In this world, there was something called the “bridal wars.” It was a conflict waged by the noble class in the capital Ode, and it was fought tooth and nail. By marrying their daughters to the sons of higher-class families, nobles elevated their own family’s status. It was a tradition that had continued for hundreds of years, dating back to when high society had first emerged.
In any case, the daughters of nobles were raised with the teaching that “securing a good marriage is the pride of being born a daughter of a noble house.” And so, as these girls came of age, they flocked into society and searched for marriageable partners.
How’s that for a classic otome game?
Miyako Florence, reincarnated from another world, proved no exception and ended up taking part in the bridal wars.
Hmm, it’s not so bad in 2D, but in real life it’s actually pretty rough, thought Miyako.
On that day, that fateful day, there was a tea party hosted by Klaus Reinhardt, heir to Marquis Reinhardt. That was the day of a decisive battle in the bridal wars, as direct contact with target families was possible. On that day, many girls from the lowliest families to the greatest dressed themselves up and gathered in the gardens of the Reinhardt mansion.
People, people, and more people packed into the mansion. In addition to the young ladies, various accompanying attendants, such as ladies’ maids and butlers, filled the crowd. The smell of perfume was stifling. Everyone jostled for the chance to chat with Klaus.
As for Miyako, thanks to being reincarnated in this world as the game’s heroine, she’d managed to elicit the words “You’re an interesting woman” from Klaus. But if she were honest, she couldn’t have cared less. There was only one person Miyako wanted to meet at this party: the villainess, Fuuka Hamilton.
“Um, sorry, I’m in a rush!” she’d said, walking past Klaus and wandering through the crowd.
And then, Miyako met her. Her beloved villainess.
“You there. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
A dignified voice rang out. Appearing before her was a young woman wearing a violet dress, which complemented her black hair. She had perfect posture and a fan clutched elegantly in her slender fingers. Her makeup was on the modest side, but perfectly set off her eyes with their glowing violet irises that projected her strength of will.
Those eyes were fixed in a hateful stare towards Miyako.
“Fu, Fu...” Miyako’s voice stuttered, and she inadvertently let out a shout. “Fuuka-chan!”
“You’re acting very familiar for someone I’ve just met. Who are you?”
With a large grin, Miyako approached Fuuka, the woman who ought to have been her rival, the villainess of the world of Drop Fantasia. As a result...
“Ouch!”
Fuuka struck her on the hand as hard as she could with her fan.
“Really. Just what were you playing at, with that attitude back there?!” said Fuuka sharply.
“Back where?”
“Your attitude towards Klaus Reinhardt. The Reinhardts are the hosts of this tea party. That means Klaus-sama is the one you should be speaking to right now, over anyone else. And yet, what did you do? You were lucky enough to get the chance to speak with him, and you ran away.”
Fuuka’s eyes shot daggers at Miyako.
In the game, the heroine’s target witnessed Fuuka yelling at the heroine like this and his opinion of Fuuka dropped. Someone might be coming right now.
Not good! I don’t want Fuuka to go through anything bad!!
As soon as Miyako thought that, she got moving.
“This way!”
“Hey, hold—I’m not finished yet!”
Miyako ran to a maze in the corner of the garden, pulling Fuuka by the hand. Fuuka’s elegant frilly dress, most likely chosen just for this party, fluttered. The soldiers of the bridal wars, dressed-up ladies entirely focused on the party, didn’t spare a second glance for the maze made from rose hedges.
Taking advantage of that, they ran, and ran.
“Phew. We should be okay all the way over here.”
“Y-You! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Sorry, Fuuka-chan. I’m Miyako Florence. I hope we can get along...” Miyako turned around to Fuuka with a smile.
“Let go of me!”
Slap!
“Whoa—aah!”
Pushed away, Miyako staggered. In her stumbling, she caught herself on a thorn and the crimson dress she was wearing ripped.
“Ah!”
“Ahh!”
At the ripping sound, they both stopped for a moment. Fuuka opened her eyes wide, worried she had messed up, but a second later she regained her stern expression.
“Hmph! I’ve never even heard of the Florence family. I take it you’re not a noble from the capital? Keep your hands off me. You’ll turn me into a country bumpkin like you.”
“I am from the country. Well-spotted, Fuuka-chan.”
“You calling me ‘Fuuka-chan’ gets on my nerves as well. I’m a member of the Hamilton family of the capital; if you had any manners you would call me ‘Fuuka-sama.’”
“Ahaha, that just slipped out.”
“That’s not good enough! And that dress! It’s all ripped and shabby, so don’t you think you had better be heading home?”
“Er, ah, well. I do want to go home.”
“Then hurry up and begone! And who chose that red dress, anyway? That color is reserved for the members of Count Scarlett’s family! If you go wandering about wearing that, people will get the wrong idea.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“Ignorance is a sin. If you have no intention of taking part in the bridal wars, then leave. You’re an eyesore.” Fuuka glared sharply at Miyako. “High society is all about dragging each other down,” Fuuka continued. “I can’t believe that you would walk around showing such weakness. I think lackadaisical country bumpkins are happier at home, don’t you?”
Don’t show weakness in public. That’s what she’s getting at. Her strict attitude might be her way of showing kindness.
“If you don’t mind,” Miyako started a wild request that she knew Fuuka would probably turn down at the moment, “would you come to the countryside with me?”
“...What?”
“It’s a really nice place, rich in nature. As long as you’re happy to, then maybe sometime soon you—”
“I don’t have the time for that, nor do I have the slightest intention of getting friendly with my enemies.”
Fuuka cut Miyako off abruptly and turned on her heels to leave. Without looking back, Fuuka declared as though telling herself, “I will win the bridal wars, whatever it takes. That’s my one and only value.”
Miyako watched Fuuka briskly make her exit. Seeing her put on a bold front, so as not to show weakness to anybody, Miyako felt the urge to someday win Fuuka’s heart.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuuka Hamilton continued to build a reputation as each day passed, although not a good one. Haughty, mean-spirited, with no qualms about knocking others down a peg, she was the monstrous count’s daughter. The words and deeds of Fuuka Hamilton were the topic of choice at the tea parties popular among noble ladies.
Nobles in the capital held tea parties every week at noon in turn, and they staked their prestige on making them as extravagant as possible. The tea parties held by higher nobles with heirs of marriageable age became the main battlegrounds of the bridal wars. Conversely, the tea parties with no outstanding candidates for marriage in attendance turned into rumor mills for young ladies to swap gossip. In the game Drop Fantasia, these were the information-gathering events.
There, too, Miyako stood out.
“Ah, Fuuka-chaaan, over here!”
Miyako, wearing a carefree smile from ear to ear, waved her hand at Fuuka, whom everyone else feared.
“Heh heh. Looking as cute as ever today, Fuuka-chan.”
While everyone else surrounding the round table appeared to be gracefully enjoying the party, Fuuka sat there without the faintest trace of a smile.
Miyako seated herself next to her without hesitation. Blushing, she took Fuuka’s hand and began to talk to her.
“Heh heh, I’m glad I got to see you again today.”
“Well, I’m not.”
“Whoa, no mercy?!”
The perfect smile Fuuka normally wore when she was in high society was nowhere to be seen. Not trying to hide her deeply furrowing brows, she cast off Miyako’s hand.
“I have no intention of getting along with you. All noble women of the same age are each other’s enemies, after all.”
“Enemies...”
“It’s the truth. Be it the bridal wars, problems of succession, the quality of our children... They’re the people I’ll have to contend with for the sake of my family,” rattled off Fuuka with a deadpan expression.
“Th-That’s not true! Um, well, maybe it is, but...”
“In that case, you ought to reconsider that overly friendly attitude of yours.”
“But...” Miyako struggled to think of a reply.
Fuuka said, looking incredibly lonely as she walked away without looking back at Miyako, “Please don’t talk to me again; you might infect me with your country-bumpkinness.”
Going forward, Miyako took every chance she could get to speak to Fuuka, but Fuuka remained stubborn.
And so, Miyako decided that she herself would win the bridal wars waged around Klaus, heir to the Reinhardt family—and then have him cancel their engagement. After that, she would put an end to everything and once more confess her feelings to Fuuka.
The days passed, and Miyako and Fuuka maintained this relationship. Fuuka had no idea that the two of them would end up running away together, not a care in the world.