Chapter 46

Chapter 4, I will be updating daily at 7 PM from today onwards, so please look forward to it!

(Final chapter only: will be posted at 7 AM on the release day)

I hope you enjoy it.

Volume 3 will be released on June 15th, so please look forward to it!

For more details, please refer to the official page.

(I will inform you in an activity report soon!)

The otome game "Lapis Lazuli Ring" is highly popular, and not only does it have various events, but it also has so-called hidden events and stages.

These hidden events and stages are both officially announced and unannounced, and they further immerse players in the game...

"I never thought there would be hidden stages in this sequel game..."

The one who whispered this with a trembling voice was the villainess of "Lapis Lazuli Ring," who had married the crown prince of a neighboring country and moved to the stage of the sequel game.

As can be inferred from her words, she had played this game in her previous life. She was initially surprised to be reincarnated into the game world, but now she is living a very happy life.

Her name is Tiara Rose Lapis Marinfrost.

She is the villainess who received the name Lapis from her homeland, Lapis Lazuli, and was blessed by the forest and sea fairy kings.

"Hmm..."

"Ah, no, I mustn't make a loud noise or Aqua will wake up."

At this late hour, her husband, Aquasteed, is sleeping beside her. He is exhausted from a day of work, and it would be wrong to wake him up.

Tiara Rose and Aquasteed's bedroom is connected to each other's rooms. The large canopy bed and the well-organized room are beautiful, and the moon visible from the window is stunning.

Gently stroking Aquasteed's dark blue hair, she sees a soft, content expression on his face. His golden eyes are closed, but she hopes he can rest well.

It is late at night, and the reason Tiara Rose is awake is... because she is excited about the existence of the hidden stage.

The heroine of "Lapis Lazuli Ring," Akari, is Japanese. She is a big fan of otome games and is a strong player of the current game stage.

In a letter from her, it was written that there is a hidden stage that only those blessed by the fairy kings can enter. Knowing this, would Tiara Rose, who is blessed by the fairy kings, not want to go? No.

"I love this game too. If I can go to the hidden stage, I want to go...!"

Is there some secret item? Or will an event occur? Either way, it's something to look forward to.

However, there is a problem.

Tiara Rose in her previous life died before the sequel game was released, so she has almost no information. The only information she gets is occasionally from Akari, who has thoroughly played the sequel.

—Akari would probably say to enjoy playing it herself.

In other words, Tiara Rose must gather information on her own.

"But I don't think the information about the hidden stage will be so easily obtained... Should I research history and subtly ask the fairies?"

Whispering to herself, she thinks about what to do.

Normally, the one who should go to the hidden stage is the heroine of the sequel game, the duchess's daughter—Aishira Pearlrand.

The game developers probably never thought that a villainess from the previous game would go. So, Tiara Rose intends to enjoy the hidden stage quietly without making a big deal of it.

Ideally, she would ask the forest fairy king, Keith, but she lacks the confidence to explain why she knows about the hidden stage.

"Hmm... For now, I'll check the library and ask the fairies—ah!"

Just as she was about to make a decision, her arm was pulled. Blinking in surprise, she meets a beautiful golden gaze.

"Tiara, what are you doing?"

"Aqua... I'm sorry, I woke you up..."

She was trying to be careful, but Aquasteed is sensitive to her presence. Blessed by the sky and sea fairy kings, he is the main target of the sequel game.

He was the love interest of the heroine, Aishira, but he chose Tiara Rose.

Aquasteed Marinfrost.

As the crown prince of the Marinfrost Kingdom, he is very busy every day, but he loves and dotes on Tiara Rose.

"Your body is cold."

Aquasteed pulls her into a warm embrace, frowning at her coldness. He strokes her head and asks, "Can't you sleep?"

"...No. I'm sorry, I was thinking about the fairies."

"Hmm?"

"The fairies and their kings are different from us. I was wondering what kind of world they live in."

She doesn't say that she is very interested in the world that has hidden stages, but she conveys it gently. If she tried to lie, Aquasteed would surely see through it.

Listening to Tiara Rose, Aquasteed nods in understanding.

"Indeed, we don't know how fairies spend their days, and we don't interfere excessively... well, except for Tiara."

"Am I an exception?"

"Of course. Normally, fairies don't visit their blessed ones just for fun."

Tiara Rose was about to argue that this isn't true, but she is speechless when she hears Aquasteed's words.

Thinking about it, the fairies and fairy kings only visit Tiara Rose. Aquasteed is also blessed by the sky fairy king, Clayre, but he has never seen the sky fairies or Clayre visit directly.

"Indeed, they only come to me..."

"Tiara, you're so oblivious to yourself. It worries me."

Worried that she might be taken away, Aquasteed tightens his embrace. Tiara Rose, who feels the same way, hugs him back tightly.

"...It's warm."

"Ah."

Closing her eyes slowly, the late hour makes Tiara Rose drowsy. Watching her, Aquasteed gently strokes her back and kisses her forehead, saying, "Let's go to sleep."

Nodding, she lets herself be enveloped by the comfortable warmth and drowsiness.

"Good night, Aqua..."

"Good night, Tiara."

◇◇◇

The next day, after finishing her morning tasks, Tiara Rose heads to the library to research information about the fairy king's hidden stage.

"Tiara Rose, you're as enthusiastic as ever..."

Filine, her maid, who has served her since before her marriage, suggests she take a break. She is a reliable and dependable presence.

It's a secret, but she still harbors a strong resentment towards Hartnights, Tiara Rose's ex-fiancé who broke off the engagement.

"I want to learn more about the fairies."

"Indeed, there were no fairies in our homeland."

The fairies only live in Marinfrost, so Tiara Rose, who lived in a neighboring country, had no contact with them before.

Therefore, she has little knowledge about the fairies.

"But, Tiara Rose, didn't you read a lot of books and materials about fairies before? You might have read all the books available."

"True..."

Looking at the bookshelves, she sees only books she has already read. Sighing, she thinks there is probably no useful information about the hidden stage.

"Maybe I should look at a map of Marinfrost."

"A map?"

Filine, tilting her head in confusion, hands Tiara Rose a book with a map. The map is detailed and easy to read, but it doesn't contain any information about the hidden stage. Checking the publication date, she realizes it is a recent book.

—But I don't think anyone has been to the fairy king's hidden stage.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a hidden stage in the game. It's hidden because the heroine is the first to enter it.

"Thinking about that... maybe an old map would be better than a recent one."

"An old map...? But the ones here are relatively new."

Disappointed, Tiara Rose slumps her shoulders.

"But I don't think old maps are discarded. They are part of the country's history... Tarmo might know."

Tarmo, a knight who guards Tiara Rose from a distance, was originally Aquasteed's aide. He has been her dedicated guard since she came to Marinfrost as a fiancée. He is an excellent man.

When she calls out to Tarmo, he immediately responds, "Yes, we have them."

"The old maps are managed by the knights."

"Is that so?"

It seems the library and the knights manage different things, so it's no wonder she couldn't find them. She chuckles, thinking she should have gone to the knights directly.

She would like to get the maps immediately, but the knights' quarters are not a place for the crown prince's wife to visit. Moreover, Tarmo, her guard, can't leave his post to fetch them.

"I'll bring them to you tomorrow."

"Really? Thank you, I'm so happy!"

"But it's unusual for you to show interest in old maps. It's not something women are typically interested in."

Hearing Tarmo's words, Tiara Rose nods in agreement.

"True, I think the current Marinfrost is great. But I thought an old map might give me more insight into the fairies. Where there were more forests and nature. Even if there are no fairies in the city now, they might have lived there in the past... I want to know such things."

"I see."

Now, she rarely sees fairies, but in the past, when there was more nature, it might have been different.

—Compared to modern Japan, there is a lot more nature here.

In this world, nature is always cherished, regardless of the era. As a world where magic is the norm, the air is also very clean.

"Tiara Rose, if you're going to look at the map tomorrow... shall we move today's schedule to tomorrow?"

"Good idea, let's do that."

Nodding to her maid's suggestion, Tiara Rose leaves the library.

A little announcement about a new serial!

It's also about a villainess, but this one is about a prince and a villainess who miss each other.

It turns out the heroine doesn't have romantic feelings...

The hero is also a bit of a mystery.

Please read it when you have time.

"Villainess and the Norns of Fate"

http://ncode.syosetu.com/n6922dz/