that it was a short-sighted decision. It was such an unusual thing for the daughter of a noble family to insist on celibacy without entering a convent. Moreover, Mothers concern was more about my future as a mother than about the duties of a noblewoman. I had implicitly hinted that a love match would be fine, which worried her even more so. In this case, I had no choice but to meet many people at the ball and make a point that my feelings had not changed. All I could do now was stick to that plan without hesitation. Will you give me a fan, Mother It would be unwise to not know who my dance partners are before the event." CH 18 Long time no see, Rebecca. Hearing that, I slowly turned around. Standing there was a man who was half a head taller than me, with splendid golden hair that seemed to reflect the light of the sun, and emerald eyes that made even the greenest of fresh greens seem faded. DDIt was His Highness the Crown Prince. A little over three years ago, when I got engaged to Prince Garrett, I was given the opportunity to greet Prince Garrett and the crown prince, Prince Ethan. Since then, I have never met Prince Ethan personally. Of course, it''s been three years since I last heard from him. His Royal Highness Prince Ethan will turn 21 this year. His majestic appearance, which attracted the attention of many people just by entering the venue, showed the dominance of a crown prince that I did not feel three years ago. He is a member of a magic division, and I hear that he does not miss his daily training in the midst of his busy political work. It is rumored that under his military uniform, which emphasizes practical use, he hides a toned and supple body, and that his spirit is like steel. Although he is dressed in the minimum of royal attire, he does not like to be flashy in his daily life. His Highness Ethan carries a sword, uses magic, trains from time to time, and sometimes goes to defeat demons; he can be described as a man of good health. That would be true if I knew him more familiarly I suddenly realized I had to discipline myself. Here in front of me was the crown prince of the Kingdom of Lendor. The heir to the illustrious throne, also known as the Prince of the Sun. I cant think of him in a familiar way. His Royal Highness Prince Ethan " I tore my gaze away, picked up my skirt, and bowed at the waist. CH 19 "Hey, Shu-chan. The moon looks beautiful, doesn''t it?" "Huh? Is it? I think it''s pretty cloudy." "No, that''s wrong! It is said that ''Tsuki ga kireidesu ne (¤_Ǥ)'' is the Japanese translation of ''I love you''. It is based on an anecdote about Soseki Natsume''s* translation of the English version of the sentence. A stylish reply is ''I can die happy (Shindemo wa (Ǥ⤤))''. This one is said to be based on Futabatei Shimei''s** translation of Russian literature. Both stories lack authenticity, though." "The guy says ''I can die happy''? How girly." "Ugh... okay, you ask, then." "Saki." "What is it?" "... The moon is beautiful, isn''t it?" " ...! I can die happy." After the dance between His Majesty the King and the Queen ended, many couples stepped into the dance hall, with all the young ladies adorned with a white flower in their hair. Before I knew it, His Highness Ethan held onto my hand, and I was forced to follow his lead. Moving in rhythm to the music and stepping lightly, we embrace like a married couple and dance round and round. Prince Ethan''s lead was perfect, like a longtime dance partner. I love dancing, and while my pride in my accomplishments is biased, I think I''m a decent dancer. CH 20 "Huh! Huh! Wow... Oh, my God?" "What is it, assistant? I don''t like hearing that from you." "It''s the wish of the man in question." "Ah, him, he wished to be reborn in the same world as his other half in exchange for his life. The man had worked to help me in his dreams. I went to great lengths to reincarnate him as a prince and his other half as the son of a powerful nobleman. He was born safely the other day..." "Yes, I know. I''m sorry about that, but you''ve got the wrong gender." "... Hmm?" "They have different genders. The other half is a man''s wife, in other words a woman." "What? Damn, since you said they were each other''s half, I inadvertently ... I''ll have to retrieve the soul once and reincarnate it as a new female child. As for her memories ... well, she''ll remember in time." We were classmates in junior high school. We were in the same class in the third year of junior high school, and I exchanged words with her for the first time. It was a rural junior high school, a mammoth school consisting of three elementary schools in the area, with nine classes of 40 students at the time. There was a possibility that I would not even know her face until the end, but I knew only her name. She was the ace of the swimming team and often won prizes at competitions, and was often honored at morning assemblies. When I saw her up close, I felt like I had been shot in the chest. It was love at first sight. The first thing out of my mouth was, "You''re going to like me," which I didn''t think I would. Her eyes widened in surprise and she said, "I don''t know. I''m dating someone," she said, laughing vaguely, and at that moment my first love was shattered. After that, we spent a year as mere classmates, and after graduating from junior high school, we went to different high schools. The next time we met was in the summer of my third year of high school. She broke up with her man at the time and was free. I ended up going out with her on a whim, and after graduating from college, we got married. The next time I met her was the summer of my senior year of high school. She had broken up with the guy she was with at the time and was free. CH 21 Not long after I became engaged to Princess Aaliyah, my brother Garrett also became engaged. It was to Miss Rebecca Howard, the eldest daughter of the Howard family, who was 14 years old, the same age as Garrett. I knew that my parents were making an enthusiastic approach to either me or my brother''s future wife, but I wasn''t interested. She was supposed to be the same age as me. The margin of error was about a year at most. Even though I thought I was following her immediately, I don''t know how the being who granted my ''wish'' would have taken those few minutes, or even tens of minutes. I knew she could have been a few years older than me, but a girl younger than me, and three years at that, was completely out of the question. Howard had no ambition to marry his daughter off to royalty. So he had dutifully avoided letting us meet with him and his daughter, whether it was a casual meeting request or a stop at the Marquess''s mansion on the way to inspect the area. My parents, however, were quite persistent. It seemed that the Howard had finally lost their patience when my engagement was finalized. Garrett, who had just accepted a fiancee whose face he didn''t even know, seemed to be intimidated by Miss Rebecca''s high specifications afterwards. I dont mean to meddle in my brother''s marital affairs, though I do think that a man who didn''t even decide on his own partner should be a man worthy of being wed to her. No, I didn''t, but The girl my brother introduced as his fiance. When I saw Miss Rebecca Howard standing beside Garrett, I thought I would stop breathing in shock. ---I''m sure of it, it''s her. That''s my other half ! I recognized her at a glance. Of course, she looked different. Silver hair, amethyst eyes. On the outside alone, the girl in front of me was several times lovelier than my wife. But what attracted me was her soul. Something that shines from within. It was the same feeling I had when I first met my wife. CH 22 Garrett, who escorted Rebecca, came back afterwards. He must have come in quite a hurry. He seemed a little out of breath. I only ever speak informally in front of a few people in my immediate circle and family. Even then, I basically use the formal, "I,". Earlier, I used a casual"I" with Rebecca, whom I met for the first time. Garrett wondered about that. I feel bad for Garrett, who just got a beautiful fiance, but I won''t give Rebecca to anyone. Instead, I must I was willing to give up anything to have her. In order for me to be with Rebecca, besides breaking off the engagement between me and Princess Aaliyah and Garrett and Rebecca, respectively, there is another, separate issue. That is the intention of Rebecca''s father, Marquis Howard. In the first place, Marquis Howard does not want his daughter to be the Crown Princess. Perhaps it is because of the ridiculous mistress system, but no matter how much I swear that I will never cheat on my wife or have a mistress, there is no way to prove it now. It is best to assume that normal persuasion would be difficult. Of course, it is possible to use the authority power of royalty to wrestle Marquis Howard and take Rebecca away from him. However, she would surely be saddened if I were to trample on her family. I wanted to avoid that. There was a better solution than such forceful action. CH 23 After exchanging words with her that day, when I realized she was reborn as Rebecca, I consciously avoided contact with her. I would not see her until I was ready to end my engagement to Princess Aaliyah and receive Rebecca as Crown Princess. Although I had made up my mind to do so, I honestly missed Rebecca. Whenever I was in a difficult situation, I looked from the royal palace in the direction of the Royal Remus Academy where Rebecca spent her days. Knowing that she was there and not being able to see her was harder than I had imagined. Now is the time to be patient. When I am able to hold her in my arms, we will whisper our love to the point of boredom, melt into each other, and spend our sweet time alone. For Rebecca, who remembers nothing of her previous life, my love and attachment for what we had, in this life and the previous one, must be too heavy. I couldn''t even approach her until after we ended our engagement and my sincerity took shape. Even though I never met Rebecca in person, I was briefed about her from time to time. Conveniently, Rebecca is Garrett''s fiance. As the equivalent of royalty, she had a royal guard attached to her. In the royal office assigned to me, I read through the report on Rebecca''s condition. She is highly regarded by the teachers at the academy and adored by her schoolmates. She seems to be taking it easy on those who approach her to take advantage of her status and good-natured personality, and she seems to be engaged in friendly competition with the hard-working young ladies who are ambitious and want to improve themselves. CH 24 When Garrett and Rebecca were in their final year of school, a saint candidate entered the school. Apparently, her eccentricities were noticeable, and Rebecca was giving her guidance from time to time. Even among the candidates for saints, there are many different kinds of people. It would be arrogant to impose an image of what a saint candidate should be like. For Miss Charlotte Silva, a baroness from the countryside, life in the capital must be unfamiliar. From now on, she will learn what she doesn''t know and grow. Everyone thought so. The problem was Garrett''s attitude afterwards. Certainly, as a member of the royal family and as the school''s student body president, he had been told to be mindful of the saint candidate. However, there are limits to what Garrett can handle, since the other party is a woman. He should have enlisted the help of his fiance, Rebecca, but after half a year, he said that he kept her away from the guidance of the saint candidate. There are things you cant handle all by yourself. Cooperation with those around you and entrusting them to someone you trust are also important qualities for those who are on top. When you are born a Prince, your life of being a guardian of others is already fixed. The rest is up to whether they will be adored wholeheartedly or scorned despite their lowered heads. Because you are born into royalty, you must have charisma and become a man who can lead others, or else you will be underestimated. I, who adored my little brother, made Garrett learn that through his education as a Crown Prince. I don''t deny that I was killing two birds with one stone, since the throne was an extension of that. I called Garrett into the palace and reminded him of this. Garrett listened to my words of admonition to always act like royalty in addition to his studies. I was reassured by his sincere attitude and decided to trust and watch over my younger brother''s growth. However, on the day of the graduation ceremony, a terrible scandal broke out. When I learned about the incident at the graduation party and the fiance breaking off the engagement, I was on the verge of exploding with anger. Garrett had already been squeezed by Father and Mother, and by the time he appeared in front of me, he was limp. It seems that my parents, who had gone to a great deal of trouble to woo Marquis Howard, were more annoyed that he had given them the chance to break off his engagement to Rebecca than that their second son''s immaturity had been exposed for all to see. CH 25 The information that "Viscount Zhangou has treasonous intentions" was quietly brought to only my father, the King, and me, the Crown Prince, in secret. Marquis Howard, the source of this information, had already finished capturing and interrogating Zhangou. He even obtained the name of the person who was going to be used as a human sacrifice for the kill, and stood there somberly. The target is Marquis Howard revealed the name, and my father and I both groaned. The target is Princess Aaliyah of the Kingdom of Xium the fiance of His Highness Ethan." Marquis Howard recounted the story out loud. Black magic users. The black magic used by the conjuror, so called, were originally used for inheritance problems in the family. As a matter of course, curses came to be used to eliminate political opponents or as a means of revenge, and now international law forbids their use. Of course, countries unofficially kept these conjurors. The practice is an open secret, a so-called deterrent aimed at preventing people from getting at each other for fear of retaliation. Apparently, the Viscounts of Zhangou are a family that has been secretly producing these conjurors. Black magic, which have been studied in secret so as not to draw attention, have been quietly passed down within the family as a secret ritual not to be shared with anyone outside the family. It seems that the Zhangous of the past had a rare talent. Eventually, as Zhangou''s status as a master conjurors rose, he was able to easily handle black magic, and this drove him mad. He began to use the family''s secret rituals to make money, but black magic was a crime. Fearing that it would be exposed to the public, he pretended to be harmless in the country and received requests from the neighboring Kingdom of Xium. As he completed several requests by them, he gained credibility as a rogue conjuror, and a big job came his way. This was to kill the first Princess Aaliyah of the Kingdom of Xium. CH 26 The form of love is different for each person. I believe that any kind of love is precious. It was my father, the King, who would decide how to treat the guilty and how to deal with the Kingdom of Xium. I honestly expressed my desire to have Rebecca as my Queen and asked him to consider my opinion on the treatment of Zhangou, as well as the history of Zhangou. Father seemed surprised to learn that I had caught feelings at first sight for Rebecca. "When the engagement between you and Princess Aaliyah was first discussed, both Margaret and I had our heads in the sand over the Marquess Howard''s head on attack Marquis Howard, who did not like the idea of using his daughter as a political pawn, kept running away, saying that his daughter could not serve as the Crown Princess. When asked if he would marry her to the second prince, Howard refused, saying that if my brother got engaged first, it would spur the strange rumors that were circulating around the country. Ethan, did you know that you were rumored to be homosexual?" That''s the conclusion even Princess Aaliyah, who had just done light research on me, had arrived at. One can only guess what people thought of me, a man who never looked at women. I answered in short, "Yes," and my father let out a tired breath. Then you came to me with the engagement proposal. Margaret and I were pleased to know you had more opportunities to meet women, even if it was a contract with a termination date. Garrett, on the other hand, is book smart, but his stupidity is his greatest flaw, and he needs a firm daughter like Miss Rebecca to tighten the reins on him. Parents, indeed, have a point. It is true that my younger brother is an excellent student. But this time, I found that his thought process to achieve his goals is somehow disappointing. According to Father, "My brother was like that in the past. He specialized in the medical field and was devoted to his sister. He gave up the throne to his brother, even though his sister wanted it more, and devoted himself to the study of medicine. That''s why the standard of medical care in Lendor is so outstanding. In a royal family with generally high magic power, it is said that a pathetic man who excels in one art rarely appears. At first glance, this lunkhead appears to be a quiet, good-natured man. While he can make outstanding achievements, his decisions at critical moments are unique, and it is here that the people around him first realize that he is the one. One wonders if he will not be used for political purposes, but in fact, this slacker is very dependent and basically only moves for the sake of the person he is fascinated with. He is certainly not suitable for the position of King, and it would be difficult to make him a puppet. CH 27 The terrace of a royal palace is not a good place for private talks or encounters. Stories tell of benches by a fountain or hiding in an overgrown hedge, but the reality is far from romantic. If you do it in an open space like this, you are asking people to witness it. We were, unwillingly, the center of attention of the day, and it was known that we had moved to the terrace. We had to act as if our actions were being monitored and our conversation was being listened to. We walked side by side, reading between the lines of each other''s words under the guise of harmless conversation. The moon is really beautiful today, isn''t it? Ever since I was born, I have made it my sole purpose in life to capture the moon. I am sure the moon would love to be captured by His Highness Ethan. In fact, it was the day before the schools graduation ceremony that I realized the beauty of the moon. I regretted overlooking such a lovely thing until then. "Oh? What happened?" There was a young lady who was a saint candidate, she was my junior. It seems we had something unexpected in common a long time ago. One word she murmured to me was the catalyst. I should be grateful to her. I have to thank the young lady. Yes, she is a lovely woman. But unfortunately, on the day of the graduation ceremony, we had a bit of trouble, and I had to break off our friendship. ---I love you. I''ve had memories of my past life since the day I was born, so I''ve been looking for you for a long time. ---I love you too. In fact, it was the day before the graduation ceremony at the school that I remembered that I loved you. I can''t believe I forgot about you until then. CH 28 We were allowed only 10 minutes. Soon it would be time to go back to mother. We naturally started talking about what we were going to do. What are your plans for this season? You just made your debut. You must be very busy. No, I''m going to return to my father''s estate and enjoy a relaxed unmarried life. In fact, I was thinking of moving abroad, but my parents advised me to reconsider my decision, so I decided against it. In anticipation of leaving the capital, I broke off my engagement to Garrett and have since declined all invitations from other families. I smiled and announced that I was leaving the front lines, and the fingertips of His Highness Ethan, who took my hand, tightened. He seemed to be quite dissatisfied with my decision to stay in the countryside and keep men at bay. "Are you running away?" I lightly dismissed Prince Ethan''s provocative lines. "No, I''m moving on. In fact, I have a new hobby, and I''m going to try to master it while I''m there." His Highness Prince Ethan, who does not know about my hobby, or rather, the business of preserved flowers, could not understand why I wanted to move so far away from the royal capital. "I thought you''d be here during the social season. The Queen will be disappointed" An idea struck a chord with His Highness Ethan, moving past his reluctance. CH 29 On the carriage ride home, I received a rush of angry questions from mother. Since I have nothing to be guilty of, I spoke honestly about the conversation on the surface. The meaning behind the story would not be conveyed, and there was no point in misrepresenting this area. After the her scolding was over, I asked mother how the conversation with the Queen had gone. "Well, because of the occasion, I couldn''t go into too much detail, you know. She wrinkled her brow as she spoke. My mother was angry that Ethan, who had a fiance, had set his eyes on me, and that the Queen seemed to approve of it. She suspected there was something behind the Queen''s behavior, as it was so unbecoming of a queen. As expected of friends who have known each other for a long time, they have an excellent relationship of trust in things like this. "At first, I heard that she was selecting your partner because she really wanted you to find the one you love. Then, the "royal man who is in love with you" asked her if she could make him your only companion. He says that he is in a bind at the moment, but your social debut was imminent and you have no fiance, so he said he needed a stand-in for now. "Mmm, insect repellent Yes, that''s right. The thing is, married men with no bug-repellent effect are out of the question. You just ended your engagement with His Highness Garrett, who is the most trustworthy of all the single men. The others are not as effective, and there is a possibility that they themselves will end up liking you, Rebecca so they have decided to meditate on some of the more lame options." Mother finished off her explanation with, Even so, I wish they had told me in advance! For His Highness Ethan and the Queen, a surprise attack was the safest option. It is possible that His Highness Ethan learned about the fan at the last minute. CH 30 With my family''s full support, I left the royal capital the day after my social debut for the villa in the Viscount Clay estate. The five-day carriage ride went smoothly. When I arrived at the Clay residence, I was greeted by everyone who guarded the house, including James, the family retainer. Miss Rebecca, Mr. David, welcome home! Welcome back! James'' words signaled the servants to bow to me in unison. Thank you. I''m back. I smiled and thanked them for welcoming me, but then I realized that this was a serious problem. Although my father, Viscount Clay, had entrusted me with the management of the estate, David would be the future heir to the title of viscount. And yet, the people in the house are clearly giving me priority. I had not noticed this because David and I had never been together before. I must do something about it as soon as possible Emma notices my subtle expression and took the initiative. The young lady is in charge of the Viscount Clay estate. The people who work here are sworn to the Viscount''s family, which means that she is the master of all us servants. For your information, I have the Master''s approval on this matter, so please give it up, My Lady." What, ......?Isn''t it strange? How is it that you would rather have me as master than Father, the current Viscount, or David, the next Viscount? I stared at James with suspicion as he looked back with soft eyes. This grand old family man enjoys coaxing me into things. He is undoubtedly the one who has been getting strange approval from Father. James is not enjoying the thrill of having a nobleman''s daughter chew sand*. It was educational guidance backed by tough love. I have learned a lot from James''s suggestions, and I am grateful for them, but I also appreciate his hobbies and interests. *Means to have a difficult time with something, shares a similarity with "Bite/ing the dust"