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

serafina short story 2 part 2

Translated by: S3

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

*****

I did my best to rub Lord Chris’s back as he sat there all gloomy, despondent, and utterly crushed, and eventually, I managed to bring him back to life.

He had asked for my "honest" opinion, so I was as honest as possible, but perhaps I should have gone a little easier on him...

Oh well, it’s fine, it’s fine.

Chris has recovered now, so I suppose it’s a case of "all’s well that ends well" (?)

The revived Chris sat there drinking his tea, though his expression was still a bit hollow.

But honestly... the Chris from the game and the Chris right in front of me are practically different people. There isn't a single thing I dislike about the current Chris. Even if he became this hyper-competent "monster prince" who is essentially a different person from his original self, if that’s what it took to get the Chris I have now, I can see it as a necessary element. ...Though I still don't think I could ever like that original "monster prince" version.

...In fact, I definitely didn't like him when I was reading the manga.

As I was lost in these thoughts, I heard a long, deep sigh from beside me.

I looked over to see Chris putting his cup back on the table and hanging his head once again.

「Um... Lord Chris...」

「Yes... Sorry. Could you... give me a little more time...?」

...Certainly. Honestly, I’m starting to feel a bit guilty myself.

I waited for the drooping Chris to recover.

In this strange hour between late night and early morning, even the birds weren't singing yet. Chris remained motionless, head bowed. The only sound was the faint, rhythmic ticking of the clock’s second hand.

Listening to that steady tick-tock, I—naturally—started to get sleepy.

If Chris doesn't snap out of it soon, I might actually drift off...

Would it be okay if I just slept...? No, probably not... But this rhythmic ticking is dangerous... Sleep...

「For now, would you like to sleep until dawn?」

"Bwha?!"

I was right on the verge of nodding off when he suddenly spoke, making me jump.

Looking next to me, I saw Chris smiling with a wry chuckle.

「Oh, no... I’m fine.」

「You don't have to push yourself. ...We still have time, after all.」

Hearing Chris say, "We still have time," made me burst into a little laugh.

When Chris says "we have time," he likely means that starting tomorrow, he has no official duties or anything for a while. He meant "time we can spend freely."

「Sera?」

Chris looked at me with confusion as I giggled, unable to hold it back.

「No, it’s just... hearing you say 'we still have time,' Lord Chris...」

「...Did I say something strange?」

He looked genuinely perplexed, even knitting his brows together.

「I just thought... your 'restarts' really have come to an end.」

At my words, Chris stared blankly for a moment before letting out a small, soft laugh.

「Now that you mention it, you're right.」

Having safely passed Chris’s "Dead End" line at age twenty-five and moving into the future without plunging back into a loop, here we are: a twenty-six-year-old Chris and a nineteen-year-old me.

I suppose it feels like the "after-story" of a loop-based adventure game.

During all his "restarts," Chris was always being chased by deadlines, marking major events as milestones and thinking, I have to finish this by this point...

That same Chris was now saying something as carefree as "we still have time."

I couldn't help but laugh. I was just so happy.

「I realized you finally have the luxury to put off what can be done now until later. Thinking about that made me feel a little happy, so I laughed.」

「Well, even so...」

Chris took a small breath and smiled wryly again.

「I have no idea what will happen 'from here on out.' It’s just that I didn't die at twenty-five. That’s all.」

「No one in the whole world knows 'what will happen from here on out.'」

It’s not like we’re gods.

Life has its ups and downs for everyone. Some people’s peaks and valleys might be a bit higher or lower, deeper or shallower than others, but that’s just how it is.

...Though, Chris’s "previous lives" felt like an overwhelming series of valleys—or rather, the very bottom of a sheer cliff—so I really want his future "peaks" to tower high. Mt. Fuji? Too small, too small. Let’s aim higher than Everest!

And above all...

「That 'Stone' definitely made you restart in order to grant 'someone’s wish,' right?」

「Likely so.」

In the midst of those loops, Chris never wished for the Stone to make him repeat things. Yet, the Stone forced him through a series of "death loops" that were beyond cruel.

That was surely for the sake of "someone’s wish that couldn't be granted otherwise."

And among those "someone’s wishes" was the King’s wish for the health and happiness of his family.

「If your 'restarts' have ended, and that means 'someone’s wish' is now in a state where it can be granted... then the King’s wish should be granted too. Which means you will continue to live in health and happiness from now on!」

Because the Stone is supposed to grant it. ...Probably.

「My father’s wish, huh...」

Chris murmured softly, then looked at me and smiled. ...It was that same smile of his, where he narrows his eyes as if looking at something dazzling.

「My father’s wish is for the 'health and happiness of his family,' and my wish is for 'your happiness.' Which means, you have to become very happy.」

I see...

Wait. Since I became Chris’s wife, I’m also a member of "His Majesty’s family"...

But honestly, I’m pretty happy right now. If I had to ask for more... Wait?! Could it be... will it come true?! My dream of "discovering the wonders of the world"—of being a mystery hunter!

<Don't be unreasonable.>

"Bwha?!" Stone, you were listening?! I mean, don't just read other people's thoughts without permission! And so, "discovering wonders" is considered unreasonable?! ...It is, huh...

Well, yeah, I guess it is. I know that.

But whether it’s the Stone or Chris, why does everyone just read people’s thoughts whenever they want?

I can't even have a careless delusion at this rate.

And Stone, don't commute all the way out here. Stick to talking inside the treasury. It’s startling.

My brain is basically transparent! "See-through!" What’s happening to my data privacy...? Are my thoughts really that easy to read...? No, in the Stone's case, it's a genuine telepathic-something-or-other.

「Even so...」

Hearing Chris’s murmuring voice, I looked over to see him letting out a sigh with a wry smile.

「'A world different from this one,' huh... Is the world you were in before completely different from 'here'?」

「Completely different.」

By a huge margin.

Just the existence of the "beautiful prince" in front of me is something I’d never encounter in my daily life in Japan. He’s not a "prince" as a metaphor or a nickname; he’s the actual son of a King with real status and power.

He’s not a "Prince of the School," or a "Prince of Tennis," or a "Prince of Curry." He is the "Legitimate Son of the King who Rules the Country."

In the first place, countries where the head of state is a King have decreased significantly. How many countries are left on Earth today where a King is the ultimate authority? Many countries don't even have a royal family anymore.

And more than anything, the gap in civilization between Earth and this world is staggering.

You’d have to go looking for a horse-drawn carriage as a daily means of transport on Earth. ...Well, you might find cows pulling carts, but not that. I mean a "carriage like the ones in fairy tales."

You might find them for tourists, but I doubt there are many households saying, "Our family doesn't use a car; we use a carriage."

That was something from over a hundred years ago.

In the "modern era," what runs on the roads are cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. No horses, no cows. ...Actually, wouldn't owning two or more horses for a carriage cost more in maintenance than a single car?

This world doesn't have electricity, and as for entertainment, books have only just started to reach the general public. Well, in the case of books, there’s also the issue of the literacy rate among commoners.

On modern Earth, the entertainment known as "books" is transitioning into data—"e-books"—retaining only the essence of "reading a story" while losing its physical form. ...I used to love stopping by a bookstore and buying something just by looking at the cover and the blurb while flipping through the pages... but all the "neighborhood bookstores" have gone out of business...

It’s the same with fashion.

Well, okay, celebrities still wear dresses at "parties." and as for men, many here wear suits that wouldn't look out of place on modern Earth.

It’s just... a bit interesting.

How I feel the culture and civilization level is "behind" compared to Earth.

Being "behind" implies that "if things continue naturally, it will eventually catch up to twenty-first-century Earth." In other words, it is following a similar evolutionary process.

Earth’s civilization reached today after various transitions. There was a lot of "inevitability" involved—things like "this is more convenient" or "this is more profitable."

Even if the world is different, the ones here are the same "humans." ...Well, I don't know the exact details, but I think they’re probably the same. Their blood is red, after all.

That’s why I think that one day, this world too will have cars instead of carriages, send emails via the internet instead of letters, and read e-books on terminals instead of physical books.

I just don't know when that "one day" will be.

「...I see. So the world you were in was a world with very advanced technology.」

「I'm not entirely sure if that's a 'good thing' or not, but it was certainly advanced.」

The birth and spread of new technology is certainly a good thing. After all, it makes things significantly more convenient and easier.

However, new problems often arise at the same time.

Well, I suppose that’s just how it goes. Even if technology advances, it’s meaningless if the humans handling it can't keep up with it.

「Is there anything from your knowledge that could be applied to this world?」

Oh!

Does this mean I’m supposed to pull off some kind of "knowledge cheat"?!

...Even if you ask me that...

I don't actually know the "mechanisms" behind the infrastructure I used as a matter of course. I can use a PC or a smartphone, but I have no idea how to make one. I’m not talking about assembling a PC, but how to actually manufacture a CPU or a graphics card.

And above all...

「Just as the evolution of living things wasn't a single giant leap, I feel that technology 'should evolve in stages.'」

The right people, based on the right realizations, should create things "using only the knowledge of this world." I might sound repetitive with all my "shoulds," but that’s really how I feel, so I can't help it.

Otherwise, "missing links" will appear in the evolutionary process, and the technology will likely just end right there.

Well, if we're not talking about technical things like that, there are a few things I could do. ...Like a compulsory education system, or making compulsory education free.

Though, even that would depend on my presentation skills!

「When it comes to new social policies, it might be a good idea to ask for your opinion.」

「...Though, I’m not an expert or anything, so I can only offer the opinion of an average commoner...」

After all, in my past life, I wasn't a politician or an activist; I was just a perfectly ordinary Japanese person. I was the one receiving policies, not the one crafting them.

「That’s exactly why I want to hear your opinion. I think you might see problems that we can't see.」

「Ah...」

That might be true.

I may be a noblewoman now, but I was once a commoner who loved supermarket sales. Sales are great... There aren't many spaces that make the heart flutter like that... and the "set" includes getting carried away and buying side dishes you don't even need, only to regret it slightly afterward.

「But... yes. I think a lot of things finally make sense now.」

What does? I looked at Chris, and he had a slightly playful smile.

「Hearing that you have 'memories of a world different from this one' and that you 'knew of the first version of me' has cleared up a few things I was wondering about.」

「Things you were wondering about...?」

Given the flow of the conversation, it’s something about me, right? Is there something strange about me? Am I not just a perfectly normal young lady? ...No, let’s not talk about me turning the garden into a field right now.

As I sat there with a blank, "idiot child" face, Chris let out a playful 「Hehe」 laugh. I really think laughing at someone’s face is a bit much, you know?

「It’s nothing major, really. There were just a few things I found mysterious about you...」

A few?! Wait, not just one...? Am I really that much of a "mystery girl"?

「First, the fact that you accepted my story about 'restarting life multiple times' so easily.」

...Ah (I see his point).

「I didn't even understand the mechanism myself, so I probably couldn't give you a proper explanation, yet you filled in the gaps yourself and understood. Even though it's an incredibly difficult phenomenon to explain or grasp.」

「True, that might be so...」

After all, I myself am the embodiment of the mysterious phenomenon known as "Isekai Reincarnation." If there’s someone there who has "time-leaped," I just kind of accept it like, "Oh, so it's that kind of world!"

「Could it be that in the world you were in, there were stories like that?」

Chris asked with a chuckle, and I couldn't help but smile wryly.

「...Yes. They aren't real stories, just things in books and such... but as far as settings go, it's a pretty common category.」

「Is that so?」

As Chris laughed, I felt a little bit guilty.

Unlike games or anime, Chris actually experienced those death loops himself and struggled through them. He probably wouldn't feel great hearing someone say, "Oh, I’ve seen that in a story."

「No, I’m not blaming you.」

It must have been because of my guilty face. Chris smiled gently as if to reassure me.

「If anything, I’m grateful that you could digest and understand a story that even I find hard to explain. And you accepted that absurd tale as 'just how it is' and believed me. ...If you had thought I’d gone mad...」

「Would it have been 'Detached Palace Course' again?」

The detached palace used to confine Chris when he was a "troublemaker." ...Actually, that isn't the only use for the palace, but that was its role in Chris’s loops. That palace is still standing properly on the royal castle grounds today.

And for Chris, that palace was a "Dead End Flag"—once you were put in there, that round was over.

「I did consider that possibility. When I decided to tell you everything.」

I thought so... You’d consider it. After all, the first few times in Chris’s "restarts" ended in the detached palace...

Even so, he chose to tell me...

Belatedly, the weight of his words from before—"the courage and resolve to speak"—felt incredibly heavy.

「The fact that you believed me might be largely due to your knowledge of stories about 'going back in time and starting over'... but could it also be because the 'first me' was so similar to the 'me in the story you knew'?」

「It was.」

I nodded very deeply without thinking.

The characters’ names and titles were the same, and the meeting event was exactly as I saw in the manga. As for Chris’s personality... well, the reality was several times more "extreme" than the manga.

Still, it was exactly like an "Otome Game development" that no one besides me should have known.

Setting aside whether to believe it or not, I just had to hear the story until the end! ...Though the result of hearing it was a story that made me think, "An otome... game...?"

「One more thing I’ve realized after hearing your story is about your attitude when we first met.」

「When we first met... do you mean the 'first' me?」

「No, I mean 'every time.' During the period between our first greetings and when we started to understand each other’s character...」

Ah, right.

Chris has the continuous memories of the loops, but everyone else is saying "nice to meet you" every time.

So, in the time between "nice to meet you" and becoming somewhat close? Did I act strangely?

「I felt it from time to time. It seemed as though you were comparing the 'me' in front of you to 'someone' or 'something' and acting surprised. Surprised... or perhaps, 'feeling it was unexpected'? Like, 'I can't believe this person would say something like this'... that kind of feeling.」

Whoa. ...Wait? Chris was reading my thoughts even back then? What is he? Seriously, it's a bit scary.

「...Are you thinking of something rude?」

「Not even a tiny bit!」

I replied instantly with a natural, "free-of-charge" smile, but Chris still had a suspicious 「Hmm?」 face.

I wonder if I messed up my request to the Stone... Maybe I should have asked it to cover up this transparent brain of mine in a nice way...

It’s unreasonable?! And Stone, don't just jump in so naturally! It makes me jump for a second!

But the Stone has been properly refusing the "impossible" requests with a "don't be unreasonable." That means it really will grant the wish "May everyone be happy☆"... Once again, that’s amazing, and terrifying...

But in short—

「I was able to believe your story because of 'my experience and memories'...」

「And I was able to believe your story because of 'my own experience and memories'... is that it?」

That was it.

Both of us were in the midst of "events that are normally impossible." Even if there were someone else with a mysterious experience, it wouldn't be surprising. ...Well, it is surprising, though.

...Wait? Could it be...

「Could it be that you were given life in this world in order to end my 'restarts'...?」

Chris murmured the exact thought I was having.

「Perhaps that really is the case.」

The Stone even went out of its way to spoil things by calling me an "Otherworldly Daughter." My "Isekai Reincarnation (with past life memories)" was undoubtedly the work of either the Stone or the Stone’s boss.

So, for what purpose? If they went to the trouble of preparing a seat for me in a position so close to Chris, it must have been some kind of key to help him break out of the loop.

Is the Saintess Route finally in sight?!

As I was once again being paraded around on a palanquin in my head, I heard a deep sigh from beside me.

「...It’s not very amusing if everything was orchestrated by that Stone or some higher being...」

「True...」

Especially for Chris and his death loops. I might want to experience it once just to see, but I would absolutely refuse to do it for "many rounds."

「Still... if that is the reason you are 'here' right now, then for the first time in my life, I might actually thank God.」

Why... why do your lines have to be so heavy every single time, Chris...? But the fact that he stopped just short of saying he would thank God made me feel how deep his issues went... Well, I guess that makes sense.

「Lord Chris, you wished for my happiness from that Stone, didn't you?」

「Yes.」

「And His Majesty wished for the health and happiness of his family.」

Chris nodded with a 「That’s right,」 and prompted me to continue: 「And?」

「My wish is for the 'happiness of the people I love.' The Stone accepted that.」

「The people... you love...?」

He had a face that asked, Who are you talking about?

Heh heh. Even I can read faces a little bit, you know.

「Yes! Starting with you, Lord Chris, then His Majesty, Her Highness, my parents, my brother, Lady Felicia, and even all the servants who always take care of me—everyone!」

「That is... quite greedy of you.」

Chris laughed with a small burst of a chuckle, and I puffed out my chest.

「Since it said it would grant it, I’m allowed to be greedy!」

「I suppose so.」

Besides, I just found out that the Stone will properly say so if something is impossible!

「So from now on, I’m sure we can live happily and peacefully.」

Naturally, I won’t just sit around and enjoy it idly; I’ll make an effort to ensure it stays that way.

「I hope so.」

「If it doesn't turn out that way, let’s go and punch the Stone together!」

I pumped my fist, and while Chris was laughing...

<............>

Yeah. I feel like the Stone wants to say something. But I don't care! It’s an inorganic object; it shouldn't hurt even if it’s punched, so it should just stay quiet and take it.

<..............>

The Stone’s silence is noisy. It’s silent, yet noisy. But I will not retreat! I will not flatter! I will not look back!!

「Your 'first time' was certainly a story I remember seeing in my past life.」

「Right.」

The "Crown Prince Route" of the otome game and its ending were Chris’s "first time." The conclusion was... a bit hard to describe. Was it satisfying? Or was it a "no way!" kind of thing?

After the otome game reached its ending, the "second time and onward" were like a spin-off, I suppose.

...Why the spin-off of an otome game turned into a "loop-based suspense mystery" is a total enigma, though.

Usually, an otome game spin-off would be something like promoting a popular but un-romanceable sub-character to a love interest, or an "If Route" for the true ending. I don't really know.

Well, even if the spin-off was a suspense mystery that took a 270-degree turn in direction, it doesn't change the fact that it’s a continuation of the story.

In that case, the closing words should be these.

「In the world of my past life, there’s a tradition for how to end a story.」

What is it? Chris smiled, tilting his head slightly. Yes! I’ve received today’s "calculatedly cute head-tilt" still!

The end of a story is always this.

「'And they all lived happily ever after'—that’s it.」

Happy Ever After. Medetashi, medetashi.

Chris looked blank for a moment after my words, then his face broke into a smile like a flower blooming. ...He’s just so calculatedly cute at every turn...

「That is a wonderful story.」

「Yes. And we are going to make it a wonderful story like that.」

From now on, all together.

Naturally, "everyone" includes the Stone.

Hey, what’s wrong, Stone! Why aren't you answering? Hey, answer me!

As I kept calling out in my mind, I felt like I heard a faint, <As if I care> from the Stone.

Hmm, must be my imagination. The Stone wouldn't use words like that.

I’m counting on you, Stone-kun!

...I heard that loud and clear...

Oh well. I feel like it’s not "well," but oh well.

It’s certain that Chris’s horrific death loops have ended.

The rest is just living each day to the fullest, like a normal person, cherishing our one and only life. If the result is a life where we can look back and think, "I was happy," then that’s enough.

It would be nice if we could make it that way.

As I was thinking that, I stifled a yawn that suddenly bubbled up, and Chris chuckled.

「Shall we sleep a bit more? Since there’s no one to scold us for taking it easy, after all.」

「You're right...」

Once the conversation ended and I relaxed, the yawning wouldn't stop.

At Chris’s urging, I moved to the bed, and the moment I lay down, the sandman arrived.

As a side note, me and the sandman have been best friends since my past life. I’ve never experienced such a thing as a "sleepless night." I am a woman beloved by sleep.

As I—the one who loves and is loved by sleep—was falling into slumber in seconds, I felt Chris’s hand gently brush back my bangs.

「Goodnight, Sera. See you later.」

I replied to Chris as he spoke while kissing my forehead, 「Goodnight. See you later,」 but I wonder if the words came out properly.

I’ll ask Chris when I wake up.

Without even really thinking about it, I drifted off to sleep.