Reincarnated in an Otome game as the ugly character in the background

Prologue (Volume 3)

The Arklight Empire is one of the largest countries on the Ixion continent.

This is a fantasy world with swords and highly advanced magic, but it is not a fantasy world like any other. This world was actually one based on an otome game with an RPG theme.

There were many events that should not have happened a few weeks ago, those events affected the story to such an extent that there is no turning back even though it is still the prologue of the game.

At this point, only time will tell if the course of the "game story" and the world will ever see a tomorrow.

The imperial palace of the empire, in this place that is larger than a normal castle, an important meeting of a certain group of people took place.

It was a beautiful white room with a round glass table.

Around it were seven chairs.

Those seven chairs were occupied by the seven grand dukes.

Powerful aristocrats being outnumbered by the imperial family.

"Well, to end this meeting, I would be very happy to welcome after almost a decade of having that seat empty the Duchess Rosenberg."

There was applause, but it felt very discouraging.

They were directed at a single woman among so many men.

"It is a joy as you have no idea that once again I can show my face in front of you."

Said a beautiful woman dressed in a way in which a lady and wife of an important man should dress.

But she did not have a husband who cared about her appearance these days, as that man ran away long ago and never came back. The woman, Barbara von Rosenberg, was the mother of the horrible villainess.

But a few weeks ago an unexpected event occurred that ended with an even more unexpected outcome.

Thanks to that outcome, her household, ruined by debt and shame, can once again show its glory because of her savior, the next duke.

"Doubtless it must have been terrible what happened, but I heard that now they are slowly recovering what they lost, that's good."

"No doubt it is. Thank you for your friendly words, Duke Wimlet."

Barbara said as she flashed her beautiful smile. For a woman of 40, her beauty and body were very well preserved, she looked as if she was just entering her 30s.

Her hair was very bright blonde, it was very long, but now it was tied back in a swirl.

Her eyes were ruby red, exactly like her daughter's.

Under her lips she had a small mole that brought out her feminine charm.

She was sitting in what had once been her husband's seat. Normally whenever there was a meeting, only six of them showed up, the last of the dukes making excuses, like today, for not showing up.

To Barbara's right and left were the other dukes.

Duke Carlyle was playing with his coffee.

While Duke Luinberg was reading a mystery book.

He was watched by Duke Mercury who was curious about what he was reading.

The next seat belonged to Duke Fitzclarence who was absent.

Laughing in a way that you couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or disgust, it belonged to Duke Wimlet.

The last of them, Duke Granville, was looking in an obviously unpleasant way at Barbara.

She could feel his grotesque look.

"That ends our bimonthly meeting. We will meet again soon, you may go.

Everyone stood up."

"Huh, is it over already? I'm glad it is, actually, this meeting was less boring than the others."

"It's because Fitzclarence-dono wasn't here to show off some of his inventions."

"I'm sure it's because his son was beaten up by the new third prince, I wouldn't do it either."

Barbara stood up, as she was about to leave.

"Excuse me, Duchess, may I have a moment of your time?"

She was stopped by Duke Granville.

"Yes? With pleasure, what do you need?"

She said politely.

Duke Granville was a short, hairy, fat man.

So, his obvious gaze was directed at the body of the duchess was very clear.

Even Duke Carlyle said as he walked out. -Get a hold of yourself, you swine.

Barbara's eyes were closed as he spoke.

"I know a lot of unpleasant things happened to you over the years, but, if you had asked me for help, I would have gladly given it to you. I would have gladly given it to you, we dukes must be united, buhihi."

He laughed in an unpleasant way as he tried to touch Barbara's hand.

"Thank you, it's a pity we didn't ask for your help earlier."

She said while apologizing, that apology made her breasts jump for a moment, the duke showed an unpleasant face.

"Buhihi, the next time you have problems, don't hesitate to consult me."

"I will certainly do so."

The duke took his leave as he went out.

When Barbara was left alone, her eyes widened in displeasure.

"What do you mean welcome? You selfish bastards who think only of yourselves. I tried to ask for their help several times and they all refused."

"Only two of them wrote me their reasons why they couldn't do it, I believed them. Even that grotesque pig I believed. I was willing to defile my body for the sake of lowering the debt, but..."

Barbara smiled in a way that seemed to be that of a teenager. Even her cheeks flushed as she clasped her hands together and shook her hips gracefully.

"But a real man came to our household, saved us from that debt and now he will be the next duke. Unlike all of you, he is a real man."

As she left the room, a servant was waiting for her.

He was a very old butler, long gray hair tied in a bun.

His mustache and beard were very thin, his eyes were closed and he had the crest of Rosenberg Household engraved on his uniform.

Noticing his mistress, he greeted her.

"Welcome madam, how did the meeting go, could you tell me?"

The man was the right hand man of the former duke and current head, Glenn Whiteberg was.

"You are not missing anything. Just a typical meeting to brag about how their territories are doing. I still remember how that man was bragging to Duke Fitzclarence being his reason for not showing up, but, it wasn't that unpleasant, watching their surprised faces when they saw me was what amused me so much."

The Duchess was walking down the hall, behind her was her servant.

"It is still early for the next appointment, would you like to go somewhere until it is time for your next appointment?"

Now that Rosenberg Household is no longer the largest debtor in the empire, they are able to receive loans again, but the banks and lenders are wary of them as they cannot believe what they read.

"I would like to get some air, I have to talk to many merchants today. Rosenberg Household needs to regain its prestige before Razel-kun, the next head, has to take over. It would be shameful if we have no allies or vassals by then."

"Understood."

While they were walking to take the elevator, in a corner there was a group of men talking among them, they were silent as soon as they saw her, she greeted them.

The men did too, as Barbara entered the elevator and her servant pressed the button to go to the first floor, she thought.

(I can't wait for it to be summer vacation to see you again, Razel-kun .)

Barbara nibbled her lips as her fingers played between them, if her servant had seen her, the face of an ecstatic woman would have left him shocked.

"Hmph, what did that bitch think she was coming?"

"I know, this is really the worst."

"All we can do is put our heads down and smile like buffoons."

The men talking behind the duchess back were part of the faction of the former third prince Regulux.

After winning the duel, his punishment was that his faction was dismantled and his title of third in succession to the throne was removed, despite being the future emperor as the primary capture target.

All those who expected great things from Regulux, such as those who invested in him, or those who served him faithfully. They ended up being punished as well.

The punishment was to pay with their money for the engagement ceremony of the Duchess daughter to a nobody.

After paying the expenses, they were demoted in rank.

From knights to marquises they were demoted for their stupidity.

The punishment was two ranks.

Those who were from baronets or baron's houses ended up as commoners.

Being a commoner, it is bad enough to lose your temper.

Everyone blamed it on Rosenberg Household.

"If only that face had sunk...."

"If only they had never challenged the prince...."

There were not only those kinds of comments, there were also those who were swindled by the former duke.

"How dare that woman come here? Even though her bastard husband did not swindle and ran away."

"The palace is being very permissive with those leeches."

Among those people was a man of short stature, thin, long greenish-black hair that covered one eye, his eye not covered by his hair was brown and he had freckles on his face.

He was an earl, his house was a place where children from different and important families came to receive primary education.

But after what happened to Regulux, he was demoted to a simple baron.

He is now known as Baron Grin, an ordinary civil servant.

"It's really unpleasant. Very, very unpleasant to see that woman walking around here like that. At least, she should apologize for those who were swindled and degraded, that vulgar fat ass of hers must be good for something."

He said and the others around him nodded.

"Ohoho, you can really tell they're really hurt, they look like a couple of little kids crying over spilled ice cream."

Turning to see who it was they were teasing, Baron Grin said.

"Don't bother us now, Viscount Clover."

A tall, overweight man with brown eyes like his hair, side-swept hair and a curly mustache that looked like a cat's tail, laughed at his coworkers.

"I'm sorry, but your frustration is hilarious."

"If you were in our shoes, you'd be like that too."

"May be, most likely it's true, but. I'm not, ohoho, I'm on the crown prince's side, I'm also an important diplomat so I shouldn't worry about such trifles."

"..."

"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I am late to catch my ship to the Holy Kingdom."

Viscount Clover was also walking towards the elevator. His big belly bounced much more than Barbara's breasts.

Baron Grin banged his fist against the wall while still listening to his colleague's laughter.

"Damn! God damn it! I curse you Rosenberg's!"

"...Because of you my family abandoned me, I hate you, I hate you so much, I'll take revenge on you until it's the last thing I do!"

The visible eye of the baron, showed his resolve in hurting a household just freed from its darkness.

A secret meeting was held in a dark room illuminated only by magic holograms.

"The report at once."

Said one of them.

"Yes."

A mysterious hooded man answered.

"During the last few weeks, our secret bases as laboratories have been attacked by a mysterious figure, by now you must know, but that figure is..."

"Licht."

Some claimed.

"Correct. That mysterious Licht, has destroyed as well as murdered our low-level members as well as us, the senior executives."

"How many of us have we lost?"

"..."

"What is it, say it?"

"18."

"I see it as very little, nothing serious."

"... You are wrong."

"What?"

The one giving the report was sweating because he didn't want to talk.

"18 is the number of top executives like us who are left."

"Excuse me?"

"That's why the others are not..."

"Hey, hey, this isn't funny."

"I wish it were, but it isn't..."

"Our number as top executives of the Black Crows was 119. But, as the weeks have gone by; cardinals as well as marquises or wealthy merchants, have been killed."

"The internal executives who are our second or third in command, out of a total of 235, only 14 remain."

"..."

The mouth of one of them shouted.

"This must be a fucking joke!"

"How did this happen!"

"Don't we know who that fucker is!"

"I'm afraid we don't. Information about its identity is unknown, we have no leads, much less suspects."

"All we know is that it randomly shows up at different hideouts and kills them all."

"This is very-!"

"Quiet."

Said a voice with a very thick, husky tone.

Everyone's hooded gazes focused on the figure in the center.

It was the most mysterious person of all, wearing a mask even though everyone was just hiding their faces with the hood.

"It doesn't matter if we lose many, our goal was always one and the same. To take over this country from the shadows."

They all swallowed saliva.

"B-But leader. It won't do us any good if we die."

"A black crow can come out of anywhere, even if I die, one of you will take the reins of my charge. As long as this country has the lawless city, the palace will always be controlled."

Everyone smiled when they heard that.

"It doesn't matter if it is to satisfy your vice, lust, ambition or bloodlust. Humans are creatures that can be manipulated. For that reason, Volg."

"!?"

Of all the hooded men, only one had never looked up.

"Were you sleeping?"

"O-Of course not! I was just resting my eyes because of the work I have to do undercover!"

"Never mind. How's that work going?"

"Nothing. I can't find out anything important."

"It's all right. I give you permission to be violent."

"Really!? You agree to it?"

"We mustn't waste any more time. We need to find out where "it" is hidden and get more power. After all, the Ideal Empire has begun to move as well. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes. Don't worry leader. I, will deliver that to you soon."

"Okay, the meeting ends, disperse."

All but three of the mysterious figures disappeared one by one.

"Is that really all right, leader?"

"Do you doubt me, Olgren?"

"Of course not, it just seems very hasty to me.

"Don't mind, that person knows where that is hidden. We must get it before the palace does."

"Volg, don't fail us."

The two figures disappeared except one.

"As if I'm going to, I'll take that 'screaming child' with me since he says he's feeling bored."

A wicked laugh appeared on his face.