The Reincarnated Villainess Whose Romantic Trauma From Her Past Life Is Too Strong Is Sweetly and Painfully Doted On by the Prince of the Neighboring Country - Chapter 4

Now, let us turn back time just a few days to before Salute came to visit Cherie’s room.

◇◆◇

“Cherie, I would like you to come to my country.”

Faced with this request from Salute or rather, Salute—Cherie voiced the question that immediately came to mind.

“Lord Salute, what do you mean by ‘to your country’…?”

Salute gently took Cherie’s hand in his and explained the situation slowly and kindly, ensuring she could follow along.

“Actually, I’ve been hiding this until now, but I am royalty from Trigea, this country’s neighbor. My name isn’t actually Salute; it’s Salute.”

“What…?”

(—No, I actually know that. I played your route to death in my past life.)

Though that was her true thought, Cherie couldn’t exactly say it, so she made a point of feigning surprise.

“I transferred to this academy under a false identity for certain reasons. During my time here, I had the opportunity to witness your skills as a Florist, Lady Mercury.”

“My skills as a Florist…?”

“Yes.”

In this world and specifically in the game The Flower-Binding Maiden, a [Florist] is a unique and vital profession. This world is said to be sustained entirely by the power of plants. Magic is channeled through flowers, and medicines are brewed using their essence. Even the “Flower-Binding Maiden” from the game’s title refers to a Saint who can wield this floral power.

While the original game didn’t go into exhaustive detail about the role of a Florist, it was essentially the equivalent of a pharmacist or more accurately, a developer of medicinal potions. They extract the latent power from plants to create recovery potions, mana enhancers, and the like.

“Your abilities as a Florist are remarkable, even when compared to others. That is why I want to ask: would you like to come to my country and put those talents to use?”

It made sense. Having obsessed over the original game, Cherie was an expert on the flora of this world. To clear the game, it had been essential to know which plant properties to combine to maximize potency. The knowledge she had naturally acquired through countless playthroughs was now being treated as a brilliant talent in this life.

“It may seem unsightly for me to persist after having my proposal rejected. However, I truly believe it would be a tragic waste for your abilities to remain buried here in this kingdom.”

In this country, Dortmund, patriarchal customs remained deeply entrenched. Politics and business were for men; women were expected to protect the home and support their working husbands from the shadows. In Dortmund, where this was considered common sense and the “right” way to live, women were barred from holding professional careers.

“If you are willing, I will prepare a position for you as my personal Florist, as well as a seat as a researcher at the Royal Institute.”

As Salute made this plea to Cherie, he appeared nothing but sincere and earnest.

(Personal Florist to the Prince of Trigea, and a researcher at the Royal Institute…)

Cherie weighed the words and their implications carefully.

(—It’s true. As long as I stay in this country, a woman can only ever bloom in a man’s shadow.)

In a nation that frowned upon women entering the public eye, no matter how talented a woman was, she could never achieve success openly. Having entered the academy and seen the grades of her classmate, Wraith—who, to put it mildly, was not exactly brilliant—Cherie had studied tirelessly, believing she was the only one who could support him from the background.

She hadn’t hated doing it. In fact, she had enjoyed learning new things and felt happy knowing she could be of use to someone. However, now that she had regained the memories of her past life, Cherie’s perspective had shifted. She wanted to be independent and live by her own strength.

(…If I follow Lord Salute, I might be able to live independently, without having to rely on a man.)

She recalled her time working as a corporate employee in her previous life. Honestly, going to the office every day had been exhausting and difficult, but there had been an undeniable sense of accomplishment. There were the relationships and the experiences gained through work.

(It will change the original story significantly, but…)

She wondered if that was really a problem. Lily, the true heroine of this story, was currently on Wraith’s route, not Salute’s. Therefore, even if Cherie went to Trigea with Salute, she shouldn’t be interfering with Lily’s path.

(In fact, from the perspective of disappearing from Lily and Wraith’s lives, it’s the same as the original game except I’m not being condemned and exiled…)

When she thought about it that way, while her own fate would change drastically, the main characters like Lily would remain unaffected. As long as she stayed in the shadows as an assistant to Salute, she wouldn’t have a major impact on the core plot. If that was the case, what reason was there to hesitate?

After a long moment of silent contemplation, Cherie reached her conclusion and quietly spoke to the man standing before her.

“…I understand, Prince Salute. I shall—”

◇◆◇

And so, as a result of that decision, Cherie now stood side-by-side with Salute.

“Thank you for this grand welcome.”

Having shed his “Salute” persona and returned to his true form, Salute was a man so beautiful he left everyone breathless. Though he seemed mature due to his calm tone and composure, Salute was actually seventeen the same age as Cherie. He was perhaps more of a “beautiful youth” than a “handsome man.” He had a refreshingly sweet face that made everyone sigh, and glossy, flowing blonde hair. His dark blue eyes sparkled like a reflection of the midnight sky.

Accompanied by Cherie, he stepped forward toward the dais where the royalty of Dortmund was lined up.

“I have come today to offer my greetings, and also to ask for your permission to take the lady beside me, Cherie Mercury, back to my kingdom.”

Beside Cherie, Salute wore an unfathomable smile as he made the announcement.

In the line of royalty, Wraith and Lily stood with their mouths hanging open, their faces masks of utter shock.