At the age of thirteen, it had been a while since I became. And now, my mother had truly died. One day, she suddenly stopped waking up in the morning and just like that, she was gone.
According to the doctor, it was due to heart strain. I tried everything I could to save my mother, but ultimately, everything was in vain. My mother continued to blindly love my father until the very end and never listened to a word I said.
It has been over two weeks since the cremation, but honestly, I don’t know if I feel sad about it or not. It may seem cold, but there was never anything between my mother and me.
“…So, I came all the way to the royal residence to report, but this castle is still as huge as ever.”
The Yellow Dragon Castle, located in the capital of Yamato, was the residence of the royal family and the central government of the empire. It was a castle that could be described as luxurious and magnificent with its vast gardens.
At first glance, it looked like a traditional Japanese castle, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was built for aesthetics rather than functionality. Since this Yellow Dragon Castle was built after Yamato had overcome internal strife and achieved peace, it was likely designed to showcase its authority. Similar to Edo Castle in Japan? I’m not sure.
“I had planned to report and return quickly, but to be kept waiting for several days like this…”
When the head of a territory, who was also a noble, died, it would have a significant impact on national politics. The timing of the announcement had to be discussed with various parties. So, it was my duty as the son of the head of the household to report my mother’s death to the Yellow Dragon Castle. However, Emperor-sama, who is crucial in this matter, is currently not in the capital and won’t be returning for a few more days.
That’s why I am currently staying in a guest room at the Yellow Dragon Castle…well, I have a lot of free time.
“…So, the main heroine also lives in this castle.”
She was the main heroine of 【Doki Love】 and also the princess of the Yamato Empire, Tendouin Miharu. She suddenly appeared in this world and hired the protagonist, Mikadzuki Touya, as her bodyguard. In the original story, she was also the fiancée of the protagonist, Kamitsuin Kokyu.
She had a typically stubborn and hot-headed tsundere personality. And she was flat-chested. Honestly, she didn’t fit my personal preferences, and since she was like the representative member of Touya’s harem, I tried to avoid getting involved with her. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get a glimpse of her.
“It’s like a reconnaissance mission.”
After all, she was the central figure in the grand scenario that involved the entire Yamato Empire. Just confirming her appearance would be worthwhile, and if we were to meet each other, it wouldn’t hurt to show that I mean no harm. I’m going to quit being a noble soon, so I won’t have any reason to get involved with her anymore, but it wouldn’t hurt to do so.
I don’t think there’s any negative reputation about me, and there hasn’t been any talk of engagement, so I shouldn’t be disliked.
“Now that it’s decided, I should go around the pond where Tenryuin Miharu often hangs out…”
At that moment, I heard a metallic noise on the stone pavement…that kind of sound.
I turned around to see what it was, and the first thing that caught my eye was a Hannya mask that had fallen at someone’s feet. The person who seemed to be the owner of the Hannya mask, which had torn strings, was a small woman dressed in a worn-out grey kimono.
“So…Tenryuin Setsuna, Her Royal Highness…?”
I unintentionally froze as I looked at her face. There were two reasons for that. One was because I knew about her as part of my knowledge from the original story.
“Uh…I’m sorry. If I meeting someone like me caused an uncomfortable situation… I don’t mind, so please stand up.”
That was the same line she had said in the original story when a similar situation happened with the protagonist, Touya. I couldn’t remember exactly how Touya responded to that line… I had already forgotten.
But now, I had to say something. Following my intuition, I opened my mouth.
“Why do you need to apologize? You haven’t done anything wrong, have you?”
“Uh?”
I spoke my true feelings without thinking. I didn’t plan it out, I just felt like if I didn’t speak my true feelings, she wouldn’t be moved.
“And, Your Highness, I have heard about you as well. It is true that as a noble, one must consider one’s reputation. But from my perspective, I think it’s more important that you were the first one to worry about my situation before even caring about your own manners. It shows that you have a caring heart for others. That’s what I think.”
“That’s…thank you very much, Lord Kamitsuin. Your words really made me happy.”
With that, her apologetic expression finally changed, and she smiled like a blossoming flower.
“Thank you, Kamitsuin-dono. I was truly happy to hear your words.”
I felt a huge impact as if an arrow had pierced my chest at that moment. And a certain part of my body got incredibly excited. I won’t explain it specifically, but I got very excited.
After saying our goodbyes, I continued to feel the lingering emotions for a while. It was an emotion that I couldn’t understand.
“…She got me. She really got me.”
Honestly, I didn’t have any intention of getting deeply involved with the original characters. I had planned to live peacefully as originally intended. That would have been the best solution.
However, after being shown a glimpse of a kind heart from the non-playable character, the princess, and receiving her smile, the primary goal to have a peaceful life was shattered, and I, the villain reincarnator, fell in love at first sight with the non-romanticized target.
