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 4

Royal Romancia Academy, the afternoon of the opening ceremony day.

Prince Cedric, the former student council president, collapsed in front of his half-brother, Prince David, and his fiancée, Lady Beatrice Wenham.

It was announced to the public.

Currently, it seems that Prince Cedric has been unable to get out of bed for days due to a mysterious illness.

In reality, under the guise of recuperation, I’m secretly returning to the royal castle and actively working towards escaping the capital and renouncing my claim to the throne.

But since it’s a secret return home, we need a decoy to pretend I’m bedridden (because it’s a discreet visit), and some of the attendants are staying behind at the academy dormitory.

Ah, I’m not the one playing the role of the decoy this time.

The one in charge is Hubert, the eighth son (adopted) of the captain of the Third Knight Order. He was one of the colleagues standing along the wall in the student council room, watching the engagement annulment theater together.

I repeat, not a target to be conquered. Just like me, a mere mob.

The special room for royalty on the top floor of the student dormitory at Romancia Academy.

In the bedroom is a large bed with a canopy. A thin cloth hangs down around it like a curtain, making it difficult to see inside clearly.

I slipped behind the curtain and sat in the caregiver’s chair, cutting an apple for Prince Hugh.

Hugh is wearing pajamas with the same pattern as Prince Cedric’s.

Since their builds are similar, from a distance, he might look like a prince if you can’t see the color of his black eyes. His black hair seems to be natural for him. In fact, in this world, colorful hair is the norm, and naturally black hair is quite rare.

Because they were the same age and had black hair, he was adopted as a body double despite being of commoner origin. The commander of the Third Knights is also from the royal family.

Leaning his upper body against the stacked cushions, Hugh murmured while yawning.

“So boring……”

“Being free is a good thing.”

The bunny is complete.

Satisfied with the result, I shove the rabbit into Hugh’s mouth, who is complaining.

“When night falls, the empress’s assassin might come to visit. Do you like that lively atmosphere?”

“… munch munch.”

No way. Those guys have way too much killing intent.

“If Lord Cedi renounces his claim to the throne, will the attacks stop?”

“I hope everything works out since it’s supposed to be moving in the right direction.”

Hugh keeps tossing the rabbits arranged on the plate into his mouth one after another.

You’re eating without any restraint. Be aware that you’re pretending to be sick.

“Well, it’s just that only Alexis and I are left, so we can’t leave for camouflage reasons, right? Since Alexis can’t cook, we had to eat preserved food for lunch. It was totally tasteless.”

If only Lord Cedi could leave two more people behind in the dormitory.

Then, with me and the guard taking care of the sleeping prince, and Alexis and the guard making warm meals in the kitchen, our meals would be fulfilling.

“Isn’t a bodyguard unnecessary for a servant like me?”

“What is the Gift Holder talking about? Without you, neither Lord Cedi nor we can survive.”

To Hugh, who pretends to sigh, I want to laugh it off as an exaggeration, but I just shrug my shoulders with a wry smile.

Prince Cedric the First, his nickname among friends is Cedi-sama, a secret known only to his attendants.

Actually, it seems I have a gift of divine blessing.

Probably.

The reason I can’t be certain is that I haven’t been recognized by the temple.

When I was young and living in an orphanage, I had one special talent.

The fact that I was able to identify the food that upset my stomach.

Maybe, it’s the accumulation of experience. Trial and error.

The orphanage’s budget was tight, so the children weren’t getting proper meals.

The ingredients I use are all cheap ones that are almost expired.

As I continued that kind of diet, I started to understand which foods were okay to eat and how much they would affect my health.

This is just barely okay, or if you remove this part, you can eat it, or this will slightly upset your stomach but is bearable, or if you eat this, you’ll die.

As I kept watching, the bad parts started to look like a black mist.

I became able to identify the parts that are dangerous to eat.

I was proactively removing the bad parts and helping in the kitchen, and before I knew it, I had started cooking meals at the orphanage in place of the sister.

Even though the appearance at the time was that of an infant, the soul inside was that of an adult man (probably).

In my previous life, I used to cook properly (presumably). I have the know-how.

Moreover, the kitchen is almost exactly the same as in my previous life.

The “Ai Roma” that this world is based on is a fictional fantasy more aligned with the modern era than the medieval one.

The electricity is working. Modern appliances can be used. I think they probably wanted to give homemade cookies made in the oven as a gift.

There are refrigerators, flush toilets, and bathrooms, cars are running, and guns exist.

However, there are no trains. There are no airplanes either. It seems that because dragons attack, they can’t build anything that moves or any tall buildings beyond a certain size.

Yes, there are dragons.

The giant ruler of the sky.

There are temples, and there are saintesses (the perfect form of a pink-haired game heroine), so that part is like an isekai fantasy.

We have guns, but no cannons. Powerful weapons are annihilated by the dragon, who thinks they are being challenged.

Magic also exists as a type of gift, but it is quite minor.

It’s a setting where the villainess becomes powerful when she awakens, but I think she might already be using it.

Since she also has a past life, she has probably been training since she was a child.

Ah, it was my story.

I thought my special skill was just being able to identify foods that upset my stomach, but it blossomed after being taken in by my adoptive father from the orphanage and becoming attached to Lady Cedi.

I can clearly tell whether there’s poison or not now.

I don’t think it’s a reincarnation bonus or anything. It feels like my instincts necessary for survival have been continuously honed to the point where they are called a gift.

This is deadly. Eating this part is especially dangerous. It’s mixed in with the water too. If you keep drinking it, you’ll slowly get poisoned.

The dishes are also messed up. Especially if you lick the spoon.

The pen on the desk is also bad. The pillow on the bed is also bad. The doorknob too――.

I pointed out everything one by one.

Cedi-sama and those around me, who understood that my words were not mistaken, promoted me from being a mere meat shield to a servant.

And so, before I knew it, I also became Lady Cedi’s cook.

Sometimes, the meals brought from the dormitory cafeteria contain poison. Instead of risking our lives with a game of roulette every time, why not just cook for ourselves?

It seems that I am very valuable because I can avoid toxins from ingredients and make safe dishes.

So, I won’t accompany you to the royal castle.

Since His Majesty and the Empress are of higher status than Lady Cedi, if they find out she possesses a useful gift, it could easily be taken away from her.

You won’t need a food taster anymore if I’m by your side.

The academy is protected by extraterritorial rights, so there is no royal intervention with the students, making it safe.

Since it’s the world of an otome game anime, even if the development is like, “No, you would normally intervene here,” they absolutely won’t intervene. At least within the school.

That’s why I’m always on standby. A wise person stays away from danger (though I’m not a wise person).