Otoburi

First Year Second Semester – Chapter 4

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First Year Second Semester – J of Hearts (Part 2)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

The schoolgirl began talking proudly before Camille.

“That woman over there isn’t Camille Rhodolite, you know. She’s a fake. She’s a villain who’s continued to deceive you until now.”

The girl spoke to me while pointing at Camille.

“Hey, Current Camille Rhodolite-san. You’re not a person from this world, right? Just like me, you’re a fake who took over and switched bodies with someone else, right?”

Despite ridiculous words being spoken to her, Camille didn’t talk back to the girl.
…Strange. Camille isn’t the type to stay quiet when people falsely accuse her of things. Even though she would normally talk back and make fun of them…
Her face is bright red. She’s chewing on her lip, her two hands are clenched, and she’s trembling.

“Would you please not say strange things to Camille?”

“Oh? …But, she isn’t denying it, is she?”

Certainly, just as the girl says, Camille just stood there taking it all and didn’t deny it.

“…Camille?”

She looked up at me with a terrified expression.
While I was preoccupied with Camille, the girl raised her hands into the air a second time, and by the time I noticed it was too late.

“I’ll… show you how she really should be.”

The schoolgirl drew some unknown magic circle, and fired it this way. It’s similar to communication magic, but I don’t know what kind of magic it is.
I immediately covered Camille and used defence magic but… the girl’s magic power was of a volume impossible for one person.
Unable to defend completely, some of it hit.
I was on my knees, and the girl smiled fearlessly.

“My, my, even though you’re supposed to be bad at magic… You’re strong, aren’t you? You’re a talent(card) that I’m wanting more and more. I’ll come invite you again, so I’d be happy if you accept it next time.”

Like that, the girl gleefully left the area.

My body is unsteady. It seems that Camille who’s in my arms was hit with some of that woman’s magic, so she’s unconscious.
For her to be shaken enough that she didn’t immediately use defence magic, is not normal.
However, I could only keep conscious up until there.

※

Is this a dream?
I’m looking at myself.

I was walking happily together with Royce-sama down a hallway in the magic academy.
His Highness seems a little different somehow. He has this hard to describe ephemeral feeling… and is upfront in his behaviour.
He doesn’t seem like the person who would even by accident, have a hobby of peeking on and stalking the girl he likes, or whipping a middle aged man.

The me in the dream was talking to His Highness about the future.
The contents of the conversation were close to what I have planned in mind now, but I feel that it’s a little too idealistic. You have too many dreams, and it’s kinda embarassing you know, Me.

And then, a pink figure appeared.

“Ah-…”

It’s Camille. Her atmosphere seems kind of different.
For one thing her hair is tied into two, and wearing a frilly dress the likes of which I’ve never seen before, she’s clinging to His Highness and flirting with him.

“Wai-… Camille, what are you doing cheating so openly!?”

I accidentally let out a voice, but Camille paid no heed and wrapped herself around His Highness’ arm. Was it intentional that she nonchalantly pressed her chest against him?
His Highness is smiling troubledly.
As for me… What? Aren’t I frowning incredibly unhappily!?
Moreover, it doesn’t look like the reason is jealousy.
I’m gazing at Camille as though I’m looking at garbage.
No matter what, I can’t imagine myself looking at Camille like that.

..*

The scene changed.
This time what I see is myself relaxing in the courtyard.
His Highness is lying on the lawn the same way, and sitting by his side is… Eh-?

“Why is it that woman!?”

The schoolgirl who tried to invite me to her cause behind the auditorium was chatting to His Highness with a smile. Chatting to the woman, His Highness’ cheeks were red.

“Your Highness… What happened to Miss Beatrix?”

However, it seems that they couldn’t hear my voice. Not one of the three turned my way.

..*

Once again, the scene changed.
This time, with an impatient expression, I was running towards the rooftop of a tower near the school. His Highness who is running by my side with a sword in hand was there too. I don’t really get it, but for now I followed the two. I intended to follow the two up the stairs, but rather than running, it felt more like my body was floating.
Having reached the rooftop, I follow the gazes of His Highness and I.

The door to the room at the end of the stairs was open.
There, were Camille and that schoolgirl.
Camille was standing with a number of men in wait. It looks like thugs she hired with money.
It seems that the two of them haven’t noticed His Highness and I.

“Goshhhhh. Royce-sama you knowww~? Loves Camille, you seeee~ So there’s no room for a dirty looking Ugly like you, is thereee~?”

“Uuu…”

The schoolgirl was collapsed on the stone floor, and Camille was overlooking her with arms crossed…
It’s obvious that Camille is harassing the girl. Camile… what on earth are you doing?

“Ahahaha, suits you right~ Like I thought, garbage should be like garbage♪”

The words that came out of Camille’s mouth who was ridiculing the powerless girl who was trying to stand up, was completely unlike her.
Camille gave a sidelong glance at the men surrounding the girl, and signalled them.
S-, So sly! It’s definitely not a performance that Camille could handle!
As expected, this is definitely a dream.

“Heyy, won’t you fuck this woman? Mess her up, enough so that she can never show her face to Royce-sama again♪”

The men nodded at Camille’s order, and then advanced on the girl while licking their lips.

“N-… No. Save me-”

The girl shut her eyes, and then screamed His Highness’ name.

“ROYCEEE-!”

In that moment, His Highness flashed his sword.
Uh, Your Highness… When did you suddenly learn to use something like a sword? His Highness is a magic type, you know?
He went, ‘It’s heavy~’ and immediately gave up on the way of the sword, you know?
Ignoring the voice in my thoughts, His Highness rapidly mowed down the men.

“S-, Strong… Even though it’s His Highness…”

In an instant, His Highness defeated all the men.
And watching from behind him was the other me… Why is he just spectating while His Highness fights? There are a lot of things I want to tsukkomi about.

“Royce…”

The schoolgirl was nestling against His Highness who had run over, and Camille was retreating with a paled face.
I who was watching up until now, moved to cut off the escaping Camille.

“Oi, Me! What the hell are you doing treating Camille so violently!?”

In a panic I tried to pull Camille over, but my hand passed through her arms.

“Geh-, what is this? I can’t get a hold.”

A dream where I have to see Camille in a pinch is the worst.

..*

And then, the scene changed once again.
Camille was locked in a dungeon. There was no power in her, and looked just like the Count’s daughter, Claire.
A number of men were inside the cell. It was like a recreation of the treatment Camille had given to that girl.
And watching expressionlessly from outside the cell were His Highness and I.

“Achille, isn’t this going too far?”

“I’m just returning to Camille what she tried to do to Frau. We can just bribe the men later.”

After giving a single unhappy and cold glance at Camille, I quickly turned around and left. His Highness followed after.
Even if I know it’s a dream, it’s a scene that’s more unpleasant than anything.

Hearing Camille shriek from inside the cell, I turned around in a panic, and found the men approaching Camille.

“Wai… Stop!”

Even if I yelled, the men didn’t stop.
It seems that nobody will recognise my existence in this dream. I passed through the cell bars, and tried to tear the men off, but as expected my arms passed through them and couldn’t do a thing.

“Get away from Camille!”

Even though it’s in a dream, I can’t stand that Camille has to face this horrible treatment.
And moreover, that the one who gave the order was myself in the dream…

It’s a nightmare… This is, a nightmare.

This kind of thing, I would definitely not allow it to happen…

※

“-, stop!”

The hand that I tried to grab them with once again found nothing but the air. Like that, I felt gravity, and fell…
-Pompf!-

…I collided with something soft.

Mn? Pompf…?

“Achille!”

When I turned my gaze towards the voice… I found His Highness.

“Is this reality?”

Have I escaped from that sickening dream?
When I looked around to see where I was, I realised that it was the familiar room of His Highness.
It seems that His Highness found me collapsed, and carried me to his room.
Of course, I don’t think that the person who carried me was His Highness himself, but one of his guards though.

“…Reality? I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but this definitely isn’t a dream.”

Saying that, His Highness grabbed my two cheeks and gave them a long pull.

“…P-, Puease let gow.”

It’s His Highness. Without any feeling of misplacement, I understood that it was the real His Highness.

“Achille, you were having a nightmare, you know? …Camille as well, though.”

“Camille?”

“Look beside you.”

Following His Highness’ finger, I looked to the other side of me… and found Camille lying atop a blanket.
She still hasn’t woken, and is having a nightmare. It seems that there are no injuries.

I felt relief from the bottom of my heart that Camille was safely beside me.

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56 thoughts on “First Year Second Semester – Chapter 4”

  1. So… Frau is a hypocrite, then? I had had higher hopes for the details of her (presumed) villainy.
    My thanks to you, O esteemed holy sheeprabbit.

    Liked by 4 people

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      1. I know right. I thought it was somewhere along the lines of being locked in a tower, where food and water is piped to you, and the only noise you can hear is the droning of senile old men having an almost intelligent conversion, if not for them repeating over and over.

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  5. Holy crap, that was a way worse ending then I thought >.<

    I totally thought it was "ruined socially" which would have been a disaster to a original Camille type person.

    Bakamille wouldn't care because she's already ruined socially as "tattoo woman" XD

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. well~ To a noble’s context, to be unable to show your face in public, and no hope of an equal marriage, let alone up, is the height of “socially ruined”.
    So yeah, it could be interpreted that way~

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  8. Unable to defence => Unable to defend ?
    soemhow => somehow
    Highess => Highness
    “I passed through the sell” => “I passed through the cell’s bars” ?

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Thanks for the chapter!
    Oi, and here I thought about a different «ruined». That was harsh to be ruined «that» way. It’s like a bad ending in H-game.

    Liked by 2 people

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      2. Though, to be honest, what is an act worth punishing if another can honestly condone the act? Moreover, what happens next?

        Writing and rewriting, I deleted all but those lines. I wasn’t talking about the action, about justice, about punishment. I was talking about the bystander.

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        1. Sorry, but I have no idea what you tried to say. What bystander?

          Punishment isn’t a way of voicing outrage at the original act; it’s a pragmatic means of deterring the act from happening in the first place, as well as a means of placating the outraged public and the victim and/or victim’s associates.

          So yeah, there’s none of that ‘You’re just as much of a monster if you do the same’ business because it’s a non-issue to begin with.

          Law and punishment are weapons created by the majority to defend from the minority who would cause them harm.

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  11. Well now, it looks like the roles of the heroine and the female antagonists was exchanged after body swap.

    Any guess what kind of girl the heroine was before the swap?

    From what I’ve read, my guess that she used to be the worse kind of fujoshi, the one that incapable of separating between 2D and 3D.

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    1. Worse, she’s one of those fans that has zero respect for the characters.
      Basically a pseudo-fan. (Like those One Direction fans that constantly harass the band members for dating other people & send them explicit fanart. EW.)

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    1. To you, I reply, read my treatise on how not to recruit for your conspiracy. Or don’t. If you want the short version, Frau totally screws up every step. The outcome was inevitable.

      Or rather, if he is somehow convinced, it would be in spite of her efforts.

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  14. Thanks for the lastest chapters!! Things are getting very interesting with the heroine. Now that we know Camille’s ending in the game, I can’t believe that players of the game would cheer for such a thing, even if Camille is a vilain. That’s like praising rape.

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    1. People praise murder all the time when it happens to a dickhead in fiction.

      I’ve found that the west is oddly sensitive when it comes to ‘rape’, but it’s really just any other outrage on the level of ‘violation of freedom’ (confinement in prison), or ‘violation of right to live’ (execution of prisoners).

      I mean, as somebody raised here, I find rape as punishment incredibly distasteful as well, but it’s not like I can’t imagine anybody finding any sense of justice in it. I mean, this is only what Camille tried to have done to the poor sweet girl to begin with, and nothing more than that. She really crossed a line.

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      1. Well, this is what really bothered me, original Camille wanted the heroine to be raped, so she deserved it. The punishment is justified, and I guess i’m quite sensitive about the fact that people would fond justice in it instead of viewing it as a crime. As a woman, rape can’t be justified.

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        1. Mn, well, until the world has a monolithic culture, they won’t ever be a such thing as ‘correct’ justice or morals.

          Looking at things objectively, I don’t think rape is any different from any other form of violation, whether it’s confinement or execution …but that’s just me playing the devil’s advocate.

          I grew up in Australia, so even if I don’t find it a “special kind of evil” like you do, I do find it incredibly distasteful that this is how Game-Camille met her end. What’s worse is that the gentlemanly Achille and Royce are the instigator and bystander. Not really shoujo-love-interest material in my books.

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      2. Mmn, and I should remind you that legal punishments are all crimes themselves.

        Imprisonment is more or less abduction and then (maddeningly long-term) confinement, and it’s obvious what execution are. Lashings are assault.

        This is more or less a medieval monarchy, so perhaps the law has more fluidity, maybe? I mean, Royce is the prince and all.

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        1. I don’t think you understand what rape does to a person physically, mentally, and emotionally. I hope no one who has gone through that reads your post.

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          2. Incidentally, I know it’s a popular sentiment, but I find it a little eh that you immediately assume that I am ignorant about how thoroughly rape can ruin somebody’s life just because I don’t think that it is an objectively special crime.

            Just so we’re clear, I don’t think rape is “just rough sex” or “the guy being a little eager”. I am aware that between the possibility of trauma and being re-victimised due to social stigmas, it is most definitely a horrible thing.

            That said, there is still nothing special that makes it above and beyond being held down and having your head sawn off, or being invaded in the sanctity of your home by strangers who stab you to death for a bit of money.

            In the end it is also a form of violation.

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  17. I think that the worst part here is that swapped out Frau STILL wants Achille to “socially ruin” Camille even though she confirmed that Camille bodyswapped out with another person.
    And she apparently wants Royce to die (since she’s going for Revolution end) despite knowing the dude’s tragic backstory & everything.
    It’s ridiculously hypocritical for her to accuse not!Camille of “seducing” Achille w/her game knowledge (Seriously, what person WOULDN’T want to avoid an end of being socially ruined?) even though not!Frau has clearly abused her own knowledge. (Gone from boring looking Bella Swan to post vampirism Bella Swan).

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    1. From some spoilers she (the reincarnated heroine) suffered a lot and has her understandable reasons to hate the current situation, nobles and the new queens. Her life rather sucked while living in Japan, got even worse after reincarnation and was totally messed up when she tried to use her power to fix things.

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      1. You know what, that actually explains a lot.
        The bitch is jealous that the other swaps got good lives. (Also explains why she put a hit out on Mei w/that hate magic. Mei scored w/the love interest.)
        Cool background story, still murder. (Not insulting you, I just hate characters that were bullied and became bullies. Like, they should really know better NOT to pull that kind of crap. And especially NOT on innocent bystanders, jeez.)

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  18. Thanks for the chapter. Look like we know what the next chapter will be. Damn it…I have to harden my heart to be prepared for it.

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  19. Waa… that end game for an otome game is too strong.
    And the ‘heroine’ thinks that Achille is only good hearted that when really pissed he ruins someone, but the truth is that he is very calculist (which was the 1º thing Camille learned at they 1º encounter), and I don’t really doubt that the game’s Achille accepted the heroine as queen material for Royce with some intent behind and way before he tried to conquer Camille1 but she was too annoying and slut so he gave up.

    But really, for the other Royce(1) to be a capable swordsman and Achille just brains is a little strange.
    And you could say their current self are more human like (not dream like) and more interesting, without saying that their relationship seems more close now.

    Thanks for the chapter anee-sam!

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  20. T^T I would be upset if I had to see another version of my most beloved being given his/her just desserts by me. Especially if it was that kind. Frau is a dummy, by hitting Achille with that she’s kind of given him more a of incentive to protect Camille. Though D: I hope Camille is okay, and if not okay she comes back soon… I- xD don’t want to see everyone suffer the presence of a burriko villaness, especially one who was the K and J’s closest friend.

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    1. Frau made the worst enemy now. R.I.P I don’t think Achille will let it slide, especially while he now knows the alternate line so Camille explanation of the situation has at lest some trustworthy other then their relationship.

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  23. So what if Camille bodyswapped? Not like Achille and the rest met the “real” one before. Futhermore, she’s completely better than the “real” one. It’s not a big deal. That fake heroine is just being a whiny bitch not getting any guys in her fantasy world lol.

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  24. It’s kinda disappointing, at first I thought that the MC will be a “strong female lead”, they even said she was strong to fight and win against a dragon by herself when she was still a kid but for every single moment as the story progresses, she becomes nothing as a simple damsel distress.

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