Chapter 11 – I discovered the truth

A few days after safely completing the tea party, Mary came over to my place as promised. Amazingly enough, Mary seems to have studied about vegetables for the sake of my field. What a kind child!

Talking with her, I discovered that we were the same age, and that Mary was also a person with magic power, making her easy to understand and get along with. She seemed quite frightened in the beginning, but smiles can finally be seen.

And then, my field was completely resurrected by Mary who came to visit many times over.

“Mary. Really, thank you. Thanks to you, the field has become completely healthy.”

I thanked Mary while looking at the recovered field.

“No, it’s because Katarina-sama has worked very hard.”

Mary said so while smiling. It’s such an adorable beauty’s smile, a heavenly sight to behold.

“Man, I thought they might even wither and die…… As I thought, Mary is really amazing.”

“……No, nothing of the sort.”

Although Mary is being humble, she’s really very good at growing plants, and after coming in contact with Mary’s hands, even plants on the verge of death have been revitalized. Mary’s hands are special. That’s right, about these type of hands, they were called…

“Mary, you have a green thumb!”

“……Green thumb?”

“Yep, a green thumb. It means your hands have a special talent for growing plants!”

“……Special talent……”

“Yeah, Mary’s just overflowing with talent when it comes to growing plants!”

I was squeezing both of her hands as I was saying so. Mary was staring wide-eyed at her clenched hands.

“……My hands are special……”

“Yep, you and your green thumb are an amazing, special existence!”

I said so while smiling, and Mary cracked a faint smile as well. Her smile was as lovely as if flowers were blooming.

“Katarina-sama, the field has returned to a healthy state, but…… if it’s okay with you, is it alright if I come visit again?”

“Of course, you’re more than welcome to come over and play anytime.”

I told the somewhat reserved Mary that she was “very, very welcome,” and laughed happily.

“Having a green thumb is so amazing.”

As I sent off Mary, Keith who had been left alone standing by my side quietly up until now spoke up.

“Indeed, someone like Mary who is so good at growing plants is quite a person.”

“Yes, that’s right. I read a book a long time ago t.i.tled “The Girl with the Green Thumb,” has nee-san also read this book?”

“Uh… I don’t think I’ve read that book…… I don’t quite remember how I knew about it.”

For some reason, it just came to mind all of a sudden while watching Mary. I wonder where I knew about it from?

“Well anyways, Mary has become really bright now.”

“That’s right. At first, she was really scared of me.”

“Eh, she was scared of nee-san?”

“……Yeah, it must be the fault of my villainous face.”

I mocked myself slightly to the shocked Keith. I hate this villainous face that I’ve inherited from mother’s genes.

“……Saying it’s a villainous face…… I don’t think any such thing…… Also, I don’t think Mary-sama was only scared of nee-san. It felt that way no matter who she was speaking to.”

“……Eh, was that so?”

“Yeah, she gave off a super nervous feeling with everyone she met…… There must be various circ.u.mstances at home that caused her to completely lose her self-confidence.”

“……Various circ.u.mstances? Like what?”

I thought it was quite a mystery while Keith looked at me as if I was insane.

“What exactly did nee-san even do at the Hunt family’s tea party? You should have heard about all this at the tea party.”

“……Uh…”

After I finished my greetings, I was busy thinking about how to take the sweets home with me. After I was caught by Keith, I was busy eating the sweets that I wouldn’t be able to take home. As such, I barely even partic.i.p.ated in the tea party. Well, at least I didn’t get into any trouble. Rather, it was kind of a strategy of sorts. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Keith who was staring at me seemed to have given up on something and gave a loud sigh. Er, I feel kinda sorry now, my stepbrother.

And then, Keith told me the story he had heard at the tea party.

It seems that, as for the four Hunt sisters, the first three have the same mother, while the youngest child Mary’s mother is the second wife. After his first wife died of all illness, Mary’s mother entered the family as the second wife. However, it seems that Mary’s mother does not have a very high status, so Marquis Hunt’s remarriage was not very welcome. Moreover, even Mary’s mother was married over her objection, and also died of illness when Mary was five. Although the remaining Mary was cherished by her father, it seems that sparks often flew between Mary and her sisters.

As such, it seems that Mary hears mean things like “your blood is low status” or “you have no cla.s.s” from her sisters every day.

“……So, that’s why, Mary seemed to be so nervous at first.”

Certainly, if you heard your relatives saying bad things about you every day, your self-confidence would disappear. If you think yourself to be useless, then appearing in front of people could very well be frightening.

“But, it seems like she’s changed quite a lot, Mary-sama will surely be alright now.”

Keith said so with a face as if he knew everything for some reason. He looked so self-a.s.sured that I wondered if he knew something else he wasn’t telling me. Even though I asked, he seems to be taking me lightly.

My stepbrother that was at first just bouncing around behind me when he first came here, had somehow completely matured in just a few months.

He is desperately working hard in both etiquette and magic lessons, and when I said to my maturing brother that “you don’t have to hurry up and become an adult this fast,” he replied “I want to get as much power as fast as possible in order to protect what’s important to me,” with a very grown-up look. Honestly, I’ve even become a bit lonely. Moreover, he wouldn’t even tell me what it was that he wanted to protect, onee-chan is feeling completely left out here.

“Come to think of it, it’s about time for Mary-sama’s engagement to Prince Alan to be determined.”

“…Oh, really?”

I responded with whatever seemed appropriate while watching Keith. While I was thinking I could have a cute little brother for a bit longer, he’s already becoming an adult…… Moreover, what could he possibly want to protect. It couldn’t be, does he already have someone he likes!? Hey now, first of all, please introduce her properly to onee-chan! I won’t forgive her if she seems too weird……

……Huh? What did Keith say just now?

“……Keith. What did you just say?”

“……Nee-san.”

Keith made a stunned face again. I’m so sorry.

“I was saying, it’s about time for Mary-sama’s engagement to Prince Alan to be determined.”

“……Eh? Mary is getting engaged to who……??”

“It’s Prince Alan. Prince Jared’s younger twin brother, the fourth prince of this country.”

“!?”

“Mary-sama is currently the best candidate to become Prince Alan’s fiancee.”

“……Prince Alan’s fiancee?”

“It hasn’t been decided officially yet, but it should be soon. Marquis Hunt’s family is quite high status and wealthy, and she is the same age as Prince Alan and a good match for him…… Hey, nee-san, where are you going?!”

In the middle of Keith’s explanation, I had already run inside to my room.

Prince Alan, or Alan Stuart, was one of the heroine’s capture targets. I had to review my “Previous life’s game memories” notes as quickly as possible.

I immediately opened up to the section on Prince Alan as soon as I returned to my room.

Alan Stuart. Jared’s younger twin brother, the fourth prince of the country. Until he was five, he was quite sickly, and almost died. Because of that, he was raised over protectively, and became a rather spoiled prince. However, compared to his older twin that can do anything, he’s a bit perverted. He always had a strong sense of rivalry and inferiority towards his older twin, and barely interacted with him at all.

Such an Alan attended school with his twin, viewing his brother as a rival to defeat, and strove to train in magic. During this time, for the results of the first academic tests, Alan was ranked third. In first place was his brother Jared, and second place was the heroine. Not only did he not beat his brother, but since he also lost to a commoner girl, he got involved with her by viewing her as a rival to beat.

Then, while getting himself involved with the bright, optimistic heroine, he fell in love. And, the heroine told him that “it’s fine for Alan to just be Alan,” his strong sense of inferiority gradually faded, and he even began interacting with his brother Jared normally.

By the way, the villainess Katarina Claes does not appear on Alan’s route. She slightly teased the commoner heroine for her good grades, but it was nothing obnoxious like the Jared or Keith routes. There was a different rival that appeared instead. That would be, Prince Alan’s fiancee, Marquis Hunt’s daughter, Mary Hunt.

Mary, who loved Prince Alan from the bottom of her heart, was jealous of the heroine, but…… she didn’t stoop to the level of Katarina’s hara.s.sment.

Mary was an obstacle to the heroine in the form of a wonderful lady. Showing the difference between her and a commoner in areas such as etiquette and dance, she was a dignified rival to the heroine.

In contrast to Prince Jared’s utter lack of feelings towards Katarina, although Prince Alan didn’t hold romantic feelings towards Mary, he treated Mary very well and thought of her as a cute sister.

The game’s ending was also completely different from the Katarina endings.

If the heroine captures Alan successfully, and gets the happy end –

Mary will give up Alan over to the heroine, and congratulate them while asking the heroine to “always support Prince Alan from now on.” However, it was a saddening scene where there were tears in her eyes as she said so.

And, if the heroine fails to capture Alan, and gets the bad end –

Alan gets married with Mary as originally promised, and all is well that ends well.

I thought as hard as I could with this information in front of me.

Why is it only to Katarina!! Even though she is also a rival character, Mary doesn’t have any destruction flags! To begin with, Mary is such a wonderful character! Why is it only Katarina that’s such a terrible villain!

What could the production staff possibly be thinking! Why, is it only Katarina that’s this pathetic! The setting is too pitiful! You guys should have went over Katarina Claes again, and given her a chance to redeem herself!

And somehow Alan, is lucky enough to become happy in both the happy and bad ends! Even though Jared and Keith have to disappear as criminals for killing Katarina in their bad ends! It’s preposterous! I can’t forgive the production staff! If I can return to my previous life again, I’m definitely going to go to this otome game company and make a complaint!!

……And, after releasing my hot-blooded pa.s.sion, I looked at the notes again.

There’s no mistake about it, “Mary Hunt” definitely seems to be my kind, cute friend. Because the game’s Mary was such a perfect lady, it was hard to connect her to the Mary that is so timid now.

To begin with, there was no friends.h.i.+p between Katarina and Mary in the game, I think. Rather, Mary didn’t seem to think highly of Katarina’s style of getting her own way in everything by abusing her father’s authority.

No way, even though Mary is also a rival character like me.

However, Mary doesn’t even know how to write Alan’s name currently. It seems that the engagement hasn’t been decided yet, and they probably haven’t even met.

If I recall correctly, the heroine heard about their first meeting during the confrontation with Mary in Alan’s route.

In her childhood, Mary often clashed with her sisters from a different mother, and grew up hearing mean comments from her sisters every day, losing her self-confidence completely and thinking herself a useless person. In front of such a Mary, appeared Prince Alan, who praised Mary for her garden that she raised.

“Mary’s amazing. You have a green thumb!”

It is said that having a green thumb means your hands have a special talent for growing plants. And then, the prince told Mary that she was an amazing, special existence for having a green thumb.

Mary regained some of her lost self-confidence from hearing Prince Alan’s words. And then, before she realized, she had come to love Prince Alan more than anyone else.

After that, Mary worked hard every day to become a worthy enough person to stand next to Prince Alan, and became a splendid lady admired by everyone by the time she entered school.

Such a big difference from Katarina, who neglected her magic studies, only chasing after Prince Jared instead. Mary is really great.

You and your green thumb are an amazing, special existence, eh… Prince Alan also said such wonderful words.

……Green thumb…… Oh, that’s it! This is why I know about what a green thumb is. Ohh, it’s refres.h.i.+ng to have finally remembered.

So that was it, it’s something that Prince Alan said to Mary…… that you and your green thumb are an amazing, special existence……

Huh? I, I just said this a little while ago to Mary……

……Oh no!? I, ended up stealing Prince Alan’s words!? I couldn’t have used the Prince’s famous pick-up lines before he did!! What should I do, at this rate Prince Alan will tell her rehashed lines instead. Even though they’re great lines, it’ll only have half the power the second time around.

Ahh, I’m such an idiot, if only I had noticed quicker…… I reflected in remorse alone in my room for a while……

Well, I can’t take back what I’ve already said. I felt defiant about it. And, because Prince Alan is a wonderful prince in an otome game, he’ll be fine even if I steal one of his lines. I’m sure, he’ll think of something even more fabulous in order to make Mary enamored with him! It’s nothing much if I just take one line! Not a big deal!

After coming to a conclusion, and sorting out my feelings, I went back to find Keith, who I had left behind.

My name is Mary Hunt. I’m the youngest of four daughters in Marquis Hunt’s family.

Although my mother was a very beautiful person, she wasn’t highly thought of in the mansion because her social status was low.

Even so, father and mother were very much in love. However, my three older sisters didn’t seem to think very highly of me……

However, when mother pa.s.sed away – the environment around me changed completely. Since father was often out working, without mother anymore I had no more place in this mansion.

Originally, since the servants were not very accepting of mother as she was low in social status, they would also not treat her daughter very well either.

And, my three older sisters began to hara.s.s me once my mother’s protection was lost.

They would hide my things, or break them, or call me all sorts of names.

“Dirty redhead,” “filled with low status,” “low cla.s.s.” Hearing this abuse and hara.s.sment every day, my heart became quite weak, and I became afraid to come into contact with people, and was always frightened. And, I was thinking that I’m just such a helpless child.

My only escape was the courtyard garden. The only peace I got was when I was taking care of the plants there.

Then, one day, I met her at a tea party that was hosted by the Hunt family. While I was only frightened, the other girl identified herself as Katarina Claes.

Katarina returned a magnificent greeting to me in our first meeting, it was like we were from completely different worlds.

Since I’m a wimp that’s afraid of people, I ran from the tea party while it was still going on. And, just like usual, I escaped to the courtyard garden.

There, the issue of Katarina Claes appeared.

Katarina, who ran up to the garden suddenly, praised the plants that I had been taking care of. Since n.o.body had praised me like this since mother died, I had completely forgotten what it was like.

Then, Katarina asked me to look at the field she made herself, because it was in bad shape. Honestly, I’m shocked that a duke’s daughter would make a field by herself, but the way Katarina talked about her field pa.s.sionately with a twinkle in her eyes was actually pretty cute.

Then, I agreed to go visit the Claes family, and help with the matter of the field. I studied desperately about vegetables because I wanted to help Katarina even just a little.

Katarina was always so grand, bright, and optimistic, she was really amazing. And, each time I got praised by Katarina I regained some of my lost self-confidence.

“Mary, you have a green thumb! It means your hands have a special talent for growing plants! Yep, you and your green thumb are an amazing, special existence!”

I had thought that I was only a good-for-nothing cowardly wimp. However, Katarina was telling me that I was a special existence. And that I was amazing. I was really, really happy.

I want to become someone worthy of standing next to Katarina as a friend.

That’s why, I shall say goodbye to the cowardly wimp Mary Hunt. Definitely so, in order to one day stand proudly next to Katarina.