The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way

Ellie is Five Years Old and Engaged to the Crown Prince

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

It appears I’ve been reincarnated.

I have what you’d call memories of my past life. And they are completely, undeniably intact.

Packed right alongside those vivid memories is an entire genre known as "otherworld travel and reincarnation." And within that lies an even more specific subgenre: "otome game reincarnation."

This whole setup smells suspiciously like an otome game...

I am the eldest daughter of a ducal house. I have an older brother above me, who is the heir. Currently, I am five years old, and my brother is seven. My seven-year-old brother is a boy so breathtakingly handsome he’d put professional child models to shame. Sharing the same bloodline, I am a girl so staggeringly beautiful that it honestly creeps me out a little.

And just the other day, my engagement was finalized.

My partner? None other than His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of this kingdom.

Am I the villainess?! Have I been reincarnated into a villainess story?!

That was my immediate thought, but there is one massive problem.

I have almost never played an otome game in my life.

The only one I ever properly played was a vintage title produced by a certain company with a rather "glorious" name—a grand strategy, territory-conquest type of game. It involved flirting and giggling with various gods while expanding your domain. After playing it and thinking, (Honestly, who needs the romance elements?), I fell down the rabbit hole of standard real-time strategy games. To be perfectly blunt, games like *Nobu’s Ambition* were way more fun.

Since the games I primarily played would be utterly alien to the typical otome gamer, I’ll spare you the details here. Ever since my past life, I’ve caught myself wishing someone—anyone—would share my niche interests. It’s lonely when there are absolutely no fellow geeks around you.

While I might be clueless about actual otome games, I used to indulge in "otome game reincarnation" web novels and manga. Mostly because my daily commute left me with too much time on my hands.

In those stories, you often see characters who spent their commutes playing mobile otome games on their smartphones. Personally, I loathed gacha games, so I stuck to reading manga and novels instead. I preferred things that didn't require much brainpower. The cliché, sweet-revenge subgenre possessed the comforting predictability and catharsis of a classic historical drama, making it the perfect way to kill time. I always wished someone would listen to my rants about mobile gacha games, too. But nobody around me ever cared to listen...

In any case, warped as it may be, I do possess the fundamental concept of being reincarnated into an otome game. I know these games feature a "heroine" and "love interests," alongside a "villainess" who exists solely to get in their way. ...Granted, the retro game I played didn't actually have a "villainess."

My, how times have changed. Back then, this kind of character wasn't a villain; she was a fair and square "rival." There was even a route where you could foster a deep friendship with her. But putting that aside, let's talk about the "villainess."

In most cases, the villainess is the fiancée of a high-ranking noble or royal—usually the main love interest. Seriously, don't label a legitimate fiancée as a "villain." If a bunch of pests start swarming around your future husband, of course you're going to swat them away! That's just exercising a rightful claim! Even if I think so, however, these girls are inexplicably branded as the villains. I find it deeply, profoundly unfair.

So when Father informed me that my engagement to the Crown Prince had been finalized, I couldn't help but think, (Wait, could it be...?)

The standard trope usually involves waking up in the world of a game you absolutely adored and played to death... but I've never seen the geography or placenames of this world in any of the games I loved. ...Then again, I would absolutely hate to be reincarnated into Eastern Europe in the dead center of World War II. Which means, either this world is just a regular fantasy realm completely unrelated to games, or it's the setting of a game, manga, or novel belonging to a genre I never touched. If it's the latter, I have no way of knowing what kind of brutal destiny awaits me.

Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk.

Even if this turns out to be an otome game stage, I don't know the plot. Consequently, I have no idea where the story flags are.

Which means... I just have to live my life exactly as I please.

Time to go my own way.

*There is no path before me.* ...Though there's a distinct possibility there isn't one behind me either. I definitely want to secure a line of retreat, though. Being able to execute a safe tactical withdrawal is the first step to regrouping. Let's make sure to keep an eye on the path behind me. Yes, let's do that.

In any case, I just have to roll with the punches. That's about the extent of what a five-year-old beautiful little girl can manage anyway.

Having made up my mind, I etched the date and time of the introductory meeting given by my father into my memory and set about choosing a dress with my maids.

One week later, I found myself in the royal palace gardens.

Well now, this place is absolutely, ridiculously massive! (If your internal monologue just shifted into the cadence of a grumpy old man, congratulations. You are entirely correct.)

The garden, with its beautifully balanced arrangement of trees, featured open clearings with excellent visibility alongside perfectly positioned spots for concealment. Yet, even the hiding spots never created a true, total blind spot. It was an exquisite layout that would make any assassination attempt a massive, bone-breaking chore. Since this is a world where one doesn't need to constantly watch out for a sniper's headshot from several hundred meters away, physical danger seems relatively low. After all, firearms don't exist in this world.

Prompted by an elderly gentleman who looked like a butler, I took my seat alongside my father at a neatly arranged table.

Even after sitting down, I couldn't stop scanning the grounds—silently calculating where I would set up camp if I were a sniper. Behold the gamer brain in action!

Looking at a World Heritage ruin and mapping out a parkour route; spotting an armored cash transport vehicle and plotting an escape plan for a hypothetical heist; watching a historical drama and instinctively organizing military battle formations in your head... Gamer brain is a truly terrifying affliction. It can easily burn through hours of your time doing absolutely nothing productive.

There's a large wing of the palace jutting out to the right. But the distance is a bit too close; a sniper scope would almost certainly catch the light and glint from there. Since the windows face east, it might work from late afternoon onward. No, the roof of that wing would probably be better. It adds a dozen or so meters to the range, but since it's a downward shot, the bullet drop and velocity decay shouldn't be too severe. Maybe I could lie prone at an angle? Then again, the top of that tree over there is a solid candidate. There's almost nothing obstructing the angle of fire. Depending on how the wind hits the building wing, I'd have to account for windage. Scope glint would be practically zero. The sound wouldn't carry either. The real issue is how to infiltrate that tree unnoticed.

While I was deeply engrossed in these entirely irrelevant thoughts, a soft rustling sound echoed from the direction of the building. Exchanging a brief glance with Father, I stood up and bowed.

After holding the posture for a moment, I sensed a small group of people coming to a halt right in front of us.

「You may lift your head.」

It was a high-pitched voice, distinctively a young boy's. Yet, it carried the undeniable ring of someone thoroughly accustomed to commanding others.

Complying with his words, I raised my gaze to find the Crown Prince standing before us, flanked by a retinue of guards.

Beautiful golden hair that looked as though it would make a soft, silky rustle with every breeze. Flawless, pale white skin that showed absolutely no hint of ill health. Striking blue eyes that sparkled like embedded gemstones.

All in all, he was a boy of almost artificial beauty. He looked exactly like a masterpiece crafted by a dollmaker obsessed with beautiful boys who had poured their very soul into their work.

「Forgive me for making you travel all this way today.」

「Not at all, Your Highness. We are deeply honored by your invitation.」

As Father offered his greetings, I dropped into a curtsy in unison. The prince walked over to us and gracefully extended his hand directly in front of me as I kept my eyes lowered.

「Would you please look up, my lady? I wished to speak with you today.」

I found myself staring intently at the small hand offered to me. The glove was beautifully tailored, made of what was likely exquisite silk. Good heavens. White gloves with formal attire! That's my absolute dream outfit right there! Is it truly acceptable for me to touch these magnificent white gloves? No, leaving the prince hanging with his hand out would be far ruder.

Hesitantly, I placed my hand upon his, raising my head as I stood up.

Without letting go, the prince escorted me directly to my chair.

The maids prepared the tea and quietly receded from the perimeter of the table. Their movements were entirely fluid and highly refined; I felt a wave of genuine admiration for the sheer operational efficiency of royal palace maids. The guards who had accompanied the prince maintained their distances, keeping a vigilant eye on the table and its surroundings. Judging by the overlap of their fields of vision, they had roughly a 260-degree arc covered around the table. The remaining 100 degrees faced the palace direction from which they came, meaning a separate security detail was likely deployed over there. Absolutely flawless and magnificent.

(Welp, time to rewrite the sniper plan.) Thanks to these superb guards, this was actually starting to get fun. A true gamer brain only thrives when tackling an impossible mission.

As I was mulling this over with a tiny spark of excitement, the prince offered me a radiant smile.

That smile! It's so incredibly shady!! (Delightful!)

At a glance, it was a perfectly gentle smile. Yet, his eyes harbored a faint, subtle wariness toward me. I wasn't thrilled about being suspected, mind you. I was thrilled by how deliciously sketchy that smile was! I have zero confidence in my ability to get along with someone who is pure, pristine white—someone so blindingly white they’d make bleach look dingy. Why? Because I am nowhere near that much of a saint. They say clear water breeds no fish, and I am exactly the type of little fishy that bolts at the first sight of pure water. The better a person is, the more painfully aware I become of my own inner grime, causing me to shrink back in shame. Not that I'd want someone pitch-black either, of course.

「Now then, Lady Elizabeth...」

Addressed by him, I looked at the prince. Come to think of it, we hadn't even introduced ourselves yet. Well, considering I was already officially his fiancée, there was a very high probability he already knew more about me than I did myself.

「Yes, Your Highness. I am Elizabeth Macnagan. I am profoundly honored to be granted this audience.」

As I bowed my head exceptionally low, the prince let out a soft, quiet chuckle.

(Oh my, did he just go "pfft"? And it wasn't even a mock; it felt totally spontaneous! Beautiful people really are splendid, aren't they? Everything they do looks picture-perfect.)

「I am already well aware of your name. It would be remiss of me not to investigate, after all.」

「Naturally, Your Highness.」

(Well, obviously.)

As I nodded, the prince narrowed his eyes slightly in mild bewilderment.

(Oho, look at that. Beautiful people truly are a treat... and so on and so forth.)

Turning that bewildered gaze toward my father, the prince let out a soft sigh.

「Duke, was your daughter not five years old?」

「She is indeed five, Your Highness. There is no mistake.」

To my father's wry smile, the prince murmured, 「I see...」 looking entirely unconvinced.

(I'm totally five! The exact same age as Chi*-chan! I'm Elizabeth, and I'm five! Hey there, Oka*ura, it looks like His Highness is deep in thought over here!)

The prince raised his gaze and tilted his head slightly as he looked at me. With that tiny movement, his golden, silk-like bangs swayed elegantly.

(B e a u t i f u l p e o p l e t r u l y a r e a b l e s s i n g... for the third time.)

「Since you have introduced yourself, I shall follow suit. I am Leonard Francis Belkraine. You may call me Leon.」

Even if you tell me to call you that, it's not exactly something I can just do, so I settled for a vague, polite smile.

「Since our engagement has been finalized, I thought it would be nice to converse a bit today, but...」

But? Like, "Actually, never mind"?

As I tilted my head, wondering what would follow that ellipsis, the prince let out another quiet chuckle. That "spontaneous slip of a smile" tactic is seriously playing dirty!

「Do you happen to know the dress styles currently in vogue among the ladies?」

「As for ladies' dresses, I am only familiar with the ones my mother wears. Consequently, I cannot discern whether a particular style is trending or entirely outdated.」

I wasn't even close to an age where I'd attend evening balls. While my mother occasionally dragged me along to tea parties, the dresses worn there were completely different from evening wear. Besides, the dresses prepared for me were strictly cute, child-oriented things. ...Well, it's not like there's any point in dressing a five-year-old child with the proportions of a beer keg in a backless, low-cut evening gown anyway. Though, come to think of it, maybe there's a niche market for that somewhere out there?

But why bring up dresses all of a sudden? Is he trying to tell me that a future Crown Princess needs to be sharp when it comes to fashion trends?

As my brain filled with giant question marks, the prince offered a faint, wry smile.

「Do you have a favorite flower?」

「A favorite... flower, Your Highness?」

To be completely honest, I had absolutely zero interest in them. Unless they were edible, that is. Rape blossoms and herbs didn't fall into the category of "ornamental flowers" for me; they were strictly "foodstuff" or "medicine." I even have some very strong opinions on wild mountain vegetables.

There were countless flowers scattered across this very garden, but the only ones I could reliably identify were roses. And even then, there were probably several different varieties planted here, judging by the variations in color and shape. In my mind, though, they were all lumped together as "just roses. Or rather, just flowers."

「Could it be that you aren't particularly interested?」

Prompted by the prince, who maintained his wry smile, I nodded, feeling a tiny pang of guilt.

「...Yes. While I do find them beautiful, I harbor no personal attachment to any specific variety, nor do I know their names.」

As a girl, is this acceptable? More importantly, as a noble lady, is this okay? This is bad. It's actually a bit embarrassing. I should probably study up a little. At the very least, I ought to memorize the flowers blooming in this garden.

「Then, what *do* you like?」

「What I... like?」

「Yes. For instance, most young ladies are fond of dresses, or perhaps jewels.」

Ah, so that's what this is about. Realizing his intent, I gave a sheepish smile out of pure awkwardness.

「Or perhaps flowers...?」

「Precisely.」

The prince mirrored my wry smile.

He was just looking for standard conversation starters suitable for a young lady. I feel so incredibly bad!! I have absolutely zero interest in any of it!! Good grief, this is getting genuinely embarrassing!!

「F-Flowers are, well...」

This is bad. I know absolutely nothing. I'd bet all my money that this conversation is dead in the water. As I lowered my gaze and began to stammer, the prince let out a soft sigh.

「No, let us move on from flowers. ...Do you read books?」

「I do...」

Yes, I certainly do. Just not the kind a five-year-old girl is supposed to be reading.

「Would you tell me about a book you've read recently?」

「Recently...」

(Oh boy, what do I do here? Should I just talk about *The Green Prince*, that fairy tale that's super famous among girls in this world, just to change the subject? Or maybe I should stick to *The Jewel Princess*, which young girls apparently obsess over?)

「Elly, speak honestly.」

At the sound of my father's voice, which carried a mix of mild exasperation and sheer resignation, I raised my head. Father was already perfectly aware that his daughter was anything but a "typical five-year-old girl."

But to be honest... are you sure about this, Father?

When I shot him a look filled with that exact question, he gave a firm nod. Oh, what the hell, a girl's got to have guts!

「Recently, I have been reading the second volume of Harald Boehm's *The Rise and Fall of the Demain Empire*...」

「...Pardon?」

Following a massive, heavy silence, the prince let out a completely flabbergasted squeak.

(Oh my, even his dumbfounded expression looks like a work of art. Beautiful people really are... and so on and so forth, for the fourth time.)

The prince stared at my father as if trying to confirm a hallucination. At the receiving end of that look, Father simply nodded with a thoroughly bitter expression.

「It appears my daughter has no taste for the stories typical young girls enjoy... I bought her various fairy tales, but after skimming through them once, she never so much as laid a finger on them again...」

That makes me sound terrible! He's making it sound like I treat books like absolute garbage!

「That is not true at all! *Princess Libea's Diadem* is one of my absolute treasures!」

It was a picture book highly popular among young girls. I was desperately appealing the fact that I do, in fact, cherish picture books. Yet, in response to my frantic defense, Father let out a deep, heavy sigh.

「...You do not treasure it because you like the actual story, though.」

「Well, yes, but does that matter? It is the book you gave me, Father, and it is my absolute favorite...」

*Princess Libea's Diadem* was a story about a princess named Libea from once upon a time who weaves a crown meant to break a curse to save her older brother, a prince cursed by a witch. It bears a striking resemblance to *The Wild Swans* from my previous life. Though, considering there's only one cursed prince to save here, this version is significantly more forgiving. In the end, the successfully un-cursed prince becomes king, and the princess spends the rest of her life devotedly supporting him—making it what most would consider a happy ending. In short, it's one of those "a woman's place is to support her man" kind of tales. Not that I have any particular grievance with that. It's simply the reflection of this world's values.

The real reason that picture book was so precious to me was that the copy Father gave me happened to be a first edition published roughly two hundred years ago! Furthermore, the illustrations were drawn by the legendary painter Marcus Bernard! The binding was incredibly intricate; by no stretch of the imagination could it be classified as a mere "children's picture book."

To put it in terms of my past life, imagine a copy of *Cinderella* or *Snow White* where the content didn't matter because the illustrations were done by Rembrandt. It featured an incredibly meticulous, elegant, and realistic style that offered deep insight into the customs and attire of two centuries ago.

I had a custom display stand built specifically to showcase it. Naturally, direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays are the ultimate enemy. It sits in a completely shaded corner of my bedroom. It is a magnificent volume that brings me pure bliss just by gazing upon it.

「...In other words, you treasure it as a work of art,」 the prince murmured, a hint of exasperation seeping into his tone.

I tilted my head slightly at his conclusion.

「Not entirely, Your Highness. While the binding is indeed magnificent and possesses immense artistic value, its significance as a rare text—being a first edition from the Bernstein Publishing House with every single page completely intact—is truly immeasurable.」

And above all, everything about it was just utterly beautiful.

「Even so... Boehm's *Rise and Fall*, of all things...」 the prince murmured, offering a soft smile as he looked at me. 「Whatever possessed you to read that?」

The Demain Empire was a nation that collapsed roughly four hundred years ago. Today, the lands that once comprised its territory are divided and ruled by three separate nations. The ruins of the imperial castle are located in the modern-day Republic of Mythras and serve as a tourist attraction. Nowadays, only a fraction of the outer walls and the castle foundations remain. I'd love to visit it at least once.

The book is a historical text that examines the rise and eventual collapse of the Demain Empire over its two-hundred-year existence, utilizing a vast array of primary sources from multiple perspectives. Though it was published fifteen years ago, its unique interpretation of the Ogarcia Campaign—traditionally considered the catalyst for the empire's downfall—and its depiction of the eight emperors remain highly controversial, with historians still fiercely divided over its validity to this day.

If asked why I decided to read it, the simple answer is that it sounded entertaining and caught my interest. However, what His Highness likely wanted to know was what had sparked that interest in the first place.

「Well, I had previously read *The Eternal Agathia*, so—」

「No, wait a moment.」

He cut me off right out of the gate. Yeah, fair enough. I figured he might react that way.

「You read it? *The Eternal Agathia*?」

「Yes.」

「...Duke, your daughter appears to entirely defy my comprehension.」

Turning to my father with a deep sigh, the prince found Father letting out a perfectly synchronized sigh of his own.

「We as a family have already given up trying to comprehend her.」

Father, you absolute traitor!!

*The Eternal Agathia*, otherwise known as *The Ultimate Blunt Instrument*. It was a staggeringly thick tome—easily measuring ten centimeters across—that practically screamed, "How on earth did they cram all this text into one book?!" Furthermore, paperbacks don't exist in this world. It was a massive, hardcover beast that could double as a pickling stone. Truly a magnificent lethal weapon.

Wielding such an object with the arms of a little girl was no small feat. Once I laid it open upon my desk, it remained stationary in that exact spot for a solid month. Moving it was a massive chore due to its glorious weight. The content detailed the history of the massive Agathia River and its surrounding basins. The aforementioned Demain Empire was one of the many nations that had flourished along the banks of the Agathia River. That was exactly what had hooked me.

A grand empire boasting vast territories, immense national wealth driven by booming commerce and agriculture, an overwhelming military force, and an incredibly advanced civilization. And today, it is completely erased from the face of the world map. That is pure, unadulterated romance right there!!! How could anyone *not* want to research it?! ...Though I am open to differing opinions.

「...So by reading *The Eternal Agathia*, you developed a fascination with the Demain Empire,」 the prince summarized, letting out a long, weary sigh.

I nodded in agreement. (Hey, isn't that sigh a little uncalled for?)

「Precisely, Your Highness. Once my curiosity was piqued, I began with Nelson Cocius's *The Light and Shadow of the Demain Empire*, followed by Aurelius Watts's *The Demain Empire: Two Centuries of Glory*, before finally moving on to the *Rise and Fall* chronicle.」

「Tell me, do you aspire to become a historian?」

Wearing a thoroughly exhausted expression, the prince questioned me in an equally drained voice.

「Oh, no. I simply read them because they caught my interest. It is merely a form of entertainment for me.」

「...Entertainment.」

「Yes.」

「She is... a rather peculiar child, you see...」

I'm telling you, Father! Your assessment of your own daughter is brutally harsh!

As we parted ways, the prince mentioned that he would prepare something more to my liking for our next meeting.

I wonder what he's going to bring.

Honestly, if it's a travel ticket to the Republic of Mythras where the ruins of the Demain Empire stand, I'd literally jump for absolute joy.

*****

Doing some re-editing and adjusting format. Also add some notes for random references that I missed.

Chi-chan / Oka*ura

This is reference a massive hit variety show on Japanese public television (NHK) called "Chiko-chan ni Shikarareru!" (チコちゃんに叱られる！), which translates to "Chiko-chan Will Scold You!"

"Chi*-chan" is Chiko-chan: She is the star of the show—a costumed character with a digital CGI head who is famously a perpetual five-year-old girl. Despite being five, she speaks with the sassy, deep-voiced attitude of a cynical middle-aged woman. Her whole gimmick is asking adult guests deceptively simple questions (like "Why is the sky blue?" or "Why do grandfather clocks tick?") and absolutely roasting them when they don't know the answer.

"Oka*ura" is Takashi Okamura: A legendary Japanese comedian (half of the famous duo Ninety-Nine). He is the main human co-host on the show. Chiko-chan treats him like her sidekick, constantly leaning over and saying, "Hey, Okamura..." to drag him into her antics.

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