Welcome to Volume 5! And oops, sorry for the slight schedule slip. I had a lot of unexpected work travels that kept eating up Thursday/Friday and just got back from a business trip Saturday evening. Fortunately this chapter was short and I finished it up last night.
TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty
「I don’t need it.」
Hearing those stubborn words, the other person softened their expression.
「It’s my son’s fault, so I should pay the bills. I really am sorry.」
「No, it’s okay because it’s covered by insurance! Please raise your head…!!」
Unable to stand my father absolutely refusing to accept the payment, a lawyer intervened and persuaded him to accept it in order to put his mind at ease. My father and the other party reluctantly agreed for him to accept it, and the conversation finally proceeded to price negotiation.
I just watched it happen.
After the arrangements were made, the other person and the lawyer were seen off by my family.
「You idiotic son……」
After the other party had left, my father muttered in a voice filled with anger. The way his shoulders, arms, and fists trembled with anger made his back looked extremely pained. There’s no place for him to vent his anger anymore.
At this time, my mother, who usually warned me against saying too much, remained silent, so I couldn’t say anything either. I was left with a feeling of incomprehensibility, thinking he didn’t need to be so angry.
I’ll never forget my father’s angry back.
I wonder if that’s why I’m having dreams like this now—
I lifted my eyelids. Light from the rising sun was shining through the window.
Was I still dreaming, I thought, as I stared at the palm of my hand, not caring that I had woken up earlier than usual.
「I wonder if I would have understood my father better if I had this power back then……」
Was my father really just angry at that time? I wonder if he was just sad like me and my mother. My father was so stubborn that I couldn’t ask him what he really meant. I’m sure he wouldn’t have told me even if I had asked.
The family I saw in my dream was from my previous life. Currently, I am Philine Elena von Rosenhein, the third princess of Abendroth. She is a princess in a world with magic.
Grasping my palm tightly, I got out of bed and stood in front of the full-length mirror. The image of her is a girl with long hair that sparkles with golden light, eyes as blue as jewels, and white skin that shines through in the sunlight. She is very different from my previous life, when I would scream when I got a pimple. When I gently put my hands on my own through the mirror, for a moment I felt like I could see the Japanese me of Yuuka Tanaka.
It didn’t matter if it was my imagination or my own light magic.
「Family is the thing I don’t understand the most.」
I smile bitterly at the self of my past life. Although the scale may be different, what I was worried about in my past life and even now is my family. Family is the person closest to you, the person you understand and care about the most, and the person you understand the least.
Although my appearance had changed a lot, I thought to myself that I hadn’t changed much.
That day, I had breakfast with my mother and Roy-nii-sama.
「Phil-chan, what’s wrong?」
「Eh? Why do you ask?」
「Your complexion doesn’t look good.」
I received worried looks from both my mother and Roy-nii-sama. I checked that I didn’t have dark circles when I was getting ready, but it’s amazing how these two could tell. I felt a pang of sadness at the kindness with which she noticed me, and on the other hand, I also felt sorry for worrying her.
「Um…… I woke up at a strange time and I’m just a little sleep deprived.」
「Did you have a bad dream?」
Every time I had a scary dream, I would cry to Roy-nii-sama, so it was no wonder she was so worried. I haven’t had such dreams lately, so I guess I’ve grown up a little.
「……I just had a lonely dream.」
「Lonely……?」
「Yes. Ah, but it’s okay now. I have Mother and Roy-nii-sama!」
It’s not a big deal, so I made a fist and said it forcefully, wanting to dispel the dark atmosphere. Then, mom made a sound like she was amused.
「Phil-chan is doing really well, but if you ever feel lonely, your mother will always lend herself to you.」
Mother says that with a loving smile, that she’ll hold me until I no longer feel lonely.
「I’ll keep holding Philly’s hand so she can sleep peacefully.」
If I does that, I’m telling Roy-nii-sama how to pamper me. I can’t help but fall in love with these two.
「Mou, you two are already treating me too much like a child.」
I understand that he’s not old enough to be an adult, but I don’t think it’s okay for a nine-year old to be so spoiled. A few years ago, I was already able to sleep by myself. It’s natural for him to feel dissatisfied with the way he was treated.
「Philly is cute no matter how old she is.」
「That’s right. She’ll always be my cute little girl.」
Roy-nii-sama and Mother both categorically denied me this, and I puffed out my cheeks even more. I say this with confidence, so I don’t think I can compete with the two of them. They will definitely continue to spoil me.
Mother smiles at my unconvinced appearance.
「That much is enough, you know.」
「Why?」
「Because Traugott-sama is not good at spoiling.」
「He’s very bad at it, isn’t he?」
Mother mentioned her Father’s name, and Roy-nii-sama agreed. When the topic of Father came up, I couldn’t help but frown. All I remember is snapping at my father, the king. Not physically, of course, but verbally.
Because I have the dual attributes of light and wind and have strong magical power, I seem to be a very valuable asset to the country. Although I’m originally a member of the royal family and a princess, I have added so much value that it is feared that I will not even be allowed to leave the castle. So, I couldn’t get permission to go out, and I can’t tell you how many times I went to talk directly to Father.
And since I’ll always be opposed with convincing and just arguments, I will basically lose miserably.
I was able to have a meal with the whole family through perseverance, but getting permission to go out was a complete failure. Previously, when I accompanied Roy-nii-sama on a city inspection tour, my father gave me a serious lecture. That was seriously scary.
Thanks to their support, I am able to accompany Roy-nii-sama when he goes to meet his fiancée’s sister, and to accompany my mother to tea parties she is invited to.
Because of this situation, Father is difficult for me. In this area, I can sympathize with the second prince, Klaus-nii-sama more than Roy-nii-sama and the others, and we often complain together.
However, I honestly cannot agree with the theory that my mother is justified in pampering me to the extent that it offsets my father’s strictness.
「I don’t know what Father is thinking.」
「Oh, Traugott-sama is just a worrier. It’s about his precious daughter.」
「Mhm.」
「I understand why he’s worried, though.」
I can’t believe my mother’s words, and I tilt my head in confusion at Roy-nii-sama’s agreement.
「Philly might feel unwell around a lot of people.”
I remain silent as Roy-nii-sama points out the issue. I realized that he was referring to the magical power I possess. Its troublesome nature when it first appeared.
「……It is all right now.」
The memories of when I was still young, when I was kept away from other people and when I even kept myself away from others, came back to me. I’m no longer the crying, scared person I was then. Even my magical power is properly controlled.
「I understand.」
Mother and Roy-nii-sama tilt their heads, wondering what I had understood.
「In other words, even Mother is treating me like a child, too!」
It means everyone treats me younger than my age. This fact is frustrating. I worked hard to acquire the knowledge necessary for royalty and I’m sure I’ll develop into a woman in a little while. Well, I don’t have the expectation that I can grow as much as Onee-sama.
This time, when I decided to protest to Father again, Mother and Roy-nii-sama looked at each other and smiled wryly.
I couldn’t let go of my frustration even at night, and just as the white teddy bear’s eyes lit up, I vented my anger at the person on the other side.
「Listen to me for a bit, Isaac!」
『What’s with you all of a sudden?』
An annoyed reply came from the bear-phone. With that alone, the cuteness of the teddy bear that I had made was halved. It has yellow and green odd eyes, pure white fur, and a rose-colored hooded cape to make it cute.
I sometimes wonder if it was a mistake to add mobile phone functionality to my favorite stuffed animal.
「Everyone is treating me like a child!?」
『No, you are a kid.』
What was he talking about, I asked. I was disappointed by the lack of agreeing with me.
「I’m already a lady! I’m still just a debutante, but I’m a lady.」
『Ahhh, yes, yes.』
My argument only got a sloppy reply. The person on the other end of the phone was really rude.
I worked hard on my etiquette and dance lessons and even received unflattering compliments at tea parties. I think it’s about time for me to be treated like a lady.
After expressing my frustration, I tried to make him understand I’m a lady.
「Next time, when I go to Onee-sama’s place, I’ll show you how amazing I am.」
『No, I’ll have work then.』
「That much is fine. Ah, it’s good if you practice dancing with Onee-sama and the others. If you do that, we’ll be able to summon you because we’ll be missing a person.」
『Eh?』
I came up with an excuse to show off the fruits of my labor. However, from the other side of the phone comes a voice that sounds deeply annoyed. I know he was able to dance as Roy-nii-sama’s substitute for a while and that he can dance well enough to dance with Onee-sama.
『Is he supposed to be dancing with you?』
「I don’t want Isaac as my partner.」
I agreed with the reason for Isaac’s disapproval. Roy-nii-sama and Onee-sama are engaged to each other, so naturally they become a pair. Inevitably, my practice partner would be Isaac so the numbers match.
Just imagining dancing with my older brother from my previous life gives me chills.
Isaac was my older brother, Taichi Tanaka, in a previous life.
This world is the world of the otome game I played in my previous life called A Small Star Only For You – Dein Einziger Sternchen. My brothers, Onee-sama, and even myself all appear in the game, so I noticed it right away. That’s why it was so puzzling that my brother from a previous life had been reincarnated into a person who didn’t even appear in the game and wasn’t even a mob.
However, it doesn’t seem to matter to Isaac whether this is a game world or not. Maybe that’s why I don’t pay much attention to it these days. I do meet other characters from the games other than my brother, but it’s inevitable that we’ll meet because of our positions.
That doesn’t mean I’m completely worried about what would happen if things went according to the game. However, as for my brothers, most of their underlying problems have already been resolved, so I have no idea what will happen in the future. I’m not good at thinking about difficult things, so I decided to wait until something actually happened before I could think about it.
For now, the problem I have in mind is my dance partner.
「I’ll dance with Roy-nii-sama, so Isaac should dance with Onee-sama.」
「Is that okay?」
「Since I’m an unmarried princess, I’ve been told it’s NG to dance with men outside of my family……」 [T/N: “NG” as “no good”, it’s literally “NG” in the raw text and kept it.]
「So, you want to go to that length to show off?」
「I mean, even Isaac is treated like a child, right?」
When people ask me why I’m so particular about dancing in the first place, I get angry. I’m not just a spoiled child either. I’ll do my best and become a woman that my brothers can rely on.
When everyone treats me with kindness and pampering, I feel depressed and think I’m unreliable.
I feel like I’m going to lose confidence unless at least one person recognizes my efforts. That’s why I think that Isaac, who usually forgets to treat me like a princess, might reconsider after seeing me dance.
『You know, Elena.』
On the other side of the bear-phone, a reluctant voice calls out along with a sigh. This might be shocking to Isaac, but it’s important to me.
『The reason I called you a kid is because I’m one, too.』
「Eh……」
『I’m older than you and I’m a kid, so why do you have to be an adult?』
When the question of age comes up, all I can say is yes. Certainly, I’m nine and Isaac will soon be twelve, so we’re both children.
『Well, I only see you when you’re lost or having fun, but Ojou has been praising you, so I’ve heard you’re amazing as a princess.』
「Onee-sama?!」
When he brings up Onee-sama, my voice is filled with joy. Lydia von Ernest is the rival girl in Roy’s route who I didn’t dislike in the game. I’ve come to love her ever since I was in the game because she’s so cute on the inside.
『You were the only one who maintained your posture from beginning to end at the tea party, and you got the same score in history as the young lady…I thought you were working hard even though you were biased towards memorization.』
「Onee-sama……」
I was so happy that she was watching things that I didn’t even realize that I could do nothing but call out her name. I was so moved that I couldn’t help but fold my hands in front of my chest in a praying pose.
I also understand that she seems to appreciate Isaac as well. It’s true that in my previous life, I was only interested in the parts related to my favorite characters in anime and games, so there was a huge difference in scores depending on the era. Now that I’m learning about the history of the royal family, I’m trying my best to think that my love for Roy is being tested.
『Don’t mind it too much.』
「Don’t like you understand.」
His calming voice was surprisingly gentle, but I was embarrassed he noticed that I was panicking, so I turned my head away from the bear.
『Well, I don’t know. I also get nervous sometimes, so I just thought that’s the case.』
I turn to the bear phone in surprise as he reveals something uncool about himself. In my previous life, he didn’t say such weak things to me, his younger sister. Even when I pointed it out, he was absolutely stubborn.
I think this is what has changed.
In a moment, I close my mouth. It’s not because he’s changed, but it feels strange that he doesn’t speak, so I decided to open my mouth.
「…………Um…」
『What is it?』
「There’s something I haven’t told you for a long time.」
This is the first time I’ve told someone who doesn’t know what’s next. Even though it was Isaac, I didn’t know what kind of reaction he would get, so my heart pounded and I became nervous.
I take a deep, slow breath.
「I can hear people’s hearts.」
I’m afraid to add an explanation before the other person reacts.
「See, my aptitude is light and wind, right? Neurons and synapses are like light signals, and wind attributes are converted into sound. It’s like I can hear it. Oh, I can control it now, so I won’t listen to it without doing so on my own.’」
Perhaps because my magical powers were strong, my magic manifested within a few months of my birth. I was a baby who cried a lot because I had a power that allowed me to hear the voices of people’s hearts within a distance of about 10 meters. It was before I could remember anything, so all I remember is that I heard a lot of noise and it was annoying.
By the time I became aware of it, people around me gradually started to think it was creepy and shunned me. Then I could hear the voices of the bad emotions, and I was afraid of people and cried sometimes.
Roy-nii-sama was the first to notice my abilities.
Even Roy-nii-sama, who has the Light attribute, seems to have noticed that even though he can’t hear people’s voices, he can see people’s emotions through their auras. Roy-nii-sama says that since light magic has the power to heal people, he must be able to sense the pain of others.
Most of the servants distanced themselves from me, except for my mother, Roy-nii-sama, and the maid Terese, who still believed the words that were coming from my mouth. For some reason, I had trouble hearing the inner voice of my father, so I was fine with it.
The second queen’s feelings towards me were of disgust, so I was scared. However, as I grew older, I became more frightened of people whose beliefs differed from what I thought on the outside, and conversely, I started to feel less aware of the second queen because she didn’t have two sides.
Father thought it would be dangerous if this power of mine were used, so he made it a secret so other countries wouldn’t know about it. Therefore, since I was able to control my abilities with Roy-nii-sama’s help, almost no one knows about it. I only confided in Klaus-nii-sama. I think Klaus-nii-sama is an angel because he was just shy, feeling a little embarrassed to have his thoughts known.
There was enough silence that I could reminisce. The lack of reaction is actually scary.
「……did you go away?」
『Hmm, it doesn’t seem like it would be fun even if I could use it.』
「That’s all……?」
The only feedback I get is that it seems inconvenient, and I’m disappointed. It’s an ability that has always been looked upon as creepy, so I’d like for him to give me back the time I was nervous about not being able to take advantage of it. However, I wonder if he’s too easy to accept.
『Wait, why am I going away?』
「Because, because…」
『You came into my room without permission, and you were relaxing in my room before I left. There’s no privacy at all now.』
「Because it’s more tidy than my room, so it’s easier to lounge around.」
『Then clean it up.』
「I used to clean it up, sometimes!」
I was aware that I was invading Taichi’s room, taking advantage of the fact that there was a sliding door. After reading a long-running manga in one go, I found it difficult to settle down in my room, so I would interrupt him without permission. One of the other reasons was that Taichi’s room had a shared LCD screen for home console games.
「But…… what about now?」
I was so relieved when I heard Isaac’s only response was, What about now? Even though we’re no longer related by blood, it’s pretty tough being treated like a monster by my family. I’m really glad it didn’t make him feel creeped out.
『I don’t know what to say, but pull back on your brocon-ness.』
「What!? Roy-nii-sama being cool is the truth of the world, isn’t it!?」
It’s strange that he doesn’t understand how good Roy-nii-sama has become even more wonderful than when he was my favorite character in my previous life. Now more than ever, I have to talk about how wonderful Roy-nii-sama is.
「It’s fine? Then, Roy-nii-sama has been cool as an orthodox hero ever since he was a prince, but now he’s upgraded. He’s overcome the fact that he’s dual-aligned with darkness, and he sometimes shows his age. His cute smile is the best thing ever!! As for his appearance, I’m sure he’s prettier than the game.」
『Why are you sure?』
「Because I asked him not to grow his hair long!」
One thing I’ve always regretted was the length of Roy-sama’s hair. I prefer short hair to long hair, so I thought that short hair would definitely suit him better. When I asked, Roy-nii-sama agreed, so I can worship Roy-nii-sama when he grows up. This is probably the best visually.
As I boasted, I heard a taken aback voice on the other end of the bear-phone. [T/N: The first “Roy-sama” didn’t have “nii-sama” attached, so she’s speaking more of Roy the character, not the Roy we know now.]
「What, it’s important, isn’t it?」
『No, either way is fine.』
How come you don’t understand Roy-nii-sama’s worth even after saying this?
After that, no matter how much I tried to persuade Isaac, I couldn’t make him understand how wonderful Roy-nii-sama was, and the night went on.
Before I went to sleep, my thoughts hurried as Yuuka.
Dad, my brother is still stupid and rude, but he’s gotten a little better.
I don’t have lonely dreams anymore.
Awwww.
Short and sweet, yeah? I’m going to try to get one more chapter out before the holidays, but I start my vacation on the 20th so we’ll see, hahaha. Work is starting to slow down a bit so maybe I’ll get some time.
See you all next time, and if I slip up, see you next year!
Toasty Translations 
Thanks for the chapter and see ya next year!
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