Chapter 9: The Lady Dances

 

 

 

Chapter 9: The Lady Dances

 

I was certain we would hold the contest in the dance studio we had been using, but apparently I was mistaken.

“Hey, where are you taking us?”

Clearly, Shizuku had been under the same impression, as she had asked the same question no less than three times since the car that had been sent for us arrived, without once receiving a satisfactory answer.

“Well, Mitsuru was the one who chose the place,” Shimozuru replied. “Just hold on a little longer.”

“Come on, if you know where we’re going, just say so.”

Shimozuru merely smiled wearily. He had none of his usual cheer. Shinmyou also hadn’t said a word all morning.

“First of all, we can’t even see outside with these,” Shizuku said, rapping on the thick curtains covering the windows. The car Mochizuki had sent for us was a long black limousine. It was the first time I’d ever ridden in such a glamorous car, and I could hardly contain my excitement.

Everyone else seemed so used to it, which made me realize how different the world they inhabited was from my own.

Shimozuru trying to calm Shizuku served as the background music as our car rolled along.

After about an hour and a half, the car finally stopped.

“Looks like we’re here,” Shimozuru said just as the door was opened softly from the outside. I expected the August heat to fill the car but was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t. I stepped out and realized we were atop a verdant hill.

Right in front of us stood a building with a classic design that reminded me of a grand hotel.

“Whoa... Is this...?”

“Do you know this place, Shizuku?”

“Yeah. There was a CG that featured a place like this in the game... I think it’s one of the Prince’s family’s properties,” she whispered in my ear. My eyes were fixed on the building.

As I remained entranced, a middle-aged man in a dark-gray suit arrived to escort us.

“Welcome, Master Shinmyou, Master Shimozuru. It would be my pleasure to show you and your lady guests inside.”

“Please do.”

“Thank you, Mr. Yamanashi.”

We had never seen him before, but the other two seemed to know him well. We greeted him and followed along.

“Thank you for having us today,” I said with a curtsy. Something flashed in Mr. Yamanashi’s eyes. I tilted my head, a bit intrigued, but his expression quickly returned to its stoic state.

“This way, please,” he said.

We were led over a well-polished floor that was bordered on either side by doors that seemed to lead to anterooms.

“Ladies, you will be here in the White Rose Room. We have your dresses, as well as hair, makeup, and wardrobe stylists, awaiting you. Masters Shinmyou and Shimozuru, we have prepared the Royal Lotus Room for both of you, so please follow me.”

“White Rose Room?”

“That is where I was instructed to take them,” Mr. Yamanashi said.

With such polite words, Shinmyou’s question was essentially evaded. The door to the White Rose Room was opened for us, and we were ushered inside.

“Everything in here seems insanely expensive,” Shizuku whispered to me.

“It does. Everything from the entrance hall looked expensive enough, but this is a whole other level.”

“I’m so freaked out, I’m afraid to move.”

Even Shizuku appeared to be out of her element.

With the aide of the hair, makeup, and wardrobe stylists, we were able to clean up well, so it seemed a waste for us to be wearing such long faces.

All our helpers departed, leaving us alone, so I sat down in the chair in front of Shizuku to chat and lighten the mood.

“You look lovely today. I’m sure Shimozuru will appreciate it.”

“Hwh...whaa!? ...I mean, appreciate what?!” Shizuku sputtered. But it was true.

Rather than her trademark pigtails, her side bangs were braided and her hair in the back was left down. It was refreshing and cute.

“Let’s enjoy ourselves today,” I said to cheer her up.

“Yeah,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Urara, you seem so comfortable in this place. I suppose it must be because you used to be nobility.”

“Could be...”

I thought back on those days. When I was about to make my societal debut, I was just as tense as Shizuku was now. However, back then, there was someone who tried to make me laugh and calm my nerves.

Back then, I really...

“Hehehe.”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just, I was remembering that when I was a debutante, I was even more nervous.”

“I see. Well then, let me correct you on one thing,” she said, standing up. “Don’t say ‘You look lovely today.’ It’s supposed to be ‘You’re as lovely as ever today.’”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” I apologized. Our eyes met and we both burst into laughter.

With our nerves finally calmed, we were finally relaxing when a knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

“Pardon me,” the man from earlier, Mr. Yamanashi, said as he opened the door, then entered with Shinmyou and Shimozuru in tow.

Both of the boys had their hair smoothed and styled and were in full evening dress. Their eyes fixated on us in shock.

“Wow...those dresses look great! You’re both so cute, really beautiful!”

Shizuku didn’t react to Shimozuru’s enthusiastic praise the way I would have expected her to.

“Thanks. Oboro, you look really cool, too, you know?”

Her tone was as arrogant as ever, but still, Shimozuru seemed happy, so I suppose it didn’t matter.

He offered her his arm and she accepted. Our transformation was now complete.

“You are also very…”

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” I asked Shinmyou when I didn’t catch what he mumbled.

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

My partner, Shinmyou, offered me his arm as well. As I accepted, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“I’m counting on you,” I said with a deep breath, and we made our way to the place where the competition would be held.

On the other side of a stately door, we found a massive hall. Countless large, grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling. They were unlit, as it wasn’t quite noon yet. Instead, the sunlight from the windows reflected off the chandeliers, causing them to glisten.

While this place wasn’t as grand as the royal palace of Lacrofine, it was a reception hall fit for the richest of nobles.

While I was admiring the skillful construction of the room, the door at the head of the room opened smoothly and without a sound. In stepped Mochizuki, Izayoi, and Mikazuki.

“Mochizuki...what’s with the getup?”

“Oh no, I can’t even, I can’t even... Oh no, he’s too precious. My nose is gonna start bleeding!”

Mochizuki stood before us, his hair slicked back and in impeccable full evening dress. Izayoi and Mikazuki trailed behind him.

Shinmyou and Shimozuru also seemed to be taken aback and unable to find words. Fortunately, Shizuku had enough to say for everyone. Well, I couldn’t blame her. After all, Mochizuki was her favorite character in the otome game.

As it was just before noon, perhaps a morning coat would have been more appropriate, but he was wearing a tailcoat and evening dress, just like the other four boys.

No wonder Shizuku called him “the Prince.” The other four looked phenomenal as well, but clearly Mochizuki was the next level of refinement. Even the cuffs he wore suited him nicely.

Mochizuki gave us a glance and made his way in gallant strides over to us. He stopped before Shizuku and extended his hand.

“Well, shall we get started?”

“Um...?”

“Wait a second, Mitsuru! You’re the judge, right? Why would you be dancing, too?” Shimozuru objected, stepping forward as the rest of us froze in place.

“If I’m judging, then it would be faster just to assess them myself,” Mochizuki said airily.

“So all three of them are going to be your partner, Mitsuru?” Shinmyou asked.

“I’ve just decided. We’ll be dancing three songs, one right after the other,” he readily responded.

If Mochizuki was really as good as he seemed to believe he was, then maybe this was the best way.

The six of us exchanged glances.

Ever since we chose to hold a dance contest, Shinmyou had been practicing as my dance partner, and Shimozuru had been Shizuku’s. So it was only natural that we expected to have them as our partners for the actual challenge as well.

“But they’ve only ever practiced with us,” Shimozuru protested. “It’s not right.”

“It’s not as if this is an official event. If they can’t at least dance with a different partner, then they’re probably not any good anyway. Right?”

Shimozuru clearly couldn’t disagree with that fair argument, so he bit his lip in disappointment. Shinmyou would never have opposed Mochizuki in the first place, so he merely stood there with a grumpy look on his face. The other two boys were just here to watch, so they had no say in the matter either.

Still, what about Chouko?

I had been so taken aback by Mochizuki’s outfit that I hadn’t noticed right away, but Chouko still wasn’t there.

I turned to ask Mochizuki about him, but he turned away. He then went on to impress our two choices upon us.

“So, are you going to dance, or will you pass? Which is it?”

Shizuku, who had gone quiet after her initial outburst, stepped forward, a look of resolve in her eyes.

“I would never think of passing up this challenge. I’m counting on you as a partner,” she said, offering him a curtsy not unlike the one I had performed when telling her the truth of my past life.

“Very well. I look forward to dancing with you.”

He seemed pleased with the lovely curtsy Shizuku had given him and once again offered her his hand. Holding hands, he escorted her out onto the floor in a grand manner.

The music gave them both just enough time to get into position before beginning to play, and so they began to move, dancing naturally in time.

Shizuku’s dress billowed softly as she moved to the gentle rhythm.

“Shizuku certainly looks lovely.” The words fell from my lips instinctively.

“I hate to admit it, but yeah, Mitsuru really is a good dancer. He’s doing a great job leading her,” Shimozuru grumbled.

“Naturally,” Shinmyou coolly interjected. “He has a great deal more experience.”

I pretended not to hear that very audible gnashing of teeth. No matter what I could have said to Shimozuru, it wouldn’t have made a difference.

The sound of Shizuku’s steps ended in time with the music. Mochizuki escorted Shizuku back to us, her cheeks slightly flushed. It was rather adorable.

She let go of his hands as soon as she was back and dashed over to me. She gave me a great big hug.

Y-You’re going to wrinkle our dresses, Shizuku.

“W-Well, how was it? I think that was my best dance yet!”

“Yes. It was very elegant. You’ve improved a great deal.”

“Oboro, did you see? What did you think?!” she asked with an innocent smile.

“Yeah, you danced beautifully,” he said, a subtle grin on his lips.

“With a performance like that, you’ll absolutely pass. You could dance anywhere without issue.”

Shizuku looked triumphant on hearing Mochizuki’s words. Pass? Something about that gave me a bad feeling.

“So, next is Urara’s turn, right?” Shizuku said. “Oh, wait, where’s Tsukuyomi? She’s still not here?”

Having just now realized Chouko wasn’t there, Shizuku looked all around, but still Chouko did not appear.

Again, I looked to Mochizuki, hoping he’d actually pay attention this time.

As soon as I did, he said something I could scarcely believe.

“Chouko Tsukuyomi will not be taking part in this contest. As a result, the two of you have won,” he announced indifferently.

“Wait a second! What exactly does that mean?!”

“Exactly what I said. She decided not to dance. That’s all.”

“That’s unacceptable,” I persisted. “After all...”

“It was her decision. I couldn’t get her to change her mind,” he responded coldly.

“Urara, I know you’re disappointed, but please calm down.”

“Tendou, Mitsuru can’t really do anything about it...”

Shizuku and Shimozuru were trying to soothe me.

I understood what they were trying to say, I did. But that didn’t mean I could easily accept it.

After all, Chouko had agreed to the challenge. He said it would be all right. So I couldn’t understand why he would back out now.

“You got what you wanted, Saku. Or was it the other way around?”

“No, I... No, you’re right. It doesn’t matter to me either way. Whatever Chouko wants to do is fine by me.”

Even as I listened to Mochizuki and Shinmyou’s back-and-forth, I still couldn’t accept it.

After all, he had yet to even see my dress. The one Mr. Agatsuru asked me to show off for him.

And then there was Chouko’s request to dance with me. I hadn’t had a chance to practice the male part...and now I didn’t need to...

“Is it because of what I found out?”

The words had slipped from my lips before I could stop them.

I had been trying to close my eyes and cover my ears, to feign ignorance to what I had learned.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Shizuku asked in shock, but I ignored her and continued on.

“Did Chouko quit because I found out he’s really a boy?”

“No, that’s not what happened!” Shimozuru rushed toward me, trying to comfort me and convince me otherwise, but thankfully, Shizuku held him back.

Her jaw had dropped at the secret I had exposed, but she remained my silent ally.

My feelings bubbled over, and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“That’s it, isn’t it? After all, I...I ran away. Without giving him a second to hear what he had to say.”

Yes. I ran away.

I ignored Chouko even after he called out to me.

I should have turned back to face him. I continued to blame myself over and over.

I was always doing things like this.

Always, always, always, always.

I was in the wrong, always so steeped in my own emotions without trying to understand someone else’s.

“It’s all my fault...”

“This has nothing to do with what happened that day,” Shinmyou said. “This was his choice. It’s not your fault, Tendou.”

“Th-That’s right. So don’t worry so much.”

As I began to cool down, Shimozuru once again reached out to me to put a hand on my shoulder.

In that second, his hand was smacked away.

“You all need to knock it off!”

“Aritomo?!”

“How could this be Urara’s fault?”

“No one is saying Tendou did anything wrong.”

Shizuku brought her foot down so loud, it echoed throughout the room.

“Shut up! You’re making Urara feel bad! Idiots!”

“Hey now, that’s ridiculous. We’re...”

“If Tsukuyomi was dropping out for this round, why couldn’t she have come here and told us in person? That’s so dumb! After everyone went to all this trouble!”

Her diatribe started aimed at Mochizuki, then turned to Shinmyou.

“And you! Are you okay with this? Acting like you don’t care. You’ve been used, too. It’s all just stupid. All of it!”

“Looks like it’s a smorgasbord of stupid today,” Mochizuki said, seemingly in awe of Shizuku’s rant. She rounded on him, a rabid glare in her eyes, and he immediately fell silent.

“That’s right, Dum-Mi! And who cares if Tsukuyomi really is a boy or whatever! Or if that’s why he wanted to quit! He was the one who started this in the first place.”

“Yeah, but, well...”

“Shut up! I don’t know why he was dressing as a girl. I don’t want to know. But I can’t forgive him for hurting Urara,” she declared, taking my hand and heading for the door.

“A-Aritomo?!”

“We’re leaving! Have the car ready for us by the time we’ve finished changing.”

After glancing back at Shimozuru, she quickened her pace, scuffing her feet against the floor. I followed along behind her, her hand protectively gripping mine.

☾☾☾

“YOU can’t come with us!” Shizuku snapped at Shimozuru as she practically slammed the door in his face. I watched him as the two of us rode off.

She wouldn’t let go of my hand. Not when we went to change nor on the ride home.

My heart had cooled after everything that had happened. The warmth of her hand seemed to be the one thing keeping it going, and for that, I was grateful.

“I’m sorry, Urara,” she offered about thirty minutes into the ride.

“...Why are you apologizing?”

I thought it strange that she would. I glanced at her and saw she had wrinkled her nose. She apologized again.

“You’ve been so down lately, and yet I barely even noticed.”

“Oh, no, I never said anything to you. How could you have known?”

She was my best friend, but there was no way I could have told her Chouko’s secret. But I never intended for her to find out like this, either.

“I was just so caught up in dancing, so oblivious...”

“You were incredible. Even Mochizuki admitted it. You earned that win. You need to be proud of it.”

We continued talking as I lightly stroked her hair, careful to preserve the special style she had it in.

“...Even though it ended on a sour note, we still won, didn’t we?”

“Yes, Shizuku. You won.”

“Three wins, two losses. So we beat Tsukuyomi.”

“Yes,” I said, gazing off in the distance while heaving a sigh.

“This is where the game ends, you know, Urara?”

“Yes. But...”

“But?”

“Some things don’t have to come to an end.”

I squeezed her hand tighter. In turn, she squeezed mine back.

“You’re right,” she murmured, letting me know she completely understood everything I wanted to say.

☾☾☾

I’M still not sure how I got pulled into it, but Shizuku had seized victory in the Ojousama Challenge, beating Chouko at three wins to two.

However, she still hadn’t found herself in a relationship with any of the love interests from Moonlight Beauty ~Be My Bride~.

Unlike in most stories, where victory or defeat led to an epic denouement, her success in the competition had ended anticlimactically.

And so, it would be a week before she visited me in the depths of my misery, after a family vacation with souvenirs in hand.

“Still, to think Tsukuyomi was a guy all along. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t heard it from you.” Shizuku began with that the second she walked into my room.

Not only did she start with a sensitive topic, but she had to rub it right in from the get-go.

“But how did you know? No matter how I look at it, Tsukuyomi was the definition of a young lady. Even if I heard it from the horse’s mouth, I still wouldn’t believe it.”

Her words were loaded. I carefully reflected on how I could explain it to her, but I struggled to find the right words. I settled for starting where I could.

“Um, well, because I saw it.”

“Huh, what?”

“...H-Hi...”

“‘H-Hi’?”

“His chest.”

“Tsukuyomi was naked?!”

“No, he wasn’t naked!”

He was absolutely, unequivocally appropriately clothed. I just happened to run into him at the wrong time. And so that was where I began my explanation. The match with Haruto and everything that happened after.

“Hmmm, sounds like your brother and Tsukuyomi were both in the wrong, trying to settle things with kendo like that.”

Are you really one to judge them for that, Shizuku?

“Ah well,” she said, now that I had explained, and opened the snacks she brought back from her trip.

She said they’d gone skiing in Australia, but the snacks were chocolate macadamia nuts again. I liked them anyway, so I was happy nonetheless.

“So what are you going to do now, Urara?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know. Now that you know Tsukuyomi is a boy, that changes everything about your relationship, right?”

That wasn’t the point. No matter what form he took, Chouko was still Chouko. It was just...

“When I think about his chest...”

“What? You can’t date a guy without breasts?”

“That’s not it!”

Please just forget about breasts for right now. I needed to talk about what was going on in my heart.

“My heart aches. Every time I think about Chouko, it squeezes tighter. I don’t know if I could take it if I tried to reach out and he ignored me.”

Oh, not again. I had thought about this time and again lately, then denied it, only for the thought to arise once more, tossing me into a cycle of increasing despair.

“I don’t want Chouko to hate me,” I whispered, my fears finally given voice.

I wanted him to smile at me again. To hear his kind words. More than ever before. And on and on from here forward. For me. And only me.

“Urara, I knew it...”

Just as Shizuku was about to continue, a loud ringtone reverberated throughout the room.

She pounced on her smartphone and checked the screen. Her eyes narrowed, and she tossed it onto my bed.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“It’s fine. Just some dumb text.”

On that day, while she was trying to protect me, Shizuku had lashed out at Shimozuru. After we were in the car, I had caught her looking lost in thought.

So maybe that email was from...

“Shimozuru?”

“Huh? No way. It was from the Prince.”

“Whaaat?”

“I dunno why, but ever since that day, he keeps sending me all these weird messages. I really don’t get it at all.”

She grabbed her phone, unlocked it, and showed me. Wait, weren’t these messages private? Was it really okay for me to see them?

“It’s all right, go ahead and have a look,” she said. I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw pictures of a unique-looking cat.

“Um...it’s a cat.”

“Yes it is. An ugly one, at that.”

“Depends on how you look at it. I think it’s cute.”

“Apparently, it’s the Prince’s cat.”

Every day since then, Mochizuki had sent a picture labeled “Today’s Bergamot.” Neither Shizuku nor I could figure out why he was doing this.

“I don’t get any messages from the person I really want, just junk like this.”

“Shizuku, you’re waiting, aren’t you...? For a message from Shimozuru?”

My words immediately flustered her, and her eyes began moving around, looking anywhere except at me. Finally she relented, seemingly defeated, and nodded her head.

“You really are...”

“Stop, Urara! Just wait a sec. Wait, and don’t say it yet. I know. I know it’s true, but my heart just isn’t ready yet!”

I understood. I understood so much that it hurt.

She felt bad about smacking Shimozuru’s hand and yelling at him. That she hadn’t apologized for going too far, and now the gap between them was growing deeper and deeper.

And now, no matter how much she wanted to see him, she was frozen in fear.

“I can see it in your eyes. You feel the same way, too, don’t you, Urara?”

“Yes...I think I do. Definitely.”

Finally acknowledging it, my true feelings began to flow forth freely from my heart.

Being afraid that the wedding dress had been for Chouko was absolutely because I was feeling jealous.

Because I loved—

I clenched my fist. I was ready.

“Shizuku, can I tell you? About what happened in my past life?”

The story of a feeling I couldn’t quite bring myself to call love.

Annerosa Ortegamo’s Memories

MY one source of joy in those days was to gaze out of a tiny fenestella in our family’s gloomy, stuffy old mansion, over the glistening waves of the canal, at another world that seemed to teem with life.

“Anne, Annerosa! You’re up there again...?!”

“Oh, Mother. I’m sorry. I was searching for something,” I apologized as she would insist a lady should, fleeing the fenestella. While she was satisfied with my apology, it was clear I wouldn’t be deceiving her so easily.

“I’m going to have Dorio nail this window shut. It is better that you be deprived of light than for you to waste your good looks on commoners.”

“Mother, please! They cannot see me all the way from down there and through such a small window, no less.”

“Whether they can see you is not the matter at hand, darling. Even just a rumor suggesting that one of them might manage to catch sight of us is disturbing enough.”

“Please...”

“It is only a natural concern. You are to become the second princess, after all. We must give them no cause for concern.”

Her words bored deep into my heart.

Being an old noble family, the Ortegamos had been counts and countesses for a long time, and while we weren’t necessarily dirt poor, our life was far from comfortable.

Because of that, my mother, whose expectations of propriety and manners were unmatched, was hired to be the etiquette tutor for the second prince himself. As His Highness’s teacher, my mother earned both ample pride and ample compensation.

Thus, she spent more than half of each month holed up in the palace. During those periods, when I was able to break free of the shackles of her intense demands of propriety, my desire to observe the commoners through whatever crevice I could find, and eventually my desire to be one of them, grew increasingly stronger.

“Now then, it’s time to prepare for this evening’s party. I am told the second prince will be present as well. Annerosa, it would seem he has expressed a great deal of interest in seeing you there,” she pressed, her earlier displeasure seemingly forgotten in her excitement.

I sighed, that younger boy’s strikingly lovely face appearing in my mind.

“Annerosa, you made it.”

“Yes, I trust Your Highness is in good health.”

The party at the palace had begun. After I gave my greeting to the king and queen, the crowd began to swell around me. I separated from my mother amid her excited greetings to everyone around us, and slipped over to my usual position along the wall, where the second prince himself managed to find me.

“Pink is indeed your color,” he said, nodding at my dress before offering me his hand. “Might I interest you in a dance, m’lady Ortegamo?”

“Y-Yes. It would be my pleasure, Your Highness.”

I was a bit surprised. He had still seemed so juvenile when last we met, and yet this time, he so confidently guided my steps.

Whether or not he had picked up on my surprise, the thirteen-year-old second crown prince escorted me onto the dance floor with ease.

After we danced to one song, the second prince led me out to the terrace. Refusing the prince’s invitation was not an option available to the daughter of a mere count, so I did as I was told.

“Is the old man your escort again today?”

“Yes, Count Barson was kind enough to do so.”

“Ah, very well. In that case, I shall be respectful of him. He’s no threat.”

“Pardon?”

As a seventeen-year-old girl with no marital prospects, I was unable to attend parties such as this without an escort. Those escorts were often relatives.

Lately, it was not a cousin close in age, but my eldest uncle, which made me wonder if my mother had... I regarded the second prince’s face with a discerning eye.

“I am to take on a bride,” he said, in a voice more cheerful than ever before.

“You are?”

“My father, I mean, His Majesty has granted his permission. Of course, there are still many decisions to be made, but...Annerosa, I...”

“Y-Your Highness! You have nothing but my respect and have made an indelible impact on my life. Ever since that day with my mother...”

I was referring to the debutante ball held on my fifteenth birthday. That was the first time I had met the second prince, when he came to see my mother in our antechamber.

I was so nervous that even remembering it now made me feel faint. And yet the way he spoke to me, only a boy of eleven at the time, with such animated gestures, was so charming that it helped calm me.

“Thank you very much, Your Highness. You are by far the most interesting person I have met today!”

“You too, Annerosa! You’re the cutest and prettiest girl here!”

His cheeks bright red, the prince took my hand and kissed the back of it.

It was the one bright spot in my otherwise cold existence as a noble in high society.

It was only natural that it wouldn’t last.

“Your Highness, I will pray that you find a partner who is truly worthy in her status and suitable in age. May you have a truly happy marriage,” I said, then quickly dashed off.

I ignored the second prince calling after me.

“A gift?”

“Yes, from the royal palace. I’m certain it is from the second prince. Your favorite flowers, preserved in sugar for you. My, he even remembered to preserve them as I taught him.”

My mother smiled, holding the box the flowers had arrived in and instructing the maid to prepare some tea.

The fact that he would send me a gift, even though I ran off as I did, lifted my spirits a bit. I could never hate the kind royal. I was actually rather fond of him.

However, I couldn’t bring myself to discuss what had happened. While the Ortegamo family was a noble one that kept up the appearances of proper nobility, it was nigh unthinkable that I could realistically become the second princess.

Ahh, being a noble...how I hated it.

I desperately wanted to become a commoner. To live on the other side of those glistening canals.

And as I bit into those sweets the prince sent me, my consciousness suddenly left my body.

I heard something, once, a voice beyond a purple veil calling out to me.

It sounded as if it was crying or shouting; either way, the voice’s owner was in desperate pain.

And in that time, very unpleasant words like fragments of shattered conversations fell in pieces around me.

“Candidate.”

“His Highness, the Prince—”

“Betrothal—”

“Mistake—”

“The Duke’s—”

Ohh, none of those things mattered anymore.

Someone, please tell that sobbing person not to cry. Please don’t cry for me.

Because I love—

And that was how I let go of my former life as Annerosa Ortegamo.

☾☾☾

FINISHING the story of my past life, I noticed that Shizuku was clutching a tissue box as she blew her nose loudly and dabbed at her tears.

“Hang on a second, I’ll... Just give me a moment...”

She pulled four or five tissues out and pressed them to her face.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine, really... I mean, you’re the one we should be worried about, Urara!”

“Perhaps.”

It was the story of my past life. Not necessarily my past.

“But that second crown prince, though. Urara, you loved him, didn’t you?” she asked, still blowing her nose.

“Not me. Annerosa. And yes, she pined for him. However, if you had asked her about her feelings, it would be difficult for her to have said yes,” I responded honestly.

I had affection for him, but I also couldn’t risk coming off as disrespectful, so I had always tried to strike a balance between the two.

“Really?”

“Yes. He was four years younger, and the difference in status between us was so great, I had to let that dream go. And it was so long ago anyway.”

My life as Annerosa had come to such an abrupt end. I couldn’t say I wasn’t sad about it. But actually talking to Shizuku about it like this made me realize I had mostly made my peace.

Why had I wanted to be a commoner so much? And why had I come to see love in such a negative light?

“I was always just trying to find a way out.”

I was finally able to acknowledge it.

And in doing so, I realized that, more important than my past life, there was something in this life I had to do.

That’s right. What I wanted to do most of all...

“I want to tell Chouko how I feel.”

Naturally, those feelings, and the emotions associated with them, were overflowing.

“I love Chouko, I do. So much so that I’m jealous of anyone else who would have him.”

After I finally gave voice to my true feelings for Chouko, it felt as if sunlight had broken through the gloom hanging heavy over my heart.

It was like seeing those canals from my past life in Lacrofine sparkling once more.

There certainly was a sense of irony that I would come from a past life where, as a noble, I was refused the opportunity to mingle with those from lower social statuses, to this life where I, a commoner, would fall in love with someone all but untouchable to me.

But I realized there was no way around it.

Now that I had bared my heart and soul, my face lit up in a brilliant smile.

As I did, Shizuku, who had been dabbing at the corners of her eyes, grabbed me by the hair and shouted in her usual tone.

“You dummy! Save your big dramatic confession for Tsukuyomi!”

“...Oh, yes, you’re right.”

I felt a little embarrassed after she said that to me. My face grew hot, and I covered it with my hands to cool it down. As I did, Shizuku muttered.

“Now that I think of it...that name Chouko doesn’t sound right. He’s a boy, right? Do you know his real name?”

“No. But gender is irrelevant. Chouko is Chouko to me, so I don’t think the name is strange at all.”

Well, maybe a little. After giving it some deep thought, Shizuku slapped her knees.

“All right, why don’t we go over there? We might be able to find something out.”

“Huh? Go where?”

“Come on, you know!” she said, disregarding my question and essentially making hers the final word. She led me to her family’s car, and we were off.

“Ta-da! The Arrows boutique!”

Mr. Agatsuru’s shop.

“Why are we here, exactly?”

She merely replied with a “Why, indeed” and blocked out my field of vision. “Well, he knows Chouko but isn’t too close like the guys from school. Honestly, the grizzly man was the only person I could think of.”

Uh, he hadn’t been “the grizzly man” for a long time. He’d shaved his beard ages ago.

Still, he was a famous designer. Would he really be all right with us visiting out of the blue? Just as I was about to ask, a voice called out to us from behind.

“Oh, how’ve you been? You’re looking well as always, Shizuku. Oh, and Urara!”

“It’s been awhile, Tendou. Aritomo.”

We weren’t surprised to see Mikazuki and Izayoi standing there after hearing them greet us so formally and yet in such playful tones. They looked the same as always. It felt as if we had been whisked back in time to when we were preparing for the horseback riding challenge.

Sighing in relief, I turned to them.

“Yes, it has been a while, Mikazuki, Izayoi.”

“I’m so glad Dum-Mi isn’t with you. Long time no see, Ui-Ui, Shirazu.”

Shizuku, honestly...not that again.

Mikazuki couldn’t help but laugh at the blunt way she greeted them.

I never had a chance to properly apologize for running out on them at the dance contest. As the cause of that incident, I found myself so embarrassed, I was begging for a hole to curl up and hide in.

We followed the pair into the Arrows boutique. Along the way, we greeted the two female designers who had helped us before, then made our way to the salon.

While the two boys used the changing rooms, we sipped tea. During that time, we learned that, unfortunately, Mr. Agatsuru was out of the shop on other business.

“I’m so sorry for the sudden, unannounced visit.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Make yourselves comfortable.”

We decided to take them up on their generous offer.

We learned that Mikazuki and Izayoi were there for their new tailcoats.

“Yeah, ours still weren’t ready.”

“That’s to be expected. I mean, Mitsuru and the others pushed for theirs for the danc—cough, cough, I mean, they needed theirs first.”

So our dance partners had rush-ordered brand-new tailcoats as well, then.

Everyone at Arrows had gone to so much trouble for our group. Now I really did feel sorry.

I kept my feelings quiet, but I wondered why Mikazuki and Izayoi needed new tailcoats soon when they hadn’t needed them for our dance contest.

It sounded as if the boys were preparing for some kind of group event. I was beginning to marvel at how different their lives were when, suddenly, they turned their attention to us.

“So, why are you two here today?” Mikazuki asked.

“Um, it’s a little embarrassing to explain,” I said. What I meant was, There’s no way I can tell you two.

Close friends would certainly be the best sources for finding out Chouko’s true name and identity. But now that I had realized I was in love with him, I couldn’t bring myself to ask them with any sort of composure.

Asking someone older like Mr. Agatsuru would have been difficult enough, but questioning two guys around my age, let alone guys who were extremely close to Chouko, would have been impossible.

I looked to Shizuku, hoping for salvation, but for some reason she had furrowed her brows and had a sour look on her face.

“Is something wrong, Shizuku?”

“...Ugh, dummy.”

“What?”

Her eyes had landed on Mochizuki, who had just arrived and stood in an elegant pose. I should have expected no less from someone who called himself the Prince. I remember thinking how rude he was during the dance contest, but I kept quiet.

After sizing Shizuku up, he suddenly approached her with a broad grin.

“Aritomo, good to see you. You haven’t responded to any of my messages. Are you doing all right?”

Oh, Shizuku, you didn’t respond to him?

The way he addressed her might have been fine, but his attitude certainly wasn’t.

“Don’t be stupid. How am I supposed to respond to that onslaught of cat pictures?”

...I take that back. Shizuku was the rude one here. Apparently Mochizuki’s kindness was easy to miss.

“Her name is Bergamot. There are many facets to her. Her grace. Her refinement.”

“Maybe her tiny, flat nose is cute in an ugly sort of way, but how could I tell you that over text?”

Mochizuki merely watched her sour reaction with amusement.

“H-Hey, Urara? Has Mitsuru...been sending pictures of Bergamot to Shizuku?” Mikazuki asked me after appearing totally out of the loop.

“Yes he has. Apparently every day,” I responded.

“Oh brother,” he said, covering his face with his hands.

Izayoi ran his fingers across his forehead and hung his head.

“Oh no, this is bad. Shirazu, what do we do?”

“Don’t ask me. Diplomacy is your area of expertise, Ui.”

“There’s no stopping Mitsuru once he’s on this path. Not even Oboro could hold him back now!”

Um, what exactly was going on here? I had no idea what deep, dark secrets these photos of Miss Bergamot were hiding.

Mikazuki must have noticed my baffled expression.

“You see, Bergamot is Mitsuru’s most prized cat. He only shows that cat-loving side of himself to people he’s taken an interest in. He’s never once sent those pictures to a girl. Do you get what that means?”

“Uh-huh. I think so. Mochizuki has really taken a shine to Shizuku and... What?”

Wait, whaaat?! Had Shizuku ended up on Mochizuki’s route? Even though the Ojousama Challenge had such a poor ending, even though we thought the otome game was over, it was all coming true...?

I had heard about something like this from Kirara, but wow, otome game heroines really were something.

“Why is Mitsuru even here? Did you contact him, Shirazu?” Mikazuki asked.

“No, I had no idea. What about you, Tendou...?”

“N-No. We just ran into him by accident. We came here on a whim.”

“Spooky! I don’t even want to know how he knew she was here,” Mikazuki gave a little shout and grabbed his head, then turned to me and whispered, “Please, Urara. Can you please take Shizuku and get the heck outta here?”

“Oh, all right. I mean, I don’t mind, but...”

Mr. Agatsuru, our reason for coming in the first place, wasn’t here, so it was no issue for us to leave now. And Mikazuki’s question from earlier felt so vague.

I started to urge Shizuku to leave, not even looking at Mochizuki, who had sat himself next to her, when the sound of the salon door slamming open echoed throughout the boutique.

“Aritomo!” Shimozuru panted.

“Oboro!” Shizuku responded, taken aback. “Why are you here?!”

“Why am I here? I mean, Ui told me to come...”

I glanced at Mikazuki out of the corner of my eye and saw that look of terror on his face. Shimozuru noticed Mochizuki had taken up position next to Shizuku. Little sparks were popping up all over the salon. Oh no, was this one of those battle climax scenes? As a beginner to all the ins and outs of romance, I was finding it difficult to breathe.

“And why are you sitting there, Mitsuru?” Shimozuru snarled, his tone making clear he was ready for a fight.

“Why? What’s it to you? The owner of this establishment happens to be a longtime business associate of our family. So what? Did you just come here to interrupt your cousin’s business?”

“What’s this gotta do with business?!”

Shizuku looked a little disturbed at the intensity of their argument.

“What do we do?” she whispered to me. “I never thought Oboro would really show up here...”

“Really? Were you hoping for Shimozuru to show up all along?” I asked.

Her eyes were a little red, and as she danced her fingers along my shoulder, she continued to whisper to me. “Well, no, it’s just, it is his cousin’s boutique, so maybe I was hoping. Ah, but that’s not why I brought you here.”

That’s clearly why you brought me here.

But I understood. We were both maidens in love. We were so fixated on the objects of our affection that we could see nothing else.

She had only to say that I might find out about Chouko to lure me here, so I was in no position to talk.

But seeing the two of them argue...they really did seem like little boys.

“You’re so annoying. She didn’t ask you to come.”

“M-Maybe not, but...” Holding his breath, Shimozuru shot Shizuku a look.

“And anyway, Aritomo thinks Bergamot is cute. So I thought I’d show her the real thing,” Mochizuki said with a loose grin. Shimozuru’s face went pale at those words.

Ahh, so Mochizuki really did only share Miss Bergamot with those he was most fond of.

That didn’t seem to be registering with Shizuku at all, though...

“Huh? What? I never said anything like that. I don’t care about seeing your cat,” Shizuku said, dumbfounded.

Mochizuki was flabbergasted.

“Huh? You did. You said she was ugly but cute. So clearly you think she’s cute.”

“No, I think she’s ugly!”

I didn’t think Miss Bergamot was that ugly, but I also reckoned Shizuku’s words were less genuine and more a way of getting back at him. After Shizuku firmly rejected him, Mochizuki blinked in rapid succession, clearly at a loss for words.

Shizuku leaped to her feet. She then stood before Shimozuru.

“Aritomo...”

Shimozuru called her name. I was relieved, but the next second, she slapped him across the face.

“Ow!”

“Don’t ‘ow’ me! You hurt me more! And worst of all, you were late!”

I expected nothing less from Shizuku. She had some nerve, blaming him, and yet he was still going along with what she was saying, so it must not have bothered him much. After all, I had no room to argue.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ‘I’m sorry’ me! Why haven’t you called or messaged me since that day? You didn’t even try to come after me.”

“Well, you told me not to come after you. And you were so mad, I thought it was better to give you time.”

“I was mad. I’m still mad...but...”

“But?”

Her words were so harsh, and yet she seemed so bashful. Slowly, the color returned to Shimozuru’s face, and he began to look happy.

“I hated not being able to see you more than anything! You big dummy! Get it through your thick head already!”

“...Aritomo!”

Her feelings finally out in the open, Shimozuru was so overcome, he threw his arms around her.

She let out a weird cry as he hugged her, but I pretended not to hear. I, too, was a love newbie.

“I hated it, too. It was so hard seeing how well you danced with Mitsuru. But I had to bite my tongue.”

Shizuku lowered her arms and patted Shimozuru’s lower back.

They slowly peeled apart, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“But the one I had the most fun dancing with was you, Oboro. There is no one else. You’re the only one I want.”

Shimozuru pulled Shizuku back into a tight embrace. This time, she didn’t make a sound. In that moment, she looked so adorable.

“Well, I wasn’t expected Oboro and Shizuku to put on a love scene for us today,” Mikazuki whistled.

“Things all worked out in the end, I’d say. Oboro was on their side from the beginning,” Izayoi said.

Now I understood why Shimozuru had been so kind to us. In the beginning, it hadn’t been love, but over time, he must have been impressed at watching how hard Shizuku fought for her own happiness.

Watching the two off in their own little world, happily confessing their feelings, I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.

Oh, if only that were Chouko and me... The thought made my face suddenly flush.

“Urara, what are you thinking? Is it maybe ‘Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do’...?” Mikazuki asked playfully at seeing my red cheeks.

I didn’t want him to realize my feelings, but I also wanted to ask him about Chouko. I opened my mouth, trying to figure out how to word it, but was saved by a loud clatter.

“I’m done.”

Now cast aside and all but forgotten, Mochizuki leaped to his feet.

“Hey, Mitsuru. Wait up.”

“No. I’m leaving.”

With that, he strode toward the door. Looking defeated, Mikazuki and Izayoi trailed after him.

All of a sudden, it was just the two lovebirds and myself left.

I couldn’t help feeling like an intrusion, so I quietly excused myself.

Congratulations, Shizuku.

As I passed through the salon door, I found myself wishing for her happiness.