Chapter 1: The School Festival at the Academy of Magic

Chapter 1: The School Festival at the Academy of Magic

I, Katarina Claes, was living well. My days were pleasant and cozy, and I was usually in a great mood. The reason for this was, of course, the fact that I was now free from the fear of Catastrophic Bad Ends.

On a certain day back when I was eight years old, I accidentally hit my head on a rock, and somehow all the memories of my previous life flooded back into my mind — and it was then that I realized something terrible. Namely, the fact that I was now living in the world of an otome game I had played before in life — and that I had been reincarnated as Katarina Claes, a villainess character in said game.

To make things worse, this villainess, Katarina, was also the protagonist’s rival in four of the game’s potential routes. She had no happy ends of any kind; should the protagonist achieve a good end, Katarina would be exiled from the kingdom. In a bad end, she would end up getting killed by the protagonist’s love interest. What awaited me upon my reincarnation into this terrible and unfortunate character was a sea of Catastrophic Bad Ends.

Although I had been thrown into despair upon realizing this... the plot of the otome game did not begin until eight years later, when I would begin attending the Academy of Magic! I realized that if I worked hard, I might still be able to do something about those Bad Ends that awaited me.

And so I did work hard — ever since that fateful day eight years ago. I trained fervently in the way of the sword, so that I would not be easily slain if any of the protagonist’s love interests came after me with a weapon. I also practiced my magic in whatever ways I could, so that it may serve me well if I were exiled. Lastly, if it really came down to it, I prepared to become a humble farmer by eagerly reading up on agricultural practices and methodology.

While I was preoccupied with all these countermeasures, however, time passed — and before I knew it, I had become fast friends with the game’s four potential love interests, and all the other rival characters. Eight years passed. Although I wasn’t quite sure why we all got along, the love interests, rival characters, and I finally enrolled into the Academy of Magic last year — the main stage of the otome game.

It was at this academy that we met the game’s original protagonist, Maria Campbell. Maria was a charming girl, and in only a few days was able to capture the attention of my fiancé, Prince Jeord, and my adopted brother, Keith. So impressive was Maria’s charm that I lived in fear of her embarking upon the reverse harem route — but before I knew it, I had also become captivated by the gentle and lovable Maria. While we should have been enemies in the original setting of the game, we instead became close friends.

After this, a certain character that I had completely forgotten about, Sirius, caused a dangerous incident. Fortunately, everything was resolved in the end, largely thanks to my dependable friends. And with that... and some other events along the way, we arrived at the graduation ceremony at the end of the year.

The graduation ceremony was the last event of the otome game — the event in which Maria, the protagonist, would form an eternal, lasting connection with someone. Who was it, this person she had chosen for the end of the scenario? Or was it everyone, the reverse harem in which we had all become captivated? I watched on with bated breath. However...

Unexpectedly, the game ended with Maria... not particularly expressing her love for anyone. Instead, the “Friendship Ending” came to pass — as its name suggested, we all simply remained friends. And so Katarina, the villainess and a rival character, was not faced with any Catastrophic Bad Ends.

Why would we get such an ending, despite Maria’s charm...? And then there was the fact that Maria had said the words she would usually say at the end of the game to a love interest, only to me instead. “So... please, Lady Katarina. Let me continue being with you... from here on out.” I couldn’t wrap my head around it... Why did Maria say that?

In any case, the game had ended safely. I, Katarina Claes, had successfully overcome the Catastrophic Bad Ends!

It has been nine years since I had regained my memories. Now that those terrible Bad Ends are finally behind me... I can finally live the rest of my peaceful, cozy life.

“A school festival, huh?”

“Yes, Katarina. A school festival.” The one who responded with a familiar faint smile on his face was my fiancé, Jeord Stuart, third crown prince of the kingdom.

With his blonde hair and blue eyes, he was the very image of a fairy-tale prince — except for the fact that he was a terrible sadist at heart. If I somehow managed to anger Prince Jeord, even accidentally, I would expect a particularly painful reprisal. I say this mainly from experience.

Prince Jeord, however, was largely seen as a gentle and handsome prince in most circles. He was very popular; in particular, he was famous amongst noble ladies of his age. The backlash I faced from simply being his fiancée was noticeably strong.

Due to his stellar academic performance, Jeord was promoted to Student Council President after we became second-years, and with that role came many large-scale projects and duties. Hence, our discussion of the “school festival.” This festival appeared to be the talk of the academy recently. But...

“I don’t remember there being a festival last year though.” I had started at the Academy of Magic last year, and we’d mostly spent our time listening to lectures or attending practical lessons. There weren’t any fun or festive events.

“Yes, of course. School festivals occur once every two years, Katarina. As such, there was no festival last year.”

Ah, right. Once every two years. I see. I suppose the Academy of Magic doesn’t have yearly festivals like my school in my previous life did. As the Academy of Magic only featured a two-year curriculum, this meant it was guaranteed to occur once during a student’s time at the academy.

But, a school festival, of all things? Perhaps it was because I had attended a few in my previous life — I couldn’t help but feel excited. I eagerly inquired about the activities and events I could expect at the festival.

“Hmm... I suppose there will be outdoor food stalls, and stands featuring arts and crafts that students have made — for sale, of course. A student-organized orchestral performance and a play is also on the itinerary... Ah, yes. There will also be a ball held that night.”

Oh! This is better than I imagined! A true school festival! And students are allowed to put up their own food stalls and art stands? How exciting! Maybe there’ll be okonomiyaki and takoyaki too! I hadn’t seen any of these foods in this reincarnated life of mine, but maybe they’d be for sale at the festival.

How nostalgic... in my previous life, I’d make it my goal to have a bite of every single kind of food. Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba, chocolate bananas, candied apples, sweet chestnuts, cotton candy... and then...

“...Katarina. Are you listening?”

“...Ha! Ah, yes. Sorry.” I had forgotten about Prince Jeord altogether as my mind was suddenly assaulted by images of food and festival stalls.

“...Well. In any case, I will be busy making the preparations for the festival from now on. For some time, I will no longer be able to have tea with you in this fashion — just the two of us. Please do relax and take it slow today, Katarina.” Jeord gave me his usual smile, piercing a bite of food with a fork as he did so. “Here. Have a taste,” he said, lifting the pierced snack to my lips.

“Thank you very much!” Just as I was about to chomp down on the morsel, however... the food, fork and all, vanished from before my eyes.

Ah... my snack...! My eyes quickly darted over to the person responsible. It was Keith Claes, my adopted brother, who had a grave expression on his face at the moment.

“Prince Jeord. Have you not been ignoring my presence for quite some time now?”

Hmm. Why does it almost seem like Keith is glaring at Jeord?

Jeord, however, simply responded, his ever-present smile hardly faltering. “You say that, Keith. But then... consider that I had not invited you in the first place. Why, then, have you invited yourself?”

Indeed, Jeord had only invited me, sending me a note that said: “I have arranged for a scrumptious spread of food.” But just when I was about to leave, Keith, who had obtained information on this event from some unidentified source, had insisted on coming along with me as well — which is why we were both in Jeord’s quarters. A little strange, considering that Keith hardly had an eye for delicious food in the first place.

“But of course, Prince Jeord, I have come along out of sheer worry for my adoptive sister’s physical and mental health. It is a most important issue to me.”

Eh? So Keith wasn’t here for snacks after all? Hmm... So he’s that worried about me? What a good brother Keith is, always looking out for his sister. However...

“Surely you jest, Keith. Katarina is merely heading to another room in the same dormitory building — for tea, no less. Are you not being overprotective? It would do you well to give your sister some space, instead of always clinging to her side.”

Hmm. Yes, exactly. We are, after all, in the same dormitory. I’m sure I’d be fine even without Keith worrying over me.

With his flaxen hair and green eyes, Keith was quite handsome. He was also highly capable in his studies, and did well in sports. While I was very proud of my brother, he did have a tendency to worry a little too much. He had become excessively concerned recently, declaring that, “I simply must be with you when you meet with Prince Jeord, Big Sister.”

I suppose it was somewhat dangerous in the past — in one of the Catastrophic Bad Ends, Jeord could have exiled me, or even drawn his blade upon me if I ever made a terrible mistake... but that was no longer a concern. With the events of Fortune Lover now over, along with the fact that we had achieved the “Friendship Ending,” this danger was now effectively over.

As I continued pondering about previous matters, the two of them continued their own little conversation, now apparently facing each other with visible smiles.

“But you see, if her destination is this particular room, then I must be present as well. After all, it is simply too dangerous for my adoptive sister to be in this place by herself.”

“Whatever would you mean to imply, Keith?”

“Perhaps you should look within yourself for the answer to that question, Prince Jeord.”

...Hmm. I could no longer follow their conversation. As Jeord and Keith continued their seemingly friendly conversation, full of smiles, I found myself isolated once more. The two of them were quite fond of doing this — they would get lost in conversation, in that little world of theirs, and soon enough there would be nothing for me to add.

I’ve known them both for a long time. It’s heartening to see the two get along so well! I decided to just quietly help myself to the food on the table. Ooooh. These treats are... truly delicious. Impressive. I should have everyone else try them at the next opportunity.

With that, my fiancé and brother, now fully engrossed in their own conversation, said little about me helping myself to the delicious food. Which was perfectly fine with me.

Shortly after I heard about the school festival from Jeord, preparations for the event began full force. In the Academy of Magic, students were separated by year — and although the lecture halls looked like the classrooms I was used to, the size of a single class was simply immense. So it didn’t seem like each individual class would be putting up an attraction of their own, which was how it had been in my previous life. Instead, students who got along with each other particularly well or nobles who were connected to each other by blood ties (even faint ones) would issue invitations and form their own groups.

All right then! I should apply to, or perhaps even make my own group to sell the crops that I’ve put my back into growing! At least, that was what I thought... But Jeord, Keith, and to my surprise, even Alan vehemently opposed the idea. I suggested that I could hand them out for free, but that idea was rejected too. Apparently, the sale of crops and vegetables did not suit the supposed image of the Academy of Magic.

The crops that I’ve grown with so much effort, “unsuitable”? Ever since coming to the academy, I hadn’t been able to use up as many vegetables as I did back home, so I had a lot left over. I’d thought that this would be a good opportunity to sell off that stock... How depressing.

I really was sad about it! However, Maria, angelic as she was, quickly said to me: “Well then, Lady Katarina... if I may suggest, perhaps I could use the vegetables you have so lovingly cultivated in my baked goods?”

Ah, Maria really is a sweet girl. I’d consider it an honor if my vegetables were used in her snacks. After all, Maria’s snacks really were something else — in fact, I could even compare her work to that of professional chefs and patissiers. They were very delicious.

So now, there wouldn’t be an issue with using up my vegetables. It was simple, then — Maria would make treats with the crops I’d grown, and we would simply sell those products at our stand instead. Although concerns were raised about such snacks not being very popular in a noble-dominated academy like this one, I was quite passionate about the idea, even saying, “Well, if it’s that or me selling vegetables at a stand...” Before I knew it, I had received permission for the venture. Well done, Katarina Claes.

Since I was the one who brought up this entire idea in the first place, I decided to help my friends in the council as much as I could. Members of the council were saddled with a lot of work in preparation for the festival, and could use what help they could get.

Also, the student body had apparently strongly requested that the student council put on a play of some sort. I supposed that made sense, considering the number of beautiful people on the council in general — it went without saying that they each had their fair share of fans.

The council had agreed to honor this request from the students. Although my friends were somewhat insistent on me joining in on the performance, I repeatedly rejected their offers. After all, I had only played the roles of inanimate objects like trees and rocks during class performances and such in my previous life. A performance where all the actors had lines would simply be too much for someone like me.

Just to be sure, I asked my friends if they were in need of a rock, or perhaps even a tree. They, however, responded somewhat incredulously. “Are such roles even needed...?”

What a pity...! Those were roles that I perfected in my previous life! However, I did feel a little bad about simply sitting in the council chambers, snacking and not doing anything to help out. So I decided to help my friends with any backstage work they needed done.

Leave it to me if there are any scenes where throwing an object is required! After all, I was particularly confident in my throwing skills, having practiced for long hours with my projectile snakes. Eh? There’s no scenes which require projectiles...? How unfortunate.

Between helping Maria with her vegetable-based baked goods and assisting my friends with the production of their play, the days passed by quickly. Before I knew it, the school festival was here.

With the conclusion of Student Council President Jeord’s address, along with the almost deafening squeals and sighs of the noble ladies in the crowd, the school festival was now officially under way. Even the usually more reserved noble ladies in the student body were visibly excited today — and I was no exception.

Festivals were always exciting for me in my previous life. And this was the first festival I’d attend in this new life! Since I was the daughter of a duke, I had been to many balls and the like, but a festival was something else altogether. I had never been to one in this world.

And so, while I was already delighted at having overcome the Catastrophic Bad Ends, I was markedly excited and in good spirits today — perhaps the happiest I had ever been since enrolling into the academy... or even in this life. In fact, I was currently preoccupied with restraining myself, lest I suddenly start skipping and humming a tune.

In truth, I had been so excited that I had started dancing alone in my room last night, much to Anne’s chagrin. It would seem that a noble lady skipping along or humming a tune was unbecoming — simply not things a lady would do in front of others, or so I was told. Being a noble lady was difficult.

There was also the fact that there were guardians and parents present at the School Festival. My mother, however, claimed that... “Alas, it would be too embarrassing. I would greatly prefer to abstain from this event,” apparently. Hmm. Given how adamant Mother is at home... why would she be ashamed outside of it? A lion at home, a mouse abroad indeed...

I asked Anne for her opinion, and she said, “Young miss, if I may say so... I assume that the madam is not embarrassed... at herself,” all while regarding me with a somewhat disappointed gaze.

Hmm? What’s that supposed to mean? In the end, I didn’t quite understand. Even so, my father seemed most interested in showing up at the school festival, and given the lovey-dovey couple that they were, the possibility of both of them showing up was somewhat high. If Mother did show up on the academy grounds, and saw me skipping along, humming a tune... I dreaded to even think how many hours she would spend lecturing me. Yes, I’d have to be careful.

Although I continued to suppress my desire to skip and hum tunes, I ended up noticeably fidgeting instead, and I could hardly contain the excitement in my voice. The group of girls near me noticed, and upon seeing this, one of them kindly asked, “Lady Katarina, are you perhaps unwell?”

“Ah, not at all! It’s nothing! In fact, I’m just fidgeting from excitement!” I responded honestly. The girls smiled in response, agreeing with what I had said.

My classmates are all gentle and kind. Under normal circumstances, I would have followed around the members of the student council. But today, they were all assigned to specific spots on the grounds, and couldn’t simply drop their duties. So I found myself exploring the festival with my other friends and classmates.

Many of my friends on the council had seemed sad at this turn of events, saying things like:

“To think that I would be unable to accompany you during the festival...”

“If I had known, I would never have taken on this role...”

“Ah, my chance to be with Lady Katarina during the one festival in our time...”

In an effort to cheer up my ailing friends, I had decided to buy some foods from here and there, and visit each of them in turn. Although they were sad that they couldn’t spend the one festival we would share during our time at the academy with me, they would be sure to cheer up once I brought them some delicious food!

All right! Takoyaki, yakisoba, okonomiyaki... here I come! I thought, as I rushed towards the student stands. Unfortunately...

Th-This is... the stands at the festival are...! I stood there, alone, saddened at the misunderstanding that I had made. This was not what I’d expected from a festival stand at all...

If it’s a festival stand, it should be somewhat janky, and standing behind it should be either an old man with greasy clothing or a yankee-like young man going “Hey. Wanna buy some?” or something like that...

At least, that was what I thought! Instead, I was faced with a beautifully-constructed, chic building. Standing inside it was a uniformed young man, formally greeting me for visiting his humble establishment. THESE are the festival stands at the academy? Even if this IS the Academy of Magic... I can’t accept this, I simply can’t!

However, the biggest shock was yet to come... These “festival stands” were only selling sandwiches and croissants! Yes, these were the only foods on sale at this so-called “school festival” at the Academy of Magic. Chic and fancy as they may be, sandwiches and croissants were hardly satisfying.

No matter how hard I looked, I could not find any okonomiyaki, yakisoba, or takoyaki. In fact, all these stands sold more or less the same thing — the sort of simple pastries, hors d’oeuvres, or haute cuisine that nobles would have at their tea-parties...

I’d already planned for this stomach of mine to be filled with okonomiyaki... takoyaki... yakisoba. I had planned for this! My dessert was going to be a chocolate banana! And cotton candy! And yet... and yet! In almost an instant, my excitement and good spirits had completely disappeared. I was a husk of my former self.

The classmates who were with me were visibly alarmed.

“L-Lady Katarina! Are you quite all right?”

“Whatever has happened? You were so cheerful up until a moment ago!”

“Does your stomach hurt, Lady Katarina?”

“No, perhaps she is hungry? I shall purchase something for her...”

I had left my stomach empty on purpose, hoping to allow for the joys of my previous life to fill me up. I had been anticipating this meal... and yet, now I was unable to eat it! I was filled with a deep sense of loss.

“Haa... haa...” my classmate panted as she returned. “L-Lady Katarina. I h-have... brought you something to eat. Please, have some of this, I pray that you will be in good spirits again soon...” She presented me with what appeared to be a sandwich on a most elaborate and beautiful plate.

My classmates have apparently assumed that I was saddened because I hadn’t had enough to eat. ...Eh? What exactly do they see me as, then...?

I had honestly already lost my appetite, having realized that I was unable to have my favorite okonomiyaki and yakisoba. However, my kind classmate had gone through the trouble of fetching this sandwich for me. With a simple “thank you,” I brought the sandwich to my mouth.

And then... This...! THIS TASTE! “Wh-What is this?! This is completely different from the sandwiches I usually have! What is this fluffiness, this softness of the bread? This incredibly delicious jam? Tell me at once! Where exactly is this bread from?!”

I was surprised — no, overwhelmed — by the delicious force of the sandwich in my mouth. Before I could restrain myself, my face was already uncomfortably close to that of my kind classmate’s, my nostrils flaring in excitement. My classmates collectively withdrew, before answering stutteringly.

“...Y-Yes. Of course, Lady Katarina... The school festival of the Academy of Magic is quite the significant affair. It usually attracts stands from various famous shops and establishments across the land, who send samples of their newest work to the festival to be sold. As such, the food here is usually most delicious... in fact, there are some who call it the ‘Festival of Gourmet Food.’ I have heard that there were many people who show up at the festival just to have a taste of this particular store’s products...”

What?! How could this be! I never knew that the festival stands could be this... impressive, this incredible...! While it was unfortunate that my favorite okonomiyaki and other festival foods were not present, now that I had a closer look... the offerings of these festival stands did seem delicious.

And then there was the matter of famous shops and establishments selling their newest products at the festival... This is a rare opportunity. I cannot miss this. With those thoughts in mind, I could hardly continue to feel sad. I have to eat! Eat! EAT! EAT ALL OF IT!

“All right! Everyone, let’s go! We shall tour the stands from this starting point here!” With my loud declaration, I led my classmates on, eager to start my gourmet crusade.

They all merely smiled and said things like, “It was as I thought... Lady Katarina was simply hungry,” and “I am glad that she’s cheered up once more.” Now that the tension and anticipation was back in my bones, I needed to only do one thing — tour and chomp down on the offerings of any stand that caught my eye. I would eagerly stuff myself.

Ah, this bread... this sandwich. It was simply too delicious. Oh...? What about this potato salad here...? Equally delectable, I must say...

“...Um, Lady Katarina.”

Ooooh! I have never seen anything quite like that dessert over there. It must be a new product...! I simply have to taste it.

“...Lady Katarina.”

Ah, what about this cake over here? It seems quite tasty as well. Or that pudding there...

“Excuse me, Lady Katarina!”

“Eh, ah, yes. Sorry. Did you need something?”

How dangerous... that was close. My attention had been completely commandeered by the offerings of the festival stands.

“...Um, well. Did you not have plans to meet with each member of the student council today, Lady Katarina...?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right.”

“If you still do intend to make your rounds, Lady Katarina, we really do need to be going soon... for fear of you running out of time, you see...” my classmate warned, her brows furrowed with worry.

“Eh...?!” I confirmed the time in a panic, only to realize that I’d already spent a lot of time at the festival food stands. “Wh-What! How could it be this time already?”

I had been completely charmed by the allure of these delicious foods. If my classmates hadn’t warned me, I probably would have stayed here and continued to eat until the festival itself ended. That was close... the allure of delicious food is a terrifying thing indeed.

Finally back to my senses, I went and purchased a large amount of food and gifts for my friends on the council, as well as an equally large amount for my personal consumption. Then, with the classmates who had brought me back to my senses, we rushed off to where the student council members were stationed.

First, we headed for the person who was closest to where we were. We found ourselves in an exhibition space showcasing the history of the kingdom, as well as research on various magical theories. In my previous life, hardly anyone would be found at such an academic exhibition space. This, however, was the Academy of Magic, and there were a fair number of students and their parents eagerly looking at the exhibits.

I found their never-ending thirst for knowledge very commendable... although I would surely fall asleep after reading a few lines. Standing at this exhibition were my adopted brother and a friend of mine — both of them smiling and greeting attendees and guests.

My adopted brother, Keith Claes, and my friend Mary Hunt, daughter of Marquess Hunt, were both hard at work. Like me, Mary was also the fiancée to a crown prince. To be precise, she was the fiancée of Prince Alan Stuart, who was the twin brother of Prince Jeord Stuart. Although we were both engaged to crown princes and hence were of similar social standing, unlike me, Mary was a very capable and high-spec individual.

Mary’s hair was a deep shade of burnt sienna, and her eyes were the same color. She did very well in school, but was also said to have the grace of a fairy when it came to dancing. If anything, she was the very image of what a noble lady should aspire to be — she was a wonderful and refined young lady indeed.

Many noble ladies looked up to the royal princes, of course, and while they would often criticize me for being “unable to match Prince Jeord at all,” they had nothing but praise for Mary, often saying that she was “most suitable for Prince Alan.”

That very same perfect noble lady, however, now seemed a little tired from the sheer number of visitors she had been greeting... maybe even a little out of it? Perhaps she was hungry? It was, after all, already past noon. Judging by the look of things, it wouldn’t be surprising if she hadn’t had a chance to have lunch.

The more I thought about Mary’s circumstances, the more I felt guilty for standing outside at the stands, eating as much as I could. All right, then! I’ll hand over one of the special sandwiches that I purchased for my own consumption. A new recipe, from what I had heard.

With those thoughts in mind, I held the bag of sandwiches in my hands, calling out to Mary as I approached. “Mary! I brought something for you.”

“Lady Katarina!” Mary gave me a vibrant smile upon noticing my approach — it was almost like her tired expression earlier had been a lie.

As I expected, she was hungry. “I’m sorry for coming so late, Mary! Here, try this... This sandwich is a new recipe, from what I’ve heard!”

“I am delighted that you have decided to come by, Lady Katarina. I was worried... since you hadn’t returned from the stands after quite some time...”

“Ah... yes. Sorry about that.” In truth, we had passed by this space on our way to the stands, and had met with Mary before. I had told her that we were simply “going to have a look at the offerings”... and ended up taking quite a while. Of course Mary would be worried. My heartfelt apologies, Mary!

“Big Sister... if I had to guess, you simply lost track of time, sampling one new dish or another, no?” Keith said, sighing as he did so.

As expected of my dear brother. I now see that our family bond of more than eight years has gifted him with incredible insight. At the very least, Keith seemed to know a lot about his adoptive sister.

“...I’m sorry.” I bowed my head once more to the worried Mary and Keith.

“Think nothing of it, Lady Katarina. I am only glad that you are safe.” Mary said, smiling gently.

Keith, however... “Really, Big Sister. Are you not being a little too careless? You do have a penchant for getting into trouble. Please be aware of that... and be more careful,” he said with a strict look about him.

For some reason, it seemed like Keith was taking after Mother more and more as the years went by. If this went on, there would eventually come a day where he would spend hours lecturing me, just as Mother would... Two mothers... would I be able to endure such a thing?

“Lady Katarina, the crowds are thinning as we speak. We were just thinking of having a short rest soon, perhaps, and maybe having something to eat. I am most grateful for the food you have brought us. Would you like to eat together with us?” Mary, as if making a complete recovery, was now looking out for me instead.

“R-Really?!” In truth, I did feel a bit of regret for handing out that limited, new-recipe sandwich. If possible I would have liked a taste too.

“Big Sister... have you not already had quite a lot to eat? You wish to eat some more?” Keith inquired, looking at me with an exasperated expression. The classmates who had followed me to the stands seemed equally surprised.

As I’d feared... if I continue to gorge myself like this, everyone will think I am a terrible glutton. But that’s not true! I’m normal! It’s just that noble ladies eat too little.

And then there’s the fact that these dresses are far too tight... perhaps they are bound by these dresses, and can’t eat as much as they want to. I had asked for a dress of mine to be loosened, all for the sake of gorging myself at the stands today.

My maid Anne wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect, and had protested vehemently. “Young miss, why would you want to loosen such a spectacular dress...?” she said. However, I had threatened to show up in my farming overalls if it was not done, and she eventually gave in to my request.

This is why I was able to eat more than my classmates and friends! I am most definitely not a glutton!

However... I suppose I should only have a little bit. “...Yes, Mary. Just a little,” I added to my previous outburst.

And so, Mary, Keith, and I ended up sitting at a resting space at the venue, where tea was served and sandwiches eaten. I had asked the classmates with me to join us for tea, but they had politely declined. “We are already quite full, Lady Katarina. We shall go have a look at the exhibits instead.”

Do you not understand, my dear classmates? All you have to do is to loosen your dresses!

“Wow... it does look delicious!” The sandwich was quite different from the ones I had before — it was a new recipe too.

“Why yes, it does look most appetizing indeed. Thank you very much, Lady Katarina.” Mary said, smiling faintly at me as I started drooling at the sight of the sandwich.

“Big Sister... did you not already have quite a lot to eat? Please eat in moderation lest you get a stomach ache,” Keith said. He really did understand his sister...

“...Yes, I understand.” But I already loosened my dress in advance! There should be no problems! With that in mind, I reached for a piece of the sandwich and placed it into my mouth.

Ah... yes. Delicious. The first store’s sandwich was more of a snack food, with the jam at its center being the main feature. This particular sandwich, however, was filled with fresh lettuce and crispy, fried bacon. If anything, it felt more like a main course. There were so many different kinds of sandwiches!

Ah... that one over there with the potato salad in it looks good too. And then there’s this one here, with bits of egg in its center...

Hmm. I was at a loss — I wanted to sample all the sandwiches on offer! Oh, I know! “Hey, Keith... could I split the sandwiches with you? I’ll have half.”

“...Sure. I thought you might say that, Big Sister.”

“Hooray!”

Although the portion sizes of food in this world were relatively small, there was quite a large variety available. I suppose it was more of a cultural feature amongst nobles, as opposed to the rest of the world at large — but even so, there really was an impressive variety of foods.

I always wanted to eat whatever was rare or caught my attention. In my previous life, my mother had taught me to leave my plates clean — and even my chopsticks, too. Her teachings remained alive and well in my heart to this day.

As a result of this, however, I had often ended up getting stomach aches in my childhood, simply because I had too much to eat. Keith, upon seeing this, would always say: “If you would like to try a bit of everything, Big Sister, how about you split half of it with me? I will finish the other half for you.”

While I couldn’t exactly do it openly in a public space, I had often sneakily split my meals in half back at the Claes Manor. Keith finished the rest, of course. Since Keith said he was fine with it, I took the potato salad sandwich in my hands, splitting it into two equal halves to the best of my ability. I held out one half to Keith’s lips. “Here you go, Keith! Try some.”

Under normal circumstances, Keith would usually eat anything I offered him without a second thought. Today, however, his expression was strangely ambivalent — and also frozen. I wondered if something was wrong.

“Is something the matter, Keith?”

“A-Ah... well. Big Sister... Could we perhaps not do this in public, and in full view of others?”

“Others? But this isn’t really a public venue? Didn’t you just say it was fine just moments ago?”

“Well... I didn’t mean it in this particular way... that...”

Hmm. Keith is acting suspiciously.

“Hmm? So the two of you always do this, as long as you are not in a public space...?” For some reason, Mary had the most dazzling smile on her face as she posed her question.

“Ah, right. When I have something that I wish to taste, but cannot finish it all, I often split half of it, and give it to Keith.”

“Is that right? And so, Lady Katarina... do you mean to say that this half portion is always fed to Master Keith’s lips... with your hands?”

“Of course. It wasn’t like that at first, but Keith requested that he be fed in this particular way when it came to splitting food a while ago, and so now I always do.”

It was exactly so. Although we had split food for as long as I could remember, Keith had requested that I feed him the split half by hand a while ago. I wonder why he made such a request? Is it because it’s troublesome, having to reach for the portion himself? I didn’t quite understand his reasons — if anything, this was quite the social faux pas when it came to dining etiquette, especially so for Keith.

Keith rarely made requests like this though, so I decided to oblige, and as such ended up feeding him in this particular way ever since. Upon hearing my explanation, Mary’s smile became deeper, and more... intense. Hmm? What is this... tension, in the air?

“...Master Keith. Did you not agree that you would not abuse your position of a family member, and keep her all to yourself? You did, did you not?”

“N-No... Nothing of the sort! This is hardly anything special...! It is not as if I would lay my hands on her in any uncouth ways, unlike Prince Jeord!”

“Please do not bring Prince Jeord into this conversation, or use him as a point of reference. He is abnormal! I had thought that you were far too awkward, not even trying to hold hands... a miscalculation on my part.”

“Lady Mary, you know I can hear you despite your muffled whispers. What a thing to say! The height of rudeness, this is! Do you not also abuse the fact that you are a woman? You engage in excessive bodily contact — hugging, touching... is that not true?”

“Oh my. Abuse, Master Keith? How equally rude of you. It is most normal for girls to hug and touch each other, is it not? And then eventually... slowly... even share a bath together...”

“I must disagree, Lady Mary. What you just said cannot possibly be construed as normal.”

“Alas, Master Keith. Does that not say more about you and your perspective instead?”

What’s going on? For some reason, the act of me splitting my food seemed to put quite the fire under these two. They were now locked in an intensely escalating conversation, each sentence more passionate than the last.

I had known that Keith and Jeord got along well... but apparently Keith and Mary did too! The way they spoke without hesitation... I couldn’t see anything but two people who truly empathize with each other.

...Huh?! Could it be? The person whom Keith liked... the reason for him turning down wave after wave of suitors. I had assumed all this time that it was the original protagonist of Fortune Lover, Maria... but. Could it be? Mary?

Mary was very unlike how she had been portrayed in the game. She was hardly interested in Alan... could it be that she had feelings for Keith? A potential love interest and a rival character from another route... this would have been an impossible match-up in the game. The reality before me, however, was one in which the events of Fortune Lover had already ended. The impossible... could very well be possible.

My woman’s intuition is terrifying indeed... I continued looking at the two, still passionately engaged in conversation. Keith had no fiancée... and Mary was the fiancée to the fourth crown prince of the kingdom, Alan. Although the two had yet to be connected, Alan seemed to value Mary greatly. In fact, the way that he had been following Mary around recently... he almost looked like an underling. Hmm. Wait, no. More like a knight protecting his princess.

This was a forbidden love. One that cannot be easily permitted or forgiven. “O Keith, Keith! Wherefore art thou Keith?” “Ah, Mary!” The scenes from a particularly famous romantic tragedy rose up from the depths of my mind... with Keith and Mary as the main cast. Ahh, how sad!

I looked at the two intensely before declaring my intent. “Keith... Mary. Should the time ever come to pass, I will definitely side with you both, don’t you worry! Even if any mistakes are made... I will not allow this to become a romantic tragedy, like Romeo and the rest!”

The two became quiet immediately upon witnessing my passionate gaze. It was as if the intense conversation they were having had never occurred in the first place.

“Big Sister... I don’t quite know what you are thinking in that head of yours — but I am very sure that whatever conclusion you have arrived at, it is most mistaken.”

Eh? I was wrong? B-But my woman’s intuition...

“I would have to agree as well, Lady Katarina. I vehemently reject such a conclusion,” Mary said in a firm, yet calm voice.

But... I still hadn’t asked! I could not be sure! Perhaps I should make that inquiry, just to be safe...

“...Um. Then... The love between Keith and Mary...?”

“You are most mistaken, Lady Katarina,” The two of them declared, not allowing me to finish my sentence.

...Is that so. For a while after, both Keith and Mary regarded me with seemingly disappointed gazes. Why?

The two of them then asked me who “Romeo” was. I suppose they were itching to know. “A main character in a romantic-tragedy story,” I answered, before leaving the resting venue behind.

After meeting up with my classmates who were touring the exhibits, we continued our journey. This time we headed towards the stage area where plays and performances were taking place. It resembled the school gymnasium in my previous life; a stage would be set up there, and the band or drama club would stage their performances.

Well... in this case, I would say that it was more of a theatre — a certainly well-constructed, respectable building. Sophia was waiting for me there... or at least, she should have been. We arrived just when a performance had ended, and the audience was currently filing away. I looked near the entrances and exits of the stage, but couldn’t find anyone.

Hmm? Is it break-time, perhaps? I decided to ask a first-year nearby about it.

“Ah, Lady Ascart? She had a visitor, I believe? It got a little... out of hand, so she headed to the backstage area...”

A visitor? Out of hand? I hardly understood what the first-year told me, but I supposed all that was left to do was to head behind the stage, and that was what I did.

“Ah, Lady Katarina. I am glad that you have come...” Greeting me was a beautiful girl with hair like strands of white silk and a pair of ruby-red eyes. A close friend of mine on the student council, and the daughter of Count Ascart — Sophia Ascart.

Standing behind her was none other than her elder brother, Nicol Ascart... the Alluring Count himself, with his jet-black hair and eyes. I was the only one who referred to him that way, though. As usual, his charm aura was in full bloom, as expected of the Count. Soon, he noticed me.

“It has been a while, Katarina,” he said as that familiar seductive smile crossed his features. While Nicol was usually stoic and expressionless, these occasional smiles of his were deadly weapons indeed — such was the extent of his charm. In these past few years, the power of his smile had only increased exponentially. Even a long-time friend of Nicol’s such as myself could not help but blush in response.

“...A-Ah. Yes. A while indeed, Master Nicol.” I mustered up all of the Nicol Resistance I had within myself, and somehow managed to respond somewhat normally.

Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen Nicol for quite some time, but it was almost like he was... sparkling. No matter how long I had known him, a single lapse in my attention was enough for my mind to completely blank out... but that was that. More importantly...

“Why are you hiding in the backstage area, Sophia? Given that both of you are here, wouldn’t you get a sizable crowd if you stood at the front instead?”

Come to think of it, Jeord had even said that was the whole point. The members of the student council were each positioned at their respective spots precisely because they were popular and they’d attract people to those particular locations. In other words... the members of the student council were like mascots — no, beacons in charge of attracting students to their areas.

Given that it wasn’t even break time, it was a waste for them both to hide in the back like this. After all, the Ascart siblings were both impossibly beautiful. They were almost like living dolls. Nicol, in particular, seemed to appeal to both men and women — the Alluring Count and his undiscriminating aura of oppressive charm.

Although Nicol had graduated last year, and as such was no longer a student of the Academy of Magic, he was still an ex-council member, and I assumed that he was here to help with the event. I posed my question to Sophia, and she responded with a somewhat troubled expression.

“In truth... I had assumed that many students would come to this venue if Big Brother stood at the entrance, too... and so I had him stand there...”

Ah, so it’s already been done. Eh? Then why are they here right now? “Well then... why hide in the backstage area now?”

“You see, Lady Katarina... it was indeed true, many students were attracted to our allocated area, but... they became much like how all of you are right now.”

I followed Sophia’s gaze to my other classmates, who were currently rooted to the ground and staring at Nicol fixedly, their faces beet red. M-My friends...

“And everyone... would only continue looking at Big Brother. To the point where... the performers were upset! No one was paying any attention to them. And so we were t-told... to go somewhere where no one would see us...” Sophia said, her sad gaze locking onto mine.

...I see. I suppose there was no choice... After all, if they stayed out there, they’d just draw attention away from the actual event. It was impossible to tell the Alluring Count not to stand out. His very presence filled the air around him with glamorous, radiant sparkles.

I placed a hand on Sophia’s sadly slumped shoulders and gave her a few good pats. “Come now, Sophia! I brought you a little something from the stands. I’m sure this delectable morsel will cheer you right up!”

“Thank you very much, Lady Katarina...” Sophia said, a faint smile on her lips. As expected of the sister of the Alluring Count... even a woman such as myself felt my heart skip a beat.

I handed Sophia and Nicol a fluffy chocolate pastry of sorts — it was something between bread and cake in terms of consistency. Surely their hunger would be sated by this tasty treat.

“Come to think of it... Lady Katarina... you ended up not participating in the student council play...” Sophia said, as if suddenly remembering this fact. She spoke as she chomped down, her cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel. She was simply too adorable — before I knew it, I already found myself wanting to rub her rosy cheeks.

Mother and Anne, however, always seemed to snap angrily at me whenever I’d stuffed my cheeks full of snacks. “Don’t stuff your food into your cheeks like that!!” they would say. I wonder what the difference between Sophia and me was?

“Ah, that. Well, I’m not really a member of the council after all, and I don’t really have any talent in acting.” While it was true that I had blended in with the rest of the council for the past year, to the point where even the new first-years thought I was a member... participating in a performance was another thing altogether. I was an outsider for all intents and purposes.

And anyway, the script for the play was much like the story of Cinderella that I had read in my previous life. I hardly had the confidence to play any role in such a glittering, glamorous drama. There weren’t any roles for rocks and trees. Though since I was always in the council chambers I did make it a point to assist my friends behind the scenes — cleaning up tools, helping with props, and whatnot.

“Ah... I had thought that I would be able to see you on stage, Lady Katarina...” Sophia said, her shoulders once again slumping, evidently disappointed.

Even Nicol, who was standing beside her, looked equally disappointed. “...I see. So Katarina will not be performing...” he said, a hint of regret in his voice.

Eh? Why are they so down? Yet even those somewhat-pained expressions of theirs were attractive in their own way. My classmates, who were still standing behind me, now had their eyes unfocused, as if in a daze... You doing okay over there, friends?

Or maybe... Nicol and Sophia were only expressing such sorrow because I was a childhood friend of theirs. To begin with, I was hardly as beautiful and attractive as the other members of the council. I couldn’t imagine the council play requiring someone like me, given that I had the face of a villainess. Instead...

“But wouldn’t it make more sense for you to star in a performance, Master Nicol? After all, you never did anything like that during your school festival. How about starring as a guest character in a short performance?”

While the Alluring Count Nicol Ascart did have his own school festival when he was a first-year, the council was overloaded with work then, and was too busy to put on any kind of performance. That was what a second-year on the council had told me.

As for the work the council was suddenly loaded with... well. From what I was told, it was dealing with everyone who had been charmed by the Count’s Alluring Aura...

“...Sadly, Katarina, I am incapable of acting,” Nicol replied after some thought on the matter.

“...Incapable, Master Nicol?”

“Hmm... I do think so, Lady Katarina... Big Brother would be a little troubled if he had to act.” Sophia was the one to respond to my inquiry. “Although Big Brother is an amazing person... and I may say that as family — he finds it unfortunately... difficult... to control what emotions he shows outwardly... It is quite the flaw...”

“Oh, yeah... That’s right...” Although Nicol’s gamut of emotions had increased recently, from him smiling to even showing expressions of disappointment, said occurrences were hardly planned. Nicol himself was not quite able to smile on command. I had realized this upon enrolling into the academy... while Nicol did portray quite a range of emotions when he was with me and my friends, he was usually back to his stoic self in any other location or setting.

And so, the discussion shifted to urging Nicol to practice his smiling... so that he could smile in other situations as well.

“Well then, Master Nicol. Please try to smile!” I said.

“I will,” Nicol responded, and gave his best. And then, the all-too-familiar alluring smile that I had seen all these years... was nowhere to be found. No matter how much I waited, only a slight twitch at the side of Nicol’s lips graced my eyes.

In the end, I had to resign myself to the fact that Nicol was incapable of smiling on his own volition... or, at the very least, was unable to control his expressions easily. What a shocking development! The omnipotent Nicol’s one and only flaw...

It was then that I realized — wouldn’t it be hard for him, as a noble, to not be able to smile when needed? In Nicol’s case, however, I supposed his stoic expression was more than enough to charm people of all genders, given his Alluring Aura. In this case, I guess it all worked out.

I see... so this is what the gods of the world had in mind for Nicol. In exchange for his alluring aura and charms... he is unable to smile freely. Somehow, I felt very convinced at the validity of this reasoning.

Hmm. With that in mind, I suppose asking Nicol to act would be very difficult indeed. But of course, there’s always the option of playing the role of a rock, or perhaps a tree...

“Ah... but if it is you, Lady Katarina, a smile would surely come across Big Brother’s face...” Sophia said, as if suddenly coming up with a most fabulous idea.

But I disagreed. “In that case, wouldn’t it make more sense for his practice partner to be you, Sophia?”

After all, Nicol loved his little sister very much. He had followed closely behind her ever since they were children. Even after graduating from the academy, he would still visit occasionally, sneakily checking on his sister out of worry. Considering that Sophia was his blood sister, and that she was quite the beautiful young girl, I could easily empathize with Nicol’s tendency to worry about her.

“Alas... I do not have the strength. The only one who can draw out Big Brother’s smile is you alone, Lady Katarina.”

“Ah, no, but then I wouldn’t be able to either—”

“No, that is not true, Lady Katarina!” Sophia insisted. “Ah! How about we have Big Brother say some lines from the play right now? You can be the actress opposite him, Lady Katarina. Surely Big Brother will say these lines with a smile.”

For some reason, Sophia had suddenly cheered up, and declared that she was insufficient for the role. No matter how much I tried to escape from the situation, she simply insisted that I participate, her eyes sparkling with expectation as she told her brother the lines from the play.

Seeing how happy Sophia was, I relented. If it’s to make Sophia that happy, I guess it’s all right, I thought. Nicol did love his sister, and Sophia also admired her brother greatly. I supposed she simply wanted to see her brother finally get a good grasp on acting.

Having me as Nicol’s partner in this exercise was, of course, to keep the gazes of the audience on the Alluring Count himself. All right, then! I shall try my very best to be the partner of the Count, all of the sake of the darling Sophia.

The scene that she had requested of Nicol was one from the climax of the play — the main love scene. To be specific, it was the scene where the prince lovingly strokes the hair of the girl he loves, smiling gently. He would then whisper sweet nothings into her ear and hold her tight.

The only line that the partner actress had in this scene was “Me too, Prince...” Even I, who only had experience playing rocks and trees, wouldn’t have a problem with such a short line. Well then, bring it on! I shall give it my all for Sophia’s sake.

“Okay, please go ahead, Master Nicol!” I said, standing before Nicol and drawing myself up to my full height. I looked a little daunting.

Sophia quickly whispered, “Lady Katarina... psst! The way you are standing...!”

Ah, silly me. I have to stand more like... a princess would. I brought my feet closer together from my previously wide stance.

With all the preparations complete, Nicol slowly approached. I could see traces of nervousness on his face. We weren’t standing on an actual stage, and the only people watching were Sophia and my starstruck classmates. Does Nicol dislike acting this much?

“...Sophia. I...”

“No, Big Brother. You must try. After all, you have already graduated from the academy, and we are at a clear disadvantage! We have to seize the opportunity and approach at this crucial moment!”

Nicol and Sophia seemed to be whispering about something. As expected, it would seem that Nicol was not very keen on performing after all. However, Sophia was being somewhat insistent, given that she had so much sisterly love for Nicol.

In the end, Nicol, unable to deny his lovable sister’s request, stood before me once more. I could see the resolve in his face. “Are you ready, Katarina?”

“Yes. I shall do my best to be your partner in this endeavor, Master Nicol, for Sophia’s sake! You can count on me.” Although it was the first time I had played a human, this was not a real stage, and was only a one-off. I shall strive to be the best actress I can be, and overcome this challenge!

“Is that so... thank you.” Nicol’s alluring smile showed itself once more.

Ugh, this is bad. My face was already bright red thanks to Nicol’s overflowing charm. Endure it, actress Katarina Claes!

As I continued my best attempts at enduring the experience, Nicol ran his fingers through my long hair, gently and slowly. I could feel my heartbeat increasing as his long, beautiful fingers ran through my hair smoothly. His alluring charm was simply too much to handle. If this went on I would lose my mind too, just like my unfortunate classmates behind me. I was already too close to my limit.

With his stunning smile, Nicol delivered his line from the play: “I love you.”

I could feel the strength leave my legs upon hearing his sweet, seductive voice. I had developed a respectably high amount of Nicol Resistance, having known him across all these years. So I managed to struggle out my line.

“...M-Me... too. Master Nicol.” Upon hearing my line, however, Nicol’s smile... froze.

Eh? Why? AH!! I delivered my lines wrong! I, Katarina Claes, who had been so unfortunately swayed by the charming wiles of the Alluring Count, had ended up calling the Prince “Master Nicol” instead. H-How could I have messed up such a short, simple line... Nicol must be frozen in place, stunned at my incompetence.

“Um... Master Nicol...” Before I could finish my apology of “I’m so sorry for messing up!” — I realized that I was in Nicol’s arms.

Ah... I guess he wants to continue, in spite of my mistake. Hmm. But... the way he’s holding me is more... passionate, than I expected. Stronger, than I expected. More importantly... what’s this pleasant smell, now that I’m so close?

This... this is bad. I could feel my mind slipping into emptiness, taken by the Alluring Aura... With my consciousness somewhat impaired, I could hear Nicol whisper something in my ear. Strangely, he sounded pained.

“...Katarina. Even if you belong to someone else... I... will certainly...”

Eh? Is that one of the lines? I wondered briefly. The sweet, charming words whispered into my ears soon took effect. I, Katarina Claes, stopped thinking.

From somewhere far away, I felt like I could hear... Sophia’s voice. “You did it, Big Brother!”

...ACK! Where is this? Where am I? When I regained some semblance of consciousness, we were already a considerable distance away from Sophia and Nicol.

Honestly speaking, I didn’t have any memory of saying goodbye to them. In fact, I could hardly remember anything from after I had wrongly delivered my line. It would appear that I had lost all my memories of the incident, in no small part due to the incredible charm of the Alluring Count.

In addition, the friends and classmates who were with me claimed that they remembered nothing of the meeting at all — their memories were apparently a blank, and the last thing they could recall was the Count’s smile. The Alluring Count. A truly fearsome person...

And with that, our little group was finally aware and conscious once more. Our next destination was a space dedicated to displaying and selling things made by the academy students. Gathered here were various handicrafts — embroidery, art pieces, and even some products and art created by the Magical Ministry’s research facility on the campus.

Maria was in this space as well, with her handmade snacks on sale. My classmates wanted to look at the embroidery on sale, so we parted ways and I headed over to her. With her blonde hair and clear, blue eyes, I would say that Maria was the most, if not at least second most beautiful girl in the academy. It didn’t take long for me to find her. Although it was quite different than the oppressive force of Nicol’s alluring charm, the charming Maria easily drew many pairs of eyes to her.

“Maria!” I called out as I approached.

“Lady Katarina, it’s been a while,” a voice to my side responded — and upon turning, I came face to face with a brown-haired, grey-eyed youth. He was a very normal-looking person, and it took me a moment to recognize him — but he, too, was someone I knew very well.

“Raphael! You’re participating in the festival too?”

“Yes. I am in charge of curating the items presented for sale at the festival, you see,” Raphael Wolt replied, with his gentle, fleeting smile.

Up until the previous year, he had been a student at the academy, and was even the Student Council President. However, due to certain incidents that had occurred last year, Raphael had to leave the academy, and was now working at the Magical Ministry’s research facility on the campus.

After that incident, he had discarded his false name and started a new life. Given that he originally had a head full of red hair and was quite the charming young man himself, he would stand out a little too much. This was why he had taken on the guise of the plain, brown-haired youth instead — the same person standing before me.

“I see you’re working hard!” Given that the incident was not exactly caused by his own will, Raphael had decided to work for the Ministry, and it would seem that he was doing somewhat well for himself.

“Yes. I am at the bottom of the food chain, after all. There is much work to be done.” Although the work that Raphael described seemed incredibly complicated, there was a certain liveliness about him. Ever since he had gone back to being his old self, he seemed a lot brighter, more cheerful than compared to before.

As we stood discussing Raphael’s current situation, Maria soon spotted us and made her way to where we stood. “I am very glad that you are here to visit, Lady Katarina. Here... this is your share,” she said, offering to me some of her handmade snacks. At my behest, Maria had used the crops I had grown to make snacks to sell at the festival.

“Wow! Thank you for setting some aside for me! How were the sales?”

“Of course, Lady Katarina. Honestly... I was worried, thinking that the snacks I made would not sell at all... but thanks to you, Lady Katarina, I am almost completely sold out.” Maria gestured to her product stand, and just as she said, only a few remained — two to three small packages, perhaps. Although there was still plenty of time left in the festival, her goods had sold that well already.

“They must have been so popular! Of course, since they’re your homemade snacks, Maria.”

“No, this is thanks to your assistance as well, Lady Katarina. After all, you spread the word far and wide, didn’t you?”

Indeed, I had made it a point to tell everyone I knew. After all, this entire idea was mine to begin with. I’d wanted to put my back into it and help make the treats too, but...

A few times while I was helping bake, the snacks had caught fire. The fire even spread to other parts of the kitchen. And another time, a small explosion erupted in the pot I was using for some strange reason, and it made a huge mess.

Regardless of my mistakes, however, Maria would smile at me most angelically, saying, “Ah, it’s your first time, Lady Katarina. It’s quite all right.” The staff in charge of the kitchen, however, did not seem to share Maria’s optimism.

“Please, retrieve Katarina Claes this very instant!” they pleaded — and their words eventually reached the ears of my adopted brother, Keith. Keith soon arrived, and, dragging me by the back of my collar, cleanly hauled me out of the kitchen and into my quarters.

But... even so... there has to be something I could do! I’d thought. I offered to help with the wrapping, but I wasn’t very craft-oriented, and soon made a mess of the wrapping paper. Even so, Maria merely said the same thing, again with her same angelic smile, “Ah, it’s your first time, Lady Katarina. It’s quite all right.” Soon, the amount of damaged wrapping paper was arranged into two large stacks.

It was then that Jeord intervened, retrieving and confiscating the rest of the papers from my hands. “Katarina. It is a waste of paper, as you can see. You have done enough, no?”

In the end, I was hardly able to help with anything. Maria, the sweet girl she was, decided to task me with the role of food tester instead. Though... all I had to do for that was eat the snacks that Maria made.

Ugh... I am so sorry I’m not of much use, I’d thought. But... Maria really is an angel in the flesh. I wish I could take her as my bride. And with that, I was told to taste the finished treats — and oh, they were so, so delicious. So delicious were the snacks that I simply kept on eating until I ate far too much.

Before I knew it, all the prototype snacks had been consumed by none other than yours truly... and Alan was cross at me for it. “Oi! What are we going to do with you, eating all of it like that?” he said, confiscating the other samples.

So I, Katarina Claes, had suggested an idea... and then couldn’t help with any aspect of it. I continued to think and think about what I could do to help, but I drew a blank.

I asked Keith about it, and he promptly said, “Well then, Big Sister, how about you simply raise public awareness of our little venture?”

It was a splendid idea. I made my way around campus, desperately extolling the virtues of Maria’s homemade snacks. Even so, the sale of Maria’s snacks couldn’t possibly be attributed to my advertising alone.

“Well, I did advertise. But the snacks wouldn’t have sold like this if they weren’t as delicious as yours are! The reason they’re so popular is because they taste good!”

“...Thank you very much, Lady Katarina...” Maria said, a slight blush tinting her cheeks as she smiled faintly at me.

Ah, such a cute face. Surely one look was enough to charm the hearts of any man in the lands. Ahh... Maria is really, truly cute! If I were a man, I would have asked for her hand in marriage in a heartbeat! As I continued to daydream, however...

“Come to think of it, Lady Campbell has decided to sign up at the Ministry, or so I hear...” Raphael casually said. This was something I had never heard of before.

“Eh?! Maria... you’re going to work for the Ministry?”

“Ah, yes. I have decided to join the Ministry after graduation.”

“Is... Is that so? But Maria... Didn’t you say during your first year that you wanted to return home after graduation and live on quietly?”

Maria was, from what I understood, one of the few Wielders of Light in the kingdom. What I didn’t know was the fact that her magic was significantly powerful even amongst this small number, and that she had received an invitation from the Ministry to join their ranks after graduation.

Didn’t she say during her first year that she wanted to “return home and live a quiet life”? Did something happen to change her mind?

“Well... It is true, that was what I had thought shortly after enrolling in the academy, that I would simply return home and live a quiet life... but.” A familiar gaze suddenly entered Maria’s eyes — it was a look of strong, unwavering resolve. “But. I could no longer... be by your side, then.”

“?” I could only stare blankly, not understanding her words. Maria, however, simply smiled gently.

“Just like I asked during the graduation ceremony last year, Lady Katarina... I would like to stay by your side, from here on out. However... even if I am a Wielder of Light, I am but a commoner... I need a certain degree of social standing, Lady Katarina, to stand by you — given that you are a noble, and the daughter of Duke Claes... and so I decided that I would join the Ministry, and attain the position I require.”

Maria’s words were almost like a proposal. For some reason I felt incredibly embarrassed. “...A-Ah... Right. Thank you, Maria. I... um. I am very happy.” Wow... I really am blushing. I could feel the heat radiating from my face.

Perhaps due to my reaction, Maria’s face was soon bright red as well. Turning to face each other, we smiled, each blushing and equally embarrassed. It was almost like Maria and I were a couple!

“Ah... do excuse me. I hate to interrupt the private world that the two of you have conjured... but I am present as well... yes?”

“Ah... oh, Raphael. A private world, you say...” Raphael’s exasperated gaze soon dragged me back to reality. That was dangerous, terribly dangerous indeed! Maria is simply too lovable... I was about to fall through the gates of a most forbidden world!

In fact, I was most likely just one step away from saying “Maria. Please... be my bride.” As expected of an otome game’s actual protagonist. Maria’s charm was nothing to scoff at.

“Even so... to think that the motivation for you joining the Ministry, the apple of this kingdom’s eye... is to be with Lady Katarina. As expected of you, Lady Campbell.”

“I do understand that my reasons for joining the Ministry may be... impure. But even so... I intend to give it my all once I join its ranks. I will be in your care,” Maria said, her tone serious and determined as she addressed her future senior at the Ministry, Raphael.

“I do not think that wanting to be close to someone important to you constitutes impurity, Lady Campbell. After all, I would have done the same thing had I been in your position. However...”

“However?”

“Even if you do join the Ministry, Lady Katarina will marry Prince Jeord upon graduation. She will then become very busy, and it is unlikely that we will be able to see her often, as we do now.”

“?!” Maria and I both had the same look on our faces — the shock of a sudden realization. Raphael seemed equally surprised at the sight of this, as if he was saying “Well, Lady Campbell is one thing, but you’re shocked by this too, Lady Katarina?!”

“That... That’s right... Lady Katarina is Prince Jeord’s fiancée... She will immediately become his bride after graduation, and spend her days in the castle. We may not be able to see her then... I don’t think I would like that very much...”

“Yes... if this goes on, I have to marry Jeord and become a royal. That would be bad... I’m barely making it as the daughter of a duke, but a royal...!”

Raphael continued looking at the two of us, somewhat troubled by our onset of depression upon realizing where we stood. “...Have you considered joining the Ministry as well, Lady Katarina?”

“Eh? I can do that? Actually, does joining the Ministry mean I wouldn’t have to get married anymore?” Raphael’s statement had me completely hooked. Slowly, he began feeding me the details.

“Basically, it is possible for one to join the ranks of the Ministry with the recommendation of a staff member with considerable social standing. Well... while I do not think that simply joining the Ministry would cancel the entire engagement, the Ministry is only second to the King himself when it comes to political power. I hardly think that you would be dragged off to the castle immediately.”

I see! So if I join the Ministry, I can further delay the marriage! And if I delay it long enough, Jeord will certainly fall for Maria or some other splendid noble lady... With that, I would be freed from my role! All right, Katarina Claes! Let us aim to sign on with the Magical Ministry!

...Or at least, that was what I thought, but... my magical capability was low. In fact, the only spell that I could use was Earth Raiser.

“Um... Raphael. As you may know, my magical capability is... depressingly low...”

“Ah, about that. While it is indeed true that there were many in the Ministry who have high magical capability, there are equally many who are not as magically gifted. After all, we do not exactly turn away those who are simply interested in magic.”

“Is that so?! That’s great! Well then... I will work hard... But didn’t you say that I needed a letter of recommendation from an important person in the Ministry?”

Honestly, the only one I knew within the Ministry was Raphael. I could possibly speak with Father and have him use his connections to get me a letter of recommendation... but would such a thing even be accepted by the Ministry in the first place?

“Ugh... Then this will be really difficult, won’t it? After all, no one would give someone like me a recommendation...” It was such a great suggestion too! I sighed, resigning myself to my fate once more.

Raphael, however, smiled somewhat suggestively. “Don’t be so sad, Lady Katarina. There is in fact... someone who would write a letter of recommendation for you.”

“...Eh?!”

“In truth, Lady Katarina... my superior has become most interested in you. That person would surely write a letter for you in a heartbeat.”

“Your... superior? And this person, they know of me?”

“Yes. I do believe that they are likely to greet you sooner or later. After all, they did mention wanting to speak with you, Lady Katarina.”

“Hmm... well, what kind of person are they?”

“Someone with quite the individualistic streak, I would say. But to me, they are a very kind person.”

“Um, excuse me!” Maria said, forcefully interrupting the conversation Raphael and I were having. Maria was hardly the kind of person to do things like this, but she seemed more... desperate than usual.

“Wh-What is it, Maria? What happened? That expression of yours!”

“U-Um. Well... if we were to summarize what we’ve just learned... if Raphael’s superior would indeed write you a letter of recommendation, and you enter the Magical Ministry... then... then! Then we would be together forever!”

“That would be so, yes.” Raphael said. His gentle smile seemed to wash away Maria’s agitation, and soon she was smiling happily. And then...

“Lady Katarina, let’s join the ranks of the Ministry together. I will do what I can to help! Please, you must, oh you must!” Maria clasped my hands in hers — her eyes were sparkling.

Raphael, too, raised his hand, encouraging us from the sidelines. “I will help too, of course.”

“Eh?! Th-Thank you so much!”

“Well let’s do this then, we’ll work hard together!” Maria said, her passion burning fiercely.

With our discussion done, I left Maria and Raphael behind, heading to the classmates that I had split off from a while ago. Come to think of it... I should have asked more about Raphael’s superior. Hmm. Well, I suppose I can just ask next time.

With that, I finally met up with my friends, who had apparently bought a large number of items from the sale area.

“I purchased an embroidered handkerchief.”

“An earring and necklace for me.”

“I bought a plush toy.”

Each of the girls held something cute in their hands to make a happy memory of the school festival. They seemed to be having fun.

As for me... I looked down at the bags hanging from my arms. There was only... food. It would be gone as soon as I ate it, and wouldn’t make for much of a souvenir. “...I suppose I should purchase something as a memory, too.”

My classmates and friends all smiled upon hearing this.

“Oh, yes, how wonderful!”

“We should do that, Lady Katarina.”

Now then... I had thought of purchasing something, but now that I was actually here, I wasn’t quite sure as to what I wanted to buy. Honestly, I couldn’t envision myself being pleased with some embroidered items, an accessory, or some plush toy. With the exception of items that were featured in the romance novels I read, of course.

As I stood, thinking, one of my friends pointed out a certain item to me. “How about that piece, Lady Katarina?”

“Hmm...? A brooch?” It was indeed a brooch — one with a blue stone embedded in its center. While the brooch itself was not exactly anything out of the ordinary, the stone embedded within was truly beautiful. I picked it up, and almost instantly, its color changed.

“Wow! The stone became... azure!” Given that my surprise at the color-changing stone was apparent, the merchant kindly explained that this particular stone changed colors when brought up to the light.

“I picked it up earlier too. It’s so pretty! And I was surprised when it changed colors in my hands. And then I thought... the color of the stone in the light is most reminiscent of the color of your eyes, Lady Katarina.” For some reason, the friend who had recommended the brooch to me blushed slightly as she said this. My other friends and classmates all seemed to agree.

“It’s true! How wonderful, Lady Katarina, that it is the same color as your eyes!”

“It’s beautiful. It really suits you.”

“I-Is that so...?” While I myself had never paid my azure eyes much heed, it did feel pleasant to hear that others thought they were beautiful.

In the end, I purchased the brooch with the blue stone thanks to the recommendations of my friends. The merchant handed me the brooch, now neatly packed in a small bag. I placed it in my pocket, and our group soon moved on to yet another venue.

Our next destination was the academy’s magical showcase area, where students who wielded Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth Magic showed off their abilities to an audience. After all, advancing the development of magic was one of the academy’s main aims.

Stationed at this important area were Prince Jeord and his twin brother, Prince Alan. The two of them should have been waiting nearby. By now the events of the festival had moved into their final stages, so we quickened our pace, hoping to reach our destination a little faster.

Upon our arrival, I found myself gasping in praise. “Wow... that’s something.”

A jet of water was sprouting up from a pond, much like a fountain, creating a rainbow in the sky. Carvings and statues made of earth changed their forms in the blink of an eye, and dancing, vibrant flames waltzed through the air. Small hurricanes picked up flower petals, scattering them to the winds. It was a scene right out of a fairy tale — a most wonderful and magical sight. I was once again struck by the fact that this place was indeed a kingdom of magic.

Although I’d been planning to find Jeord quickly and give him the gifts I’d brought, I found myself entranced by the mystical sight before me. It was too wonderful to look away — all I could do was stand there, staring at the displays in a trance. It was just too beautiful.

“I see you have come at last, Katarina.” As I remained lost in my thoughts, I heard a voice call out from beside me. I turned to find a familiar blue-eyed, blonde-haired prince. Jeord stood next to me, smiling as always.

“Ah, Prince Jeord. I’m sorry for taking so long...” Since I’d stopped at so many places and done so many things at the festival, I’d arrived at this venue considerably late. Well... I suppose the main reason is the amount of time I spent at the food stands in the first place...

“I forgive you, Katarina, seeing as you actually made it here before the end of the festival. Knowing you... you most likely got too excited at the food stands, and ended up spending a disproportionate amount of time there, no?”

“?!” No way! I had expected Keith to find out, more or less, but Jeord can see through me that well too... I suppose we have spent the last nine or so years together.

“I am so sorry... I was distracted by the delicious food...” Since Jeord had already deduced the truth, I had no choice but to fess up and apologize. It would be terrifying if I somehow managed to upset this particularly sadistic prince.

“It is quite all right, as you have spent your time with these female classmates of yours. However... I would not forgive similar excursions with other men...”

Hmm? Jeord mumbled something towards the end, but I couldn’t quite catch it. For some reason, the atmosphere became somewhat tense. I could feel goosebumps running down my back.

The classmates who had accompanied me up until this point turned to leave, not wanting to interrupt our conversation. “It would be most unbecoming of us to intrude, Lady Katarina. We shall make our way around the venue for now.”

Wait, you lot... don’t leave me with this black-hearted sadist prince... who’s currently radiating some strange aura! Oh, my friends! Come back to me! I thought, watching the fading silhouettes of my friends with a heavy heart. However, I could see a certain individual approaching from another direction — my savior, surely, who would do something about this strange and tense atmosphere.

“Oh, it’s you two. So you’re finally here? Thought you wouldn’t make it, see. After you said all that about ‘I’ll come by with gifts!’ this morning too... thought you wouldn’t get here, being this time and all.” Silver hair, blue eyes. The wild and haughty Prince Alan had arrived on the scene.

“I apologize... A bunch of things slowed me down along the way.” While Jeord had seen through me almost instantly, I thought something vague might pull the wool over Alan’s eyes. He was, after all, quite thick when it came to these things.

“That right? I figured you ended up eating endlessly at the stands and forgot all about the time.”

“...” Even the blockheaded Prince Alan knew exactly what had happened. For some reason, I felt a wave of gloom spread through me. I decided to change the subject by presenting the food I’d brought with me.

“Here, for you. Please try them,” I said as I took out some bread I’d bought from the stands and a packet of Maria’s homemade snacks. Maria had just given them to me, but I decided to offer them up as an apology for being so late.

“Ah, these are the baked goods Maria made, yes? How was it, did they sell?” Jeord inquired, immediately noticing the familiar packaging.

“Yes, they were very popular. In fact they’d almost sold out by the time I arrived.”

“Is that so? That is good to hear, Katarina,” Jeord replied, smiling faintly as he did so.

That smile... I could feel my womanly intuition calling out to me once more. Before I’d realized it, Jeord had been oh-so-casually calling Maria by her first name. He was worried about if Maria’s snacks sold or not... The look of relief on his face when I told him they nearly sold out. This was unmistakably...

This is it! Jeord has completely fallen for Maria! Although Fortune Lover’s scenario has already ended, he was fated to fall in love with Maria from the very beginning! Right, that’s obvious! After all, Maria is simply overflowing with charm, enough to even make my heart skip... even though I am a woman as well.

“Maria’s snack stand... you were quite enthusiastic in your support for her, no? Katarina...? Are you listening to me?”

Right... now that this is clear to me, I had even more reason to quickly enter the Magical Ministry, delay my engagement, and cheer for Jeord and his quest for Maria’s love.

“...Again, Katarina...?”

“Hey, Katarina Claes! Lady Dimwit! No good... she isn’t listening at all.”

Ah, but... what about Maria? We hadn’t had any conversations about love, or who she liked, since that graduation ceremony. I still didn’t know if there was anyone she had fallen for. There was, perhaps, the possibility that she had started liking another potential love interest who wasn’t Jeord. Hmm... I should look further into this next time— Ouch!

“Wh-What are you doing?!” I glared at the one who had suddenly rapped me on the head. It was painful, and I was shocked by the sheer abruptness of it.

The culprit, Alan, simply dismissed my protests. “Your fault for not listening when people are talking to you.”

Ugh... I guess he’s right. I’d gotten distracted by thoughts of Jeord and Maria and had become lost in my own world.

“Th-Then all you had to do was say something! You didn’t have to rap me on the head!”

“What are you blathering about, dummy? I did that already! It’s your fault for not reacting at all.” With that, Alan placed a hand on my head again and messed up my hair.

Ungh, this boorish prince! I went through all that effort to have my hair done for me, and now he messed it all up! Just as I was about to retaliate with a well-placed counterattack...

“That is quite enough, Alan. I would strongly prefer that you do not touch her so casually.” Before I could even raise a hand in retaliation, Jeord had firmly grasped Alan’s arm, coming between us as he did so.

Jeord had intervened to break up the little scuffle between Alan and I... or so it seemed. However, it felt like the atmosphere was becoming even stranger and tenser... was it just my imagination?

“...Ahh, Jeord... you’re always like this,” Alan sighed, his arm still in his brother’s grasp. “Aren’t you being a little too uptight? Keep that up and you’re going to be disliked eventually... that’s what Mary says.”

“Do inform Lady Mary that her concern is most misplaced.”

The two Princes now stood, facing each other... for some reason, the atmosphere grew even heavier than it was just now. Eh? Did my scuffle with Alan set off an argument between them? What should I do? I could only stand there, endlessly troubled by these strange developments.

“Jeord, Alan.” Someone had called out to the two princes standing before me. Turning my head to the origin of the voice, I saw two couples walk towards us. The person leading them was smiling and waving at us, so it seemed that he was the one who had called out to them just now.

He had so casually called Jeord and Alan by their first names, with no titles... I wondered who this person was. He seemed similar to someone I knew. This suspicion was confirmed by what Jeord said next: “Elder Brother Jeffery, I see you have come to visit.”

Oh, I see! Jeord’s older brother! Now that I looked at him again, his silver hair and blue eyes did remind me of Alan.

Jeord greeted the youth following after Jeffery as well. “And you too, Elder Brother Ian.”

Eh?! The one behind is his older brother too? With his blonde hair and blue eyes, he did have a striking resemblance to Jeord.

Right... the four crown princes of the kingdom were these four brothers. Jeffery, the one who looked very much like Alan, was the first crown prince. Ian, who looked like Jeord, was the second. It seemed like someone had told me all this before...

“Oh, if it isn’t Lady Katarina Claes. It has been quite a while.”

I froze up at the prince’s greeting. Eh? Been a while? Have I even met this person before?

Noticing my sudden rigidity, Jeord leaned in ever so slightly, whispering, “Come now Katarina, we all met at my birthday party once.”

Ah, that’s right! Come to think of it... Jeord did introduce me to them then. I had seen their faces, but then ended up forgetting all about it.

“Ah, yes. It has... been quite a while indeed, Prince Jeffery, Prince Ian...” After returning his greeting, I turned to the two women who had accompanied the princes here. One of them had long, black hair and blue eyes. She had all the right curves in the right places — seductive charm oozed from her being. She was exceedingly beautiful too, with a suitably attractive face to match her body.

The other woman was the exact opposite of the black-haired beauty. Instead, she had an air of refined simplicity about her. Her hair and eyes were a gentle brown, and while she wasn’t ravishing or stunning, her small frame and large eyes made her seem like a small animal of sorts. Something about her appearance made one want to protect her.

Judging by how the two of them were being escorted by the princes, I assumed that they were most likely their fiancées. But I didn’t know their names. As Jeord had said just now, I did meet with all of them at least once... but only once. I couldn’t possibly remember their faces or names. I desperately tried to recall my memories from two years ago... but it would seem that my memories had already left on a long, long journey... What should I do?

Jeord, sensing my peril, subtly whispered words of advice to my ear once more. “The one that Jeffery is escorting, with the black hair, is Lady Susanna Randall. The one that Ian is escorting, with the brown hair, is Lady Selena Berg. They are both the fiancées of my brothers.”

Thank you, Prince Jeord! Reliable as always.

“It’s good to see you Lady Randall, Lady Berg,” I said, giving the two as ladylike of a greeting as I possibly could.

“Been a while, yes. Lady Katarina, please just call me Susanna,” the black-haired, seductive beauty said, her red lipstick curling up into a friendly smile.

“It is good to see you. Please... do call me Selena.” The refined, yet cute girl with the small frame followed suit, bowing her head slightly as she greeted me in return. While they were both fiancées to crown princes, the contrast between them could not be any more stark.

“What brings you to this place today, brothers?” asked Jeord.

Jeffery answered with a jovial tone, almost beaming as he did so. “Why, to witness my beloved little brother’s amazing performance on stage, of course!” His words were unnecessarily theatrical.

Jeord stared at him coldly before turning to his other brother. “So... how about we come clean, Ian?”

“Of course. We are here on royal business. A routine examination... inspection of the Academy of Magic. I suppose Jeffery is here on similar grounds as well.”

“You suppose? Ah. I see that you two have not arrived together.”

“It goes without saying. We had just crossed paths with each other, coincidentally, moments ago,” Prince Ian replied, with calmness that was almost jarring when compared with Jeffery’s theatrical statement.

I had thought that the two royal fiancées were different... but it would seem like the princes were of contrasting personalities as well. Jeffery, who very much resembled Alan, always had a smile on his face, and seemed like he was always ready to flirt with anyone. Ian, who resembled Jeord, was the opposite — always stoic, with a serious look about him.

So... a flirt, a stoic, a black-hearted sadist prince, and a haughty, dense prince... the royal household had quite the variety of personalities indeed. Even so, they were both crown princes, right? Why weren’t they together? Did they not get along? I made a mental note to ask Jeord about this later.

Unlike Ian, who was now calmly explaining his assignment to Jeord in a deadpan tone, Jeffrey had decided to annoy his youngest brother instead. “Eh? You’re both no fun, Jeord, Ian! Well then... come here, Alan! Big Brother is here to see you!”

“H-Hey! Stop it. Don’t hug me,” Alan said, with an expression of sincere distaste on his face as Jeffery clung onto him.

I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Jeffrey, who didn’t seem well-liked by his brothers at all. Susanna, who was standing opposite me all this time, however, started laughing softly to herself. “Oh, how silly, Master Jeffery. You seem to be having fun. Well then, Lady Katarina... would you like a hug like that from me, too?” she said, out of nowhere.

“Eh?!” Wh-What is this glamorous woman talking about, all of a sudden? In fact, her hips were swaying from side to side as she approached me! She was getting closer! I-Is this woman serious? “Ah, um. Uh...” Panicking, I could hardly form words.

Susanna, however, simply regarded me with amusement, her eyes narrowing like a cat as she smiled. “Mhmhm. Alas, I was only joking, Lady Katarina. I would not take you into my arms without warning.”

“Ah... right. Right.” I was shocked... I had taken her little joke seriously. Alas, I, Katarina Claes, could not understand the jokes of impossibly glamorous women.

Lowering her voice to a whisper, Susanna continued. “...Not yet, anyway. Not now,” she said, her smile growing broader.

I started panicking once more. Eh? That was another joke, right?

Just then, the sound of bells rang out through the air. Clang! Clang! It would seem that there wasn’t much time left in the festival. Once the event was over, the schedule would move on to the ball that was scheduled for that night.

“Ah. Do excuse us. We have to head to the stage soon,” Jeord said as the bells continued tolling. The play by the student council was the last event before the dance ball. This was why Jeord was heading off — he and the other members should be gathering near the stage now, ready to show off their acting skills.

“Ho? A performance, Jeord? I would like to see it too, oh yes.”

“Enough with the tomfoolery, Jeffery. We’re heading back.”

“Ehh...? You really are no fun, Ian. Actually, Ian... you’re heading back with me?”

“As I said, enough with the tomfoolery. There is no way I could return with you.”

Jeffery was currently being scolded by Ian, and I couldn’t tell which one was the older of the two crown princes anymore. However... the fact that they could speak like this suggested that they got along well. But... they wouldn’t return to the castle together? So they didn’t get along after all? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Well then, Lady Katarina. See you later,” the bewitching beauty said, with the slightest hint of a smile.

The cute, meek girl on the other hand lowered her head again, muttering a curt goodbye. “Farewell.”

“See you!”

“Well then. Do excuse us.”

And with that, the two crown princes and their fiancees were gone. It was perhaps worth noting that the two older princes did bring quite some gifts with them and had left them with Jeord. Despite all they’d said, I supposed they did intend to visit Jeord in some capacity. While I wanted to ask Jeord more about the crown princes and their relationship in general, it was already time for the play, and I, too, rushed off to the stage area.

By the time I had reached the stage, all members of the council except Jeord and Alan were already gathered. Some of the female students already had their costumes on.

All right! I’ll change too, into these light and casual clothes I had prepared beforehand to assist my friends backstage. That was when it happened — when I had my clothes bundled in my hands, ready to head off and change.

“It’s terrible! One of the actresses is unwell, and can no longer perform!” one of the students assisting the production backstage said. Apparently one of the girls who was due to play a part in the play had suddenly felt unwell, collapsed, and had to be carried off to the infirmary. Thankfully, the diagnosis was nothing to be alarmed at, she was simply a little tired, and with some rest would recover. However... the play was about to begin. The student in question was now unable to participate.

“We have no choice. We would simply have to find a replacement,” Jeord said, upon receiving the news from the assistant. He then turned to the gathered members of the council. With that announcement, however, all the other students assisting in the production of the play averted their eyes.

But of course they would. After all, the student council was wildly popular in the academy. All members of the council were highly attractive individuals, most of whom had a fair number of fans. To have someone who looked relatively normal stand amongst these dazzling individuals... While it was not exactly impossible, it was very hard to do. Following the crowd, I, too, averted my eyes, but...

“Well then... in that case, wouldn’t Lady Katarina be fit for the role?” one of the other students said. She was also one of the students assisting backstage. Although she didn’t announce her statement loudly, the area we were gathered in was now deathly quiet — and everyone heard her. And then...

“I, too, think that Lady Katarina would be fit for the role.”

“I feel that only Lady Katarina can stand with the rest of the student council members...”

“Yes, if it’s Lady Katarina, the audience and other students would be most satisfied as well.”

Voice after voice amongst my fellow backstage assistants rose up, almost all at once. W-Wait. I can’t do it! It’s impossible! After all, I’ve only played rocks... or trees... it’s impossible for me to play an actual person! To begin with... how could someone like me, with my villainess face, stand amongst the glamorous members of the council?

“I... I c-can’t...” I said, objecting to this sudden role thrust upon me.

The other students around me, however, refused to hear it. “I think it would be best for Lady Katarina to play this role,” they said.

U-Ugh... Someone, please! Stand with me and tell these people I simply couldn’t do it! Now that it had come to this... Jeord! Jeord would surely say that “It is all but impossible for Katarina.” I turned to Jeord expectantly... only for him to smile at me.

“Well then, Katarina. I leave it in your capable hands,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder — and that was the final say in the matter.

And so it came to be that I ended up unexpectedly performing in the student council’s play...

It’s impossible! There’s no way I can do it! I thought as I continued to fidget. Around me, however, the preparations were well under way. Before I knew it, I had been fit snugly into my costume and handed my lines. Fortunately... or perhaps unfortunately, the student who had passed out had about the same physique as I did, and I fit into her costume with no issues. I could no longer escape.

Although I had seen the council practice countless times, I simply had no ability when it came to memorizing lines. As such, I buried myself in my lines furiously.

“Do not worry, Katarina. You do not have many lines to begin with,” Jeord said, almost casually. I would prefer if Jeord didn’t put myself in the same boat as him, however. After all, I was hardly a high-spec all-rounder like he was. To begin with... even if I did somehow memorize these lines, I would simply forget all of them when I stood on stage — the gazes of the audience would simply make me too nervous.

Ugh... now that’s come to this, I have to rely on a cheat sheet! Yes, we shall do that, Katarina Claes! I started desperately copying my lines down on a tiny piece of paper. With this, my cunning but smart preparations were complete — and the play began.

“I am very happy to be able to stand on the same stage as you, Lady Katarina,” Maria said, smiling as she walked out onto the stage. She was, of course, playing the role of the protagonist. I could only silently see her off as I furiously wrote lines in the palm of my hand.

The contents of the play were much like the story of “Cinderella” that I was familiar with in my previous life. A play modeled off a folk tale of sorts, basically, chosen due to the fact that many younger siblings of the academy’s students were present in the audience. This play was consciously chosen so that even younger audiences would understand.

As such, even I, who usually distanced myself from difficult or complicated stories, knew of the play’s general outline. In fact, its plot was more or less identical to that of Cinderella’s. It was a story about a noble girl who was mistreated by her stepmother and older stepsister. She was treated like a servant. Even so, she was a positive and gentle girl, who got along very well with the servants of her family, as well as the townsfolk.

One day, a ball was held at a nearby castle. The girl’s stepmother and stepsister were busy with their preparations, fitting themselves into luxurious outfits. The noble girl could only look on, envious of her stepmother and sister. She was very sad indeed. The servants and townsfolk, being aware of this, thought to prepare a dress for her as well — and without her mother and sister finding out, did just that.

On the day of the ball, the servants dressed up the noble girl after her mother and sister had left, hence allowing her to go to the ball as well. When she arrived, a young man called out to her, inviting her to dance. The girl’s heart was captivated by the gentle and handsome youth. They danced until the ball was nearing its end — but it was then that the girl caught sight of her stepmother and sister. Panicking, she escaped from the ballroom, and in her haste left a single shoe behind.

The youth, a prince from a certain kingdom, had danced with the girl and fallen head over heels for her. He picked up her forgotten shoe and began searching for the girl that he had danced with. Word soon spread throughout the land: “She who is able to put on this shoe shall become the prince’s bride.” It was a shoe that only that girl could put on — and she would eventually marry the handsome prince... so went the story.

Well, other than the fact that there was no magic involved, and that the shoe in question was not made of glass, it was more or less an identical story to Cinderella. Jeord was the prince, of course, and the protagonist was Maria. For some reason, Mary was playing the stepmother. My role was that of the mean stepsister, who would often bully and mistreat Maria’s character.

This really was a fitting role for Katarina, who looked every bit the part a villainess of a noble lady. No... impossible. Could it be? Although the events of Fortune Lover ended safely... I’m not forced into bullying Maria? I was filled with a sense of unease.

The stepsister character mainly appeared in the first half of the play to bully Maria. Once that was over, she would show up in a short scene at the dance ball, and finally when the shoe was fitted onto the protagonist’s foot. She didn’t have many scenes. All I had to do was somehow overcome the first half...

Shortly after Maria went out on the stage, it was my turn. The stepmother character that Mary played was calling for me. With a final series of letters scrawled on my palm, I swallowed deeply, heading out onto the stage.

And now... I was in the spotlight. On stage. I could see a seemingly endless ocean of audience members before me — they filled my field of vision. At this particular point in time, the worst scenario that I had envisioned came true... the lines that I had struggled so desperately to remember all disappeared from my mind.

To begin with, I hadn’t made much headway memorizing them to begin with, so I suppose there was no helping it. However, I had anticipated that this would happen — and that was why I’d prepared this little sheet of paper. How fortunate that I prepared a cheat sheet, indeed! Slowly, I began to withdraw the small piece of paper hidden in the folds of my dress... or at least, I tried.

Eh? Where... where is it? I can’t find it... I searched desperately in that particular fold where I had hidden the cheat sheet... to no avail. Wh-What should I do? I was overcome by a wave of despair. I looked downwards. Perhaps I had dropped it? But there was nothing at my feet. I turned ever so slightly... and there, by the curtains, was the small piece of paper that I had dropped.

U-Ugh! My cheat sheet! I dropped it by the curtains... what a terrible mistake! Now that I was on stage, it was all but impossible for me to turn back. I was in a bind. A most dire, life-threatening bind. In addition, due to my fidgeting, a strange pause had fallen upon the stage.

There was no other choice. I simply had to do it. However, I couldn’t remember my lines. Still... this scene was where my character bullied Maria’s protagonist character. That was all I had to do, right? Well then... I would have to become the villainess, Katarina Claes, here and now. There was no other way.

Up until last year, I had been desperately taking notes about Fortune Lover, and memorizing whatever I could at every opportunity. As such, I could easily recall how Katarina had bullied the protagonist. All right! Let’s do this. This stage now belongs to the villainess, Katarina Claes.

And so I used lines from Fortune Lover, mercilessly lashing out at Maria’s protagonist character. Things like “Honestly. Do you really not know your place?” and “Someone like you should just lie down in the dirt, and stay there. After all, that suits you best.”

Maria and Mary were both momentarily stunned at my lines — they did, after all, deviate significantly from the script. However, the two of them, being as capable as they were, quickly grasped the situation and improvised. After this scene, I made sure to subtly hide the cheat sheet in my hands.

With that, the curtains finally fell on the first play that I had ever participated in in my life...

“Lady Katarina... your lines, your acting when you bullied the protagonist... most wonderful.”

“Really! She had this terrifying aura about her.”

“To think that Lady Katarina is capable of such acting... it was almost as if she were someone else! How unexpected...”

“You must have quite the talent for acting, Lady Katarina! Truly splendid!”

For reasons unknown to me, my little performance won great praise from my classmates and friends. In fact, even acquaintances of mine praised my effort. Apparently, the first few lines that I had delivered were seen as intentional ad-libbing. Me using Katarina’s lines from Fortune Lover and role-playing as her was apparently very well received. Even Maria and Mary, who were thrown off by my strange ad-libbing, had nothing but praise for my performance.

At first, I was humbled by all the praise. All I did was copy what Katarina did in Fortune Lover... It really wasn’t anything special. However... now that everyone was congratulating me, I slowly felt myself riding on that wave of praise. I often got ahead of myself in this way... and my head was already in the clouds.

I should be aiming to be an actress in the future, then! Not just someone in the Magical Ministry. Upon returning to the waiting room, I started posing in front of the mirror — poses which the stepsister character had been taking on stage.

Still elated at my acting achievements, I struck a particularly impressive pose before the mirror, before stuffing my face full of the snacks that Jeord’s brothers had offered us.

It was then that one of the backstage assistant students called out to me. “Lady Katarina, you should be leaving for the ball soon. The other members of the council are calling for you,” she said.

I had simply intended to do a series of poses and eat some snacks, but I ended up taking longer than I had originally assumed. Quite some time had passed. The ball was the very last event of the School Festival — Jeord would be escorting me, and I had promised my brother and friends that I would dance with them too. They wouldn’t be happy if I was late.

The academy was somewhat dark at this point. The backstage assistant student who so kindly informed me of the time, however, offered to guide me. “I shall guide you to the venue, Lady Katarina,” she said, holding a lantern and leading me along. Under normal circumstances I would have returned to my quarters by this time, so I wasn’t used to seeing the academy in the dark.

It was fitting for a school festival at an academy filled with nobles to end with a ball. I supposed the equivalent in my previous life would be a school campfire and folk dance. Ahh... in the end, I couldn’t have my favorite yakisoba or okonomiyaki. In exchange I was able to eat all kinds of delicious food, but now that I got it in my head, I couldn’t give up now. I should ask the chefs to prepare some for me next time I’m back home.

As I continued to dream about what delicious food I could eat, the student leading me towards the ball suddenly stopped. Eh? This is where the ball is being held? There’s no lights anywhere... Upon closer inspection, we were now in a place somewhat removed from the academy. No matter how I looked at it, this couldn’t possibly be where the ball was being held... Did she get lost due to how dark it was?

“Um... excuse me...” I called out to the student leading me. And then—

Suddenly, an unseen individual grasped me by the arm, and placed what seemed to be a cloth over my face. For some reason, the cloth smelled... sweet. Shortly after I inhaled this strange sweetness, my entire body felt heavy, and soon, my consciousness faded away.

Before I fully passed out, I thought I heard Keith’s voice softly resonating in my mind. “I always tell you to be careful, Big Sister...”