An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl
The Noble Girl Called "Mom"
Translated by: S3
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*****
This is the story of Felicia Malone, the daughter of a Duke, otherwise known as “Mom.”
A little girl came running toward me.
Good heavens. A young lady of high nobility shouldn't be running with such ‘unbridled energy’!
I stood ready to give her a lecture… when the girl practically leaped at me, grabbing my arm.
I couldn't make out the details of her face, but I could tell she was smiling with pure joy.
「Hey, listen, Mom!」
「Who are you calling ‘Mom’?!」
I woke up, startled by the sound of my own voice.
It seemed I had been dreaming. Above me, my maid—who apparently had been just about to wake me—wore a look of utter shock. 「…Who are you referring to, My Lady…?」 she stammered.
I really went and talked in my sleep with perfect clarity, didn't I…?
I slowly pushed myself up in bed and offered a smile to the bewildered maid.
「Forgive me, it was just a dream. …Good morning, Samantha.」
「Good morning, My Lady. It is a beautiful day today.」
「Oh. So the rain has finally stopped.」
It had been raining continuously for the past three days. When the rain persists, my head tends to throb with a dull ache. According to the physician, it isn't a specific illness or anything.
「It seems to have cleared up during the night. Since it is such a pleasant day, I shall open the window for you.」
「Yes, please.」
As Samantha opened the window, a refreshing, slightly cool breeze swept into the room.
It felt as though the wind would carry away all the humidity trapped inside. Ah, it really was a wonderful day.
After finishing my morning preparations and having breakfast, I was walking down the hallway, thinking I’d read a book in my room.
Because the weather was so fine, windows were flung open all throughout the manor.
The oppressive air of the previous days had vanished like a lie, replaced by a cool, exhilarating atmosphere.
The trees outside, having received heaven’s bounty of water, were now soaking up the sunlight to their hearts' content, looking brilliantly green and beautiful. The rustling of the leaves was a delight to the ears.
Thinking to myself that even the trees looked happy, I continued walking while gazing out the window.
Whether that was a mistake or a stroke of luck…
Even now, I am not sure.
I wasn't looking where I was going.
I was too busy looking at the branches swaying in the breeze and the small birds that had landed there, feeling quite content.
I want to whack my past self over the head with a thick dictionary—the one who was airheadedly thinking, Ufufu, the little birds are in high spirits too.
When you walk, look properly in front of you and at your feet! That’s important!
Thanks to the continuous rain until the day before, there were various spots where cleaning had been delayed.
The servants, invigorated by the sudden good weather, were busily cleaning the estate with great gusto.
「Ah! My Lady!!」
I heard Samantha cry out in panic.
I, looking outside, hadn't noticed, but right where I was stepping, there was a small puddle.
A cleaning maid had accidentally spilled some water and had left the spot to go grab a mop to wipe it up.
I cannot blame the cleaning maid.
She keeps this estate incredibly clean every single day.
Spilling water is a blunder, certainly, but not something worth a harsh scolding. After all, once it’s wiped, everything returns to normal.
Stepping squarely into the puddle, my foot slid right out from under me.
Oh no! I’m going to fall!
「Fuoah!!」
A nonsensical cry, utterly unbecoming of a noble lady, tumbled out of my mouth.
What was that noise just now? It wasn't even a proper scream.
That sounded just like ■■! Goodness, how embarrassing!
I somehow managed to avoid a total fall, but I ended up in the humiliating position of stopping in a wide front-to-back split.
Samantha rushed over to help haul me up, and I managed to escape without further incident.
Wait, just now, who did I think I sounded like…?
None of my acquaintances would ever make such a ridiculous sound.
Who was it?
Se—…
Zukin! A sharp pain shot through my temples.
As I pressed my hand to the spot and reflexively furrowed my brows, Samantha’s expression clouded with worry.
「My Lady, are you alright? Does your head ache again?」
「I suppose… it does…」
Samantha said “again,” but this headache was different in nature from the ones I’d had until yesterday.
The pain until yesterday had been a dull, foggy ache where I couldn't quite pinpoint the source.
The current pain was like having a thick needle driven deep into the back of my temples.
Finding it difficult to walk, I managed to return to my room with Samantha’s help.
Though I had only just woken up and dressed, I changed back into my nightclothes and retreated to bed.
My head hurt so much I couldn't think.
Could it be that I’m going to die just like this…?
To jump to the conclusion: I didn't die.
According to my family, I slept for an entire day. They said I was occasionally muttering in my sleep as if having a nightmare. Apparently, they couldn't make out what I was saying, though.
…Thank goodness they didn't catch it.
Once my family, relieved to see me awake, left the room, I lunged for the vanity.
The headache was completely gone. My family was worried, but I was likely fine now.
In the mirror was my five-year-old self.
That made sense. ‘Now,’ I am a young child of five.
However, there was one problem.
My eyes look completely jaded…
Those are not the eyes of an innocent five-year-old. Innocent? Ha, give me a break… No, Felicia, don't scoff like that.
A five-year-old child should be talking to birds with a smile, reciting nonsensical poems, or asking in all seriousness if a fairy is hiding behind that flower!
…It’s no use. I can’t do it.
I have no idea what has happened to me.
But I can say one thing for sure.
This is definitely that Monkey Prince’s fault!
***
During that entire day I spent asleep, I was reliving my twenty-five-year life.
…It was an unnaturally ‘intense’ life…
My final memory was from the day I stormed into the royal castle alone to see if they even grasped how dire the situation had become.
The castle was in shambles; the once-grand gates were tilted, the walls were covered in graffiti, and there were no knights to be found who should have been preventing such things. It was so quiet it made one wonder if the castle was already empty.
The interior was deathly silent, with no sign of human presence.
Well, I had heard that the servants and knights had given up and left. But why were even the Staden faction and the ones plotting to usurp the throne gone?
A thin layer of dust had settled on the furnishings and decorations, showing that several days had passed since the servants abandoned their duties.
In a state without servants, I wondered if that Prince was even still alive.
There was no way on earth he could prepare his own meals. He might not even be able to dress himself.
There were probably some preserved foods left, but I doubted if that Prince—whose head I suspected might be hollow—even knew the proper way to eat them.
With those thoughts, I walked deeper into the deserted castle.
I haven't been here since I was thirteen… I felt a slight sense of sentimentality. However, it wasn't as if I had particularly happy memories of this place.
That feeling vanished quickly.
When I reached the sector where entry was restricted for those without permission, I left my guards and maid there and proceeded further in.
…It really was deserted.
Not a single silhouette, not a single sound.
The uproar of the city below felt like a lie.
And what kind of joke was this—a ‘completely empty castle’?
No matter how many servants had resigned en masse, could it really become ‘completely empty’ like this?
Or were they hiding somewhere, fearing the crowds would rush in?
I simply kept walking deeper and deeper.
It wasn't that I had a specific destination in mind.
I just figured that if someone were hiding, it would likely be in the innermost parts. That was the extent of my reasoning.
Relying on old memories, I turned down a hallway toward the area that used to be strictly guarded.
Toward the end of the corridor where a gentle-faced knight once warned me, “Little lady, no one but the royal family can enter here.”
The deathly quiet castle felt somewhat eerie.
I had walked quite far in. There were no windows in this hallway. That meant this area was meant to be that much more strictly hidden and guarded.
…Though, of course, it was empty now.
Feeling a belated sense of unease, I kept moving.
Now that I’ve come this far, I’m going all the way to the back! I had reached a point of reckless defiance.
Walking through the deserted corridor, I arrived at a particularly recessed area.
And there, I witnessed a strange sight.
A heavy-looking door was flung wide open, and from beyond it, a pure white light was overflowing, illuminating even the hallway.
What was that?
Since there were no windows and it was dark, I had been carrying a candelabra I’d picked up from a reception room. This was an overwhelming flood of light, something entirely different from the flickering glow of the candles. I had never seen a lighting fixture with that much luminosity.
Perhaps it was something developed in secret by the royals… or some rare tribute from another country.
What is it?
What is happening in there?
I approached timidly.
After all, I am currently ‘trespassing.’ …Though, I doubt if ‘the law’ is even functioning right now.
Still, it wasn't a scene I particularly wanted people to see.
I crept closer and peeked inside from behind the door.
It was pure white.
Whether it was a room, and if so, how large it was—I couldn't even tell; it was a single uniform color of white light, as if it had been painted on.
Inside, there was a Prince wearing soiled clothes.
His back was to me, and something like a stone was floating in front of him.
…Floating?! What on earth is this!
The Prince was on both knees, his head hanging low.
What in the world was the meaning of this situation?
Should I leave, or should I call out to him…?
As I hesitated, I heard something like a ‘voice’ inside my head.
＜Let’s restart… everything.＞
Eh?! No, what is this, it’s creepy!
An unpleasant sensation, as if another’s thoughts were intruding into my own. The moment I narrowed my eyes slightly at the feeling, my vision was dyed pure white.
***
Currently, I am inside a carriage heading toward the castle.
Aaaahhh…… the weather is unnecessarily good.
The long breath I let out shook with the vibration of the carriage. …That’s some nice vibrato. Sera would probably start singing.
Today is a tea party with the Prince at the castle. It is beyond depressing and tedious.
I don’t know how or why things turned out this way, but those memories of living until twenty-five are certain.
The anxiety of what would happen to the country… the fear, the indignation—I remember it all, every single bit.
But ‘now,’ I am five years old.
And the country is very peaceful.
Aaaahhh…… beautiful weather.
This ‘Tea Party with the Prince’ is also in my memories of those twenty-five years.
A personal invitation arrived from the King himself, and it was impossible to refuse. And the tea party itself had ended abruptly after about an hour.
That made sense.
The host, the Prince, had absolutely no motivation; he was naturally incapable of the high-level feat of bringing up topics of conversation, and to top it all off, he ended up throwing a tantrum and going on a rampage—it was a spectacle that left one speechless.
However, it was there that I met the girl who would later become my best friend.
Serafina Camden, the daughter of a Marquis.
She was a girl with a lovely appearance, a little lady who looked well-behaved enough—if you only judged by her looks. …Only by her looks.
According to herself, she was constantly wearing a “cute kitty-cat skin with glossy fur, the kind a villain boss would have on their lap.” …I don't quite understand what she meant by the latter half.
That girl who was a ‘cat-wearing’ lady with a lovely exterior was the one that ridiculous Prince ended up taking a liking to. Well, I can understand why he liked her. Unlike me, who is told that “my strong-willed nature shows on my face,” Sera is a beautiful girl with large, round, lovely eyes and a petite frame that makes one want to protect her.
…Though ‘behaving herself and being protected’ is an impossible feat for Sera.
A castle with no good memories, and a Prince with no good memories.
And now, a tea party with that Prince.
Aaaahhh…… it really is unnecessarily good weather!
I arrived at the castle and walked, following the lead of the attendant and the knight. Well, I already know where we’re going.
Unlike my memories of being twenty-five, there are many people inside the castle. Servants are busily moving about, and knights are patrolling with crisp movements. Naturally, there is no dust to be seen on the hallways or decorations.
Truly, the situation back then was what was abnormal.
I was led to a wide garden, and an attendant pulled out a chair for me, saying, 「Please.」
I sat down and counted the number of chairs around the circular table.
Including the one I was sitting in, there were five. …That’s strange. The number of chairs is different from my memory.
First, that seat, the host’s seat, was for the Prince. Next to him should have been the Duke’s son, the Viscount’s son, Sera, myself, and the Marquis’s son…
The castle servants wouldn't make a blunder like miscounting the number of guests.
In that case, who is missing?
It would be great if the Prince was the one missing……
As I was thinking that, the participants arrived one after another.
First, the Duke’s son. His arrival meant it was exactly five minutes before the start time. He has a very rigid, meticulous personality, so he always arrives ‘exactly five minutes before the appointed time.’
Next was the Viscount’s son. His estate is the furthest away among today’s participants, so this was about right.
And then, at the very last second, the Marquis’s son. He is the kind of person who thinks, “As long as I’m not late, it’s fine!” so he doesn't care about acting ahead of schedule. When you have business with him, the right move is to tell him a time ‘ten minutes before the actual schedule.’
Each took their seat.
There was one chair left. The Prince’s seat.
Sera isn't here.
Is she absent?
And here I came today only looking forward to seeing Sera.
Aaaahhh…… what a disappointment.
A few minutes after the Marquis’s son, it seemed the Prince had arrived.
Haaah. That hour of nothing but pure awkwardness is about to begin again…
Even as I thought that, he is still the Prince. I think our family guard dog is several times smarter, but a Prince is a Prince. I have to show proper etiquette.
Before long, the Prince stopped in front of our table.
Now then, I wonder what kind of outrageous thing his first words will be… I braced myself, only to hear a very calm, quiet voice.
「Everyone, please raise your heads.」
It wasn't that grating, screeching way of talking.
I thought the Prince had come, but was it someone else?
With that thought, I raised my head to find a different person wearing the same clothes as the Prince in my memories.
「I am grateful to you all for accepting the invitation today. Please, take your seats.」
Saying so with a smile, the person who seemed to be the Prince signaled the surrounding maids with a glance. At that cue, the maids began to move.
Eh…? Who is this…?
Well, he is wearing the royal formal attire, so he must be the Prince.
The Prince in my memories wouldn't use such proper language. Correction: it wasn't that he ‘wouldn't,’ but that he ‘couldn't.’
Short hair like a little monkey kept by a Western merchant, with manners so bad the monkey seemed smarter. That was the Prince in my memories.
The Prince, now seated, was introducing himself with a very dignified attitude.
The Monkey Prince in my memory wouldn't even introduce himself; his first words were usually 「Who are you people?」
What is this ‘memory’ I have?
Could it be that I really was just dreaming? But that was no ‘mere dream.’
Because ‘now,’ I possess knowledge of politics and economics that my five-year-old self could never understand. Naturally, those are things the ‘five-year-old me’ hasn't studied yet.
I lived until twenty-five, was swallowed by that mysterious light, and returned to age five…?
No, that’s not it.
The correct way to put it is that at age five, I ‘remembered the memories of living until twenty-five.’ Which means I lived until twenty-five, got caught up in something mysterious, and am restarting life from the beginning.
…How complicated.
I stared intently at the faces of each of the four boys chatting.
I was looking to see if there was anyone else caught up in the same ‘mysterious phenomenon.’
If you have those memories, you certainly can’t stay an ‘innocent child.’
—Or so I thought, but I immediately reconsidered.
To begin with, there isn't a single ‘innocent child’ at this table.
Setting the Monkey Prince aside, the other three are all the type of people who, despite being children, have something hidden up their sleeves.
I know that the Marquis’s son, who seems to have the most innocent smile, is actually the most devious inside.
As far as I can see, the three sons have more innocent smiles than the ‘twenty-somethings’ I knew. As they get older, the ‘emptiness’ in their heads disappears from their smiles.
Their smiles are still cute.
Which means none of them have the same memories as I do.
To begin with, if they had memories of the ‘previous time,’ they would have been shocked the moment they saw the Prince.
He isn't slouching back in his seat. He used to bang on the table whenever the slightest thing displeased him, but naturally, he isn't doing that. He isn't shouting in a grating, high-pitched voice.
There wasn't a trace of intellect to be found, but the Prince before me now is the exact opposite.
He has more beautiful movements than anyone here, brings up topics equally for everyone to keep the conversation going, responds with a pleasant smile to the Marquis’s son who accidentally dropped a sweet, and handles the Duke’s son’s spiteful questions with a smile.
This… he’s practically like a Prince…! Oh, wait, he is a Prince.
What is going on?
Why are the ‘previous memories’ and ‘current situation’ so different?
Since the conversation happened to lull, I decided to try a leading question.
「I would like to ask a small question…」
I didn't address anyone specifically, but spoke to everyone.
I looked around at all their faces.
「Are any of you acquainted with a young lady by the name of ‘Serafina’?」
My best friend, who wasn't here.
I had hoped at least one of them would have a change in expression, but my expectations were completely thwarted.
Everyone looked at me blankly.
「…I wonder which lady that might be?」
The Prince asked in a tone that seemed to apologize for his ignorance, and I let out a small sigh.
I had suspected as much, but it seems there is no young lady named ‘Serafina Camden’ ‘this time.’ If she were here, she would be the daughter of a Marquis, so there’s no way the Prince wouldn't know of her.
「She is a lady who appears in a story. …It was such a delightful tale that I thought I would like to speak of it if anyone knew her.」
Please forget what I just said, I told them, and dropped the subject.
How disappointing……
To think Sera isn't here……
Aaaahhh…… how boring! And here I was hoping I could go to the Academy with Sera again!
The tea party, which had ended in an hour ‘the previous time,’ lasted over two hours this time.
Well, unlike last time, it wasn't a gathering where ‘just sitting there was agonizing,’ so I didn't mind.
When the meeting broke up and I stood up thinking, “Well, time to head home,” a castle attendant was giving some message to my maid. What could it be? Did I commit some discourtesy? I watched my maid with a bit of anxiety, and she whispered into my ear.
「His Highness would like to speak with you, My Lady. He said if your schedule does not permit, he will not insist. …What shall you do?」
What shall I do? I have no other plans. And I can hardly refuse.
…If it had been that Monkey Prince, I would have found any way to decline.
「Tell him I will attend.」
「Understood.」
Led by the attendant, I was taken to a room that looked like a drawing room.
Inside, the Prince was already waiting.
「Forgive me for calling you back. Please, have a seat.」
The Prince gestured to the sofa opposite the one he was on. …Well, he is five. He’s at an age where he wouldn't even understand anything improper yet. But his gentlemanly conduct earned him some points.
As I moved there, the Prince glanced at the maids and attendants standing by the wall.
「Also, I am sorry… but would you mind if I dismissed the attendants? This is not a conversation I wish for too many people to hear…」
Eh?! Dismissing everyone?!
To the startled me, the Prince spoke in a very small voice.
「It is about your ‘best friend.’」
I was even more shocked by those words.
When I brought up the name at tea, not a single person had changed their expression. The Prince, too, had looked puzzled.
Certainly, if we’re going to talk about that, I wouldn't want anyone who doesn't know to hear. They would surely think I’d gone mad.
I told Samantha, who had come from home, to wait outside. And at the Prince’s signal, the attendant also left.
The door was left slightly ajar, but it would be difficult to hear anything spoken at a normal volume.
「Thank you. I appreciate it.」
「No……」
The Prince let out a breath and leaned forward slightly. It was likely a consideration because his voice was small and hard to hear.
「First… why do you know Sera’s name?」
I suppose it would be more accurate to say I ‘remember’ it rather than ‘know’ it.
How should I put it? Could I explain it well? Even if I did, would he believe me?
More importantly.
Why does the Prince know Sera?
After some hesitation, I told him everything that had happened to me.
「I see……」
After I finished speaking, the Prince simply muttered that and looked down as if deep in thought.
This was the first time I’d looked so intently at the Prince’s face; he really does have a beautiful face. My impression of the little monkey was just too strong.
Maybe it’s because his hair is longer now; the impression is completely different.
As I was thinking that, the Prince suddenly looked up.
「Do you only have memories of that ‘previous time’?」
I didn't understand what he meant and reflexively tilted my head.
「When you say… ‘only’……?」
Just by having ‘memories of the previous time,’ I think I have more memories than most people.
「I also have memories of starting over many times from that point. …I haven't counted how many times, so I no longer know for sure…」
……Hah?! Starting over repeatedly?! What does that mean?!
To the bewildered me, the Prince gave an explanation that he had likely summarized. …Though it was still plenty long.
Taking my ‘previous time’ as the ‘first time,’ he had repeated things many times trying to change the outcome.
Every time the Prince met his death, he was returned to that pure white room I had seen. From that room, he would return to the past and act to change something. Even so, he would die at twenty-five.
The conspiracy of a house called the Earl of Stauden, which could be called the cause of the country’s unrest. And how he was able to prevent it.
The conspiracy was prevented, but Serafina was murdered.
He started over again, but Serafina was murdered again.
And then, those words from the stone that I also heard: ＜Let’s restart… everything.＞
「‘Everything,’ the stone said. …In the ‘restarts’ until then, the stone would ask me ‘where to return to.’ But this time I was sent back without that. And furthermore, it was likely ‘from the time I was born.’」
Apparently, the Prince realized ‘this time’ was a ‘restart’ when he was an infant who could barely speak.
「Before being sent back, the stone asked me, 『What is your wish?』 I wished, 『Do not take Serafina away.』 For a peaceful death and a happy life for her. The stone said it had certainly 『heard and accepted.』」
Why would the Prince wish for Sera’s happiness? Were the Prince and Sera close? Sera had truly detested the Monkey Prince, but with this Prince before me, there might indeed be no reason to hate him. …I don't know yet, though.
The Prince looked at me and furrowed his brows slightly as if in pain.
「Even though it was supposed to have been 『heard and accepted』… …why is Sera not in the House of Camden……」
Ah, so she really isn't there after all……
Since I’m still only five and have almost no social life, I don't hear much gossip about other families' sons and daughters. Even so, I had heard rumors of the three sons gathered today. They are just that outstanding.
And ‘the previous time,’ before this tea party, I had heard Sera’s name. That she was a very outstanding young lady.
But ‘this time,’ I hadn't heard Sera’s name once.
I had wondered for a moment if she might not be there.
But being told she really isn't there was incredibly depressing.
And even more than me, the way the Prince before me hung his head was extreme.
The Monkey Prince had certainly been obsessed with Sera. But I think that was a very immature emotion, like a child refusing to let go of a favorite toy.
The Prince before me also seems obsessed with Sera, but I wonder what kind of emotion this is.
Setting that aside, there is something I absolutely must tell the Prince.
After hearing his story, regardless of whether it was true, I felt like I should tell him.
「Your Highness.」
When I called out, the Prince, who had been hanging his head, looked up.
Ah, this person’s eyes are jaded too…… Maybe his story of ‘repeating many times’ is true.
「There is something I wish to tell you, Your Highness.」
「…What is it?」
The Prince leaned forward slightly to catch my lowered voice.
I also leaned toward the Prince.
It wasn't a story I wanted to tell loudly.
「It is about the ‘previous time’ for me, and the ‘first time’ for Your Highness……」
The Prince had said, 「After Sera left for a foreign country at thirteen, I have no idea where she is or what she is doing.」
I know because I was in contact with Sera. Besides, I also had many acquaintances over there.
…It is a very difficult thing to say, but I feel I should say it.
「Sera lost her life in that foreign country. …In the year that she turned eighteen.」
At my words, all expression vanished from the Prince’s face.
*****
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