24. The Reincarnated Lady Faces the Cheeky Noblewoman
Fancoise Boncourt.
A marquis’s daughter.
Born into the historically prominent Boncourt family, she possesses extraordinarily high magical power, even among her lineage. Without a doubt, she has the caliber of someone fit to become the Crown Princess.
Yet perhaps because of this from a young age, her personality had become sharp and arrogant. She looks down on anyone with weaker magic, and toward those with equal or greater power, she bares her rivalry openly and attacks.
As for someone like me, without any magic? I am nothing more than an insect in her eyes.
I remembered how, in my previous life, she always took every opportunity to bite at me. Just like now.
“Don’t you feel ashamed? Born as a noble yet completely without magic—what’s the point of even existing? If it were me, I’d be so embarrassed I’d immediately end my life and leave it to chance in the next life!”
This is exactly the kind of thing she says.
Now, I can brush it off lightly, but in my past life, when I agonized over my inability to use magic, seeing her made me feel like a blood vessel might just burst.
“And for someone as meaningless as you to dare appear among the candidates for Crown Princess! Listen, the Crown Princess of the Spiritual Kingdom should be the strongest magical noblewoman. We are competing for that honor. Someone like you, with no magic, has no right to even be here!”
Yes… she said the same things to me back then.
How did I react at that time? A slap and a huge fight followed. Such is the folly of youth.
“If you understand that, then immediately withdraw. The sacred selection of the Crown Princess does not need a blemish like you!”
“I understand my place… but—”
However, I am not the same person I was before.
Even in repeated lives, I’ve accumulated experience. Using the failures of the past as fuel, I can steer today toward success.
“My presence here is not my decision. It is entirely by the will of the royal family. I have no authority to oppose it.”
“Uh?”
You, a noblewoman, surely understand that perfectly. If not, that’s even worse than having no magic.
“I could never challenge the royal family myself… so I ask that you, instead, make any objections.”
“Huh!? Why me!?”
“Miss Fancoise, you possess one of the highest levels of magical power among your peers. If anyone were to make a claim, it would carry weight—especially coming from someone like you.”
Well, in reality, that probably wouldn’t happen. Any noblewoman who defied the royal family openly, no matter her abilities, would be deemed unfit to be Crown Princess. Especially since there are two others with equal or greater ability; the royal family would not hesitate to eliminate them from consideration.
“Miss Fancoise—”
“What is it?”
“You are correct. I am nothing but a powerless, insignificant noblewoman. You need not fuss over me; naturally, I will fall out of the running before the final selection of the Crown Princess is made.”
Yes, there’s no point even considering someone destined to disappear.
“More importantly, you should focus on yourself.”
“Me…!?”
“You are one of the most powerful among the candidates. Your chances of becoming Crown Princess are high, but not guaranteed. There are other candidates with comparable magical power—and their family status is higher than yours.”
At those words, Fancoise’s gaze darted left and right. She was looking for the daughters of the Baron of Celine and the Duke of Chantal.
“Miss Fancoise, if you truly wish to become Crown Princess, you cannot waste time worrying about me. Focus on yourself. You must seriously consider what you can do for His Highness as Crown Princess and what your duty is to the people. Only then will you have the right to stand beside Prince Kistheart.”
No reply came. Even the other noblewomen fell silent, and a tense stillness filled the room.
Had I really said something that significant?
Feeling the awkward silence, I thought to leave, but before I could, a cheerful voice broke it.
“Eltriede!”
“Your Highness…!?”
Wasn’t that the Crown Prince Kistheart himself, just mentioned a moment ago? His appearance was timed oddly, as the second examination had just ended.
“Eltriede, the explanation of the Crown Princess selection should be nearly over, right? Now you can accompany me freely!”
“No, I’m just going back to the mansion.”
The other ten or so noblewomen who had gathered in hopes of becoming Crown Princess also stirred at the prince’s arrival.
“Don’t be so cold. Your initiative in redeveloping the Southernlanda district—your father even officially approved. Magic communication is convenient for situations like this!”
“Whether magic or industry, we should make practical use of anything available.”
“I had thought to extend sewer systems throughout the capital, but your father opposed it. What do you think?”
“Of course. Renovating a single district may be managed as charity or business, but handling the entire capital is too great a burden for one noble. If it must be done, my father should at least be appointed Minister of Engineering…”
“To handle a massive project requires corresponding power. To wield power, you need a title… Why not become Crown Princess and carry it out under your direction?”
“Your Highness, this is a jest.”
“Not really.”
No matter how jokingly, this was not the place to say such things—before all the noblewomen gathered to compete for the Crown Princess position.
“Why does His Highness spoil the ‘powerless’ so much?”
“The Crown Princess…? That ‘powerless’ one?”
“What is he thinking?”
No, I can read the Crown Prince’s intent. I started to understand it on the way back from Southernlanda.
The prince is frustrated with the nation’s overreliance on magic.
Other countries are producing new technologies, but our kingdom relies solely on magic, stagnating in progress. The Crown Prince perceives the danger in this.
That is why he praises someone like me, without magic, in front of the nobles—to reform their mindset.
Looking back, perhaps the reason I nearly became Crown Princess in my past life was partly due to the prince’s strategy. He truly is remarkable, in both past and present life.
Even without marrying the Crown Prince, if I reach near the top, the nobles may rethink that “magic alone is not everything.”
But in my previous life, I ignored this and was punished for it.
I will not repeat that mistake.
I politely declined the Crown Prince’s tea invitation and, ignoring the resentful glares of the other noblewomen, left the castle.
Returning to my upper mansion, I felt drained. In twenty days, we would have to meet again, and the thought exhausted me.
“Don’t say such pathetic things, my lady. You’ll clear it smoothly and checkmate the Queen, you know?”
“Who are you calling ‘my lady’?”
An unexpected visitor awaited me at the mansion: Gatou, the former boss of Southernlanda. He dominates the capital’s underworld, and not long after our previous discussion, he came to visit me.
“I came to offer my thanks.”
“Thanks?”
“To allow the sewer system in Southernlanda, workers from the Eldenvalk domain were sent. The supervisor is a real character…”
“He must have been a handful.”
“Yes, he said immediately upon seeing me, ‘It stinks here!’ But quickly added, ‘All the more reason we need sewers here. This is meaningful work.’”
“His work is solid. Let’s entrust him and complete the construction quickly.”
“You seem eager.”
There’s a reason to hurry. The sooner it’s finished, the less opportunity for interference.
In this magic-centric nation, industrially built sewers are not easily accepted. They must be completed before obstruction begins.
“You don’t have to take it so seriously. Once you become Queen, the country will change, right?”
“Reality won’t bend to impossible assumptions.”
The prince’s enthusiasm creates misunderstandings among many. This must be corrected by having the proper candidates eliminated in the next selection. Once the number narrows, even the Crown Prince’s influence will have limits.
“Enough ideals—let’s get to the main topic.”
Gatou spoke.
Wait, wasn’t that the main topic just now?
“I’ve been paid a large reward upfront, so I must give my all. That’s the pride of a thug.”
You need not have such “pride,” just a different kind of confidence.
“As requested, I gathered information throughout the capital. Among it, something has caught my attention. I thought it best to inform you first.”
“What is it?”
He spoke with an unnecessary dramatic pause.
“There is evidence that a ‘Fairy Panic’ has infiltrated this capital.”
