Chapter 01
I, Julia von Vandeid, was an office lady in my previous life.
I graduated from a regular school, went job-hunting like normal, and became an office lady.
I had no outstanding abilities, having said that, I also didn’t have anything I was bad at.
I had a medium build and mediocre looks. My style was also standard Japanese, and my salary was average.
Even though I was like that, there was also a time when I longed for love and to be fashionable, but I was such a plain and unpopular woman that I gave up when putting in the effort became too troublesome.
Long live BB cream and tinted lip balm!
Well, even I have had a pseudo-love, yes, well the so-called romance games for maidens… Otome games!
It was mid-winter, and I was playing a long awaited newly released otome game.
At that time, I thought about living frugally because it was just before payday, so I played my game in the cold without turning on the heater.
As a result, I caught pneumonia. I underestimated it because I thought it was only a slight cold. Yes, I was reaping what I sowed.
The outcome was that my pneumonia got worse, and suddenly…
You definitely can’t lower your guard! If you don’t feel well, then go to the hospital; don’t think that you’ll heal sooner or later!
And well, I remembered memories of my previous life when I was a baby.
When I bumped into the mirror and remembered my previous life, I couldn’t help but reminisce.
I think my parents panicked when their adorable baby suddenly made an expression that looked like a Tibetan fox.
Well, when I grew up, I came to understand that I had been reborn as Viscount Vandeid’s eldest daughter..
And this world was exactly like the otome game I was playing right before I died. In short, I was reincarnated. I was surprised!
My father is a civil official, and my mother is his relative.
However, my mother quickly passed away because of an epidemic, and my father remarried a woman who his acquaintance at work introduced him to, and my younger brother was born.
I didn’t bully her just because she was my stepmother, and she took away my father’s love! Of course, I didn’t bully my brother out of fear either. My little brother was cute.
He has fluffy brown hair and green eyes and white skin. I couldn’t do anything but adore him.
Well, it’s custom for the males to succeed noble lines, so there was no reason for my stepmother to mistreat me even though I was the eldest daughter.
However, I could understand that she wanted me to find a good match quickly and marry, and I knew that I couldn’t escape this since I was born a noble’s child.
Therefore, I firmly intended to respond to my stepmother’s support when I went on my apprenticeship. Yes, honestly.
My brother said something adorable, “Sister, please don’t get married” but that only shook me. I wasn’t going to stay forever in a house that my brother protected.
Aim for independence.
――― Even so, I wonder!!
I thought I put on the special uniform for apprentices (a specially ordered uniform to signify that one is a noble girl).
“Ah, it feels nice…”
The uniform is dark indigo which looked like black at a glance; it is an elegant one piece with an off-white apron.
The boots were dark brown and high-laced, and the uniform felt soothing.
I was in a dreamy state of mind since I had been forced to wear pastel coloured dresses even though I’m plain!
Of course, I came here on apprenticeship, so I had to take lessons every day.
I wasn’t working as a maid.
Nobles have a servant accompany them to lessons, but that was something for show.
But one day, really, really, by chance, I met the king’s concubine during my break.
At that time, the King had his Queen and a concubine.
Apparently, the concubine had known the King for a really long time, and they both loved each other, but she couldn’t become Queen because her status was too low.
Anyhow, the current Queen is from one of the three Duke Houses. It was clear as day that the concubine’s family felt ashamed.
Although, this kingdom has comparatively good relations with nobles on the surface.
His Majesty formally married the Queen, and also married the concubine right away. He gave his respects to the Queen and his affections to the concubine.
The Queen saw the concubine as her enemy because of this.
The Queen gave birth to the King’s eldest son, His Highness Aralbert Daum Kularaum, and the concubine gave birth to the first Princess, Princess Primera.
By the way, this Prince Aralbert Daum was a potential capture target in the game.
His nickname is Arie. Even though his mother, the Queen, told him never to be friendly with his younger sister, sometimes he is thought of as the perfect man who treats her with kindness… but, he was actually a scary person with a 『Dark Ending』. The Princess went wild because he wasn’t kind to her after the Heroine’s appearance, and he pretended to pacify her by marrying her to an old rich man so that she could take care of him.
Well, this was the only scenario where no one died, so it received quite a high evaluation, but for me, it was a vivid reminder of modern Japan and wasn’t an ending I was satisfied with.
I can’t remember the title of this game for some reason, but there are four potential capture targets, plus a little extra.
The Crown Prince, whom I’d just mentioned, his friend, the heir to the kingdom’s largest merchant house, a hopeful rookie knight from an Earl House, a young assassin burdened with the darkness of the royal family… and, additionally, a yuri route with Princess Primera for some reason, there are multiple routes such as friendship endings between the set women, friendship endings with each of the characters, the usual happy endings, friendship endings with various characters, and there are dark endings with each character that comes with the harem ending.
Anyway, back to the story. The concubine liked me, and she invited me to tea a lot where we became close.
At that time, she was still pregnant with Princess Primera. She was very bored because she had become like a caged bird with the King’s love.
According to custom, I was not allowed to call her by name because I hadn’t had my social debut yet, no matter how well we got along.
I sobbed my eyes out when she passed away after giving birth because I had lost all chance of ever calling her by name.
So, I thought that the relationship between the royal family and I would be cut off, but I held Princess Primera.
I was summoned once she started getting restless or upset no matter how experienced the maids and nannies who were with her were. Because of that, the King ordered that I be the Princess’s exclusive maid during my apprenticeship. I accepted, even though I was surprised.
Of course, I couldn’t refuse because it was an honour. I was 12 at that time, and Princess Primera was one.
Be that as it may, she also had a lot of other maids besides me.
I was a real maid who worked at the royal castle as a maid.
Even though I’m the Princess’s exclusive maid, I’m something like an item used to please her.
I understood the reasons for the game keywords ‘chubby, selfish and appetite’ when the Princess was four years old.
The cause was His Highness.
Princess Primera is a beautiful girl who reminds people of the concubine.
She has bright golden hair, white skin and sky-blue eyes. Is she a doll? Her features are beautiful enough for people to ask this.
Moreover, she is brilliant, and her intelligence at that age surprised all her tutors.
So, there was dissatisfaction with His Majesty who always told her that she’s cute no matter what she does.
The Crown prince was properly scolded and praised, but His Majesty only raised the Princess with tender love and care and only praised her for being cute… The Princess thought this was because she is too intelligent, “I know he loves me, but doesn’t he just love me as a Princess who he can marry off and not as a daughter?”
Princess Primera couldn’t act mischievous or scold others, and was stressed from overthinking about this because of her intelligence and ended up overeating.
Until then, I just stayed by her side, but I was so worried about this that I continued to serve her even after my apprenticeship had ended.
I got into an argument with my stepmother because of this and was disinherited! Well, I can be at ease since they have my little brother as the heir.
So when I was 17, and Princess Primera was six years old, I meant no disrespect, but I was strict on her for a few minutes.
The Princess hadn’t liked that I was strict to her at the beginning and glared at me. But, she called me later that night and said, “Julia is the only one who really cares about me. Everyone else only cares about me because I’m the Princess. But, you told me that I’m important to you. I’m sorry for crying. Thank you for worrying about me… Your master is like this, but will you still stay with me?”
“Of course, Princess!”
“Call me Primera.”
“… I haven’t had my social debut, so I can’t call you by your name.”
“It’s okay. You can call me by my name when we’re alone… You know, I always wished that you were my mother, Julia. Even though you’d actually be my older sister if we consider your age. Say, can I call you mother in secret?”
Honestly, I couldn’t talk about my feelings anymore.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, serves the King right for not being able to see this, but look!! This kid is too cute!!!!
My smart master. A cute kid who I’ve been looking after since she was a baby!!!
I may not be able to get married (and I probably wouldn’t have chosen to if I had made my debut), but I was able to raise a kid (or something like that). I’ll take care of her until she gets married!!
No! I’ll follow her even after she gets married!!
That was the beginning of the relationship between Princess Primera and I.