“Haa…”
In a corner of Dandole Castle, late at night, a young girl sighed as she sipped fragrant tea in one of the living rooms.
“What’s wrong, Clara? Why the sigh?”
“…Brother.”
Clara Dandole, the villainess with memories of a past life, smiled and shook her head at the slightly older boy who appeared in the living room.
“Elena-sama will be here soon, so I’m just looking forward to it.”
“His Highness and Clara are close, after all. I’m also looking forward to seeing my cousin after a long time.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Clara gazed at her cheerful older brother in this life with complicated feelings.
According to her memories of her previous life… she was a so-called “villainess” from an otome game, and the brother before her was one of the “target characters.”
Rookwell Dandole. He was a strikingly handsome young man with the same red hair and gray eyes as Clara. His personality was sincere and noble. His kind nature was loved not only by Clara but by everyone in the Dandole family.
However, after meeting the “heroine,” Rookwell fell in love for the first time, becoming blind to everything else. Even when the heroine was betrothed to the Crown Prince, he continued to selflessly wish for her happiness, and in the end, he even condemned his own sister, Clara, based on flimsy evidence.
Unlike accusations from other nobles, an accusation from the heir of the Margrave of Dandole would be seen as formal evidence. If condemned, the Clara from the game would be sent to a frigid monastery in a foreign northern country, never to see the outside world again.
She didn’t want that. She had died young and been reborn, so what was wrong with wanting a normal life?
In the game, Clara had an unpleasant personality, as expected of a “game” villainess, but the current Clara and Rookwell had a good relationship, so there was a chance that Rookwell wouldn’t accuse Clara even if the heroine was betrothed to the Crown Prince. However, if Clara became the Crown Prince’s official fiancée, the heroine and the Crown Prince wouldn’t be able to be together unless Clara stepped down from the stage.
Not antagonizing the heroine. There was also the option of being friendly, but even if Clara did nothing, if the ladies who were jealous of the heroine did something, there was a high possibility that Clara would be unknowingly made the ringleader under the guise of “for Clara-sama, the Crown Prince’s fiancée.”
She considered declining the position of fiancée candidate, but her aunt had failed to become the Queen, so her brother, Clara’s father, who was the Commander of the Knight Order, was eager to make his daughter Clara the next Queen.
And more than anything, Clara feared the “charm” of the heroine, which could even distort the beliefs of her kind brother.
If the heroine chose another target character, there would be no problem. Even if she chose her brother, Clara would only be sent to another country.
But this wasn’t a “game” that could be replayed multiple times, but a “reality” that only happened once.
(Failure is not an option…)
In the game, the heroine was a Viscount’s daughter, but her origins as a member of the Melrose House were only revealed when she was betrothed to the Crown Prince. According to what she had heard from her grandfather, though it was unconfirmed, it seemed that the missing Melrose Princess had been found.
Clara had secretly ordered Dandole’s spies to investigate the truth, but according to the spies, the Shadow Unit of this country was controlled by the Melrose House, and investigating further would mean being prepared to face the entire Shadow Unit of the Kingdom of Claydale.
And above all, the head of the Melrose House and Clara’s grandfather, the head of the Dandole House, had been friends since their student days, so it was virtually impossible to use Dandole’s people to strike first against the Melrose Princess.
She needed some kind of connection. Clara had to find a connection that could eliminate the heroine without involving the Dandole family before entering the Magic Academy at the start of the game.
There were three villainesses in the game.
One was Clara, the Crown Prince’s fiancée, another was the Countess’s daughter, the head court magician, and the last was Elena, the First Princess, who was heading here now.
However, even though Elena was classified as a villainess, she only got jealous of the heroine who was involved with her brother, the Crown Prince, and made a few complaints. When her favorability increased, she eventually acknowledged the heroine and became an ally, so in reality, Clara and the Countess’s daughter were the main villainesses.
In that case…
“Maybe I can get Elena to eliminate the heroine now…”
“Very well. So you can now perform the minimum footwork. However, this is only the beginning. Don’t neglect your training.”
“Yes.”
During morning training, I finally received approval from Sera.
On the ninth day since I started my apprenticeship as an Escort Maid, I was finally able to master the basics of the “Escort Maid’s” footwork just before the person I was monitoring arrived. Even so, I could only use it for a few steps when I concentrated, so it was still difficult to use in combat.
But according to Sera, only a few people in Sera’s organization could use this footwork even slightly at the age of 10 or younger.
“By the way, I was able to use it when I was seven.”
“I can do it too!”
“…Theo is similar to me, right?”
I’ve been continuing to train with Theo, though only in the mornings. Theo, who is one year younger than me, had more advanced techniques than me, so I thought this was normal, but Theo had been fickle until now, even though he had talent. It seems that he has been seriously working on it since he started training with me, and Sera secretly thanked me. …I didn’t do anything though.
In addition, I was able to master another level 1 Dark Magic spell, 【Weight Up】.
【Weight Up】 is a magic that can increase or decrease the weight of an object that can be held by about 10%, and the spell is ‘Mobasa Ooyani Derecles’ – meaning “change the weight of that object.”
It was difficult because I started by searching for the words of the spell, but by mastering 【Dark Magic】, I was able to understand even slight signs of activation, and I was able to memorize it in a few days.
When I expanded the shortened spell, I found two words, ‘Arbitrary (Iyani)’ and ‘Direction (Direcles),’ and it became clear that this spell was not a magic to ‘change the weight of an object’ but a magic to ‘move an object.’
From there, I realized that there was no word for ‘weight’ in this spell, and I was finally able to activate the 【Weight Up】 spell.
…Who was it that made such a rough translation?
As you can see, this is also a difficult magic to use, but after noticing that a slight effect remains even after it leaves my hand with the sense of 【Dark Magic】, I was able to increase the range and accuracy of ranged weapons by consciously using it.
The illusion of ‘touch’ using 【Dark Magic】 has also started to take shape a little. It still only has a slight effect, but it should be able to attract attention for a moment if it’s the first time someone sees it.
【Aria (Alicia)】【Race: Human Female】【Rank 2】
【Mana Capacity: 111/115】3Up【HP: 55/64】4Up
【Strength: 4 (4.4)】【Endurance: 5 (5.5)】【Agility: 7 (7.7)】【Dexterity: 6】
【Dagger Arts Lv.1】【Martial Arts Lv.1】【Throwing Lv.1】
【Light Magic Lv.1】【Dark Magic Lv.1】【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.1】
【Utility Magic x6】【Mana Control Lv.2】【Intimidation Lv.2】
【Stealth Lv.1】【Night Vision Lv.1】【Detection Lv.1】
【Simple Appraisal】
【Overall Combat Strength: 62 (Body Enhancement in progress: 66)】4Up
Stat-wise, it hasn’t changed much, but I’m growing in terms of detailed techniques, so I have a feeling that 【Martial Arts】 and 【Stealth】 will increase as my body grows.
Everyone around me is a monster, so it seems like my growth is slow, but it’s amazing to have a level 2 skill at the age of 10 or younger. In fact, my combat strength is higher than Theo’s. Even so, I can’t easily win against Theo in sparring, so I realized once again that basic techniques are important.
But I still haven’t learned the Light Magic 【Cure】.
I had Sera teach me as much as she knew about the meaning of the spell, and when I chanted it, there were signs of activation, but it didn’t have any effect.
I found the words ‘Regeneration (Litees)’ and ‘True (Ostory)・Form (Sten),’ but something may still be missing.
I need some kind of “trick.” But I don’t know what that “trick” is.
I want to study and research magic carefully, but the “guests” could arrive at any time, so the maids, including me, who are apprentices, are quite busy.
I was also taught the minimum etiquette, so I was given work in the castle instead of the mansion.
But according to Sera, it’s really the bare minimum, so unless a noble directly calls out to me, I’m basically told to just stand there silently, and I only do behind-the-scenes work.
Theo-sama had told me that there was a scary senior butler in this castle who oversaw the other butlers and was also Sera-san’s colleague.
I only had the chance to see him once from afar, but he was a butler with black hair in his forties, and I felt such a “dangerous” aura that I thought it would be risky to even approach him to appraise him.
“…………”
I’m sleepy because I’m quietly doing self-training until late at night.
Right now, I’m in the linen room alone, doing needlework on frayed fabric products. I know how to sew from my “knowledge,” but it’s my first time actually doing needlework, so it took quite a while even with Mina-san’s help.
“……!”
I felt a moment of sleepiness and pricked my finger with the needle.
It seems I pricked it a little deeply, and a slightly large bead of blood oozed out. I’m wondering whether to stop the bleeding with 【Heal】 or try using 【Cure】 for training, but the blood starts to drip and stains the unbleached thread red.
“Haa…”
I’m losing focus. I can’t afford to let my guard down because I don’t know what will happen where. Reluctantly, I cut off the part of the unbleached thread that was stained with blood, and as I was about to put it in my pocket to throw it away later, I suddenly felt the thread move.
“……Could it be?”
Just like my hair, is Mana flowing through the thread because of the blood?
The next day, the noble children I was supposed to be monitoring finally arrived in several carriages.
Lined up to greet them, I lowered my head like the other maids at the very end of the line of butlers and maids, while peeking sideways with my eyes enhanced with Body Enhancement.
The senior butler opened the carriage door, and a beautiful girl with red hair stepped out. She looks about 10 years old… but since she’s a noble’s child, she’s probably not that different from me.
I was thinking, “Is this the child I’m supposed to be monitoring?” when the next one to appear was a girl of about the same age with flowing, beautiful golden hair.
There’s no reason, but I understand that this child is the “person I’m supposed to be monitoring.” The golden-haired girl walks ahead, and the red-haired girl follows behind.
I thought they would go straight into the castle, but suddenly they stopped in front of me, who was bowing at the very end, and after slowly looking around, she raised a voice like ringing a bell.
“This child is pretty. Won’t you give her to me?”
What will happen to Aria after the Princess’s sudden statement?
Next time: The Villainess and the Heroine.
Next update is scheduled for tomorrow.
A brief explanation:
The activation words for Magic such as 【Heal】 and 【Auditory Hallucination】 are old words but are in common language. You can activate them without saying the words, but they have a psychological effect that clarifies the image, which actually affects the power and activation time.
In the case of Utility Magic, some people, like Theo-sama, can use it without speaking.
Noble classifications in the southern countries, including Claydale:
Below the royal family are the Duke families, followed by the Marquis families and Margraves, and then the Count families. These are the upper nobles who not only own territory but also统括manage the corresponding regions.
However, in the case of the Kingdom of Claydale, Dandole and Melrose, the former royal families that were integrated, have more influence than the Duke families.
The Viscount and Baron families are middle-ranking nobles, and these are the nobles who own territory.
Baronets and Knights are lower-ranking nobles and govern towns and villages under nobles who own territory above the Baron level.
I know it’s different from the real world, but please think of it this way.