IBTHM Chapter 2

My fandom history traces back to elementary school, when I first developed curiosity about the opposite sex.

My first love was, as is typical for girls that age, the center of an idol boy group.

My obsessive personality—dangerously intense once fixated on something—applied fully to idol fandom. I refused to accept superficial love.

Music program and concert attendance, fan signings, offerings, fan cafe management, promoting to non-fans...

Breathing was solely for fangirling over my bias, and earning money was solely for offering to my bias.

Some might say they can't understand me, but what can I do? That was the only joy in my life.

Anyway, it was natural progression that such a me would fangirl over the male lead of the romance fantasy novel I'd read while crying buckets.

Abel Ruvermonte, the male lead of the romance fantasy Persona that recorded unprecedented sales for a genre novel, was essentially my entire mid-twenties.

Fandom fundamentally means wanting to know everything about your bias.

However, as a first-time 2D fan, I hit the limits of fandom. Since the novel was already complete, there was nothing more to learn about Abel even if I wanted to.

Thus, my obsession with Abel transformed directly into obsession with the author.

On the day the veiled creator of Abel, the author of Persona, held a fan signing, I left home at dawn with an excited heart.

And that was the last outing of my 27-year life spent with fandom.

Creeeeak—

What I remember last is the hazy pre-dawn sky not yet bright, the yellow headlight glow of a mid-sized car rushing toward me head-on, and the shocked screams of readers who'd arrived at the signing venue early like me, waiting. That's all.

Actually, I should have realized it then.

Thinking about it now, it was a death so perfectly "predetermined," so typical of mass-produced romance fantasy novels.

'Heeeeerk!'

My second life was tumultuous from the start. Actually, calling it a "start" was a bit awkward.

Aisha Esclife.

The only daughter of a poor barony family whose only asset was their title.

She died young at age 18, but miraculously revived just before they closed the coffin lid for her funeral.

Yes, that was me.

'Oh my goodness, Aisha?!'

'Eeek! What on earth is happening?!'

'S-stop! My daughter is alive!'

Adapting to the new body wasn't difficult.

With clear memories of having died, I simply realized I'd been reincarnated and quickly became detached about it.

Though she was a poor family's daughter, she was still nobility, had kind parents and a pretty face (honestly, this pleased me most), and had a close maid named Ann by her side.

Ann, the same age, seemed to have been on casual terms with her, and the previous personality appeared to be a somewhat timid, kind young lady.

With lovely hair that seemed sky-blue yet also water-blue, jewel-like blue eyes, white skin, and a delicate figure—I couldn't believe such a beauty with just one name mention was an unnamed supporting character, so I didn't immediately recognize this as the world inside a novel.

While adapting to the life of Baron's daughter Aisha Esclife.

The country name 'Crescenta Empire,' the family name 'Ruvermonte' I occasionally heard.

And decisively.

Only after realizing that the mysterious physical characteristic these world's people possessed also existed in me did I cry out.

'Eureka!!'

This place was none other than the same world as the novel Persona, and timing-wise, the male lead Abel was still living his precious little 7-year-old life!

The fact that I could witness in person the 2D bias I'd fangirled over day and night while alive excited me.

And I could directly see with my own eyes his 'childhood,' which hadn't been detailed in the book.

The novel content I'd read until practically memorizing it helped tremendously with my smooth fandom activities.

For instance, grasping my bias's schedule—the foundation of fandom—or possessing the wealth essential for making offerings...

Thus, my fandom project restarted here in the Crescenta Empire.

"So now you're saying you'll marry Duke Ruvermonte? I mean, it is incredibly fortunate, but..."

Ruvermonte ducal castle, the excessively lavish guest room given to me.

Using experiential learning as an excuse, I'd already been staying here for one week and four days.

Ann, who'd been beautifully braiding my hair as I sat before the vanity, met my eyes in the mirror and asked.

With her attractive red hair and freckles, she closely resembled the protagonist of a classic comic I'd once enjoyed—even sharing the familiar name.

Maybe that's why, even in the bewildering situation of reviving three days after death, I'd felt closeness toward Ann.

I responded with revulsion.

"Are you crazy? No matter how much I like Abel, how could I marry a man I know nothing about except his face and name?"

"That's true, but this might actually be quite a good opportunity. Miss, you're well past marriageable age, aren't you? Duke Ruvermonte is handsome and wealthy. Honestly, for someone of Esclife barony's level to be involved with... ah, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not wrong."

I nodded fully agreeing with the words Ann had blurred before finishing.

So, returning to the current situation.

Duke Hades Ruvermonte apparently thought the reason I'd been trailing after the ducal family was because I'd fallen head over heels for him.

Having actually met him, Hades was sufficiently attractive, if not quite as much as Abel.

The fact that such a man was an unexpectedly severe case of narcissism was quite surprising, but...

'That's the only way one could think.'

It was entirely natural and reasonable suspicion.

I clearly appeared to have some purpose, and he could never possibly think it was merely to follow around his 10-year-old son.

Even so, why? A question remained for me.

Money? Check. Power? Check. Position? Check. This empire's protagonist, the head of the Ruvermonte ducal family lacking absolutely nothing—why would such a man, instead of punishing the shabby family's noble lady trailing after him, say her devotion was touching so he'd marry her?

Unless Duke Ruvermonte had gone insane, the suspicion I should think of first upon hearing that absurd proposal was obviously...

"Actually, maybe Duke Ruvermonte has also been fangirling over me..."

"With extremely high probability, I don't think that's it."

Ann, initially bewildered but now accustomed to the technical term 'fangirling,' promptly shook her head in response.

"Mm, I thought so too? Then what could the reason possibly be?"

"Will an answer appear if you agonize over it? Just take it at face value. Maybe he was genuinely moved to tears by your devotion in trailing after him so earnestly. Actually, I've heard Duke Ruvermonte has had various rumors because he's kept the lady of the house position vacant."

"Rumors?"

"Yes. The Ruvermonte ducal family isn't just any family, you know. Don't you think it's strange there's still no lady of the house in the ducal family?"

"Ah, that's..."

Having read the novel, I already knew the reason, so there was no particular need to be curious.

Duke Ruvermonte, Hades, notices orphan Abel's abilities on the battlefield and decides to make him his heir.

However, bringing an orphan with unclear origins into the powerful Ruvermonte family as an adopted son to inherit—it was preposterous. Resistance from retainers and family bloodline members was expected.

Hades publicly announced Abel as his biological child while bringing him into the territory, both to preemptively block such noise and grant Abel some legitimacy as heir.

The duchess position was vacant, and Abel's mother was unknown, so his official position was Duke Ruvermonte's illegitimate son.

Well, it was still better than the fact being known that he was an orphan of unclear origins with not a drop of Ruvermonte blood.

It was natural that retainers loyal to Hades and castle employees viewed the heaven-dropped illegitimate son Abel unfavorably.

Abel couldn't be free from the stares scattered despite Hades's extreme affection and protection.

Especially since Abel alone knew the truth that he wasn't actually a biological child.

Young Abel, busy reading the room around him, grew up early through such an unfortunate childhood.

Ah, poor our Abel. Let me wipe away some tears.

"The duke may be in a situation where he urgently needs to marry, even just for show."

I nodded somewhat agreeing with Ann's words.

Certainly, the biggest problem was the vacant lady of house position in the Ruvermonte ducal family.

Hades half-heartedly nodded to his retainers' persistent demands to bring in a lady and found a suitable marriage prospect, but firmly stated that no matter how many children he might have later, Abel would unconditionally be the Ruvermonte ducal heir.

Great noble families at a level matching the Ruvermonte ducal family didn't want to send their carefully raised daughters after accepting such disadvantages.

It didn't matter that the Ruvermonte ducal family was at the center of tremendous power practically representing the empire.

Of course, it's not that no one coveted the position beside the duke.

Marriage proposals poured in from slightly lower-level families. They'd simply decided to endure Abel's existence because they wanted to share in the honor of the Ruvermonte name.

However, proposal letters from mediocre families were all destroyed at the retainer level.

Because they considered it shameful to connect with families completely mismatched in level, no matter how lacking in marriage prospects.

Hades managed to keep the lady of house position vacant through the discussions of retainers busy maintaining pride.

Even so, he'd eventually need to fill the duchess position, but in the story content I knew, Hades never took a bride.

Why?

'The duke is pitiable too, in a way...'

Duke Hades Ruvermonte.

He was a devoted father character who met a heroic death in Abel's place on Abel's eleventh birthday.