An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl
The Heroine Leaves the Stage and the Otome Game Ends.
Translated by: S3
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*****
When I became Crown Prince Christopher’s fiancée, there were several items I received from him.
Among them, the one that made my family turn the palest—the "necklace with a national treasure sitting on the pendant top"—is currently being managed by the castle.
My father and the King went back and forth dozens of times with that hopeless "Please let us return it" and "No, no, it’s fine" exchange.
Realizing that path was a dead end, I decided to try a different angle. I had my father earnestly plead with His Majesty, explaining that our house’s security was insufficient for such an item.
In fact, that was the primary reason my family was so terrified in the first place.
If there were any lapse in management—say it was stolen or damaged—even if I were the legal owner, someone would surely hold us accountable. That would be an enormous pain.
So, I proposed: "Could the castle handle the management while the ownership remains mine?"
To this, the King agreed, saying, 「If that's the case, very well.」
An official in charge of treasure management came from the castle, accompanied by three knights, to collect the parure.
Seriously, if it requires that level of heavy security to transport, maybe don't give it as a "casual present" in the first place?!
The management official left us with a smile, saying, 「Technically, Lady Serafina remains the owner, so whenever you wish to wear it, just inform the management staff and it will be available at any time.」
...Is that so... Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if the ownership went back to the state too...
He talked about taking it out, but it’s not exactly something you can wear for a casual stroll.
So, even now, it likely sleeps in the royal treasury, guarded by knights.
I might wear it once a year? At most.
***
This year, Chris turns eighteen.
Yes. The year the otome game begins (probably).
I can't recall the heroine's given name, but during my Crown Princess education, I found her family name.
The House of Count Staden.
The reason I remember the family name even though I forgot her first name is that it stuck out to me when I was reading the manga.
Almost all the characters had English-sounding names, so why was only the heroine's surname German?
In this world, they aren't called "English" or "German," but the language equivalent to English is the official language of this country. Thus, the name "Staden" is indeed rare.
Since I had to hammer the details of the domestic nobility into my head for my education, the House of Count Staden eventually came up.
Learning their history made everything click.
The Staden family were immigrants from a country that used the language equivalent to German.
The specific reason for their move was unknown, but they had migrated here about a hundred years ago.
And then, a shocking fact came to light!!
Right around the time I was receiving that education, the entire House of Count Staden was executed for high treason.
This happened when I was nine years old—two years ago.
Their relatives were imprisoned, exiled, or also executed... It was an event that sent shockwaves through the nobility.
Apparently, they were connected to their original country and, under secret orders from there, had been plotting to overthrow our dynasty... or so the story goes.
Wait, what happened to the Heroine-chan...?
The safety net for the orphaned Heroine-chan just got executed...
I asked Chris to let me see the list of people who were punished in that incident.
Most of the minors had been granted clemency. ...Though it seems those close to the center of the conspiracy weren't let off the hook, even if they were minors.
On that list, there was no girl one or two years younger than Chris.
Heroine-chan, what is really going on with you?!
If the future is supposed to proceed according to the game, her mother is supposed to die of illness in a few years, right?!
I thought that, but then I realized something.
In this world, a sixteen-year-old girl standing on her own two feet isn't rare at all.
There’s a fourteen-year-old seamstress at the boutique I frequent. Apparently, her dream is to have her own brand. A girl sparkling with dreams is just so cute~.
While a child under ten might struggle to find work, there must be plenty of shops that would hire a sixteen-year-old girl. Since Heroine-chan is cute, she’d probably make a great poster girl for a diner.
Wait, more importantly!
That otome game—or rather, that shoujo manga! Did it actually have such a dark backstory involving a conspiracy to overthrow the government?!
If so, it makes sense how Heroine-chan was able to infiltrate the depths of the castle by "getting lost~☆." Heroine-chan herself was likely never told about the conspiracy. If I were the mastermind, I certainly wouldn't tell her.
Why? Because telling a "fluffy-brained flower-field" girl about a conspiracy would be useless. If anything, she’d just get in the way.
It’s better to use Heroine-chan as a mere pawn, having the Count’s operatives stage the "encounter."
It didn't matter if it was an accident; as long as a connection was formed between Heroine-chan and the royalty, it was a win.
For a family that had been undercover for a hundred years, even a small wedge driven into the palace would be a success.
And if things had proceeded exactly like the otome game—
Thinking that far, I felt a chill run down my spine.
No matter how you look at it, this country would have been doomed, wouldn't it?!
A flower-field "Ore-sama" prince x a flower-field "Yurufuwa" (soft and fluffy) lady.
Is there any bright future for that pairing? No, there isn't (rhetorical).
When you multiply a flower-field by a flower-field, the terrifying synergy makes the field expand several times over.
A King who only has eyes for his Queen, and a Queen who only sees her King. That's a straight shot to becoming an incompetent ruler.
It would surely collapse from the inside even if left alone.
If there was that much depth to the plot, you should have said so earlier!
If that manga had such a historical-romance-style underside, I could have enjoyed it a bit more!
Damn it... I thought, my hand gripping the list a bit too tightly.
It seems Chris noticed.
「It’s not a very pleasant subject, is it? You don't need to force yourself to look at it.」
Oops. I made him worry.
「No, I'm fine. ...I was just deep in thought for a moment and accidentally gripped it too hard...」
I definitely can't tell him that I'm frustrated because I just realized the "proper" way to enjoy a boring manga from my previous life. Even if I did, he wouldn't understand.
「I do wish to keep you away from such dangerous matters, but...」
As Chris spoke with a wry smile, I handed the list back and said:
「I think it's more frightening to avoid them and get caught up in them without knowing. Isn't it safer to know the facts and then devise a way to avoid the danger?」
If I'm not told anything, I can't even distinguish between 'safe' and 'dangerous.'
To me, that's much scarier.
In all things, the 'Report-Inform-Consult' (Hou-Ren-Sou) method is vital.
「You are absolutely right.」
Taking the list from me, Chris gave another wry smile.
「I will have to let you hear of matters that cannot be avoided. There will likely be many disturbing stories; do you think you can handle it?」
「As I said, it is more frightening not to be told. You may keep classified secrets to yourself, but I would like our communication to be as transparent as possible.」
At my words, Chris gave a slightly playful laugh.
「How dependable. ...I'm truly glad it was you.」
...What was?
"Glad it was me"... as in, his fiancée? I don't really get it.
But before I could ask, Chris had already started on his paperwork.
It would be bad to disturb him, so I took my leave.
—And so, with the heroine out of the picture, it seems the otome game won't even begin.
But wait a minute.
I know this pattern.
The "Otome game reincarnation but the heroine is absent" trope is a staple in web novels and manga.
The reasons for "heroine absence" are usually:
The person reincarnated as the heroine broke all the flags to avoid the game's events.
The game's progression glitched due to the actions of a reincarnated person with original knowledge.
It wasn't actually the world of the game to begin with.
The first one seems the most likely.
If someone like me—who goes "Ugh..." at a 'flower-field where the blossoms of love bloom'—had reincarnated as the heroine, they'd want to snap those flags no matter what.
And if that were the case, Heroine-chan's mother might not have died. ...Well, if it were a difficult illness like cancer, even with previous-life knowledge, there might be nothing she could do, which is the harsh reality.
I wonder if there's a development where Heroine-chan was a genius surgeon in her past life? But even with the knowledge of surgery, the facilities, drugs, and hygiene concepts would be lacking... The world just doesn't work out that easily...
Regarding the second one, there's a possibility that my actions glitched the development, but frankly, I don't think "my actions changed the story."
Why? Because when I first met Chris, the main hero, his personality was already completely different from the manga.
And then there's the "fiancée" who never appeared in the manga. Moreover, it wasn't my family who pushed for it; the offer came from their side.
From our first meeting until now, Chris has been a very serious, sincere, and gentle person. There's no room for me to have influenced his character formation.
Maybe there's a reincarnated person with game knowledge among Chris's associates? If so, I want to give them a high-five and a "Good job!!"
As for the third one, that's something a small human like me can't fathom.
...Actually, I never knew the original game in the first place. I only read a "manga based on the game that depicted one specific route."
So, I don't know how many capture targets there were, nor do I know what happens in routes other than Chris's. Furthermore, I don't even know if Chris's route in the manga was a 100% faithful adaptation. There were probably episodes cut or added for the comic version.
My knowledge is that flimsy.
I don't know anything like "In the original, at this time on this day, this event happens here..." as you see in stories.
At most, I can only tell the difference between the "Manga version of Chris's route" and reality.
...Could it be that in routes other than Chris's, there were starts where Heroine-chan wasn't picked up by the Count's family?
No, would they really go through the trouble of changing the story's introduction like that...?
If they did that, there'd be no "common route," making replaying the game a pain...
There are many possibilities, but I don't particularly care to solve the "mysteries of the world."
Even if I tried, there's probably no entity that would give me a clear answer anyway.
However, I did think of one thing.
As a trope in these "heroine absent" scenarios, does a "reincarnated person trying to replace the heroine" ever show up?
That kind of person would start saying things like, 「Since I'm here, I want to capture the highest-ranking Crown Prince, right~☆!」
If that happens, I'm a giant obstacle in their way.
I sincerely hope that kind of person doesn't appear...
But even if a "flower-field" girl trying to recreate the otome game events appeared, it’s hard to imagine Chris being charmed by her.
Everything from the words to the thoughts of the manga Chris and the real Chris is different.
I once feared that as the game's start approached, Chris's intelligence would drop and he'd transform into an "Ore-sama."
It was a massive overthinking on my part.
Even now at eighteen, Chris remains an intelligent, gentle, and peerless beauty.
The "naughty" (or rather, crude) behavior from the manga is non-existent; his speech and conduct are as elegant and calm as his appearance.
There’s no sign of his intelligence dropping.
He doesn't suddenly say, 「Let's open a soup kitchen for the people!」 ...Well, in the manga, that was only because Heroine-chan put the idea in his head.
Instead of temporary measures like soup kitchens, he’s taking mid-to-long-term support measures like expanding education.
Well, Chris will probably be fine.
Unless his intelligence takes a sharp dive the moment he turns eighteen.
Even if a reincarnated "flower-field" lady with game knowledge appears, Chris likely won't be swayed.
***
Chris’s birthday is in early summer.
In accordance with that, there is a grand birthday party. "Birthday party" sounds casual, but it’s actually a "Royal Birthday Celebration Ball." There is nothing casual about it.
It’s a formal, massive ball where ambassadors from other countries also attend.
As his fiancée, I naturally attend.
The actual birthday celebration was held quietly the day after his birthday.
I took a bit of Chris’s break time to have tea together and celebrate.
In this country, a man's eighteenth birthday holds a special meaning.
This is because eighteen for males and sixteen for females is the age of adulthood.
Therefore, Chris is now treated as a "full-fledged adult."
As a small gift, I gave him an embroidered handkerchief.
Naturally, it was something I had stitched myself.
Actually, I have some confidence in my drawing. Not anime or manga-style illustrations, but things like watercolors and oil paintings.
With my artistic sense, sketching the design for the embroidery should be easy. ...Lie. I had the teacher help me a little.
Chris is nicknamed the "Prince of White Roses" by the nobles.
Apparently, it's because he is pure, noble, and beautiful.
As a side note, Chris’s younger sister is called the "Crimson Rose Princess." She is also dignified and beautiful, but the name seems to stem from her being a bit more temperamental compared to Chris.
Since he’s the Prince of White Roses, I decided to stitch some roses.
I only intended to stitch the embroidery, but I ended up stitching my fingers quite a bit too.
Embroidery requires manual dexterity more than artistic sense. I had completely forgotten that.
The needles are so tiny! And what is this incredibly detailed sketch?! Who drew this?! It was me!!
Because I kept stabbing my fingers, little red bloodstains appeared on the white handkerchief. Since I was in the middle of embroidering, I couldn't wash it, so I embroidered little butterflies over those spots to hide them.
As a result, it became a very flashy design with a large number of butterflies fluttering over a wide area.
All’s well that ends well!
No one would think this is a bloodstained handkerchief! If anything, it’s just luxurious and beautiful embroidery!
However, my embroidery teacher did say, 「There is so much embroidery that it feels a bit difficult to use as a handkerchief...」 ...Please don't say that, teacher. I was thinking the same thing halfway through and just closing my eyes to reality... I was vaguely thinking, "This is getting heavy with all this thread," wasn't I...?
I thought, Maybe I should remove some butterflies! so after finishing, I washed it and tried to unpick one butterfly. I was hoping the bloodstain had washed out.
...It was still there, perfectly and stubbornly.
What's more, because of the washing, it had blurred into a rusty color.
No good.
Without the butterfly, it looks like a cursed item or a piece of evidence from a crime scene...
So, I re-embroidered the butterfly back onto the spot I had unpicked.
Hiding those behind-the-scenes details, I placed the handkerchief in a beautiful box and presented it to Chris.
Chris was very happy and thanked me, saying, 「It must have taken so much time to put in this much embroidery, didn't it?」
Well, yeah. It took a lot of time. ...Mainly due to the butterflies that increased day by day.
Even so, I acted humble and said, 「It wasn't that much, so please don't let it bother you.」
「Ah... I'm so happy. To think you even prayed for my happiness.」
Chris stared at every corner of the spread handkerchief and whispered those words with genuine joy.
The "praying for happiness" part refers to an ancient, ancient phrase I embroidered with that meaning. It’s like a lucky charm.
When giving a gift to someone, it's fairly common to include these words somewhere.
I just included the words on a whim.
On a whim... yes, a whim, thinking it would be nice if Chris, who is busy every day for the sake of the country, had some happy or fun things for "Chris as an individual."
Not something big like "a trade agreement was signed on terms favorable to us" or "we managed to catch the whole gang of thieves that was terrorizing the city"—not those big "good things for the country."
I just hoped there would be many little things that Chris could remember before going to sleep at night and think, Ah, today was a good day.
「...I'm so happy.」
Chris repeated the same words softly. He looked down at the handkerchief in his hands.
As he looked down and smiled, for some reason, he also looked as if he might burst into tears.
His mouth was curved into a smile.
But his brow was slightly furrowed.
It looked as if he was using all his strength to hold back the urge to cry.
「...Prince Chris?」
As I was about to ask what was wrong, Chris raised his gaze and smiled.
「Sera.」
「Yes.」
I only replied because he called my name, but Chris laughed very happily at my short response.
...This maxed-out affection level is also a mystery...
Did I unconsciously take over the heroine's role? But I don't have even a shred of the "innocent, energetic, and bright philanthropist" qualities that Heroine-chan has...
「Thank you. I'm very happy.」
「I'm glad if you like it.」
The countless holes in my fingers were worth it.
「Truly, I'm very happy.」
When he repeats it that much, I start feeling sorry, like, "Was a puny embroidered handkerchief really enough?" so please stop...
「Happy...」
Repeating it once more, he softly pressed his lips to the handkerchief.
With a quiet, gentle smile, as if cherishing and loving something incredibly precious.
Eeeekk!!
The wasted sex appeal is incrediblllle!!
I screamed in my heart.
It wasn't like he did anything to me. He wasn't doing anything lewd.
He just kissed the handkerchief in his hand.
And yet.
How should I put it... it felt like I was seeing something I wasn't supposed to see.
This is bad. My face is probably bright red right now.
I mean, honestly! He didn't even do anything to me!
Trying to hide my likely bright red face, I looked down slightly.
Chris surely noticed, but he didn't say anything in particular.
And then, I quickly ended the conversation and fled from Chris’s office as if running away.
***
Chris’s eighteenth birthday party ended safely, the days passed slowly, and I turned thirteen.
Chris is currently twenty.
For the year Chris was eighteen, I was on my guard, wondering if the otome game would start.
But the year ended without even the slightest hint of such a thing.
Many people from both inside and outside the country came to celebrate Chris’s eighteenth birthday party. ...Or rather, they were invited.
Many of the domestic nobles came accompanied by their sons.
This is because there are a few vacancies in Chris’s "inner circle" of aides.
Those people were pushing their sons hard toward Chris.
Many nobles also brought their daughters, but the ladies who were of a suitable age for Chris seemed to have set their sights on the sons of the nobles in attendance.
Apparently, from the start, Chris wasn't even considered a target.
Isn't it weird that someone so beautiful, virtuous, powerful, and wealthy isn't popular with the ladies?
Thinking that, I asked my brother about it later.
My brother, terrifyingly enough, is currently in a position as one of Chris’s aides. I had repeatedly told Chris, 「I’m not saying this for a bad reason, but perhaps you should choose a bit more carefully...?」 but he just said, 「Roland is exactly the result of choosing carefully.」
Ah, Roland is my brother. You don't particularly need to remember him.
I asked my brother, who for some reason seems to have Chris’s deep trust, 「Is Prince Chris not popular with the ladies?」
Then my brother let out a sigh, as if to say, 「How serious are you being right now?」
According to my brother, he is naturally very popular.
However, seeing him always keeping me by his side at various balls and tea parties, holding my hand firmly and smiling, the ladies just go cold...
...When you put it that way, yeah, I guess so.
And he turns down invitations from ladies not 'softly' but 'bluntly.' He never says or does anything to give them hope.
That alone makes him feel like an impenetrable fortress, but his attitude at balls apparently also makes the ladies pull back like a receding wave, going, 「Ah... wow...」
"Balls" are usually held until well past midnight.
I attend as Chris’s fiancée, but after all, I'm still a growing child. I’m a very healthy girl who gets sleepy after nine. By the way, I wake up at six in the morning. I’m so healthy it’s almost scary.
Being such a healthy girl, I leave the balls before nine at night. If I stay any longer, I’ll start nodding off violently from sleepiness.
Chris knows this, so as it gets late, he’s the one to suggest, 「It’s probably about time for Sera to go home.」 Much appreciated.
The problem, apparently, is what happens after.
Since I’ve already left, I naturally didn't know, but after I leave, Chris’s mood takes a drop that is clear to anyone.
Apparently, just a few minutes after seeing me off, he gets a look on his face so bored you’d want to ask him, "What happened to that smile from earlier?"
And he supposedly sighs a lot.
Since it’s like that every single time, I had to agree that the ladies would indeed be put off.
I mean, seriously, what is with this maxed-out affection level...?
I’ve pretty much stopped acting like a "good girl" in front of Chris for a long time now... When I meet Chris, my prized glossy-furred cat is taking a nap with an indifferent face. And it’s been that way for quite a while.
Without that cat, I think I'm just a cheeky and un-cute child...
At the end of that thirteenth year, I was summoned by Chris.
He apparently has something he wants to talk about.
A formal talk, I wonder what it is~.
Oh right, I’d completely forgotten, but this was an 'otome game time-space,' wasn't it~? Then typically, would it be an engagement annulment~?
But I don't recall any fault on my part that would lead to an 'annulment'~.
...Wait, wouldn't 'withdrawal' be better than 'annulment'...? 'Annulment of a contract' is quite a strong expression. Well, whatever.
Yes. I’d forgotten, but this is (probably) an otome game time-space. ...Though Chris is already twenty, so the game should be over.
But there is nothing—absolutely nothing—otome game-like around me...
Thinking those things while following the attendant, we walked for a while.
The place I was led to was a small salon.
It was deep inside the castle, close to the royal family’s private rooms. Thus, there were no people around. It was an open space with no doors and large glass windows.
It was likely a place where the royal family usually rests or enjoys tea.
Tea was already prepared on the table.
Besides the tea, snacks, flowers decorating the table, candelabra, and all those other things, there was a box sitting prominently on the table.
That box... that velvet-covered jewelry case with such beautiful decorations it makes you recoil...
That is indeed the case for the parure using the national treasure necklace.
Why did Chris bring that out?
Maybe he wants me to return it? If so, I’d be like, 「Go right ahead!」 with both hands raised.
What is it... what kind of talk is this going to be...?
Since Chris was reportedly running a bit late, I sat on the sofa by myself and waited for him.
...But man, the presence of that box! It’s so distracting! It might be because I know the contents are a national treasure, but I just can't stop staring at it!
As I was waiting restlessly, Chris eventually arrived.
「I’m sorry for summoning you and then being late.」
「No, please don't worry about it.」
I know you're busy with work, after all.
A maid set out the tea cups and then quickly disappeared.
In the distance, I could see the guard knights. But there was no one in the immediate vicinity.
Eh? Was the area cleared? Is it such an important talk?
Sitting next to me, Chris took a sip of tea and then quietly placed the cup back on the table.
Even though he was "sitting next to me," he was still maintaining a proper distance. Man, I really like this side of Chris.
The reason he chose this salon was surely because it "clears the area without completely blocking sight." How gentlemanly.
「Um, Prince Chris... what are we talking about today...?」
Unable to hold back, I asked.
Chris let out a breath as if taking a deep breath and then smiled at me.
「You once asked me, didn't you? 'Why did you choose me as your fiancée?'」
「Yes.」
As I nodded, Chris lowered his eyes.
「I thought I’d tell you that story today.」
Chris raised his gaze and gave a wry smile.
「It’s a long story. Long, absurd, and not particularly interesting. ...Even so, will you listen?」
「Yes.」
Indeed, when I asked before, he declined, saying he didn't have the courage and resolve to tell me.
If it’s a story that requires such a grand determination, then it’s only right that I listen until the end, whether it’s long or boring.
At my immediate response, Chris let out another breath.
「Then, will you keep what I’m about to tell you a secret between just the two of us?」
As Chris smiled at me with a finger to his lips, I nodded. ...Seriously, Chris, what is with that unconsciously cute gesture... It’s adorable...
「It’s likely a story you won't believe... But still, please bear with me and listen to the end.」
「Bring it on.」
My glossy cat is having a great nap.
No, it’s just that Chris had such an anxious look in his eyes... I just had to...
At my joking reply, Chris gave a small laugh.
「You really are dependable.」
Chris elegantly crossed his long legs and then rested his chin on his hand, looking at me.
Whoa. He makes such a picture without even trying. Being beautiful means you look good no matter what you do. My artistic sense is tingling.
As I was thinking that, Chris laughed softly in that pose.
「The reason I chose you as my fiancée is simple, and... a bit embarrassing, but it’s because you were my first love.」
True to his words, Chris lowered his eyes with a slight blush. The corners of his eyes were also a bit red.
Thank you for the meal—the blushing face of a beauty.
But wait a minute.
First love... at what age was Chris, and at what age was I?! The lolicon suspicions that I thought were cleared have been reignited!
I’m about to graduate from being a "Lolita." If Chris is the real deal, I'm about to grow out of his target range.
Is it indeed... an engagement annulment...?
Something like: "Growing up without permission is outrageous!" I’ve never seen an engagement annulment for such an unreasonable reason, even in manga or novels...
While I was thinking those scattered thoughts, Chris said in a very quiet voice:
「I was first introduced to you when I was five years old.」
...Huh?!
Five? Eh? Wait, the age difference between Chris and me is seven years...
「At five years old, I fell in love with you, who was the same age as me, at first sight.」
...What?! The same age? Eh? What’s that? What timeline is this story from?!
As I was confused, Chris smiled at me again.
「I’ll tell you in order. ...It will be a bit long, though.」
*****
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