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An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl

The Mystery of the Name: The Answer Arc

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

First, the entry records.

I needed to see who else had come from Staden’s home country.

Assuming they belonged to that specific sect, the group itself was a tiny minority. The vast majority of visitors from Staden’s homeland likely had nothing to do with them.

Still, I checked the records as a precaution and made a list of everyone who had entered the country over the last twenty years or so.

I had people keeping an eye on Staden’s movements.

…That said, the members of that household almost never left their home. I had no idea what they were up to.

The Staden family currently consisted of three members: the previous Count, known as the "Grand Lord"; the current head of the Staden house; and his wife. …I wondered if this "wife" knew that Staden belonged to that sect.

This was another matter that required investigation.

And then there was Fiorina.

The girl who had been welcomed as an adopted daughter into this family of mysterious origins.

However, I knew for a fact that she wasn't a believer in that pagan faith.

She wasn't the kind of girl who could maintain that sort of lie.

She used to say that killing was wrong and scary, and that stealing and lying were "bad things." Her values aligned perfectly with the doctrines of the Main Faith that I knew.

If that was the case, why had that girl been adopted by Staden?

The official story was that she was the child of his brother, who had run away from home.

But if Staden were a pagan, there would be no reason for him to take in such a child.

According to the records, it was true that Staden’s brother had fled the family.

That had happened four years before Fiorina was born.

According to the Staden family's account, the brother had fallen in love with a commoner and eloped with her… or some such reason. But he was the "eldest son of the Staden family." Would he really elope with a woman of another faith?

Besides, he didn't just leave the house; he "fled." There had to be a significant reason. …For example, perhaps that brother had wanted to convert or apostatize.

If that were the case, that brother was likely no longer of this world.

Furthermore, even if Fiorina truly carried Staden blood, the child of someone who sought to convert or apostatize would be nothing more than a loathsome heretic to them.

So, what was the reason for taking her in?

There are orphans even in the Royal Capital. There are orphanages in the outskirts. Why Fiorina, instead of taking a child from there?

If I could find that reason, things might become a bit clearer.

***

「Amazing…! You’re getting closer! Lord Chris, you’re steadily closing in!!」

I found myself pumping my fist without thinking.

Oopsie☆ That’s not a very lady-like gesture, Seraphina☆ …Where’s my cat? Where’s my cute, glossy-furred kitten persona?

But Lord Chris likely knows the "me" from the "Rewinds."

The me who tossed the "sweet kitten" act out the window—the kind of me he’d describe by saying, 「The kitten? Oh, she left. It was, well… a rainy day, the kind where the cold seeps into your very bones… (puffs on a cigarette).」

As I gripped my fist tight, Lord Chris gave a small, soft laugh.

「Even so, at that point, it was still like trying to grab a cloud. It felt like the dots were about to connect, but I didn't even know if it was okay to connect them. That was the state I was in.」

***

I only vaguely remember the various things I saw and heard during the first time. It is incredibly frustrating.

There are far too many things where I feel, I definitely heard it, I definitely saw it…

It was the same with Fiorina’s backstory.

Which village did she say she was from? I’m certain I heard it.

I pored over detailed maps of the country, looking at every single tiny place name. I was hoping something would catch my eye.

But this was based on what Fiorina had said. The name of the village she used might just be a local nickname. And being Fiorina, if everyone called it by a nickname, she wouldn't have realized that "it had a formal name officially registered with the state."

If that were the case, I was completely at a loss.

As I was checking the maps, something suddenly occurred to me.

It was so obvious I hadn't even considered it: her name, "Fiorina."

It’s an exotic-sounding name, somewhat rare in this country.

If I recall, yes… about two hundred years ago, there was a region that accepted a large number of immigrants from that linguistic sphere. Even now, words from that language remain in the local dialect of that area.

Could it be that Fiorina was from around there?

I searched every corner of the map for that region and found a tiny settlement that was "likely the place."

I asked a secret agent of the castle to go there and find out if there was a girl named Fiorina.

***

Her name…! Her "Italo-German Coalition" style name…! Who would’ve thought it would be the key to the heroine’s birthplace…!

But well, I guess that makes sense.

My name, "Serafina," is a perfectly common name in this country. Same for Lord Chris. It’s not rare because "we’re in the same linguistic sphere."

A name from a different linguistic sphere would naturally feel a bit unusual to the people living there.

「…So, did you find her?」

When I asked, Lord Chris chuckled.

「We found her. …And either the agent I hired was exceptionally skilled, or he just had a knack for it, because he brought back all sorts of information. Apparently, Fiorina’s father died in an accident when she was two. He even found out that the father was her mother’s childhood friend from the same village.」

「Incredible…」

Hidden agents are amazing.

As I sat there in awe, Lord Chris laughed as if exasperated.

「I was so surprised by the results that exceeded my expectations that I asked the agent, 'Who did you hear this from and how?' …And believe it or not, that agent managed to get all that information from Fiorina’s mother herself.」

「What?! From the person herself?!」

How?!

「Yes. He pretended to be a 'lonely wandering traveler' and called out to Fiorina’s mother as if asking for directions. …And to my amazement, the two of them ended up having tea and chatting for two hours. He said Fiorina’s mother told him all that during their conversation.」

…That agent’s communication skills are insane…

「Also, things like how Fiorina hates chickpeas and always picks them out of her soup. Or how her mother’s knees have started aching lately whenever the weather turns bad, which is tough on her…」

Mr. Agent… was there really a need to report that?

「Anyway, at that point, I was ten. Fiorina was nine. There were eight years left until she would be picked up by Staden. And eight years until her mother passed away.」

***

This made one thing clear: the girl named Fiorina had absolutely no blood relation or connection to Staden whatsoever.

Aside from the information about Fiorina’s mother being good at baking honey-flavored cookies—which I wasn't quite sure how to react to—the agent had picked up various other bits of information during their idle chatter.

The most useful part was that Fiorina’s mother was starting to feel the limits of their current self-sufficient lifestyle.

It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with the life itself.

Apparently, Fiorina’s mother had suffered a major injury to her leg in the past. Currently, she has no trouble walking or running, but if she overexerts herself, her knee starts to ache and won't bend properly.

She said that doing farm work with that body was becoming a bit painful.

However, although she can read and write better than Fiorina, she has no formal education. She can do basic math, but she isn't good at it.

She was plagued by the anxiety of whether she could manage if she went to the city to work, so she had half-given up, thinking she had no choice but to continue her current life…

And then there was the problem of who would look after young Fiorina if she had to leave the house for work.

Fiorina was a responsible child for her age, but she was still just a little girl.

The agent said she was smiling a bit helplessly, wondering what she should do.

So, I thought about it.

The fact that Fiorina is an orphan is likely a major reason why those people targeted her.

No matter how much of an aristocrat one is, they can't just take a child whose kin won't let go—that would be no different from kidnapping. Or rather, it would be kidnapping.

Normally, a noble kidnapping a commoner… is an event that doesn't happen because there’s no particular reason to do it. Even if it does happen occasionally, in most cases, the commoners just have to suffer in silence.

But a crime is a crime. …It’s just that it rarely comes to light.

What if I tried changing Fiorina’s situation?

And by doing so, let's see what else changes and how.

At the very least, the events at the banquet for my eighteenth birthday will change in some way.

I asked the agent if Fiorina’s mother would be open to moving.

The reply was, 「She would likely agree, but she also seems to have a strong affection for the land where she was born and raised.」 Well, that’s only natural.

Then, I wondered if she had any intention of remarrying.

When I asked, the agent practically leaned in with excitement.

「She said she wouldn't be opposed to it if she found a good person! She definitely said that!」

…I-I see… I don't know why he repeated himself…

「Your Highness! I have a proposal!」

Go ahead?

「What if I infiltrate her home as her candidate for remarriage?! I have plenty of confidence in my physical stamina!」

…………Ah, right.

***

…Mr. Agent… you’ve fallen for her, haven't you…?

I mean, what is up with this wacky agent… is it really okay for a "hidden" agent to have such a strong personality…?

「On the day he left for the village, his eyes were sparkling with hope…」

Lord Chris gave a dry laugh with a distant look in his eyes. I can understand why he feels that way. This agent is too much of a mystery…

「The girl named Fiorina was very honest and bright, and she had an adorable appearance that wouldn't look out of place even among the nobility. Naturally, her mother was a beautiful woman as well.」

「I see…」

A beautiful, cheerful, and kind widow…

You’d better do a good job, Mr. Agent. That’s a big catch. Don't let her get away.

***

I made the agent promise to send regular reports, gave him a few more instructions, and saw him off. What I asked of him was as follows:

First, let me know if any unfamiliar people start coming in and out of the house or the village. If possible, I want him to verify their identities and backgrounds.

Next, there is a possibility that Fiorina’s mother will fall ill or die within the next ten years. However, there is a chance that this could be a murder disguised as part of some conspiracy. Therefore, I want him to pay close attention to the surroundings.

In particular, I want him to keep a constant watch on places where it would be easy to introduce poison, such as the drinking well or the irrigation water.

And I want him to report immediately if he feels anything is amiss.

「Leave it to me! I will protect her with my life!」

A-Ah, yeah… okay… …Well, whatever.

It’s not like I particularly want to protect her, but… well, I suppose that’s the end result.

After seeing off the agent, who was overflowing with motivation and hope, I decided to move on to the next task while waiting for his reports.

Looking back on "everything until now," the first time was likely the case where things went most perfectly for Staden.

I had written down an overview to discuss with my five friends. Along with that, I compared the opinions they gave me and thought about what could be done.

During this period around the age of ten, there are no particularly prominent events.

Things only start to move when I turn eighteen.

But that is only because my eighteenth year is when "their preparations are complete and they step onto the stage."

Their groundwork is surely being carried out steadily even now.

As I pondered, I looked over the overview of the first loop and the notes from my conversations with my friends, and one opinion caught my eye.

It was something the Duke’s son had said.

If the Prince was foolish and easy to use as a figurehead, and the 'Mysterious Noble' took advantage of that, why don't we just make sure the Prince himself gains enough wisdom so that he can't be used as a puppet?

That’s right.

That whole situation, where I didn't even know how much of it was planned.

In the end, it spiraled into the worst possible outcome, but what if the Prince they tried to use—in other words, me—had enough wisdom and knowledge to make them feel that I was more difficult to handle than back then?

In fact, the current situation is vastly different from the first time.

I am not being kept at a distance by the servants, nor have my parents given up on me. I have friends, and I have the agent and others who serve as my hands and feet.

Even if I’m not exactly "brilliant," at the very least, I am not a "monster who doesn't even understand common sense."

Even if Fiorina were to teach me common sense and say, 「The Prince is amazing!」 I would probably only be able to manage a bitter smile and a thank you.

…Perhaps this time, they won't even approach Fiorina? Well, I wouldn't mind if that happened. …It would just mean one agent finds happiness. That’s a good thing. …Probably.

If they don't move, that’s fine.

Then, what can I do now?

…For the time being, I’ll start investigating those likely connected to Staden and those who sided with the Usurpation Faction.

My days were spent steadily clearing away whatever tasks I could, but simply having "friends" made these days enjoyable, unlike the previous several rewinds.

We had arranged to have tea together once a week on a fixed day.

It was something my father and my tutor had decided, and although they had been reluctant to come to the castle at first, they gradually began to look forward to those days.

The Duke’s son was very knowledgeable and a bit cynical, but he loved his country and his lands and was passionate about their development. Despite being a high-ranking noble, he never looked down on commoners.

The Viscount’s son had a scholarly temperament and was a bit difficult. His family held no lands and had many medical professionals. He intended to become a doctor himself in the future. His dream was a grand one: to provide medical care to commoners without discrimination.

The Marquis’s son was bright and caring, always laughing cheerfully, but in reality, he was the one who observed "people" the most. 「A smile is the greatest weapon, Lord Chris,」 he told me with a friendly grin. …I thought he was terrifying.

The Duke’s daughter liked academics despite being a woman, and she said she actually wanted to study abroad at a distant academy… But apparently, she hadn't received permission from her family. The reason was, 「What is a woman going to do by mastering academics?」 When I asked what she had replied, she said, 「I told them 'Nothing in particular'.」 …Maybe that answer was the problem?

And then, there was the Marquis’s daughter…

On that distant, distant day—the first five-year-old meeting—she was the one I fell in love with at first sight.

Because I was a monster who didn't understand the "subtleties of the human heart," I hadn't realized it at the time, but on that day, I had undoubtedly fallen in love with her.

Even setting aside the fact that I was young, the monster who was ignorant of emotional nuances didn't recognize it for what it was.

But with her, I had fallen in love for a second time.

Unlike the first time, she would reply to my words. She would laugh. She would call my name.

…During the first time, she would call me 「Your Highness」 in a voice so cold it felt devoid of any warmth. That alone was enough to show just how much I was hated.

Every time I called her 「Sera」, she would correct me with, 「My name is 'Serafina', Your Highness,」 which also made it clear how much she disliked it.

***

…She really, REAAAALLY must have hated him, that version of Serafina.

I mean, there’s almost nothing to like about him…

Also… Lord Chris has been sitting there smiling at me for a while now…

I can't even look over there… To have him say so shamelessly that he "was in love" makes me feel embarrassed, even though I know he’s not talking about the "me" right now…

「Sera.」

He called out in a voice tinged with a smile. When I replied with a 「Yes,」 I heard Lord Chris give a small chuckle.

I can't look… I can't look in Lord Chris’s direction…

「Seeee-ra.」

「……What is it?」

Dammit… I can sense he’s enjoying this… I can't look, so I don't know for sure, though.

I can hear Lord Chris giggling.

…Now I’m the one who feels like covering my face with my hands…

「The girl named Serafina Camden, the Marquis’s daughter, was a somewhat eccentric girl who was impossible to take one’s eyes off of.」

"Eccentric"… That’s an expression that carries a subtle hint of sorrow, Lord Chris…

「For a while after we first met, she would come to the castle with her hair neatly tied and wearing dresses befitting her status. …However.」

And here comes the "however"…

My cat persona… let's hope my cat persona put in some work… Surely the Serafina who was the same age as Lord Chris was wearing a sweet, glossy-furred kitten act.

…Though the fact that a contrastive conjunction just showed up gives me nothing but a bad feeling.

「By the time a year had passed, first, her hair became haphazardly tied, as if she had just 'put it in a half-updo for now'.」

The cat has escaped!!

That was fast! That cat is quick on its feet! It’s as fast as a mackerel spoils!!

「The clothes that were supposed to be proper dresses in the beginning also became increasingly plain and simple, as if she were thinking, 'This level of quality shouldn't be embarrassing even at the castle'.」

There was no cat to begin with…

This time for real, I covered my face with both hands.

This is embarrassing…

You let your guard down way too much, Serafina☆ No, seriously, what are you doing? Even the "me" right now hasn't let her guard down that much.

As I sat there dejected with my face covered, Lord Chris continued to look at me while giggling.

Fine, go ahead and laugh!

「The only young ladies I had known until then were, at most, Fiorina. The Duke’s daughter was also a bit of an oddball, but Sera was even more unusual.」

Stop it… Lord Chris, please stop… Serafina’s HP is plummeting…

「She always said happily that since she couldn't inherit the Marquisate, she was going to do 'what she wanted to do' when she grew up.」

Well, I still feel that way even now.

In my current situation, I’m going to become the Crown Princess when I grow up, but if it weren't for that, I surely would have gone around the world hunting mysteries. …I’d love to go. I want to discover the wonders of the world… Even if my "Super Serafina-chan" doll got "Bosh-ooted," I’d still want to go…

Also, what Lord Chris meant by "I couldn't inherit the Marquisate" is simply because this country doesn't recognize female heads of houses.

A noble family with only a daughter would normally take in a son-in-law or choose a successor from among their relatives.

Well, I have a brother, so I don't particularly have to worry about succession issues.

—Or so I thought, but I was stunned by Lord Chris’s next words.

「She said that since she could just leave the house to her younger brother, there would be no problem, so she wouldn't need to force herself to take a husband.」

「Younger brother?!」

Who’s that?! I only have an older brother with a twisted personality?!

When I looked at Lord Chris with enough intensity to demand an explanation, he for some reason gave me a beaming smile.

…What’s with that smile?

「You finally looked at me.」

He said it in a voice that sounded incredibly happy, and I felt awkward again and looked away.

As I hurriedly and unnaturally averted my gaze, Lord Chris was still giggling. My HP… my HP is draining away…

「Um, Lord Chris… about my 'younger brother'…?」

I have to change the subject!

I have to do something about Lord Chris’s sweet atmosphere…!

「Your younger brother is two years younger than us, a boy named Roland Camden.」

「He’s my older brother, though…」

Roland Camden is, without a doubt, my brother’s name.

Even today, before I came here, when I went to greet him, he said, 「Don't go running through the castle corridors, okay? Be careful not to trip over any steps. Also, no matter how fluffy the sofas are, don't go jumping up and down on them. (Make sure you do at least one of those. It’ll be hilarious.)」 As usual, his sub-audio was annoying.

And that brother is a younger brother… …Not cute at all…

I want to be called "Big Sis" by a cute younger brother… But even if that guy became a younger brother, I wouldn't be able to find any cuteness in him…

I mean, did he say two years younger than Lord Chris?

That’s the same as my current brother.

…Which means what? In Lord Chris’s repeated "Rewinds," is it only my age this time that has become something strange…?

「Roland was an excellent individual, just as he is now. Certainly, there would be no problem leaving the Marquisate to him. That’s why Sera said she wanted to go see the world rather than spend her time at home being fussed over by her younger brother.」

Ah… yeah, if there’s an unmarried older sister staying at home, the younger brother would naturally be considerate…

If I were going to spend my life sitting on a bed of needles for both of us, it’d be more constructive to go on a journey.

「She said she only knew this country, so she wanted to see many more mysterious things in the world. …I believe she said she wanted to 'hunt mysteries'.」

Lord Chris, please stop. Serafina’s HP is already at zero…

Hey, Serafina, just how much do you intend to live with your guard down…?

Do you have any idea how much "current me" is squirming with embarrassment right now?

I bet the Serafina in the "Rewinds" has screwed up in all sorts of other ways too—I’d bet my "Super Serafina-chan" on it.

「Her words and actions were unconventional, but in formal settings, she would carry herself like a proper lady. The Duke’s daughter saw that and said, 'I actually want to follow her example'.」

The cat hadn't escaped!

…Ah—so those five really were close friends…

***

The five of us were gathered under the pretext of being my friends, but two of them were girls. Naturally, these two girls had the aspect of being "candidates for the Princess Consort."

If I had chosen either of the two as my consort, there would have been no problem. Conversely, even if I hadn't chosen one, there wouldn't have been any particular issue. I was told that their families had been informed of this in advance. Whether it was the Ducal house or the Marquisal house, there was no particular disadvantage to them becoming the consort. Since they didn't particularly have a lust for the seats of "Crown Princess" or "Queen," even if they weren't chosen, they likely would have had no reaction other than, "Oh, I see."

The position of "Queen" is largely a role as an accompaniment to the King, but even so, there is a fair amount of pressure.

There are many occasions where one must appear in diplomatic settings, so there are things that must be learned and a minimum level of duties that must be performed.

When I thought about those things, I hesitated in choosing a partner.

If she were a girl like Fiorina, who was unable to do anything, I actually wouldn't have agonized over it. If she were a girl who so refreshingly knew nothing, the tutors wouldn't have expected much from her either.

I would just teach her the absolute minimum and tell her, 「You don't need to do anything else,」 and that would be it. …Just like the "me" from the first time.

But these two girls, who were my friends, were both excellent.

The people around them would expect them to play a role beyond just being an "accompaniment to the King."

And if they couldn't meet those expectations, those people would be disappointed of their own accord.

Could I really place the person I love in such a position?

I thought about how, compared to the "Rewinds" until then, this was a truly leisurely life if I could afford to agonize over such trivial matters.

Besides, I also had the problem of the "Rewinds" themselves.

It would be fine if this were a life that didn't need to be redone, but unless everything goes well, I will die at the age of twenty-five.

Being the companion of a Crown Prince who dies young likely wouldn't be an easy life.

…No, I just need to make sure I don't die.

I decided to postpone the matter of a partner, thinking that I wouldn't be able to have one until I solved the problem.

It wouldn't be until the day of the banquet for my eighteenth birthday that I would regret that decision.

Letters arrived regularly from the agent I had sent to Fiorina’s village.

Somehow, within six months of going there, he had settled into the position of Fiorina’s stepfather. Along with a letter for regular contact, he had enclosed some powdered sweets, saying, 「These were distributed to everyone in the village as a celebration of my remarriage. Please have some if you like, Your Highness.」 I thought, Isn't he a bit too giddy? but the fact was that it was a joyous occasion.

It was a sweet made of roasted wheat flour or something similar, mixed with sugar and honey and hardened. They were shaped like lovely wild flowers and had a simple, delicious taste.

I remember thinking poignantly that these were more suited to Fiorina than the elaborate, decorated sweets from the castle.

In return, I had a craftsman make a large number of small hard candies and sent them to him, telling him to give them to Fiorina and her mother. Later, I would hear a heartwarming story about how Fiorina had cherished them too much to eat them, only to have them all melt into a single lump in the summer heat, leaving her in tears.

There were many reports that made me want to ask, 「Is this your diary?」 such as how a baby goat had been born to their family goat, or how a hen had died from egg binding and they had all eaten it while crying but it was delicious. However, one day’s report was different.

Apparently, when the agent was about to go out for farm work as usual, he saw a human figure near the irrigation well.

The figure seemingly didn't notice the agent and left for somewhere else, passing the agent by.

He is an excellent agent, except when it comes to things concerning Fiorina and her mother. He had properly remembered that I told him to 「watch out for the water.」

If one were to tamper with a well, they would either put poison directly into the well or tamper with the bucket.

If it were directly into the well… there was a high possibility that it would affect other wells through the water vein. That would be far too dangerous.

Then, was it the bucket?

He sent the bucket he had removed from the well in its entirety, saying, 「Therefore, I am sending the bucket and water samples from the well, so please conduct an investigation.」

…He’s excellent… but his methods are a bit…

The water he said he had sampled was properly drawn from a bucket other than the one he had sent. He is excellent… though…

The results of the analysis at the castle’s infirmary showed a reaction to poison from the bucket. Nothing in particular was detected from the water.

It was an irrigation well, but that didn't mean the water wasn't drinkable. And Fiorina’s mother used to drink water from that well during her farm work. Incidentally, the agent also occasionally drank water from that well.

And apparently, Fiorina doesn't drink water from that well. She would say, 「I want the water that’s properly meant for drinking.」

Staden is moving.

They have targeted Fiorina this time as well.

Even though the way "I" am is clearly different from the first time.

Even after I’ve changed things this much, they still won't give up.

If so, there must be a "reason they can't give up."

Why are they moving now, after waiting patiently for a hundred years?

What is the reason they are moving even when the Prince—someone who would be difficult for them to use as a figurehead because he is independent and thinks for himself—is the way I am?

What are those people so frantic about?

In any case, there is one thing I know for sure.

If Staden is moving, then unless I do something about them, I will die again at the age of twenty-five—.