Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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After becoming the Grand Duke’s daughter, I felt that the life of a noble was incredibly easy.
I wasn’t a noble in my previous life, so I didn’t know beforehand about the hardships real nobles faced in their daily lives. I had heard of people who lived their entire lives without a profession, treating their noble status as if it were a job itself, but that was just something I read on the internet. I had no idea what that life was truly like.
You know how people say that even the wealthy have their own troubles? Of course, compared to the struggles of those without money, such problems might seem trivial.
But the position of "Grand Duke's daughter" that I held was not the same as a real-world noble.
It was the position of a "noble" in a fantasy world crafted by an author.
The author who created this world seemed to think that the role of a Grand Duke’s daughter was one where you could live in luxury and have anything you desired.
In the Grand Duchy of Grattanmount, gold was abundant. High-quality steel was produced there too. In other words, it was the most crucial region in the Alwen Kingdom.
Though its geographic location leaned toward the north, wealth accumulated rapidly. After all, Grattanmount itself was the source of the gold that minted their currency.
My father, though stern in appearance, wanted to give me everything, and if I desired something, I could obtain it without fail.
I had a younger brother, but he was so kind that he would comply with anything I said. I sometimes worried about what would happen when he eventually inherited the Grand Duke’s position.
It was an environment that somewhat explained why the original Amelia had grown so spoiled.
Yet, despite such a backdrop, this novel often portrayed nobles as having their own set of troubles.
What exactly were those troubles?
Waking up at dawn to hear the grievances of their subjects? Maintaining harmonious relationships with other nobles? Listening to reports on mineral production and deliberating on how to use it?
All those concerns become "expected responsibilities" when one lives a life of luxury, eating meals unimaginable to commoners every day, wearing clothes made of silk so soft it wouldn’t scratch the skin, and being able to avoid working under the scorching sun.
At the very least, if nobles didn’t do even that much, what reason would they have to claim all those privileges?
If they had been Delkis people, risking their lives every day regardless of status, such excuses might have held water.
…Yes, it was all meaningless.
It’s in my hands now, and I can use it as needed, but to gain the one thing I truly want, I would let go of these things.
After all, in my previous life, I struggled to make ends meet.
In this world, if it’s for the sake of living, of course, I would have to do the same.
If I were to ended up with Elsie, I would have to give up everything according to this world’s views on sexuality.
Alright, time to make a plan.
A plan to spend my life with Elsie forever. A plan to ensure Elsie never leaves my side...
If I could accomplish that, I wouldn’t mind becoming the villainess or anything else.
*
“…”
Since morning, I had felt Amelia’s gaze on me.
Whenever I turned to meet her eyes, she would quickly look away, pretending she hadn’t been watching.
Could something be on my face?
Before, when our eyes met, she would smile at me.
Surely she didn’t start to dislike me… No, that couldn’t be it.
If she disliked me, what happened this morning wouldn’t have occurred.
Could she be feeling shy?
Even though she wasn’t feeling well, she did end up whining and acted quite a bit spoiled.
It had been a reward for me, but to diligent Amelia, it might have seemed like childish behavior.
That thought alone was endearing—
“Did something happen between the two of you?”
The silence between Amelia and me was broken, not by either of us, but by Adele.
Adele had been gradually getting used to accompanying us, and today she nodded when we suggested taking the carriage back.
Today was another day for horseback riding practice.
Adele, who had some proficiency in swordsmanship, was still at a beginner’s level when it came to riding. Actually, even calling it beginner-level might be generous; this was only her second attempt. Though I knew from the novel that she was talented in many ways, she wasn’t so gifted as to master horseback riding after just one try.
Perhaps the author wanted to avoid giving the protagonist abilities without effort, as that would feel too empty.
“No, nothing in particular happened.”
Amelia responded gently to Adele’s concerned question.
“I was just lost in thought, that’s all.”
“If teaching me today is too burdensome—”
“No, it’s not that.”
Amelia cut Adele off mid-sentence and answered firmly, prompting me to nod in agreement from the side.
“It’s not burdensome at all. We enjoy it in many ways, and we have tasks to attend to there anyway. It’s always nice to have more friends to talk to.”
Despite her words, I couldn’t help but worry inwardly.
What if Amelia realizes that she likes Adele?
What if the two of them end up together…?
“Well, that’s a relief, but...”
“Don’t worry.”
However, Amelia, with her usual smile, reassured Adele, who still looked concerned after hearing our words.
“It was something we suggested first. But if Lady Carlins finds it burdensome, we can stop anytime...”
“Oh, no!”
Adele quickly shook her head in response to Amelia’s words.
“It’s an honor to be taught by such amazing individuals!”
“It’s not something to call an honor…”
Both Amelia and I could only offer wry smiles at her reply.
Even if I wanted to be openly jealous, in the end, the protagonist was the protagonist.
She had a knack for disarming others’ wariness.
*
As we did before, we first escorted Adele back home, then returned to the mansion to prepare before heading out again.
Although I still felt uneasy about Adele’s presence, we didn’t fight as we had last time. If I brought up such a topic in this state, I might inadvertently reveal my feelings for Amelia as the "reason."
And that would be the end of everything.
It was already a bit awkward as it was.
As Amelia and I rode to the Carlins estate—
“Hehe.”
…Lady Diane was waiting for us at the front gate.
Mounted on an impressive white horse.
In front of her, Adele stood looking troubled.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lady Grand Duke. And Lady Delkis.”
Considering we met earlier today during class, such a greeting was natural. However, the problem was that Diane’s presence here felt anything but natural.
“Yes, it’s nice to see you again, Lady Hoover.”
Amelia responded with a slightly wary expression.
“May I ask what brings you here?”
“Well, that’s…”
Diane, after a brief moment of thought at Amelia’s question, soon gave a confident answer, shaking her golden hair buns.
“I heard last time that Lady Carlins hasn’t yet learned horseback riding. I thought I’d come and offer my help.”
In other words, she had been eavesdropping.
...Was that really something to be so bold about?
Of course, Diane’s ears had always been tuned to us in the Tower of Magic’s classroom, so it wasn’t exactly surprising.
Amelia glanced at me.
Ah, right.
Recently, Diane had begun joining our group swordsmanship training sessions.
She probably intended to overwhelm Adele’s spirit, but Diane had struggled even to keep up with me, leaving her no chance to do so. That was why I had called Diane in the first place.
It seemed Diane now aimed to beat Adele in an area where she could win for sure.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I know you’re already helping Lady Carlins, but having more people to teach her can only help, right? A beginner on horseback can’t fully control the horse, and leading a horse while running isn’t easy either. If we take turns teaching, it should lighten the workload, don’t you think?”
Amelia silently looked at me.
Her gaze seemed to say, “You invited her, so do as you please,” which made me feel a bit guilty.
“...Alright.”
But since I didn’t speak, Amelia answered with a tone suggesting she was on the verge of sighing.
“If you’re offering to help, we have no reason to refuse.”
“Thank you for seeing it that way.”
Diane replied with a smile that clearly had some ulterior motive behind it.
Whether those motives would work in front of this group was another matter altogether.