I Appear to have been Reincarnated as a Love Interest in an Otome Game: Idle Talk 05

<<Idle talk>> While I  was observing out of interest, I fell for the ‘reincarnator’.

Author:
The setting is a little grotesque this time so steer clear if you have no resistance to this.

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I am Jackie Pyne, 17 years old. I am from a country neighbouring the Empire, Uruhara, and I am the second son of a Duke there.
Truth be told, I have a secret.

From a young age, I had the ability of ‘future vision’. At some moments, I see images in my head for a brief period of time.
My first future vision happened when I was 10. It was my little sister’s future.
During my little sister’s seventh birthday party, a vision popped into my head while I was watching my sweet little sister’s face.
I saw in those images, the image of a woman being violated in a prison cell.

From the sudden vision, I became petrified. Don’t blame me. I was only 10 years old…… I don’t think even adults would be fine after seeing such images.
Because of my sudden state of panic, the party was ruined, and I also had to be in bed for about three days.
While I was lying down, I was wondering who the people I saw in the vision were.
Then I realised that the man in the vision was similar to the country’s fifth prince, Prince Henry.
That face was just like Prince Henry, just older.
It was nauseating.
I did not know who the woman was yet, but a disturbing feeling was still weighing on me……

From then on, I saw more visions.
My family used this power to strengthen the authority our house had. Since my power was beneficial to the house, they accepted it easily.
As I continued to have visions, I came to realise that I saw the futures of people whom I saw their faces.
Also, I found that my little sister started to resemble the woman in the vision.
By the time I was certain that the woman in the vision is indeed my sister, talks of betrothal between my little sister and Henry-sama were underway. Immediately, I told my father of the vision I had and pleaded him to stop the betrothal talks.
Between my little sister’s happiness and political marriage, my father is the kind to prioritise the former. Even if he has to overdo himself, he would gladly stop the talks.

However, I still felt uneasy. Well, we are dealing with royalty, you know?
If they tell us to marry them, we, as their subjects, cannot defy them.
Fortunately, my little sister and her childhood friend were mutually in love. We immediately betrothed the two of them, but we could not yet lower our guards.
Normally, one would not go after someone who already has  a fiancé. However, we were dealing with that Prince Henry.
Thus, my father and I plotted up a plan……

After waiting until I turned 15 (as Prince Henry was the same age), we proposed that Prince Henry and I study abroad.
In context of international exchange, we had the pretext of ‘preparing for the future’ in Prince Henry’s case. Furthermore, as a neighbouring country’s prince was a year younger than us, we would become alumni from the same school, helping diplomacy in the future.

Of course, the King accepted our proposal.
As we were studying abroad together, I could also keep an eye on Prince Henry. If in any way Prince Henry causes diplomatic unrest, I was to use all my power to stop further friction that could potentially lead to war.
The people who knew of my future vision ability were only three people: my father, the king and the first prince, heir apparent to the throne.
Thus I received these secret orders.

Though Prince Henry is just the fifth prince, he is the second son of the lawful wife so he was being a nuisance in the palace without anyone to rein him in.
As he was ruining the reputation of the whole royalty, the first prince was concerned about it. He reexamined the education plans with his mother, attaching a superb butler as well, but things did not go well.
Because of that butler, he actually started using subterfuge, that the problems did not show themselves on the surface. He was becoming even more troublesome.
Since he was hiding his deviations well, they couldn’t even chastise him openly. However, what if he was to study abroad?
The neighbouring country’s prince is said to have the best butler in history as his.
Then if Henry caused trouble in school, there may be some complaints filed to our country. Then causing Henry’s downfall would be easier.

Thus, although I monitor and report Henry’s actions to the country, I was to just watch even if caused trouble.
I was to move only if he were to try something to the neighbouring country’s prince, in order to prevent war from breaking out.

During the time we are to study abroad, talks of betrothal of my sister is to proceed smoothly, that she may be married as soon as she turns 16.
In addition, I was to find another woman for the prince while abroad. Of course, in the case I could not, we planned to mention my sister’s betrothal in high society until she was actually married.

During this stay, my role was diverse.
First, I began with being seen as a harmless being from Prince Henry. Within a year, Prince Henry treated me like air.

Nothing much happened during the first two years. I was also ignoring the order to find a woman for Prince Henry.
I mean, I didn’t want to marry off an innocent woman to someone like that……
I did not have any special connections with the other prince as well, so I thought my school was going to end quietly.

However, it all changed when the new students came in.
There was one among them who wagged her tail to anyone with power, like a prostitute.
She made five men, including Prince Henry, her followers within such a short time. I must say I was amazed at that. To have even captivated that Prince Henry……
Since it would be troubling for me if Prince Henry became an international disgrace, I decided to melt in within them.
She’s just a child of a lowly baron and a concubine, so at first I thought it would not be so bad.
However, among her followers, three of them were the imperial prince’s childhood friends, as well as candidates for the country’s council.
In addition, Michelle was also aiming for that prince as well.

This is……
Isn’t this an absurd problem?
I’ll have to keep an eye on Michelle as well……

Thus, I also started observing Michelle in addition to Henry.

There was a fact I discovered I started observing her.
Michelle changed greatly every time, and she was an unprecedented case where her future changed every time I saw her visions.
A heartwarming future, a ruined future, a happy future, a future where she’s imprisoned by Henry……
Taking interest in Michelle who showed many different future, I started to enjoy observing Michelle.

While I was continuing this interesting surveillance, at some point Henry’s obsession for Michelle grew manifold. Moreover, Henry harboured hostility to Prince Kyle.
Looking at Henry’s obsession, I wondered, ‘Is the future set in stone now?’, but suddenly I could not see Michelle’s future.
Then she completely changed too.
Her behaviour was still the same. However, I saw that she started panicking sometimes, and that she was doing her best to keep that facade.
Also, one day, she appeared to be avoiding Henry and Brad.
She seemed to be thinking that she was treating them the same, but they too felt her change.

Hey, you! That just has reverse effects!
If you do that, only a grim future awaits you? What happened, weren’t you keeping the balance so well?

Thinking so, I furtively glanced at her.

From a certain point, she started staring off into the distance murmuring ‘Yacchan’. Her voice was small, but I could tell that she wanted help.
So I took interest in that and investigated whether there were anyone called ‘Yacchan’ in school, but I found non……
I felt pity for her every time she said those words pleading for help, and for some reason I felt jealous too.
I seem to have gotten attached to her while I was enjoying my observations of her.
So I ended up blurting it out.

“You don’t have to rely on people who are not here, I can help.”

She must have been her wit’s end. Hearing my word’s she started crying.
Before I realised it, I was already embracing and consoling her.
Is this really just a mere attachment?
I was confused at my own actions, but I calmed her down and listened to her story regardless. Then she started saying something strange. She said,

“I’m a reincarnator.”

Or so. At first, I thought she had a screw loose, but it didn’t look that way……

As we talked about her strange situation, a strong interest for her grew in me. I also felt how innocent her mind was.
Her innocence felt even younger than my younger sister. She was too innocent for high society. Even in this school her mental fortitude was too weak.
If this is because of the thing that she calls ‘reincarnation,’ then she needs help.
However, she doesn’t even have her own butler.

Then I need to protect her……

When I thought that, I finally realised that I fell for her……
I did not feel a single ounce of guilt, and unlike my task regarding Henry, I felt very motivated.

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Author:
We’re returning to the main chapters next time.

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