Chapter 1: The Lady Born a Commoner
“OH no…is it really this late?!”
I knew I had to hurry up and finish getting ready, yet I couldn’t help stopping in front of the mirror to check my new school uniform one last time.
That beige jacket with brown stripes over the dress uniform was indeed very cute. I would have preferred the skirt to be ankle length, but my mother said I would have looked like a sukeban delinquent. I had no idea what a sukeban was, but I was able to infer it meant that an ankle-length uniform was out of the question. Therefore, if my legs had to be on display, I opted for thick tights to cover them as best I could. I suppose it was only natural I would feel a lingering aversion to letting my legs show.
I completed my look by braiding my hair at the sides and joining it at the back.
“Morning, Big Sis!”
“Good morning, Kirara. You’re up early.”
“…Mornin’.”
“Good morning, Haruto. You, on the other hand, are taking your time. No morning practice?”
“Well, you have your entrance ceremony today. I thought we’d get a picture together, so I got up and got ready.”
My little sister’s mischievous smile told me Haruto had been waiting for me. That grin of hers was entirely too cute.
Haruto, however, had become moody as of late. He shouted “Shut up!” and looked as if he might quarrel with Kirara, so I stepped in between them.
“Thank you. Shall we go ahead and take that picture, then?”
I put my arms around both of them. Kirara rested her head on my chest, while Haruto continued to fidget.
Ah, my siblings are entirely too adorable.
As soon as we finished taking photos with each of their smartphones, my father poked his head into the dining room, tying his tie.
“Good morning, Father.”
“Good morning, Urara. You have your entrance ceremony today, don’t you? Congratulations!”
“Thank you.”
Returning his smile, I poured some black tea.
“It’s such a nice day. It seems a shame to waste it heading off to some boring tech conference. Maybe I should just come to your ceremony instead.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine on my own. I’m a high schooler now.”
“Aw, but...”
“Besides, I would prefer you go to Kirara’s middle school entrance ceremony tomorrow.”
“...Yes, ma’am.”
I made my objection clear. Mother was working a part-time job as well and would only be able to get tomorrow off, so I wanted them to focus on Kirara. She was only twelve, after all. I merely wished my father could manage to keep track of her important events.
With that, I finished my tea in a timely manner and stood up.
“Well, I’ll be off, then.”
“See you later. And remember, be careful of, well, everything.”
“Later! Go get ’em, Big Sis!”
“Take care!”
I opened the front door and gazed up at the clear blue sky. It was the sort of weather heralding new beginnings. Time to go.
I stepped forth into the spring of my fifteenth year in a life completely different from the one I lived in Lacrofine.
I, Urara Tendou, was a bona fide, born and raised commoner.
My father was the materials manager for a medium-sized company.
My mother was a saleswoman at a dirt-cheap auto-parts store. She had started part-time, but her hours were increasing lately.
And my surly younger brother and cheeky little sister were just the sort you might expect to find rounding out any family of five.
We lived a modest life of modest means, as one might expect of a family living the tight budgetary constraints of a family our size, and yet we were happy. We were a normal family. An exceedingly normal, everyday family. The most common of commoners.
But the truth was, I was, in even the slightest of ways, just scarcely removed from being a true commoner.
“Whew...”
On the bus bound for the entrance ceremony, I heaved a gentle sigh.
I furtively glanced around, hoping no one else had heard me. A boy around my age quickly looked away.
Oh dear. How embarrassing. I should have been more careful.
I gazed out the window, pretending as if nothing happened.
For the first time in a long while, I thought back on my past life in Lacrofine.
I realized how naïve I was back then.
It would have been unthinkable for a noble family like ours to not be able to buy what we wanted, to not have the money for it. I had no concept of living like the other half. No, perhaps I did, but it was so hard for me to fathom, I merely turned a blind eye to people who lived that way.
And yet, from the confines of my carriage, I yearned to live as they did, free of anxiety over court rank and status. They bustled about, chatting cheerily and laughing. I wished for an existence like theirs.
So this life truly was a dream come true for me.
Being a commoner really is the best!
Naturally, the world I inhabit now is entirely different from the one I lived in before. When I realized this, I vigorously studied the history and geography of my new world. A world, it turns out, where a country by the name of Lacrofine never existed.
The general feel of Lacrofine was most similar to that of Europe during the Middle Ages, but because of the existence of tools and animals unknown here, I realized this was likely another world entirely.
Even more incredible was the fact that technology seemed to have progressed here much further than it had back home.
Water flowed freely with the turn of a tap. Heat no longer required starting a fire, and light was easy to come by. You could readily find ice in summer and warmth in winter.
Ah, it was like living in a fantasy. Even a queen couldn’t expect such luxury back home.
Ladies were not expected to adhere to strict rules of etiquette. No more being struck with a fan if I made a mistake. No more being scolded for laughing without covering my mouth.
I could say it over and over again. Being a commoner is the best! I grinned without intending to.
At fifteen, I was heading off to school, whereas someone in my previous life would be about to make their societal debut at this age, hoping to marry someone of higher status.
Last night, I was so excited about my first day that I couldn’t sleep. Ah, but it would all work out. I couldn’t wait to see what adventure the day would bring.
The bus driver called the next stop.
And so, full of all the hopes and dreams of any modern fifteen-year-old, I stepped off the bus.