I changed the chapter numberings, because this is still counted as prologue. There are 8 chapters for the prologue.
TL: clover
ED: clover
Hearing him said so as if spitting out in contempt, my body solidified.
—How awful.
Arrogant and selfish?
I wonder why the prince whom I have never met before insult me behind my back like this.
Although I was dumbfounded, I couldn"t avert my eyes from the two princes. Hearing Prince Wilfred"s words, Prince Alan exhaled as if troubled.
"Villainess……huh. Is this about the story you told me a long time ago? How this world is a "game" and that you and me are "capture targets"……is that it? This is the continuation of that story, huh."
"That"s right! Brother is the main capture target. Brother who is disgusted by the wicked deeds of your villainess fiancée, awakens to the true love with the Heroine, and finally reaches the happy ending. I highly recommend Brother x Heroine, so I absolutely want Brother to do your best!"
Towards Prince Wilfred who was leaning his body forward, Prince Alan calmed him down with a gentle voice.
"……Be glad that I am the one who listen to you, but you should never tell others about this. Or else they would think that the Second Prince has lost his mind."
"I"m not crazy! And I will only tell this story to Brother. Because it will be a problem if the original work is broken."
"Then you shouldn"t have told me in the first place."
Prince Alan, who breathed out as he was troubled, was beautiful. No matter how I see him, he doesn"t look like a 17-year-old man. He has a beautiful neutral appearance that transcends gender. It is quite different from Prince Wilfred"s face who has the same lineage as him. He has a facial expression suitable for his age, and look somewhat manly.
"This is because I don"t want Brother to go on the wrong road. For that, I think that I should convey the necessary information."
"……I also don"t believe in your story, you know? I always said that, right?"
"I know. Brother is fine like this. Even hearing only half the story is enough."
"If it"s fine with you then it doesn"t matter."
Saying so, Prince Alan laughed as if worn-out.
"—Then? Let"s say that my fiancée that I"m about to meet is a "villainess" like you said. She hasn"t made a socialization debut yet, so I don"t know what kind of woman she is, but is she really such a terrible woman? She is the daughter of Duke Beltran, right? I think that she is a properly educated lady."
Hearing Prince Alan"s question, I also nodded in agreement internally.
That"s right. I"m not a terrible woman like Prince Wilfred said.
I don"t remember ever being told that I am arrogant and selfish.
But, Prince Wilfred said while laughing.
"Aa, that"s about it. Although her appearance is the best, the personality of Liz Beltran is the worst, you know? She laughs loudly, her jealousy is extreme, and she only accepts beautiful things. She is domineering and is the type that won"t be satisfied unless she has the best things. I know this because it was written in the setting, but it seems that woman grew up being spoiled by her parents, so Brother had better be prepared because her selfishness is proportionate to that. She might put on airs at first, but she will gradually show her true nature."
"……And such a woman is my fiancée, huh. If what you said is the truth, I feel heavy-hearted."
"That"s why I don"t want you to be engaged with her. At any rate, Brother, you must get engaged with the villainess Liz Beltran. The game will not start unless you get engaged with her and meet the Heroine, on top of that."
"I don"t understand what you are saying at all."
"No way. There is nothing that cannot be understood by my genius Brother."
"……Cut it out, I"m seriously worried whether I should talk to the doctor that my brother may be sick in the head."
"Stop it. It"s because you"re my older brother that I even talk about this."
"……what……right now……"
The conversation between the two of them was still going on, but I couldn"t listen more of it.
Because, it was just too much.
While feeling lightheaded, I went back to the place where I sat some time ago. My head screamed.
—She laughs loudly. She only accepts beautiful things. She is domineering and is the type that won"t be satisfied unless she has the best things.
Prince Wilfred"s ridiculing voice was echoing as if he were nearby.
"That"s not true……"
Wrong.
I shouldn"t be that kind of woman.
I should have thought this just now. That I"m not arrogant and selfish etc.
Those are groundless accusations. I am supposed to be a victim of groundless rumor which had been spread to the man who will become my fiancé.
"Nevertheless—"
Nevertheless, why does my heart hurt so much?
I wonder why I feel so sick to my stomach, like I"m about to vomit.
My feelings are hurt, as if what he said was completely true.
"No, no, no, that"s not true."
I desperately said so to myself. I kept saying that it"s not true, that I"m not such a woman.
But, the pain in my chest, the pain that made me sick to my stomach, wouldn"t subside.
For that reason, while thinking that I don"t want to recognize it, I became aware of it.
—I think I know what he meant.
About the way I laugh, about my domineering way, how I only accept beautiful things, and how I hate it when I am not the best.
All of it sounds familiar.
"……it"s me."
Of course. Because Prince Wilfred said my name. He said that I have the worst personality. And Prince Alan said that he feels heavy-hearted to be engage with such a woman.
In other words, I was rejected—
My head was spinning.
Until now, I didn"t notice because no one had said anything. I believed that everything I did was right.
Because, my father, my mother, and my older brother all said that it was fine. Because they smiled and never corrected me.
That"s why I have been living like this.
"—no, that"s not good. I shouldn"t make such excuses."
All I do is blaming everything on my family.
To be honest, I feel like I"m about to cry.
I was rejected by others for the first time. As a result, I became aware of myself not subjectively but objectively.
It was told that I am the worst, I thought that certainly it might be so.
"What I have done……what was it?"
I don"t know, I don"t know.
It feels as though the ground beneath my feet has collapsed. I don"t know where to stand.
It is deplorable that I have been the lowest person until now, but for some reason or another, I understood.
But, in that case, what should I do now?
Because I don"t know any other way to live.
And then, while trembling, I became worried about the other word that Prince Wilfred said.
"Villainess……I wonder what that means."
I only know that it"s not a good thing from the word itself.
Because it has "villain" attached to it.
Villain, in other words, it"s a person who is hated.
—the villainess Liz Beltran.
That"s what Prince Wilfred said.
Does that mean I am hated by everyone?
I don"t want to think about it deeply.
I couldn"t stop trembling in fear.
Until now, I thought that I was liked by everyone, I wonder if it was only me who think so. Was everyone only tolerating me who has the worst personality? Just thinking about it made me feel like throwing up.
"No……no……"
I couldn"t admit to myself that I was that wretched no matter what.
"Villainess……that"s not true, I"m not like that……"
"—hey."
While I was sitting on the chair with my head down, a voice was heard from above me who was trembling. I raised my head reflexively.
"Huh!!"
I wonder how long he has been there. In front of me is one of the princes with clear red eyes whom I was peeping at until just now—in other words, it is Prince Alan, who was supposed to be my fiancé.