It Seems I've Been Reincarnated As A Mob Character In An Otome Game World, But The Prince Dropped Out Before It Even Started - Episode 12

My lord, Prince Cedric Cunningham the First, broke off his engagement with Lady Beatrice Wenham, the daughter of the Duke, at the beginning of April.

Two months have passed since then.

The day has finally come for Lord Cedi to leave the royal capital, having shown his determination to renounce his claim to the throne and even his royal status.

However, that otome game spin-off anime I saw in my previous life really ended before it even started.

The pink-haired heroine didn’t end up enrolling in the academy after all.

The villainess is already engaged to the second prince before the anime starts. And the first prince, who gets “what’s coming to him,” disappears from the royal capital—wait, did he really get what’s coming to him? It feels more like Lord Cedi just stepped down from the stage on his own.

Even His Majesty, who had been clinging to his beloved son and reluctant to let go, finally relented and released him, albeit grudgingly. The Empress, who had knocked down her son’s rival, is laughing heartily. It’s her time to shine.

All that’s left is to escape the royal capital before the queen changes her mind! We’ll just have to flee to the new land of Lakewood.

So, here I am, standing in line with my attendants in the underground parking lot of the academy’s boys’ dormitory, with the row of cars ready for moving in the background.

My position is in the corner. I’m the lowest of the low. Hugh, who is standing next to me, asks, “Are you really okay standing here? Even though you’re an adopted child, you’re still a high-ranking noble, right?”

It’s a move, but since we’re transporting large furniture separately, what we’re loading into the black-painted cars are just clothes for the journey. Even so, we’ll be heading out with several cars in a convoy.

After all, the new land is far away, close to the border. Just driving without being welcomed at each lord’s house along the way takes about two weeks.

If there were railways, we would arrive much faster, but they don’t exist in this world. (Electricity is present in the Naropa world, but railway development has stalled due to the presence of dragons. Steam locomotives that run with loud noises become targets for dragon attacks.)

From the secret underground passage connecting the academy dormitory and the royal castle, Cedi-sama, who had gone to bid a final farewell to His Majesty the King, has returned.

Surrounded by high-ranking nobles and their aides and guards, he looks incredibly cool in his black suit.

Until April, he was wearing a deep green blazer-type school uniform, but since he has already withdrawn, he is now in a black suit. It suits his black hair perfectly. He isn’t wearing a vest under his jacket, probably because it’s getting hot with the changing seasons. And he has a slightly thinner black tie.

Although the world has started changing clothes for the season, Lord Cedi always wore his tie neatly even in his uniform throughout the year.

Damn cool biz! A capable man really looks good in a tie!

Ah, since our master, Lord Cedi, prefers wearing a tie, we, his attendants, also wear ties. Ties are quite handy as they can be used as weapons in hand-to-hand combat, right alongside belts. Just a little tidbit from the shadows.

I was watching the powerful black-clad army approach with a gaze full of admiration, but for some reason, I spotted a familiar figure in a white coat at the back.

“Ugh?!”

Without thinking, I reacted in a low voice, and next to me, Hugh quietly asked.

“Do you know him, Alexis?”

“Y-Your brother-in-law”

“Oh… I see, the Irvings’ adopted children.”

It’s correct, but a little different.

However, even though we hadn’t met for about two years, I recognized him at a glance.

A young man, or rather, a boy, with curly, white hair that he has grown down to his waist.

To be honest, he looks like a cute boy in a dress.

Their height is shorter than mine. The height difference is about two fists apart.

The small body has no muscle. The skin color, like the hair, is a sickly white, and only the eye color is a pinkish red. It is the coloration of albinism, a pigment deficiency disorder.

Her personality is tsundere. Apparently, she gives everyone else the cold shoulder… but since we’re family, I’ve only seen her sweet side.

And he’s incredibly smart. He should be affiliated with a national research institute now.

The white-haired boy who had been following the black-clad gang hesitantly came to a stop behind them, and when he made eye contact with me, who had been staring intently, he smiled with a “nipaa” just like he used to.

“Alexis! Big brother did his best! I managed to win over the prince!”

From now on, I’ll be with my cute little brother foreverーー!

“Listen up!”

Ian-sama firmly grabbed the collar of the lab coat that was about to run towards me.

“This is Dr. Joshua Irving.”

Some of you may know him. He is the leading expert on dragon research in our Kingdom of Cunningham.

When Lord Cedric moved to Lakewood, which is close to the dragon’s habitat, he sought refuge for field research, so we accepted him.

Summary: More cheerful friends are coming!

After Ian finished delivering the message, the boy in a dress ran over in a hurry.

My brother-in-law jumped at me and hugged me tightly, and while my eyes took on a somewhat vacant look, I began to explain to those around me.

Because, it has happened before.

Instead of him, who lacked the words, I had to explain our relationship to keep the situation under control.

Joshua—though it may be presumptuous of me, I named him. After all, it seemed he had been called just Jay without anyone noticing.

The letter J. A name arbitrarily assigned for convenience to distinguish children abandoned in the slums.

It was the young me who healed him, who was lying half-dead by the roadside, and brought him back to the orphanage.

I don’t know about Joshua’s past because he doesn’t talk about it (it’s unclear whether it’s amnesia or if he’s doing it on purpose. And the orphanage doesn’t pry into each person’s circumstances), but he was very smart. A real genius.

The talented prodigy who had become the talk of the town caught the eye of his talent-obsessed guardian, Baron Irving.

And so, they tried to adopt him, but he resisted.

Thinking of me as a younger brother and being very fond of me (even though there’s no age difference, I’m still considered a younger brother), she absolutely didn’t want to be separated from me. She insisted that if they wanted to take her in, they had to take me in as well.

“So when my adoptive father took in Joshua, he took me in as well.”

I was taken in by the Irvings as an add-on to my stepbrother.

“Ahem!”

Huh? Ian-sama coughed strangely.

I couldn’t help but pay attention, but there were no further words.

Cedi, who is standing next to Ian, is looking this way.

I wonder if Joshua is curious. He’s a pretty intense character if you’re not used to him, a tsundere. Even if you’ve seen the tsun part, the dere part is probably a first for him…

Well then, Joshua, also known as Josh (we call him by his nickname since he’s family), who is going to join Lord Cedi’s group, ended up getting into the car I was assigned to.

They won’t physically let go. They’re clinging tightly to my waist.

Two years ago, I became Lord Cedi’s attendant, and I hadn’t returned to the Irving residence since then. I also heard that he has been traveling domestically and internationally as a researcher. That’s why this reunion is so long overdue.

Maybe he won’t let go tonight. He loves to stick close.

At the orphanage, we used to sleep piled on top of each other like kittens. There weren’t enough beds, so we had to share one.

Is it okay if we sleep in the same room? I should probably check with Ian later. And then I need to get permission from Hugh, who will probably be sharing the room with us…

While I was thinking about such things, rubbing Josh’s head vigorously, Hugh made a strange sound next to me.

“Ugh?!”

I just muttered that earlier too.

If anything, it’s more powerful than me. But it’s in a whisper that can only be heard by the person next to you.

While thinking about such things, I check the direction Hugh is looking.

I almost let out a cry, but I endured it with sheer willpower.

Why… why are you here, villainous noblewoman?

This is the boys’ dormitory, you know?!