Chapter 2

Chapter 2

So over the next few weeks I had a mixture of memory and re-learning things. For one, I learned that for certain, I was in the world of the Otome game “Royal Blush”. The setting is a world where monarchy still runs the countries and things like electricity don’t exist. They make up for it though with magic. In this world, pretty much anyone has the CAPABILITY to learn magic, but those with royal lineage or blood tend to have stronger connection to magic. So while anyone can learn it, it’s basically easy mode for the upper class. Which, interestingly enough, I guess I happen to be now.

As I learned earlier, I was the son of a duke, and, following that logic, a pretty big deal in the hierarchy. Not only that, I was the only child of my parents. So, I suppose I can understand the worry of whether I would be okay or not. Not that I didn’t think these new parents of mine loved me, but still, a single heir to a dukedom is a precious thing to be looked after like a commodity I suppose.

From what I remembered about my character from the game, at least, I wasn’t the main love interest of the five. You know what I mean, I wasn’t the guy front and center on the box. I was one of the four surrounding him. The guy who would be front and center was Prince Gabriel. The second born prince of the king of the country. I suppose if there WAS any sort of canonical ending to the game despite having several of them, it would be his. And, shocker among shockers, his route with the main girl was incredibly boring as well.

Oh right, the main girl. The boring one. Her name is Eloise Fenwick. Her backstory involved being born from a lesser noble family with a sunny disposition despite not having as much as her fellow nobles. However, at a young age she was found to be very good with magic, as in, more so than even higher nobles like myself. So normally you’d think this would lead to some kind of hatred from the students at large or something. NOPE! According to the game lore, her infectious personality drew in people around her just by existing. And then in the game, she meets the five of us, and we all fall head over heels for her because she’s just a sweet person.

So I bet the thoughts are, well, where’s the internal strife? Does she have negative features she’s hiding from the romantic interests? NOPE! She’s just an all around sweet girl and her character arc is “She needs to realize she was great all along” Because as the player character you see she has some self esteem issues. So it should be obvious to anyone reading this why I couldn’t stand her. ‘Realizing you’re awesome’ is not an arc. It’s nothing. And I hope the people who made that game got fired for saying it is. In fact, the only negative thing involving her is the one bully she received and that’s just your standard villainess protagonist she has at school.

In that case, I suppose you’re all wondering, well then, what’s the point of this game? Is there some sort of world ending catastrophe she and us love interests have to overcome? A monster lord, a world ending event that through the power of love we have to defeat? Nope. It’s literally just the six of us in a magical school being aristocrats. It’s essentially as slice of life as you can get. And here’s the weird part. This game was MASSIVELY popular. Why? The exact reason you’d think. Voice acting, art, fanservice. While this might be boring, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about a terrible ending where I died or something. Well, died AGAIN.

Now, we go onto the location of the game. The school. You see, when a noble reaches sixteen years old, they need to go to a fancy boarding school. There they learn how to harness their magic, but by far more importantly, how to be a noble. As this school is vast there are hundreds of students that attend, from very lesser nobles like Eloise, to princes like Gabriel. And I’m sure it comes as no surprise that all six of us are almost exactly the same age. I learned that I was apparently nine years old but only a few weeks from my tenth birthday. So, around the age I thought I was, which meant I had six years before I had to go to this school and face HER for the first time in real life. Oh goody.

Another thing I learned was that I had the ability to read and write in their language. I assumed that came from the first nine years I spent here before I got my memory back, but it was a blessing I didn’t have to explain to my parents that the kick in the head from the pony made me forget how to read and write.

Now, all of this is well and good, but what truly changed things for me forever, was what happened to me a few weeks later after I arrived in this world. I was walking around the gardens, speaking to our family’s head maid Malory. She was a woman in her late twenties, sleek glasses adorning her face. She always kept her hair short so as to keep the appearance of tidiness. For her, punctuality and manners meant everything. Perfect for a Duke’s family.

“Master Cedric, it’s almost afternoon tea time, shall we commence with it?” ‘Hm”? I turned to her, a bit zoned out. “What? Oh. Yes that would be fine Malory.” Malory’s response was to let out a small sigh. “Master Cedric, I DO wish you’d pay more attention at times.” I turned back to her in response. “Yes Malory, you’re right of course.” I then followed her to the gazebo, where I sat down.

Despite being only nine years old, a LOT was placed on my shoulders. Manners, study, all sorts of things that would absolutely overwhelm of child in the age where I came from. In fact, for a mind in their mid forties like me, even “I” thought it was a bit overwhelming. But still, I couldn’t complain. I could have easily been reincarnated as a villager or a beggar or something. So, not only getting a new lease on life, but being able to be a duke’s son, I should count my lucky stars.

These thoughts crossed my mind as I prepared myself for tea. Then, something happened that changed everything. And I don’t say that lightly. As I sat there, waiting for my first cup of tea, two things happened at once. First, Julie entered. This was the first time I had seen her since I arrived, but she was easily recognizable. She was essentially Cedric’s personal confidant maid he took with him to the magical school in the game. She was clumsy, but kind hearted and very honest. She had the look of comic relief, A long mane of red hair flowed which seemed perpetually wind buffeted to a comedic effect alongside exceptionally expressive bright green eyes. Essentially, if you chose Cedric’s route, as the protagonist, you become friends with Julie and get dirt on Cedric’s likes and dislikes. So basically, she becomes the protagonist’s spy and matchmaker.

As I remembered this, I could feel my eyebrow twitch. So there she was. The little romance shipper. However, that’s when the second thing happened. My gaze fell past her, to another maid. A maid I didn’t recognize. And, well, it was not hard to tell why I didn’t recognize her. She had no eyes. And by that, I don’t mean she had holes where her eyes should be, I mean, there was merely a blank flesh colored face, but with no eye holes. Like something you would see on an unpainted china doll where only the mouth,nose, and hair are visible.

Out of the corner of my peripheral, I could have sworn Julie tripped or something while carrying my tea or something equally dorky, but I barely paid it any mind. My attention was solely focused on the maid in the background. The one with no eyes. I found myself quickly turning to Malory.

“Malory!” I said loudly and quickly as I turned to her. This seemed to shock her as her head immediately turned to me. “Um, Y-yes Master Cedric?” I raised my finger towards the girl. “Who is that?” Malory’s response was to let out an elongated sigh. “Ah. That. That is Julie, master. She’s new but-” I immediately cut her off. “No, I’m not talking about Julie.” I waved dismissively and pointed distinctly towards the girl behind her, standing almost in the shadows with the no eyes.

This seemed to shock Malory even more than my outburst as she turned back to me. “H-her, master? Oh, she’s merely one of the maids sir. I think the one you’re thinking of is her.” She gestured back to Julie, who had apparently tripped over her own feet and was picking up broken teacups. I shook my head again. “No Malory. I’m not talking about her. I’m asking about HER.” I gesture once again to the maid behind her.

Malory looks back at the girl and then back at me. “I… I’m sorry master. Her name seems to have eluded me. She’s one of the house maids I suppose I-” I hold up my hand to cut her off. That’s strange. If someone had been missing her eyes, first of all, I can’t see such a malady being ignored. Even in a world like this with magic existing, I couldn’t imagine having no eyes being treated this casually. Still, I suppose I needed to test it.

“Tell me Malory. What does she look like to you? Describe her for me.” Malory gave me a bit of an odd look, which I responded with a small smile “She’s a bit far away and I can’t see her very well.” This seemed to placate Malory slightly as she nodded slightly. “R-right. Well, she’s about the same height as Julie, short green hair, and purple eyes.”

As soon as she said this, I froze. Purple eyes? What was she talking about? What eyes? And where did she get purple from? I did my best to ask, as if I couldn’t hear her. “P-Purple eyes you say?” I ask, as if confirming. She merely nods, as if I asked a stupid question. “I see. May I see her please?” A confused Malory turned to me. “Did she do something wrong sir?” I shake my head side to side. “No, not at all, I merely wish to meet her. I don’t believe I’ve seen her before.”

Still very confused at the situation, but not wanting to press further, essentially seeing that this was seemingly such a mundane, simple request, she merely bowed, and headed back out of the gazebo and spoke with the girl. I couldn’t hear from that distance, but from the girl’s confused response, it seems she was just as lost as Malory was. One thing I COULD tell though, her face was turned directly at Malory. So she could definitely see who she was talking to. But how could that be? What did she MEAN purple eyes? And how could nobody see that she had no eyes but me?!

I pondered these things as Malory and the maid walked by Julie and headed up to me in the gazebo. “G-greetings master” the girl said, speaking for the first time that I could hear her. Up close, it was even more eerie. It wasn’t just a trick of the light. She really had no eyes. What on Earth was going on?

I responded with a smile. “Yes, greetings. I’m sorry, I just found myself realizing I never was introduced to you. You know who I am, but I don’t know your name.” Immediately the woman shook her head side to side. “N-no master, don’t bother yourself with such things. My name is unim-” I put my hand up in an interrupting gesture. Which I’m sure looked adorable coming from my nine year old self. But maybe to them as they’re my servants it wasn’t as much so. “Please. I didn’t ask if I thought knowing your name was worth it. I asked what your name was.”

Her eyeless face almost seemed to stare at me for a moment, before tilting her head down with a small blush right below where her eyes would be. “Oh um..if…If you really wish to know, It’s Alice. Alice, Master Cedric.”

Without the eyes it was hard to tell, but she seemed to be perhaps in her late teens or early twenties, her voice definitely having some sort of air of youth about her, but hard to point out exact details. It was almost as if her voice were purposefully generic. Still, I had to get to the bottom of this strange phenomenon. I gave her a small smile “Well Alice, it’s a pleasure to meet you formally. Have you been with the staff long?” She shuffled a little, seemingly uncomfortable. “I um.. I’ve been here a few years now sir. Around three I believe?” “And you find the work…. fine?” She nodded immediately in response, yes still vocally flat. “Yes sir, absolutely. Your family is so kind and nice. I wouldn’t wish to work anywhere else.”

Normally when you want to read someone, you look into their eyes, however this was obviously impossible. I tried to read her body language, but, that proved unsuccessful as well. “So, tell me Miss Alice. What do you do here?” She stiffened again. “Um, I work in the back usually. Laundry, cleaning, that sort of thing.” Ah. So she was a laundry maid. Essentially the lowest kind of maid on the totem pole. You’d never really see these sorts in anime or games. They weren’t important like attending servants or head maids. They normally wouldn’t even have any lines of dialogue.

This mystery was the first real interesting thing that happened to me since I was reincarnated, and I wasn’t about to let it pass me by. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to get a second chance at life, but my god can life as an aristocrat be dull. I turned my head back to Malory. “Malory. I wouldn’t normally see Alice very often, correct?” Malory shook her head. “N-no sir. She’s normally in the back. We just needed an extra hand to well… assist and train Julie.” She said, gesturing over to the girl who was trying to bring over more tea without breaking it this time, almost as if the world were trying to pull the attention of the moment to her. But I refused.

“I’m afraid that won’t work Malory. I’d like Alice to work more in the forefront.” A confused Malory and Alice both turned to me. Malory cocking an eyebrow. “May I ask if there’s any particular reason sir?” I took another sip of tea. “I feel like Alice has worked here long enough that she deserves a chance for progression. Don’t you Malory?” Malory turned her attention to Alice and then back to me. “If..if that’s what you want sir.” I nodded. “It is.” My head turned back to Alice. “Would that be all right with you Alice?”

Too stunned to speak for a moment, Alice placed her hands together, a smile blooming on her eyeless face as she found her voice. “Oh, if you’re certain master, then yes! Absolutely! I would absolutely love to!” I gave a smile in return as I turned back to my tea. However, as I did so, in my peripheral vision, I thought, for just a split second, right below the bangs of her hair, I caught a glimpse of something purple.