“Don’t play the fool! Even if I ask her out, she declines! Going all, ‘Oh, today I have an appointment with Lady Katarina.’ In fact, YOU are all she talks about when she is with me! Mary may be pure of heart, but you are clearly at fault for seducing her! There’s no doubt about it!!”
“Wh-What is that supposed to mean?! I’ve had enough of these baseless accusations of yours!” With that, Katarina’s already steeply slanting eyes seemed to slant upwards even more. How was this even possible?
“What baseless accusations? This is the truth! With that face of yours, you’ve corrupted my pure Mary!”
“What is wrong with you?! There’s no such thing! In fact, it’s YOUR fault for asking Mary out when she already has plans to visit my manor! To begin with, if you really were charming, no girl would turn down your invitation! You’re CHARM-LESS! Mary keeps talking about me?! Well of course she would! It’s because you’re BORING!!”
“...No charm... Boring...”
Before I even knew it, I was at a loss for words. While I had been treated as the leftovers in Jeord’s wake all this time... this was the first time in my life I had met anyone who would say such a thing to my face. It was all too much for me — I started laughing in spite of myself.
“...Ha. Haha. This is the first time I’ve been ridiculed to my face...”
“...Um. That just now was...”
“Prepare yourself, Katarina Claes. I shall take your train of insults as a thrown gauntlet,” I said, somewhat haughtily, challenging Katarina on the spot. “I challenge you! To a duel!”
How did it turn out this way? I wondered, as I stood before this... tree.
Yes, I did challenge Katarina Claes to a duel. This matter would be settled by the sword amongst men... but Katarina was a woman. As such, I had allowed her to choose a more appropriate contest for the challenge at hand. While I had assumed she would simply suggest a match of chess or some other board game...
“Well, let us settle for tree climbing, then,” Katarina said without batting an eye.
For some reason, the words she had just uttered were... unfamiliar... to me. Tree climbing? What was that? Of course I knew what a tree was, and what climbing meant... but what exactly was this?
I had never done anything like it in the last eight years of my life. Maybe the children of commoners did it, but the children of nobles climbing trees? Unheard of.
Katarina, as if finding my reaction amusing, asked, “Are you perhaps unable to climb trees, Prince Alan?”
This was now a question of my pride as a man! I answered her without any hesitation. “Nonsense! I accept your challenge!”
And this was why we were now standing before the two tallest trees in the gardens of the Claes manor... all lined up for our challenge. The rules of the challenge were simple — the first to reach the top of their respective tree wins.
Yes, with this it would be easy to discern a victor. However... I had never climbed a tree in my life before. Actually, I didn’t even know how to climb trees...
However, I had accepted Katarina’s challenge — and so I had to do it regardless. I steeled myself, rolling up my sleeves.
“Well then, Prince Alan. Are you ready?”
“...Yeah. Right. Anytime.”
“Well then. We shall begin on the count of three. Anne, my personal maid, shall do the honors.”
“Y-Yeah.”
The challenge started under the watchful gaze of our servants... and then promptly ended. I lost... terribly. All I could do was climb to the very first branch of the thing — I didn’t know how to climb in the first place! I had no idea how to progress from that point.
Katarina, however, was zipping up her tree like... some sort of monkey. She was perched all the way at the very top.
Why exactly is it that the eldest daughter of the Claes family is so good at climbing trees? In fact, isn’t she the oldest daughter? Of a noble? A duke? Do the daughters of dukes usually climb trees...? I could not understand this. My thoughts were tangled into an incoherent, jumbled mess.
“Prince Alan. We have a clear victor in this contest — could we draw this to a close?” Katarina said, turning to me with a smug expression. She seemed so full of herself! Before I knew it, the words had already left my lips.
“One more time! I challenge you again! This is the first time I’ve climbed a tree — I was simply not used to it!”
“That is quite all right. But don’t think you can win so easily, prince.”
“Bring it on!”
However, no matter how hard I tried and how many times I challenged her, Katarina always won, her speed rivaling even that of a monkey. As a result, I decided to postpone the challenge — I’d come back a few days later to settle it.
A few weeks passed since I started challenging Katarina Claes. After a few more tree climbing bouts, I couldn’t help but notice something: Katarina was always serious. She didn’t hold back or give me any slack just because I was a prince. She also looked straight at me... into me.
Up until now, no one had challenged me in such a fashion — earnestly, with their heart and soul. No matter how hard I tried, my twin brother, Jeord, never even looked at me. I was not reflected in his eyes.
Katarina’s unwavering gaze and sincere attitude caused the aching in my heart to slowly subside. I looked forward to my visits to the Claes manor. Visiting Katarina was... fun.
However... that only lasted until a certain day.
“Jeord?! What are you doing here?!” I exclaimed, unable to contain myself at the sudden sight of my brother at the Claes manor.
“You sound as if me being here is a most mysterious thing. This is the home of my fiancée — my presence here is hardly out of place,” Jeord replied, a confident smirk plastered across his face.
It was as he said. I could not find a suitable retort. When... how? How could I forget that Katarina is my brother’s fiancée? I was surprised at myself.
“...In any case, I’m here for a challenge with her today. Don’t get in the way.”
“About those challenges... I heard that you have failed to achieve victory, time and time again. Would it not be best to simply give up...?” Jeord said, his eyes cold.
I could hear it. I heard it again... That talk about Jeord taking everything away from me, leaving me with only the dregs.
“...No! NO!! We still need to settle it! I can win this! I... I know I can...!”
Don’t look down on me! Don’t make a fool of me!
My vision clouded. I could feel my surroundings fading, sinking into darkness.
I had all but forgotten about it — this heavy, throbbing pain in my chest... on account of how light and warm it had felt, as of late.
No... This is bad. I don’t feel good at all...
“...Ah. Prince Alan. If you would accept, perhaps we could change the terms of the challenge itself? My mother will surely be greatly displeased if we keep climbing trees.”
Katarina, who had suddenly called out to me, had a strange expression on her face — she seemed oddly cheerful, but her smile was twitching slightly.
The heavy pain in my heart ebbed slightly at the sight of her face. At Katarina’s suggestion, our tree climbing challenge was called off, and was instead replaced with a musical bout — with the piano, to be precise.
After moving to the piano room, we began our contest. Katarina was up first, playing a practice song meant for children and other younger learners of the instrument. Although she made some small mistakes here and there, she kept playing until the end.
Next was my turn. When I was done, everyone in the room was clapping. Katarina, in fact, seemed the most excited of them all. She was jumping, clapping, and even cheering.
“Amazing! Prince Alan, that was really amazing!”
Katarina praised me, just like how my tutors back in the royal castle did. Surely she was just... pitying me.
“...It’s no big deal.”
“That’s not true! You have an amazing tal
ent, Prince Alan!”
“...I don’t have anything that deserves to be called a talent.”
Katarina did have a point — I found musical instruments more intuitive than academic studies or swordplay, but...
A talent? Me? No. There’s no way I could have anything like that.
I was the leftovers — the dregs, after Jeord had taken away all the good bits for himself. No matter what I did, I could not possibly hope to best my brother.
“As Katarina said, that was most impressive,” Jeord said, with that fake smile of his that he always had on his smug face.
My brother could do anything. Surely he was ridiculing me again — I just knew it!
My vision started fading again. The pain that had ebbed was now back in full force, stabbing itself deep into my being.
“...But you don’t really think that, do you? What is this, pity? I don’t need any of this! I know you simply think of me as a failure who is good for nothing!”
I couldn’t stand it any longer! I couldn’t stand to be in the same place as Jeord! I felt like everyone was just... laughing. At me.
I ran out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran, sprinting into the darkness. I wanted to just disappear or vanish, but instead found myself standing before the trees Katarina and I used to climb.
I stood there for a while. Soon enough, I felt someone else’s presence — and I raised my head. I had thought a servant or member of my royal entourage had come to check up on me, but... no. It was Katarina.
I blurted out the words carelessly. “...Have you come to laugh at me, too?”
“Eh?”
“...You’re here to laugh, aren’t you? ‘Don’t think you’re all that just because you can play the piano’... something like that, right?”
“...Whatever do you mean, Prince Alan? Just because you can play it? That’s hardly a ‘just’! You have quite the remarkable talent, I’ll have you know.”
“I don’t need your pity, Katarina. I’m not good for anything, after all. I’m just what’s left behind after Jeord takes all the glory.”
I’d thought that Katarina was different from all those people in the castle. But in the end... she was the as them, with their pointless pity and encouragement. I knew. I knew that they were laughing at me from the shadows.
After all, I myself knew how useless and unremarkable I was. That was how it had always been, and what they had always said.
“It’s not pity! Prince Alan... why is it that you have so little confidence in yourself?”
“Ha. I’ve been compared to Jeord ever since I entered this world, see. I’ve never won against him in any category. I bet Jeord took all the good stuff for himself when we were still in mother’s womb. So if you think about it... how can leftover dregs such as I have any kind of confidence?” I said in a bout of self-depreciation. Now, even Katarina would just stand still and look at me with quiet apathy. Just like everyone else.
“...Personally, I think it is more that each of you have your own particular strengths. Your own... fortes.” Katarina, however, did not stand still and remain silent.
“...What do you mean?” I muttered, glaring straight at Katarina.
“Umm... Well. I think that Prince Jeord has things that he’s suited to and good at, as well as things that he can’t really handle well. The same goes for you, Prince Alan — I do believe that you have skills you can be proud of, too. It is just a matter of... individual strengths and weaknesses.”
“Individual strengths... and weaknesses, you say? So are you claiming that even Jeord has something he isn’t good at? I’ve never heard of anything like it, from then till now.”
Look at his smug face, his confident, cool expression. Jeord could do anything!
It even extends to his tastes in food! Ever since I was born, I’ve never heard complaints that Jeord was picky with his meals.
That’s how perfect he is. Prince Jeord, good at anything and everything... unlike me.
However.
“Fufufufu. Well, Prince Alan, I suppose I should inform you that Prince Jeord does have a... weakness.”
“?!”
A confident smile flitted across Katarina’s face. “Well... the thing that Prince Jeord absolutely cannot stand is...”
“Is...?” I swallowed hard. I could only watch on in absolute silence.
Ah, there he is. Jeord had wandered close by, searching for the two of us. Katarina, upon visually confirming her target, suddenly pulled something out from her pocket and tossed it at my brother.
“Uwaargh?!”
That mystery object landed in front of him, and a strange cry arose from the depths of Jeord’s throat. In fact... I’ve never seen him like this. He’s... panicked? Nervous?
“Hey, hold up... so what exactly was the thing that Jeord isn’t good with? What did you toss at him?”
Jeord was positively panicking. What was it? I had to know!
Katarina answered my question with a somewhat smug expression of her own.
“It was a SNAKE!”
“A snake?!” I couldn’t help but be surprised at this unexpected answer.
“...Well, more accurately, it’s an imitation of one. I can’t exactly keep a real snake in my pocket now, can I?”
“...I don’t think most people put snakes of any kind in their pockets, anyway. Well? Why did you toss it at him then?”
“As I said, Prince Alan, I’m showing you what Prince Jeord has difficulties with...”
“Difficulties... you don’t mean?! Is it SNAKES?!”
“Yes indeed! It was but a suspicion at first, but looking at how he just reacted, I can now say so with certainty! Prince Jeord is afraid of snakes!” Katarina declared somewhat triumphantly. For some reason, she seemed really proud of what she had just said.
But... Really? Jeord is... afraid of snakes? Unthinkable! I could never have guessed it.
Actually... that’s not what I wanted to know! I wanted to know what I could best Jeord in. I thought perhaps he was secretly lacking in the ways of the sword, or academic knowledge? But... of all things, snakes...
Even so... he REALLY does look intimidated by the thing... look at him!
This was truly unexpected. Prince Jeord, a capable and respected prince of a great kingdom... startled? By a toy snake thrown by Katarina Claes?
I should take back what I said. Katarina Claes; she was definitely different than the people at the royal castle.
Different from most noble children... “Ha. Haha...” She’s really something else! What a strange girl!
Lost in my thoughts, I continued pondering upon what I had just seen. Katarina, however, had been caught in the act by Jeord.
Jeord was angry, all right. You could see it in his eyes — and in how Katarina was slowly retreating. But... hmm. It didn’t really feel like he was angry, but instead simply acting the part to mess with Katarina.
The Jeord I knew always seemed bored, and always had that fake smile on his face. He was uninterested in the world, and in anything else, really. That was how I saw him.
Even so... Jeord had genuinely panicked at the sight of Katarina’s projectile toy snake. And now, he was angry at the fact that he panicked...? Is this really Jeord...?
I could only stare on blankly as Jeord openly announced his intent — he would tell Madam Claes about all the naughty things she had done this entire time. Katarina, who had been so confident and triumphant just moments ago, now seemed pale and genuinely shaken.
Why was she so proud of the discovery to begin with? Snakes...? I don’t understand.
Look at her! She’s now desperately apologizing to Jeord, and looks like she could cry at any moment. While I did empathize with the sorry sight... I could not help but laugh. This is ridiculous! Katarina, Jeord... they all look so silly!
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I doubled over, hugging my stomach, and...
I laughed. Tears flowed from my eyes, but I laughed, and kept laughing. It was the fi
rst time in my life I had laughed like this. I was laughing, crying — which, I was no longer sure. The tears that had been locked away in my heart intermingled with my newfound tears of laughter and joy — after a while I no longer knew which was which. My vision soon cleared, and my heart felt at ease.
After a while, Katarina was forcibly escorted away by Madam Claes, and in the light of this, Jeord and I returned to the royal castle.
Upon our return, I called out to Jeord. “Ha! Even you have something you can’t deal with, huh?”
Before I knew it, I was speaking with Jeord casually — come to think of it, it has been a long time since I had spoken to him in this fashion. At my words, Jeord’s constantly smug smile faltered, replaced with a slight, momentary scowl. It was the first time I had ever seen him make another expression.
“I would not say that I cannot deal with it. It is more of... something I do not like very much.”
For some reason, Jeord couldn’t seem to maintain his usual smile at the mention, or perhaps suggestion of snakes. Something he doesn’t like? So he’s bad with snakes? How unexpected and silly! To think that my brother has such a side.
“I’d thought that you were fine with everything, and that you could do anything.”
Maybe that was all but an assumption on my part, in the end. Jeord was not the one that had entrapped me and made me feel inferior. All these emotions... they had welled up from inside me.
All this time, I had not been seeing Jeord for who he really was. After all, even Jeord had something he couldn’t handle... and I was the same. I learned that, on this day... all thanks to that strange and crazy eldest daughter of Duke Claes.
“Of course there are things I am bad with, and things I cannot do.”
“Oh, really? Do tell.” Encouraged by the faltering, half-scowl smile that Jeord still had on his face, I casually continued the conversation.
“Ah, yes... well. For example, predicting the actions of a certain Katarina Claes, I would say?”
“...Yeah. That... That is true,” I replied, an awkward smile on my own face.
Climbing trees out of nowhere with the speed of a monkey, and then suddenly hurling toy snakes at people? Even the great Jeord would be hard pressed to predict the actions of someone like that. Katarina’s triumphant face resurfaced in my mind — that face she made after she had startled Jeord with the toy snake...
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 1 Page 13