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

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Author Notes:

It turned out to be much longer than expected...

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The evening of the tea party, I received a sudden message from Father to go to Berisario immediately. His letter mentioned only that many of the Bantock faction members had been poisoned and that His Majesty the Emperor would be retiring, with the Crown Prince succeeding him. The specifics of what had happened were left for me to learn from Chris or Lord Derrick once I arrived in Berisario.

The girls who witnessed the deaths firsthand looked pale, had lost their appetites, and some even cried. It’s only natural. Who could have an appetite after seeing people die right in front of them? I would have reacted the same way if I had been there.

But what was strange was the reaction of the boys. Derrick-sama’s reaction could be explained by his age, but Chris and Alan were only eleven and eight years old. How could they remain so calm? Just because they were boys didn’t mean they should be unaffected. Even after the girls left, they continued to eat and converse as if nothing had happened.

"Was Jean-sama panicking? I thought he was more capable than that," Chris remarked, only for Derrick-sama to shrug lightly.

"Isn't it obvious? It was because of your sister. He never expected her to side with the Crown Prince and appear as an enemy so soon. And the fact that he was under house arrest, limiting his interactions and social skills, didn’t help," Derrick replied.

"And you aren’t exactly a people person either," Chris retorted.

"Hey, haven’t you become a bit harsher toward me?" Derrick complained.

"That's how my brother treats people he likes," Alan interjected.

As the three of them talked, I found myself unable to join the conversation. I felt they shared a bond from having experienced something terrible together. I couldn’t be a part of that because I wasn’t there at the tea party.

"By the way, why are you here, Douglas? Did Marquis Carlyle order you to come?" Chris asked.

"Brother," Alan warned.

"But it’s true. It’s unthinkable that he wouldn’t come to a gathering like that, especially since it involved decisions that would shape the future of the empire," Chris continued.

"Chris, you shouldn’t pressure an eight-year-old child like that," Derrick said. "If you have complaints, direct them at Marquis Carlyle."

"I have no complaints," Chris replied. "But I see. Douglas is just an ordinary eight-year-old boy."

Chris sighed deeply and placed his fork on his plate with a clink.

"Oh dear, he just implied that we’re not normal," Derrick commented.

"Being twelve years old and saying that is pretty strange, Derrick-sama," Alan retorted.

"I have older sisters, so I’ve been trained well," Derrick replied with a grin.

So I’m just an ordinary child? And Alan and Dia are different from me? I see. They were lowering themselves to my level, making it easier for me to talk with them. That realization still hurts my chest when I think about it. The friends I thought were my equals were actually far more capable than I’d imagined.

"Douglas will be as capable as us by the time he’s twelve. Everyone grows at different rates," Alan reassured me.

"You’re biased toward Douglas, Alan. The fact that Marquis Carlyle sent him here suggests a desire to maintain good relations with Berisario. It might even signify their alignment with the Crown Prince. I hope Carlyle becomes close to Lord Eldred," Chris remarked.

"Perhaps," Alan replied. "I suspect I’m already seen as part of the Crown Prince's faction."

"Even if they don’t think so, Andy will want to keep you close," Chris continued. "And if that's the case, Douglas, it would be great if you could stay friendly with His Highness."

"You and Alan are too wary of Eldy. He’s just a child; he has no ambition to replace his brother," Derrick chimed in.

Their conversation continued without me. My mind was still reeling from the shock of realizing how much I didn’t understand. I wondered if Dia, who I thought of as just a younger girl, saw me as nothing more than an ordinary kid. That thought made me feel surprisingly unsettled.

"I understand, but he has no decent people around him. Having Douglas there would benefit him," Chris replied. "Right, brother?"

"Is that so?" Alan asked.

"Brother, don't exploit the Marquis family so easily," Alan admonished.

"If Alan thought Marquis Carlyle had sent Douglas because he’d made a wrong decision and wanted to mend fences with us, then I'm just offering him a chance to redeem himself," Chris responded.

"As if you had to tell me," Alan muttered.

I finally realized they were talking about me and His Highness. Still overwhelmed, I struggled to respond until I managed, "I’ve always stayed friendly with His Highness. He might act like he's above everyone else, but deep down, he’s kind and loves the Crown Prince."

"And what good is kindness?" Chris asked, sounding disinterested.

"It’s important. You rely on Alan and Dia for that, don’t you?" Derrick pointed out.

"How perceptive of you, Derrick-sama. I must report this to the Crown Prince," Alan teased.

"Stop it! Please don’t," Derrick begged.

"Wait, do you not speak like this in front of His Highness?" I asked.

"No, because I don’t want to work," Derrick confessed.

For the rest of the conversation, Chris didn't speak to me again. In hindsight, he was probably trying to gauge Derrick-sama’s abilities through their conversation. At the time, I thought Chris had finally given up on me.

From that point on, I couldn’t feel at ease talking to Alan or Dia. And when I noticed that while I continued visiting Berisario, Alan rarely visited Carlyle, I naturally started seeing them less. When we met again, our bodies had grown, our appearances had changed, and even Alan, who I was closest to, seemed like a stranger.

Dia also grew taller each time we met and became more beautiful. Yet her personality didn’t change a bit, and her adult-like demeanor seemed like a lie. She laughed easily, flitted around, and kept the stewards on their toes. Despite the Fairy Company’s growing success and her increased popularity among the nobles, Dia remained unchanged.

When Dia started attending the academy, I saw her nearly every day, and others envied our friendship. It made me feel both ticklish and happy. But Father had made it clear that he wouldn’t approve of our engagement. That was why I hadn’t sought the last of the elemental beasts. Father ordered me not to, fearing that if I raised all the elemental beasts, I, as the Marquis family heir, would become the most suitable match for Dia in the empire.

I knew more than anyone that I wasn’t worthy. She was a special girl, and I was just an ordinary boy. Smart, beautiful, with a great personality—she had everything. There was no way she would fall for someone like me. Even as I began to understand the things Chris and the adults had talked about, Chris, Dia, and Alan were already far ahead.

So I had given up. I thought it would be enough to remain her childhood friend, to keep seeing her as I always had. Yet, when I saw her dancing with him, something stirred deep inside my chest. She was looking up at that foreign boy with the black hair, not at me.

I wished he had been unpleasant, someone I could have told her to stay away from. But he was well-liked by the Crown Prince and even faced Chris head-on. He seemed like another special person, just like Dia and the others.

"Why didn’t you gather all the elemental beasts despite having so much magical power? Were you slacking off? Or were you unsure?" Chris asked me again.

No, I had given up long ago. Years ago, I hadn’t even argued with Father because I had already thought it was impossible. I had resigned myself to it, yet my chest still hurt, and my body had acted on its own.

"In any case, you’re not up to the task," Chris continued.

I didn’t need to be told that—I already knew.

"You can’t protect Dia," he added.

Still, it’s not my fault that I fell in love with her.

"Dia, have you chosen him?" I asked.

Camille isn’t like me, is he? I heard he was favored by the spirit king of Luftanen. I’ve never even spoken to a spirit king.

"Douglas, I’m sorry for all the commotion," Dia said.

I had gone to see Alan, but seeing Dia made me happy. When did I start feeling this way? When did I start calling her Dia instead of Diadora? When did I start feeling excited every time I saw her smile? When did I realize it was love?

"Why didn’t you gather the elemental beasts?" Alan asked after Camille and Dia had teleported away.

"I had given up. I’m just an ordinary child, unlike you guys," I replied.

"I’m an ordinary child too," Alan said.

"What?" I asked.

"People grow at different rates, just like their height. I always thought that by the time we’re adults, the differences won’t be so significant," Alan replied.

Won't be significant? With Chris, who’s being invited to become a chancellor, and Dia, who invented the spirit car and made chocolate?

"Alan, you’re definitely one of the Berisario people," I said.

"Well, maybe, but if Dia likes Camille, there’s nothing we can do. That guy is fun," Alan said.

"...Alan, what do you think

 of me?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, Patty…," Alan stammered.

"What are you talking about?" I sighed.

"Were you babysitting me all this time?" I wondered. "You used to visit Berisario all the time."

"Babysitting? Why would I? No one in Berisario could play Knight’s Guard games with me. It was great to have you around, Douglas. Everyone else around us was older, and they were all scared of my siblings and me," Alan answered.

"I see…," I muttered.

So, he did consider me a friend. Does that mean Dia thinks of me as a childhood friend too?

"I guess I should start raising the last spirit beast," I said.

"Do it quickly," Alan urged.

Camille probably won't give up on Dia. By not raising the spirit beasts, I had already lost in terms of how much I cared for her. Maybe when I grow up and understand the adults’ schemes better, I’ll regret giving up on Dia for the rest of my life. But even if I hadn't given up, she would still have chosen him.

"Alan, has Dia already returned…?" I began.

Chris arrived, dressed for the ball. At sixteen, his features had sharpened, and he had grown taller.

"Oh, so you ran into her," Chris said.

For some reason, Chris looked at me with pity and gently patted my back.

"It can’t be helped. Dia is incredibly oblivious. If you hadn’t raised the spirit beasts, you weren’t serious about marriage anyway," he said.

"What?" I replied.

"You like Dia, don’t you?" Chris asked.

I was surprised that he’d noticed, even more so that he spoke so gently about it.

"I knew I wasn’t good enough," I admitted.

"Yes, I suppose you did. I just wish you’d tried a little harder. Dia could have developed the Carlyle territory. I could have brought it under our influence," Chris remarked.

"Hey," I protested.

"Come on, your territory hasn’t produced any new industries in decades, even with its beautiful lake and great location," Chris replied.

"Was that why you and Alan stopped visiting Carlyle?" I asked.

Chris and Alan looked at each other and tilted their heads in unison. They looked surprisingly alike when they did that.

"Didn’t we visit? Oh, right. We always got such a grand welcome; we felt bad about it," Chris explained.

"Yeah, we’re troublesome guests. We didn’t want to make them feel obligated. Besides, I do prefer the sea over a lake," Alan added.

"So, that’s the only reason?" I asked.

"Were you worried we felt offended? You can assure the Marquis that there was nothing like that," Chris replied.

So it wasn’t that they were just tolerating a regular kid like me? Was it really all a misunderstanding on my part?

"Douglas, are you okay? Do you have a headache?" Alan asked.

"I bet Brother’s harsh words made him think he’d done something wrong," Alan said. "Douglas, I always tell you—Brother is harsher with people he likes. I feel sorry for the Crown Prince."

"Liked…by Chris?" I asked.

"Does that mean he likes Camille too?" I wondered.

"I don’t know. That guy annoys me. Alan, this is Dia’s forgotten fan," Chris said, handing over a woman's fan before turning away.

"See? He does like him," Alan muttered.

"I heard that," Chris called over his shoulder.

"Go on, Susanna is waiting for you," Alan prompted.

I still believe Chris didn’t think of me as Dia’s potential partner after that day at the Crown Prince’s tea party, but he hadn’t completely given up on me. I’d just been the one misunderstanding everything, too afraid to ask what they thought.

If I do my best from now on, maybe someday, when Chris becomes the Marquess of the Frontier, I can be an equal as the Marquis. I might be slower, but I hope to catch up to them one day.

"Stop looking so pathetic and let’s go home," Alan said.

"You can go. I know you’re worried about Dia," I replied.

"Rex is with her, so it's fine. Besides, are you going to eat your feelings?" Alan asked.

"No, I’ve already given up long ago. It's too late now," I answered.

"...And you’re making that face?" Alan teased.

As long as she’s happy, I have to be okay with not being the one. She’ll always be an important girl to me.

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Author Notes:

Thank you always for your feedback and for catching typos and mistakes. It’s been a great help!

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