Chapter 1: The worst possible outcome, no, seriously, weren’t there other options?
"... This can't be possible."
I was in a fetal position clutching my legs and trembling because of the terrible truth I had just discovered.
First, I am a reincarnate. That is, I died at a young age and my soul was sent to another world.
I didn't know that the soul was really a real thing!
But that's not what scares me, what really terrifies me is the fact that I'm trapped in a video game world.
And that world is that of an otome game. A dating simulator for girls.
A world created to make a lucky girl able to conquer attractive guys and have her happy ending.
DON'T FUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I'M A MAN! I'M SORRY I'M DEAD, BUT.... BUT!
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE A GAME FOR GIRLS?!
I mean, couldn't it be a normal game like a normal simulator? Or even an erotic game?
Why should I care about a bunch of attractive guys?
I'd rather see beautiful young girls or mature women with huge breasts than hunks!
But that's not the worst of it.
"Of all the otome games out there.... why did it have to be just 'that one'?"
The latest otome game was certainly a rarity among rarities.
Despite having romantic elements, the strong factor was not that but its gameplay.
Its RPG style was its real appeal.
And that's what scares me more than anything else.
"The enemies in this world are something to cry about!"
It's just as I say.
In this game, the normal enemies, sub bosses, bosses, and especially the final bosses, the four great demon kings, were the true horror I didn't want to witness.
Even a goblin or a slime are enemies to be feared, all monsters belong to the demonic race found on the dark continent.
How they got here was never explained in the game. Their continent is in the center of the world, so the distance would be equivalent to going almost halfway around the world.
"Hey commoner, have you been acting weird for a while?"
In this continent, called Ixion, there are several countries; from big and small. Poor and rich. Powers and oppressed by them.
"Hey, don't ignore me."
To my fortune, this country is the ultimate embodiment of economic, labor and magical prosperity in the world. So I don't have to worry about starving or being robbed.
"... Hey, what did I tell you?"
As a major power, he is envied by many so he has enemies everywhere. It's because of something strange like that that it's still in the system of feudalism, that's what they said in the game, so in this reality I consider it very strange.
"Stop ignoring me!"
I was kicked by a small foot and my face smashed into the ground.
As I picked it up and spat dirt, I remembered who I was with.
The cruel and despicable villainess, Elize.
She was a beautiful girl on my age; her hair was long to the small of her back, silky like fine imported cloth, the color of her hair was a light blonde which was very golden, it shone in the little light the sun gave it.
Her eyes were a bright red like cherries, matching her dress.
Despite being a very pretty girl, as she grows up she will become a pain in the ass.
Her attitude will be so horrible that she will make everyone hate her.
She will be so arrogant and presumptuous that no one will get close to her, only her entourage, and that's because their families are vassals of the duke's house.
For that reason, her fianc, the righteous and peace-loving third imperial prince Regulux, will get fed up with her and in a key event will put an end to their relationship and start his happy life with the protagonist.
In the end, this horrible girl sees three possible endings depending on her heinous acts uncovered.
Life imprisonment with torture.
Banishment to some faraway place.
Death by hanging.
Any of those three endings she will always get, whether you reveal all her atrocities, she will lose.
Personally, I don't care.
I mean, she may be a spoiled brat now. But isn't she already horrible from this age?
She hit me for disrespecting her, well, I got what I deserved, but it's still horrible.
She threw herself from a very high place and if it wasn't for me using magic to resist her fall, we would have both died.
Besides, now that I remember that almost every day I come here, she uses me as her personal plaything.
All in all, she's a hateful girl.
"Commoner, stop acting like you don't know where you are."
I looked at her annoyed since she doesn't know that I'm annoyed with her. It's easy to not pay attention to your surroundings when you're a spoiled brat.
"Anyway, let's go inside and play."
She grabbed my hand and forcibly made me stand up to run all the way to the mansion.
I didn't notice, but her hands like mine are small.
That means I really woke up in a child's body.
A very ugly one.
In my previous life I was also ugly, but I think this is a punishment.
Sorry Buddha, or whoever was in control of my world. I'm sorry to be so lazy, but... why did you make me so ugly?
We walked for at least five minutes to reach the mansion.
There an elegant old butler with his long hair tied in a bun was waiting for us.
"Miss Elize, you mustn't do that."
"Yes~"
The little villainess seemed to rather accept that what she did was wrong but didn't make a big deal of it.
The butler saw me and told me to go take a bath.
A large Japanese style bathhouse was near the mansion.
It seems to have been built for employees who don't come in dirty.
I went straight there.
The bath was very refreshing and I was given used clothes until the clothes I came in were dry.
Once I left the bathhouse, the little villainess was waiting for me. She was showing an obvious spoiled child pout.
"So slow!"
I apologized so she wouldn't bother anymore.
"I'm so sorry, but I had to wait for the healing wizard to arrive so he could close the wound."
It was an advanced world and country for the most part, but the role of healers was the almost only means of healing wounds and illnesses, it was known as healing magic, people thought it was only good for that until she showed up.
We entered the mansion.
The place was huge, not only from a child's point of view, but from an adult's as well.
The front door was about the same size as the back of a cargo truck.
The little villainess didn't let go of my hand and we headed for the stairs, there was a small elevator.
It seems that the staircase is just a large and numerous ornaments.
From the elevator I could see the numerous mirrors, vases, furniture and marble statues.
Everything was very elegant and for sure expensive.
After going up to the destined floor, we got off and walked to a small vehicle.
We got in it and she drove it.
Actually the situation leaves me more intrigued than amazed.
What kind of strange and surreal fantasy world was this?
We went around the same floor several times and then arrived at the destined place.
It was a normal door, but it was made with gold and the knob was a diamond, she opened and the door and we entered her room.
It was the equivalent of a party room.
"The poor idiot went into the lawless city to capture the king of eternal night."
"That guy must be one hell of an idiot if he thinks that spawn fortress can be penetrated by a B-rank. Is he alive at least?"
"As you think. He's good and dead, hahaha. They found his dismembered body at the entrance."
"Uwahh, how disgusting. Good thing the empire doesn't stick its business in that place. Who knows how many of us would be treated like cannon fodder if we went in."
"Hahaha, you're right."
The night king... just hearing his name gives me the creeps, but it's not something I need to worry about since the protagonists will take care of it sooner or later.
My real reason for being an adventurer is something else, so I absolutely cannot die for anything in this world.
On Thursday I had already arrived without any problem.
My father took me to the Duke's mansion, it seems he had something to talk to him about.
Once I arrived, the little villainess did the same thing as the other time.
"Cooooommooooneeeer~!"
She swooped down from the heights again to land on me.
This time I came prepared.
I took out a magic toy made out of slime.
It's like some kind of inflated armchair, but it's actually a beach ball.
Very weird this whole world.
The little villainess landed sinking into the slime. It had a little button that you could deflate it.
As she did so, the slime ball would shrink and get more and more wrinkled.
The little villainess stood up before it deflated all the way and said to me.
"Looks like you really amused me more this time, ufufu."
She made that strange sound while looking at me.
Today we had a better time than last time.
Now the tea was customer and there were rice crackers to eat.
The sun was setting. Soon it would be time for me to go home.
"Hey, commoner."
The little villainess called out to me, as I watched her, I noticed that her eyes were looking down at her plate and she seemed to be red in the face.
Is she sick by any chance?
Don't infect me if she is.
"Yes?"
She was giving little glances at her plate and my face, then, in a shy voice she said.
"...Y-You have something to do this weekend?"
I replied with a simple, "No."
She brightened and gave a slight bounce for her raised shoulders.
Now her tone toward me was more humbler for some reason.
"I-if you don't mind and don't have any unfinished business.... would you mind coming to my party?"
A party, huh?
"It's a tea party. So your friends should come instead of-"
"You're wrong."
She suddenly cut off my words.
Her look was getting more and more embarrassed and shy.
"It's not a tea party-it's my birthday."
My eyes widened in surprise.
"If so, it's my very answer."
"It's just..."
She looked down at her plate as she answered me.
"I don't have anyone else to celebrate with but my family."
Now this is a surprise.
"I can't socialize with other girls until I'm twelve as my mother indicates."
"That's why my father asked your father if he had a son or daughter to be my playmate."
I think I'm getting the hang of it now.
"And... since we've been playing together for months, I'd like to be able to celebrate with you too."
This spoiled little girl is all alone.
She has no one to play with... I think, that's the reason for being the way she was during the bullying events.
But since none of this was ever revealed, no one could guess what she was hiding.
"I would like to come. But I don't have money for even a gift."
Her eyes widened like saucers at my words. Her cheeks were red and her mouth showed her teeth covered with cookie scraps.
"No need for that, just you attending is enough!"
"In that case, I'd be very happy to come, Miss Elize."
"Eli..."
"Excuse me?"
I made a confused expression at what she said.
She touched her fingertips awkwardly as she turned her head to the opposite side of mine.
"I let you call me Eli. That's what my parents call me when they want to spoil me."
I find it very odd that I call her that, but what can you do.
"Miss Eli."
"Honorifics are superfluous."
"It's okay.... Eli."
"Yes?"
I called her name, feeling very embarrassed for some reason. She looked at me expecting something.
"You can call me Razel if you wish."
She nodded and said. "Nice to meet you, Razel."
Wow, I can't believe this villainess is so cute.
Maybe... I should help her so she can avoid becoming a horrible girl in the future?
Well, I'll find out over the weekend.
"See you this weekend Razel~"
Eli was waving goodbye to me from the big door.
Her little hand stretched as far as she could afford.
I waved goodbye to her too.
As we walked down the magical stairs, my dad said to me.
"What do you mean, the weekend? Do you have plans, by any chance?"
"Yes. I actually-"
My dad killed the good mood I was in with the next thing he said.
"As of today we have finished our 100 years of service as a gentleman's household. The imperial palace sent me a document that says we are recognized as a baronial house without territory. Razel, we will move to the imperial capital tomorrow itself."
I could express absolutely nothing at what he said.
"If you have any business with her, you should go up and tell her. It would be bad for a girl, even if she is from the house of a duke. I already spoke to him and he gave me a letter of recommendation."
I should go up and tell her, but that would end up much worse.
It's better if she learns what deception means from an early age, so when the event happens where Prince Regulux breaks off his engagement to her, she won't do the crazy thing of attacking the protagonist with her magic.
I hope it won't upset her as well.
Goodbye Eli, our paths will never meet again.
The first plot twist, didn't you expect it?