The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

Camille and I seemed to have reached a stage where my family is simply watching from the sidelines. They aren’t opposing, but they’re not exactly cheering us on, either. It's like they're waiting to see if anyone else suitable shows up before I reach adulthood, or if Camille proves to everyone that he’s a worthy match for the Fairy Princess. If I were to clearly state that I wanted to marry Camille, I think my parents would support me. Even my brothers don’t seem to be pushing me away; instead, it feels more like they’re interested to see what Camille will do.

But since Camille asked for some time, I decided not to say anything and just continue with my normal life for now.  

Luftanen has a coronation ceremony next year, and the restoration of West Island is in full swing. Camille hardly has time to visit the Empire, and I’ll be living in a dormitory once school starts. We may not see each other until spring. Until recently, the idea of not seeing him for a few months didn’t bother me at all; in fact, I thought it would be a hassle for him to come all the way to the Empire for work. But now, I’m a little... just a little curious.  

Sometimes, I find myself wondering how he’s doing... and then I get embarrassed for thinking about it and end up holding my head in my hands, flustered.

But isn’t that just like a girl of my age?  

My goal is to fall in love and get married in a normal way, so it means I’m on track!

And so, the season has come once again to wear the school uniform. Having experienced it once, I’m much more prepared this time. I had my measurements taken a while ago, and the uniform has been perfectly altered to fit my current size. My luggage is packed minimally with only the essentials, so much so that I was worried I’d forgotten something, given how little I had for a young lady.

Over the past year, I’ve grown a little taller, and my build has grown a bit more to match. But when I run my hand from my collarbone down to my stomach, there’s still no curve... it’s just straight.  

How does that rank in terms of growth speed? My brothers are all taller than their peers, especially Alan. But I’m just slightly shorter than average.

But I’m only eleven, right? There’s no need to worry. In another two years or so, everything will start growing.  

It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. I’m my mother’s daughter, after all. A great figure is practically guaranteed!

Most of my friends are older than me, aren’t they?  

Bridget is already sixteen, so it’s natural for her to have a womanly figure that even exudes a bit of sensuality.  

Suzanna, Irene, and Erda are all fourteen, finishing their primary education this year. Monica is only a year older than me, but people from Norland tend to be bigger, so they mature faster. The difference a year makes in the teenage years is so significant, it’s almost cruel. It makes me feel like I’m getting left behind.

But I do have friends my age too!  

Carla has grown a little taller than me, but Patty and I are roughly the same size.

"My sister grew up after she turned eighteen. I’m the same way," Patty says.  

"Ugh, my brothers were always big from the start..."  

"Boys and girls are different, you know... at least, I hope."

Yes, yes. Growth continues until we’re eighteen.  

It’s too soon to be worried.  

And if I still don’t grow, maybe I could ask Amber to help me out a bit...  

No, no, no. I can’t go asking a spirit king for something like that.

"Dia, what are you thinking about?"  

"Huh? Nothing."  

"Don’t cheat your way ahead of the rest of us."

See, Patty was worried about it too, after all.

When we got to the classroom, there were so many kids who’d grown taller while we were apart. I know growth rates vary, but it’s a little overwhelming.  

There are kids with heights in the 180s standing next to kids in the 140s.

Maturity-wise, even a single year makes a big difference. No one in our grade picks fights with Patty or me anymore. Thanks to official events, they must have understood the difference in our statuses. Also, I’ve noticed boys and girls aren’t hanging out together as much. It’s likely because they’re at the age where they become conscious of the opposite sex, and especially for girls, there’s the risk of losing marriage prospects if they get too friendly with any particular boy. Fewer boys have been approaching Suzanna and Monica. You wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of the crown prince or the heir to Berisario, right?

Last year, the first tea party I hosted was one for my friends. Since there was already a plan to hold a tea party for selecting the Crown Princess, we could delay that, but this year, we can’t.  

On the afternoon of the opening day, a tea party was held for the royal family, Berisario, the Goodfellow Dukedom, Suzanna, and Monica. Since the only other duke with students at the academy is Goodfellow and Berisario holds a special status among the vassals, it’s not surprising to see these faces. Still, it does indicate who is favored by the Crown Prince. There’s no limit to the number of people invited to a tea party; they could have invited a few more people if they wanted.

I’d seen Chris-oniisama and Suzanna talking together many times before, but this was the first time I saw the Crown Prince talking with Monica since their engagement was decided. Monica seemed unaccustomed to being next to the Crown Prince, blushing and flustered, while the Crown Prince appeared to enjoy it, clearly aware of her unease. Ah, so fresh and adorable.  

I was worried at first, but the four of them seemed to be radiating happiness.

"Are we intruding here?" muttered Eldred, the Second Prince.  

Resting his chin on his hand with his elbows on the table, his posture was pretty bad, but the rest of us were relaxed too. Alan-oniisama was seriously scrutinizing which sweets to eat next, and Derrick-sama was busy flirting with the maid who’d brought us tea. I thought he’d calmed down since working at the palace, but apparently, he’s still the same.

"Derrick, she’s going to be the Crown Princess’s maid soon. If you mess around, my brother will kill you."  

"Oh, come now. It’s a man’s duty to praise a beautiful woman. Right, Diadora-jou?"

Why drag me into this?

"Derrick-sama, haven’t you chosen a fiancée yet?"  

"Oh? Are you interested in me?"  

"Brother, Dia already has Camille-sama."  

"Ugh!!"

What are you suddenly blurting out, Patty?!  

Now tea’s gone down the wrong pipe!

"Cough! Ugh!"  

"Here, a handkerchief. Don’t spit it out."

Alan-oniisama, couldn’t you have phrased that a bit more delicately? And there’s no need to pat my back, really. I feel like I’m about to throw up.

"Are you okay? I’m hearing some rather unfeminine sounds from a young lady," the Prince calmly remarks.  

I’m annoyed that he’s not surprised by my reaction, meaning he probably heard about my true nature from the Crown Prince.

"Sorry. Was I not supposed to mention it? I thought it was already official."  

"It’s not official," Chris-oniisama suddenly joins the conversation from afar.

"So, Derrick and I are the only ones here still single?"  

The room fell silent for a moment. Isn’t there a phrase for moments like this? Something about an angel passing by?  

Then everyone’s gaze shifted to Alan-oniisama and Patty, looking back and forth between them. Well, at least they’re not talking about me anymore. That’s a relief.

"What? Don’t tell me you two haven’t made things clear yet?"  

Eldred the Second Prince, what’s gotten into you today?! You’re doing great! Keep going!  

Alan-oniisama has practically dug a moat around Patty but still hasn’t confessed his feelings.

"What? No, no. What are you talking about?"  

Poor Patty, turning bright red and trying to deflect the topic. I should step in to help...

"Oh, come on. I finally arranged a time to talk and even bought a gift," Alan-oniisama grumbled, shooting Eldred a sidelong glare.  

My whole family needs to rethink their attitude towards royalty.

"You’re too slow. Look, Patty’s about to cry. Go comfort her."  

"This is your fault!"

Alan-oniisama got up, went over to Patty, and held out his hand.

"Um, uh..."

With all eyes on her, even the Crown Prince’s, Patty is blushing furiously and glancing around, unable to meet Alan-oniisama’s gaze. She’s too embarrassed to look at him directly.

"Patty, go on," I encouraged.  

"Dia..."  

"It’s okay; you can punch Alan-oniisama once if you need to."

I joked, and Alan-oniisama playfully tapped me on the head.

"Patty."  

When Alan-oniisama called her name, Patty finally raised her head and met his gaze. She slowly took his hand and stood up.  

The

 way Alan-oniisama supported the stumbling Patty... Anyone who hadn’t realized his feelings for her before would know in an instant after seeing that expression on his face.

"Eldred-denka, I’m impressed. As expected!"  

"Hmph. It’s not like I’m happy to be praised for something like this."

I remarked while watching the two of them walk away, only for Eldred to turn his head away in a huff.

"Patty is like a little sister to me."  

"Well, she’s my sister, but if it’s Alan... I guess..."  

"You should be thinking about your own situation."

So now Alan-oniisama and Patty are officially recognized as a couple by the family. Following Suzanna, Patty is going to be my sister-in-law someday too. How wonderful!

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**Author Notes:**

Thank you for reading.  

Your reports on typos are always appreciated.  

If you found this story enjoyable, please consider leaving a rating below!

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