I recalled that this world is the world of an otome game and, I myself, will die at the end as a villainess.
The otome game was known as "The Sparkle of a Jewel". It was a cliché of the heroine being a commoner but was actually the child of a noble. I was the one who teased, tormented, and thoroughly bullied her until the end. In the end, I got abandoned and thrown onto the street. It was the end of a villainess by either being killed or becoming a prostitute…… By the way, my brother was also a capture target.
There was no bullying of the sort since I remembered my past life's memories before the heroine came into play. The heroine's side too, seems to have her past life's memories and is suspicious but… it's of no concern of mine.
Because! There's no favour in bullying her just to die! Even if the heroine's personality is bad, it's not something I want to concern myself with!
But the heroine is aiming for my fiancé so I decidedly to quietly support the brave her in the shadows.
I guess Oscar-sama seems to be fond of her too? And it's not like I find it harsh? It was three years of decidedly supporting the two's love and happy life.
The game's timeline covers three years and within that time, the heroine captures the capture targets to lead a happy ending thereof.
Well yeah, I did like Oscar-sama. He was a handsome youth, is a blonde hair blue eyed prince and growing up would of course, turn him into a good-looking man. First thing was that voice, it's a total strike.
But exchanging that with my life is a different matter.
I mean, he's been secretly meeting my sister in law the heroine or something like that, right? Isn't that completely the Oscar route? I have no exit.
Today too, I confronted the scene where heroine and Oscar were embracing each other… talk about a terrible day.
I mean; tears came out.
I've been supporting them from the shadows but the pain of the heart still hurts as one would expect. In the palace rose garden where it's made as a labyrinth, I secretly cried by myself.
"What's the matter? Sophia"
"a... Aldorf-niisama..."
The captain of the knights order Aldorf-sama, my cousin is also a capture target. He's a brother-like existence to me and is has always been nice since the past.
He's quite busy recently and it has been a while since we last met.
"Why are you crying in such a place? Where's his highness? And guards? Were you not together?"
The word his highness that came out of Aldorf is a complete land mine for the current me. My tears began to overflow just hearing the word.
"WWait, wait, wait. Calm down Sofia. If it gets to his highness that I made you cry…"
"I-I… I can only call off the engagement…!"
"…… hhaah!?"
I was at my limits in various meanings. That being the case, I have no choice but to obtain help from Aldorf-niisama. I became dependent on that thought.
Sobbing, tearing, crying, I slowly settled down after the duration of an hour. Although a bit awkward, Aldorf-niisama stayed by my side the whole time.
Uu… feels like my heart's going to throb for that kindness.
Aldorf-niisama is a capture target too so he's not lacking in the looks. Although he doesn't possess the orthodox face of a prince, he possesses the image of wildness and broadmindedness and is lovely in his own right. As a matter of fact, he's actually my first love.
"And? What exactly happened? There's no way his highness is going to allow the engagement to be annulled right?"
"That sort of thing… Oscar-sama is a man too. There will be times when he's blinded by love"
"I'd say he's that in present progressive form though"
I opened my eyes astounded upon hearing his words.
He knew? Under official recognition? He was already knowledgeable to that point!?
Aldorf-niisama is Oscar-sama's close aide. That onii-sama is saying so, there should be no doubts; I, will get my engagement annulled.
Even though I gave it my all training as the crown princess... I got along with Oscar-sama so I could win against the heroine who'll come in one day too... Even though I built a good engagement relation…
How cruel, to cut me off with - In the end, I'm just the villainess.
"Aldorf-niisama… what do you need to do to enter monastery?"
"Wh! No, that's bad right?"
"I mean, entering monastery once and for all seems a lot safer now that it came down to this…"
There's the chance of getting accused for bullying, by then it'll be better to just voluntarily enter monastery without bad ties... It seems a lot safer too.
I don't want to die and being a prostitute feels unreasonable. Prostitute is fine by a meter but my end is to be gang raped and covered with semen all over as someone pregnant. Definitely not. If so then I have to go knock the door of a high class brothel. One on one is definitely the best.
"Wait, reconsider a bit. In any case, what did his highness do? His highness doesn't seem any different from usual"
"To be no different from usual even after doing such things…"
Advancing love events with my sister, he did well to act like nothing's wrong.
"Th He did something that terrible!?"
"It might be something natural for a guy but to me, it's terrible"
Aldorf-niisama started to become anxious as he fretted. He's a man as well so he might not be able to understand how I feel… but from my point of view, what Oscar-sama did was no different from two-timing. While having a fiancée he… with her sister… it's immoral, unchaste; the worst.
I mean, although a villainess, I've been properly behaving as a lady. Just because I've been supporting from the side-lines, to end up on two boats is unchaste. If he properly told me then I wouldn't be supporting from the shadows but unreservedly assisted!
"How could that…"
"But it cannot be helped, everything was fated to be…"
Fate. Setting it clear with such an answer, even this tearing pain inside my chest can be endured a little. I knew from the beginning. Such a thing became reality, that's all there was to it.
"As I thought, reconsider a little. There's no way it'll be permitted for you to enter monastery"
"That being the case, are you voicing that I become a prostitute!?"
"Pro-!?"
Even though I thought Aldorf-niisama was my ally! Don't tell me the heroine already captured him!?
If not monastery then isn't there only prostitution left! Uu… how cruel. To tell me to enter prostitution and sleep with many partners than keeping my chastity and enter monastery… I'm not in denial of prostitutes the career but as expected, the me who has lived as a sheltered lady of keeping her virtue would undoubtedly be opposed to the idea.
"To think his highness did something that terrible…"
"I really, have had enough already. If you say not to enter monastery, Aldorf-niisama, take me in to your household"
"What…"
That's right, I might as well just marry Aldorf-niisama. Aldorf-niisama too, is the family of a duke, there'd be no problem for him being an engagement partner. It couldn't have been better since Aldorf-niisama doesn't have a fiancée either. If my engagement's going to be annulled anyhow then let me be the one to annul it.
I mean, if Oscar-sama was the one to cancel the engagement, I'd definitely cry. And to be covered with false accusations of bullying someone... definitely not.
I haven't bullied her.
In the first place, I haven't even talked with the heroine before.
"Wait a moment! I've only seen you as my little sister…"
"I'm fine with it even so. Please let me marry Aldorf-niisama, with nii-sama, I'm sure…" I can be happy.
"Heeh... clandestinely meeting in a place like this"
A voice low enough to send chills travelled through the air as I pressed the idea at the bewildered Aldorf-niisama. Turning back without thinking I saw Oscar-sama, my fiancé. I felt a bit relieved to find the heroine nowhere in sight.
Ah wait, clandestinely meeting? Did he say clandestinely meeting?
"Y-Your highness…"
"To think it's with my confidant Aldorf… Now that I think of it, he's your first love was he not? Sophie"
"Hii-!"
Why does Oscar-sama know of such thing? Or perhaps I should say, what is this… somehow frightening to the extreme atmosphere.
"You see, I encountered trouble a while ago and thought how I wanted to meet Sophie as soon as possible. Got to know that Sophie was in the rose garden so I'd come over right? Then of all things I saw was Sophie pressing Aldorf with marriage… ne?"
Al-Although I'm not too sure what's going on, I can't stop trembling. Tears are starting to well up. Aldorf-niisama on the other hand stood straight, full of attention as his face paled.
"It was really surprising… Un, there's that and, the feel of seething turns in my intestines? Enough to make my surroundings red? Thank you for giving me this first experience"
"Eh, ah, you're welcome…?"
Replying by conditioned reflex hearing his expression of gratitude only made Oscar-sama's smile deepen.
Cold. It's suddenly chilly. Is it just me or did the atmosphere turn a bit too cold for the skin?
"Aldorf, you're under house arrest for today. I'll send a messenger later for what you're to do"
"Ha!"
[Basically a man's way of replying yes, kind of similar to 'yes sir']
"W-Wait! Aldorf-niisama was not at faul-"
"Sophie, silence."
My body stiffened at his words…
Oscar-sama is extremely angry for some reason!
It's his first time taking to me in imperative form so I was a bit bewildered.
But, I was not in the wrong right? Right?? Oscar-sama was ultimately making out with the heroine after all!
"Don't let anyone enter this area from now, even if in emergencies"
"Yes Sir! Absolutely!"
Eh. Eeeh….??