“Father, I’m sorry, but can’t you assign not only Ilse but also two or three more personal maids to me?” In response to this sudden request, Father set down the knife and fork he was holding on the table and looked at me suspiciously. “Isn’t Ilse enough?” “No, currently Ilse is doing a great job as my right hand, but…” “But what?” This is the crucial part! I need hands to assist me in my plan. I clench my teeth and look at Father with determination in my blue eyes. “…I have been cursed.” First, I briefly announce this shocking statement. This is important. It’s the basics of a presentation. If you can’t capture the other person’s interest at first, no matter how good your proposal is, no matter how much you try to explain it, they won’t listen to you. They’ll just ignore you. That’s why I first say “curse” only. The explanation can come later when Father shows interest. “A curse…?” “Yes.” I wonder if he took the bait… Well, actually, the “curse” is a lie. It’s said that “advanced science and magic are indistinguishable.” Well, it’s just something I picked up from a book I read in my previous life. For example, if you showed a smartphone to someone in the Edo period, they would call it magic… or at that time, they would call it witchcraft. Science, magic, witchcraft… even curses, without knowledge, you can’t distinguish between them.
If you don’t know something, you can’t understand it. That’s why I think that modern Japanese science would be indistinguishable from curses or magic in this world. So I tried to merge my knowledge of modern Japanese science with the magic in this world. Sound is essentially vibration. The vibration travels through the air and reaches the eardrum. The human body emits electrical signals from the brain. Those electrical signals are transmitted to the muscles, and the muscles move by the contraction of the smallest unit of muscle, the sarcomere. I use magic to stop the “transmission”…well, that’s the simple explanation. The actual spell is much more complex, but let’s skip the explanation. If the vibration of the vocal cords is not transmitted, the voice cannot be uttered. If the electrical signals from the brain are not transmitted, the body does not move. It’s the kind of knowledge you learn in science class, but it doesn’t exist in this maiden(otome) game world. In this world, illnesses and injuries are treated with potions and recovery magic. There is no developed medical care, and naturally, scientific knowledge such as human body structure, muscle movement, and the mechanism of sound transmission are not known. I incorporated such knowledge that does not exist in this world into the basic theory of my magic. It’s not a curse or anything like that. However, it’s knowledge that people in this world don’t know about. Curses, magic, and scientific knowledge…since they don’t know about them, there’s no problem with lumping them all together under the category of “curses.” So whether I say “curse,” “scientific knowledge,” or “magic,” the name doesn’t matter. They can all be grouped together as “unknown knowledge that doesn’t exist in this world = curse!” Also, I’m using various layers of magic. For example, I registered Prince Gied’s voice in my magic, and I can’t cancel the magic without him saying “engagement cancellation” in his own voice…stuff like that. Well, it’s basically just voice authentication. I don’t intend to explain to Father about the mix of my previous life’s knowledge and the magic in this world. What I want to tell Father now is only one point, “I am under a curse (although it’s a lie) that makes my body unable to move.”
“I have been cursed by someone or something. I am currently resisting it with my own magical power… but soon I will be consumed by the curse without being able to lift it.” Taking a breath, I picked up my cup of tea and took a sip. “Right now, I can still drink tea with my own hands. But soon, I won’t be able to do even that.” “What do you mean?” “Both my right hand and left arm… they will stop moving because of the curse.” In reality, I put magic on both of my arms myself, but I’ll keep that to myself. “Since I won’t be able to use my hands, I need someone that can move in my place. Right now, I can eat breakfast and drink tea with my own hands, but… I’ll have to rely on my maids for everything. It’ll be too much for just Ilse alone. From the time I wake up until I go to bed, someone will have to be by my side, taking care of me without rest.” It’s more like caregiving than just taking care of me. I won’t be able to wash my face or bathe myself, and I won’t even be able to take off my own pants when I go to the bathroom. It would be extremely difficult to make just one person do all that. And if Ilse were to catch a cold or fever, for example… during that time, there would be no one to take care of me. I won’t say there won’t be anyone, but it would be difficult to leave it to someone who isn’t used to it.
Let’s add to the confusion while my father is still stunned. Speed is crucial in negotiations, after all. “If it were just my arms, Ilse and one other person should be enough. But the curse isn’t just in my arms. Soon, I won’t be able to speak either. If that’s the case, I’ll need someone who can understand my intentions without me having to speak. I can’t leave it to temporary help. I’ll need several people who can understand my intentions and take care of me, just like Ilse or even better.” I will strip myself of the attribute of being a blessed daughter of a duke. I won’t be able to move my hands or speak. That should make it easier for others to sympathize with me… I hope. If I can get their sympathy, the probability of me being considered a villain will decrease… that’s what I think. That’s the first step. And if there are flaws in my body, the engagement with the second prince should be dissolved. I’ve been trying to dissolve the engagement in a gentle way so far, but none of it has worked… In order for the heroine and the second prince to be together in an otome game, apparently, there has to be a villainess. But a person who can’t speak or move can’t become a princess. That’s the second step.
Even if the engagement doesn’t dissolve… with this arm of mine, I can’t fulfil the typical otome game trope of pushing the heroine down the stairs or ripping up her textbooks. If I can’t speak, I can’t even order the other noble ladies to bully the heroine. Even if they’re doing it on their own, I can’t stop them. In other words, I’m not at fault. I have been asked by my father whether I truly received a curse or if it was impossible to lift the curse, but all I could do was shake my head in response.
“I don’t know. But my arm movements have already started to worsen. If my resistance falters even a little bit… my body will be consumed by the curse in an instant.” I bow my head, enduring the pain. “…Father. Please assign me a maid first. And… if possible, please dissolve the engagement with the second prince… as if it never existed.” I close my eyes tightly, trying to hold back my tears. I’m not a skilled enough actress to cry on cue, but this is important and my body starts to tremble. My father responds in a low voice, “Understood.” Phew, I’ve cleared the first step. But I can’t let my guard down. Let’s keep going.
