Chapter 1: Prince Adelberd with Cat Ears
A single, luxurious carriage raced down the road. The paved track spanned from the royal capital all the way to the sightseeing region of the Rhuddlan family’s territory.
The large wheels softened the bumps of the uneven road. I, Cynthia Rhuddlan—the only daughter of Viscount Rhuddlan—sat on a comfortable cushion as I gazed out the window. That was when I spotted a building off in the distance.
“I can see it, Siraiya! That’s the hot spring resort we built just for this trip!”
My fiancé, Duke Siraiya Brooke, was seated across from me. His green eyes turned to the window, causing his sparkling silver hair to fall around his face.
“I imagined it would be a small cabin when you told me it was made of wood. But that place is as big as a mansion.”
Siraiya couldn’t believe his eyes. He was right—most buildings in this world were built with stones or bricks. Wooden buildings conjured images of small cabins with no more than a few rooms.
“It’s meant to look like the hot spring resorts they have in a certain faraway country. The people of this world… I mean, the people of this kingdom prefer things that look ‘new,’ but the resort’s interior is quite exquisite. Please look forward to it.”
The “faraway land” was my country in my past life.
Two years ago, when I was still a student, I suddenly remembered my past life. I realized that I’d been reincarnated into the world of a school-themed dating sim game. Not only that, but I’d been reborn as Cynthia, one of the villainess characters in the story. I’d been engaged to Eddie Doris, the second son of an earl at the time, and my fate was to have him stolen away by the heroine if the plot progressed as it did in the game.
I would have fought for his heart if I still loved Eddie, but seeing him basking in the attention of other women killed my affection for him. In the end, our engagement was swiftly called off.
My next fiancé was none other than Siraiya Brooke—the third son of a duke, and a yandere villain within the game’s story. The two of us went through more difficulties than I could easily recount. But all that mattered was that our hardships were behind us. We were very much in love now and could spend time together in peace.
I crossed my legs and gazed at my dear Siraiya. Blushing, his eyes met mine.
“The trip has already been so much fun, but I’m looking forward to spending time in my family’s territory as well,” I said.
“Me too. I’m excited to see that fireworks show I’ve been hearing about.”
After graduating, we’d spent our days traveling and growing our relationship as a couple. Although we’d considered marrying as soon as we were out of school, we got engaged during our second year at the academy and felt we hadn’t made enough memories during our engagement. Thus, we mutually decided to enjoy a little more time together before having our wedding.
“I’ve been on many vacations before, but this will be my first one without my parents joining us. It’s just the two of us this time,” I remarked casually.
We were treated as adults in the kingdom of Elzeria upon graduating from school. There were many more things we could enjoy as a grown couple than we could when we were children. Though the journey there was a bit hectic, we intended to relax and enjoy ourselves thoroughly during our stay at the hot spring resort.
My lips started to curve into a smile as I immersed myself in those fantasies, but then Siraiya spoke in a deeply serious tone.
“I’ll miss having Father and Mother with us, but they sent us out together because they trust me. I’ll make sure not to violate that trust by making any mistakes.”
“Oh?!”
Wait, does that mean we can flirt more than usual?! Maybe Mother and Father sent us out alone for that exact reason! Despite those thoughts, I adored how Siraiya treated me like the most precious of treasures. I mentally vowed to always reciprocate those feelings and treasure Siraiya back.
Our love was still something sweet and tender, and we were going to savor this time together.
The carriage came to a halt at our destination. We left our servants in charge of our luggage as we entered the inn.
The Rhuddlan territory had open-air baths for as long as it existed, though Siraiya seemed perplexed by the act of taking off his shoes to put on slippers, as well as the shoji sliding doors and tatami mat floors. These were all foreign to our world, but Siraiya’s eyes were full of enthusiasm as he took in the unfamiliar sights.
We stood on the exterior deck to gaze out at the courtyard full of pine and maple trees, garden rocks, and paths made of stepping stones. I couldn’t remember the exact details, but I was pretty sure I loved elegant hot spring resorts like these in my past life.
“Now that you’ve seen the inside, what do you think of the inn?” I asked.
“It’s all so fascinating. Not only do you have this wonderful courtyard, but I enjoy the paper doors and the plant-based rugs as well.”
“The paper doors are called shoji, and the plant-based rugs are called tatami. It was difficult to recreate the tatami, but this country’s craftsmen did an excellent job in the end. I’m incredibly grateful for their help,” I said.
“Sho-ji and ta-ta-mi? They sound like things from an alternate dimension in a fantasy novel. It’s all so exciting.”
“Yes… I suppose it could be called things from an alternate dimension…” I chuckled to myself. Siraiya was exactly right. “We’re going to open this resort to the public once we finish our vacation. Please tell me if there’s anything that isn’t to your liking.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible…” Siraiya trailed off, blushing, before he continued his train of thought. “Everything’s so much fun when I’m with you, Cynthia. I don’t think I’d even notice any issues at the resort.”
“Siraiya…!” I was so touched; I reached out and took his hand. “You’re just too cute…”
Ever since we were students, Siraiya had always been so…adorable.
“I love you, Siraiya.”
“Thank you, Cynthia. I love you, too.”
We squeezed hands and stared into each other’s eyes.
“Well, look at this… What a show you’re putting on for me.”
That interruption came from an unthinkable source. Our dreamy, sugary-sweet trance was brought to a screeching halt. Siraiya and I turned to the source of that pleasant voice, which originally belonged to a very famous voice actor.
“Prince Adelberd?!” we both cried out.
I didn’t have the slightest idea when he arrived, but the crown prince was standing nearby with a hood over his head. A pale-faced resort employee and the prince’s personal bodyguard, whom he’d attended school with, stood next to him.
“My lady… This letter just arrived by messenger…” the employee said, holding out the letter.
I took the envelope and saw that it came from my parents. Inside, a letter described that Prince Adelberd had come down with a sudden illness and would be using the Rhuddlan family’s hot spring as a makeshift health resort. We were to receive the rest of the details from the crown prince himself.
The letter seemed hastily written, as it contained almost no concrete information.
“…What’s the point if the messenger arrives at the same time as the prince?”
After I said that, Prince Adelberd ordered the resort employee to leave before continuing our discussion without the slightest hint of bashfulness.
“Yes, I did get here earlier than intended. I’m sorry, but I’ve just had a lot on my plate. Now, can you show me to an empty room?”
“Of course. Let’s go to the nearest guest room.”
The prince’s personal bodyguard stayed behind to guard the door while the three of us entered the room.
“The letter said you were ill, but to my eyes, you appear to be in good health,” I noted.
“Good eye. My health is fine. There’s just a little problem that I can’t ignore.” Prince Adelberd lowered his hood. A pair of furry cat ears poked out between the gaps of his silky blonde hair, just as golden as his hair.
“What in the world? Is that a costume? Haha! It must be nice to have four ears.” I chuckled, but the prince crossed his arms.
“If only it were a costume. But these ears are real. I can hear from them and even move them.” The cute little cat ears began to twitch.
After a moment of silence to process this absurd information, Siraiya and I finally raised our voices in perfect unison.
“They’re real?!”