Chapter 2

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In my past life, I was a fujoshi. I was a high school girl who loved male-male romance.

My favorite reading material back then was an unusual work published by a shoujo novel label. It was a BL fantasy novel set in a different world, titled *The Noble King*. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my entire high school life was spent with this work. While other typical high school girls were enjoying three-dimensional love stories and their youth, my youth was spent with the two-dimensional world of *The Noble King*. From spin-off manga to BL CDs, games, and anime, it expanded into a wide range of media due to its popularity. I poured my high school allowance into those days! How nostalgic...

The original novel was the best. It tells the story of a young boy from a baron's family, Sil, who has a secret about his birth, and Serius, the first prince of the Esphera Kingdom, who meet by fate, fall in love, and face numerous challenges. ——It's unfinished, though. That's because I died before it was completed.

In my past life, I was Tazawa Makoto. I died at the age of eighteen. The cause of death... I remember it, but I'll omit it. It's a memory I usually keep sealed because it's directly linked to a very unpleasant experience. Anyway, I died and was reborn. ...Actually, I was supposed to be reborn into a much more tragic world, but according to my unpleasant memories, I was lucky (though it doesn't feel like it) to escape that fate and be reborn into the world of *The Noble King*, a story I loved so much as Tazawa Makoto.

...As the younger sister.

The younger sister.

In my past life, I called the first princess of Esphera, Serius's younger sister, "younger sister." In BL novels, female characters are often treated delicately. They either interfere with the love between the main characters and their love interests or are good supporters of the main characters. Either way, women are usually side characters.

In *The Noble King*, the younger sister, the first princess of Esphera, Octavia, who appears from the first volume, was a successful example of a female character who was well-received by readers. She is a gentle and kind girl who loves her older brother. Despite being royalty, she is humble. Moreover, she is the absolute supporter of the main characters. When Sil and her brother, Serius, are in trouble, she never betrays them and even helps resolve the succession issue. She is truly a helper character.

That is the original character of Octavia. However, I am now Octavia, raised as a princess with the consciousness and memories of my past life, Tazawa Makoto.

...Well.

I'm disappointed. You see, in BL fantasy novels, the younger sister is often the one who conveniently solves the royal succession problem. At this point, the issue hasn't been discussed in the noble council, but if the story follows its usual flow, it will likely develop into a problem surrounding my brothers.

Now, let me repeat. This is a fantasy BL novel world. My brother is the first prince and the next king. His beloved, Sil, is a man. However, a male successor cannot be born. Moreover, our country practices monogamy... in my brother's case, it's one husband, one husband. Additionally, in this fantasy world, there is no human body modification drug or magic that allows men to give birth.

What should we do?

No, no, even in a BL world, there is a method to plant seeds for the sake of the succession problem, right?

—But, it's pure love. My brother has no intention of embracing anyone other than his lover. There is no love there! It would be a betrayal to his lover, Sil. He doesn't want to make him sad.

In the novel, the story unfolds this way, and I don't think there's much difference even when I look at the current situation of my brothers. ...For ordinary citizens, it might be fine. But my brother is royalty, the first prince, and the next king. He has obligations, right?

I don't tell him to break up with his lover, but he should at least have a child with a woman! I can't help but think from a family member's perspective.

But my brother, Serius, won't do it. For love. He can't do it no matter what!

In my past life, I squirmed while reading this part of the story.

Sil! Sil is so sad! Serius is so sad! Even if you become king, it's fine to be one hole, one stick! Since you're in a male-male relationship, you should stick to it! Serius! You must never embrace a woman! Get rid of any interfering women!

Readers who empathize with the main couple don't want Serius to cheat, even for the sake of the succession problem.

However, as a story, if this continues, the Esphera royal family will be extinct. What should we do?

The solution presented is this:

The younger sister, Octavia, appears confidently.

"Please leave it to me, brother. I will raise my future child as yours and Sil's."

That's it.

The key is that she offers it herself.

It's not forced; it's her will! Yay!

The succession problem is solved!

That's how it goes.

Sil and Serius can thus maintain their love!

Readers can breathe a sigh of relief.

—But I am Octavia.

That means...

In other words, I will probably have to bear children through a political marriage and, more accurately, keep bearing children until a girl is born, and then give them to my brothers.

The optimal marriage age for women in Esphera, regardless of status, is twenty years old, give or take three to four years. I'm getting close. By the way, as a princess, I don't have a pre-arranged fiancé from birth.

The country will marry me to the person who can bring the greatest benefit when I reach the optimal marriage age. That's how it works. Looking back at the history of the royal family, there are examples of love marriages when conditions aligned, but they are few.

Mostly, it's a political marriage, and after marriage, you have to bear at least one boy and one girl.

In my case, I will probably bear the next king and a girl who will be the next successor.

After the third child, I can finally raise them myself.

That's how it's been in our family.

After becoming Octavia, I realized the dark side of the BL royal family that wasn't visible from Sil's perspective in the original novel!

Throughout history, the first prince of Esphera has always loved a man (and doesn't want to be with anyone else), so his sister or older sister has to marry and bear children...

—When you become a party to it, it's just...

Shit!

That's the only thing you can say in this situation.

Do I have no freedom? What if I can only love women?

...That's something I can't do.

Even if that were the case, I would have to give up love and enter a political marriage with a man.

Yeah. Because this is a BL world. A world that is kind to male-male relationships.

I, as the younger sister, am one of the devices to solve the convenient plot of protecting such a world.

In other words, to achieve a happy ending where the royal prince, Sil, can be with his one true love and still have a successor who can inherit the bloodline and be raised by my brothers, and where the children can be properly raised.

In my past life, I was excited about the love story of the two main characters. The succession problem in Esphera is fine because the younger sister is there. It's all good. Love, love. That's what I thought.

But now that I'm in the younger sister's position...

Brother, you're the first prince and the next king. This is a BL world, so even if it's decided that you will marry a man and can't change that—still, you should have children!

That's what I realize from the younger sister's perspective about the weight of the succession problem!

Lately, I've been thinking...

A harem system, where a man has multiple wives, might be good.

In modern terms, I'm against infidelity and polygamy, but in a system where the king is at the top, as long as there are no issues with the man's ability to father children, a harem might be a good system for solving the succession problem. After all, the obligation to have children is being fulfilled.

In that sense, a harem is wonderful. Truly wonderful.

Our Esphera should have a harem next to the royal palace!

—Anyway, being reborn into the world of *The Noble King* is one thing, but I'm quite disappointed to be the younger sister, and naturally, I can't have good feelings toward my brother.

I like the main character and the love interest, but from Octavia's perspective...

I didn't get close to my brother. In fact, because of my past life's memories, I often said nasty things to him and became a princess who was far from gentle.

We were supposed to be very close siblings, but we weren't particularly close...

As for the characteristic of being humble, which is a trait of the younger sister... I'm not sure. The younger sister was supposed to be polite to commoners. I tried to be, but in a world with status, I couldn't completely ignore it...

Yeah, sorry.

Since I was a princess, I lived with the spirit of using my power whenever possible!

After all, if you're not close to your brother, you'll make enemies. Bullying will happen! Even from men! While women's conflicts are messy, men can be scary too!

So, I used my power as a princess to send such people to remote areas! It felt so good! Long live power.

Well, in short, I am a personality far from the original younger sister, and my relationship with my brother, who was supposed to be very close, is strained. It's thin, you could say.

Even so, on the surface, we act normally. We're a happy family. My brother, at least, has never harassed me, though his followers might.

...It's a shame.

If my brother's personality were corrupt, I could do something about it!

But my brother, Serius, is a perfect superman except for his weakness for Sil.

And, just like in the novel, he is devoted to Sil.

He doesn't declare that he will embrace other women to solve the succession problem and try to persuade his lover. If he did, I would fully support him!

After all, there are women who would bear children with my brother, and there are those who would volunteer to do so for the sake of the power balance among the nobles. There are plenty of options.

But my brother probably won't agree. Because he loves Sil.

...Noble. He is truly noble! He is noble, but...

And because of that.

I still love male-male relationships (as long as they don't directly involve me)!

I can't have good feelings toward the brother and Sil couple. Even with the thick skin I've developed as a princess, it shows. And my brother can't help but notice my feelings.

As a brother, he wants to be blessed by his sister.

As a partner, he wants to be blessed by his family.

It's only natural to want that.

I know that Sil is worried about it, even if I pretend not to notice. People around me tell me so!

The current king of Esphera, my father, and my foster mother (a man) welcome my brother and Sil. Therefore, even if I try to hide it, my attitude stands out.