chapter 17

By declaring that it was my last question earlier, Mel-chan would have only one question left.

I was exhausted this time, but it seemed like it would end without any problems.

“I really wanted to ask two more but.. Since it’s written in the contract, I guess it can’t be helped. The last question.”

Mel-chan sighed and opened his mouth, looking dissatisfied. Mel-chan was an honest-to-goodness child, huh. I’m being healed.

“If I were to take your words at face value, it would seem like you are enjoying your life right now and not doing any shady things. Based on that, I would believe you purposely became a commoner so that you wouldn’t be killed or married off to another man.”

In my heart, I clapped with admiration.

Amazing! He was correct!

In this world, where becoming a commoner was like suicide to nobles, Mel-chan was not misled by this world’s common sense.

“But… for someone like you, Wouldn’t you have had more fun as an aristocrat? Rather, you would be happier than now. Why did you choose a difficult path? Are you stupid?”

I was made fun of.

…Un, well, it was kinda like that. This was how they thought of a noble wishing to become a commoner. For example, a noble would only want to become a commoner for a great reason like, they fell for a person with a different social status and were determined to marry them, even if they had to elope. That was common sense in this world.

As for me, I had some knowledge from my previous world.

“Your assumption is incorrect, since there are infinite varieties to someone’s happiness.”

I began to speak fluently, as I fell under the illusion that my smile was mechanically fixed on my face after a while.

I had expected that Mel-chan’s last question would be something different but… I guess that was what his other question was going to be….

Anyways, I admired Mel-chan’s last question, which focused on my true nature. However… apart from affecting my future or breaking my plans, in terms of feelings, I didn’t want Mel-chan to ask this question.

If I were to say my dreams, I would remember unpleasant things and feel down.

While being aware of my nausea, I took a deep breath and started talking.

“Abundant wealth, heroic fame, and suffocating love will not make me happy.”

I didn’t need those things. My dreams and desires wouldn’t come true with them.

“Even if I can obtain wonderful objects as an aristocrat, as Lady Rose… I would rather die on the roadside as a commoner.”

“…but, why?”

From the bottom of my heart, I smiled at Mel-chan, who looked like he couldn’t understand why.

“Because I choose it myself. To me, being an aristocrat was by fate, and being a commoner was a choice of freedom.”

This action, that was recited from my dreams and hope, was a double-edged blade for me. I didn’t know if I could sleep tonight. I felt uneasy and my chest felt tight. My heart was beating rapidly, and the nausea didn’t cease.

I felt as if a Death God would be smiling if I turned around, so I straightened my back and focused on Mel-chan sitting in front of me.

“I don’t understand. I really don’t… I can’t understand you. Becoming a commoner for freedom is just like the actions of a selfish, naive, and idiotic sheltered girl…”

“My, I am that selfish, naive, and idiotic sheltered girl, you know?”

Mel-chan lowered his eyebrows and let out a confused noise. I laughed without revealing my terrible mood.

I had my desires as my priority, held common sense that didn’t make sense in this world, and certainly, my knowledge wasn’t special. In this world, I was most definitely a caged girl.

However, the only difference between the person Mel-chan described and me was my determination to become a commoner.

“My existence was too odd to satisfy Melvin-sama’s curiosity, huh.”

“Existence, huh. Yeah, your existence is certainly weird.”

Mel-chan bitterly smiled while showing a helpless expression.

Aah, Mel-chan was feeling down. Poor thing. It wasn’t because you were too dumb to understand it. It’s okay.

I mean, there was no way you could understand a crazy story like me having memories from my past life. If you knew my past life and the game ‘Kyuukoku no Lady Rose’, then you would be able to understand why I started acting this way.

“Well then, I’ll go home now. Sorry for taking up your time.”

“No, it’s fine. I should thank you for this meaningful time and information.”

I stood up and beautifully bowed.

I was thinking about giving him some of Michele-san’s bread, but unfortunately I was chased out today, so I didn’t have any leftovers. I wasn’t sure about giving leftover bread to an aristocrat but, look… bread was delicious, and Nika-sama seemed to like it. It was also a magical food that allowed me to avoid Shade.

The guards opened the door, and just as I thought Mel-chan was going to go through, he turned around.

“Somehow… it seems like you were fighting with something stronger than the country and the Royal Family. Well, um, I don’t know if I should be the one to say this after coming here for my curiosity but… do your best.

Mel-chan said this as he scratched his cheeks and turned away.

A-, at the end, you shifted from Tsun to Dere…..?

I was excited by Mel-chan’s adorableness, but more than that, I was touched by his words of support. Mel-chan supported me in the fight that I had told no one about. Even if I did, nobody would believe me, and they would think I was insane. I was quite happy.

I smiled, biting onto the happiness.

“Thank you very much. I will definitely win.”

Silently muttering “Ah, but..” and “Oh, but..”, this time, Mel-chan quickly left.

Mel-chan was a Tsundere Character? Wasn’t Mel-chan the obedient one, and Ore-sama Prince the Tsundere? Although I had some doubts, cuteness was justice, and there were no problems with Mel-chan being a Tsundere, so I decided to ignore it.

… If I continued like this, I would become happy.

If nothing happened, then I would finally win against fate.

That was why, it was okay.

I stopped smiling and a tired, yet tearful smile appeared on my face.

Then, all the pent up discomfort exploded within me, and I rushed to the bathroom.

I sighed.

Aahhh, I’m tired.

Very tired.

I had already believed this would happen. As planned, I obtained a variety of information, and since Mel-chan’s mouth was shut tight, information wouldn’t leak out. It was a huge success.

However, I was tremendously tired.

Truthfully, I would be more happy to avoid these event and live my peaceful commoner life, because I felt like I couldn’t bear it.

More than anything– I remembered the disgusting and horrible moment of my death, the despair and the helplessness that I had felt. Even though I had avoided thinking about that when I was reborn, I still felt sick.

I laid out a cheap and loose looking futon as bedding and immediately crawled onto it. I closed my eyes and hugged myself like I wasn’t going to let go.

(TL: futon = Japanese Styled Mattress)

Let’s try hard a little more.

I want to become a commoner– I must become one.