An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl
The Spider's Thread Snaps, A Truly Classic Trope!
Translated by: S3
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*****
I asked my father for some private time so we could speak alone.
I simply couldn't let everyone in that room hear this.
Even for a single person, it was an unbelievable story.
I told him about how I had been an incredibly foolish prince in my first life.
I told him everything I could remember about the events of that first loop.
And I told him about the "rewinds" triggered by the Spirit Stone.
「...I see.」
When I had finished telling him everything, my father let out a deep breath and muttered those few words.
「I know it’s a story that is nearly impossible to believe, but for me, these are simply facts that I have actually experienced.」
Well, I couldn't blame him if he didn't believe me.
If this hadn't happened to me personally, I would have dismissed such an absurd tale as a "pointless fairy tale" myself.
My father fell silent, as if lost in thought for a while, and I watched him in silence.
I felt a slight sense of unease, wondering what his impression of my story was.
...If my father decided that "I had gone mad," I would surely be thrown back into the detached palace. Then, it would be another "rewind."
But even if that were the case, I had learned many things this time.
By using that knowledge as a foothold, the situation would surely progress further in the next loop.
I will move forward without rushing.
And those members of the Staden faction, who were in such a hurry that they were making mistakes—I would capture every last one of them.
That was surely the only way to put an end to these "rewinds."
「...The fact that you are repeating these 'rewinds' might be my fault.」
I was incredibly surprised by the words my father suddenly dropped.
Not only did he believe my story completely, but he suggested that the rewinds might be because of him.
「What do you... mean by that...?」
My voice trembled despite myself.
In my father's private study, sitting across from me at a small table, he bowed his head so deeply that I could no longer see his face.
「I made a wish upon that stone. ...For the health and... happiness of my family.」
At my father's words, I felt like I was on the verge of tears.
What a modest, warm, and gentle wish.
It was worlds apart from me, who could only wish for things concerning myself.
「A life where one is murdered at a young age can hardly be called 'happiness'...」
「That... might be true...」
Whether I was happy or unhappy was something I had never really considered until now.
But certainly, from a general perspective, simply "being murdered by another" would fall into the category of "unhappiness."
「If you also made a wish upon the stone, Father...」
Did he see that same sight as well?
「I once felt as though something was calling to me, and I went to the treasure vault.」
Ah...!
Father had seen it too. That sight filled with mysterious light.
「I heard a voice that was not a voice. It certainly asked me, 'What is your wish?' I was perplexed by the sudden question, and I casually wished that my family would spend their days in health and happiness.」
To "casually" wish for something other than one's own fortune—my father really was a kind man.
「The stone simply said, 'I have understood,' and in the next moment, the phenomenon vanished as if it were a lie, and the treasure vault returned to normal. And the 'blue stone' I had seen remained where it was, but its color had changed to green.」
...Is that how it works...?
Once that stone hears and grants a wish, it "returns to normal"...
Then, the stone that keeps making me "rewind" is in a state where it has not yet granted the wish.
Whose "wish" is the stone trying to grant?
What I had wished for in the first loop was "a death more befitting of me"—a wish that even I didn't fully understand.
At the time I made that wish—it was so long ago that I'm not even sure anymore—I was likely thinking of something like "passing away peacefully on a decorated bed in a lavish room."
That certainly hasn't come true.
However, for the "me" of "now," having repeated the loop so many times, the thing I want to wish for has likely changed.
If that stone sees through everything, it must have noticed the change in my heart.
Whose "wish," and "what kind of wish," is that stone trying to fulfill?
Thinking about my father's story, I realized that, at least regarding me, his wish might have already been granted.
Father wished for our "health" and "happiness."
Because that foolish prince was a prince, his health was well-managed, so he was at least not unhealthy.
And because he was foolish, he also thought, "There is no one as happy as I am."
Did that mean that because of the "incredibly foolish me," there was someone who became unhappy? Well, of course there was.
Would I keep repeating these "rewinds" until that "someone" felt happy?
Was this a story where even I couldn't see the end?
No.
Surely, there is an "end."
There has to be.
If not, I probably won't be able to maintain my sanity.
I probably wouldn't understand what wish the stone was trying to grant even if I thought about it.
I will simply face my own problem: "If I don't do something about Staden, I will meet my death at twenty-five."
After that, I told my father everything without hiding a thing.
Even the parts I couldn't say in front of the Prime Minister: "Father's death" and "Mother falling ill."
And the fact that those events might be situations brought about by Staden's hand.
「At what age do you die?」
「At twenty-four. ...That's in eight years.」
When I answered, my father went silent, as if thinking, "I see..."
Father told me that he regularly receives check-ups from doctors and that there were currently no signs of illness. However, eight years is not a short time. Even a robust person can fall to disease.
But I knew from my repetitions that it wasn't a natural illness.
「Around that time, there will be a man working as an underling in the kitchen whose background is unclear. It seems he is one of Staden's people. ...In my previous lives, I lacked the manpower and trust to investigate him in detail...」
「Is that man not here now?」
「He is not. ...I do not know exactly when he began to infiltrate the kitchen.」
「I see...」
Father went silent again, lost in thought, and after a while, he looked me straight in the eye.
「I want to hear more from you and your friends at a later date. ...We must think of a countermeasure. We must prevent them from eating away at the backbone of this country at all costs.」
Those were the words of the "King of a nation," not just a "father."
「...Yes!!」
The country was moving!
Now, we would be able to reach places that were beyond our grasp. We could shine a light on places where light could not reach before.
Ah, so this is what it means to "gain trust."
Even a story that sounds this absurd is listened to. And they take action based on it.
I truly felt that the "rewinds" I had repeated so many times were finally bearing fruit, one by one.
***
Having the King, the top-of-the-top of the country, take action is more than just "reassuring."
Any amount of absurdity can be pushed through "in the name of the King."
Didn't Lord Chris just win?! Could this be the very last "rewind"?!
...No, it won't be the "last" one... If this were the "last," Serafina would have to be seven years younger.
Whaaat...
Lord Chris's "rewinds" aren't going to end with this...? Lord Chris "loops back every time he is killed," right? That means even though things are going so well, he's going to get killed again...?
「After that, we discussed things with the King, the Prime Minister, and several people the King deemed 'trustworthy.' ...It really is different when 'adults' are involved. They possess the trust and track record to cut into places where we couldn't even make a dent.」
「And if it's the word of His Majesty the King, there's no one who wouldn't listen.」
「Exactly. That is the strongest weapon.」
You're right.
If it's His Majesty's word, they can't exactly say, "Isn't what you're saying a bit strange?"
「...So, um, Lord Chris...」
Lord Chris tilted his head with a "Hmm?" Is that head-tilting thing a habit of his?
「Lord Chris's 'rewinds' don't end in this loop, do they...?」
When I said that, Lord Chris gave a small, sudden laugh.
He looked a little lonely.
「I was... hoping it would end. This was the first time I had backed Staden into a corner like this. I thought that this time, for sure...」
***
The Prime Minister even involved the Count who was a friend of Staden's eldest son.
They decided to use the suspicious nature of the eldest son's disappearance as a pretext to raid the Staden estate.
Other adults casually spread rumors within the castle that "the Staden estate might be raided soon." This was to flush out anyone who made suspicious moves upon hearing the rumor.
Separately, they approached those who reacted with a nod of "Ah, that house," asking, "Do you have any idea why that might be?" to collect detailed rumors surrounding that family.
As a result, the pretexts for an administrative raid on the Staden estate became too numerous to count on one hand.
One question we had overlooked, which the adults raised, was: "Where are they getting the funds to maintain a house like Count Staden's?"
Since that family was originally immigrants, they held no territory. And they weren't running any particular businesses.
It seemed they had enough money to purchase a title when they first moved here, but even if they had more than that, it wouldn't last a hundred years.
Therefore, they must be sourcing funds from somewhere.
What was the source of those funds? And where was it?
It was almost funny—the more they dug, the more dirt they found.
Partway through, the adults were already laughing in exasperation.
They wondered how such a family, which was practically shouting "I am a suspicious person," could have been left alone until now.
When the King, the Prime Minister, high-ranking officials from Internal Affairs and Finance, and the Chief of Justice gather, there is no organization in the country they cannot move.
They had the Chief of Justice issue search warrants for those who seemed involved, and if anyone made a suspicious move, their name was added to the list as "nearly black."
They moved the knights to re-investigate the disappearance of the cafeteria poster girl who had gone missing twenty years ago.
They used groundless rumors as bait to observe people's movements.
The adults executed these tasks one by one with incredible efficiency.
We children watched them, bracing ourselves with the thought that "we must become capable of doing this much ourselves."
I believe that being able to witness the work of these reliable adults up close was a very good experience.
Because of this, I learned who the "absolutely trustworthy adults" were.
And I gained a goal: if I could reach their age, I had to be able to work as well as they were now.
A year after the adults began to move, the House of Count Staden was finally subjected to a forced investigation.
The charges were "inflow of illicit funds," "murder of the eldest son and a common citizen," and "suspicion of subverting the state."
***
「You cornered them...! You really cornered them, Lord Chris!!」
Incredible! Adults are amazing! Adults with power and wealth are the strongest!!
They casually pull off things the little detective club couldn't! It’s electrifying! It’s inspiring! No, seriously.
An adult who knows how to correctly use the power they hold is probably the scariest existence there is.
And the Chief of Justice mentioned in the story, he's a really terrifying person with a Kaiser mustache that suits him perfectly. He even looks scary. Strong.
But why, even after backing them into a corner this far, doesn't the "rewind" end...?
***
What we gained by raiding the Staden estate was significant.
First, two sets of skeletal remains were found in the backyard.
In noble estates, it isn't rare for a family to have a graveyard on the premises.
However, those bones were buried in an inconspicuous spot at the back of the garden, not in a graveyard. Since there were no gravestones and they weren't even in coffins, it was clear that they hadn't been "buried."
According to the report from the knight who found them, "the two skeletons were found piled on top of each other as if a hole had been dug and the bodies had been carelessly tossed inside." It wasn't just "as if"—it was undoubtedly the truth.
The estimate for the skeletons was that one was likely male and the other likely female.
If clothing had been found, identifying them would have been easier, but that was the only information we could get.
However, their heights matched the two who had disappeared. Furthermore, the female skeleton had a fracture mark on the left arm. The woman who had disappeared had apparently broken her left arm in the past.
That almost confirmed it.
From the safe in the estate, they found certificates of remittances from their homeland.
On its own, that wouldn't have been a problem.
The problem was that the person sending the money to them was that country's Minister of Justice.
Since he held a key position in the state, it wouldn't be strange if he received a high salary. However, the amounts recorded there were far beyond what could be reasonably explained.
Based on that, the King sent a personal letter to that country. "This sort of thing has come up in our country; could you investigate it a little over there as well?"
A month later, the results of the investigation were sent back.
The result was "black."
The minister had been embezzling from the national treasury. And he had been sending that money to Staden. That country promised to dismiss the minister and investigate the settlement in question.
A month after that, the investigation results from that country arrived again.
It stated, "It appears that the group called Staden has been lying low in your country with the aim of seizing the Spirit Stone."
And that the settlement in question would be dismantled by royal order.
It also stated that those who had cooperated with Staden were being captured there and were scheduled to be punished for treason.
Our country had no intention of using that as a pretext to invade, but I suppose they felt they had to show their sincerity.
Still, the capture of their collaborators was honestly a help.
In addition, Staden's involvement was seen in several of the inexplicable murder cases that had occurred within the country.
Apparently, there had even been infighting.
They had literally "cut down" anyone who didn't move according to their wishes without hesitation.
With all the members of the House of Count Staden captured, along with most of the family members whose involvement was recognized, I felt a little relieved, thinking, "Is it finally over?"
And before I knew it, the celebration of my eighteenth birthday was approaching once more.
***
「This scene of 'my eighteenth birthday celebration' is always a major turning point.」
「I see.」
After all, that’s always when Staden starts to surface.
In the first loop, it was the day he met the heroine. Even otherwise, it's the "day the mastermind starts infiltrating the castle."
If this were a game, this would be the point where you'd want to keep a separate save file.
「But this time, there are no more members of the Staden family, right?」
「There are no 'members of the Count's house.'」
Hmm?
He's using a suspicious way of putting it...
「Does that mean... there are still 'remnants' of the Staden faction other than the 'members of the Count's house'...?」
「There were.」
After stating it simply, Lord Chris let out a deep sigh.
「I still didn't accurately know how many of their faction there were. I had underestimated their obsession.」
...Your story is like a roller coaster, Lord Chris... Up one moment, down the next...
***
Having captured the people involved with Staden, I felt that this was the first time I had waited for this day with such a peaceful mind.
The members of the Staden family were still under interrogation, but we had already captured nearly twenty people. I had grown complacent, thinking there surely couldn't be any more.
Inside the castle, the atmosphere was very bright and restless due to my coming-of-age celebration.
This was also the first time I had experienced such an atmosphere.
Everyone cheerfully said to me, "It's almost time, isn't it?"
Is this what it's like to have one's "birth celebrated"? It’s a bit of an embarrassing feeling.
Two weeks before the banquet, my father called for me, and I visited his private study.
Being called to his private study meant that it wasn't a business-related talk.
I wondered what it was... and when I visited his room, my father treated me to a glass of wine. He said it was a celebration for my coming-of-age.
...To have my father celebrate my coming-of-age was a first across all my rewinds.
As the two of us slowly tilted our glasses, we congratulated each other on the successful mass arrest, and I felt very warm inside.
Unlike being emptily praised, how warm are blessings and appreciation from the heart.
I was certainly feeling "happiness." So, I thought that perhaps the "rewinds" I had repeated would finally end this time.
While I was feeling all fluffy and warm, my father laughed merrily and said something outrageous.
「So, when are you going to marry Lady Serafina?」
Goff! I choked violently. All the warm feelings from before were blown away in an instant.
As I hacked and coughed because wine had gone down the wrong pipe, my father still had that playful smile.
「From what I see, she doesn't seem to mind the idea, does she? Lady Serafina has a good reputation among the servants, and they say you two make a 'good match,' you know?」
A good match... I see, so that's how we look... That makes me somewhat hap—no, that's not it.
I wiped my mouth and the table with a handkerchief I had pulled out and let out a sigh.
「We aren't in that kind of relationship. Besides, she probably has a person she likes...」
Is there... such a person...?
For that Serafina?
***
「Lord Chris... by 'that,' what exactly do you mean...?」
I have nothing but a bad feeling about this, but I must ask...! What did you do to make him say it with such implication, Serafina?!
When I asked fearfully, Lord Chris laughed and looked toward the distance.
Why that expression right now...?
「The Marquis's son once asked Serafina, 'What kind of man is Sera's type?' and 'What is your ideal for a future husband?'」
Ah... crap. I think I know...
To be blunt, I have no ideals. So, the "me" who had tossed away the glossy cat would likely say exactly that.
「When asked, Serafina replied, 'For now, as long as he's a human and a male.'」
See! Just as I thought!
...Give me a break, Serafina... You're too honest for your own good...
「When asked if there were any other conditions, after serious thought, she asked in return, 'As long as he's healthy in body and mind... Are there any other conditions?'」
Hahaha... Lord Chris is letting out a hollow laugh...
I’m truly sorry...
「The Duke's daughter said, 'There must be others, right?! For example, um... you know, something like that, um...' and she spoke words that made me think she wasn't much different.」
Lady Felicia, I want to be your friend...
「The Marquis's son, who doesn't give up, asked, 'Then, is there no one you like right now?' and after muttering 'Like...', she just stared into the distance and froze...」
Ah... I understand how she feels so much it hurts...
I understand, but that's no good, Serafina.
No wonder he's saying "that Serafina"...
***
My father told me, 「We cannot leave the position of 'Consort' vacant forever. Give it some thought.」
That was certainly true.
Now that I had managed to deal with Staden, the next thing to do was to solidify my foundation as the "next King." The "Consort's" chair is the closest to the throne. Leaving it vacant would only be a gap for the "Usurpation Faction" to exploit.
But, a consort...
No matter what, the conclusion of Fiorina's story in the first loop always flickers in my mind.
If she hadn't taken the position of my consort, she wouldn't have been executed.
In fact, "this time," Fiorina is living happily in that small village.
According to a letter from the hidden agent, she recently married a young man from the village. ...The letter from the agent was smudged with traces of tears, making me feel quite complicated. "These are sweets I distributed to the villagers to celebrate my daughter's wedding. If you like, Your Highness, please have some," and those powdered sweets were enclosed again. It seems those powdered sweets are made and distributed when there is something to celebrate.
The agent's letter also contained grudges against the young man she married. "That bastard, he said with a smile, 'The pies she makes are exquisite,' but I've known that since she was burning them black! I've known since before you did, you IDIOOOOT!!" I didn't know what to do with that, even if it was said to me...
Anyway.
She, who is not by my side, seems very happy now.
As a side note, Fiorina now has a younger sister who is quite a bit younger. She is very close with her sister, and the sister apparently loves her kind older sister.
What if the person who occupies the position of my consort is "destined to be so," just as I am to die at twenty-five?
What if I take Serafina as my consort and she ends up being killed?
I would surely never be able to forgive myself.
The "rewinds" will only be settled once the year I turn twenty-five ends safely. I cannot make Serafina wait until then.
The marriageable age for women is much earlier than it is for men, after all.
I probably won't be able to stay single for my whole life, but I'll postpone this issue a little longer.
That's what I decided.
And then, the day of the banquet for my eighteenth birthday celebration arrived.
The day itself was a very peaceful and enjoyable banquet.
Staden's people were gone. Fiorina wasn't at the venue either. I left my seat once and walked through the castle, and the knights, maids, and valets were all at their respective posts, and they bowed when they saw me.
When I returned to the venue, the Duke's son spoke to me teasingly, 「Where did you go, the star of today's show?」
Following the Duke's son, my friends gathered around me one after another.
This was also a first in all the times I had repeated this banquet.
The Viscount's son took a cocktail glass from a server and handed it to me. Everyone took a glass as well, and they each said things like, "Congratulations on your coming-of-age."
So, this banquet was originally supposed to be this enjoyable.
Thinking that, I simultaneously remembered that empty banquet from the first time.
Me, simply nodding in silence to hollow words of celebration. Likely no one had any intention of celebrating my birth. And even if there was someone who offered words of blessing from the heart, I had no words to say in return.
It was only natural for it to be empty.
In the first loop, where and what were these five doing?
Not just today, but also in those days when the country was about to perish.
I'm almost certain they were doing the very best they could.
But "now," Staden, who was the root cause of the country's destruction, was captured, and they were all gathered around me, laughing.
...Can the world change this much just because the way I am changed?
The banquet ended very pleasantly and peacefully, and I went to bed feeling happy, thanking the stone that had allowed me to "rewind" so many times.
In the early morning of the next day, at a time that couldn't even be called morning.
The night hadn't even broken yet, and someone was pounding on the door with incredible force, tearing through the dark, cold air.
Without waiting for my answer in my half-asleep state, the door was opened, and as I sat up in bed wondering what was happening, a valet came rushing in as if he were tumbling through the doorway.
What happened?
This panic was extraordinary.
What's wrong? Did something happen—before I could even ask, the valet spoke as if he were screaming.
「It's terrible, Your Highness! Please, stay calm and listen.」
You're the one who needs to stay calm. What is it? What happened?
As I asked in return, I felt my heart rate rising with anxiety.
Had I been too careless? Had something happened to my father or mother?
As I waited for the valet's words with anxiety and tension, he said with a voice strained, as if screaming:
「Lady Serafina Camden has been murdered by someone—!!」
***
Hey...
Now even Serafina has died...
Hey, seriously, what's going on? ...I mean, am I going to die?
*****
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