Anoseka Volume 1 Chapter 5

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

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Chapter 05 "Results of the Effort"

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Part 1

"This is unacceptable."

Returning to the academy, Marie and I were walking down the main street of the city.

The scene of the bustling royal capital is dazzling, unlike the countryside.

The magic stone is used as an energy resource to generate electricity, and even though it is nighttime, the royal capital is brightly illuminated.

The stores lining the main street were open and serving customers.

I comfort Marie as I think of the hard work of everyone at the restaurant.

"I understand why you want to cry, but you need to change your mind. We, the mob, have our mob way of life."

I consoled her in my own way, but Marie was not convinced.

She stops and kicks my suggestion.

"——I don't want that. This is a chance that I've gotten. Don't you think I should live my second life happily."

Marie seems to have a strong commitment to her own happiness.

It would be unfortunate if the previous life and this life were continuously unfortunate.

I stop and look back too.

"Humans, it's no use in always looking up——"

There is no use in always looking up. Compromise is necessary in life.

The reason those words didn't follow was because Marie was looking inside the store, not at me.

Luxion approaches me.

[It's a store that deals in women's clothing.]

"I know it when I see it."

What Marie was looking at was a dress in a show window.

Shoes and other accessories are also displayed in the set, and women passing by stop to look at them.

Even as they pass by, there are many women who are looking sideways.

I approach Marie and look in the same direction.

"A dress, huh? I remember that there is a party for each school year before a long vacation. I guess everything at a noble school is so fancy."

I tell her with an amused smile, but Marie gives me a curt reply.

"——Right."

The look on Marie's face as she looked at the dress was more one of giving up than of longing?

She was looking at the dress sadly.

Marie mutters.

"I wish I could wear a dress like this to a party just once."

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Part 2

Around that time.

Stephanie and her group were visiting one of the bars in the royal capital.

The restaurant is filled with well-dressed men playing musical instruments, and the waitstaff is also made up of beautiful men.

It is a tavern prepared for women.

In addition to Stephanie and her group, there were many other girls who were making a lot of noise and breaking the school's curfew.

Women who graduated from the academy are also coming.

Stephanie and her group, who were using a private room, were talking with a group of sub-race men who were serving them.

"Kara, you did a proper investigation on Marie, didn't you?"

Asked by Stephanie, who reaches for the fruit and tosses it into her mouth, Kara straightens her back and answered.

"I did some digging, but I really didn't come up with anything."

"An?"

Stephanie is put in a bad mood by her crony's incompetence, but Kara hurriedly reports the details.

"I've looked into it and there's nothing much. She doesn't belong to any large faction, and her family, Viscount Lafan's family, is a family that seems to be in a lot of debt. After losing a territorial dispute in the past, the only thing that has come out of it is that they are in an even more difficult situation."

The content was so terrible that even Stephanie's cheeks were drawn back.

When Kara held out the material, Stephanie's eyes widened as she received it.

"What's that? Why aren't they crushed? And why haven't the nobles around them taken their lands? They have almost no army."

They were only keeping up appearances as nobles and were not fulfilling their duties.

From the Kingdom's point of view, it would be a house to be destroyed.

Surrounding cronies are also puzzled.

Kara tells the inevitable story of unfortunate circumstances.

"They don't see much good in the remaining land, and they don't want to increase their debt if they absorb it. The kingdom also seems to think that if they destroy it poorly, there will be more trouble."

No one wanted to take the territory that was so damn troublesome, so it was left alone.

When they all looked speechless, Stephanie let out a loud sigh.

"That's enough. Just knowing that she has no troublesome connections is a big bonus. Now I can crush her without worrying."

Stephanie was a girl who was known for her impulsive behavior, but she was selective about who she would pick a fight with.

If the person with whom you have fought without knowing anything about the situation is a higher-ranked opponent, your position will be in jeopardy.

So, at the very least, she had to get information about the other party before she could start a fight.

Stephanie raises the corners of her mouth.

"Bring me those three."

On command, Kara brings in the three girls who were waiting outside the private room.

These are the girls who were bad-mouthing the Offley family.

Now they looked frightened and trembling, worried about what Stephanie would order them to do.

Stephanie rearranges her legs.

"I need you guys to do me a favor."

"W-What is it?"

The trembling girls are losing their nerves and do not want to disobey Stephanie.

Seeing that, Stephanie and her cronies laughed with nasty faces.

They were delighted to see the girls who had looked down on them and were now frightened of them.

Kara, who couldn't bear to see such a situation, silently averted her gaze.

Stephanie was not happy with such attitude of Kara.

Kara has a different temperament than they have, and she doesn't like it.

She could laugh even if it's a lie, but even if she lets her do it, her smile is drawn back.

(I don't like it. But she's the most useful person around, so I guess I'll just have to put up with it.)

Putting Kara on hold, Stephanie looks at the three girls.

She talks to them as if she were asking a friend for a favor.

"You know that girl Marie Fou Lafan? She seems to be getting close to the prince and others?"

The girls look at each other, and one of them asks hesitantly.

"Do you mean to give her a warning?"

Stephanie makes a smile.

"You're so kind to just give her a warning."

Shortly thereafter, her smile faded and a straight face appeared.

The sudden change in facial expressions had the girls shaking in their legs, perhaps out of fear.

The three girls are now ordered by Stephanie.

"I'm going to crush this Marie woman thoroughly, so move exactly as I tell you to. If you don't, you and your parents will be in deep trouble."

Hearing that, the blood drained from the faces of the three girls.

Stephanie laughs after watching the three girls nod vigorously several times.

"I wanted to make an example of at least one of you to see what happens when you disobey me. It's just right, and I'm going to push this woman all the way to the edge."

Stephanie picked up a fork from the table and swung it up and down toward the investigation report about Marie.

The fork sticks to the desk.

"All those who make fun of me will die."

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Part 3

"I will not give up my happiness"

The boarding school naturally has a cafeteria for students.

But never underestimate a student cafeteria.

The dining hall of the school, a place of learning for the nobles, is a glamorous place that makes you want to say what kind of luxury hotel it is.

At lunchtime, students dine around the table with friends and lovers.

In a somewhat noisy student cafeteria, Marie and I were sitting around the same table.

A fish dish was prepared for today's lunch.

I mutter to myself as I eat, carving the fish with a knife and fork.

"I'd like to eat grilled fish with white rice."

As I sullenly recalled a meal from a previous life, Marie pounded the table with her fist.

"Listen to me! I will not give up on my happiness."

I let out a small sigh and get on with the conversation to remind Marie.

"Have you forgotten what we talked about yesterday? Didn't I tell you that if Olivia and the capture targets don't get together, it will be the end of this country?"

"Of course I remember."

Marie seemed to have thought about it in her own way after hearing yesterday's story.

"But if there are five of them, isn't it okay if I get one, right?"

Get Olivia's leftovers. ——Surely this will not destroy the country.

But is this girl okay with that?

"Are you okay with that? If you're a girl, don't you want to marry someone you like?"

Marie, looking for leftovers, lowers her gaze and looks at the fish, which has been neatly finished.

Looking at the plate with the bones left clean, Marie talks about the failures of her previous life.

"——In the past, all the men I've chosen have been no good."

I let out a small sigh and tease Marie to change the subject.

"Aren't the beautiful capture targets your favorite?"

"Of course I like them. But it's not the appearance that counts, it's the ability." (TLN: esp. to earn a living)

"How's that working out for you?"

Is it a thought that comes from having a hard time?

Marie glares at me.

"This is the best I can do. If you still insist on interfering——"

She said she would not forgive me.

I'm not afraid to antagonize Marie, but I'll admit that I don't like trouble.

I mean, you don't even need my permission.

"I'm not going to get in your way. As long as this country doesn't perish, I don't care who Olivia ends up with."

Out of the five of them, she should be able to marry one.

What happens to the other four is none of my business.

Marie seemed somewhat dissatisfied with my view of the situation.

"You act like you're some kind of big shot, it pissed me off."

"——No matter what I say, you get angry."

I told her I wouldn't get in the way, but Marie was getting a little bit mad at me.

Such an unreasonable personality is very similar to my little sister in a previous life.

Then Marie took a deep breath once and changed her attitude.

When she smiles, she asks me in a wheedling voice.

"And I need your help with that."

"Ha?"

"You have a paid item, Luxion, don't you? So I'm going to need you to help me out with the leftover operation."

——the Leftover Operation? I'd like to say a lot of things about the naming sense, but I find it interesting in a roundabout way.

"What's wrong with your attitude earlier?"

"If you stay gloomy, your life will become gloomy too. The secret to living my life is to be enthusiastic, even if it's just to be cheerful."

That secret, haven't you failed because your boyfriend attacked and killed you?

That's what I thought, but I don't have the courage to say it, so I'll keep it in mind.

"One who never gives up"

"I'm proud of my tenacity."

"I mean, I don't want to help you capture a guy."

When I refuse, Marie tilts her head.

"Then why were you playing that otome game? You played it so hard that you completed it all. What do you mean you don't like it?"

"It's called unavoidable circumstances."

I am ashamed to say that my little sister threatened me to clear it.

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Part 4

After lunch.

As I am heading to the classroom where the next class is to be held, one of the boys runs up behind me and puts his arm on my shoulder.

"Leon, what does this mean? We promised each other that if we met a girl, we'd tell each other, didn't we?"

The tall, tan-skinned, short-haired boy is [Daniel Fou Dalland].

Then, following Daniel, a small boy with glasses appears.

[Raymond Fou Arkin], whose silky hair reaches just below his shoulders, is more than a little irritated.

"Even though we're all from the same group of poor barons, but you're stealing the march and cunning."

Apparently, they saw me eating with Marie.

I guess that made them think we were dating.

Ridiculous, and I'll clear up the misunderstanding to the two of them.

"This isn't about marriage, and it's not the relationship you guys think it is."

They are half-convinced by my story and look at each other before asking.

"Really? You two seemed to be getting along so well, having lunch together so soon after you entered the school. Right, Raymond?"

"Aa, and the distance was too close. The two of you were sitting around a small table together, right? With a petite, very cute-looking girl. I really envy Leon."

The world of that otome game —— the boys in the school are tormented by marriage hunting.

So they are eager to get out of marriage hell as soon as possible.

When that happens, those who are out of the loop will naturally be envied by their friends.

I pressed my forehead with my right hand.

"If this was my girlfriend, I'd be bragging to you guys right now."

Raymond pulls in his cheeks.

"Leon has a really good personality. Does that mean you really aren't dating?"

"No. In the first place, she —— Marie's not aiming for me."

Marie is after the nobles who are the capture targets.

I don't think she has any interest in me.

But when I mentioned Marie's name, Daniel and Raymond changed.

"Marie? By any chance, from Lafan family?"

"Why is Leon with Marie-san?"

They are puzzled, so now I ask them.

"Is there something wrong with Marie?"

Two people were standing in front of me, worried about what to explain to me.

They were both thinking about it, but Daniel is not good at thinking about small difficult things, so he tells me in a straightforward manner.

"She has a bad reputation among the girls. You could say it's the worst."

"——Marie is?"

Now Raymond tells me the details.

"There was a story going around that she approached His Highness and the other boys as soon as she entered the school. It seems that there is a lot of discontent among the girls. We've only heard rumors, too, so we don't know the details."

Approaching the nobles, starting with His Highness Julius, is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

She should have thought a little bit about what people around her would think of her.

——Is it okay to leave her like this?

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Part 5

The courtyard after school.

Marie was talking to a boy.

He is usually by Julius' side, and his name is [Jilk Fia Marmoria].

He is the eldest son of a viscount, but his middle name is "Fia" because he is a court noble.

Green eyes and long hair. He is always gentle and calm in his expression.

Although he has a low rank compared to the other capture targets, he is Julius' foster brother —— Raised together from an early age, like brothers.

If Julius becomes king, he will naturally be involved in state affairs as one of his entourage.

He is a future leading figure——It is a position with a promising future.

In front of him, Marie spoke with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Jilk-sama, you are not with His Highness Julius today?"

"Yes, His Highness said he wanted to be alone."

He smiles and tells her the situation, but doesn't give any details.

In order to deepen her relationship with Jilk, Marie was thinking of doing whatever it takes to go out and play with him.

"In that case, would you like to go out on the town with me? I found a store that offers unusual items. It's a store that deals in antiques——"

When she said that much, Jilk seemed to have noticed.

"Is that, by any chance, the store that is located on the south side of the intricate area?"

"Y-Yes. Did you know?"

(You're lying, right!? I thought he would never find it!)

It was a store to be discovered at that otome game event, and Marie knew that if she and Jilk went to that store, she could earn a good impression.

But since Jilk already knows, there will be no need to show him the way.

"I found it when I went out with Olivia-san before. It was a nice place. I have been frequenting there myself. I went there yesterday to see how things were going."

Even though he didn't bother to say it, the line that he went there yesterday as well felt to Marie like Jilk's rejection of her.

"T-Then, I guess you couldn't come today, could you?"

"I think so. The assortment won't change much in a day."

He has no intention of going now, he says it in a roundabout way.

"——Then maybe the next time."

"Yes, I would love to, if there's another chance."

When Marie withdraws, Jilk also makes a social remark and walks away.

Marie clenches her hands and looks down.

"——What do you mean if there's another chance? That kind of chance doesn't come around very often. I mean, why is Olivia even putting her hands on Jilk?"

To Marie, Olivia seemed to be successfully completing the events with Jilk as well.

As she stands there alone, three girls come to Marie.

"You, lend me your face for a second."

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Part 6

Marie was taken to the back of the school building by three girls and stood against the wall.

When she is surrounded and prevented from escaping, the girl who is the leader of the group gives Marie a looking-at-trash look.

"Don't you understand your position?"

"Ha? What are you trying to say?"

Marie is surrounded by the three, but she does not lose her strong attitude.

Perhaps this irritated the three, the leader of the group grabbed her by the chest.

"You poor viscount's daughter, don't you dare approach the princes so casually. Are you under the misunderstanding that you have a chance? You don't have a chance."

Marie, who is told that she has no chance, glares at the girl who grabs her chest.

"——I don't care what you think, but don't get in my way."

Marie shakes off the leader girl's hand.

Then the leader girl loses her temper and gets violent.

"Don't you dare underestimate me!"

She slapped Marie on the cheek, and the next thing she knew, Marie was making a clenched fist.

She tries to slam her fist into the leader girl's face, but someone comes to the back of the school building and the three girls run away.

"The timing is bad. You, prepare yourself for tomorrow."

As the three girls leave, Marie turns around with her hand on her slapped cheek.

Standing there was Leon.

"Calling someone to the back of the school building sounds like something out of a delinquent manga."

The reason for the slightly drawn out cheeks is probably because he is taken back by the actions of the three girls earlier.

"What are you doing here?"

Marie is in a bad mood, and Leon shrugs his shoulders before speaking to her.

"It's about your leftover operation, you'd better stop it. You're getting a bad reputation among the girls."

Marie hears it, but it doesn't concern her at all.

"Too bad for you. I'm not going to stop."

"You want to be happy, right? Even if you don't date the male of the capture targets, you can still find happiness, right? It's all in the mind."

Marie understands what Leon is saying, but she was not convinced.

"Don't talk to me like you know what you're talking about. If I can get one of those five to go out with me, I can have everything I want."

If this were an unknown world, happiness would have been found nearby.

But Marie has come to know.

That this world is "the world of that otome game" and the best boys are in it.

That's why she is not willing to give up even more.

Leon let out a small sigh.

"The noblemen have fiancées. Unless you're the protagonist, Olivia-san, you're in big trouble if you break in there. Marie——You're not the protagonist."

The moment Leon told her, Marie got mad.

The next thing she knew, she was yelling at Leon.

"You who gave up and just being a mob, what do you understand about me! You say you're unlucky, and you say you're poor, but you're much happier than I am! You have everything on your hands, don't you dare be bossy and tell me what to do!"

Marie immediately thought of Leon's wide-eyed surprise when he was yelled at.

(——I said too much. I-I should apologize. But)

If this had been an acquaintance or friend, she could have apologized immediately, but Marie had mixed feelings about Leon.

A man who is also a reincarnated person and knows more about that otome game than she does.

A man who has acquired a cheat item and is living free and easy.

A man who grew up in a happier family than she did.

A man who has an atmosphere somewhat like that of her big brother, which she cannot tolerate.

Unable to apologize honestly, Marie turns her back on Leon and runs away.

(Don't go preaching to me like you're some kind of big brother!)