“I heard His Majesty is going to give the kingdom he conquered this time to the Princess.”

“……”

Watching Schni lose interest almost immediately, I chuckled to myself.

Did she think I’d be easy to pick apart?

On the other hand, Schni pressed a hand to her forehead as if she had remembered something unpleasant. It was hardly an action befitting a child.

“Ha… I shouldn’t have exiled all my closest aides….”

…Excuse me, Mr. Regressor? I have eyes and ears, and I’m standing right here.

“Well then, let’s begin today’s lesson.”

I calmly held out the brush and palette to Schni.

One of the most important lessons I had learned in my previous life was that pretending not to see or hear things was the best way to stay alive.

“Why are they giving me a kingdom anyway? I don’t even need one…”

As Schni grumbled while painting, I sat beside her and doodled on a separate sheet of paper I had prepared.

I was an excellent artist.

Even I had to admit I was.

In my previous life, the only thing I could draw was stick figures, but it seemed the original owner’s skills had remained in this body.

“Hmm.”

Already exhausted before class had even begun, I looked over my drawing with a slightly tired face.

The Schni I had sketched was absentmindedly swinging her feet while deep in thought.

I glanced back and forth between the real Schni and the one on the paper as my hand continued moving.

Dating, marriage, and raising children.

There was once a time when those three things were considered the most important aspects of a woman’s life.

But in my previous life, I had never placed much importance on any of them.

However, in the world where Reina Soillet lived, it was impossible to ignore those three things.

“Good day, Lady Soillet.”

A deep, pleasant voice stopped me.

“It seems we meet again.”

…Seriously.

I had just left the Princess’s Palace when I turned around.

“Yes, hello.”

That man was a mage from the Magic Tower who visited the Imperial Palace quite often.

His name was Millon Kell.

He was the youngest son of an incredibly wealthy family, looked about the same age as my uncle, and though I never wanted to know this fact, I had heard that when he was younger he had several mistresses thanks to his handsome face.

“Haha, what luck I have, being blessed with the sight of your beauty once again today.”

Millon laughed heartily, emphasizing the words once again today.

“…Thank you.”

This was something I had experienced countless times since possessing this body.

No matter when or where.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Reina Soillet, an extra in this childcare novel, had always been treated this way.

An easy marriage prospect sought after by older men with flaws—usually divorced—who looked down on her.

Well…

Women my age in this country were already married and raising children.

Compared to them, I was considered an old maid in the marriage market.

“Are you returning to the Marquis’s estate now?”

“Yes.”

“You must be tired from so early in the morning.”

“I suppose so.”

At first, I had resented Reina Soillet for never marrying a decent man until now.

But I had grown used to it.

No matter what nonsense they said or how sweetly they tried to flirt with me, all I had to do was answer appropriately.

“Even so, your face still shines as brightly as ever. You truly are a beauty.”

Of course, what I really wanted was to pluck out every single hair from that rough beard of his.

Unfortunately, unlike someone else’s father, mine wasn’t a tyrant emperor.

Endure it. You’re just an ordinary noble extra.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Millon laughed loudly, trying to keep the conversation going somehow, while I answered mechanically.

Please just leave already.

He didn’t seem like a mage important enough to personally come here.

Besides, seeing him visit the Princess’s Palace—a place completely unrelated to the Magic Tower…

The reason was obvious.

He had heard that the Marquis’s family was looking for a son-in-law and assumed I would be an easy woman to make his wife.

Millon followed me all the way past the front gate of the Princess’s Palace.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my expression under control.

“It seems you’re wearing rosemary perfume today.”

“I suppose I am.”

“Haha, I’m quite observant, you see. Ladies always find that sort of thing charming, don’t they? Why, I once remembered that a certain lady said she liked white roses. Later I gave her a bouquet of white roses, and she was so delighted that I had quite a hard time shaking her off afterward…”

So what?

He really loved talking about the past.

Maybe that was just what happened when people got older.

As I endured his tiresome stories, the Marquis family’s carriage finally came into view.

At that moment, I made eye contact with the coachman waiting outside.

“We’ve come quite far already, Sir Millon. Next time, I hope that good fortune falls upon another lady instead of me.”

I cut off Millon, who seemed completely absorbed in reminiscing about his glorious past.

“I hope she’s someone who enjoys listening to old stories.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that…?”

Millon blinked in confusion.

“Take care.”

Leaving him standing there alone, I climbed into the carriage.

Hopefully he’d think I was a rude woman and finally give up on making me his bride.

Though, knowing him, he’d probably come pestering me again tomorrow.

The oblivious fool.

“I should go home and get some rest— Aaah!”

The moment I climbed into the carriage while grumbling to myself, I found someone I never expected inside.

Startled, I stumbled forward.

“…Mother.”

The Marchioness of Soillet sat inside with an unusually solemn expression.

Lissa was beside her.

Why are they suddenly here at the Imperial Palace…?

As my eyes darted around in confusion, Mother answered casually.

“There wasn’t enough time. We’re on our way to meet another prospective son-in-law, so prepare yourself.”

“…Excuse me?”

A prospective husband I knew absolutely nothing about?

The situation was so absurd that I almost laughed.

As I let out a faint, incredulous smile, Mother immediately frowned.

“Do you think I want to be this unreasonable? It pains me too, honestly…”

Truthfully, men like Millon weren’t the only problem caused by Reina Soillet remaining unmarried all this time.

“How long are you going to keep living like this? Ladies your age already have three or four adorable children and are living happily…!”

From the moment I possessed this body, I had been bombarded with endless lectures telling me to get married.

To the point where I almost admired Reina Soillet for enduring it for so many years.

But there was an even bigger problem.

“This is a meeting I barely managed to arrange. You understand that, don’t you?”

The Marquis and his wife completely ignored my opinion and searched through practically every eligible man in the Empire.

The prospective son-in-law we were meeting today had probably been found through that exhaustive search.

This is exactly what’s wrong with healing childcare novels.

Because the world was so peaceful, people treated marriage as though their lives depended on it.

“Honestly… what could you possibly be lacking…?”

It sounded like Mother was about to launch into the same speech I had heard every single day since possessing this body.

I quickly changed the subject.

“S-So… who exactly are we meeting today?”

Apparently pleased that I was finally showing interest, Mother answered with a gentler expression.

“The Marquis of Dorgel. I hear he’s kind and very wealthy.”

…That doesn’t sound bad.

But the rest of her explanation was far from reassuring.

“The only flaw is that his late wife left behind three children… but you like children, don’t you? I’m sure you’ll take good care of them.”

“……”

The moment my expression twisted, Mother’s face reddened.

“Do you think I want to entrust my precious daughter to a man like that? Hmm?”

“I…”

“I know my beautiful daughter deserves better. But if you keep putting this off, what about your younger siblings?”

“…That’s true.”

Among the nobility of this country, there was an unspoken rule.

The eldest child had to marry before the younger siblings could.

Since I, the eldest daughter, remained unmarried, my siblings’ marriages were being delayed as well.

Yes.

The Marquis and his wife weren’t the only people constantly nagging me about marriage.

My younger brother, Sei, rarely even showed his face around the house…

Actually, the one who nags me the most is Rose.

Whenever she had the chance, my younger sister Rose pressured me to get married.

Something about her beloved sweetheart waiting for her.

Of course, I understood.

I knew exactly how urgent my situation was.

The fact that a noble lady was personally going around proposing marriage to gentlemen said everything.

Do I really have to get married?

If I insisted on remaining single for the rest of my life, my peaceful life after transmigrating would probably become impossible.

Even so…

Other transmigrators fell deeply in love with the handsome male leads or the hidden masterminds of the original story.

Meanwhile, I was supposed to be handed over to some noble old enough to be my uncle just to bear his heir?

“This time, please behave like a proper lady.”

Mother clasped my hands tightly, her voice filled with desperate hope.

“Hmm?”

How many people could look into those burning eyes and still refuse?

I certainly couldn’t.

“…Yes.”

I forced my stiff neck to move.

Nod.

Nod.

Nod.

So hard that it felt as though my head might fall off.