Chapter 6: Finally, My Birthday Has Come!

Time passes ever so quickly. I recall the events of that spring, when I was eight years of age — and in the blink of an eye, another seven had passed.

I was already fifteen, which meant that I was of age in this world. Fifteen was the age where noble children made their social debut. And of course, those with magical affinity had to attend the Academy of Magic, as per the laws of the land.

I turned fifteen this summer, so in the spring of next year, I too would have to enroll. In addition, the academy was a boarding school — all students had to stay in its dormitories, regardless of social class or standing.

Although students who were particularly important were given their own private rooms and were permitted to take some servants with them, it was a more restrictive life that was nothing like the freedom most were familiar with.

Upon enrolling in the academy... the terrifying otome game would begin. The protagonist, a commoner who was born with the rare aptitude of Light magic, would enroll in this Academy of Magic to walk amongst the nobility. And at this academy, this protagonist would attract the attention of the twin princes, the son of a duke, and the son of a chancellor. They would all be incredibly handsome and popular — and they would all fall for her.

Meanwhile, Katarina Claes, the antagonist and villainess in some of these scenarios, would head towards a Catastrophic Bad End.

As I thought back upon these seven years, it was plain to see that I had put in the utmost effort in avoiding these bad endings. I moved on many fronts: improving my skill with the sword, practicing the applications of my magic repeatedly, ensuring that Keith was never lonely, and advancing my technique in the art of projectile snake toy creation.

I did have my successes. For one, I was praised for my swordplay. Keith was no longer withdrawn, and my snake toys grew more lifelike with each attempt. There was, however, one thing that didn’t quite go so well — and that was the strengthening of my magic.

My aptitude with magic was somewhat lacking to begin with. Although I did increase the capabilities of my Earth Raiser spell from two to fifteen centimeters within a year... that was as far as it went. No matter how much I trained, the wall of earth did not grow any taller, nor was I able to use any other kind of magic.

While I fought against this reality at first, I was soon left with little choice but to accept it. It was most unfortunate, yes, but it did little to change the fact that I didn’t seem to have much in the way of magical aptitude. While I was told that my lessons at the academy may awaken some hidden potential within me, a second “flowering,” so to speak, I personally didn’t have much in the way of expectations.

And so, my original plan of utilizing my supposedly rare magical capabilities to find a job should I be exiled from the kingdom was... jeopardized. There was a possibility it wouldn’t work out at all. If so, how would I keep myself afloat?

It was during one of these contemplative sessions that one of my servants mentioned something interesting to me. “It is common practice for large farming families to employ other farmers to work their fields and whatnot.”

That’s it! My agricultural abilities had drastically improved over the years, and plants no longer wilted with my touch. I had even become reasonably versed in fieldwork. Even if I were to be exiled, I could simply look for a large farming family, get hired, and live on as a farmer. As long as I could find work, I could surely live on.

So I continued my magical training, although I did branch off into agricultural studies, in case I really would have to turn to farming for my livelihood.

With that, my strategies and contingency plans were complete; perfected. I continued to live on, honing my skills and improving my plans.

However, there was one thing that deviated from my plans and predictions: namely, the fact that all the romantic interests of Fortune Lover had ended up gathering at my abode, and how I seemed to have developed dramatically different relationships with all of them.

First... there was Jeord Stuart. The third crown prince of the Kingdom, and the fiancé of Katarina Claes. Although he appeared to be a fairy-tale prince with his blonde hair and blue eyes, he was actually a terrible, twisted sadist. If Jeord fell for the protagonist, Katarina would be headed for a Catastrophic Bad End — without any doubt.

While Jeord was completely uninterested in Katarina and hardly had any contact with her within the setting of Fortune Lover, before I knew it, he was visiting my manor every three days. I often gave him vegetables and fruits from my harvest, and he would send some snacks and candies my way as a sign of gratitude. It seemed that we were friends; after all, we spent lots of time together.

Honestly speaking, I got along really well with Jeord. It was difficult for me to imagine that he would suddenly come at me with his blade drawn, intent on exiling me from the kingdom. However... if Jeord were to come into contact with the protagonist and fall for her, Katarina would become an obstruction.

“Love can change a person,” or so claims a novel that I had read recently. I couldn’t let my guard down.

In fact, the scar on my forehead that led to this entire marriage engagement in the first place had long since vanished. Upon noticing this, I immediately sent for Jeord, eager to inform him of the news...

“Prince Jeord. The scar on my forehead has completely vanished. As such, there is no longer a need for you to take social responsibility for me — I do not mind if the engagement were to be cancelled,” I said, happy to inform Jeord of his newfound freedom. Jeord, however, seemed surprised, his eyes widening for a moment, before his expression was quickly replaced by his usual smile.

“Is that so? Well then, if you would please show me.” Jeord approached me with that ever-smiling face of his. He brushed my fringe aside, almost roughly, and inspected my forehead.

And there it was! I no longer had any scars on this forehead of mine. Or so I thought...

“No, Katarina. There is still quite the scar, from what I can see,” Jeord said as he continued to stare at my healed forehead.

“Eh? But I’ve checked many times in the mirror... Anne helped, too...” I muttered, stunned at this turn of events.

“I would suppose you were both mistaken, yes. A scar yet remains here. Do you not think so too?” Jeord said, turning to Anne as he did so. Anne, my personal maid, had been standing next to me all this time.

Although Anne had agreed with me that the scar was completely gone only a short while ago... she now nodded her head, agreeing with Jeord! An unexpected betrayal...!

And so it came to be that the supposedly vanished scar on my forehead was deemed to still exist. Jeord, still smiling, ended the discussion with a single statement. “So you see, there will be no cancellations with regards to our engagement.”

After this event, my mother, who had agreed to the engagement all that time ago, now felt very differently about the matter. Both she and Keith seemed to believe that “Katarina could not possibly fulfill the duties expected of a queen.” Regardless of their protests, however, my marriage engagement remained untouched to this day.

As expected of Jeord — this was exactly how it was in the game of Fortune Lover. The prince was not quite ready to let go of his fiancée just yet, perhaps due to the fact that she was a convenient wall against the endless stream of suitors he would otherwise be presented with.

With this, it became clear that I was unable to completely avoid the Catastrophic Bad End of becoming engaged to Jeord. As such, I decided to bring a sword to the academy for personal protection, along with a completed, most lifelike snake toy. I had yet more work to do; for starters, practicing how to smoothly pull out the snake from my pocket...

And then there was the matter of Keith Claes. My cute adopted brother, who had been brought into the family seven years ago for his impressive magical ability — and a potential love interest. Should Keith fall in love with the protagonist, it would all be over for Katarina. A straight line to yet another Catastrophic Bad End.

In the setting of Fortune Lover, Keith, with his flaxen hair and green eyes, was ostracized and alienated by his adoptive mother and sister. His rebellion against such an upbringing turned him into a playboy.

And then he would go on to meet the protagonist at the academy, and would be slowly healed by her love; a most troublesome prospect for me, of course. And so I worked hard every day to ensure that Keith never felt lonely. As a result, Keith never became a shut-in, and before I knew it, he was constantly by my side.

By the looks of it, Keith was not lonely anymore... so he probably wouldn’t fall for the protagonist at the academy. There was, however, one failing in this entire plan.

To prevent him from becoming a playboy, I constantly instructed Keith to be gentle and kind to women. I repeated this often. The result was... not as I expected.

Keith had become a gentlemanly womanizer, for the lack of a better word. He did as his adoptive sister preached — he was gentle and kind to women, which was a great thing.

However, Keith did grow as the years passed by, and before long he was no longer the cute, lovable youth he one was. Instead, he had become... appealing, to the other sex. I, of course, hardly noticed any of this happening. Perhaps it was because I was with Keith all the time, or perhaps it was because I lacked the perceptiveness to be affected by Keith’s charms.

One way or another, it was far too late when I noticed that Keith had become so charming and attractive that noble ladies were falling head over heels for him. To make things worse, even the servants were affected. He had become a complete ladies’ man. While I had managed to prevent Keith from becoming a shut in, I had instead encouraged his transformation into a gentlemanly lady-killer...

Right. Alan Stuart. The fourth crown prince, Jeord’s twin brother, and yet another potential love interest. With his wild looks, silver hair and blue eyes, Alan grew up constantly comparing himself to Jeord, nursing a huge inferiority complex... which made him hate his brother. At least, that was how it was in the original setting of Fortune Lover.

Alan had instead become quite a different person, no longer feeling inferior to Jeord, nor hating him. In fact, while the two didn’t exactly get along superbly, they did at least have a functional, cordial relationship.

Katarina Claes never did appear as an antagonist in Alan’s route, and originally the two should never even have met... But for one reason or another, Alan visited my abode often. Now, having fully embraced his musical talent, he had sent me many invitations to his piano or violin performances, and I would attend these functions with Mary and the rest. We were good friends now.

This was strange — in the setting of Fortune Lover, Alan never did explore his talents to such an extent. In fact, he was only supposed to do so after he had met the protagonist. I couldn’t help but notice that this series of events greatly deviated from the setting and plot I remembered.

And then there was the matter of Mary Hunt... Alan’s fiancée, and the rival character of the Alan route. Her eyes and hair were a shade of burnt sienna, perfectly complimenting her features. She was almost like a doll — a beautiful young girl. In the original setting of Fortune Lover, Mary hardly had any contact with Katarina Claes, much like Alan.

However, Mary had now become one of my close friends. While she was reserved and slightly fearful of social interactions when I first met her, she had changed a lot over the last seven years. She excelled in her studies, and presented herself as an elegant and refined young lady at her social debut a while ago. And also, the allure of her dance steps had recently become quite the conversational topic. If anything, she was the perfect example of what a noble lady should be — and she had become that very image over the years.

According to the original setting, Mary was supposed to be deeply in love with Alan. Mary as she was now, however, didn’t seem to think very much of him. While they got along fine enough, Mary never spoke of Alan when we were together, and they didn’t seem to be meeting together outside of my manor at all. Was she simply hiding it all because she was shy?

Mary was supposedly the image of a perfect noble lady who also had ambitions to become a queen — at least, according to what I recalled of Fortune Lover. But now, she didn’t seem to have any interest in entering the royal family.

In fact, Mary had started claiming from quite a few years ago that “I am hardly suitable for such an important role — that of queen, in particular...” She also mentioned to me on a somewhat regular basis just how difficult it was to live as royalty, and how busy their lives were.

The more I heard of Mary’s views, the more I felt a certain melancholy towards my seemingly inevitable engagement to Prince Jeord. After all, if such a thing daunted even Mary, who was perfect in many ways, someone such as I would be hardly suited for the role.

Seeing that I was having doubts about my future, Mary offered a suggestion. “Well then, perhaps we could both renege on our engagements... and the two of us could escape to some faraway land.”

Ah, such gentle words. Mary was truly a gentle and reliable friend.

And then... Nicol Ascart. The silent, ever-expressionless son of Chancellor Ascart... who was, of course, also a potential love interest. A ravishing youth of raven-black hair and eyes; devilishly alluring, capable of charming both man and woman alike with his unique aura and presence.

As expected, such an individual would have no connections with Katarina Claes whatsoever. But I did end up becoming friends with Nicol’s younger sister, and as such, even he started showing up at the manor.

Nicol only said what he had to, being stoic and reserved most of the time. And yet his alluring powers of bewitchment only seemed to increase as the years went by. He now smiled more than he used to — probably because he had decided to open up to us. It was a delightful thing... No, no. I will not be swayed. That smile of his is dangerous.

Dangerously alluring... so much so that Nicol was popular amongst the ladies as well as the men, if the rumors were to be believed. All it took was a glimpse at his beautiful face and faint smile.

The Claes manor was host to many of Nicol’s victims — with his charm already placing quite a few servants under his spell. Even so, the fact that I had somehow managed to protect Keith and Mary from his alluring wiles was something that I could take comfort in.

Last but not least... Sophia Ascart. Nicol’s younger sister, and naturally the rival character in Nicol’s route. Sophia, who was beautiful like her brother, originally should never have crossed paths with Katarina Claes at all. She was now a close friend of mine, however, just like Mary — as well as a comrade in the business of appreciating romance novels.

Due to the fact that she had been cooped up in her room until she was about ten, Sophia’s reading prowess was formidable indeed, and her recommendations were always good reads. She had the amazing ability to sniff out truly great pieces from the literary sea. I deeply respected her — in my heart, she was the true master of romance novel appreciation.

Sophia also had great respect for her brother, and often spoke of him in our conversations. “My brother is truly an amazing individual... he would make the ideal husband, if I could say so...” It was almost as if she had fallen for him! Sophia really loved her brother.

At this rate, she would surely be intensely saddened if Nicol ever found someone he liked. If such a time would ever come, it would be my duty as her close friend to comfort her as best as I could!

And so it came to be that I, for some strange reason, had formed friendships with these potential love interests and rival characters, and would soon be starting my academy life with them come this spring.

At long last, it was my fifteenth birthday. My social debut party was held at the Claes manor, just like it had been planned a few years ago.

Perhaps it was worth noting that this party was a dance. Not only did I have to greet each and every guest that came through the gates, I also had to participate in the dances themselves.

While I was capable enough when it came to physical movement and exercise, I was unfortunately not born with a good sense of rhythm, and always struggled with dancing. I had to undergo a hellish training regimen under the watchful eye of my mother, all for the sake of being able to dance at this birthday party of mine. At least my movements now looked like some sort of dance — but I was deeply unsettled at the fact that I could slip up at any time.

And then there was the fact that my escort for the party was... Jeord, of all people. I had honestly wanted Keith to do it instead, but was told that it was inappropriate, on account of me having an actual fiancé. While Keith would simply smile and forgive me even if I did end up stepping on his toes, I had a feeling that Jeord would not be... quite as forgiving.

The more I thought about it, the more sullen I became. I found that I disliked this party now more than ever. Although the party started some time in the evening, I was preoccupied from the moment I woke — with makeup and last minute checks on my outfit, amongst other things. By the time evening had come around, I was already considerably worn out.

A glance in the mirror did show a well-dressed and appropriately made up young lady — the efforts of many, of course. However, all their troubles did nothing to change the villainous nature of my face.

And so I made my way to the venue with Jeord, all dressed up in formal attire, hardly looking like my usual self. After issuing the customary greetings with guests and the like, Jeord led me to the dance hall, as the first dance of the day would be with my fiancé himself.

I focused hard so that I wouldn’t do anything silly like stepping on his feet. With utmost caution, I danced carefully.

“You are most beautiful tonight, Katarina.”

“Thank you very much.”

I couldn’t help but notice the smitten gazes of the other women around me as the blonde haired, blue-eyed prince delivered his lines. After all, regardless of how Jeord was on the inside, there was no denying that the way he presented himself was truly a wonderful thing to behold.

As a result of this, however, I could feel the concentrated jealousy of the women in this world — all directed at me for being his fiancée. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if any of them took my place, if they’re that envious... Those were the thoughts that flitted through my mind as I continued on with the dance.

“Katarina. Although I may have said this before, do allow me to say this once more; I have absolutely no intentions of cancelling my engagement with you,” Jeord said, smiling as he did so.

Jeord said this as we were on the dance floor, even as countless passionate gazes were being directed at him. But of course he would. If he cancelled the engagement now, all hell would break loose. He needed someone like me to ward off his endless wave of lady suitors, it would seem. So...

“...I understand.” I should just say this for now.

“I see. So you finally understand, Katarina?”

“Yes... but... um. If you ever do find someone else you like, Prince Jeord, do inform me right away. I will withdraw from the engagement immediately!”

Yes, I would never interfere! In fact, I would be praying for Prince Jeord’s future happiness! I thought, desperately. I had to do this much so that I wouldn’t be an obstacle... so that I wouldn’t be erased some time in the future!

“...Hmm. I see, Katarina. It would appear that you do not understand at all,” Jeord said, his smile twitching slightly as he did so.

Eh? Does he not believe me? Even after my passionate declaration of non-interference?

“Yes, I really do wonder. How exactly should I communicate this to you? Perhaps it was a little early, after all, for the party involved in formulating this... pre-arranged agreement.”

“?” What exactly is he talking about? I had absolutely no idea. Pre-arranged agreement? What is that? Questions and confusion started to cloud my mind.

“Wah!” Suddenly, I felt something sweep me off my feet — my sense of balance immediately vanished into thin air. Before I realized it, I was being held in Jeord’s arms.

“Um... Ah. Prince Jeord. My apologies.”

To think that I would be so distracted during the dance... Given that I was already bad at dancing, I could only assume that I had failed to keep up at one point and had dramatically fallen over. Jeord, in turn, probably caught me in the process.

I apologized, quickly attempting to stand up so that Jeord would no longer have to support me... Hmm? It would seem that Jeord was holding me quite tightly — I was unable to break free. “Eh? Prince Jeord...?”

In fact, Jeord had me in what could only be described as a tight embrace. Oh no...! Did I maybe step on his toes when I fell? Is that why he’s frozen like this, unable to move?! This is bad! And after I’d tried so desperately to be cautious...!

“Prince Jeord... are you quite all right?” I asked, somewhat timidly. Jeord, however, seemed to be... chuckling to himself.

“Ah, but you are really so defenseless, Katarina. If you remain this way, I could simply catch you... anytime,” Jeord whispered right next to my ear.

Eh? So this isn’t a case of me accidentally stepping on his toes and him being frozen with pain? As I grew more confused by the moment, I noticed Jeord’s head slowly moving down to my neck — and then I felt a... strange sensation, on the side of my neck. Before I knew it, I had been released from Jeord’s vice-like grip.

“This will do for today, Katarina. But one day... I shall take it all.” The grin on Jeord’s face was like that of a mischievous child.

So... what is this all about? I was completely baffled. In any case, I had managed to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes for now... and that was fine.

Eventually, I finished my strange dance with Jeord. Immediately after, however, Keith walked towards me briskly, a somewhat tense expression on his face.

“If you would, Big Sister...” Keith said, withdrawing a handkerchief from his pocket, before placing it on my neck, moving it this way and that.

“Eh? Hey, Keith, what are you...” Why is my cute adopted brother suddenly rubbing my neck with a handkerchief...? Given that I was given quite the makeover today, I would expect that my neck is clean...

“Ah, you see, Big Sister. A small bug landed on your neck, and I was just... cleaning that up for you.”

“Ah, is that right? Thank you, Keith.” A bug, huh? Well, it is summer. Come to think of it, that strange sensation I had felt on my neck while in Jeord’s embrace may have been some sort of bug.

Ah, what a pity... to think that our family servants spent so much time powdering me up and ensuring that I looked perfect! What a pity for a bug to come along and ruin everything. It was a good thing that Keith noticed it, and was now helping me clean it up.

After finishing his voluntary cleaning of my neck, Keith turned to me, asking me for a dance. “You are most beautiful on this day, Big Sister.”

“Thank you, Keith.” While Keith spoke with his usual, gentle smile, I could feel the many feminine gazes now trained upon us. But of course that would happen — Keith was the successor of the Claes family, and he was not yet engaged to anyone.

There was no shortage of noble ladies who were after him, and his supposedly irresistible charm (that I regrettably did not understand) only served to bewitch even more of the surrounding womenfolk.

Come to think of it, Keith didn’t seem to have anyone he liked, despite being so impossibly popular. In fact, this topic of conversation had never been brought up before while we were together.

If possible, I would like for Keith to be engaged to an amazing lady — perhaps just not the protagonist girl. Such were the thoughts floating about in my head as Keith led me along. He really was good at dancing. The faintly smiling Keith, however, suddenly adopted a more serious expression.

“You know, Big Sister... You really should be a little more... aware. Of the dangers that surround you.”

“...Hmm? Aware of... danger?”

“Yes. Especially when it comes to Prince Jeord.”

Ah! To be aware of dangers in one’s surroundings! But why would Keith suddenly talk about being aware of any dangers when I’m around Jeord? I was already very aware of Jeord to begin with. Cautious, perhaps.

“Don’t worry! I’m all about sensing danger when it comes to Prince Jeord!”

“...Really, Big Sister? To be honest, it does not quite come across that way...” Keith replied, appearing somewhat incredulous at my proud response.

“Things are perfect, yes! I am absolutely prepared to call off the whole engagement at any time! I even told him just now that I would do so, that I would never get in the way of his true love... I told him, I did!”

“...How is that... perfect, Big Sister? No... This would not do at all. Did you not see what happened just now? How could you be... saying...” Keith’s expression became even more intense as he started rapidly muttering to himself.

Hmm? Is my situational awareness really that lacking? Then... “If that is not enough, I could even prepare documents, you know? To call off the engagement and such. And then all I would do is to show them to Prince Jeord...”

“No! No you must not, Big Sister...! If you provoke him any further... there may be no telling what he would do... what he would, really do...”

What is Keith going on about? I truly had no idea... Keith, however, took great pains to warn me against being alone with Jeord at any point in time.

But yes, of course, Keith did have a point. If I were to meet with him in private and he exiled me there and then, I would be in a lot of trouble. In any case, the protagonist still had not showed up yet. I’m still doing all right... I think...

And so I eventually finished my dance with Keith, who had now adopted quite a strange expression. He was still muttering himself. Next in line was apparently Alan, who had just finished his dance with Mary.

Alan casually stuck out his hand in my general direction. “Looking less shabby today, huh?” he said.

Is that even a compliment? In any case, I suppose I should thank him. “...Thank you very much.”

Alan, of course, attracted many passionate gazes from the women on the dance floor — just like Jeord and Keith before him. From what I had heard, the youthful prodigy and genius in music was supposedly sponsored by many older, female patrons. These older women would say things like... “Oh, but that change in personality when he’s performing... and how he is when he’s not... I can’t get enough of it!” I had no idea what they were going on about, as usual.

Alan’s fiancée was, of course, none other than Mary, an upstanding noble lady who was acknowledged by many. Rumors said that even Alan’s fans wish the two of them well. They did pretty well for themselves, if I may say so, unlike what the rumors about me and Jeord... something about how we “never got along, other than on the grounds of our stations.”

While Alan was a lot more brusque and rough in how he was leading the dance compared to Jeord or Keith, he truly was a genius of music — his sense of rhythm was impeccable. The elegant movements were in stark contrast to how Alan usually was. He now seemed more like an adult than ever.

Is this the difference in demeanor that the older ladies were speaking of? Hmm. Probably not quite... This was all a bit much for me to understand. Maybe I will when I get a bit older?

Well, technically I’m mentally seventeen or so... and then there’s the fact that I’m now fifteen... so I’m adult enough, no?

...Maybe it’s just my body limiting my consciousness! Yes, it has to be that! There’s no way I could be a hopeless child who will never grow and mature! Yes, Katarina, let us just believe in that, I thought, encouraging myself to the best of my ability.

“Oi, you... what’s with this spot on your neck?” Alan asked, as if noticing something.

“On my neck?”

“On the side, right here. It’s a little red.”

“Ah, that. Well, I was bitten by a bug just now, unfortunately...”

“A bug? A bug indoors?”

“Yes, it is by no means a completely sealed space. It probably crawled in from somewhere.”

“Is that... so.”

Is this bug bite of mine so eye-catching? I had to make sure to apply some sort of bug-warding spray the next time I attended any kind of dance party. Actually... did this world even have bug sprays of any kind?

“Even so... you really do look different than usual...” Alan said as he took a good look at me.

“Yes — my family’s servants spent the entire day doing me up and tidying my hair... and all that.” Even I couldn’t help but think that the servants were exceptionally skilled the first time I looked into that mirror. “They did quite a lot, you know. Scrubbed me all over, fixed my dress a countless amount of times... They even took pains to deal with my underwear...”

“...Oi!!” For some reason, Alan saw fit to interrupt me as I was extolling the virtues and skills of my family’s servants.

“What is it?”

“Don’t ‘what is it’ me! You’re a lady, aren’t you? And yet you... at this place, talk about un... under... underwe...” Alan, whose face was now beet-red, seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t catch that last bit.

In fact, he was red all the way up to his ears, and his breaths were erratic and heavy. Is he tired from all the dancing? Less stamina, maybe, when it comes to this sort of thing? Unexpected... Or maybe he’s not used to the place?

Alan didn’t seem all that well by the time we finished our dance... And next came the devilishly alluring Count Nicol. Many eyes were trained on him as well — both men and women. Although he was already enrolled in the academy, being a year older than me, he had decided to make time to show up at my party.

Elegantly, Nicol held out his hand elegantly, and soon I was in yet another dance. “You look wonderful, Lady Katarina.”

“Th-Thank... you. Very much.”

A familiar, bewitching smile flitted into his features, and as soon as it did, sighs of admiration could be heard from the individuals around us. Having interacted with Nicol all these years, I was used to the sight of him smiling, bewitching or not — but I imagine these other people weren’t that fortunate.

“Master Nicol is smiling... ever so faintly!” I could hear the whispers in the crowd. The Alluring Count. A truly terrifying existence. I could imagine how he would walk about in the academy, entrancing students left and right.

Even so, Nicol’s lead was elegant, and most polite. Although he did have an alluring air about him, he was really a gentle and caring brother on the inside. He stuck out from the other potential love interests of Fortune Lover. In fact, if I ever had a chance to go back to my previous life and play this game again, I would definitely explore his route first.

As I continued dancing with Nicol, I thought to ask him more about his life at the academy. “Master Nicol, how do you feel about your life at the academy?”

“There have been no issues to date.”

...Ah. As usual, our conversations didn’t seem to go very far. Although Nicol had opened up to me and seemed to be always acting in my best interests across the years, his silent demeanor had remained constant.

“...Um... have you made friends? Anyone you are close with, perhaps?” I said, deciding to push on with my endeavor.

“...To a certain extent, yes.” Nicol replied, after giving my question some thought. It almost seemed like he had to think quite a bit to answer... well, it was probably nothing to be concerned about.

“Well... Then have you found anyone you like, perhaps?”

Although Count Nicol was an impossibly alluring individual, charming men and women alike, I had not once heard rumors of him expressing romantic interest. This was the perfect chance for me to ask more questions — for Sophia’s sake, too, since she did love her brother so much. I had asked my question somewhat casually, but...

“...”

Did Nicol suddenly just go silent? Eh? Was it a question I shouldn’t have asked...?

Hmm... what should I do. What should I say next? I started to... panic.

“...Yes. I have,” said Nicol abruptly.

“EH?!” Surprised, I stared straight at Nicol. Sure enough, a very slight blush was now present on his face.

So... should I take this as a “yes”? That he does indeed have someone he likes? Although I was the one who asked the question to begin with, I really was not expecting that he would answer in such a fashion.

In fact, Nicol wasn’t close with anyone else barring the usual group at my manor. Did he find someone he likes after enrolling into the academy? Hmm.

“Would that be someone at the academy?” I asked.

“...No, not quite.”

Huh? No? Then who could it possibly be? “Um... well then. May I ask who it is...?”

“...That... I— I cannot answer.”

“...Eh...”

“It is someone I should not be thinking of, in truth. However... I am always wishing for their happiness.”

“...”

The fact that Nicol had someone he likes is already surprising enough — and now I’m told that it’s someone he shouldn’t be thinking about?!

Is this... f-forbidden love?! Who is it? Some noble lord’s wife... or perhaps even a man?!

Ah, to think that my lighthearted question would bring forth such a heavy response. I would have never expected this... that Nicol would be after someone else’s wife... or a man...

Perhaps it’s nothing quite like that at all, but then there’s the possibility that Sophia has just said nothing about it...

“I am sure that something will work out for you, Master Nicol,” I said, hoping to ease his worries over this supposedly forbidden love of his. Nicol, however, merely smiled in response — a slightly troubled smile, at that.

And with that, Nicol and I finished our dance, with the former seeming a little worse for wear after the whole thing. Mary approached me with a smile almost immediately after.

“My heartfelt congratulations, Lady Katarina. You are most beautiful today, truly,” Mary said, looking at my made-up appearance that had taken the utmost dedication and skill of my household’s servants to prepare. Mary, in contrast, was truly breathtaking in her own right — compared to my villainous appearance that had taken half a day to mask.

“Lady Katarina... Congratulations.” Emerging from behind Mary was Sophia, who was pretty enough to give Mary a run for her money. With these two by my side, and yet everyone telling me how beautiful I look all this time... Hmm? Maybe I am somewhat pretty after all.

But alas, that was when I caught myself engaging in these silly thoughts. Yes. Good that I shelved those thoughts quickly. If I kept that up, I would have gone off and did something silly again.

“If I were a man, I would be able to dance with you too, Lady Katarina...” Mary said as she adorably puffed out her cheeks in exasperation.

“I would have liked to dance with you too, Mary,” I said with my best smile.

“REALLY?! Well then, perhaps we could dance later... in secret...?” Suddenly, a most audacious suggestion from my friend Mary.

“Eh? Well, sure, but I don’t quite know how to lead a dance...” If I were dancing with Mary, my mental image suggested that I would be the one doing the leading — typically the man’s part. Unfortunately, I was hardly capable of such a thing. In fact, it was already considerably difficult for me to get the lady’s part right in the first place... However...

“Not to worry, Lady Katarina! I had prepared myself should such an event come to pass! I know the gentleman’s dance steps too!”

Ah. As expected of Mary, a shining example of the ideal noble lady. To think that she is capable of even leading the dance... she really is on another level.

While I didn’t quite understand what Mary meant by her “preparations,” I could only assume that she spent her days preparing for a wide variety of activities in general.

“Well then... perhaps we could, after all this, in secret?” I said. I supposed two girls dancing in the midst of all these guests would cause some gossip — it would be better for us to have our fun towards the tail end of the party.

“Yes... I would be most glad to, Lady Katarina,” Mary said, beaming. However, a voice of dissent soon rose from next to her.

“Uu... I want to dance, too...” For some reason, Sophia was sulking quite intensely where she stood. Did Sophia want to dance with Mary, too? I suppose she could have her turn after Mary and I were finished.

And so Mary and I had our dance towards the end of the party. In fact, Mary was very good at what she did. Sophia too, was somewhat vocal about wanting to dance with me as well — and so I obliged, although I probably bungled more steps than I should.

And with that, I peacefully turned fifteen, without further incidents or mishaps.

With the onset of winter, the countdown to enrolling in the academy began. The curriculum spanned two years, so given that I had to stay in the dormitories on the grounds for that duration, I had to prepare the relevant items and luggage to take with me.

Since I was the eldest daughter of a duke, most of these preparations were done by the servants of our household. But of course, I didn’t feel like it was fair to have them do all the work.

After all, all the servants packed were things like dresses and brooches, jewels and other things like that. For instance, none of my romance novels or farming implements were included! As such, I decided to start packing my own bags.

On another note, five servants from my household, including my personal maid, Anne, would follow me to the academy. Although I told my parents that I could handle myself fine and didn’t need servants, I was told that it was unbecoming for the daughter of a duke to say as such.

In the end, I was made to take five servants with me — the lowest possible number. However, I was worried about one amongst their number.

To be precise, I was concerned about Anne, who had been by my side since I was eight. Anne had been taking care of me these past seven years, and was eight years my senior. That would make her twenty-three years old.

Although she would have been considered young in my previous life, it would seem that women in this world were expected to marry early — someone who married at, say, twenty-five, would be considered late.

While Anne was my family maid, she was also actually the eldest daughter of a Baron. Apparently the lower-ranked aristocrats and nobles of this world sent their daughters off to higher noble houses to learn the ways of the world while earning their keep. So many of these less noble families had the habit of sending out their eldest daughters to serve as maids — a sort of internship, I suppose.

Accordingly, many maids in my personal entourage came from such backgrounds. As expected, they were quite the noble ladies, evidently raised with care. For instance, they screamed when I climbed trees, and promptly passed out when I caught snakes. As a result, most of these maids didn’t last very long at all, and quite a few of them had to leave our service. My mother, of course, gave me quite the earful every time it happened.

Amidst all that, however, Anne, who always remained by my side with her little snippets of advice and criticisms, was a truly important person to me.

The message from Anne’s family actually arrived a few years ago — one discussing her marriage. This made me panic, of course. If Anne left her position, yet another new maid would faint upon witnessing me climbing trees and the like. I couldn’t picture how my life would be without her. And so in my panic, I did the first thing that came to my mind...

...Which was to approach Anne’s father, who had arrived at the manor to bring his daughter back for the marriage. I dramatically lowered my head and pleaded desperately, “Please, I need Anne by my side, I absolutely do!”

Upon witnessing this, Anne’s father was stunned, his expression frozen. And yet, I did succeed in convincing Anne’s family to allow her to remain with me. Perhaps pleading can pay off after all.

In other words, I had successfully cancelled Anne’s wedding arrangements. When my mother found out about the entire affair, I predictably got into my fair share of trouble...

Anne, however, simply laughed and forgot about the whole thing. And so I ended up accepting Anne’s kindness for what it was, and I had her stay with me all this time. Anne was now twenty-three years of age, however, and even I felt bad about making her stay this long.

As such, I decided that Anne would return to her estate after I enrolled into the academy. Or at least, I thought that would be the case...

“If I were gone, Young Miss, where would you find someone who would take care of you? Of course I will be accompanying you to the academy,” Anne said.

Honestly speaking, I was overcome by a feeling of deep unease when I thought about having to go to the academy alone without Anne by my side, and slowly waiting for any Catastrophic Bad Ends to creep up to me. So in the end, I humbly accepted Anne’s kindness once more, and agreed to have her accompany me on my travels.

Thank you, Anne. Truly.

“Young Miss... if I may ask. What exactly is this?” Anne asked as she pulled out some gardening overalls from my pile of luggage.

“Ah, that? My gardening overalls, of course.”

“Gardening...? Young Miss... correct me if I am wrong, but do you intend to grow crops and till fields in the academy as well?”

“But of course, Anne! After all, if I stop farming and gardening for two years, I’ll never become a good farmer!” I replied, full of confidence and vigor. Anne, however, looked as if all the strength had been sapped from her being at once.

“...But... Young Miss, why would the daughter of a duke ever become a farmer, of all things...?”

“Just in case certain cases comes to pass, Anne!”

“And what exactly are these cases?! Please, Young Miss. Do not tell me that you intend on bringing your hoe as well.”

“Yes, that too! After all, there is no guaranteeing that I’ll be able to find one at the academy.”

“...Please, Young Miss...”

Anne and I went back and forth like this for quite a while, with me trying to put the relevant items in my suitcase, and Anne actively preventing me from doing so.

As winter’s end came to pass, the waking breaths of spring slowly approached...

★★★★★★★★★

My name is Anne Shelley. I was born in the rural outskirts, to the family of a baron. At fifteen years of age, I was sent to the Claes Manor to learn the ways of the world.

It was there that I became the personal maid of Katarina Claes, the only child and daughter of the Claes family. When I first met with Lady Katarina, I recalled her having quite the cute face. Her upwards-slanting almond-like eyes, too, contributed to a certain look of determination about her.

As expected of the daughters of most noble families, Lady Katarina was very spoiled, and had a selfish, arrogant personality. A few months into my service, however, Lady Katarina tripped and fell during a walk at the royal castle grounds, and most unfortunately hit her head on a rock.

As a result of the incident, Lady Katarina hurt her head — the impact even left a scar. Perhaps that was the reason why she slept for quite a few days, all the while with a high fever.

However, when she awoke, it was like as if she was a different person altogether. The arrogant, self-absorbed and egocentric Lady Katarina was gone, instead replaced by a calm, caring little lady. She even showed unprecedented awareness and care towards her servants — it was as if she was reborn as a gentle and compassionate individual.

The Young Miss’ personality had changed completely due to the impact to her head and the fever that followed. While the servants were equally surprised and grateful by the sudden change that had come over her, Lady Katarina only remained like this during her short period of bed rest.

After the fever receded, Lady Katarina sat up — and then proceeded to become even more problematic than she was before this entire affair.

Having awoken from her rest, Lady Katarina ran all the way to the library, asking many questions of the servants, and sometimes making outlandish requests of them. Just as we thought it had all passed, the Young Miss had yet another demand — that she take up lessons in both magic and sword.

While her presence and effort on the field were commendable, the footwork aspect of her swordplay lessons did not quite go as well — it almost seemed like the Young Miss would slice her own leg off before cutting the opponent, and we all collectively held our breaths.

Next, she declared that she would practice her magic, and then promptly dressed up in a set of gardening overalls, took up a hoe, and started tilling the earth. Lady Katarina Claes was readying a field in the Claes manor’s gardens.

After spending quite some time in the gardens, she would then hike up her dress and start climbing trees. The Young Miss also took up fishing, of all things — fishing up her prey from the small river that ran through the grounds. She would eventually almost push the local fish population close to extinction.

Problem after problem arose, just like that. While Madam Claes became progressively angrier with each transgression, the Young Miss was firmly set in her ways. While she would have a downcast look about her immediately after she was given a scolding, she would be all recovered the very next day. It would seem that Lady Katarina had the mysterious ability to forget about all the reprimands and criticisms directed at her after a good night’s sleep.

At fifteen years of age, the Young Miss had unfortunately very much remained the same. She did, however, stop climbing trees eventually.

One time, Lady Katarina picked up a mushroom growing in the garden, claiming that it was “absolutely edible.” That was, however, unfortunately not the case, and the Young Miss suffered a bout of food poisoning, in addition to a good scolding from the madam.

After this incident, however, the Young Miss suddenly announced that she would study farming methodologies, immersing herself in books on agriculture. Before long, she had started on a mission to expand the fields in the gardens.

It was as if she hadn’t changed at all — not in the slightest, ever since she was eight. Although I had been in her service for seven years, and was always by her side, I still could not predict what Lady Katarina would think about next.

However, even though the Young Miss was quite the troublemaker, she did enjoy immense popularity amongst... certain parties.

For instance, there was the third crown prince, Jeord Stuart, Lady Katarina’s fiancé. The skilled, capable, and beautiful Prince took a great liking to Lady Katarina. Prince Jeord, in turn, enjoyed his time with the Young Miss — the expression of adoration on his face was quite something else.

Lady Katarina, however, did not seem to understand the prince’s feelings, not even with such an expression directed at her during their interactions. Thick as the Young Miss was, I could not help but be overcome with fear when she unexpectedly approached the prince — to cancel their engagement, of all things!

The scar on Lady Katarina’s head was the reason why this engagement existed in the first place, and now that scar had perfectly healed. I remember the day of her injury, back when the Young Miss was eight years old. And so I was overjoyed upon noticing that the scar was gone. I was happy for her.

However, never in my wildest dreams would I have known that the Young Miss would use this as a reason to cancel the engagement — or say what she did to the prince. That was when I first realized that Lady Katarina did not have a clue about Prince Jeord’s affection towards her — in spite of all his actions.

“Prince Jeord. The scar on my forehead has completely vanished. As such, there is no longer a need for you to take social responsibility for me — I do not mind if the engagement were to be cancelled,” Lady Katarina said, happily smiling as she did so!

The prince’s eyes opened wide in surprise — but soon, a reassuring smile returned to his face. His eyes, however, were hardly smiling at all... “Is that so? Well then, if you would please show me.”

Slowly approaching the Young Miss, Prince Jeord parted her hair somewhat roughly, exposing her forehead. It was as she said — the scar had completely vanished, and not a trace of it remained...

“No, Katarina. There is still quite the scar, from what I can see,” Prince Jeord said, all the while staring at Lady Katarina’s perfectly smooth and unscarred forehead.

“Eh? But I’ve checked many times in the mirror... Anne helped, too...”

Oh, Young Miss. You mustn’t. Please don’t turn this way...

“I would suppose you were both mistaken, yes. A scar yet remains here. Do you not think so too?” Prince Jeord said, turning to me with his charming smile. His eyes still did not share the same sentiment. Overcome by fear, all I could do was nod my head rapidly up and down, agreeing wholeheartedly with him.

In the end, the now non-existent scar was brought back onto the table by Prince Jeord, who promptly ended the discussion with a single statement. “So you see, there will be no cancellations with regards to our engagement.” All the while looking at us with those unsmiling eyes of this.

A most terrifying incident, truly — enough for me to feel as if several years of my life had been shaved off my poor heart.

And then there was the matter of Lady Katarina’s adopted brother, Keith Claes. Although he was a most skinny and gloomy child when we first met him, the Young Master was now the apple of many a lady’s eye — he had become quite the beautiful youth as the years went by.

He was, of course, exceedingly popular with women, perhaps on account of how he was always gentle and kind to every woman he met. And now, having reached this age, the Young Master could not help but be charming. To tell the truth, many of the servants had fallen head over heels for him.

Master Keith, however, only had eyes for the Young Miss. He would follow Lady Katarina about almost daily, offering her support and cleaning up her occasional social faux pas. The gaze of burning passion in his eyes, directed at the Young Miss, was evidently not one of platonic sibling love.

Lady Katarina, being thick as she was, however, hardly noticed this. Perhaps she simply did not have the faculties to understand the Young Master’s charms. As expected of the Young Miss.

“...They say I’m charming and whatnot... but it is all meaningless, is it not? If the one you love hardly notices it at all...”

That was what I heard as I happened upon the Young Master one day, mumbling to himself with a gloomy expression on his face. It was a most... unfortunate sight.

Eventually, the Young Master would side with Madam Claes, forming the “Katarina could not possibly perform the duties of a Queen!” camp. Try as they might to cancel the engagement between Katarina and Prince Jeord, however, their efforts have not yet borne fruit. As far as I know, their efforts continue in the shadows to this day...

And then there was the fourth crown prince of the kingdom, Alan Stuart — the twin brother of Prince Jeord. He, too, only had Lady Katarina in his eyes.

He was said to be a genius of music, and possessed great talent for the art. As such, the invitations for Prince Alan’s many performances drew steadily multiplying crowds — such were the desires of the masses to listen to his music.

The prince would invite Lady Katarina each time, without fail. There was an unmistakable gleam in his eyes — favor for the Young Miss, surely, when he looked upon her.

The one fault with Prince Alan, however, was the fact that he was almost as thick as the Young Lady herself. For seven long years he stared in her general direction — and yet had no self-awareness of it at all.

The sight of the prince who obviously had feelings for Lady Katarina not understanding his own feelings was quite sad to behold. While I was originally exasperated, I now felt some pity for his situation.

However, I did understand that this wasn’t just a matter of Prince Alan being particularly thick. Those who already had an eye for the Young Miss, such as Prince Jeord and Master Keith, set about ensuring that Alan would never notice how he himself felt.

Of these individuals, the most skilled amongst them had to be Prince Alan’s fiancée herself, Lady Mary Hunt. To Prince Alan, the entire reason why Lady Mary was here was so that the Young Miss would not take the prince for herself. The truth, however, was the opposite of that — after all, Lady Mary Hunt herself was a woman after the Young Miss’ heart.

Prince Alan’s fiancée, Lady Mary Hunt, had changed drastically since her first meeting with the Young Miss. While she was originally shirking and shy, her name had spread far in noble society these seven years, and she was heralded as the very image of a noble lady — a far cry from how she used to be.

That very same lady, however, really did have quite the thing for the Young Miss. If I had to describe it... Lady Mary had no qualms about cancelling the Young Miss’ engagement with the prince, and then dragging her to some faraway place so she could have her all to herself — that was how deep it went.

Lady Mary’s plan had begun quite a few years ago. At that time, she announced to the Young Miss that she was not capable of being queen. “I am hardly suitable for such an important role — that of queen, in particular...”

This filled the Young Miss with unease. After all, even the most perfect noble lady now had reservations about the entire affair.

Upon hearing that, the Young Miss eventually echoed those sentiments, announcing that, “Ah, then it would be impossible for me, too. What am I going to do?”

Lady Mary’s response to the Young Miss’ unease was swift. Holding her hands, she smiled gently, saying, “Well then, perhaps we could both renege on our engagements... and the two of us could escape to some faraway land.”

At first, I had assumed that this was all some sort of joke... until Lady Mary started detailing the tools used in this grand escape. It was then that I understood just how serious she was.

To phrase it simply, Lady Mary Hunt was absolutely serious and willing to cancel both engagements, sweep the Young Miss off her feet, and carry her to some faraway foreign land.

Lady Katarina, being as thick as she was, hardly noticed Mary’s feelings. Even now, she speaks of Lady Mary as a friend, with a warm smile. “Ah, Mary is truly a gentle girl...”

And with this, her adopted brother, the twin princes, and even the noble lady engaged to one of the princes are now after her affections. The Young Miss, of course, knew absolutely nothing about all this.

The Young Miss had yet more admirers — one of which being the royal chancellor’s son, Master Nicol Ascart. He too was hopelessly lost in the Young Miss’ eyes.

He was quite the impressive individual, with his jet-black eyes and hair, doll-like features, and alluring aura. He had his official debut to noble society late last year, and even had a fanclub following. His so-called fanclub, however, was not only filled with women — but also a fair number of men.

While Prince Jeord, Prince Alan, and Keith were all beautiful and handsome in their own right, there was something different about Master Nicol — to be specific, that alluring and bewitching aura of his. This was why the Young Miss referred to him as the “Alluring Count” day in and day out.

Master Nicol was, however, usually a very stoic individual. He hardly talked about himself, much less spoke very much at all. Even amongst this large following, few had seen him ever show any hint of emotion.

That very same Master Nicol, however, often smiled at Lady Katarina — a truly happy, blissful smile. It was truly a force of nature, that smile of his. Those who bear witness to it inadvertently become weak at the knees. In fact, many of my fellow maids had become effectively useless after witnessing such a spectacle.

As expected of the Young Miss, however, she remained perfectly oblivious to this, even though she was the only one who caused Master Nicol to behave in this way...

“I have to protect Mary and Keith from being bewitched by the Alluring Count...!” she would say, muttering to herself.

It would seem that the Young Miss, being impervious to Young Master Keith’s charms, had proven to be equally invulnerable to the destructive power of Master Nicol’s faint smile...

Lastly, there was the sister of Master Nicol — Sophia Ascart. Needless to say, she was very fond of the Young Miss as well.

Much like the Lady Katarina, Lady Sophia had a great love for romance novels, and often came to the Claes manor, bringing many recommendations with her.

Lady Sophia, having long noticed her brother’s feelings for the Young Miss, often extolled Nicol’s virtues in her presence. As expected of Lady Katarina, however, she hardly understood Sophia’s motivations for doing this, and quickly attributed it to her love for her brother.

And just like that, many people began to gather around the problem child that was Lady Katarina. Much like Master Keith, the Young Miss was very much a subconscious charmer.

And Young Miss had more than just friends of the noble variety. Even the difficult and usually reserved head gardener, Tom, seemed to enjoy himself in Lady Katarina’s presence. The somewhat distant head maid, who was strict with herself and her colleagues, was also different in front of the Young Miss — she often wore a peaceful expression, one that I had not seen before.

Regardless of her age, the problems she causes, and her eccentricities, Lady Katarina attracts people to her side without fail. What exactly is it that pulls so many people to her...?

To tell the truth... I can answer that question easily myself.

I, Anne Shelley, was born of Baron Shelley and a servant of the Shelley family — my mother. I was kept separate from the Baron’s main household, and was instead raised in a small home.

The Baron was a fickle man, my mother says. He had only slept with her a few times before I was born into this world.

“Do as the Baron says... act in such a way that would make him like you. Never, ever think about going against him...” This was something that she always repeated to me as I grew up.

I followed those instructions. I did what the Baron said and what my mother wished for me to do, never going against either of them. I lived my life for the sole purpose of earning their favor.

Perhaps it was because I did this — I would never really know. I was never called to the main residence, nor was the Baron ever cruel to me. All things considered, I was able to live a somewhat unrestricted life.

However, that would all end one day in the year of my fifteenth birthday. Without warning, the room next to mine caught fire, and the fire soon spread to the surroundings.

Although I had somehow managed to escape, I suffered large burns to my back, and my mother lost her life in the disaster.

All I could do was stand, stunned at the sudden developments. It was then that it happened — for the first time since I was born, I was summoned to the main residence by the Baron.

“I have heard that your back has been terribly scarred. Now that you are damaged, I can no longer use you as an instrument for political marriages. I have no more need for you. Get out of this house,” the Baron said to me, as if he were speaking casually of the changes in the weather. I could not even find any words of protest.

Up until now, I had tried all my life to earn the Baron’s favor. I had been so proud of myself, thinking that an absence of cruelty meant that the Baron had accepted me. But I was... wrong. The Baron was not cruel to me simply because he was not interested in me. To the Baron, I was nothing more than a tool. And now that I have become like this, I was... no longer needed.

And just like that, I lost my abode and my reason for existing, almost overnight. The Claes family, a distant relation of mine, just so happened to be looking for maids — and that was how I ended up there, learning the ways of the world.

I eventually ended up as the personal maid to Lady Katarina Claes, the sole daughter of the Claes family. Lady Katarina was spoiled, selfish, and arrogant towards her servants. Most maids assigned to her did not last very long, but that was not the case for me.

After all, I was different from the other girls, who could simply return to their homes and search for another place to learn their lessons. I no longer had a place to go back to. If I were chased out of the Claes manor, I would be out on the streets.

I lived as I had always lived — I sought to earn her favor, just like I did with the Baron and my mother, never going against anything she said. Whatever Lady Katarina wanted to hear, or the objects she desired... I did all that, and never went against her in any way. I became what my masters wanted me to become, shaped by their desires.

As long as I did as I was told, Lady Katarina’s mood would slowly improve, and the days began to pass without any problems. After all, this was how I had always lived. The only thing that changed was the individual I served. All I had to do was become a new tool in the Claes manor.

However, following the impact to her head and her feverish slumber, the awakened Lady Katarina changed. She was no longer arrogant, and no longer selfish. She no longer sought praise from me, or words of approval. She climbed the trees and tilled the fields — a most unusual noble lady.

I no longer knew how to earn her favor, or how I should react to her actions. Having lived my entire life telling people what they wanted to hear, and being what they wanted me to me, I found myself at a loss — I had no real will of my own.

And so, as I remained lost in thought about how to interact with this suddenly changed Lady Katarina... I realized that I soon began to speak on my own accord. Although I no longer was full of praise for her, nor did I affirm everything she said and did, Lady Katarina was never cruel to me. I found myself slowly starting to respect her.

For the first time in my life, I received a birthday present. A sheaf of paper tickets with the words “shoulder massage ticket” written on them in somewhat messy letters. And wooden carvings of a strange, unidentified lifeform. All these were gifts from Lady Katarina, handed to me every year, and I kept all of them packed away safely.

The days I spent serving the unpredictable Lady Katarina were exhausting to say the least. However, compared to those fifteen-odd years that I spent living in that small house, this was something I could never have dreamed of — impossibly bright, vibrant, and happy days.

I want to stay by Lady Katarina’s side for as long as I can. I no longer remembered when I started thinking this way.

After spending a few years in the Claes family, a letter arrived from an individual who had not contacted me all this time — Baron Shelley. The letter was curt: “Your engagement has been arranged. Return to the estate at once.”

All the color drained from my face. Engagement...? Even though I was told that I am no longer useful as an instrument for political marriage because of the burn scars on my back?

Before, I would have rushed back to the estate immediately after receiving such a letter. I was just a tool. A tool that could not dream of going against its master, the Baron. However... I was no longer the girl I was before. I wanted to stay here.

This was why I had ignored the letter... until Baron Shelley himself showed up at the Claes manor. Seated in the room I was summoned into was Baron Shelley — seated and unchanged, looking exactly as he did all those years ago.

“I found an eccentric, you see. Someone who has interest in you, regardless of the damage. Since you did not seem to understand my summons, I have personally shown up, to bring you back, of course,” the Baron said, his twisted expression seemingly suggesting that I thank him for his efforts.

The individual that I was engaged to had many bad rumors swirling around him in noble society — a viscount with more lovers than one could count with both hands. Baron Shelley was certainly being paid a handsome sum to arrange such a marriage. But I knew I would never be happy in such an arrangement.

In fact, was it mistaken for a tool to think that it could ever be happy in the first place? A sudden chill came over my body, as if all the blood had been sucked out of it that very moment.

“Why do you dally? I have already spoken to Duke Claes. Make the arrangements now! We are returning to the estate,” the Baron said, seemingly displeased at my silence.

Ah... with this, it will all end. My happy days will be over, and I will become nothing more than a tool once more.

I want to stay here. I want to spend more time here, by Lady Katarina’s side...

And that was when it happened.

“Do excuse me.” With a prompt greeting and a knock, the Lady Katarina herself burst into the room in a huff. “You are Anne’s father, yes?” she said, directing her sharp gaze towards the Baron.

“...Y-Yes.” the Baron himself was at a loss, apparently surprised by the sudden entrance of this young girl.

“Please! Please rethink this whole affair about Anne’s marriage engagement!” Lady Katarina said, suddenly gripping me by the arm. “Please, I need Anne by my side, I absolutely do! I want her to stay! If you take her away... I won’t stand for it! I can’t!” she shouted, ignoring the Baron’s surprised expression as she said what she needed to say.

The sight before me was surreal — it was like was a spectator, gazing into a foreign world.

I could feel the heat of Lady Katarina’s grip. Slowly, the warmth from her hand warmed up my body.

I had lived all my life, simply pleasing my betters. It was here at the Claes manor, however... here by Lady Katarina’s side, that I first found my own will, my own voice.

Somewhere along the line, I had stopped being just a mere tool. No longer a tool, but just... just Anne Shelley. And even so, Lady Katarina said she needed me. That she wanted me by her side.

Before I knew it, the Young Miss’ warmth filled my entire being. I found that it warmed up my head, especially so. I desperately held back the tears that were threatening to spill forth from my eyes at any moment.

Due to Lady Katarina’s actions that day, the engagement itself was now called into question. A short while after this incident, Duke Claes somehow found out about the negative circumstances surrounding my engagement, and in turn called off the entire deal with the Baron’s family.

No words could describe the gratitude I felt for Duke Claes. In fact, the Duke himself even suggested an alternative. “If you would like, I could put the word out for a proper suitor — someone who would treat you well,” he said.

Even so, I chose to stay by Lady Katarina’s side. And so, I remained as Lady Katarina’s personal maid at the Claes family up until now.

Regardless of her age, the problems she causes, and her eccentricities, Lady Katarina attracts people to her side without fail. What exactly is it that pulls so many people to her...?

To tell the truth... I can answer that question easily myself. After all, I know better than anyone else could possibly know...

I was just a tool to be used, but Lady Katarina treated me, Anne Shelley, as a human being. I would never forget the warmth of her grip, or the words she spoke on my behalf that day.

I will definitely accompany her to the Academy of Magic in the coming spring. Although the Young Miss claims that she would be “Quite all right”... she could hardly put on her own dress correctly. If left to her own devices, her hair would be messy and undone — there is no way she would be quite all right, nor was this fitting for the eldest daughter of a duke.

“Of course I will be accompanying you to the academy,” I said, despite Lady Katarina’s stunned expression.

“But then, are you not of age for marriage, Anne? I don’t think I could possibly ask you to stay...”

It would seem that the Young Miss was even concerned about my age! Talking about weddings and such. I could not help but laugh a little. After all, I hardly had any desires or expectations for marriage. I only had one wish.

“If I were gone, Young Miss, where would you find someone who would take care of you? Of course I will be accompanying you to the academy.”

At my words, Lady Katarina herself started laughing.

Even if Lady Katarina did become queen in the future, and had to live at the royal castle with Prince Jeord... even if Lady Mary took her away to some faraway land. Regardless of what the future held, I would always be by the Young Miss’ side.

After all, this was where I belonged... and this was where my happiness was — standing next to Lady Katarina.

I only have one wish, My Lady. And that is to live on, always by your side.