CH 26

26  Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 2

First, I did my best to learn to speak, the language, and read.

Whenever someone spoke, I repeated their words.

Thanks to that I could speak much faster than a normal child.

I read books as much as possible the moment I could write and read.

The main reason was to compare the history of this world and the history in the game’s scenario.

As a result, I found out that there was almost no difference, the content of the 『Saint Legend』 was the same. In the end, I concluded that this world was the world of that otome game.

With that, my desperate hope for this world to be actually a different world from that otome game was smashed to pieces.

I jotted down everything that I could still remember about 『Seiroku』 in Japanese as soon as I could hold a pen. I had to do this before my memories about the games become too ambiguous. The reason I wrote in Japanese was to prevent anyone from realizing the content of that note.

I wrote everything about the capture route for each target and the capture route for the reverse harem… The trigger for each capture target event, their hobby, the item or food that will increase their intimacy. And while I was at it, I also added their blood types, their zodiacs, and their birthdays.

And yes. As expected of the otome game world, this world had a similar setting of 365 days a year, twelve months, the zodiacs and the blood types were also the same as back in Japan.

I mean, it even included things such as birthstone, strap, reversi, or chess as items to increase intimacy with capture targets.

I mean, since the favourite food of the capture target was something along the lines of ramen, omelette rice, parfait, pudding, and okonomiyaki, I had no problem with adapting to this world.

In addition, even though we’re a duke household, a noble family, I felt my reality crumble to pieces when the food that came out was something like hamburg steak. I mean seriously, at least make it French cuisine! No matter how you look at it, this was way too Japanese, the exotic feeling of a noble family went down the drain.

But well, it’s okay, they were delicious after all, good job chefs.

At least much better than being forced to eat a full course of French cuisine every day. Though eating French cuisine might be just my prejudice towards nobles.

And yet, there’s even a refrigerator, rice cooker, oven, and gas stove in the kitchen. As expected of the world of otome game.

Moreover, look, they even had a bathtub, shower, and flushed toilet. And a washing machine too.

Well, it’s the world of otome games, after all, everyone was standing behind sparkling glass, everything was shiny and clean.

I mean, like hell my maiden heart would flutter if the infrastructure was still at the same level as middle age.

I mean look, they had underwear and swimsuits too!

All of them had a lovely design since the game company hired a famous illustrator just for the design of the underwear and swimsuit! How sneaky! But I like it!

This meant… the strategy to build my own company, creating products from Japan, and selling them off at extremely exorbitant prices after the “I’m breaking off the engagement with you” event had failed too. Sob.

As a result of trying to cram common sense, history, and knowledge about this world as fast as possible, some people started to call me a prodigy.

My dear father was truly delighted by that.

He even started to regard me as the second coming of the saint.

… WHYYYYYYYYY!?

◇

When I turned three, I got a guest who for some reason was me asking various questions.

That person was asking something like addition, subtraction, and many other questions to confirm whether I really was a bright child. The questions were only at the level where a child at my age could answer if they studied really hard though. Yeah, it was easy peasy. I mean, if they took my father’s boasting for real, they might bring up a really difficult question which I couldn’t answer.

But, some foolish people apparently took that boasting for real and brought in a factorization question for me to solve.

But at the sight of that baka papa’s idiotic smile, I got really pissed off and ended up solving the problem instead.

My father seemed even more overjoyed upon seeing that. I felt a little bit better since those foolish people seemed even more vexed but, solving that problem might be a mistake on my part.

Or, should I call this a blessing in disguise? I mean, it seems the talk about my engagement with the crown prince came in due to this matter.

Well since things went according to the script so far, I guess there’s no problem with accepting it.

A while later, my father introduced a middle-aged man called Baron Neith Geyson to me.

He was a burly man with a square face. He was more suited as American football or rugby player than a noble. He was a muscular man who gave out a refreshing laugh while raining the other party with his spit.

And yet, contrary to his muscular and sporty appearance, he turned out to be a magic tool researcher who came to my father to ask the latter to fund his research. My father seemed to want to fund him since even though that muscled man had already secured the fund from other people, he wanted to expand the range of his research.

Today he only came for a greeting since he had to go back to his territory immediately. His territory seemed to be adjacent to Goldberg Territory.

「The other reason for me to come today is to give the fruit of my research to you, Duke Lilac-sama, and to Young Lady Katrina. Please accept my gift.」

Saying so, Baron Geyson offered a jewel box to us, the content of the box being a ring and amethyst necklace.

The thing had always been the symbol of the duke’s daughter in the game.

She always wore the same necklace that let out ominous light in the game.

For some reason, I knew that this necklace―― was bad news.

I had no idea why I felt that way, but I absolutely mustn’t wear this necklace.

My user experience was ringing a loud, warning alarm. This thing must be the reason.

「Hou, the amethyst is splendid but this is the first time I’m seeing this kind of magic tool. What is the effect of this magic tool?」

「Its effect is to calm the wearer’s mind.」

「Is that all? Are you sure that there’s a demand for this kind of magic tool? I might have no choice but to not help you with the funding if there’s no further breakthrough in your research.」

「No, actually this is just a token to celebrate our meeting today. By all means, please wear it.」

Nope, that’s a big NO, NO!

「Dear Father! I really like this gem. I want to show this to mother, she would be pleased to see it too!」

I took the jewel box as I told such a lie to my father and left the room without even waiting for his permission.

「Katrina-sama! It should be fine even if you wear it here, right?」

「Thank you for your kind words but I have to refuse, Baron Geyson-sama. I want to appreciate this beautiful amethyst with my mother first. Now then, please excuse me for leaving first.」

I ignored my father and the baron who tried to make me go back to that room and ran as fast as I could as soon as I left the room.

I kept running till I left the mansion through the backdoor and hid behind the hut for the gardener.

「Milady, where are you? You mustn’t act rudely like that which is unbefitting of a lady. Please do come out, if you don’t apologize to your dear father and Baron Geyson-sama immediately…」

My maid Meriel was chasing after me, but she went back immediately after saying those words.

I dumped the necklace and the ring inside the jewel box on the ground and used the big stone I found nearby to crush them up.

「MILADY!!」

I kept smashing the amethyst with stone over and over again till it cracked and its pedestal bent, in addition, I smashed the jewel box too.

「MILADY, STOP! HELP, MILADY IS!」

After that incident, they confined me in my room in order for me to calm my mind.

But I was released immediately.

According to my father, it seemed that Baron Geyson got arrested a few days later in Marquis Goldberg Territory.

「Baron Geyson made an extremely dangerous magic tool. The amethyst that you destroyed is also one of those dangerous magic tools. Have you known about this already?」

「No, dear father. I did not know of such a thing. I just felt that thing was dangerous.」

「I see.」

Even so, he still cautioned me to consult with him in case such a thing happened again.

No special event happened after that and life went on as usual.

Until I got summoned to the royal castle a few days later.

It was for a meeting between Crown Prince Elliot and me.

After I arrived in the audience chamber and gave my greeting to His Majesty, he praised me for my achievement in the incident a few days ago.

Following that was a meeting with Elliot.

His sour look was the same as ever. He looked bored as if there was nothing in this world that could make him interested.

Every day he was forced to study to become a suitable vassal to the king, thus rarely met his parents and Fredrick (his big bro).

Even though he was a huge brocon, he was really vexed since he couldn’t meet Fredrick, his father’s illegitimate child. It kept happening till the poor child ended up resenting his own position.

Sorry, I’m not the one who was destined to heal you.

Please heal his heart, Heroine-chan.

After the end of our formal marriage interview, I saw another child visiting the garden on the way back.

It was Fredrick.

I knew it was Fredrick at a glance.

He was a lonely child who spent his days being ignored by everyone.

I really wanted to greet him, and say, “Let’s become friends”.

But still, I had to hold back on my impulse.

Because I knew that Heroine-chan would find him for sure and become his friend, that’s why please forgive me, Fredrick.

But… but, I really want to greet him.

AAAH, I really am in love with Fredrick after all.

And yet, I was powerless and unable to stretch my hand to help him.

Sorry, Fredrick, I really am not the one who can save your heart.

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TL : Woe me…