Chapter 22: Confirming the Present Condition
I couldn’t see or hear “It” myself, but thanks to the drawing my classmate made, I was able to learn what it looked like. On that day at the family restaurant, I died in what was likely a gasoline explosion accident. I had thought that I died because “It” had broken free from all its chains and released me without my knowing.
After that, I was reincarnated into this world. A world where magic exists, along with spirits like Leaf and other mysterious beings. And here, I’ve lived as Rachel for two years between the age of 13 and now, at 15. Although it’s been in the limited space of the mansion, during those two years, I haven’t met anyone who reacts like the psychic or my former classmate who could “see.”
That’s why I thought “It” was no longer with me and that I had been freed. However, after the incident with Martina-jou yesterday, someone testified that “It” came out from within me while I was unconscious. From Leaf’s words, it was clear that it was “It.”
“It” had stayed attached to me even after I died, reincarnated, and crossed into another world. While that phenomenon itself is shocking, this also reveals something important: “It” didn’t possess me by chance or coincidence but with a clear intention and purpose toward “me.”
In my past life as Reiko, I had thought, like the phrase “a curse for generations,” that some ancestor of mine who was related by blood had been cursed, which is why “It” had possessed me as their descendant. However, after reincarnating into this world and becoming Rachel of the Stave family, which has no blood connection to Reiko, “It” still latched onto “me.”
Why does “It” cling to me so much? If bloodlines aren’t involved, could it be my “soul”…? Just like I was reincarnated, maybe I’ve repeated the cycle of reincarnation many times, without remembering, and somewhere in one of my past lives, I became involved with “It.”
I rose from the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping Leaf, and walked to the full-length mirror. My reflection, the one I’ve seen many times, appeared there. But “It” was not reflected behind me. I thought after yesterday’s incident that, in this world where magic and spirits can be visualized, “It” must be hiding in a much deeper phenomenon beyond those forces.
That much is certain, but the issue lies with me. During today’s incident in the greenhouse, only “I” couldn’t see the “figure” that Jun and Neese were able to perceive. I understand why Reiko from my past life couldn’t see such things — that was normal. But in this world, where it’s normal to see such things, Rachel’s body not being able to see “It” is strange.
Perhaps it’s not a physical issue but something tied to the “soul,” as I mentioned earlier…
I turn around and see Leaf, sleeping atop the sapling. It’s natural that I can see Leaf in her materialized form, but I can also see her when she’s in spirit form. So why was I unable to see the figure that day, even though I can see Leaf in her spirit form? I have no idea what the difference is.
Thinking about it, I realize there’s a lot I don’t understand. Why is “It” so fixated on me? Why can’t I see “It” in a world where magic and spirits exist? Why was I the only one who couldn’t see the figure in the greenhouse?
What I do know for sure is that “It” is definitely still possessing me in this world, and that this world is the setting of an otome game. But even that raises questions—why is it an otome game world? And although I’ve only confirmed a few things, I can’t even tell if the story is progressing as it does in the game.
I came to this academy to see if the world was really following the “storyline.” At the entrance ceremony, the encounter event started between the five “capture targets” and their fiancées, the five “villainesses,” which serves as the prologue of the game.
In the game, this event would increase the heroine’s favorability with all the capture targets while also drawing the resentment and hostility of the villainesses. But I didn’t want to follow the “storyline,” so I made choices completely different from the ones offered in the game.
In the original event, the heroine gets lost and converses with the capture targets on her way to the ceremony. However, I declined their offer of guidance and headed to the ceremony on my own. Unlike in the game, where the protagonist gets lost, in reality, there’s a clear flow of people heading to the venue, making it easy to find on my own. Thinking about it, the game’s protagonist might have deliberately gotten lost to be guided by the capture targets. That makes her rather cunning.
Thus, I deviated from the main route, but I wanted to see if related events would still occur, which is why I got involved in yesterday’s event with Martina-jou. In the game, that event would have unfolded secretly during the night, with Martina-jou being cut and found the next morning by the protagonist.
However, I was present at the scene, and what’s more, I rendered Martina-jou unconscious. If, like in my past life, “It” caused her to fall unconscious, then she won’t be able to participate in the story for a while. I wondered how the story would change with her absence.
In the original game event, the protagonist, torn apart by Martina, is unable to attend class, and one of the “capture targets” lends them a textbook, increasing their favorability. However, in reality, none of the “capture targets” appeared during class. It was only after class that Prince Allen, one of the capture targets, showed up. The way things have changed feels strange. Martina is the only one missing from the event, but the others could have been present for class—yet they weren’t. It feels almost as if they didn’t appear because there was no need to lend the textbook.
Could the story be correcting itself? But this world is Rachel’s reality… I don’t understand. It feels like some great wheel of fate is turning, something far beyond my comprehension.
If that’s true, then what can I do? Can someone as small as me, like a little fish swimming in a mighty river, really change the flow? If the story continues as it does in the game, a tragic fate awaits them all. I can’t just sit by and let that happen.
Just as I’ve been burdened with “It,” an unfortunate existence, they too are puppets, forced into unhappy roles within the story. Freeing them from their tragic fates would be my way of resisting the unfortunate role I’ve been forced into.
Glancing at the clock, I see it’s getting late. I need to sleep—there’s class tomorrow. With thoughts of how tomorrow’s events might change, I drift off to sleep.
