“—So, the graduation party acts as both a condemnation event and a turning point for the ‘Heroine’ to choose her romantic target, with the resulting ‘individual route’ or ‘harem route’ providing a unique story for each character, right?”
As I sorted through her somewhat convoluted explanation in my mind, I felt a significant headache brewing.
“Yes, that’s correct. By the time of the graduation party, the characters available for the ‘Heroine’ to choose from will vary based on how much she has conquered each ‘target’ and the level of affection she has attained. The eligible ‘targets’ will send her accessories or dresses that match their hair color by the day of the party, making it clear who can be pursued. Additionally, the route will change based on which accessory she wears to the party.”
“She wore a yellow dress today… Even though I didn’t send one.”
It should have been obvious that I wasn’t among the options. Nevertheless, undeterred, she secured a yellow dress for herself, opting for me of her own volition. Even though it was understood that no gifts would be given if I wasn’t favored enough, she thought it would be fine to make the choice herself.
… How foolish.
“If your affection rating with Lord Cecil is high, you will receive the yellow dress. In a harem route scenario, she would wear the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets gifted by others. However, today, with only the yellow dress at hand, Lady Heronia seemed focused on pursuing Lord Cecil’s individual route… I think.”
Bertia’s brows briefly furrowed, revealing a pained expression. Witnessing this, I experienced a small sense of satisfaction.
It’s interesting that she’s now discussing the meaning of gifts in the ‘otome game’ quite casually—but how does she interpret the fact that I once offered to send her a dress myself and told her she could pick any color she liked?
Furthermore, I selected a dress embellished with gold lace for her. The lace matches the color of my hair, symbolizing deep affection. Surely, she must recognize its significance?
… Maybe when things calm down, I should clearly point it out and have her think about what it means.
“The route with Lord Cecil and the harem route transforms into a romantic internal politics route with Lord Cecil, enhanced by thirty percent more sweetness. The harem route also features interactions and jealousy events with others, but… as someone who advocates for fidelity, I’m not particularly fond of it.”
“That’s good to hear… If you ever created a harem, I might end up scheming in various ways to ensure you couldn’t look for someone else.”
“Eh? Did you say something?”
“No, nothing at all.” I smiled and shook my head.
Bertia appeared puzzled, but being essentially simple, she didn’t seem to dwell on it for long.
Self-awareness can be a truly frightening experience.
If I hadn’t acknowledged my feelings for Bertia, I wouldn’t have understood my own “obsession” with her. I would have only perceived my emotions for her as a “peculiar sensation.”
“The Cecil route and the harem route have their challenges, but ultimately, we overcome them together, leading to a happy ending for everyone—except for the villainous characters, of course. However, the routes involving others are…” I remembered the story Bertia had shared with me earlier.
“I’m assassinated, disappear, embark on a journey across countries, become obsessed with my research, and isolate myself… or turn into a battle maniac and dive into a world of war, right?” As soon as I heard this, my headache reached its peak.
Yet, recalling the false-self presented to me by the light spirit, I couldn’t confidently declare, “That can’t be possible!”
Right now, I have Bertia, a significant person in my life. Thanks to her, I can enjoy life to a certain degree, but without such a focus… I would surely have despaired of life—of the world itself. For example, if an assassin targeted me, I might typically handle it casually but could think, “Well, I’m tired of life anyway,” and allow myself to be easily killed.
Tired of a life and future lacking in interest, I might begin to meddle in dangerous affairs. In search of fun and engaging pursuits, I could leave the country to my brother Shaun and embark on travels, or immerse myself deeply in research or warfare… I can’t entirely dismiss these possibilities.
Bertia elaborated on each storyline, said, “In Prince Shaun’s path, he writes a letter stating, ‘I’m tired of royalty. I relinquish my claim to the throne. It’s all yours, Shaun.’ Later, when the king is poisoned and a neighboring nation takes advantage to invade, a frightened Prince Shaun finds encouragement and support from the heroine, who fights beside him and fosters their love.”
She paused, her expression darkening.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that love alone could lead to victory in a battle. In the game, you might miraculously win the initial fight, resulting in a romantic happy ending filled with phrases like “I couldn’t have accomplished this without you.” Still, I’m apprehensive about what happens next,” Bertia shared her worries.
“… Well, that makes sense. Shaun really isn’t cut out to be a king, nor is he suited for battle.”
“In the otome game, Lord Cecil might say, ‘If I can accomplish this, then Prince Shaun surely can as well. Managing internal affairs and handling diplomacy isn’t too difficult.’”
“… Is that true?” I pondered, thinking about my former self. Naturally, as a crown prince destined to govern, my abilities felt entirely normal. The individuals around me were skilled, and I had never really grasped the meaning of “inability.”
Watching Bertia struggle and persevere despite all her setbacks, I realized that there were indeed people who “couldn’t.” I was also aware of my own superiority over others.
“Next is Lord Kulgan’s journey. As I mentioned earlier, Lord Cecil, you face assassination in this scenario. When Lord Kulgan finds out that the assassin hails from a neighboring country, he makes the bold decision to travel there, disregarding his own safety. The heroine, realizing his resolve as she tries to stop him, says, ‘I’ll accompany you,’ and together they infiltrate the neighboring country. They encounter various challenges that deepen their love, ultimately revealing that a member of the neighboring royal family orchestrated your assassination…”
“… Well, that would lead to war,” I interjected.