An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl
Prince Chris’s Turn, Continuing.
Translated by: S3
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*****
「Engagement...」
Wait, what?! What happened to the previous me?!
I had a good idea of which "Academy" Chris was talking about.
From this country, it’s about a two-week rattling carriage ride away. It’s a place with the most cutting-edge academics and research facilities in this world.
It’s not surprising that I would be interested.
In fact, I’m still a little interested now. If I could go, I’d love to see it.
「To whom... was I engaged?」
When I asked, Chris gave a small laugh.
「Even if I told you the name now, you probably wouldn't recognize it.」
Well, true, unless it was a royal from another country, I wouldn't know a random son of a minor noble.
But the reason Chris said I "wouldn't recognize it" wasn't for that reason.
「Because the person you chose as your fiancé wasn't a royal or a noble; he was a commoner—a young, aspiring scholar.」
No way.
Thanks to my inner self being a Japanese person with no connection to class systems, I could never bring myself to say, "My! A commoner? How filthy!" If I were to open my mouth like that, as a Japanese person, I’d probably end up saying, "Hey... am I... pretty...?" (Wait, wrong legend).
I may be the daughter of a high-ranking noble, but I don’t feel like "noble blue blood" actually flows through me.
History on Earth has already proven exactly what kind of results that sort of elitist ideology leads to.
The "Previous Serafina Camden" Chris is talking about is undoubtedly me. This me, with an Earth-made interior.
It wouldn’t be strange at all for me to choose an aspiring commoner scholar as a fiancé.
...I bet we really hit it off. I kind of want to meet him... I wonder what he was researching.
「"Last time," the day Serafina told me that was..."today." Winter, when we were thirteen.」
Today...
Does that mean—
「Is that why you’re telling me this story now, Prince Chris...?」
When I asked, Chris looked away from me, lowering his eyes and smiling slightly.
Again, it was that self-deprecating smile.
「I thought... if I’m going to tell you everything and have you lose all feelings for me, today would be the most fitting day.」
He's going full-throttle on the pessimism!
I mean, sure, the previous Chris was way too awful and unacceptable in so many ways, but still!
「On this day last time, Serafina reported her engagement to me... and after that, she never appeared before me again.」
***
When Serafina disappeared, the Duke’s daughter naturally stopped coming to the castle as well. To begin with, she had only been accompanying her out of concern for Serafina. Without Serafina there, she had no reason to visit.
Having truly lost everyone around me, I spent a while in a daze, lacking the will to do anything.
Wasting time aimlessly is normally not a behavior to be praised.
But in my case, precisely because of how I usually was, the people around me seemed to think, "The Prince is quiet; what a relief."
Why didn't Serafina choose me? Why did she choose a mere commoner, and an "aspiring scholar" at that—someone who is currently a nobody?
I have status. I have wealth.
Surely, she would have been much happier if she had chosen me.
...The "Previous Me" was the kind of person who wouldn't even think to reflect on himself in that moment.
I never once considered, What does he have that I lack?
I only thought, I have all of this, and he has nothing.
I had no ambition, no self-discipline.
Despite lacking almost everything, I didn't even have the capacity to realize it.
The conclusion I reached was: "Serafina is a fool."
Naturally, I was the foolish one.
But to a monster who firmly believed he was the center of the universe, such a thing was beyond comprehension.
Foolish, pitiful Serafina.
If you had stayed here, any wish of yours could have come true.
Thinking thus, I decided to forget Serafina.
...Without ever realizing that Serafina’s "wish" was simply to get away from this "uncontrollable monster."
Even for a monster who was less than human in every way except for his king-sized pride, the status of "Prince" was the real deal.
After various behind-the-scenes dealings, I was formally appointed Crown Prince.
There wasn't much difference between my sister then and now; she was exceptional, aside from having a bit of a temper. Honestly... if only something could be done about that temper... if she were just a bit more... No, never mind that for now.
Regardless, my sister was so superior that there was no comparing her to a monster who didn't even know what it meant to be a "King."
However, that exceptional sister already had a political marriage partner decided for her.
It was "political." It wasn't something that could be easily overturned, and if it were, it would cause a massive crisis of credibility.
Moreover, it was a proposal we had initiated and the other party had accepted. It was doubly impossible to breach the contract.
Furthermore, there was a "faction supporting me." ...I would only realize that later.
Even if you put this monster on the throne, the outcome would either be a "Puppet King" or a "Tyrant." If it had to be one, the former was better.
Because as long as the person pulling the strings didn't make a mistake, even a puppet could potentially be a wise ruler. ...Though, looking at history, the possibility of a puppeteer elevating a puppet to a "wise ruler" is despairingly low.
Nevertheless, at the time I was made Crown Prince, the people acting as my guardians were those capable of making sound judgments.
Ever since everyone had left my side, I had become just a tiny bit quieter.
I had simply grown tired of the act of throwing tantrums and venting my anger. I had started to find the effort required for it "bothersome."
Well, regardless of my inner feelings, it must have been a welcome change for those around me.
Seeing me become somewhat quieter, people evaluated me by saying, "Perhaps that Prince has become a little more decent."
Unfortunately, I have to say that was a grave misunderstanding.
Just because I stopped being violent didn't mean my interior had changed at all.
As always, I was the center of the universe; I did only what I wanted to do and ignored everything I didn't want to do. I believed there was nothing that wouldn't go my way, and if there was, such a thing wasn't necessary for "my world."
The arrogant, haughty, insolent monster had become a bit more human-like in action, but otherwise, he was still a monster.
Because I had calmed down a bit, I began to be brought out into social circles.
Of course, they never threw me into such places alone. Knights were always by my side to restrain me at any moment, and several monitors were also prepared.
Because I had been a terrible tantrum-thrower, until then, I had never even seen boys and girls close to my own age, other than those five children my father had introduced.
It was only after entering social circles that I saw children other than those five.
Tea parties and evening balls.
Naturally, the boys and girls were dressed beautifully.
Watching them, I felt satisfied that my own outfit and decorations were the most beautiful. ...It was obvious, without even thinking. No person with common sense would try to outshine the "Crown Prince," the highest-ranking person there.
Yet, the monster who lacked even that common sense made the absurd misunderstanding: See? As I thought, I am the most noble and the greatest.
And unfortunately, that monster had an appearance that didn't look like a "monster" at first glance.
It was likely because both my parents were exceptionally handsome. The monster wore a very handsome skin that was ill-suited to its interior.
***
「Is there any difference in appearance between the "current" Prince Chris and that one?」
When I asked, Chris pulled at his somewhat long bangs with his fingertips.
「My hair might be a bit longer now. ...Otherwise, there’s no particular difference, I think.」
True, the Chris in the manga had short hair, almost like an undercut. I used to feel a bit of a mismatch, thinking, A medieval undercut prince...? Though the art was beautiful.
In a manga, you can let an undercut prince slide as just "a bit weird," but in reality, it’s pretty rough. That is not a noble’s hairstyle.
The Chris standing before me now had hair long enough to reach his collar in the back. His bangs were neatly styled, but they were about ear-length.
Personally, I think he looks better this way than with an undercut.
Long hair looks great on delicate beauties, doesn't it?! Disagreements? I don't care!
「Are you growing your hair out?」
Sometimes he has the back tied together. That’s good too.
「It’s not so much that I’m growing it out. ...I just haven't been able to find the time for a haircut. If I tie it up like this, it’s at least presentable, so I figured this was fine for now.」
"At least presentable"? It suits you incredibly well though?!
「Besides... if I make it too short, I end up remembering the "previous time"...」
Chris started to hang his head more and more with a hollow smile.
This man has too many "dark history" moments and triggers; life seems hard for him...
***
The only children of the same age I had ever been involved with—I’ll say it again—were those five.
And all of them, without exception, didn't show even a hair’s worth of interest in my "appearance."
Indeed, they were exceptional and wise.
They had no interest in a seemingly beautiful exterior; they looked firmly at my hideous interior, gave up on me properly, and left.
But naturally, not everyone is like them.
There are those who are only interested in outer beauty or ugliness.
Well, that’s a matter of personal values. I won’t say if it’s good or bad. Though they are a breed I cannot relate to.
In any case, my appearance caught the interest of those kinds of people.
Surrounded by people who praised me based only on my "outside," I was satisfied, thinking, I really am special.
Tantrums became less frequent, and the days passed with outward tranquility.
Then came the day of the party celebrating my eighteenth birthday.
On that day, I was told to keep my mouth shut as much as possible.
Well, that makes sense.
My behavior was coarse, and my language was rough.
All they could do was sit me at the highest seat and have me simply nod to the people offering congratulations. If they asked for anything more, the facade would crumble.
"The Prince’s voice is special. It cannot be easily granted to common folk," was the logic they used—something that, looking back, was a ridiculous argument, but the me of that time was convinced, thinking, That’s certainly true.
The people acting as my guardians certainly knew how to "handle" me.
However, a party where you just sit and nod occasionally couldn't possibly be fun.
I slipped away from the scene under the guise of taking a break.
I was always watched. However, though it wasn't intentional, I got separated from my watchers.
Likely, because I moved so erratically, the knights couldn't fully keep track of my movements.
I walked toward the inner depths of the castle, thinking, Do I really have to go back there? Maybe I should just go to my room and sleep.
It was a corridor leading deep inside.
Normally, there should have been a knight acting as a guide.
But there was no one like that.
...Well, I didn't even know what the "normal" knight placement was back then. I would only notice that incredible incongruity later.
I was on my way to my room, intending to go to sleep.
In the heart of the castle. In a garden where normally only royalty would set foot, a single woman was standing.
If it were a maid or a servant, it wouldn't be strange. But the person standing there was a woman clad in a beautiful dress.
Despite her being an obvious intruder, the monster who lacked common sense didn't care about such things.
When I called out to ask what she was doing, the woman replied, 「I’ve gotten lost...」
To the woman asking, 「Where is the Great Hall?」 I felt a strange sensation along with my exasperation.
The monster, who was dull to the subtleties of the heart, didn't realize it, but he was "happy."
The words thrown at me until then were mostly scoldings. Or they were empty, hollow flatteries designed to soothe me.
The words she spoke were neither.
She had only asked where the hall was.
But those words were strangely translated inside me to mean: This woman can't even get to the hall without me.
In other words, I was the only one she could rely on right now.
...How or why it became that, even I don't know, despite it being about myself.
I’ll show a little mercy to this pitiful woman who has no one to rely on but me.
It’s a thought process I completely fail to understand now, but that’s what I thought as I said, 「This way,」 and began leading her.
When we got back to where the entrance to the hall was visible, I suddenly found the idea of re-entering that hall unbearably tedious, so I dumped her there, saying, 「You can go the rest of the way alone, right?」
I didn't even ask her name at that time.
A monster without even common sense couldn't possibly have any awareness of risk management.
I was only thinking about how I had to get back to my room before the annoying crowd found me...
***
Oh my god...
It happened...! An Otome Game development...!
The Otome Game development was real...!! My memories weren't lying...!!
However, while the development is the same, the impression is quite different from the manga.
Manga is naturally drawn from the perspective of the heroine-chan, who is the protagonist, so you don't get to see Prince Chris’s inner feelings.
Prince Chris’s story is, how should I put it... it lacks sweetness, or rather, it’s a series of "No, that wouldn't happen!" moments...
I see...
The "arrogant prince" trope in Otome Games was a version that had been heavily diluted and then wrapped in layers of sugar-coating...
Based on Prince Chris’s story, the previous Chris wasn't something as cute as "arrogant."
He was truly a "monster" to whom even common sense didn't apply.
「During the meetings for our engagement announcement party, you asked me a question. "What would you do if there was an intruder who said they just got lost in the depths of the castle?" ...Do you remember?」
Of course I remember.
The reason I asked that question was that the "meeting" in the Otome Game was so unnatural it bothered me. And I thought it would be scary if the current Prince Chris let an intruder go as easily as the previous one did.
When I nodded, Chris laughed with a wry smile.
「I was very surprised when you asked that. I wondered if you somehow knew that I had made the wrong choice in the past.」
「You were... surprised...?」
He didn't look like it, though.
「We are educated not to let our emotions show on our faces. If I managed to hide it from you, that’s quite an achievement.」
Chris laughed happily, making absolutely no effort to hide it now.
When I was reading the manga, I certainly thought, I’d hate an emotional royal (and a Crown Prince at that)... And the previous Prince Chris was probably even more "like that" than what I read in the manga.
Thinking about it that way, I can't help but be amazed at just how much effort the current Chris has put in.
The effort itself isn't anything special. It’s education that any royal receives, and high-ranking nobles receive similar training.
But in Chris’s case, he was starting from way below zero. He was in a worse position than starting from scratch.
Right now, he’s sitting next to me drinking tea with incredibly elegant movements, but I wonder how much effort he exerted to acquire that.
Also, there’s one more thing that’s bothering me.
「Prince Chris.」
「Yes?」
While putting his cup back on the table, Chris looked at me and tilted his head slightly. ...Seriously, that’s calculatedly cute!
「That young lady who was lost in the garden... what was her name?」
When I asked, Chris gave a short, small laugh.
「She’s a lady you don't know. ...Fiorina. Fiorina Staden, daughter of Count Staden. That was her name.」
Fiorina!!
Yes, yes! That’s it!
I remember thinking, Why is the family name German and the first name Italian?! The sense of mismatch was huge!
Ah... but now it’s confirmed.
I don't know how faithful it is to the game or manga, but "the last time" was definitely an Otome Game (Crown Prince route)...
Though it still has nothing to do with me. According to Chris, by that time, I was already no longer in this country.
「The House of Count Staden itself no longer exists, so it’s not a name you need to remember.」
Right...
The Count’s family was executed, after all...
***
Fiorina Staden.
Looking back later, she was a young lady full of unnatural things.
She was a girl who had been adopted into the somewhat suspicious House of Count Staden just a few months before she met me.
The story was that she was the child of the current head’s older brother, who had run away over a decade prior.
I found out later through investigation that the current head of Staden did indeed have an older brother. But while he was officially "missing one day," it turned out he had actually been murdered around the time he supposedly went missing.
Fiorina was supposed to be the child of that head’s brother and a commoner woman.
The murdered brother apparently did have a commoner woman he loved. However, the two had a chaste relationship, and there was absolutely no way a child could have been conceived.
Furthermore, the woman said to be Fiorina’s deceased mother was a completely different person from the woman the brother was said to have loved.
In short, that girl Fiorina was a mere commoner with no connection or relation to the Staden family whatsoever.
Found and picked up by the Staden family... she was used as nothing more than a disposable pawn.
She was just a pitiful victim.
The Staden family are blind followers of a certain religion. ...You could even call them fanatics.
In the scriptures of that religion, that "Spirit Stone that grants wishes" is depicted as playing a very important role.
Their goal was to "take back" that stone and carry it back to their homeland.
"Take back" or whatever, this stone has been in this country for over a thousand years. It was the founder of this country who is said to have been gifted it by a spirit.
But their scriptures don’t say that.
They believe without a doubt that their ancestor, beloved by God and the spirits, received that stone as proof of the spirit's love.
...Well, even I don't know which one is correct.
***
「Apparently, this stone also has a power to protect its owner.」
「What?! Really?!」
That’s amazing, Spirit Stone!
Not only does it grant wishes, but it even protects you?!
To the surprised me, Chris smiled very gently.
「Yes. ...That’s exactly why I gave it to you. I thought... it would be nice if it could protect you in place of my unreliable self.」
Chris’s smile as he said that was so kind. It was so beautiful I found myself staring.
I knew the situation didn't call for it, but somehow my heart started pounding. And besides—
「You are protecting me properly, Prince Chris.」
「When?」
Chris looked puzzled, as if he truly "had no idea" what I meant.
「At various tea parties and evening balls... you always protect me from the various malice directed my way.」
After all, I’m a pipsqueak who isn't fit to stand next to this extreme beauty.
Chris was the one who chose me, but thanks to this "seven-year" age gap, there are parts where Chris’s reputation is being lowered.
To those who have an interest in various senses for the "seat next to Prince Chris," I’m nothing but a perfect target for attack.
Besides, I’m a "lovely" young girl. They probably think I’d start crying the moment they poke at me.
I don’t mind crying for you, but my tears aren't cheap, ladies.
From that kind of malice, Chris always protects me by standing on the front lines himself.
Moreover, he includes in the conversation—in a way that anyone listening can clearly understand—that this engagement was something Chris himself requested, that I am the one who accepted it, and that Chris cherishes me deeply.
Thanks to that, now that seven years have passed since the engagement was established, there is no one who picks fights with me.
Incidentally, there are also no young ladies who make moves on Chris.
「Thanks to you, Prince Chris, life has become very easy for me.」
I could do the repelling myself, but if I did it, I’d probably just invite unnecessary resentment.
It would be nice if I could talk like Chris, using a calm smile to reason with them, but I’d probably end up talking provocatively with a bellicose grin.
「If I’ve been able to do even a little something for you, that makes me happy.」
Chris’s bashful smile was so dazzling it made my heart go ack!! This man’s combat skill "Smile" has such high fire-power!
***
To take back the stone, the Staden family had been watching for an opportunity for a long time.
Although their rank was Count, they were immigrants, so their family status wasn't high. Therefore, they couldn't enter the depths of the castle.
Even if they tried to intrude, the knights, faithful to their duties, wouldn't allow it.
If they made a mistake and got caught, everything would be lost.
So they just waited quietly for the opportunity that would surely come one day.
And finally, it came around.
The birth of a hollow Crown Prince who was perfect for being used as a figurehead.
Moreover, his reputation until then was so bad that even at eighteen, he didn't have a fiancé decided.
The people behind him were troublesome, but they had been able to wait a hundred years until now. Another few years or so was nothing. They could just take their time and slowly eliminate them.
Instead of approaching directly themselves, let’s use someone who is less likely to be guarded against.
From there, the Staden family began looking for a child close to my age.
If a boy, as a friend; if a girl, as a lover—someone who could always attend to the side of the monster.
The conditions were: being close to my age; having hair or eye color similar to the head of Staden’s brother; not being too smart; and having a good appearance.
The one who fit those conditions perfectly was Fiorina.
A girl one year younger than me, with hair and eye color very similar to those of the Staden family, who, being a commoner from a cold village, had received no education, and was a straightforward girl with a very lovely face.
Fiorina said that when her mother died and she was at a loss, a person claiming to be a messenger from the Staden family appeared.
You are undoubtedly the legitimate successor to the House of Count Staden, whom we have been searching for for many years. Please come with me to the House of Count Staden in the Royal Capital.
Getting into a carriage without understanding what was going on, she arrived at the Royal Capital, which she was seeing for the first time.
To her, coming from a tiny village where growing enough wheat and some crops for her own consumption was the best she could do... it must have been the very "world she had longed for in stories."
Asked by the head of Staden to "become my daughter," the dreamy girl nodded immediately.
Most likely, her mother didn't die of "illness."
She was probably killed by some method at the hands of the Staden person who had set their eyes on Fiorina.
In fact, "this time," Fiorina is still in that tiny village, and her mother is there too. Apparently, her mother shows no signs of illness.
It seems that being able to wipe out that bunch before the Staden person found her was a success.
Overnight, she transformed from a poor village girl to a Count’s daughter.
Her habit was to say, 「It’s like a dream.」
A residence like a castle, gourmet food like she had never eaten before, a warm bed, beautiful dresses, and jewelry.
Things she knew existed in stories but were hard to even imagine because she had never seen them were now before her eyes as reality.
I’m so happy, it’s like I’m dreaming.
She always said that with a smile.
The House of Count Staden intentionally gave Fiorina no education.
The only things they taught her were the bare minimum of reading and writing. Even then, only her own name.
If she were given unnecessary knowledge, it would interfere with their plans. The figurehead is better the lighter they are.
Besides, the one they wanted her to keep company with was a monster who had no knowledge, no refinement, and no common sense. It was just the right match.
On the contrary, the people overflowing with intellect and refinement had all left that monster’s side. Anyone wise enough to have a thinking brain or eyes that see ahead would absolutely never choose to be by that monster’s side.
Thus, the carefully selected Fiorina was so good at humoring the monster that it was as if she existed only for that purpose.
To her, I wasn't a "monster without common sense," but a "very beautiful Prince."
And even for a monster who was nearly devoid of intellect, I had more education than the completely ignorant Fiorina. Therefore, in her eyes, I was reflected as a "wise, beautiful, and reliable Prince."
A truly intelligent person wouldn't approach such a suspicious lady on their own. She had no knowledge, no refinement, and no manners. To a typical noble, she was someone whose mere presence was unpleasant.
Therefore, Fiorina never correctly perceived what other royals and nobles were like, other than me.
Before I knew it, Fiorina was always by the side of the monster who had no one else.
She looked at me—who was only "capable" when compared to her ignorant self—with a respectful gaze, saying simply, 「Princes are amazing, aren't they!」
...If one had a sane mind, that situation would probably become unbearable due to shame, but there was nothing "sane" about the monster.
Being unconsciously boosted by Fiorina, I was completely over the moon.
This ignorant, pitiful, and lovely little sparrow cannot live unless she is in my hands.
It’s unknown what kind of thought process leads to that, but that’s what I had come to think.
***
Ah! Prince Chris! He’s covering his face with his hands again...!!
Fight on, Prince Chris! Don't let it get to you, Prince Chris!
Prince Chris’s story has probably passed the halfway point, right? Just one more push, Prince Chris!!
...While waiting for Prince Chris to recover, I think I’ll ask for a refill of tea for now.
*****
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