Chapter 13: Auntie's Special Preach

     Miss Charlotte and I share the same hometown in Japan, making us fellow compatriots. I fully understood what she was telling me about her previous life.

I don't know what kind of otome game this is, but if Miss Charlotte saw the game package in Japan and says that this is the world of that game, then I think it must be so.
　Naturally, as the heroine of the game, Charlotte must have had special blessings and many choices.
    It was up to her to make the most of them or lose them, but she seems to have ruined them successfully.


    Speaking of messing up, Miss Charlotte may have chosen the most difficult target to capture. That is how I saw it.

    Upon entering the school, she only had one year to spend with His Highness Garrett. In such a short time, would it be possible to nurture their love, eliminate his fiancée, and even deepen their bond to the point that he would be willing to defy His Majesty the King?
　It could be possible. But it must have been a super tough scenario that made the game's players cry.

    If she had looked at her surroundings carefully, she would have noticed the heir to a Duke's family who has no fiancée, the treasured son of the director of the Institute of Magic, and the second son of the Prime Minister.
    There is also the son of a baron who has amassed enormous wealth in a single generation, the son of a Viscount who has a fan club as the most handsome student in school, and the brother of a marquis who is loved by the gods and is sure to become a first-class musician in the future.
    Miss Charlotte is the only daughter of Baron Silva. It would have been safer to look for someone to be his son-in-law instead ….

　No, no, no. It is easy to criticize after the fact, and this is just my personal opinion, the truth is still hidden.

　Besides, whatever the truth is, there is no point in saying that now. The current situation is the result of Miss Charlotte's choices, and she needs to acknowledge and accept that.
　What is important is what’s next to come --- for her and for me.



    I regained memories of my previous life because of one word that Miss Charlotte said to me.
    And in that previous life, I had a son who was older than Miss Charlotte … which means I have experience in raising children…

　There seems to be a strange connection between these two things.
　As someone who has memories of the same previous life, and as an elder with experience raising the next generation, I can be the "catalyst" for Miss Charlotte's rehabilitation.
　I don't want to think that everything is programmed, but for Miss Charlotte, I’m nothing more than the "villainess" in the school, or the "hidden savior" if she is about to go astray.
　If that is the case, I have a role to play.

　I don’t intend to play the good guy by saying, "It's your responsibility," as if I am forcing her to do something.
    I don’t want Miss Charlotte to fall into sin and become a demon. That’s why I called Miss Charlotte out, even to the point of setting her up in a trap. In other words, this action was also for her own sake.
　Even so, it would be upsetting to give myself the title of villainess, since many people would benefit. At the very least, I would like it to be (temporary).

　Still, I was dissatisfied at the job title (?) because of the current situation, but I decided to set about what I needed to do --- to remove the misfortune that will come to the kingdom of Lendor due to her downfall.

　What her parents should have done. What they didn’t.
　Children must be told when they should be told. Even if it’s preachy.



    I reminded Miss Charlotte of this.

“This is the real world, where each one of us lives with joy, sorrow, and many other feelings.
　You have been blessed with good looks, good circumstances, and holy magic.
　Why haven't you made an effort to make the most of it?"

　A look of agitation came across Miss Charlotte's eyes.

"Because this is world is just a … game where I’m the heroine.
　I'm supposed to be happy, so the game compensates follow sthe scenario on its own. I don't need to work hard and nothing else matters.
　Besides, even if you don't make an effort, people will love you just because you have a pretty face, right?
    ---So why do I have to listen to you?
    Why do you, who has everything, have the right to accuse me of anything?”

　Perhaps losing confidence in her own argument after I pointed out that this was the real world, she changed the subject. As if her lack of qualifications would justify anything she’s ever said or done.

　Knowing this, I smashed Miss Charlotte's retort.

“What have I got? Don't be ridiculous.
　Certainly, there are many things that have been given to me. But how many things have I accumulated, grasped, or conversely lost in my life so far? How can you say that without knowing?"

　Just a game? I can’t forgive her for using this as her excuse for living as she pleases and disregarding the "common sense” of the game.

“Do you think that people who are called geniuses are born geniuses?
    A genius can only be called a genius if he or she has a talent given to him or her from the heavens and if he or she makes a painstaking effort.
　If you are a heroine of this world, shouldn't you have made efforts to captivate the world?
　Look at reality. Is this the 'happiness' you wanted?"


    I thought that Miss Charlotte was not just a "Fushigi-chan".
　Certainly, her behavior is outlandish for a daughter in the aristocratic society of this world, and it is no wonder that she is called "Fushigi-chan”. However, if you consider that she is a young Japanese girl who believes that this is a game, it makes sense in some ways.

　Of course, I do believe that she’s still "foolish girl" when she fails to take into consideration TPO (time, place, and occasion).


　Miss Charlotte looked away as if frightened. The reality of the situation is slowly sinking in, and she understands that she can no longer rely on the game correction.

“I've been trying to make an effort … but my parents always told me how cute and pretty I was no matter how much I did what I wanted.
　You've said some annoying things, but that's because you're a villainess, right? Garrett and everyone else loved me.
　I did well academically and didn't feel the need to work hard. No one had to teach me. And now they're blaming me for it …"


　Her aquamarine eyes began to shed tears.
　Looking at this scene alone, I would look like the very definition of a villainess. Calling the heroine to a room in a seedy inn and making her cry is a very common trope.
　In reality, though, this scenario is meant to ruin the act, as I take advantage of the trap the heroine has set, and lead her to the opposite direction by giving her a lecture.

　As I looked at the shriveled, fragile flower-like figure, I wondered what these tears were about.

　Even here, I felt sorry for Miss Charlotte, who was making excuses that could be taken to mean that she was not to blame and that everyone around her had spoiled her.

 

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