The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[A Reincarnated Girl With a Rather Poor Memory (Other Than That, She's Average)]
Translated by: ME
Mariebell Fluorite.
When I was a child, I wrote my name on paper over and over again to practice writing letters.
Around the time my name started to lose its meaning, I was struck by a strange feeling, like, [Why does this name look so familiar...?]
Of course it looks familiar, it's my name.
My name, given to me by my beloved parents.
I am Mariebell Fluorite.
'What does it mean to look familiar?' While vaguely thinking like that, I write my name on the paper again.
The size and shape of the letters are uniform, and I was able to write something quite satisfactory.
I was happy that I wrote it well! At the same time, I shouted, [I get it!]
Mariebell Fluorite.
It was the name of the heroine in one of the several otome games I had played.
Could it be a past life memory? I've had memories of 'somewhere other than this world' ever since I was a child. But when I was little, I thought of them as 'worlds in my dreams'.
Because they were too unrealistic.
Huge iron wings flying in the sky, square buildings taller than the spires of the royal castle in this country, small devices that allow you to talk to people in distant places...
Everything is something that couldn't exist in this world.
I realized, 'Those aren't dreams!'
Airplanes, skyscrapers, smartphones. All of them, in my past life, were commonplace, everyday things.
I understood, and turned pale.
Wait a minute... 'Reincarnated as a heroine'? What is that, some kind of punishment game?
Did I commit that many sins in my past life!? Isn't it standard for heroines to get the short end of the stick!?
I thought so, but when I thought about it carefully, that's only the case when the heroine uses the game's plot to live a carefree life with a reverse harem, right?
That's right.
There should also be stories about heroines reincarnated who live without getting involved in the game.
And in those stories, the heroines don't get the short end of the stick. Of course not. They haven't done anything to be pointed at.
Okay, I've decided!! I'm going to live a 'normal' life!
I'll obey the law, live within my means, and live a life where I rejoice in small happiness!
Yes, in other words, I'll live as the small-minded person I was in my past life!
That's what I strongly resolved in the spring of my fourth year.
***
I don't remember the title of the game. What was it... I don't really need to remember it, but I strongly remember that the title had nothing to do with the content, and I thought, [Huh!? Is this some kind of title fraud!?]
Once I remember that the title was misleading, I become even more curious about the title itself.
However, my memory, which is a bit unreliable, doesn't have the title in it.
No, maybe it does, it probably does, but I can't remember it at all.
...This is bad. The word 'title' has started to lose its meaning...
Because my memory is unreliable, I'm not sure how many romance options there were.
Four..., no, five...? It was something like that...
I definitely remember four.
Maybe there were more. Or rather, there should be. The package was definitely one of those where the main characters are lined up like broccoli, and five broccoli wouldn't be enough.
Well, it's unlikely that I'll meet the romance options in real life.
The protagonist is Mariebell Fluorite. In other words, me.
With flaxen hair and gray eyes, it's a plain coloring for a heroine. ...Well, I'm glad it's not bright pink or anything!
In the first place, this game didn't have anime-like hair or eye colors (like blue hair or red eyes). And that's what made it easy to get into and what I liked about it.
Mariebell is the only daughter of a Count family that runs a trading company.
...Currently, my father is a Viscount, but will he be promoted to Count? What are you doing, Dad? Is our trading company going to hit the jackpot or something?
Although she is the heroine, she is an 'inconspicuous, quiet girl'.
...In fact, when I look in the mirror, I see a girl who is 'reasonably cute'.
Huh!? Aren't heroines usually as lovely and cute as flowers, and as adorable as small animals, inspiring a desire to protect them!? (According to my knowledge of novels)
I'm cuter than the average girl, but I'm far from being a peerless beauty.
However, that's the setting of the heroine. An inconspicuous girl, which means she doesn't stand out in terms of appearance either.
That phenomenon that often happens with heroines in shoujo manga, where the 'inconspicuous, ordinary me' is so cute that readers think, [Huh? Is she waiting for someone to say, 'That's not true'!?], doesn't apply to me.
I'm truly a background-character heroine.
No, since peerless beauties are not uncommon among high-ranking noble ladies, maybe I'll stand out in a bad way... Because I'm so plain.
It's a romance simulation game about 'the quiet, inconspicuous me' and 'him who found me'.
The setting is a school.
A sweet and sour love story with the princes I met there!
...Well, the game I was playing before this one was a game where all the romance options were yandere. I got tired of the brutality of that scenario.
I was in the middle of a back-to-basics fair, like, [The royal road is the best!]...
The character introduction illustrations I saw on the official website were very beautiful, and that was also a reason for buying it.
...When I saw it on the official website, I thought, [Even so, the heroine is pretty cute,] but reality is merciless...
I went to a tea party where there were also high-ranking noble ladies, and I was confronted with the reality that, [Oh, am I just average, or rather, on the lower end?]
It's a really classic story about an ordinary girl meeting someone a little out of her reach, and growing closer to each other as they spend time together...
In other words, that's all there is to it, so there are no villains or rivals.
The ending branches are simply based on my choices.
Well, the game I was playing before the yandere-filled bloodbath game was a 'cheating game' where all the romance options had girlfriends...
While playing, I started to feel like, [If a guy who has a girlfriend hits on other women is scum, then isn't the heroine who knows he has a girlfriend and gets close to him also scum!?], and my heart became rough...
The royal road is the best!!
So, the romance options are all about a happy ending with 'him who is a little out of the heroine's reach', so they were sons of high-ranking nobles or young masters of famous families.
Currently, they are all people that I wouldn't even be able to meet.
***
The first one I remember is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Hahaha (Lin Koushi's laugh)! [There's no way I could meet him!] [It's so ridiculous that it makes me laugh!]
He's so far above me that I can't even remember his name, it's so impossible!
He's two years older than me, seventeen in the game.
Originally, he doesn't need to attend 'school', but he's attending school because he wants to interact with the people of the city, a cool beauty type prince.
He's famous for rarely changing his expression, and although there are currently 'candidate fiancées', he doesn't have a decided partner. The reason is that he's 'disgusted by all the selfish people who try to get close to him'.
Haa, how cool, Prince (sarcastically).
The reason why the prince rarely changed his expression was because his fiancée, who he had when he was nine years old, hated the prince, withdrew from the engagement, and confined herself to her territory.
She cried, [Am I that boring to be with?] which became a trauma for him in his young heart.
In reality, it seems that there was nothing interesting, but since then, the prince has stopped changing his expression.
If he's always expressionless, then no one will know if he's 'interested' or 'uninterested', right?
Can I say something?
What a pain in the ass, Prince!!
Haa..., this prince is a no-go. He should be a little more considerate of girls. A polite smile is fine. Why does he choose to be expressionless?
No way.
Well, as a matter of reality, I wouldn't even meet him given my status. But still, no way.
***
The second one I remember is the son of the Minister of Home Affairs. Leonard, the second son of Marquis Ernest.
A Marquis might be possible...? And he's the second son. Marriage into the family is possible.
He's one year older than the heroine, sixteen in the game.
He's always by the prince's side as his aide. He's always there, seriously.
He's the scheming glasses type.
He's the prince's brain and a trusted person.
He is very intelligent, and has lived a life where everything has been 'too easy and boring' since he was a child.
There is nothing in the world that is not taken for granted, and he can do anything with a reasonable amount of effort, so he is bored to death.
The only person he couldn't beat was the prince.
I don't want to get involved at this point! I really hate people this troublesome!
He meets the heroine and his personality is somewhat corrected.
The heroine will snap his tall, tall nose.
At that time, that famous line comes out. That's right! That one!
[Hmph..., you're an interesting woman.]
Waaaaa!! So lame!! I'm confident I'd get goosebumps if someone said that to me in real life!
I mean, it's fine, you don't have to force him to correct his personality. Just live with that uselessly high pride.
No way. He's also a no-go.
***
The third one I remember is the muscle-head type that's essential for the royal road, Morris Sandil.
He's the son of the Leader of the Knights, and is aiming to become a Knight like his father.
He's also an aide to the prince, and serves as his bodyguard.
He's the same age as the prince, two years older than me.
Well, he's a typical stereotypical muscle-head character.
He's always cheerful, likes to work out, and dedicates his youth to honing his swordsmanship.
One day, the heroine asks him, [What does it mean to 'protect'?]
Morris, who is at a loss for an answer, begins to confront himself.
The heroine watches over, supports, and sometimes scolds Morris, and the two of them come up with an answer together.
...Wait, is the heroine his mom!?
Is she your mother!
Think about that on your own!! It's your future!!
Ah..., no way. This is also a no-go...
***
And the last one I remember is Duke Elrick Macnagan's son.
Actually, my favorite character in this game was him.
The Macnagan ducal family has a long history, and is a great noble family, ranking second in the order of ducal families. He is the heir to the family.
The age is the same as mine.
The visuals really hit my sweet spot!
Pale, fluffy golden curls and white skin. Dark blue eyes with a hint of melancholy and long eyelashes. An androgynous, beautiful boy from any angle.
Actually, the aforementioned prince's fiancée, whose engagement was called off, is his younger sister.
Because of that, there's a bit of a rift between him and the prince.
He's a kind boy who worries about his sister, who's holed up in their territory and still depressed, and wonders what he can do for her.
This scenario is just! So healing!
The heroine and he think about gifts for his sister in their territory together. He reconciles with the prince, talking about his sister, a topic they had avoided until then.
The heroine forcibly takes him on a date, saying, [Your sister is important, but you need to cheer up too!] and as a result, they have a fun time.
He didn't have any complicated traumas, and the overall scenario had a gentle, fluffy atmosphere.
His personality was calm and kind, a slightly shy and bashful boy.
That was another point I fell for.
Elrick might be okay... No, but, a duke's heir, I'll probably never meet him...
This is everything in my broken memory bank.
Maybe someday I'll remember more information than this... Though I doubt it.
***
Time passed, and I turned twelve.
Recently, our merchant guild's business has been unusually successful. The fruits we're importing from other countries seem to have become a mysterious boom, and they're selling like crazy. It's a fruit that doesn't exist in this country, but I knew it.
It's passion fruit.
Well, I understand why it's selling. Because it's delicious. But the way it's selling is abnormal.
What is this phenomenon...? Is this perhaps, the game's influence?
If things go according to the game, our family should become Earls by the time I turn fifteen.
This mysterious passion fruit boom is scary!!
When I turned twelve, my parents asked me, [Marie, are you going to go to school?]
Frankly, nobles in this world don't particularly need to go to school. A private tutor is enough.
Then why did Mariebell in the game go to school?
There's no particular explanation in the game. I didn't particularly question it while playing.
Because in Japan, it's normal to be in school at fifteen.
But living as Mariebell, it feels quite unnatural.
There are three main schools in the royal capital.
One is the Steinford Royal Academy.
Next is North Pole Girls' Academy.
And then, Cockford Academy.
If a noble's daughter is going to go to school, these are the only three options.
The setting of the game was Cockford Academy. The school motto is [Learning is Equality,] and the school rules state that [Students are, in principle, considered equal beings.]
It's a common trope in otome games.
Without this premise, no matter how noble a lady is, she can't just talk to the prince.
I don't want to go to Cockford.
If I stagger the year, I might be able to avoid it somehow, but I don't want to start an otome game.
Besides, there's not much point in going to Cockford.
When I looked into it, the curriculum at Cockford Academy can be covered by a private tutor.
In Japan, it would be about high school level.
It's about the same as what I'm being taught by my tutor at twelve, plus a little extra.
Mariebell in the game, why did you go...?
The mystery was solved by my father's words.
[If you make friends at school, could you ask them what kind of things they want?]
Marketing research!!!
I see... Mariebell in the game was helping with the family business, too.
Certainly, a school with commoners to nobles (mainly low-ranking) would be a great place for marketing research.
I'm totally convinced.
My father seems to want me to go to school and do research.
If that's the case, I'll have to go somewhere.
But I don't want to go to Cockford... I want to see Elrick, though! I really want to see him!!
Then, as for North Pole Girls' Academy, I'd also like to decline.
It's a [Girls' Academy.] Only girls are there. Moreover, only [noble ladies] are there. Scary.
From the school motto, [Be a Lady,] I already don't smell like I can fit in. It's a world where you're called [tomboyish] just for skipping a step on the stairs at home. It's too much of an impossible game.
That leaves Steinford Royal Academy.
Here, it's like Tokyo University in Japan. The most difficult school in the country.
This school doesn't distinguish between nobles and commoners in a good way. Complete meritocracy is its selling point.
Even sons and daughters of high-ranking nobles fail the entrance exams every year.
It's the highest educational institution.
Certainly, the curriculum at Steinford is interesting the more I look into it.
But will I be able to pass...?
Me, a graduate of a low-ranking university...
No, the past is the past! Now is now!
To avoid going to Cockford, let's do our best!
I made up my mind and started studying to tackle the ridiculously difficult entrance exam.
***
At the end of the year when I was thirteen, our family was promoted to Earl.
The power of the game is amazing! I was a little scared, though.
Corsets still existed in this world.
I hated that from the bottom of my heart. Because it hurts! And it's tight! And it's troublesome!
I rarely wear dresses, but when I do, I have to tighten the corset really tight.
Isn't that just torture!? Why do I have to suffer to dress up!
Furious, I started developing something like shapewear.
Our merchant guild also has an apparel department, and in cooperation with them, we developed a waist nipper that's easier to put on and take off than a corset, and more comfortable to wear.
Thanks to the passion fruit boom, the development funds were no problem.
And it was a hit!
It sold like crazy! Or rather, it's still selling.
Getting carried away, I branded it as the [Easy Series] and developed various women's underwear... Or rather, it's so-called knowledge cheat. There was no other place besides this department where I could use my knowledge cheat. Industry was quite advanced, and my superficial knowledge was no match.
I made various things, such as those with plenty of lace to satisfy noble ladies and madams, and those with slightly cute designs made of easy-care cotton for commoners.
And it was a hit again.
It was such a hit that I thought I'd name our merchant guild WaOmart.
Before I knew it, the apparel department was being treated like an underwear specialty store.
The way it hit was so amazing that exports to other countries even began.
There were even countries without the concept of bras. It was well-received by women in those countries as well.
Before I knew it, women's underwear had become a major industry.
I wanted to do something more intellectual with my knowledge cheat... Underwear... Well, okay. I'm satisfied with making cute panties, though.
That achievement led to this promotion.
I wonder if our family will be nicknamed the [Pants Earl]... That's sad...
The promotion of nobles is held at a ceremony in the royal castle at the end of the year. There, the title is bestowed by His Majesty the King all at once.
I'm not making my social debut until I'm fourteen, but I was allowed to accompany them because it's a once-in-a-lifetime event. It's quite something to be promoted from Viscount to Earl.
There's a high wall between the Earl and Marquis titles, so there probably won't be any further promotions for our family.
It's really a once-in-a-lifetime event.
I'm excited about my first castle. Because it looks so beautiful even from the outside! I've always wanted to go inside!
High-ranking nobles apparently have tea parties at the castle, but not for a Viscount family.
Well, it's okay, I don't need it. I'm not very confident in my manners...
There were three families being promoted that year, including ours.
Ours was from Viscount to Earl, and the other two were from Baron to Viscount.
We received an explanation of the ceremony from the castle officials, and my father, who was to receive the promotion, was taken to a separate waiting room.
During the officials' explanation, I was gazing at the castle's waiting room with sparkling eyes.
Because it was so beautiful! The sofas were unbelievably fluffy, and all the furniture was very luxurious and shiny.
Wow... amazing! A real castle...!
Seeing this kind of thing, I feel like I understand the feelings of the protagonist who's reborn as an otome game heroine and goes crazy for a reverse harem.
But I don't want to become like that! I'm a commoner, I'm a commoner... Okay, good!
During the ceremony, my mother and I were lined up in the corner of the row. The order of the line is determined by rank, so this is probably how it is. Besides, we're just spectators.
The king is on the throne. The queen is next to him.
The king is a very dignified handsome older man. The queen is a beauty who doesn't look like she has three children.
It's so dazzling. Do people like that really exist...?
The audience chamber is very luxurious and sparkling, but the king and queen aren't losing out to it.
...Eh? If I were to do a prince route, would the heroine sit there?
Isn't that too much? Aren't the materials too different from the royal family?
It's like one ordinary person mixing into a group of beautiful idol units, there's nothing but a sense of incongruity, right?
One step down from the king and queen's throne is the Crown Prince.
That prince is also!
A handsome man who really came out of a game!! The level of perfection that's not even 2.5D! ...Oh, it's 3D! It's real, here!
Behind the Crown Prince, who's as handsome and expressionless as in the game, is his guard knight. If it's according to the game, it's the muscle-brained Morris...
There's a very handsome older brother who doesn't resemble Morris at all.
He seems much older than the prince? Unlike Morris, he doesn't look muscle-brained either. He seems intelligent, rather.
...Ah! After all, this is quite different from the game!
Thinking that, my heart suddenly felt lighter.
I don't have to deal with the expressionless, unfriendly prince.
I can leave the high-and-mighty, insidious glasses alone.
I don't have to become the mother of the muscle-brained boy.
Oh, well. Then there's nothing to worry about.
Relieved, I gazed at the handsome prince to my heart's content, feasting my eyes.
In the spring when I was fourteen, I took the entrance exam for Steinford Academy.
My head was spinning from studying too much, but I managed to get through it somehow... This is the first time I've ever studied this much, including my previous life...
The day the acceptance letter arrived, I hugged my parents and rejoiced.
It's a school where you can brag just by saying, [I got in!] Stanford graduates are recognized as elites.
What surprised me was the story that this year's incoming class includes the Crown Prince and his fiancée.
That's right.
Unlike the game, the Prince has a fiancée. Just like in the game, the engagement was made when the Prince was nine years old (according to Noble Lady A).
The partner is, as in the game, Elizabeth Macnagan, the sister of Elrick Macnagan.
In the game, I only had the information [Elrick's sister,] but I was a little surprised to learn that she is four years younger than the Prince. I thought, [Wow, there's quite an age gap!]
It seems the Prince doesn't often bring Elizabeth to public events, so there are rumors that the two are on bad terms (according to Noble Lady B).
Elizabeth also doesn't talk much about the Prince at tea parties, so it's said that the rumor might be true (according to Noble Lady C).
Ah... I don't want to get involved with the characters from the game...
Being just one of forty students, it doesn't seem like I can just ignore them...
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