While getting carried away, I only stopped playing the game when dawn arrived… Sure enough, I barely got any sleep. I changed into my uniform, just splashed my face quickly with some water, and headed towards the front door without even combing my unkempt hair.
I heard my mother nagging "but all high school girls would be embarrassed to look like this" and smoothly pretended to listen.
After leaving the entrance I jumped onto my favorite bike from middle school and pedaled with full force. After reaching the street from my house and continuing downhill I let myself loose even more while pedaling. Turning the pedal even further, even further. Turning more, more. Turning turning turning… turning so much that I can't stop. The bike continued this way to a street with a lot of traffic. In my fading consciousness… I heard the endlessly repeating voice of my family saying "this idiot!"
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These memories from my previous life… I just remembered them because my head was hit pretty hard. Katarina Claes, aged 8. As the only daughter of Duke Claes, I have been raised and pampered lovely like a flower. As a result, I grew up to be a selfish, pompous princess.
Today, I was escorted to the royal palace by my father. Also, the third prince of the same age was scheduled to be guiding me around the royal palace gardens.
Meeting the prince for the first time, his blonde hair and blue eyes were so beautiful that it was like an angel's face. He was so calm and composed that you would not think he was only an eight year old child. I fell in love with such a prince at first sight, and single-mindedly stuck myself close to the prince. Since I was spoiled, I did not care about bothering others whatsoever. Then, since I was following the prince so closely, I finally got too close and fell on him. The falling momentum was not a big deal, but… the location was bad. There is an ornamental rock garden right before us, and I hit my head there strongly. I hit my forehead, and apparently it was spouting quite a large amount of blood. All of the prince's servants accompanying him were in a panic.
... However, to me, something such as my blood flowing was no problem whatsoever. Anyhow, the shock had caused my previous life's memories to return. The previous me had been a seventeen year old high school student. This meant that in the current eight year old's memories and mind, seventeen years of memories came flooding in. Frankly speaking, I thought my head would short-circuit. The stunned me was taken to the infirmary for treatment just like that, and then deported to the mansion right after.
After that, I kept having feverish nightmares for the next five days.
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Five days later, somehow both the fever and the memories settled down, and I was finally able to get out from bed. Then, somehow to such a person as myself, the Prince has come to inquire as to my well-being. It seems that, the prince was concerned about me that could barely get up from my bed and visited my bedroom.
"Hello, how are you feeling now, Miss Claes?"
The third prince Jared gave me the honor of his angelic face and voice, I was lost on cloud nine. Ahhh, it's such a cute and lovely face…
Before the previous life's memories returned, Katarina just seemed to be in love with Prince Jared, but… The me that had regained seventeen years of memory would never entertain the idea of love with an eight year old boy. However, Prince Jared healed me just by being able to look at his adorable appearance of an angel. Onee-san seems to have involuntarily become something like a sister. Thinking there was no way, even while appreciating the thought, Prince Jared turned towards me with a clouded face.
"Really, I am so very sorry. To have injured your face…"
It seems that Prince Jared was bowing his head for some reason…
In the first place, it was because of my single mindedly following closely that caused the fall, and because I caused bloodshed at the lovely royal palace garden… I said and truly felt "no, no, it is I who should be saying sorry." I replied in a hurry.
"Please, raise your head, Prince Jared. This incident, it is entirely my fault alone. Rather, since it is multiplied by the inconvenience to the castle people, I must go back to apologize to them."
And when I admirably lowered my head, the prince had an extremely surprised face.
Thinking about why that was so, I remembered that I was still a selfish princess when I met with the prince. By the way, these surprising features of mine after these five days were all the rage amongst our house servants. The princess that was raised like a flower was an arrogant princess even at home, and had always conducted herself arrogantly.
But, after regaining my memories of seventeen years as a commoner, I was unable to act as bossy and arrogant as I was previously… Now, the mansion is abuzz with rumors that the lady's personality has drastically changed due to hitting her head hard and being bedridden with a high fever.
Even the prince, who had only met me once before, was probably very surprised to see such a change from the original me.
However, the truly elite eight year old prince immediately recovered from his shock.
"No, if I had watched my surroundings just a bit more carefully… I wouldn't have collided with you… thinking that it might scar your forehead, I am truly sorry."
The small prince once again lowered his head deeply. He really is such a fine prince. Such a large difference from the selfish princess of Duke Claes' family.
Sure, I was cut a little in this accident but it was nicely sewn up. A horizontal scar of about one centimeter will remain on my forehead. But I felt… it was just at the level of a one centimeter scar that remained. Although not a boast, I was quite rambunctious in my previous life. In elementary school I chased my two older brothers around the mountains. Therefore I constantly injured myself, and often had to get wounds sewn up. At first, my mother kept saying "but you're a girl!" though by the end, she seems to have finally given up saying anything.
As such, a wound of this level was nothing to be worried about.
"No, no. Please don't worry about such a scratch, Prince Jared. Anyways, the scar will be no problem at all because my bangs will hide it anyhow."
After this, I returned a big smile to the concerned Prince Jared.
Then for some reason, the prince froze with an even more surprised face. Not only Prince Jared, but also his servants that accompanied him to the bedroom froze in surprise in unison.
Somehow there was an odd atmosphere in the air of my bedroom.
In such an atmosphere, the first to open his mouth was Prince Jared.
It's really wonderful to be eight years old. The myself that was mentally eight plus seventeen years old really needs to follow his example and act the right age.
"Well, even if you are not concerned about the scar yourself, it is not so in society. It might affect your future marriage prospects."
"Oh…"
I think while missing my reply.
Indeed, something like a one centimeter scar on the forehead would surely not affect any marriages in the previous world. However, this world's medieval European nobility-like society was rather backwards. In a world where political marriage is commonplace, even a little thing can become disadvantageous.
Noble society is really such a bother. Honestly speaking, it's rather melancholy, even if I don't have to make my social debut for a few years yet. When I was only Katarina, I thought entering adult society was a matter to be taken for granted. As I remember my previous life, it now seems to be extremely cumbersome and troublesome. To begin with, I roamed the hills like a monkey as an elementary student, and turned into an otaku girl as a middle schooler and mostly holed up in my room, it's impossible for someone like me to socialize…
Ahh, I want to go back to my previous life. I want to eat potato chips. There's manga that I still want to read. I want to watch anime. I want to play video games!
"rina-sama, Katarina-sama."
"Oh, yes?"
I was so lost in thinking about my previous life that I had completely forgotten about the prince. It seems that he had been trying really hard to talk to me, but I didn't hear anything. Prince, I'm sorry.
"So, you're sure such a thing is ok?"
"… Ye, yes, I understand."
The adorable Prince Jared was looking at me with such a serious expression. Since I hadn't heard him at all, I returned his expression with a smile.
"Then, I shall come to pay my respects to you again once your physical condition has recovered."
The prince said so while smiling and bowing, and the lovely and amazing Prince Jared then exited the bedroom.
Honestly I heard nothing of what he said, and while I was thinking of why he said he would come again to pay his respects… Well, I'll ask my servants that were also in the room later, for the time being I'll just see the prince off with a smile of my own.
And such, the prince's visit suddenly ended. For now, since it was tiring for a convalescing patient to have visitors, let me get some more sleep. Good ni-
"Ojou-sama! Congratulations!!!"
One of my maids, Anne, shook me awake just as I was about to go back to sleep. I really want to sleep… Anne, who was also in the room during Prince Jared's visit, was visibly excited for some strange reason. Her face was really red. I wonder what it could be, could it be that the prince's charm was too overwhelming? Without noticing my annoyed look, Anne continued excitedly.
"Even though Prince Jared is only the third prince, he's extremely talented. When our country's current king decides on his successor, it could very well possibly be Prince Jared. To become Prince Jared's fiancee, it is no dream to say ojou-sama could become the future queen. Congratulations on your engagement!"
Huh, what, uh, what?? I feel like I just heard some strange words. Who and who got engaged?
"Uhh… Anne, what did you just say? Could you say that again, please?"
"Yes! To become Prince Jared's fiancee, it is no dream to say ojou-sama could become the future queen. Congratulations on your engagement, ojou-sama!"
"Who and who's engagement did you say…"
"Whatever are you talking about, ojou-sama! Of course it's Prince Jared and Katarina ojou-sama's engagement!!"
"WHAT~~~~~!!??"
My scream echoed in the mansion. Because of the head injury and fever, once again ojou-sama went and… or so it was whispered for a while.