The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[Beyond the Dream Garden!]
Translated by: ME
Author's note:
My apologies for the non-chronological order. Elizabeth, age twenty, at your service.
***
It's been four years since I became His Highness's wife. I'm twenty now.
I've finally started getting used to my duties as the Crown Princess.
Today, I'm entertaining an envoy from a friendly nation.
Her Highness, Princess Luciana Ametis. She is the First Princess of the Ametis Kingdom, currently eighteen years old, I'm told.
She apparently took a great liking to the products from Marie's merchant house (frankly, women's undergarments) and has come to discuss wholesale distribution to her country.
So, to be honest, I'm not really involved. But officially, royalty must at least exchange greetings... so a meeting time with Princess Luciana was arranged.
...That's the official reason. The real reason is that Marie-san approached me, trembling, saying, [What am I supposed to talk about with royalty from another country!? If I say something rude, will I lose my head (literally)!?] So I ended up becoming the buffer, assuring her it would probably be fine~.
I've heard the Princess has a calm and gentle personality. Even if Marie-san messes up a bit, I'm sure she'll laugh and forgive her (I want to believe that).
That said, this is my first time meeting the Princess too.
We have a trade agreement with her country, but it was her elder brother, the Crown Prince, who attended the signing ceremony.
Our Prince Leonard outshone him in brilliance, and I remember feeling proud, thinking, 'As expected of our god.'
Marie-san's merchant house is quite extensive, but it seems they hadn't yet gained a foothold in that country.
Marie-san's husband, Paul-san, had a gleam in his eyes and was fired up, saying [Let's do this~!] ...Well, I hope he doesn't overdo it.
Paul-san tends to let his love for Marie-san and his love for money run away with him, so I hope Marie-san keeps a firm grip on the reins.
***
[My apologies for keeping you waiting.]
When I entered the reception room where the Princess was waiting, she gave a very elegant bow.
[It is my first time meeting you, Your Highness. I am Luciana Ametis, First Princess of the Ametis Kingdom.]
[Please, raise your head. I am Crown Princess Elizabeth Belkraine. And this...]
I gestured to where Marie-san was waiting, she who had recently finally gotten a working on/off switch for her vibration function. She also seems to have gained mute and speaker functions.
[I am Mariebell Fluorite. It is a great honor to be granted an audience with Your Highness.]
Good job, Marie-san! Your bow is perfect too!
[So you are Lady Mariebell Fluorite...! I've been wanting to meet you!]
The Princess said, her cheeks slightly flushed.
You wanted to meet Marie-san that much?
Marie-san, who had raised her head, also looked puzzled.
So Marie-san doesn't understand the reason for the Princess's excitement either.
I wonder... Is this Princess a bit of an unusual person?
***
We each took our seats, and the maids prepared tea and sweets before withdrawing.
Princess Luciana seemed somewhat fidgety.
What is it? The restroom? You can go, you know.
[Is something the matter, Lady Luciana?]
When I asked, the Princess seemed to startle and straightened her posture.
[No, it's nothing. It's just... I've actually always wanted to visit this country... Having my wish fulfilled today, I am simply overwhelmed.]
[I see.]
...She *is* a bit of an unusual girl, isn't she?
While this country is rich, peaceful, and beautiful, it doesn't have any particularly famous sights or historic spots that make you think, [I must go there once before I die!]
If there's anything famous nowadays, it would probably be Marie-san's undergarments.
We don't really have any iconic [When you think of our country, you think of this!] items, which is a task for the future.
So why would she [always wanted to come] to our country?
[Lady Luciana, is there something specific you wish to see?]
We don't have any famous historical sites...
There was a political change about three hundred years ago, but the stage was this royal castle. It was a bloodless surrender, so there's nothing much to see.
The castle has about as much history as Nijo Castle, but it's not open to the public, so it's not exactly a tourist spot.
Princess Luciana flushed her adorable face and clenched her slender hands tightly... It looks unmistakably like a fighting pose, but I won't comment on that.
[There are things I wish to see, and people I wish to meet! First, I would like to pay my respects to His Highness Leonardo.]
[I see.]
Well, that's somewhat to be expected, I suppose.
Princess Luciana will be staying at the royal castle during her visit.
It's necessary to greet the master of the house... Well, His Highness is the master's son, not the master. But let's operate on the principle of 'don't sweat the small stuff.'
[And I would also like to pay my respects to Lord Robert Aristoll, who serves as His Highness's aide!]
His Excellency?
[Also, I wish to meet Lord Hendrick Orchard, and also Sir Alphonse Norman of the guard knights!]
Hmm?
Lord Hendrick and Alphonse?
If it were just Lord Hendrick, he *is* His Highness's aide, so I could still understand... Well, no, I don't really understand, but since she mentioned wanting to meet His Excellency Robert, maybe it's a connection through being aides.
But Alphonse?
Why would Princess Luciana know of Alphonse, who is merely a guard knight? By the way, Alphonse is off today. Even guard knights get days off.
As a side note, I once asked Alphonse what he does on his days off.
His reply was, [It's my day off, so I rest. I'm usually sleeping in my room.] A perfectly reasonable and utterly boring answer.
So, if you went to Alphonse's room in the dormitory today, he'd probably be there.
More importantly, this lineup... could it possibly be...?
[And, if possible, I would also like to have an audience with Your Highness's elder brother...]
Bingo!
[Lady Luciana, might it be... are you perhaps familiar with a game called 'Dream Fantasy Flower Garden'?]
It can't be anything else.
Otherwise, there's no reason for a foreign princess to spout such nonsense about wanting to meet the shitty insect of our family. That brother of mine doesn't engage in any social activities, so there's no benefit for a foreigner to meet him. More than that, there's no benefit or necessity even for people of our own country to meet him.
Sure enough, Princess Luciana looked astonished.
It's alright. You don't need to be so surprised.
...And Marie-san, stop making that super shocked face. More importantly, why didn't *you* notice?
Hey, get a grip, heroine. Shouldn't that line I just said have come from the heroine?
Was it really okay for me, who's never played the game, to be the one to say it?
[C-could it be... Your Highness also has memories of a past life...?]
[I have them, full force. And Marie-san does too.]
[Eh!? You're the heroine, right!?]
Marie-san also looked shocked as the Princess turned her surprised gaze on her.
[No, I'm just a 'so-called heroine'!]
Don't declare such a pathetic line so clearly!
[A 'so-called'...?]
See! You've confused Princess Luciana!
[More importantly, Lady Elizabeth!]
Marie-san glared at me. I don't recall deserving that look...
[Yes?]
[That line just now, 'Might it be... are you perhaps familiar with a game called 'Dream Fantasy Flower Garden'?' That was the line *I* wanted to say!!]
...Then you should have said it before I did.
[My chance at the situation I've always dreamed of!]
Well, if you regret it that much, you could have just said it before me...
What is this? Am I supposed to apologize for this?
...Nah. I'll just ignore it.
Marie-san, having collected herself, tilted her head slightly at Princess Luciana.
[Um, based on what Lady Elizabeth and I have discussed, we think this world is just the 'source material for the game,' and that the characters and events don't necessarily proceed as they did in the game... isn't that right?]
[Eh...?]
I can see question marks floating above Princess Luciana's head.
It seems we need to explain the situation to Princess Luciana first.
So, I gave her the same rough explanation I'd once given Marie-san.
***
[So it's just the source material, and there's no game storyline at all...]
I'm sorry to disappoint you. But was the storyline of that otome game so thrilling? From what I heard from Marie-san, it just seemed like the most cliché of clichés.
[Your Highness, did you like that game?]
Marie-san was leaning forward eagerly.
[Yes! I loved it! How should I put it... you could really feel the low budget in its production, but...]
Huh? Really?
[I know! But that's part of its charm, isn't it!]
[Yes, it is!]
...Is that so? Is a low budget part of the charm, like a certain company's Simple series?
[Lady Mariebell which romanceable character did you like?]
[Ah, please, just call me Marie. For me, it would be... Duke Aristoll and Lord Elrick.]
Guh... Just hearing the name deals mental damage to me.
Why... That shitty insect...
[Me too! And please include Sir Alphonse in that!]
Marie-san and Princess Luciana seemed to be having a great time.
Meanwhile, I'm the only one taking voluntary mental damage...
[Your Highness, did you play it!?]
[No... I didn't even know the game existed. My apologies.]
Princess Luciana laughed cheerfully as I bowed my head slightly.
[No, it can't be helped. I think it probably only sold about seven thousand copies. So just meeting someone who knows about it makes me feel incredibly lucky.]
In other words, she's the third one, right? A reincarnated person with game knowledge. I haven't confirmed it with Lady Ingrid, but I'm pretty sure she counts.
...Am *I* the rare case here...? That feels a little lonely...
[Because it's the setting of my favorite game, I've always wanted to make a pilgrimage.]
I see...
[I'd also like to see Cockford Academy...]
[Ah, that won't be necessary.]
Marie-san cut in immediately.
Seeing Princess Luciana's puzzled look, Marie-san gave a wry smile.
[I also wanted to see it a little, so I went for a visit.]
Yeah, you did. Using me as a free pass.
***
Marie-san had accepted that this world wasn't 'the otome game itself,' but she said she wanted to see the romanceable characters and the academy that served as the setting!
That was back when Marie-san and I were still students. Probably in our second year at the Institute.
My titles, ['Fiancée of the Crown Prince'] and ['Daughter of the Macnagan Ducal House'], came in handy for getting into Cockford Academy.
The headmaster's flattery was so intense it made me truly glad I didn't go to that school.
...Well, it's not a charity for them either, so it's natural to defer to potential big spenders and people in power. It's not a bad thing, but being excessively praised when you don't deserve it feels awkward.
Having gone through all that to infiltrate Cockford Academy, Marie-san reported that it was completely different, to the level of ['Nothing is the same except the exterior'].
The places where game events supposedly happened didn't exist within the academy either.
And the facilities were all flashy and glittery, giving off a restless feeling. The students were sparkling too, full of super extroverted auras.
I'm really glad I went to the stately Stanford.
[...Is that so... That fountain plaza doesn't exist...]
Ah... Princess Luciana looks so dejected...
[But the exterior is the same, right?]
I asked Marie-san in a bit of a panic. Marie-san also nodded emphatically.
[The picture from the outside is exactly the same! And the porch you can see from the main gate too!]
[Really!?]
Oh, she's perked up.
[Then, what about the romanceable characters...?]
As Princess Luciana leaned forward, Marie-san cleared her throat once and began to speak.
[First, regarding Prince Leonardo... he's completely different from the game. He's not unamiable, nor is he expressionless. He's not an 'ore-sama' type either. And he's devoted solely to Lady Elizabeth.]
Was that last part necessary?
[Well... being devoted to his Princess is wonderful...]
[It really is. Though when I'm talking to Lady Elizabeth, I do get lightly glared at sometimes. But he doesn't say anything nasty, so it's fine.]
Marie-san, that's a bit lèse-majesté...
Well, His Highness does seem a little wary of Marie-san too.
He seems to have a certain respect for Lady Emilia, but with Marie-san, his treatment is a bit rough, or how should I say it... It feels like he's perplexed, facing an unknown creature...
[Next is Lord Robert Aristoll. I don't really know his personality well either. But he's super handsome. Also, it's just a rumor, but they say he's in a B L relationship with his younger brother...]
[My!]
Hey, Your Highness! Don't look so happy about it!
[Rumors are just rumors, Lady Luciana.]
[Ah... Yes, you're right. My apologies, how could I...]
As Princess Luciana looked ashamed, Marie-san watched with a lukewarm smile. You don't need to put such ideas in her head!
And he's a Duke! He's far above your station, Marie-san! Don't you dare mess up in front of him!
Since Marie-san doesn't know much, let me add a little.
[Lord Robert is a very calm individual. And he's what you'd call an 'efficiency fanatic.' He aims to streamline everything possible.]
He pours his heart and soul into figuring out how to smartly and efficiently process various procedures, applications, and other paperwork that takes an absurd amount of time...
I think that man is probably lazy at his core. Because he finds things bothersome, he wants to streamline and manualize everything so that anyone can do the task without error.
[As for Lord Hendrick, he's very cheerful, kind, and has a 'nice big brother' feel.]
[Eh!? But he was the tsundere character!?]
Lord Hendrick was the tsundere!? That doesn't suit him at all!
First of all, I've never seen the 'tsun' side of Lord Hendrick... The otome game is amazing.
[Lord Hendrick plays with my children often. He's a really good person.]
[Marie-san, you're married!?]
Marie-san smiled and nodded [Yes!] to the surprised Princess.
[And your partner is...?]
[A man named Paul Nelson. He serves as one of His Highness's aides.]
[Is he one of the romanceable characters...?]
[No, he's not!]
Princess Luciana seemed a little disappointed at Marie-san's very breezy reply.
By the way, Marie-san is set to inherit the 'Fluorite Earldom.' It's because Paul-san is competent at his job but unfamiliar with the ways of noble society...
Though, I feel like Marie-san isn't much better... In fact, Paul-san seems more capable and could probably manage... This is probably one of those things I shouldn't say.
[So, um... back to the romanceable characters. Who else did you want to meet?]
[Sir Alphonse and Lord Elrick!]
...Every time that name comes up, my SAN points chip away a little more... What kind of curse is this? It's definitely my brother's curse.
[Sir Alphonse is Lady Elizabeth's personal guard knight. Today he's...]
Marie-san looked around shiftily, so I said, [He's off today.] Princess Luciana looked somewhat disappointed.
[He will be here tomorrow, right!?]
As Marie-san asked in a panic, I also nodded hastily. [Yes, he'll be fine tomorrow.]
Princess Luciana is a delicate, beautiful girl, and her disappointed face pains my heart. It makes me feel like I did something terribly wrong... Not that I actually did anything wrong...
I didn't, right!?
[About Sir Alphonse, aside from his appearance, he has no flirtatious tendencies whatsoever. In fact, he's super serious and rigid.]
[Super serious and rigid...]
Princess Luciana, you don't have to copy Marie-san's phrasing exactly...
[And what about Lord Elrick...?]
Ugh... Why must I suffer like this... I can hear my SAN points crumbling... Your Highness, help me...
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Marie-san said with a smile, [I've never met him either, but Lord Elrick is in the territory, right?]
[Yes...]
The territorial reforms aren't finished yet... But unfortunately, they will be completed very soon. How capable can that brother be?
[Is the Duchy far from here?]
Princess Luciana's innocent smile is dazzling...
[From here, it's about a day and a half by carriage. Considering overnight stays and breaks along the way, it would take about two days.]
And that brother of mine covers that distance in less than a day, riding alone.
[If I were to visit there, would I be able to meet Lord Elrick?]
[...I wonder?]
To be honest, I'm not really sure either.
Brother is under loose surveillance in the territory.
It's not that his actions are restricted, but he is forbidden from leaving the territory without permission. They won't stop him if he tries to go somewhere, but the moment he leaves the territory, a message is sent to the Ducal house in the royal capital.
As for what kind of actions Brother usually takes within the territory, I'm not certain either.
That's because I deliberately shut it out, not wanting my SAN points chipped away by reports of his eccentricities.
A report from the other day accidentally reached my ears; apparently, he's living happily in the territory with his 'My Ellie Doll (Age 18 · Summer).'
...Why does he make dolls, Brother...? No, I don't want to hear the answer.
That's right. If she played that game and likes the 'Elrick Macnagan from the game,' there's something I must tell her.
[Lady Luciana, you like the 'Elrick Macnagan from the game,' correct?]
[Yes. I've never met the actual person, after all.]
Her shy smile is very cute.
[I've only heard about it from Marie-san, but even so, I can state with certainty. The 'Elrick Macnagan that appears in the game' does not exist in this world.]
At my words, Princess Luciana was speechless. [Eh...?]
But I'm sorry. This is the truth.
[Um... what kind of person was my brother portrayed as in the game?]
When I asked Marie-san, she gave me a nice smile.
[He was thoughtful of his sister, kind, a little introverted, shy, and—]
[Thank you. That's enough.]
Why is it? Just hearing about this completely different, game-version brother figure chips away at my SAN points...
Marie-san, whose speech was cut off, is pouting a little, but I'll ignore that.
[Lady Luciana, is your perception similar to what Marie-san just described?]
[Yes. And he was hardworking and—]
[No such person exists.]
I interrupted Princess Luciana too; I'll apologize for that later.
[Regarding my brother's character, to be honest, the parts that match are minimal. He's a completely different person... As for his appearance, since I haven't played the game, I can't say for sure...]
But with Brother's pointlessly handsome looks, I'm sure he'd look great in a game. So probably, appearance-wise, these two would be satisfied.
[If you wish to visit the territory, I can send a message for you. However, I cannot guarantee you'll be able to meet my brother.]
And I will not accompany you under any circumstances. No, absolutely not.
[Macnagan Duchy has Lake Yuria, right!?]
[Yes, it does. There are tourist hotels around it too.]
Marie-san, her eyes sparkling as she asked, seems interested in the Duchy.
Lake Yuria is one of several tourist spots in our territory. It's popular as a resort area, with noble vacation homes built around it.
And surrounding it are shops representing our territory's proud sixth-sector industries, starting with tourist hotels.
If you imagine a Japanese summer resort or tourist destination, that's roughly correct.
[That sounds nice~. I'd love to go~.]
Why are you saying that to *me* with sparkling eyes, Marie-san?
Why don't you just go on your own? It's not like there are travel restrictions.
[The Duchy doesn't appear in the game, right?]
[It doesn't, but it's a famous tourist spot in this country! I hear it's a really beautiful place, and I'd love to go see it once!]
You're really pushing, Marie-san. Really going for it.
...I mean, it's relatively close to the royal capital, couldn't you just go on your own? If you ask Paul-san, he'd probably take you.
If it's just booking a hotel, I can do that for you.
[I wanna go~.]
...Is she a hostess angling for gifts from a client?
Marie-san's continued sparkling gaze is painful...
I suppose I have no choice but to honestly talk about the numerous eccentricities of my brother, which I've been vague about until now...?
...I didn't want to, because my spirit takes the most damage...
I rang the small bell on the table once, *chirin*.
At the sound, the door knocked, and Marina quietly entered the room.
[You called for me?]
[...I have a favor to ask.]
I really, really don't want to say it. I really, really don't want to, but to avoid having to go to the Duchy myself, this is the only way.
[Could you tell these two what kind of person my brother is, to the best of your knowledge?]
[That shitty in— *ahem*, my apologies. You wish me to speak of Lord Elrick...?]
[Yes.]
I don't want to be the one to talk. And probably, Marina knows more about Brother's eccentricities than I do.
Because Marina has always, since my childhood, protected me from that brother.
...As a result, Marina and Brother get along terribly. But then again, does a 'person who gets along' with Brother even exist in this world?
[Then, if I may be so bold, I shall relate what I know.]
Marina said in a polite tone and bowed.
***
About ten minutes later, both Marie-san and Princess Luciana were on the verge of tears.
I had been looking out the window, trying not to listen as much as possible... But I still heard things, and there were various facts mixed in that even I didn't know...
Help me... Your Highness, help me...
[So... that's what the real Lord Elrick is like...?]
Ahh! The light has gone out of Princess Luciana's eyes! And Marie-san is looking down with a gloomy face!
[I believe I selected relatively soft, non-scandalous incidents from the range of possibilities...]
Stop, Marina! The damage to me is immense!
Starting from his childhood insistence that he wouldn't sleep unless he was with me, to his boyhood habit of sneaking into my room and taking my clothes and other items, to his youth where he would lovingly stroke objects I had touched, to his present life walking around the territory with his doll...
No matter which part you focus on, he's a messed-up guy.
Maybe his childhood offers a little salvation...? You could call it a child's selfishness...? But the problem is that he's continued saying that until now.
[...So, for that reason, I cannot accompany you to the territory where my brother resides.]
It seemed both Marie-san and Princess Luciana were convinced.
[And I liked Lord Elrick's scenario so much...]
Somehow, Marie-san's tearful murmur pains my heart... But I shouldn't have had any involvement in the formation of that brother's personality.
Somehow, I feel sorry for having shocked both Marie-san and Princess Luciana because of my family's shitty insect.
My own mental damage is considerable too.
***
[...Putting Lord Elrick aside, I would still like to meet the romanceable characters I *can* meet.]
Princess Luciana, who seemed to have recovered somewhat from the shitty insect shock, said this.
Well, it *is* the 'holy land.' And there are characters from the game she really loved.
Even knowing they're different, you'd still want to meet them, right?
***
And so, it was decided that tomorrow, we would try to meet as many of the romanceable characters as possible.
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