An Otome Game Spinoff Featuring a Prince with Maxed-Out Affection and a Reincarnated Noble Girl
Do You Like a Beautiful 'Ore-sama'?
Translated by: S3
-Horizontal.jpg)
*****
It seems I’ve been reincarnated into the world of an otome game (probably), but the main hero’s behavior is all kinds of strange.
Then again, this is just the impression of someone who never actually played the game, so maybe to someone who has, there’s nothing weird about it at all...
At times like this, I really miss Japan.
If I could just hop online and post a thread like "[Urgently Seeking] Anyone who’s played XX game, get in here," I’m sure a few kind sages would gather to enlighten me.
But such things don’t exist in this world. Here, if you talk about a "bulletin board," you’re literally talking about a board made of wood.
In the manga based on the game, the Crown Prince was eighteen. The protagonist, the Heroine-chan, was two years younger—sixteen. Probably. Or maybe just one year younger. I don’t remember the details beyond her being "younger."
For now, the Crown Prince is currently fifteen.
Which means there are three years left until the game starts.
Being seven years younger than the Crown Prince, I am currently eight. I am growing up healthy and strong.
It’s been a little over two years since I met Prince Chris.
And his way of closing the distance and fencing me in is just... excessive.
His affection level was maxed out from the very start, which alone made me go, 「Eww... (cringe).」
A few days after our first meeting, a gift arrived at our house "to commemorate the engagement."
My coloring consists of dark brown hair and deep green eyes. For what it’s worth, my brother has the exact same coloring.
The gift Chris sent "in commemoration" was a hair ornament designed after the dahlia—the symbolic flower of the Crown Prince—using ebony that matched my hair and emeralds that matched my eyes.
It gave off such a vibe of obsession and possessiveness that my entire family went, 「Yikes...」
At the engagement reveal party held about six months after the engagement was finalized, Chris held my hand the entire time.
I get that if we stood in a normal escorting posture, the height difference would be too awkward. But still, couldn't he have let go for just a little bit?
For the duration of the three-hour party, he held my hand—and I'm not exaggerating—literally the entire time.
The dress and jewelry I wore that day were also all gifts from Chris.
It was a magnificent dress embroidered with gold thread in the pattern of climbing roses—the symbolic flower of the Crown Princess—in various places. ...Uh, I’m not the "Crown Princess" yet, though...
As expected, some old men and madams made sharp, snide remarks about it, but every single one of them was shut down by Chris in turn.
The jewelry I wore that day was a so-called parure—a matching set—and when we opened the box it came in, my entire family was speechless.
It was a set containing a necklace, earrings, and a tiara, but the stone sitting right in the center of the necklace was clearly a national treasure...
I mean, don’t go giving national treasures to a mere fiancée! That’s terrifying!!
My father petitioned the King regarding the matter, but the request for return or exchange was rejected by their side, leaving my whole family at a loss.
That item had been kept in the royal treasury under twenty-four-hour guard.
There’s no way our house can maintain that kind of hardcore security.
We begged over and over, 「It’s scary, so please let us return it!」 but we only got non-committal answers like, 「There, there, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.」
What the hell is wrong with you, King?! And more importantly, what the hell is wrong with you, Prince?!
That back-and-forth of "Let us return it!" and "No, no, it's fine" has already become famous among the courtiers close to the King.
And from that exchange, the idea that "The Crown Prince is devoted to his fiancée" has become an established fact.
Furthermore, it seems my family has received the overly generous reputation of being "Loyal subjects whose eyes are not blinded by greed."
It feels like I’ve been forced to wear shoes that are way too big for me.
My father was clicking his tongue in genuine annoyance...
My Crown Princess education has also begun, but so far, I haven't hit any real snags.
Although not necessary for a Crown Princess, I’ve asked to include swordsmanship lessons as a way to relieve stress. The situation is so nonsensical that I can’t deal with it unless I’m swinging a stick (practice sword) around.
***
So, while Prince Chris apparently has some kind of obsession with me, there are other things that are so different from the manga that I'm just confused.
In the manga, he was a truly arrogant person.
Being the Crown Prince and having been pampered by those around him since childhood, he was socially ignorant and headstrong. Basically, he was your typical "Ore-sama type."
The story was a classic one where this arrogant Prince meets the Heroine-chan and begins to change... or so it went.
I don’t remember the Heroine-chan’s name, but I believe she was the daughter of a certain Count’s house.
It’s the usual setup: "The legitimate heir who was supposed to become the head of the house fell in love with a commoner woman and ran away. He died shortly after the Heroine-chan was born, and she grew up freely in the city without knowing her own lineage."
Then, "Just as she is at a loss after her mother dies of illness, messengers arrive from the Count’s house—her father’s family—and she goes from commoner to Count’s daughter overnight," that sort of thing.
Naturally, the noblemen around her describe her as "unlike those pretentious ladies, she’s simple, honest, and cute," or "she’s so bright and energetic that it cheers up anyone who sees her."
...You know, there are ladies who aren't pretentious, too. It’s just that because they don’t act pretentious, men don’t pay them any attention. And there are plenty of "bright and energetic" ladies, but they can't act all boisterous at formal tea parties or evening balls, so the gentlemen just don't know about them.
Anyway, that Heroine-chan meets the Crown Prince at the first evening party she attends.
(♪ Oom-pah-pah, oom-pah-pah, tra-la-la-la-la~ ) ← It’s an evening party, so probably a waltz.
「What should I do... I think I might be lost...」
The Heroine-chan gets lost on her way back from the restroom at her first evening party in the royal castle.
Faintly, she can hear the dance music from afar.
「Is the sound coming from that way...?」
She starts walking, following the faint music.
However, she never reaches the Great Hall where the party is being held.
「...Was it not this way...? There’s no one here, what should I do...」
She looks around, but there’s no one in sight.
Deciding it’s no use just standing there, the Heroine-chan starts walking down the hallway.
She walks and walks until she comes out into a garden.
「Wow... amazing. What a beautiful garden...」
The Heroine-chan has carefree thoughts like, As expected of a castle. Then—
「What are you doing there?」
Surprised by the stern voice, she turns around to see a young man dressed in magnificent clothes.
The Heroine-chan, still carefree, thinks, Wow... what a incredibly handsome person...
「Did you not hear me? I asked what you are doing there.」
「Ah, um... I went to pick some flowers°, but I got lost... Which way is the Great Hall?」
「The opposite direction.」
I got scolded... thinks the Heroine-chan, carefree to the very end.
The young man gives a sigh—「Phew...」—and turns his back to her.
「This way. Follow me.」
The Heroine-chan jogs to keep up with the young man as he walks away briskly.
—And that is how the Heroine-chan and the Crown Prince met in the manga I read.
Alright, let’s start tearing this apart!
First off, the Heroine-chan gets lost on her way back from the toilet at the royal castle on her very first visit.
Think about it.
It’s a place where a lot of people gather. The women’s restrooms there are usually incredibly crowded. I’ve never seen a restroom in a crowded commercial facility that was empty. In fact, if it were empty, I’d be a bit worried, like, "Wait, is it being cleaned right now? Is it okay to go in?"
Naturally, it’s the same in this other world.
Actually, it’s an evening party where only dressed-up ladies are present.
Women wanting to fix their clothes or makeup would be visiting the powder room constantly. The obsession with appearance among ladies and young misses at an evening party is a terrifying thing. There are women who get upset over even a single strand of hair being out of place.
In such a place, would there really be no one to notice a young girl starting to walk off in the wrong direction?
Also, if she didn't know which way to go back, wouldn't she just ask someone? There are people everywhere, after all.
But the Heroine-chan doesn't do that.
She marches straight ahead in the wrong direction.
It’s a castle, you know?! It’s a place where if you accidentally wander into the wrong area, it wouldn't be surprising if you were detained and questioned under suspicion! How can you just keep walking?!
And then she meets the young man (the Prince) further in.
It can't be helped that the Prince’s tone there is arrogant.
He’s just questioning a strange woman in a strange place. It’s a perfectly normal reaction.
But Prince, why are you alone in such a place without any attendants? This is an evening party hosted by the royal castle. In other words, you’re on the host side. What are you doing away from the venue?
And Heroine-chan, "handsome person" is not the right reaction!
At least remember what your own country’s Prince looks like.
Later, after returning to the hall, she’s like, 「What?! That person was the Crown Prince?!」 but you should have known beforehand! He’s the host!
...And those were the points I was criticizing back when I read the manga in my previous life.
Now that I'm receiving Crown Princess education and know a bit more about the inner workings of the castle, the number of things to criticize has only increased.
First of all, "Evening Parties hosted by the Royal Castle" basically only happen three times a year.
The "Grand Evening Parties" that signal the start and end of the season, and the mid-season party.
Other than those, there are banquets to welcome honored guests, celebrations for the anniversary of the King’s reign (usually in multiples of three), and banquets to celebrate royal marriages, but those who are invited are primarily the heads of high-ranking noble houses. There’s almost no way a little girl who "just recently became a Count’s daughter" would be in attendance.
Which means she must have been participating in one of the three annual evening parties. The mid-season party is smaller in scale than the other two.
It was likely one of the two Grand Evening Parties.
These "Grand Evening Parties" aren't called "Grand" for nothing.
Invitations are scattered to almost every title holder in the country. Not just "to nobles," but "to title holders."
In other words, almost everyone is invited, even life-peers who aren't normally treated as nobles, and quasi-nobles like those with knightly titles.
Naturally, the number of people who gather on that day is quite large. Even a low estimate would be at least two hundred people.
To manage all those people, the castle’s servants are also fully mobilized. Their number comes to roughly a thousand. Just the waiters, footmen, and maids stationed near the venue alone number in the hundreds.
And as for the knights for security, every single one stationed at the royal castle is mobilized, and they even borrow reinforcements from the city guards, bringing their number to nearly a thousand as well.
All of them are moving around the Great Hall, which serves as the venue.
And as I learned during the meetings for the engagement reveal banquet, the women’s powder room closest to the Great Hall is located just down the hall and around one corner. What’s more, it’s not even that far.
And just in case there’s any trouble, there are always a couple of castle maids standing by. They are waiting there to help the ladies fix any disarray in their clothes, hair, or makeup.
There are also knights waiting in places out of sight. If a maid gives a signal, they’ll quickly appear from the shadows.
...Troubles like bullying are prone to happen in these kinds of private rooms, after all.
Even if the world is different, the people living in it are the same. It seems "bullying in the ladies' room" is a standard thing here too.
And throughout the passages, attendants and maids are stationed everywhere.
At every fork in the hallway, two knights stand as a pair.
This is to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the main parts of the castle.
Besides that, the knights are also patrolling the hallways.
To bypass all of that and go, 「Tee-hee☆ I got lost. Where am I?」 is, frankly, an impossible task.
If it were possible, it would require memorizing exactly where the knights are stationed and what routes they patrol, and then using ninja-like stealth skills to avoid them.
It would no longer be an "Otome Game," but a "Stealth Action Game."
And if you went that far, it would clearly no longer be an accident, but a "deliberate infiltration into the depths of the castle."
If someone could really reach the inner parts of the castle "just by accidentally getting lost," it would have to be a miracle of astronomical proportions.
During the planning for the engagement reveal banquet, I suddenly remembered this episode from the manga and asked Chris about it.
What would you do if someone said they "got lost" deep inside the castle?
「Assuming they were normally lost, they’d be able to find someone to ask for directions within a few steps. Even if they really were just lost, I’m afraid we’d have to detain them and question them about the circumstances. Even if that proved difficult, we’d at least investigate their identity and background.」
Right? Exactly.
The Chris in the manga did neither.
He kindly escorted her back to the Great Hall, and that was it.
As a Crown Prince, that reaction is quite bad.
If a copycat appeared and said, 「You let that lady go, so why am I being detained?」 he wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
I felt somewhat relieved to get such a realistic and sensible answer from the real Chris.
I guess this "here" really is a bit different from the games and manga.
At any rate, all I can say is that I'm so glad Chris is almost the complete opposite of the "Ore-sama Crown Prince" from the manga!
Dealing with that "Ore-sama Flower-field Crown Prince," I’m sure my well-groomed, glossy-furred cat would have run away within minutes.
***
It’s been a little over two years since I became Chris’s fiancée.
In that time, I’ve learned a few things.
First off, it seems Chris doesn't actually have a thing for little girls.
What a relief!!
I don’t mean to criticize anyone’s personal preferences, but man, what a relief!!
The reason I found out was because I once went with Chris to inspect a royal orphanage.
Orphans and children who can't live with their parents for various reasons are gathered there.
We went around asking not just the staff but also the children living there if the place was being run without issues, if anything was lacking, or if they had any requests.
The Chris in the manga seemed so idle you’d want to ask, "Hey, are you actually doing your job?" but this Chris properly carries out the tasks he’s supposed to. And he’s quite busy.
During the breaks in the inspection, Chris played with the children there. He read picture books when requested by the girls, and taught swordsmanship with some sticks to the boys who showed interest in the sword hanging from his waist; he was like a really good older brother.
As he played, Chris had a smile on his face the whole time.
That smile was a "benevolent smile," like that of a childcare worker or a kind old man.
There were some very cute girls there, but he gave the same benevolent smile to them as he did to all the other children.
Since I couldn't shake the image of the "Ore-sama" from the manga, seeing Chris watching over the children with a smile was incredibly surprising to me.
...Part of it was also my relief at finding out Chris wasn't into little girls.
Without thinking, I asked him, 「Do you like children?」
At my question, Chris gave a slight, wry smile.
「It’s not that I particularly like them, but...」
Oh, is that so? For someone who doesn't, you were interacting with them without any sign of dislike...
「Someone once told me, you see. 'Children are the treasure of the country.'」
Ah... I couldn't agree more.
Coming from a country where the declining birthrate and aging population were extreme, I had nothing but agreement for those words.
I don’t know who said it, but they said a good thing.
If the Crown Prince, the top of the country, shows understanding for childbirth and childcare, he’ll likely gain support from women.
And children who are raised with care surely won't grow up to hate the country that cherished them.
Isn't that a great cycle?
While we were having that conversation comfortably on a bench in the orphanage’s courtyard, Chris, who was sitting next to me, suddenly pulled my hand hard and hugged me tight.
What?! Has Chris lost his mind?!
That was my first thought, but immediately after, there was a loud BANG.
What?! What’s happening?!
I can't see anything but Chris’s chest in front of me, so I have no idea what’s going on!
As I was starting to panic, Chris loosened his arms.
Looking toward where the sound came from, I saw a guard knight holding a sword still in its sheath, a ball at his feet, and a boy turning pale with a face that said, "I messed up..."
Ding, ding, ding... dong!
「That boy kicked a ball, it flew this way, and the knight knocked it down...?」
How’s that?! Based on my judgment of the situation, that’s the right answer, isn't it?!
At my words, Chris nodded with a wry smile, saying, 「Correct.」
Yes! Correct!
And based on where the knight was standing, it seemed the ball had been flying toward me.
The boy who seemed to be the owner of the ball ran up to the knight and bowed his head repeatedly.
The knight picked up the ball from his feet and handed it back to the boy.
Even though I say "ball," it’s not plastic or rubber. Such things haven't been invented.
It’s made by tying cloth tightly into a core and then winding string around it into a sphere.
It’s heavier and harder than a rubber ball.
If that hit you, it would really hurt...
「...It would be lucky if it just 'really hurt.'」
Ah... so it wouldn't end at just that, after all. Well, regardless, I owe the knight my thanks.
And also...
「Prince Chris.」
「Hmm? ...Ah, sorry. For touching you so rudely...」
As he spoke, Chris removed the arm he still had around my back.
This man really is a gentleman...
I’m honestly sorry for suspecting he might be a pervert who likes little girls.
Basically, he doesn't touch me unnecessarily. ...Well, at places where an escort is needed, he still holds my hand firmly. I’ve gotten used to it, so I find myself not minding it anymore, though.
The "Ore-sama Chris" from the manga was quite hands-on with the Heroine-chan.
He cleared the standard "kabedon" early on during their second meeting or so, and did things like "chin lifts" from close range and sudden hugs—it felt like his sense of distance was broken, not just as a noble, but as a human being.
But this Chris maintains a proper distance. Thanks to that, I can feel at ease.
Once, while we were walking through the castle, something got caught in my hair, and even when he went to take it out, he properly asked, 「May I for a moment?」
...As an aside, the thing in my hair was a huge caterpillar, and I let out a scream so high-pitched it barely made a sound. The maids and knights there looked at us with fond expressions, but Chris was flustered in the face of me, who had frozen with teary eyes.
That action of the gentlemanly Chris just now. That means—
「Were you trying to protect me?」
It had to be that.
But at my words, Chris gave a wry smile.
「It’s not that I had a conscious thought of 'protecting' you... but in the end, I suppose that’s what happened.」
「Thank you very much.」
I thanked him and bowed. Chris said, 「No, there’s no need for thanks...」 but it’s a fact that he protected me. However.
I raised my head and looked Chris straight in the eye.
「I find your heart that protected me to be both joyful and something to be grateful for. However, before protecting me, please cherish your own person.」
I’m aware that it’s a phrase lacking in cuteness.
But unlike a mere fiancée who could be replaced, Chris is the one and only Crown Prince.
In an emergency, he is the one who must be protected no matter what. It shouldn't happen that such a person protects me. Even if it does happen, the priority must be lowered, or the guard knights will be troubled.
At my completely un-cute remark, Chris had a blank look on his face for a moment.
Did I offend him? But this Chris is such a calm and virtuous person that there’s not a trace of the "Ore-sama" from the manga.
He’s likely not the type to get offended by a little girl’s cheeky lecture.
While I was thinking that and feeling a bit nervous, Chris made a gesture as if to hide his mouth with his fist.
...Wait? Is he... laughing? What are you laughing at?
「...Prince Chris?」
Was a little girl’s overreaching lecture that funny?
Chris was laughing, letting out small sounds like 「Pfft...」
I said, what are you laughing at?
「...Sorry. It’s not that you’re funny...」
He said it while chuckling, so it had zero persuasiveness.
Chris took a deep breath—phew—as if to calm his feelings. Then he looked at me and gave a very beautiful smile.
「I’m just... happy, somehow.」
Happy about what? I thought, but I couldn't say it. The reason I couldn't say it wasn't because of my fake Kansai dialect.
It was because at that moment, I was captivated by the smile on Chris’s face in front of me.
Both the Chris in the manga and the Chris currently before my eyes are surprisingly beautiful.
Through the superb skill of the manga artist, every single small panel of the manga Chris was beautiful enough to be admired. ...Which only made the disappointment of his arrogant, flower-field brain stand out even more.
The real Chris is still three years younger than the one in the manga, but he has a loveliness that makes me certain he’ll "definitely become that peerless beauty in three years."
That peerless beautiful boy.
Looking straight at me, narrowing his eyes as if looking at something dazzling, and smiling so calmly and happily.
Of course you’d be captivated! You’d stare at him, right?!
As I was staring blankly at that ultimate smile of the peerless beautiful boy, I suddenly remembered a question I had somewhat forgotten.
The question of why Chris chose me as his fiancée.
Even that "Arrogant, Disappointing Crown Prince" surely wouldn't have lacked for ladies pursuing him.
With this "Capable, Virtuous, Super-Handsome Crown Prince," there must be more than enough candidates both inside and outside the country without having to specifically choose an eight-year-old kid seven years younger than him.
There must be partners who would bring more national interest than someone like me, and there must be beauties who are a better match.
But out of all of them, Chris chose me.
And from our first meeting until now, he has maintained a mysteriously high affection level. By the way, I don't recall doing anything that would make him like me.
Well, you know? I’m a beautiful girl too, after all. The power to attract people? Maybe I have something like that?
...Saying it myself is nothing but pathetic, though.
Since I finally remembered, it’s a good opportunity to ask.
「Prince Chris.」
When I called out, Chris replied with a 「Hmm?」 while tilting his head slightly. Wait, what? He even has unconscious cuteness? Isn't Chris invincible?
「There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you once, is that alright?」
「As long as it’s within the range of what I can answer.」
I don't dislike that stance of firmly setting up a defensive line. But...
「I believe it is something only you can answer.」
After all, it’s about what’s in his heart.
「...Why did you choose me as your fiancée?」
At my question, Chris lowered his eyes as if looking for an answer.
His eyelashes are so long. So the line from novels about "the lowered eyelashes casting shadows on the cheeks" really is a thing... Beautiful people are amazing...
I watched over Chris while thinking such useless thoughts for a while.
After a bit, Chris raised his lowered eyes, looked at me, and gave a slightly troubled smile.
「There is a proper reason, but...」
But?
「I will definitely tell you someday, so could you wait a little longer?」
「I don't mind, but...」
If he says he’ll tell me someday, I just have to wait for that day.
「If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask the 'reason why you can't tell me now'?」
If it is a problem, he can just say so. Maybe there’s some high-level political judgment involved. ...Though it doesn't seem like it.
Chris still had that slightly troubled smile.
「The reason is... first, simply because it would be a long story.」
「I see.」
Makes sense.
We’re on a bench at an orphanage we just came to inspect. We can't stay here for hours.
And he said "first," didn't he? That means there are other reasons too, right?
「And also...」
Chris paused briefly, then looked at me and smiled.
It was that smile with narrowed eyes as if looking at something dazzling again. But for some reason, that smile also looked a little bit sad.
「I just need a little more time. ...To prepare the courage and resolve to tell you everything.」
...Isn't that an incredibly heavy tone and choice of words?
Eh? Is it some kind of really dangerous story?
The atmosphere wasn't right for making a joke, so I couldn't say anything like that.
All I understood was that the reason he chose me as his fiancée seems to be a story so important to Chris that it "requires resolve to speak of."
...Could it be something like, "Actually, I like little girls, so I won't have any use for you once you grow up, Serafina," or something like that...?
If that’s it, it’s going to be pretty sad, I thought.
*****
Thank you for reading.
If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below.
Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.
OR
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
-Horizontal.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment