The world of otome games is harsh for the extras. Please look forward to volumes 1-2.
The story is about a male protagonist, Leon, who is reincarnated into an otome game world and gets to say "I'm the main character" and "Serves you right."
--- I'm not kidding.
"From today, I am no longer a prince. I am just Wallace!"
The one who came to my room to report this is none other than Wallace, who has fortunately become my subordinate.
Kurt has also come to visit me in my room at the student dormitory.
"You seem to be in high spirits."
"Thanks to Liam, I managed to escape from the position of prince. I can't thank you enough."
His tone suggests that he couldn't stand being a prince at all.
"Being a prince would have been more convenient, though."
At my words, Wallace looks exasperated.
"Liam, you don't understand. The position of prince is very dangerous. My brothers would easily push each other out to become emperor. The history of the royal family is filled with bloodshed, which is truly horrifying."
Kurt joins the conversation.
"Indeed, I've heard various rumors. There are even rumors that many of the emperor's siblings have disappeared after his ascension. Urban legends are full of such unsettling stories."
Wallace lowers his voice.
"--- Don't talk about it too much. Rumors are often closer to the truth. My father, for example, had all his rivals die before his ascension. The ones who attended the ceremony were just stand-ins or holograms."
Kurt's face turns pale.
But for me, I've heard similar stories in my past life.
Fights among family members—such stories are not uncommon.
Wallace truly seemed relieved.
"Anyway, I'm now safely out of the line of succession."
"You didn't have much of a chance to begin with, though."
"Liam, that's not true. The palace is a complex place. It's not just about us; it's also about the connections between our mothers. You could be made a part of a faction without knowing it, and if the leader loses, everyone in the faction gets executed."
"Is that true?"
"Yes, it's a fact. The harem is not the glamorous place commoners think it is. It's a place of ugly fights between women and where brothers fight for the emperor's position."
You could end up with a death flag without even realizing it.
The palace seems to be full of death flags.
Being a prince is tough.
Especially, it was worse two thousand years ago, and the scars from that time still remain, Wallace says.
"The emperor from two thousand years ago was particularly cruel. There are many stories that make you cringe. Don't you think it's a blessing to have escaped from such a place?"
However, Wallace looks genuinely happy, as if he has been freed from everything.
"Now I can live. Thank you, Liam."
While it's good to have made a prince my subordinate, it feels like I've saved him.
Well, I did manage to make a prince my subordinate.
Personally, I'm satisfied.
But there's something that bothers me.
"Wallace, aren't you going to curry favor with the brother who seems likely to win?"
The next emperor is almost decided.
If you lived in the palace, wouldn't you be able to guess who the winner would be?
Wallace averts his gaze.
"Many people who were thought to be the next emperor have died. What do you think happens to the brothers who curried favor with them?"
"They get executed?"
"Being executed would be the easy way out. If a cruel emperor ascends, it's much worse. Claudia—Rosetta was also a victim of that."
I was surprised to hear Rosetta's name from Wallace.
"Rosetta?"
When I tilt my head in confusion, Kurt also seems to know little about it.
When we show that we don't know, Wallace tells us about Rosetta.
"Once, a prince married into the Claudia family."
From there, the decline of the Claudia family began.
---
In the girls' restroom of the main building.
Rosetta is looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She tells herself,
"I am the daughter of the prestigious Claudia family—I will surely escape this suffering one day."
The Claudia family, which has a female head, is a complex household.
To put it simply—it's a nominal ducal family.
They are a noble family with a planet in a remote area as their territory.
They should be classified as minor lords, but the empire has always treated the Claudia family as a ducal family.
This has been the case for nearly two thousand years.
The cause of this situation dates back two thousand years.
At that time, the empire was in turmoil.
The crown prince, who was supposed to ascend to the throne, died before his coronation.
The Claudia family, which supported the crown prince, had married the crown prince's half-brother.
However, the one who ascended to the throne was a rival prince.
This marked the beginning of revenge against the rival prince, princesses, and nobles.
Naturally, the former prince, who had married into the Claudia family, was severely punished.
As a result, the Claudia family lost their territory.
They were given a desolate planet and forced to live in a very harsh environment.
However, they retained their ducal title.
They were kept alive to serve as an example of what happens to those who defy the emperor.
Nobles in name only, they lived a miserable life, yet they persevered.
The successive heads of the family struggled to escape this suffering.
And Rosetta is also struggling.
---
The purpose of the junior school.
It is to train the children of nobles to a certain level.
Sometimes, the children of nobles, who are sheltered from the world, can embarrass themselves.
The junior school provides the minimum education to prevent such embarrassing situations.
However, only the most outstanding students are specially assigned to the main building for education.
The days there are tough, but it is also a sign that they have been recognized.
Rosetta had high hopes when she was assigned to the main building.
However—
(I can't keep up with the lessons.)
She couldn't keep up with the content or the pace of the lessons.
She had lived in poverty and hadn't received a satisfactory education.
Her use of educational capsules was minimal.
She was clearly at a different level from her peers.
She had worked hard, but it felt like there was a wall she couldn't overcome.
(I won't give up. No matter what, I will keep up and break this cursed cycle.)
While she was thinking this, was she actually being laughed at?
Her thoughts became negative due to her paranoia and the gap between her and her peers.
(I must advance in my career at all costs.)
While the others took the lessons casually, Rosetta was desperate.
This was the same even after returning to the dormitory.
When she returned to her room, she was so exhausted that she wanted to lie down and sleep immediately.
While the others seemed to have adapted to the life and had some leeway, Rosetta pushed herself to study, clinging to her desk.
Even if her efficiency was poor, she had to do some previewing and reviewing to keep up with her peers.
(I won't lose. If I lose here, I will surely make my daughter suffer the same fate.)
Tears wouldn't stop flowing.
Her consciousness became hazy, and she ended up face-down on her desk.
---
Rosetta had a dream.
A nostalgic dream from her childhood.
The imperial palace sent someone to invite her to a party.
Young Rosetta was delighted, but her grandmother looked sad.
Her mother hugged Rosetta and cried.
She didn't understand why they were sad.
"Grandma, Mom, why are you crying?"
They smiled at her, but they were crying.
"It's nothing, Rosetta. Yes, enjoy the party. Let's dress up as much as we can and attend."
"Yes!"
Her mother, despite their poverty, prepared a dress for Rosetta.
Her grandmother styled Rosetta's beautiful hair into pigtails.
Rosetta loved this hairstyle.
She dressed up as much as she could and attended the party on the capital planet—only to be met with ridicule.
She remembered the voices of the nobles.
"What a dirty dress."
"That's the new jester from the nominal Claudia family."
"Good for her to come to the capital planet."
She had expected a fun party, but she realized that she had been called to be ridiculed.
A game set by the late emperor.
To regularly display those who defied him.
This custom had continued for nearly two thousand years.
It had gone on for so long that no one could stop it.
Some nobles looked at her with pity.
However, they couldn't help her.
When Rosetta returned to her territory, her mother told her,
"Remember the nobles who showed you kindness. In the future, you will bear a child with their seed. That's how the Claudia family has continued."
The reason the Claudia family is matrilineal is that they can't find a husband.
If it's matrilineal, they can lower their heads and receive the seed from a prestigious family's son.
"Rosetta—become beautiful. Then, men will take you."
"Huh?"
"The Claudia family has continued by having children this way."
—This was the first time she learned why her father was absent.
And the reason the Claudia family is matrilineal is that it's cheaper.
If the head of the family were male, no woman would marry into the family.
A male head could have children with money and equipment.
But buying eggs from women is expensive, and the Claudia family doesn't have that kind of money.
Being poor, they couldn't afford the expensive method, so the easiest way to continue the bloodline was through a matrilineal system.
Some heads of the family tried to end this miserable life, but they were watched and not allowed to do so.
For Rosetta to escape this hell, she had to advance in her career.
---
When she woke up, it was morning.
"Oh no!"
She hurriedly got up, but breakfast time had already passed.
She quickly got ready and rushed to the main building, but she was late.
Her uniform was disheveled, and her hair was a mess.
When she entered the classroom, her classmates were laughing.
Mr. John looked at Rosetta and said,
"You're late, Rosetta. ---Sit down quickly."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
She was treated more leniently than the other students.
A teacher who would usually scold a late student didn't pay much attention to Rosetta.
(I'm just another example here.)
The gazes of her classmates were filled with ridicule, pity, and curiosity—like they were looking at a rare animal.
She heard the boys' voices.
"She's late. Is she a delinquent? What's with that outfit?"
"At least, she should pay attention to her appearance."
"---No, Tom. You're not convincing. You should fix your hair."
As she headed to her seat, she realized she hadn't taken a shower in her hurry.
The girls pinched their noses.
"What a terrible smell."
"It's making my nose hurt."
"She's clumsy and can't even study."
She knew she was the worst in the class.
And she passed by Liam, the top student.
(Banfield.)
She clenched her teeth.
He was calmly looking at Mr. John.
He didn't even notice her.
But it couldn't be helped.
He was a young earl praised for his administrative skills and a master of martial arts.
Most importantly, he had a nickname, "Pirate Hunter Liam."
He had status, honor—everything. He was a prodigy, and everything about him was different from her.
Mr. John didn't even scold Liam.
To be precise, there was no reason to scold him.
His academic performance was top-notch.
Moreover, he excelled in all practical subjects.
His best skill was martial arts.
He always won against Kurt, who was second in the class.
He was incorruptible and respected by everyone.
No one in the class would dare to challenge Liam.
They knew they couldn't win.
--- Everything about Rosetta was different. Unlike her, he had everything.
Rosetta hated Liam with all her heart.
(You probably don't even notice me. I hate you, born with everything. I hate you so much.)
---
In a dark alley of the capital planet.
There was a guide.
While watching the homeless people rummaging through garbage bins, the guide clenched their teeth.
"Damn—why do I have to suffer like this?"
The guide was now in the same state as them.
Because of the strong connection to Liam, they could only efficiently absorb negative emotions related to him.
The guide was living like they were drinking muddy water.
The gratitude from Liam made their chest feel tight.
Holding their chest, they staggered and collected negative emotions.
But the absorption efficiency was low.
The pain from Liam's gratitude was alleviating, and they were storing power, making the process very inefficient.
The guide's reason for seeking revenge on Liam—was to sever this connection and be freed from suffering.
For that, they were now diligently collecting negative emotions.
Then, in front of the guide, two homeless people were fighting.
"That's food I found!"
"Shut up! It's payback for drinking my alcohol before!"
But as the guide passed by them, their fierce expressions softened.
"---Sorry. I'm hungry too, so half is fine, right?"
"Sorry. I—drank all the alcohol last time, and that was wrong."
They apologized and shared the food.
The result of absorbing their negative emotions.
The guide muttered,
"Liam, just wait— I will definitely throw you into the depths of misery."
Bryan (´；ω；｀) "It's painful. Rosetta is suffering, and it's painful. But Liam is also struggling, so!"