◇008 My First Friend
"S-Sakuraile! What's wrong? Did this child do something to you!?"
My grandfather’s voice startled me as I stood frozen in shock. Oh no, this is bad. I need to cover this up somehow.
"A-Ah, um, not at all! I just… realized I should give her some ramune candy too! Sorry for startling you, Grandfather," I said hastily, forcing a strained smile.
I fumbled in my pocket, pulled out a small, soda-can-shaped container of ramune candy, and handed it to Estelle.
"Th-thank you, Lady Sakuraile."
"Not at all. I’m glad you like it," I replied, managing only the faintest of smiles as Estelle beamed at me.
Why, why is this happening? There were no stills of the heroine as a child in the game, so how was I supposed to recognize her? Sure, now that I know, I can see the resemblance, but still!
I would have much preferred not to meet her at all. But now that we’ve met, I can’t risk her disliking me. Not that I was planning to bully her or anything!
"Oh my, how wonderful! Sakuraile, it looks like you’ve made a friend," Mother said cheerfully.
"A f-friend!? Oh, yes, a… friend…"
I couldn’t help but react dramatically to my mother’s unexpected comment. A friendship between the heroine and the villainess? What kind of bizarre twist is this? That doesn’t make sense in a romance game.
…Doesn’t make sense in a game?
Wait. What if… this isn’t a bad thing? If the game doesn’t progress as intended, wouldn’t that mean all the doom flags disappear too?
If the heroine and I are friends, there’s no reason for us to clash… right? Right?
Estelle, meanwhile, lowered her head, looking glum. "B-but someone like me, a commoner-born, could never… be friends with a duchess’s daughter…"
Oh, right. The Euphonium family rose to nobility from commoner status, didn’t they? They were often ridiculed at the academy for it.
And, well… I was the one leading that ridicule. Great. Now I feel guilty even though I haven’t done anything yet.
Since Estelle is the heroine, the game made her backstory and circumstances familiar to the player. I know all about her family situation and upbringing.
Well, at least her childhood self wasn’t in the game. That’s new.
Extending my right hand toward the still-downtrodden Estelle, I smiled.
"That doesn’t matter. You’re a baron’s daughter now, aren’t you? We’re both nobles. I’ve been unwell and haven’t had any friends for a long time. If it pleases you, would you be my friend, Lady Estelle?"
"O-of course! If someone like me is good enough…"
She timidly reached out and clasped my hand, her smile returning to her face.
Alright, I did it. We’re friends now. Friends with the heroine. I’ll dodge every doom flag with everything I’ve got!
"Wonderful! Estelle, when you visit the royal capital, feel free to come to our estate," Mother said warmly.
"Oh, Lady Ashley, my daughter hasn’t received any formal noble education yet, so I’m worried she might…" Estelle’s father, Robert, said hesitantly, clearly concerned.
Oh no, I won’t let him interfere!
"We’re friends now! I wouldn’t nitpick over something like that. And it’s not like I’ve had any formal noble educa—mgh!"
"Sakuraile, darling? Let’s keep that little secret to ourselves, alright?"
Mother quickly covered my mouth from behind. Oops, that was a slip. The fact that I’ve never received proper noble training is supposed to stay under wraps. Even Grandfather looked horrified. Oof, what a blunder.
"W-well, if that’s how my granddaughter feels, Robert, would you allow Estelle to visit us?"
"Ah, well, if it’s alright with the young lady… then I suppose it’s fine."
"Thank you, Father!"
Estelle hugged her father, Robert, once again. Come to think of it, Robert was a bit of a worrywart—sending letters back home for almost everything. He was a letter fanatic.
Mother addressed Robert as she noticed.
"If you're going to become a Baron, won’t you set up a residence in the capital?"
"Yes. I’ve asked by Count Einsatz to look for a suitable property," Robert replied, his voice still tinged with concern.
Barons are typically regional nobles. Since they manage their lands directly rather than through stewards, they usually reside in their own estates rather than the capital. However, being nobles, they often stay in the capital during the social season, necessitating a separate residence there.
"Father, didn’t you mention there’s a vacant property in District Two, the one in my name from before my engagement? Selling that to the Euphonium family would be perfectly fine."
"That one? It’s a generous offer, but are you sure, Ashley?"
"It’s better than leaving it idle. Much better."
From there, the Euphonium family’s residence in the capital was quickly arranged.
Wait a minute—this isn’t like the game, is it? In the game, there was no mention of a separate residence in the capital. Everyone lived in dormitories at the academy.
Regardless, with the Euphonium family becoming intertwined with the Philharmonie Duchy, a friendly relationship was now established between the two houses.
Well done, Mother! By fostering this relationship, more doom flags are likely to be avoided. Probably.
"Lady Ashely, we should head back soon."
Tanya, who had been waiting nearby, gently reminded Mother. Their involvement was brief since Robert and Grandfather had a ceremony for the barony. They couldn’t interfere.
"Lady Sakuraile! I’ll definitely visit the capital again!"
"I’ll be waiting! Let me know how you like the sweets through a letter!"
Waving goodbye to the three of them, I returned their farewell gestures.
This is… quite a lot. Meeting not just the heroine, but another key character one after the other. I was prepared for Prince Elliot, but Estelle’s encounter was a complete surprise. I’m exhausted…
On the carriage ride home, I gradually began to drift off into sleep.
Come to think of it, Estelle didn’t have a "Gift" emblem on her hand. Maybe she’s going to undergo the "Divine Revelation Ceremony" here in the capital.
Since she’s older, she might have received a higher-level "Sacred Miracle."
When we meet again, I’ll teach her how to use it. At first, it can only heal minor cuts, making people think it’s a useless Gift. But once it levels up to level two, it becomes incredibly versatile.
However, triggering this event relies on interactions with key characters. Acting independently might cause issues.
Still, it’s good that Estelle is such a kind person. Depending on player choices, the protagonist’s personality can shift drastically.
Wait a second… could this Estelle be the one I played in the game? I don’t recall making any weird choices, though… I avoided obvious landmines for bad endings and chose the regular route.
Unless… was there a time I chose a bad ending on purpose? But even then, it was just once or twice…
As I pondered the game’s content, I gradually succumbed to sleep, drifting deeper into a peaceful slumber.
◇ ◇ ◇
"In a way, Sakuraile is quite unique. That composure, I’d say, comes from living among common folk and being toughened by it."
Wyndham, the Emperor, muttered as he took a bite of the pickled squid given to him by Sakuraile. It seemed he quite enjoyed it. The Emperor appeared to have a taste for savory snacks.
The Empress, on the other hand, was enjoying a castella stick. It seemed that women generally preferred sweet treats.
"She’s a fearless and clever girl. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t chosen as Prince Elliot’s fiancée, but such decisions shouldn’t be forced."
"That child has been subjected to a life of hardship. To think she’d be immediately bound by noble customs after finally being freed is quite pitiful. If she were to say that life in the slums of the slums was freer, I wouldn’t know how to handle it…"
Cloud, Sakuraile’s father, seemed to envision the scenario and his shoulders sagged in distress.
As a Duke’s daughter, noble education is necessary, but now wasn’t the time to impose it. Both Cloud and Ashley believed she could gradually adjust.
The Emperor, watching his brother with a bemused smile, shook his head. "Looks like you’ve become quite the doting father, brother."
"Now then, that brings us to Elliot’s fiancée. We must select someone from the remaining candidates…"
Typically, royal fiancées are chosen from a young age. This is to instill the sense of responsibility and foster a deeper bond, but Prince Elliot’s pool of candidates is still not fully narrowed down.
"Perhaps we could consider a bride from another nation…"
"The Empire seems unlikely. So, either the Kingdom or the Queen’s realm…"
The Kingdom of Symphony bordered three nations: to the east, the rugged mountain range of Allegretto Empire; to the west, the great river separating it from Prelude Kingdom; and to the south, the scorching sands of Menouette Queen’s realm.
"A princess from Queen’s realm as Elliot’s bride? That one’s not easy to handle. Elliot might be the one getting bossed around."
"But perhaps a strong-willed woman would be a good match for him? Someone who can lead rather than follow."
The Queen’s realm was viewed differently by the Emperor and the Empress. While the Emperor remained skeptical, the Empress saw promise in the idea.
Queen Menouette’s realm was ruled by strong women, giving its citizens a reputation for dominance and resolve. Despite this, the realm maintained amicable relations with Symphony, having cultivated noble friendships through institutions like the Academy.
"There should be a third princess close in age to Prince Elliot in Queen Menouette’s realm. Age-wise, it shouldn’t be an issue."
"Hmm… However, deciding on our own wouldn’t be proper. How about inviting her here first? Meeting Elliot before making any decisions would be better."
While not solely influenced by Sakurriel’s words, the Emperor began to consider that forcing an arranged marriage between strangers could lead to unhappiness for both parties and their families.
"It’s best to meet them face to face. Perhaps things could work out smoothly," the Emperor thought.
"Very well, let’s arrange for an invitation to Queen Menouette’s realm. Let’s see… we could extend an invitation for Prince Elliot’s birthday party a month from now. It coincides with the Founding Festival, allowing for an extended stay."
"Agreed. That sounds like a good plan. Also, let’s send invitations to the Princesses from Prelude Kingdom, who are of suitable age. They should join as well."
Thus, an unofficial matchmaking party was being orchestrated, unbeknownst to Prince Elliot.
Yet, little did they know, this would soon lead to the introduction of another key figure in Starlight Symphony—someone who would shake the story further.
If Sakuraile were present, she’d probably be shouting, “What are you all doing!? Stop meddling!”
And so, the tale continues to unfold, whether the villainess desires it or not.
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