Chapter 2

I, Yuria von Vandied, was an office lady in my previous life.

I graduated from a regular school, went through a typical job hunt, and became an office lady.

I didn't have any outstanding abilities, nor did I have any particularly bad traits.

I was of average build and height, with an ordinary face. My figure was average for a Japanese woman, and my salary was average too.

There was a time when I dreamed of fashion and romance, but I quickly gave up because the effort seemed too troublesome. I was a plain girl who didn't attract much attention. BB cream and tinted lip balm were my best friends.

Even so, I did indulge in simulated romances, yes, the so-called dating simulation games for women—otome games!

One winter, I was eager to play a new release I had bought.

It was just before my payday, and I was trying to save money, so I didn't turn on the heater and played the game in the cold.

As a result, I caught pneumonia. I had thought it was just a minor cold, but it was my own fault.

In the end, my pneumonia worsened, and I passed away.

Never underestimate the danger of a cold. If you feel unwell, don't assume it will get better on its own—go to the hospital!

I recalled my previous life when I was just a baby.

I remember getting a bump on my head from a mirror, which triggered my memories of my past life. I couldn't help but look into the distance with a far-off gaze.

My parents must have been quite alarmed when their adorable baby suddenly started making a face like a Tibetan sand fox.

I eventually understood that I had been reborn as the eldest daughter of the Vandied Viscount family.

Moreover, it was a world with the exact same setting as the otome game I had played just before I died. In other words, I had been reincarnated. What a surprise!

My father was a civil servant, and my mother was a relative of his.

However, my kind mother passed away from an epidemic, and my father, through an introduction from a colleague, remarried and had a younger brother.

Having a stepmother didn't mean I was bullied, and I certainly didn't try to steal my father's affection or bully my brother. On the contrary, my brother was incredibly cute.

He had fluffy brown hair, green eyes, and fair skin. I couldn't help but dote on him.

As is common in noble families, the heir was a boy, so my stepmother had no reason to be harsh on me, the eldest daughter.

However, I could clearly sense her straightforward desire for me to find a good match and get married soon.

I resigned myself to the fact that, being born into a noble family, I couldn't escape such a fate.

So, when it was time for me to attend etiquette training, I was fully prepared to support my stepmother. Really, I was.

My brother even said, "Big sister, don't go get married!" which made me waver, but I had no intention of staying in the family forever. My goal was independence.

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But what do you know!

When I put on the special dress for etiquette training (a specially tailored dress to clearly indicate my noble status), I thought to myself, "Ah, this is so calming..."

It was a long, elegant dress in a deep indigo that looked almost black, with an off-white apron.

The boots were dark brown and laced up, which made me feel very calm.

For a plain girl like me, who had always been forced to wear pastel-colored dresses, this was a dream come true!

Of course, the days were filled with lessons.

I wasn't working as a maid, but I did serve the nobles during lessons, which was a form of introduction.

One day, during a break, I met the King's concubine, which was a truly surprising coincidence.

At the time, the King had a queen and a concubine.

The concubine had been with the King for a long time and was deeply in love with him, but her low social status prevented her from becoming the queen.

The current queen came from one of the three dukes of the country, and it was clear that the concubine's family would be treated poorly if she were to become the queen.

However, the nobles in this country generally maintained a good relationship on the surface.

The King, after formally welcoming the queen, quickly welcomed the concubine, showing respect to the queen and affection to the concubine.

This led the queen to view the concubine as an enemy.

The queen gave birth to the crown prince, Albert Daum Kouraum, and three years later, the concubine gave birth to the first princess, Primera.

Incidentally, this Crown Prince Albert Daum was a target in the game I played.

His nickname was Ali. Despite being told by his mother, the queen, not to be close to his sister, he sometimes treated her kindly. He seemed like a perfect superhuman, but in the "hidden ending," he sent the heroine to marry a wealthy old man to take care of him, which was a scary ending.

While this was the only ending where no one died, I found it unsettling and reminiscent of modern Japan.

The game, whose title I can't remember, had four main targets and additional characters.

The targets included the crown prince, his friend who was the heir to the country's top merchant, a promising young knight from a count's family, a young assassin who carried the dark side of the royal family, and a yuri ending with Princess Primera.

In addition to the usual friendship endings and happy endings, there were reverse harem endings and dark endings for each character, making it a very multi-faceted game.

To get back to the story, I was strangely favored by the concubine and invited to have tea with her.

At the time, the concubine was pregnant with Princess Primera. With the King's affection, she had become a caged bird and was very bored.

By custom, even if we became close, I, who had not yet made my debut in society, was not allowed to call her by her name.

When the concubine passed away after giving birth, I cried bitterly, knowing I would never have the right to call her by her name again.

I thought my connection to the royal family would end there, but Princess Primera took a liking to me.

No matter how many experienced maids or wet nurses were assigned to her, once she started crying, I was the one called.

Because of this, when the King ordered me to become Princess Primera's personal maid during my etiquette training, I was surprised but understood.

It was a great honor, and I certainly didn't refuse. At the time, I was 12 years old, and Princess Primera was 1 year old.

Of course, there were many other maids in the castle.

I was a personal maid to the princess, but I was more like an item to keep her happy.

When Princess Primera was 4 years old, I understood the reasons behind the "chubby, spoiled, and gluttonous" keywords in the game.

The cause was the King.

Princess Primera was a beautiful girl, reminiscent of her mother, the concubine.

She had bright golden hair, fair skin, and sky-blue eyes, with a face so perfect it looked like a doll.

Moreover, she was very intelligent and had a mind that could surprise her tutors at such a young age.

She was dissatisfied with the King, who only said she was cute and adorable.

While he disciplined and praised the Crown Prince, he only called the princess a cute butterfly or flower.

Because of her intelligence, Princess Primera thought:

"I know I am loved, but is it as a daughter or just as a princess who will eventually be married off somewhere?"

She couldn't misbehave to get scolded, and her intelligence made her consider the consequences of her actions, leading her to overeat from stress.

I had been just a companion, but I became more involved out of concern, even after my etiquette training period ended.

This led to a conflict with my stepmother, who disowned me, but I was relieved because my brother was the heir.

When I was 17 and Princess Primera was 6, I took the risk of speaking harshly to her.

At first, she glared at me, but that night, she called me and said:

"Yuria, you're the only one who really worries about me. Everyone else worries because I'm a princess. But Yuria, you said I'm important. I'm sorry for crying. Thank you for worrying. ... Even though I'm a difficult master, will you stay with me?"

"Of course, Princess!"

"Call me Primera."

"I haven't made my debut in society, so I can't call you by your name."

"It's fine, call me by my name when we're alone. ... You know, I've always wished you were my mother. You're more like a big sister, but can I call you mother in secret?"

I can't even describe my feelings at that moment.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Take that, King! Look at how cute this girl is!!!

My intelligent and adorable master, whom I've been taking care of since she was a baby!!!

Even if I can't marry her (and I didn't think I would be chosen even if I made my debut), I want to take care of her until she gets married!!!

No! I'll even follow her as a maid when she gets married!!!

That's how my story with Princess Primera began.