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

"I do not think I am fit to be part of the royal family. Therefore, I wish to renounce my claim to the throne and be removed from the royal lineage."

Huh?

...Huh?

Is this what he meant when he said he had something to discuss with me? This prince has also been struggling and worried. I suppose that's expected.

"No way...to say that here of all places."

Patty covered her face with her hands, devastated. She buried her head between the backrest and my back, groaning. Please stop; that looks strange from the perspective of my brothers.

"If you resent me, it's understandable, but..."

With their matching hair and eye colors, anyone could see they were brothers. They were the most admired and envied siblings in the empire. But compared to my brothers, the distance between these two was vast, and they had lived so long with that distance that they didn't know how to bridge it.

"I do not resent you. I was pampered by our parents and grandfather, unaware that your life was being threatened. If anything, it would be fair for you to resent me."

"I do not resent you. You were just a child."

"When Duke Powell decided you should be the next emperor, you were only six, right? When that incident happened, you were the same age I am now. I cannot accept being told that it's because I was a child. I can't be like you."

No, no, you're normal. You're doing better than normal. You're eleven. In Japan, you'd be an elementary school student. In this world, where adulthood starts at fifteen, maybe you're treated like a middle schooler. But even then, being separated from your parents in such a way, with a busy brother and new caretakers all around, you must have endured so much loneliness.

Don't compare yourself to my brothers or the Crown Prince. They're like cheat characters from another world. Compare yourself to your classmates. You've got Douglas and Monica. Oh no, they're also unusually mature. Have I become too accustomed to my age as Diadora, or am I regressing, or was my mental age always this young? Now I feel sad. Maybe I'm the one who should be worried.

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yes, I thought you would give me a straightforward opinion regardless of my status."

I see. You want my straightforward opinion.

"Renouncing your claim to the throne and leaving the royal family. What kind of position do you want to have afterward?"

"...I'll leave it to my brother."

"Leaving it to others is convenient, isn't it?"

"What..."

"Diadora, be gentle."

Oh? The Crown Prince is worried that our conversation might upset his brother? Does he actually care about Eldred? I'd heard that royal siblings often have a distant relationship due to the many people around them, and considering their history, it wouldn't be surprising if they disliked each other. But there's no negative emotion here. Eldred also seems to have complex feelings but doesn't hate the Crown Prince.

"For example, if you leave the royal family to be with your parents..."

"No!!"

"I see. Then becoming a duke might be more practical. But it won't work."

"Huh?"

"Diadora."

Patty, who had finally emerged from behind my back, looked at me anxiously.

"Even if you renounce your claim, you'll still have royal blood. You can always be brought back. From an outsider's perspective, a prince who gracefully renounces his claim might even have a better reputation."

"Nobody cares about the claim. It's obvious my brother is more suitable as emperor."

"But what if they manipulate you?"

"Ugh."

Kohaku gently grabbed Eldred's hand and sat him back down as he started to stand in anger.

"Diadora, that was a bit harsh."

"You could have phrased it better."

Both Kohaku and Patty scolded me. Is Eldred the type that evokes a protective instinct? But if everyone keeps coddling him and doesn't teach him the harsh realities, he'll end up left behind. Can someone with such a fragile mentality really be part of the royal family?

"Yes, that was too much. I'm sorry. But taking a negative action won't lead to a good outcome. What will you do after leaving the royal family, Your Highness?"

"...I will study... and manage a territory..."

"You haven't thought it through, have you?"

"Ugh."

If you're going to clench your fists and glare at me, why ask for my advice? You said you wanted a straightforward opinion.

"Do you know how hard it is for the Crown Prince right now?"

"Diadora, we don't need to discuss that here."

"So when and where will we? If you stay silent, isn't that making Eldred suffer more?"

It's not just Eldred's fault; the Crown Prince is also to blame. He hasn't given his brother a chance to consult or talk. If he doesn't explain anything, and if information is restricted, it's natural for Eldred to feel like a burden.

"I thought I should prioritize studying now and engage in politics after reaching adulthood."

"Andy, how would you feel if you were in Eldred's position and knew nothing? Your attitude indirectly told Eldred he was useless and unnecessary."

See, even Chris agrees with me.

"That wasn't my intention... But maybe it was."

The Crown Prince slumped back, placing his palm on his forehead and looking up at the sky. He must have a lot of conflicting thoughts and emotions right now. But I have an ordinary brain and can't understand them, so I'll leave that to Chris.

"Do you know that some students at school mock red hair and say that the central region is backward?"

"No..."

"Some nobles flatly refuse to let their daughters be considered as potential fiancées for the Crown Prince, and some look down on the Crown Prince's aides."

"..."

Of course, he wouldn't know. No one would say such things directly to a royal.

"The central region is worse. The central nobles know what the Bantock faction did, what the general and the emperor did in response, and how the empire's power structure changed. The royal family can no longer maintain its authority without the support of the border lords. The continuous bad harvests in the central region and the lagging behind the provinces are blamed on the Empress. Naturally, there's a strong backlash against her son."

As Chris explained, Eldred finally began to understand the Crown Prince's situation. No matter how capable a child is, a child is still a child. The lack of experience is inevitable, but he has to deal with cunning adults every day. Just imagining it is terrifying. Maybe that's why our father wanted Chris to stay close to the Crown Prince.

"Are you going to leave the Crown Prince to handle the royal duties alone? If you regret not doing anything, what will you do now?"

"I..."

Eldred's face, once angry, now showed deep thought. His profile, earnest and serious, looked much more mature than his age. In this world, the time to be a child is short.

"There are only two of you. Trying to protect without communicating leads to misunderstandings."

"Exactly. Our brother was also misunderstood at first, not trusted by Diadora."

"Alan also didn't approach me at first."

"I don't remember."

"It was around the time Diadora was born. You wouldn't remember if you were two or three."

"Everyone not trusting you sounds like you have a really bad reputation..."

"Alan, did you say something?"

Chris grabbed Alan's neck playfully, and the royal siblings watched them with a bit of envy.

"You two should talk more. You need opportunities to thoroughly discuss each other's opinions. Otherwise, you can't judge whether the opinions of those around you are correct. The face of a brother seen by a third party and the face seen by family are different. If you don't have a place to talk, use this place. Let me know, and I'll come to get you."

"Why not now? This place is spacious."

"Now?"

"No preparation..."

Why do you need preparation to talk with your brother? Delaying will make it harder.

"Yes, let's prepare a place over there. Come on, let's go."

"Okay. Let's go."

The Crown Prince stood up rather easily, but Eldred had to be pulled up by Kohaku.

"Straighten up. If you keep troubling Patty, she might dislike you."

"What?"

"Diadora?"

Both Patty and Eldred looked at me, puzzled.

"With such a good girl by your side, you should show off as her boyfriend."

"N-"

"No, we're not like that."

"We're not."

Oh, Eldred's slight improvement in impression just dropped again. Patty swallowed her words, waiting for Eldred's reaction before speaking, but he quickly denied it. If Patty had feelings for him, that would have hurt.

"You're not?"

"I thought you were just not making it public and planning to get engaged once you reached adulthood."

See? Even the Crown Prince thought so. Probably everyone except them thought so.

"I thought the same. I teased Andy, saying his brother already had a partner."

Chris, that's why people say you have a bad personality.

"Why is everyone talking about this?"

"Huh? Do you not understand, you child?!"

"Diadora, calm down."

Patty stopped me, but I had to say it. Standing up, I put one hand on my waist, standing tall.

"Talking in the hallway at that distance, asking Patty to invite you to tea parties, where was Patty's escort today? Only your aides were there, right? If your aides protect Patty, what do you think people will assume?"

"Diadora, use polite language."

"Oh, right, Alan. I just got carried away."

"I feel like using polite language would make it more impactful."

What is this? Kohaku looks like a familiar cousin

, sitting there casually.

"I hadn't thought of that."

"If you don't handle this carefully, rumors will spread that Patty was dumped. Maybe it's fine now because you're still young, but if you were close to adulthood, it could interfere with finding a fiancé."

After listening to Chris's explanation, Eldred finally understood why I was angry.

"I've been speaking to her out of habit since we were little. I'll be more careful from now on."

"I am the same. We have to realize we are now attending school."

They looked genuinely surprised and nodded seriously. I thought it was a classic childhood friends-to-lovers scenario.

"Let's talk over there. Kohaku-sama, please."

"Really, such troublesome kids. You must be careful with girls."

"Yes."

The Crown Prince consoled Eldred, who walked away, shoulders slumped, following Kohaku. The conversation starter seemed to be there, albeit not as intended.

"Patty, are your family members not misunderstanding? Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Yes..."

For some reason, Patty's cheeks blushed slightly, and she turned her back on everyone to hide her face, so I stood next to her, facing away.

"Huh? Do you already have someone in mind?"

"No."

"Do you have someone you like?"

"...No."

You're bad at lying.

"Does your family know?"

"I'm not falling for that."

She caught me.

Reluctantly, I turned back and sat on the sofa, facing my brothers and Kohaku, who were watching peacefully.

"I've never seen you talk to a friend your age, Diadora. You can act like a normal girl too."

"What do you mean?"

"Diadora, what about Carla?"

"...Ahhh."

Patty, who had been serious until now, seemed to know the answer.

"She didn't come."

"She said she was unwell."

"That's tough for her."

Alan said, holding a plate of fruit.

"Skipping a tea party with the Crown Prince and Fairy Princess due to illness, how many days will it take to recover? At least she won't attend classes for a while."

"There's that and Johannes Marquis's letter. You gave it to Father, but it was addressed to you, right? Depending on the contents, who knows what's happening now."

Alan and Chris, could you have mentioned this sooner? I'm afraid to return to reality!

"There's always something around you."

Really!

I'm just wishing for a peaceful life!

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