Chapter 35

The commoner plan has been discovered.

Anna, thinking "This plan is even more dangerous than the nun plan, and I might not be able to stay with the young lady anymore..." panics.

This is a serious situation, so she chose the person who would be most effective in convincing the most useless young lady.

Surely, Anna's salary this month will be as much as her annual income.

She knew her beloved daughter was up to something ominous, but Papa didn't know about the detailed plan.

Papa, who is too soft on his daughter, can't get angry.

Father has found out about the commoner plan.

"Ahhh! Even the hidden plan was taken away!

Anna, you traitor!

Father didn't throw the plan into the fireplace after reading it, but smartly turned it into ashes with magic! It burned up completely without leaving any ashes!

"No! That's not it, Father! This is different! Please don't casually suggest something as grand as building a beautiful town near the mansion... I'm scared you might really do it. Sebastian is nodding in agreement behind me!

I didn't know what Julius was talking about in secret, but I shook my head and refused.

"But..."

"I don't know what you're worried about, Alber, but I want to fulfill whatever you desire.

However, I can't allow anything that would put you in danger."

The commoner plan was a big no-no for Father. It was firmly rejected... Is becoming a nun better?

I don't want to trouble Father. But his expression clearly shows how troubled he is. His blue eyes, looking at me with concern, make me feel guilty.

"Father..."

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

I hunch my shoulders, bow my head, and lower it. Then, a warm hand rests on my head.

But I knew that whether I go to the convent or become a commoner, it would cause trouble for Father.

As a noble daughter, I should marry into a suitable family to ensure the prosperity of the Latitche family. I can live as a hikikomori only because of Father's kindness.

"My dear Alber. Your happiness is my reason for living. Don't make that face."

"Father..."

The moment I look up, my conscience is screaming.

Please stop, there's no value in breaking your heart for such a hikikomori...

As a hardcore father's daughter, seeing Father's beautiful face filled with sadness is truly mentally exhausting.

Before I knew it, I promised not to become a commoner.

...Huh? What? What is this?

Stupid! I'm so stupid! What am I being so easily persuaded for? That resolve was for the sake of the duke's family and Father!

I was swayed by Father's pleading... Yes, I was swayed...

Ahhh! I'm such a useless hikikomori! This is why Julius teases me, Kishtria treats me like a little girl, and Michaelis gives me a wry smile!

I'll pour this sadness into Father's birthday cake (practice). I'll pour it in with all my might!

...I don't understand why it turned out better than usual.

"Why does the young lady want to leave the Latitche family so much?

If you want to leave, you can marry into another family."

"Being someone's wife... Do you think I can socialize?"

"Lord Kishtria or Lord Dmitrius wouldn't mind.

...Well, there are such people among the servants too. That man, if he could marry the young lady, would probably never let her go outside."

"...Why are there only three people?"

Indeed, these three are the only men who have a connection with me, a hikikomori young lady, and who are kind to me.

They are close in age and have no lack of ability.

Honestly, the family background can be arranged if Father nods. Temporarily becoming an adopted child to gain a prestigious family name is a common practice for marriages with a status difference.

The love romance between Prince Lucas and Baroness Dachess could have been fine if they had taken the proper steps...

"Status can be arranged with the duke's recommendation. Whether it's through adoption or transferring a title held by the duke...

Among the men the young lady can interact with, and who are of marriageable age and have the minimum ability to deal with the duke, the choices are limited... Lord Sebastian is too old, after all."

Ugh! I hate my severe social anxiety... especially with men...

Anna casually says, "I will follow the young lady wherever she marries." Hwee... I love Anna... But this isn't the time to be happy.

...Why am I so reluctant in the first place?

The various flags are being crushed...

Suddenly, a prototype fountain pen catches my eye. It's more durable than a quill pen, with a special groove in the nib that holds ink better. The nib is also sturdy, so there's no need to adjust it by sharpening.

I intend to give Father a pen with the same aqua blue as his eyes.

There are three options for the handle: a mineral, a unicorn horn, and a blue tree trunk. The mineral is a good color but a bit heavy. The unicorn horn is very expensive. The wooden one is just the right weight but has a slightly rough texture. Hmm, maybe the horn is the best choice.

Thinking of Father, my heart darkens.

The kind Father. If he knew I was a different existence, erasing the original Albertina, how would he react?

This body is undoubtedly Father's daughter.

I love Father very much. But Father's love is for 'Albertina'.

My consciousness is that of a Japanese woman with almost no memories. I don't remember what I looked like or the faces of my family and friends.

Instead, my memories have blended with Albertina's.

Father is the only father I have. As the years pass, my memories of my past life fade, but for some reason, I remember the game related to this world very well, and the fate of 'Albertina' is especially vivid.

The heart and emotions of Albertina and my original self gradually linked over time and through shared fears.

The adult me, confused by entering an unknown body, and the young me, shattered by fear.

Father wants the original Albertina, I know that.

The original Albertina, despite being raised cruelly, couldn't be stopped by anyone. Behind her was Father's deep love, wanting to fulfill all his beloved daughter's wishes, a love so straightforward it was cruel.

She rose to become a monster of desire and then fell as a villainous young lady.

I know everything and am lying and deceiving. I use others and their love, and greedily take peace.

To Father, which one is the more abhorrent existence?

Would Father decide to separate from me if he knew the truth?

Who is Father's beloved daughter?

Who would love such a liar, a coward who always runs away?

Kishtria, Julius, and Michaelis only know the 'duchess's daughter' I cling to, the 'young lady' I act as to escape from fear.

The real me is a coward, a useless hikikomori.

So I run away.

I can't stand the idea of being loved as Albertina.

Everything is a mess.

I've made a mistake. I've failed from the start.

If I had consulted someone earlier, apologized, it might have been better.

On one hand, I think I can keep lying, but on the other, I really want to tell the truth. I don't know which would hurt Father less.

Changelings happen sometimes. A noble's legitimate child and a concubine's child are switched, or a child dies and a substitute is brought in—usually, the child is innocent of any wrongdoing, but they are often mistreated and cast out.

I'm a mental changeling.

I didn't intend to, but I ended up taking over the position.

Can that be undone?

Hmm, this is a magical world, so maybe it's possible.

Can mental interference be done? I looked into it.

It's possible with dark magic, to dominate or confuse the mind, or to fabricate memories. It's said to be unstable without the original emotions and not unconditional.

But it's a very delicate and dangerous magic, and detailed information is treated as forbidden. The original Albertina would probably use it enthusiastically. I'm too scared to try...

In my case, it's more like the soul? That's a much higher level... It would require sacrifices, demons, or high-level spirits. It's a big undertaking.

Father could probably do it... but if it fails, the body would be left as an empty shell. Magic that interferes with the soul is even more powerful and delicate than mental interference. One-sided control is relatively easy, but separation or manipulation is in the realm of gods.

If the original Albertina's spirit were alive, it would easily overwhelm my fragile spirit.

I don't think I can win.

The original Albertina's spirit is mostly passed on to me in the form of memories.

I barely remember my family and close servants. The fact that I partially retain the original Albertina is seen as a change in personality due to shock.

I slammed the magic book shut and slumped on the desk.

"Why do I have so many landmines in my life?"

Past, present, and future, full-time landmines.

The original heroine of the otome game, Renaria Dachess, is in a difficult situation to impeach the person I conquered.

I was involved in Father's Bloody Carnival, but I wasn't completely destroyed.

I want to investigate, but everyone at the academy gives off a strong vibe that it's none of my business.

The princes have fallen significantly because of this incident, and it's difficult for them to do anything to me... I hope.

I hope they're not resentful. No, a heroine being resentful is terrible. That's a disqualification for a heroine.

The heroine of 'Falling in Love with You' is pure and innocent... Ah, aiming for the harem route, she's not so pure anymore. I never got a good look at her face...

To be honest, if I get stabbed out of resentment, I won't be surprised.

The resentment from the conquest targets and their fiancées must be intense.

The heroine is a baron's daughter, a commoner with a bit of nobility.

Currently, she should be crushed by the first prince, Father. If she stays at the academy, it would be like sitting on a bed of nails... or maybe she's getting along with other conquerors...

At best, she's under house arrest, at worst, executed. There's a good chance she's been stripped of her noble status and sent home.

This world is glamorous and sweet, but unexpectedly cruel.

People's lives can suddenly disappear.

The villainous young lady's fate is spotlighted as tragic, but the game has a lot of deaths, even if they're glossed over with casual writing.

In a bad ending, the conquest character and the heroine might die.

It's not just a simple rejection, surprisingly.

There are four main endings: bad, normal, good, and true. Some characters have 2-3 types of endings...

A bad ending is usually death, exile, or a serious injury, resulting in a tragic love story. A normal ending is a friendship ending. A good ending is a typical successful conquest. A true ending is a super happy ending, unlocked after the second playthrough.

A harem ending is one type of true ending... right before the quagmire.

Incidentally, completing all the basic characters can unlock hidden characters.

'Falling in Love with You' was a popular game, so the number of conquest characters increased with the port.

Basically, the first prince Lucas Or Sandis, the second prince Leord Mil Sandis, the prime minister's son Graham Daren, the mysterious teacher Findor Tran, the magic prodigy Cain Druid, the duke's son Kishtria von Latitche, and the baron knight Michaelis von Dmitrius.

With seven regular characters, it was a challenge to complete all the stills.

With multiple ports, the number of episodes increased. Maybe they were too greedy?

I was the type who played the original version thoroughly. But I didn't play the app version or the additional patches much. I was burned out...

However, the heroine aiming for at least seven conquests is too carnivorous.

It's too much. The princess and the heroine's images are shattered. I had a feeling, but it's even worse now.

The commoner plan was discovered by Father, it saddened Father, and the heroine I supported turned out to be a hyena...

It's painful, I want to sulk.

Life doesn't go as planned.

At first, I thought it would be fine to stay a hikikomori in the Latitche family, but I'm more troubled than I thought.

Is there a happy ending for a villainous young lady?

Thank you for reading (*- -)(*_ _) Pecco

If you have any bookmarks, ratings, reviews, or comments, I would be happy to receive them (*´ω｀*). It's nourishment for my heart.

The next part will likely be a bit longer and from a different character's perspective.