The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[Ellie-chan Definitely Don't Want to Play This Otome Game]
Translated by: ME
It turns out I now also have something called ['Personal Guard Knight'].
In a few years, they are slated to become ['Personal Guard Knights Attached to the Crown Princess'].
***
Back in April, while I was leisurely preparing for the academy and had just moved my residence to the castle, His Highness said:
[Since you'll be living here, it would be better to assign personal guard knights to you as well, Ellie.]
Well, yeah, thinking about efficiency, that makes sense.
In practice, my security has been handled on a rotating basis by His Highness's personal guard knights and guards not specifically assigned to anyone.
I'm already familiar with His Highness's personal guard knights, and communication with them is easy, but with the other guards, it doesn't go quite as smoothly.
In an emergency, that ['doesn't go quite as smoothly'] part could have a significant impact.
But ['dedicated to me'], you say… I feel his [I have no intention of letting you go] resolve very strongly.
[You say 'dedicated,' but I am not yet a member of the royal family…]
[It's not a problem.]
Wow, Your Highness, that was a quick answer.
[In just four more years, you will become the Crown Princess.]
His Highness smiled a very nice smile.
Four years later. The plan is for our wedding ceremony to take place as soon as I turn sixteen. There's a saying that ['plans are not definite'], but in His Highness's mind, it's ['set in stone'].
[Furthermore, I have already obtained permission from His Majesty the King.]
Wow, Your Highness, you work fast too. As expected, Your Highness…
[So, Ellie, I'd like you to choose the one who will be your head of personal guard knight]
Hmm.
What should I do?
Unlike His Highness, I hardly ever show my face at the knights' training sessions. Therefore, I don't know them.
The knights I know are, at best, His Highness's personal guard knights.
[Then… may I make one request?]
[Anything.]
I shifted my gaze slightly from the nodding His Highness.
Where my gaze landed was Sir Gray, standing quietly as always today.
[Could Sir Gray choose the person to be my head guard?]
At my words, Sir Gray opened his eyes slightly in surprise, and His Highness smiled as if to say [So that's your move.]
[…Is that so, Noel?]
[May I ask a question?]
I nodded [Please go ahead] to Sir Gray, who spoke looking slightly bewildered.
[Why would you entrust such an important role to me?]
Hmm. You don't understand?
[I do not know the knights well enough to make a choice. That is one reason. And the second reason—]
Sir Gray, standing quietly today as well, not disturbing His Highness.
He suppresses his presence, but even so, he never lets his guard down.
I have never seen him let his composure slip while standing behind His Highness.
[—is because I trust Sir Gray's sincere attitude towards his duties and his unwavering loyalty to His Highness and the royal family. I believe that Sir Gray would not recommend anyone who would go against my wishes.]
That is all.
In short, I place my complete trust in the individual knight named Noel Gray.
Sir Gray closed his eyes once, then opened them while letting out a small sigh and looked straight at me.
[As you wish. As Lady Elizabeth commands.]
Saying this, he bowed deeply once and returned to his original posture.
Knights, their every gesture is so beautiful~. So sharp and proper, it's captivating~.
The beauty and efficiency of his movements are also one of the reasons I value Sir Gray.
[So, Noel, by when can you present candidates?]
Sir Gray smiled slightly at His Highness's question.
[Immediately, if you wish.]
At that answer, I muttered [Huh?] and His Highness laughed, seeming a little amused.
[Lady Elizabeth, regarding the age of your head of personal guard knight, would you prefer someone closer to your own?]
[No, I don't mind at all… Ah, but if possible, I'd like the upper limit to be within their twenties.]
Because if they're in their thirties~, they'd just get old too quickly from my perspective~.
Ellie-chan is still a spry twelve-year-old, after all.
Sir Gray gave a slight nod at my words.
It seemed it was just a confirmation; he seemed confident that I wouldn't care about age.
Well, I do care!? I wouldn't want someone in their thirties or forties!
[So, who is it?]
[Yes. Although I need Your Highness's permission as well… Alphonse Norman.]
Sir Norman is one of His Highness's personal guard knights.
Sir Gray, smoothly offering up his own subordinate! Wait, is it okay to just hand over your own subordinate like that!?
[Ah, that's fine. …Call Norman here.]
He spoke to another guard standing in the corner of the room; the brother gave a short [Yes] in reply and left.
Hey, Your Highness, you should care a bit more! The wall protecting you is getting thinner!
But I wonder if it's really okay. The head guard, Sir Gray, proposed it, and His Highness permitted it.
If that would cause problems, Sir Gray wouldn't have suggested it in the first place, I suppose.
[Alphonse Norman, reporting.]
Promptly, Sir Norman bowed politely at the doorway.
This man's movements are also beautiful. You can feel the precision down to his fingertips.
His Highness looked at Sir Norman and smiled a slightly mischievous smile.
Probably, Sir Norman is being assaulted by a bad premonition right now. His Highness's smile like that usually means nothing good.
[We were just discussing a reassignment of personal guard knights.]
[Yes…]
Sir Norman looked at His Highness with slight suspicion, wondering what this was about…
I know that feeling! You're thinking, ['Your Highness, you seem shady!'], aren't you~?
[I want you to become Ellie's head of personal guard knight.]
At His Highness's words, Sir Norman froze, his eyes slightly wide.
[You have until three days from now for your ans—]
[I humbly accept the appointment.]
Hey, guard! You interrupted His Highness! And your answer is way too quick! Is this okay!?
Even though his statement was cut off, His Highness didn't look displeased; rather, he smiled cheerfully.
[Is that so? Then I'm counting on you. For Ellie's other personal guard knights, consult with Noel as well.]
[Yes. Understood.]
I just stared blankly at Sir Norman, who nodded without hesitation and performed a beautiful knight's bow to His Highness…
***
The cafeteria after school still has a scattering of people.
Since instructors also use this place, I can see Professor Houston, who taught me about the origin of the Yuzuriha, at a table in the back.
He's eating bread at an incredible speed with a book in one hand. …I hope he doesn't choke. I'm worried…
I received a letter in Japanese from Mariebell Fluorite, the Count's daughter, and following its instructions, I came here.
Now then, shall I look for Miss Mariebell?
She's not at any of the roughly hundred table seats.
If not, maybe outside? I headed for the open terrace and found Miss Mariebell sitting all alone.
The picture looks lonely, Miss Mariebell! Well, I suppose she was being considerate of me!
I asked Marina and Alphonse, who were waiting behind me, to stand by at a distance, and then I headed to Miss Mariebell's table.
After Sir Norman, who became my head of personal guard knight, told me [Honorifics are unnecessary], I went through some trial and error and ended up calling him by his first name without any title. …Since he's so much older, it still feels weird to me. I'll probably get used to it eventually.
At first, he said things like [You may even call me Al], but His Highness objected. In a voice lower than I'd ever heard before, he said, [Forcing her isn't good, is it, Norman?] …It was scary.
Miss Marybelle had a book open on the table and was reading with a serious expression.
[What are you reading?]
When I spoke to her, Miss Mariebell looked up and smiled as if relieved that I had come.
[It's a romance novel with B and L descriptions. Do you read them too, Lady Elizabeth?]
Oof…
Eh, what? Is this girl the type who's into BL?
[…My apologies, I'll pass.]
I don't particularly mean to deny the historical culture of male relationships that appears in history.
Both in this world and my previous one, there are plenty of great men who were homosexuals. And I think that's fine too.
However, I have no particular interest in the various entertainments related to B and L.
Miss Mariebell let out a small [Fufu~] laugh and closed the book with a snap.
…The cover has a rose illustration. So in this world too, that genre uses roses… Got one piece of useless knowledge!
[Thank you for coming.]
As Miss Marybelle bowed her head deeply, I said [No, no…] and ended up bowing back in response.
Oh no. The Japanese habit…
[Please don't bow your head, Lady Elizabeth.]
Even Miss Mariebell laughed at me.
Perhaps it's because I have the preconception that she's Japanese. I find myself acting Japanese too.
[…So, getting straight to the point, what did you want to talk about…?]
When I asked, Miss Marybelle adopted a serious expression.
[I'll ask you directly.]
Her tone was terribly serious.
I unconsciously gulped and nodded.
[Lady Elizabeth, have you ever played this otome game?]
Otome game!!! Whoa, seriously!? I'd completely forgotten about that!!
[This world… is an otome game…?]
Who are the capture targets!?
I can't think of anyone besides His Highness!!
[Yes. The title is… I can't remember it at all, but I think it had some kanji and katakana.]
Wow. The amount of information is practically zero…
[It was 4,580 yen (tax excluded).]
Don't need that info.
[The opening theme song was so crappily cheesy that I listened to it on repeat many times.]
I'm super curious!!!
[Could you… try singing a bit of that crappily cheesy theme for me…?]
I asked, feeling excited. Miss Marybelle gave a small [Well then…] and cleared her throat.
[♪ Yes, from the moment I met you~, the world turned into the color of heart-pounding~… something like that.]
[…That's cheesy.]
It's definitely an 80s pop song that would never sell. It has that exquisitely awful cheesiness…
[Yes. And with a production where character sprites slide in smoothly from the side with each musical phrase. That production was also cheap-looking, and I really liked it…]
Yeah, this girl is a little weird, isn't she!?
[So, you don't know it, Lady Elizabeth.]
[No. …I hardly know any otome games myself, so…]
Also, your game info has no content whatsoever!
Well, it's true I don't know of any game set in this world.
[For your information, *I* am the heroine of the game.]
Miss Marybelle said while pointing at herself. I couldn't help but murmur, [Wow…]
[Um… so, Miss Marybelle, do you want to recreate the game's events or…]
[No! I absolutely do *not* want to start the game, which is why I took the exam for this school!]
She replied in an almost interrupting manner, even leaning forward, making me instinctively lean back.
Well, if the setting is this school, it wouldn't have that crappily cheesy theme song, would it…?
If anything, there's no time for romance in this school.
[So, the game's setting is Cockford Academy?]
[Yes. Just as you've guessed.]
As Miss Mariebell nodded, I thought, just as I expected…
But still… That makes the capture targets really hard to figure out… His Highness would never attend Cockford, right?
…Ah! Maybe it's a cool commoner boy or something!? Like a reverse-hierarchy game!
But even so.
[Miss Mariebell…]
[Ah, sorry. My apologies for interrupting, but could you please call me without any honorifics? I'm not the sort of person who deserves honorifics from Lady Elizabeth.]
Inferiority complex! She suddenly got an inferiority complex, this girl!!
[Then, what should I call you…?]
[If it's alright, please call me Marie.]
Her eyes are sparkling…
Huh? Did you want me to call you Mary that much…? What's with this girl? It's a little scary…
[Then, Marie…]
[Yes!]
Whoa, why such a nice smile…?
[Marie, what did you need me for?]
You said you don't want the otome game events… right?
If she were a heroine like ['All the capture targets are mine!'], then it'd be something like ['Stay away from His Highness'].
…Wait, am I the villainess type? A little villainess would be kinda cute, wouldn't she?
[I was just wondering where the capture targets are and what they're doing now… I thought maybe Lady Elizabeth might know some of them…]
[And if you find out, what will you do?]
[Avoid them thoroughly!!]
…She said that line with a really nice smile…
I can understand the feeling, but…
The conversation seemed like it would be long, so I promised Marie we would talk again another day and parted ways for now.
***
I decided to hear Marie's story while His Highness is away on official business.
And so, I have returned after a long time, Macnagan Ducal residence!
Anywhere inside this house is safe. I gave Marina the time off and told Alphonse to take it easy and rest as he pleases.
Today is Saturday, a school holiday.
I sent a carriage for Marie. Not a royal carriage, but a ducal house carriage.
So, it was an otome game, huh…
The fact that she wants to ask *me* what the capture targets are doing now probably means they are high-ranking nobles or something, right?
Maybe someone like His Highness's aide, Lord Robert Aristoll? But he wouldn't attend Cockford either… Actually, he's a Steinford graduate.
But his sister is 'Hair Drills', so maybe he has otome game elements!?
[My Lady, your guest has arrived.]
Marina, who should have been off duty, came to call me.
[I'm coming~. …Marina, I gave you the time off…]
[Yes. So I tidied My Lady's room, and after finishing that and completing my prayers, I have come.]
…Hmm. We're not quite on the same page, are we?
Also, she just casually said ['prayers']. I wonder if the object of those prayers is that 'Savior God' of our house.
[Later, please show me where the altar is too.]
[I'm afraid I cannot do that.]
She refused outright!
***
[Th-thank you for ha-having me today… *mph*, thank you for having me today.]
She stammered and misspoke.
Hang in there, Marie!
It's okay! Your curtsy are beautiful!
[Please, don't be so formal~. Please make yourself at home~.]
My mother, who came to greet her, said in a relaxed tone. Marie bowed her head again, saying, [Thank you very much!]
I guided the stiffly nervous Marie to the drawing room. After the maid served tea and left, Marie took a sheaf of papers out of her bag.
[This is everything I could remember, but I wrote down the capture targets!]
Oh, how helpful.
[Thank you. …May I read it now?]
[Yes! It's fine. I'll read a book or something in the meantime.]
Saying this, she took out the book with the cover blooming with roses that I saw the other day.
…So you're still reading that, huh…
The paper was standard school report paper.
Its plainness and lack of flair is wonderful.
The contents were all written in Japanese. Well, certainly, no one would understand this even if they saw it.
It was titled 'Capture Target Information'. The first one was His Highness.
So it *was* His Highness! Well, of course! It's the classic route!
…However, the personality written there for His Highness was completely different from the His Highness I know.
Huh? Who is this ['Expressionless, Unfriendly'] person?
Also, what's this about an engagement made at age nine being ['nullified a year later']? That was when he said something akin to a proposal to me…
And the reason for attending Cockford is ['He wanted to interact with common people or something']? His Highness wouldn't act on such a flimsy reason!
Amazing… The otome game is amazing…
I don't feel the slightest flutter for *this* His Highness…
The second one was ['Son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Leonard Earnest, Marquis' Son'].
Ahh… I let out a sigh.
It's a sigh of, ['Oh yeah, that young master existed, didn't he…'].
To be precise, it's ['Leonard-kun, son of the *former* Minister of Internal Affairs']. The Earnest Marquis has now retired from his ministerial post. It seems His Highness was somehow involved in the minister's retirement, but when I ask him, he just smiles and dodges with a ['I wonder?'].
Leonard-kun is the young master who once picked a fight with me in the castle library.
He apparently achieved a full house of rudeness and was promptly expelled from the castle by His Highness. Or rather, it seems I was used as a convenient excuse to expel this young master who only ever caused annoying trouble.
…Well, it's fine. But I do love that side of His Highness.
In Mary's game info, he's listed as ['His Highness the Crown Prince's Aide']. What's this ['Sinister Glasses Type']? That's just an insult, isn't it?
['Extremely intelligent, always looks down on everyone.'] Yeah, that sounds like that young master. Though I don't know if he was actually intelligent.
['The only one he could never surpass was His Highness the Crown Prince.'] I think there are probably tons of people he can't surpass, he just doesn't realize it.
Third, ['Son of the Knight Commander, Morris Sandhill']. ['Meathead Type'].
Ahh… I remember him, that meathead youth, from the distant past.
And sure enough, both in reality and the game, this kid is a meathead. So it's practically an incurable disease, his meatheadedness.
He was the boy who aimed to become His Highness's guard knight.
Ah, it's written here. ['Aims to be His Highness's personal guard knight (was that the term?)']. That's correct~.
Oh, something terrifying is written too. ['Serves as His Highness's aide while also acting as a guard.'] Wouldn't a His Highness who makes *that kid* his aide be dangerous!? Well, having the previous sinister glasses guy as an aide was plenty dangerous too.
Please gather more capable personnel, Game His Highness!!
And then, the name that came next made me almost scream.
Fourth, ['Elrick Macnagan, Ducal Son'].
Wh-wh-WHATTT—!!! > Ω ΩΩ
H-h-he's a capture target!? *That guy*!? That parasite from my family!?
Even if asked, I wouldn't want to romance someone like that!!
…Anyway, I had the 'Whattt Trio' scream for me and calmed down a little. I don't really want to see it, but let's continue reading.
['Brother of His Highness's former fiancée']. Well, yes. In reality, it's not ['former'], but I *am* the fiancée. Yes, I do believe he has a similar name…
['Worries about his sister, who has become a shut-in since the engagement was broken off']. Is your sister a shut-in? That's worrying (monotone).
['His personality is gentle and kind, a bit shy and easily embarrassed.'].
…Wait a second… I'm getting serious goosebumps…
Who is this!? More than the first His Highness, who is this!?
['Succeeds in reconciling with His Highness, with whom he had issues, thanks to the heroine's encouragement.'] …Brother, you're the one who arbitrarily holds a grudge against His Highness, you know…
This is terrible… This game is more terrible than I imagined…
Fifth. There are more? Well, I guess so… ['His Highness's Guard Knight, the one whose name is either Alphonse or Alphonso, the one that's *not* the mango'].
Hey!
You're correct that it's the non-mango one, but let me interject!!
…If Alphonse saw this, he'd probably look like he's about to cry… Not that I plan to show him.
This refers to Alphonse Norman, who was recently recommended to be my head of personal guard knight and agreed in a split second. For the record, the mango is 'Alphonso Mango'. It's more expensive than Pelican Mango or Apple Mango.
Mary… Why is only Alphonse treated so roughly…?
The game's Alphonse is a ['Sexy, Flirty Big Brother']. That's true in reality too. He has a ridiculous amount of unnecessary sex appeal. Well, it might not be unnecessary depending on the mission. But he has an excess of sex appeal that's not needed for guard duty.
Because his appearance and remarks are a bit frivolous, I once said, [Why don't you change your name to 'Frivolous (surname) Flirty Man (given name)'?] He made a face like the world was ending and said, […I beg you, please stop.]
I was just saying it as a joke~, I said, and he retorted, [Then why doesn't Lady Elizabeth change her name to 'Fairy of Beauty'?] …What insolence towards one's master!!
['A character with hidden depths, always smiling but not truly smiling from the heart'], who is that!?
Well, I want to say ['Who is that!?'] for all of them, but seriously, who is this!?
Alphonso-kun (Note: She means Alphonse) is a laughably happy drunk (figuratively). My words and actions seem to easily hit his funny bone, and he's often stifling a laugh, failing to stifle it and making an unnatural cough, or his shoulders are shaking.
['Thanks to Lady Elizabeth, my abs are getting trained…'] Shut up!!
Ah, I got the name wrong. It was Alphonse-kun. …Thanks to Mary, Alphonse is almost turning into a mango… This is bad…
And there was still a sixth! ['Robert Aristoll, Ducal Son'].
Sure enough, it says ['His Highness's Aide'].
Lord Robert being an aide is correct, but currently he has inherited the Ducal title at a young age. …Well, like His Highness and my brother, he'd have absolutely no need to attend Cockford, right?
Isn't the setting way too forced? This game.
What's this…? ['He is at his wit's end with his sister, who was spoiled and grew up completely self-willed.'] My, my, that's quite accurate for His Lordship, isn't it? …I wonder how 'Vertical Rolls-sama' is doing.
['Love buds as he comes to think of the heroine like a cute little sister.'] How lovely~.
He himself finds romantic affairs troublesome and keeps running away from marriage proposals, after all~.
His Lordship isn't just ['promising for the future']; he is currently the youngest Duke in the country, a super high-quality prospect. Plus, he's good-looking. A level of good looks that makes sense for an otome game capture target.
No wonder marriage proposals come pouring in. They come down like guerrilla rainstorms.
He dodges them all with humble, loyalist-sounding statements like, ['My marriage should come after Lord Leonard's.'] He just has no interest or motivation whatsoever.
When His Highness said, [Then, once I am married, I shall bestow a marriage proposal upon you as well], he made a face of utter despair, saying, ['That's only four years from now…'] That's because you're using His Highness as a shield, Your Lordship.
Mary's report was concluded with ['I feel like there were probably more.'] …There are more? Isn't this enough? This is the first otome game I've seen that grinds down your SAN value like this.
***
I finished reading and let out a sigh. [Phew…] Mary also looked up from the book she was reading.
[Finished reading?]
[Yes. …It really wore down my spirit…]
Especially the fourth person.
[I-Is that so…?]
Mary looked a little frightened.
Fuhahahaha…! The true horror is yet to come!
Now then, shall we check the answers?
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