Volume 5 Chapter 198, After Transmigration_2

Translator: Nonon

Proofreader: Silavin

 

The year before I enrolled at the academy, my older siblings, who had returned home during the winter break, scolded me.

They said,

 

“How dare you refuse Father’s thoughtful consideration for you?”

 

They said a lot of other things too, but that was the gist of it.

… Royle aside, Gen and Sumi weren’t like this. Perhaps they had grown up, or the education of the Heartfield Family had finally reached them.

I don’t like my current Siblings. Royle’s personality is like a mix of my Mothers from my past and current life, and Gen and Sumi rarely smile, as if they have given and can’t defy our Father.

I was lectured about living a life I wouldn’t be ashamed of as a student of Azalea Academy the next year and above all, as a member of the Heartfield Family. Apparently the Second Prince would be in the same year as me, so I was told not to make any mistakes. I was also told that all I had to do was utilize my physical abilities.

… The Second Prince, huh? No matter what kind of a person he is, it’s certain that getting involved with him will be troublesome.

If I displease him, a Baronet Family like the Heartfields would fall into ruin in an instant. Even without being told, I intend to be careful not to make any mistakes.

 

“I heard you turned down Canary. She might be clumsy, but she’s beautiful… By the way, are you… no, it’s nothing…”

 

Also, I felt like Gen was looking at me with a strange look that didn’t seem like that of admonishment.

Is it just me or is he having a terrible misunderstanding?

 

Around the time I entered the academy, I made commoner friends, called Tan and Terracotta, and the five of us, including Buff and Maroon started hanging out together.

Apparently the sight of a Noble and Commoners talking so often appeared bizarre to others, and I was often kept at a distance, even leading to Gen and other siblings scolding me.

However, thanks to Maroon being from Earl’s Family, the amount of people harassing Tan and Terracotta or directly interfering with them gradually decreased.

Now Tan and Terracotta’s white uniforms didn’t get as dirty as before.

Come to think of it, why do Nobles wear black uniforms while Commoners wear white uniforms? Considering how easily they get dirty and the money they cost, wouldn’t having them the other way around be better? The Nobles would send their uniforms to get cleaned right away.

 

—- Oh, I remember now. I think it was a preference of the person who designed the Otome Game.

 

They made the uniforms this way to show the love interests looking cool in black and the heroine looking cute in white. Incidentally, cute icon of Commoners… I think it was Silva? The color scheme was chosen to also highlight his innocence. I remember seeing it in the costume design lore in a bonus or a reference book.

It might be better to not think about it too deeply.

 

“Lord Clo, good work on your hard work today.”

“Canary, there is something about that greeting that feels wrong.”

 

By the way, Canary has been accompanying me to the school as my servant. There is a servant system in place, and some Nobles are always accompanying by their servants, but in Canary’s case, she works or studies in the dorm during the day and is with me at other times.

… She’s become a lot less clumsy, but she was indirectly told that they didn’t need her back home. That’s why my Father had her follow me around.

I’m grateful, but I really wonder why she hasn’t been fired until now. Well, I’ve been opposed to it too.

 

Just before the first summer vacation after entering the academy, romantic relationships were formed among my friend group.

Tan and Terracotta, Buff and Maroon, a relationship between two commoners and two nobles. Thanks to that, I was the only odd one out in the group.

A relationship between friends can become strained, so in a way this was a dangerous change, but they all looked so happy that I let it slide. Buff and Maroon’s relationship was approved thanks to their understanding parents, and since they were Nobles in love, everything worked out great.

Still, I’m not sure how I feel about them bragging about their relationship and asking me for advice for all their little things. Were they spiting me? Just rubbing it in my face for being single? Was this just their way of spiting me for not having a partner for nearly 40 years I’ve been alive, including my previous life? Just be happy forever in my stead.

 

“Are you having trouble finding a mate, Lord Clo?”

 

That’s what Canary asked me, but unfortunately, if I could find them, I’d have already found them. However, I’m not very enthusiastic about it. After all, getting married means connecting somebody to my parents… I don’t think my parents have high expectations either, so I have a feeling they’ll assign somebody to me after I graduate from the academy or start studying at the university.

But when I see how happy those guys look, I admire the idea of love itself.

When they ask for advice, it’s out of consideration for the other person, and when I see them in a kind of a romantic relationship where they ‘enjoy just being together’ out of pure love instead of lust, I also admire them. It’s not that I’m not interested.

I hope that one day I too can experience love life like that.

 

“Lord Clo, do you have any preferences in women? Like, big breasts, dark skin, muscles, short stature, etc.”

“Why did you choose those characteristics specifically?… Oh, is it because they’re the complete opposite of you?”

“… I have no idea what you mean.”

 

Canary’s obvious attempts to cover up her feelings aside, my preferences, huh…

I have various, like how it would be fun to talk to her, or how we would have similar hobbies… if I had to say, it would be somebody like her—

 

“Well, if I had to say, I guess I prefer girls with beautiful manners.”

“So basically, you like beautiful girls. It really was about looks in the end…”

“That seems to be a predetermined conclusion. You’re beautiful, Canary, so please don’t overthink it.”

 

That being said, I don’t think I’m in a position to fall in love.

If I ever find somebody, I want to live happily as a family.

 

During my first summer vacation since entering the academy, I headed off into the mountains with my usual group of friends, plus our servants.

Hiking in the mountains… it would be fine if it was just this, but the school homework included an optional assignment, and the quickest way to complete it was to complete some kind of a request, so we had registered as adventurers and had come here to complete the mission.

I had subjugated monsters before, but it became much more difficult when we had to do it simultaneously with this many people.

 

“Please rest assured. I am an Elf, and a forest dweller. Leave anything related to the forest to me.”

 

Canary said confidently. It’s more of a mountain than a forest, but in a broad sense it’s a forest, so maybe it’s fine. Besides, since everybody present knew how Canary was usually, they all looked a bit uneasy.

Still, she looked used to it, so I felt relieved. Her advice on how to walk was spot on. Although she would trip sometimes.

While everybody knew that she was knowledgeable about different types of mushrooms, she turned out to know more than they’d thought, so they were very impressed when she told them which mushrooms were safe and which were dangerous.

Partway through, Terracotta expressed her admiration by saying, ‘Elves really do live in harmony with nature’. Pleased to be praised, Canary showed off a smug look and puffed out her chest.

 

“Yes, I have eaten both edible and poisonous mushrooms myself. There is no better knowledge than firsthand experience.”

“I’m surprised you have not died yet.”

 

That has nothing to do with being an Elf.

I could tell that everybody swallowed back a remark like this.

 

In the first autumn after I entered the academy, Tan and Terracotta passed away.

It was during our first off-campus training, meant to give us practical combat experience. I was in a different group from them, and received the news of their death after I had just returned home safely.

I couldn’t comprehend it.

Tan always said with a smile that he wanted to get a good job to make his parents’ lives easier.

Terracotta was hoping to become a researcher to be of use to society.

So why did this happen?

When I investigated what happened, I found out that it was an unexpected monster attack in an unexpected place, and they died instantly while protecting Prince Carmine.

As a result, they were treated as having perished in a battle, were given an honorable medal for protecting His Highness, and were buried with respect.

 

— Honorable, huh?

 

It was something to be proud of, and at the same time, something I couldn’t accept, but it would be wrong to take it out on Prince Carmine. Since they were killed by the monsters, the ones to blame were the attacking monsters and the environment that created the conditions for the attack.

 

“Lord Clo… um…”

“It’s okay… everything is okay.”

 

Canary asked me worriedly. She looked as if she didn’t know what to tell me, and I felt bad for making her look like that.

Her pointed ears seemed to droop more than usual.

 

During the preparations for the school festival, Canary fell ill.

Thinking it might have been something like the flu, I took all necessary precautions while taking care of her. Canary looked apologetic about having me take care of her, but she also looked somehow relieved to have me by her side.

She’s somebody I have been with for a long time. I’ve spent more time with her than I have with my Siblings and Parents in this life.

I really didn’t want to see her so weakened. So, I hate to say it, but I think it was a good distraction to know that I could do something, like take care of her and not be alone in the dorm.

I would be overwhelmed by the sense of loss if I didn’t do something like this. I still talked and hung out with Buff and Maroon, but I couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss and helplessness.

Even though I understood that it was an accident, I still had some thoughts about it.

 

That’s probably why I didn’t notice the change in Canary.

 

During the school festival, I learned that the incident with Tan and Terracotta was no coincidence.

I heard that guy’s uninformed entourage trying to carry favor with him by acting concerned for a minor sprain he had, saying, ‘there might be aftereffects from the training, so please be careful’, to which he arrogantly replied with ‘I never thought they would actually die’, as if talking about a stupid story about the objects he had mishandled.

The reason was, ‘I was angry at those Commoners for getting along so well even though things weren’t going well for me, the Prince, and my Fiancée.”

I don’t understand.

So basically, Tan and Terracotta were sacrificed to protect someone like this?

A small-minded man like this, with rotten personality and no redeeming qualities other than his status.

 

—- Calm down.

 

If I went to hit him right now, I would only be stopped by the people around and I would be arrested before I could reach him.

If that happened, not only would the Heartfield Family fall, the entire Family would likely be executed. No, my Father would most likely use all sorts of cunning methods to keep the harm out of his way. He’s an excellent person in that regard.

They would probably frame and Canary for the crime of negligence or plotting together and that’ll be the end of it. Canary aside, it doesn’t change the fact that I did it alone.

 

—- I can’t cause trouble for Canary.

 

A clumsy and not-so-bright female elf. Although she was suspicious at first, now she seems to enjoy talking with me. She loves cooking with mushrooms, and she taught me the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms that she found out with firsthand experience.

She was the one who stayed by my side when Raven, Royle, Gen and Sumi stopped laughing and began internalizing our father’s way of thinking.

I can’t cause trouble to Canary, who’s like a troublesome Older Sister to me.

 

“I dismissed that woman.”

 

When I went to her room, it was empty. As I searched around wondering where she had gone, this is what I was told by Raven, who had come to the academy for the school festival.

 

“Reason? She was a stupid woman, but she didn’t rebuke her Master for mingling with the Commoners at the academy, and even fell sick due to her inability to manage herself. Useless things should be discarded. Besides, we talked about this before, but… I guess she was lacking even in vocabulary to convey things to you. How pitiful.

 

When I asked for the reason, he answered boringly.

He spat out the words as if it was natural, as if he had only done it because he hadn’t had the opportunity until now.

 

… She’s a former slave, so being fired means…

 

“There are plenty of replacements for women and slaves—it’s time you became aware of your status as a Noble, my foolish Little Brother.”

 

— Oh, I’m so angry.

— Still, I have to calm down.

— But, for whose sake?

— She’s not here anymore.

— So.

 

—— I don’t care anymore.

 

---

Author’s note:

Tan

Light brown hair, black eyes.

Clo’s slightly timid commoner male friend. Died at the age of 16.

A boy with a brilliant smile, who was talented in magic and wanted to get a job to make his parents’ lives easier.

He was in a romantic relationship with Terracotta, but this attracted Carmine’s attention.

 

Terracotta

Auburn (terracotta-colored) hair, green eyes.

A cheerful commoner girl who was close to Clo. She died at the age of 15.

She was a talented student and hoped to become a researcher in the future to be of use to society.

She was in a romantic relationship with Tan, but this attracted Carmine’s attention.